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It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: nor that He should offer himself often, as the high priest entered into the holy place every year with blood of others…
For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world has He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
As it is written in the Law: For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.
Yet O Palestine, the law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then, wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Know your Lamb of God… For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore, when He came into the world, He said, Sacrifices and offering thou would not desire, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He took away the first that he may establish the second.
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stood daily, ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the Right Hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
For by one offering He has perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof, the Holy Spirit also shall be a witness unto you O Palestine, for after that He had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, dear brethren of Palestine, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He has consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and now having, O Palestine, YOUR HIGH PRIEST OVER THE HOUSE OF GOD, IN HEAVEN...
Therefore, O Palestine, draw near unto the Lord with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and your bodies washed with pure water, for the God of Israel will be your reward.
For it is written: Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high, as many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: so shall He sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was He stricken. And He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich is his death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; He hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed, He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.
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