Having therefore, brethren, boldness for entering into the [holy of] holies by the blood of Jesus,
The letter to the Hebrews has been building toward this sentence: one sacrifice has settled the question of sin, and the door into God's presence now stands open. The whole weight of it rests on four words — "by the blood of Jesus."
The verse opens by looking back. Its "therefore" rests on the full forgiveness described just before it.
Under the Old Testament the Jews did not know this full forgiveness. They received a kind of pardon for each sin they committed. But the veil shut them out of the holiest. It hung in front of the place where God revealed Himself... Then came the real work that all these things pictured: the death of the Saviour. The veil of the temple tore in two from top to bottom. Now, on the strength of the work of Christ and the forgiveness of our sins, we are urged to draw near.
The design of the old tabernacle was itself a message.
What did it all mean? It certainly pointed forward to the blood of Christ as the only ground of approach to God. Yet through the whole arrangement the Holy Spirit was saying something else: in the old system there was no real approach to God at all. The way in was not yet made known... as long as the first tabernacle still had its standing before God, the rule was: no admittance.
The word translated "boldness" is about speech. It means having nothing left to hide.
The word for boldness means "all speech" — speaking everything, no concealment, perfect liberty. We do not come as people who hold something back in mind or heart. We do not come hiding things we have never brought into the light of His presence, things we would be afraid to have brought out... What possibility of concealment is there in His holy presence? Yet we have boldness, we have all speech, to enter His sanctuary by Christ's precious blood!
Everything depends on what gives the right of entry.
Suppose we claimed boldness to enter there because of our love or holiness, our new nature, or even a ceremony God Himself gave. That would be sheer and shameless presumption. Yet here it is calmly claimed for Christians. They are urged in the strongest terms to approach God's presence by faith, without a doubt or a cloud, now that their sins are gone. Boldness to enter there is due to the blood of Jesus. Only unbelief hinders.
Ridout puts the same test in personal terms:
Do I have boldness to draw near to God on the ground that I have known Him for many years? Or that I have had a happy past experience? Or that I have been serving the Lord faithfully and have honoured Him? No — by the blood of Jesus. That precious blood, which has glorified God, is our only title to enter there.
Where the ESV says "the holy places," older translations say "the holiest" — the inner room, and so God's own presence itself. The verse treats entry there as something we already have.
Remember, this is not about entering a place or temple of worship on earth. It is really the holiest of all, the very presence of God in heaven. Now then, reader, does the blood of Jesus give you boldness to enter? Or do you need something else? Whatever it is, it would deny the eternal value of that one sacrifice. It is not that we hope to have it. We have it now: "since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus."
The first readers knew a system where even the high priest had no such freedom:
No Jew, not even the high priest, had boldness to enter the holiest made with hands. We have boldness to enter the holiest not made with hands — in spirit now, and in actual presence when the Lord comes. A converted Hebrew reading this would say to himself at once: we are made priests, in a far higher sense than Aaron's family ever were. He would be right!
If every believer may enter, no human go-between is needed.
This chapter also ruled out the idea of a sacrificing priesthood down here, standing between me and God. The work of Christ has given us our position: direct access to God in full confidence.
- Blood — the cause. The way is open for one reason: the blood of Jesus. To add our love, holiness, experience or service is "shameless presumption."
- Blood — the gift. The old system said "no admittance." Now we have boldness — "all speech," nothing hidden, nothing feared.
- Blood — the reach. It brings us not to a building but into the very presence of God in heaven, and it does so now, not one day.
- Blood — the rank. Every believer is made a priest in a higher sense than Aaron's family ever were.
- Blood — the result. Access is direct, so no human priest stands between the believer and God. Only unbelief keeps anyone outside.
the new and living way which he has dedicated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh,
This verse names the road that brings believers into God's presence. It is new, it is living, and Christ Himself opened it. Two questions follow. Why call the way living when a death opened it? And what does it mean that the curtain is the body of the One who leads us in?
The word "new" here has a literal sense that points straight to a sacrifice.
The verse calls it "a new and living way." Literally it means "a newly slaughtered way." It rests on the offering of a recent sacrifice, the sacrifice of Christ. In that way He has opened a way in for us "through the veil, that is to say His flesh." Even now, so long after that sacrifice, it still holds its power, still "a newly slaughtered way."
A death opened this way, yet it is called living. That reverses how things stood under the law.
Under the law, for anyone to draw near to the presence of God was death; under Christ, it is death to stay away. What a wonderful contrast! Under the law, fire came out from the sanctuary and struck down anyone who dared to draw near. Through the work of Christ we now draw near, and the way is a way of life. The nearer we live to our blessed God, the more we will know the strength, freshness and energy of that life. We draw it from a divine source.
The curtain, or veil, shut off the innermost room of the tabernacle — Israel's tent of worship. It stood for the human life of Christ on earth. His sinless Manhood is what kept the way closed.
The veil separated the two holy places, and it is explained for us here: "that is to say, His flesh." His perfect Manhood was an absolute barrier to man's entrance into God's presence. In that blessed Manhood of Christ, God had shown that only perfection satisfied Him. But the death of Christ — the tearing of the veil from top to bottom — is the wonderful work that opens the way into God's presence for sinners.
But what remains of that veil now that Christ is risen?
A crucified Christ is the torn veil through which we draw near to God. The marks of the tearing will always remain. In the risen Lord we have the memorial of His finished work and the witness of His perfect humanity, all there — not as a barrier to the soul, but as the very way of access to God.
When the temple curtain split at the death of Jesus, movement began in both directions at once.
In the tabernacle God was shut up within the veil. On His part there was no coming out, and on man's part there was no going in… On the cross this veil was torn. The death of Christ was the tearing of the veil… God has come out to man in perfect love, and now man can go in to God by that way which has been dedicated through the veil… So not only are our consciences purged; our hearts are won too. God's presence, which we so much dreaded, has become our eternal home, and nowhere in the universe are we so welcome.
Commentators differ over how closely the torn temple curtain fits this verse. One writer draws a distinction between the two buildings.
The verse says the way is "through the veil, that is, His flesh," meaning His Manhood. It is by becoming man He has opened the way for us into the presence of God. Both revelation and approach are complete in Him… The tearing of the veil of the Temple when He died pictures God coming out in revelation in Him. The veil of the Tabernacle shows more of our going in to God. That is the building this letter has in view, not the Temple.
The verb translated "consecrated" in older versions carries the sense of opening something for use.
The other reference is in Hebrews 10:20, where it is rendered in the Authorised Version as "consecrated," but is actually the word "dedicated," and is so translated by J. N. Darby.
A way opened at that price puts a question to everyone who hears about it.
The death of our Substitute has become the way of life and blessing to us, the way to God. It has removed our sins and met the question of our sinful nature… We can draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, by a new and living way, which He has dedicated for us. What a word that is! Shall we be indifferent to, and despise, a way that He has dedicated for us at such a cost?
- Newly slain. The way is "new" in the sense of freshly sacrificed. Time has not weakened its power.
- Newly living. The same death that opened it makes it a way of life. Under the law, drawing near meant death. Now staying away does.
- Newly opened. The curtain is His flesh. His perfect Manhood barred the way in, until His death tore that barrier apart.
- Newly dedicated. He dedicated the way for us Himself, and at great cost.
- Newly welcomed. God has come out in love and man goes in — the presence once dreaded becomes the place where we are most welcome.