Hebrews 9:23-28 (NKJV) Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
V23 “Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. “ The true Temple is the one in heaven. Moses saw that Temple when God gave him instructions, saying Exodus 25:40 NLT – “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.” The Temple on earth needed to be purified with sacrificial blood from animals (Hebrews 9:21-23). The heavenly, true Temple also needed to be purified, but instead of using animal blood, the blood was from our Passover Lamb–Jesus Christ.
V24 “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us…” The Lord Jesus was not qualified to enter the earthly Temple but was qualified to enter the heavenly Temple. He did this in God’s presence for us. “Us” is not only Jews but Gentile believers as well. Aaron and the other High Priests could enter God’s presence (the Holy of Holies) once a year, but the Lord Jesus sits and ministers continuously.
V25 “…not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another…” See Leviticus 16 for the rules for the High Priest.
V26 “…He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Jesus’s offering of blood only happened one time for all time. The end of the ages is referencing to the time of the Hebrews writer and the church age.
V27 “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…” The Greek word for “appointed” is (G606) ἀπόκειμαι apókeimai which means laid up and waiting for use. Death is the penalty for sin. We are born dead in sins (1 Timothy 5:6, Colossians 2:13, and Romans 6:23) with the promise physical death coming to every human being. After physical death, there is one of two possibilities: 1) heaven for the believer (2 Corinthians 5:8) or 2) Hades then the Lake of Fire at the Great White Throne judgment for the unbeliever (Revelation 20:11-15). Jesus’s superiority of High Priest and the superior offering dealt with our sins from the first human sin to the last human’s sin if one meets God’s conditions.
V28 “…so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Jesus’s sacrifice is a one time event to never happen again.
(Holman Commentary) “Jews would be acquainted with a repetition of sacrifices. They would need to understand why the death of Christ was final and unrepeatable. This verse implies that a repeated offering would have involved Christ in continual suffering. If Christ’s death were repeatable, it would need to begin with the dawn of history when sin entered the world and to last throughout the ages.
“However, the death of Christ could happen only once in history. There was only one incarnation and death. The timing of this event occurred in God’s perfect wisdom.
“Several facts about Christ’s death are presented. First, it happened in history when he appeared on earth. Second, it was once for all and never needed repetition. Third, the effect of the sacrifice was to do away with sin. Fourth, the death was voluntary. Christ offered himself.”
“For salvation” refers to the deliverance of church age believers for resurrection, Rapture, return to heaven for the marriage feast of the Lamb.