Ephesians 4:8-9
"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended, up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?...)"
See how that fits with Matthew 12. Then verse 10.
Ephesians 4:10
"(...He that descended (the Christ of the Cross) is the same also that ascended up far above all the heavens, that he might fill (or fulfill) all things.)"
See how plain that is? You don’t have to be a seminary graduate to understand that. You don’t have to be a PhD in English. It’s just plain as day "that as Jonah was three days in the belly of the fish, for three days and three nights; so must the Son of man be in the heart of the earth, three days and three nights." What is it but that he descended first into the lower parts of the earth, took captive all those Old Testament believers, and took them and Paradise up and which is now in heaven and torment of course now is enlarged, according to the Old Testament prophets. The torment side of Sheol now covers the whole area because Paradise is now in glory (Revelation 5:9,13). Now remember to that in the morning of the first day someplace between say mid-night and say 6 AM. That there was a earthquake which rolled the stone away from the tomb and that those in the city that were up at that time saw what? The dead risen and walking the streets of the cities. (Matthew 28:2)
Well, now let’s come back to Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 7, and see if we can make some more sense out of this:
Hebrews 9:7-8
"But unto the second (that is beyond the veil, back into that Holy of Holiest where the Ark of the Covenant was placed.) went the high priest alone once a year, not without blood, (animal blood) which he offered for himself, (and then he’d have to go back out and kill the second animal, take it’s blood and again go behind the veil) and (that) for the errors of the people: The Holy Ghost this signifying, (showing) that the way into the holiest of all (the very presence of God) was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:"
What does "was not yet made manifest, while the first tabernacle was yet standing" mean? That it was due for destruction and that is why in 70 AD the Romans destroyed it and the people became scattered again and were without a priesthood. Because while it remained it was a stumbling block of offense to God and therefore it had to be removed because it had become an object of worship. Which it was not to have become, just as the utensils used within it were not to have become but they and the feast days all did. Israel had moved from worshiping God to worshiping the created things above God. This is seen in the fact that they sought the signs, wonders and miracles, they required proof of a physical manifestation. Why? Because they were spiritually dead and for the most part so remain even to-day.
And then, when the high priest would go in behind the veil, he was going into the Shekinah Glory presence of God as it hovered above this tabernacle. But there was no way he had access into the throne room of God in heaven because all he had was animal blood. And it could not remove sin. It merely covered it, just as it did when He covered Adam and Eve. Now remember that this was taught to the sons of Adam and all those who were close to him. But like so many of our day they all did not stay the course but when each his own way. We can get a glimpse of the few that hung onto God when we look at the lineage of Adam because those of trust are there shown, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Shem....etc.
Okay, now can we go to the next verse, verse 9, and all of this was a figure, a type, a picture, all of this:
Hebrews 9:9
Which was a figure for the time then present, (animal sacrifices, temple worship) in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, (or whole or complete) as pertaining to the conscience;"
Animal blood could not do it. The animal blood did nothing to their consciences but now we come to the Blood of Christ and that is all changed.
Isn’t it amazing that Israel did not lose the temple until after Christ was crucified, buried and risen from the dead? I’d never thought of it really before. Isn’t it amazing? Those Romans could just as well have destroyed Jerusalem and the temple before all that was finished.
My goodness, they were fighting the Hebrews for a hundred years before Christ came. But oh, God in His Sovereignty made sure that that temple worship kept on going until the finished work of the Cross was accomplished because you see, otherwise, there would have been a time in there where the Hebrews had no way of approaching God. If the Cross hadn’t been completed and if the temple was gone, then there would have been nothing. But God made sure that they could keep on with that temple worship, they could still bring their sacrifices. Remember, though that it was a dead religion. And not many of them were true believers anymore, but there were a few.
But God in His Sovereignty made everything fit, that after the work of the Cross was completed, the temple and Jerusalem could be destroyed. And that’s why Paul can write in here that "everything pertained to the Law is like an old worn out garment, that you can fold up and lay it aside." How it all fits historically, as well as Biblically! Alright, now then, verse 10 - all of these things of tabernacle worship:
Hebrews 9:10
"Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation."
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