Entering the Holies St. Paul continues his comparison between the ministry of the first temple and the ministry of the new heavenly temple, to assure them that what they were deprived of by their expulsion from the Jewish temple, was just a shadow to minister to the truth, and to open the door to the heavenly ministry. What they have lost from the Levitical priesthood cannot be compared to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Himself, the Heavenly High Priest who is the Only One who can make us enter through the Holies. 1. The inability of the animal sacrifices 1-11. 2. The power of the Unique Sacrifice 12-18. 3. Entering through the Holies 19-23. 4. The continuous strife 24-39. 1. THE INABILITY OF THE ANIMAL SACRIFICES "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect" [1]. St. Paul emphasizes the inability of the Mosaic Law to perfect those who offer animal sacrifices, for this Law cannot offer a deposit of heaven or the life to come, but rather its shadow. Thus, it cannot purge the inner conscience and change the soul to become a heaven and a kingdom of God. St. John Chrysostom1 compared the Mosaic Law to an artist who holds the pen to draw the broad lines of the scene. No doubt, this is a necessary task and beneficial and without it, the picture cannot be completed, but it does not portray the features of the picture nor reveal its beauty. However, the New Testament represents an artist who offers strong and attractive features of the picture through his bright colors which illustrate many details of heaven. The Old Testament with all its rites pointed to the road, but its features were not clear nor attractive. But the Sacrifice of the New Testament made us enter the road itself, so we may attain the heavenly perfection. The Old Testament is essential and beneficial but is deficient. It leads us to enjoy perfection in the New Testament which offered us the heaven as a true fact inside the heart, and made our inner depths as living icons of the life to come. St. Paul presented two proofs of the deficiency of the sacrifices of the Mosaic Law: The first proof: "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins" [4]. It is impossible for the blood of irrational animals to purge man physically and spiritually. It doesn’t carry the power of purification, but rather they derive their effect from their obedience to the will of God which declared these sacrifices as symbols. Thus, God rejects these sacrifices, if they are offered as routine rather than obedience to Him. God does not delight in meat, nor fat and blood of animals, but rather in obedience. This is what St. Paul emphasized by saying: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come, in the volume of the book 1 In Hebr. hom 17:5. Chapter 1 2 it is written of Me, to do Your will, O God" [5-7]. God does not desire animal sacrifices, but rather He demands them as symbols of the Incarnate Son who came in the flesh offering obedience to the will of the Father, obedience till death, death of the cross, so we may be sanctified in the Holy Son. "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" [10]. The Second Proof: It compliments the former, where St. Paul declares that the daily repetition of the bloody animal sacrifices is a sign of their deficiency. "And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" [11-14].St. John Chrysostom commented by saying, [Tell me why is there a need for many sacrifices if one Sacrifice is sufficient? Offering many sacrifices continuously assures that the worshipers are not yet sanctified. This is like medicine, if it is strong, it can destroy the disease completely, just by using it once. However, when the medicine is repeated, this means that it is weak in its effect. The good medicine is used once only and is not repeated. Why do they keep using the same sacrifices continuously? For if they had been freed from all their sins, they would not have to repeat the sacrifices daily. For it was assigned to them to offer permanent morning and evening sacrifices. This repetition doesn’t mean they are freed from sins, but it is an accusation, and emphasis that it is still existing. What happens is not just a demonstration of the power of the sacrifices, but rather of their weaknesses. The first sacrifice is not powerful, thus, a second one is offered. A second one is not effective, thus another one is offered. The repetition of the offerings testify to their weaknesses, but this is completely different with the Lord Jesus Christ2.] St. John Chrysostom proposed the question, the sacrifice of the daily Eucharist, is it repeated? Meaning, the Sacrifice of Christ on the cross, is it repeated? He answered by saying: [It is not a different sacrifice as the high priest used to do, but rather it is one and the same Sacrifice offered daily3.] We previously mentioned that the sacrifice of the Eucharist is a true Sacrifice, and it is not a repetition, but rather it is the same sacrifice of the cross which cannot be repeated4. 2. THE POWER OF THE ONE UNIQUE SACRIFICE What corresponds to the repeated sacrifices is the one unique Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" [12-14]. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid., 17:6. 4 The Author, ” Christ in the Eucharist,” p. 42-163 (in Arabic). Chapter 1 3 The sitting of the Lord Christ at the right hand of God in heaven waiting till His enemies are made His footstool is a strong testimony to the power of the living Sacrifice which works continuously to reconcile humanity, so that believers may enter into the bosom of the Father, declaring victory over Satan, and all his evil powers. The Lord does not need to declare His sitting at the right hand of God, for He is one with Him, but what He did is achieved in the name of His Church throughout the ages. He is the only Oblation sitting at the right hand of God which is not repeated, and works continuously for our victory and freedom from sin. As St. John Chrysostom says, [As long as He forgave sins through the One Sacrifice, then there is no need for another sacrifice5.] Once more St. Paul emphasizes that as long as the Sacrifice of the New Testament can enter the heart and works to purge the mind, then there is no need for another sacrifice. "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them, then He adds, 'Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.' Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin" [16-18]. 3. ENTERING INTO THE HOLIES "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God" [19-21]. St. Paul addresses them as brothers who are very intimate, having the ties of brotherhood, by abiding in the Lord Jesus, the Priest and the Sacrifice. They became confident of entering the Holies by the worthiness of the blood of Christ, through our membership in His holy Body. The veil that was torn by His death made us enter the Holy of Holies, and the Priest is the only Almighty One who can take us to heaven. St. Athanasius of Alexandria talks to us about the broken Body as a way for us to cross to the Holies. He says: [When the Lord stretched His hands on the cross, He conquered the prince of the power of air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:2), preparing the road to heaven for us6.] Through the Sacrifice of the cross, that destroyed the power of Satan and sin, we are assured, and can boldly enjoy the heavens. As St. John Chrysostom says, [How do we get this boldness? Since sin brings us shame, then forgiveness of sin, our enjoyment of the heavenly heritage, and such great love bring us boldness7.] When God offered the Law with its old sacrifices, He prepared the way to accept the sacrifice of the Body of the Lord Jesus who alone lifts our hearts to heaven. As Origen says: [Through the Law, we reap the harvest of the mysteries as a ladder to climb from the earthly to the heavenly matters. Now, let us raise our minds, as much as we could, above the earthly thoughts, through meditation and the inner insight of the heart. Let us forget the earth and lift our hearts to the clouds of heaven. Let us search for the tabernacle of God, (the Church), where the Lord Jesus entered to prepare a way for us. He appears before God, interceding for us8.] 5 In Hebr. hom., 18:3. 6 In Num. Hom., 3. 7 In Hebr. hom 19:2. 8 In Num. Hom., 3. Chapter 1 4 We have the confidence of entering the Holiest, that is the Holies of God. Here, he does not say, the "Holy of Holies" or the "Holy," for the two became one; there is no veil that separates them. Through the worthiness of the Blood, our heavenly life here on earth is not separated from our future heavenly life. The Holy (our present worship) became one with the Holy of Holies (our eternal worship). The way that was opened is His Body, being the veil that was torn. When the Lord's Body was crucified on the cross, the veil of the temple, that separated the Holy from the Holy of Holies, was torn. His Body became the mystery of opening the Holies in front of us, or our move towards it, that we may reach there. We, as members of His Holy Body, have the right to enjoy the heavenly matters. His body was the veil, where divinity was hidden behind, so we may meet Him and get acquainted with his divine mysteries. St. John Chrysostom says: [When His Body was lifted up, the heavenly matters appeared.] He also says that in the Old Testament, the high priest used to enter the Holy of Holies while the others stayed outside. However, now we enter with our High Priest. The high priest, entering alone into the Holy of Holies, was a sign of the obstruction of the Holies before humanity. However, now when the Lord Jesus entered heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father, carrying our nature, this became a manifestation of opening the road of the Holiest for us. St. Athanasius of Alexandria talks about the Body of the Lord Jesus on the cross as One hanging in the air to destroy the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). He says: [Since Satan, our enemy, fell from heaven, to our earth, he has the authority to use his fellow devils to trick men and tempt them to lead a sinful life.” He does not only work in men who can be easily deceived, but rather hinders those who are climbing to heaven. As St. Paul says: "According to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Eph.2:2). The Lord came to expel Satan and purify the air, thus preparing the way to heaven through the veil, that is His flesh (Heb.10: 20), as St. Paul says, what kind of death that can achieve that, except the death in the air, that is, on the cross?! The Lord endured this death. When He was lifted on the cross, He purified the air from the evil of Satan, for He said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18), thus He opened the door to heaven. He also says, "Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!" (Ps. 24:7) The Word did not need someone to open for Him because He is the Lord of all, and nothing can be closed before Him, for we are all His creation. We are the ones who needed the doors to be opened. As He carried us in His body, He died on our behalf to prepare for us, the road to heaven9.] St. Athanasius10 refuted the Arians who claim that the Lord Jesus is created because of His incarnation, by saying, that through the Word’s incarnation, men are saved from death, redeemed from sin, and the gates of heaven are thus opened before us. [Those who do not want to worship the Word who became flesh, deny His incarnation...We cannot separate the Word from the flesh.] The road to the Holies has been opened by His flesh. As if the Apostle means to say, that the way of the Holies is opened through Incarnation. We cannot separate the flesh from the Word, for He is One Person, the Word of God, the Incarnate Logos. 9 De Incar. 25. 10 Ep to Adelphius 5. Chapter 1 5 We enjoy this opened door when we are baptized, where we unite with our Christ as members in His Body, for it is written, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water" [22]. 4. THE CONTINUOUS STRIFE Our faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus is the road which grants us the assured hope to enter the Holiest. This hope has to be with our good conscience, away from evil, obligated to continuous strife in the life of righteousness, especially to follow love. A living and effective faith has to be co-ordinated with hope and love. He said, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith... let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering...Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works" [22-24]. Faith grants us to enter the road, hope opens the heart to see the road joyfully, and love is the sign of the road itself! The acts of love; such as "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works" [24]. This means that we support one another through acts of love and good deeds. Our strife is canonical once we meet together in the spirit of love as members of one another. As St. John Chrysostom says: [The Church meeting is strong, for what one cannot do alone, he can do by joining the rest of the Church. Thus, group prayers on behalf of the troubled, each person all over the world, and all Church members that they may be in peace, is extremely essential11.] St. Paul, then emphasizes the necessity of strife in a communal spirit saying, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" [25]. St. John Chrysostom used this verse in praising the communal church life and in rejecting the isolation from the Church community by saying, [There is no greater evil than the isolation from the Church community12.] Truly, what is more beneficial than the communal spirit, for it supports each member without one losing his personal relationship with the Lord! Finally, the Apostle is warning us we, who enjoyed the work of the Blood of the Lord Jesus, from falling into sin. For "Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much more worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?" [28,29]. Sr. John Chrysostom commented by saying: [How do you trample the Son of God underfoot?!… Those who sin do not appreciate the Lord... You became the body of Christ; how, then, you surrender yourself to Satan, so he may step on you?!13] He also says, [Such person deserves greater condemnation. Yet, the Lord opens the door of repentance in front of him and offers him many ways to wash his sins14.] Since the Lord Jesus has widely opened the door of hope by His blood, this does not mean that we take advantage of God's mercies, and His kindness and patience with us. 11 In Acts hom., 37. 12 In Ioan. Hom., 78:41. 13 In Hebr. hom., 20:3. 14 In Ioan. Hom., 28;1. Chapter 1 6 As St. Paul said, "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds..." (Rom. 2:4-6) After St. Paul presented the commandments, he revealed to them one side of their strife, as an encouragement, for he was used to combine his rebuke with praise, his strictness with love, and his severity with hope. He said, "But recall the former days in which after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings" [32]. After they received the sacrament of baptism, that is the mystery of enlightenment, they struggled and endured many sufferings especially from their people, the Jews. They accepted sufferings not only by struggle and patience, but also by great joy, for he said, "For you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven" [34]. The sign for their spiritual progress is that they have accepted sufferings with joy. As Origen says, [Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Bible. My soul rejoices in the Lord for it rejoices in hope, rejoices in enduring injustice for His name in all occasions, offering the first-fruit of joy to God through the true Great Priest15.] The secret of their joy in enduring injustices and the plundering of their money, is their enjoyment of their heavenly reward. They put all their trust in the heavenly Jerusalem with hearts full of faith, holding on steadfastly to the hope till the end. They endured the present sufferings of love with patience and joy, waiting for the fast second coming of the Lord, so He may take them with Him to the Holies. 15 In Num. Hom., 11.
Welcome