Well, in the first place, this doesn't seem to actually address the message you were replying to, as that person noted that a literal translation of the phrase in Hebrews 9:12 meant "holy places". But the big issue I need to point out is that your entire post here rests on a faulty assumption, one that you would have discovered had you done just a bit of verification. Specifically, you blame this translation difference (the KJV in Hebrews 9:12 saying "holy place" versus the NIV in that saying "Most Holy Place") on "the corruption of the text by the Alexandrian Codices". This is bizarre, given that they have no textual difference in the verses you cite.
This is pretty easy to confirm with a
textual apparatus like this one. So, for example, let's take your first example, Hebrews 9:12.
One can look at that here and see that it says "No textual critical info for this verse" which means there's no notable reading differences among manuscripts or quotations. The same applies to the other verses you refer to. You get the same reading whether one uses the "Alexandrian Codices" or not.
But you wouldn't need to have used a textual apparatus to see that it was very unlikely to have been a difference in textual basis; all someone has to do is look at any one of the various translations based on critical texts that involve things like the "Alexandrian Codices" because they don't agree with the NIV on this. So proper verification would have meant taking a quick look at something like the NASB or ESV, and then someone would have seen they say (respectively) "holy place" and "holy places". That should have made you realize that the reason for the difference in translation is well, a difference in
translation, not textual basis, given that translations with the same basis as the NIV turned out differently.
So it looks like you saw a KJV/NIV difference and then, due to not spending any time at all to verify it was actually a textual issue, just assumed this was some textual difference and due to not verifying this idea, spouted off this completely inaccurate claim of it having something to do with the "Alexandrian codices".
Correct. The NIV reads most holy place based on a translation decision due to context. It should read holy places, as she acknowledged. It is not a textual variant issue.
And you are also correct that this didn't address the problem at all.
He entered as "High Priest", "by means of blood".
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. (ESV)
Jesus entered
- As High Priest
- By means of His own blood, as contrasted with the blood of bulls and goats
- Securing eternal redemption.
Blood was not necessary to go into the first compartment. The author of Hebrews had just spelled this out:
6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. (ESV)
Only the high priest would go into the second, and not without taking blood.
Jesus is the High Priest in the true tabernacle, taking not the blood of bulls and goats, but His own blood, and the result is securing eternal redemption.
And, He not only died once, but He entered once-for-all, in the past tense from the view of the author of Hebrews.
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. (ESV)
Jesus fulfilled that presentation of His Sacrifice in the true sanctuary in the first century:
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself made purification for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (NKJV)
6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance (NKJV)
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (NKJV)
23 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 Holy Places 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.
His entry is contrasted with the earthly high priest entry on the day of atonement.
Hebrews 9:23-28
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (ESV)
- Jesus' entry was NOT into the copy, but the true, into heaven itself.
- He entered to appear in God's presence on our behalf.
- He did not enter t present Himself year after year, as the high priest did, but once.
- Just as he doesn't have to suffer many times, but did so once.
The word here for presentation/offer is the same used of the blood ministration in the earthly earlier in the chapter:
Heb 9:7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.
Heb 9:7 εἰς δὲ τὴν δευτέραν ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ μόνος ὁ ἀρχιερεύς, οὐ χωρὶς αἵματος, ὃ προσφέρει ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν τοῦ λαοῦ ἀγνοημάτων,
Heb 9:24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
Heb 9:25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,
Heb 9:24 οὐ γὰρ εἰς χειροποίητα ἅγια εἰσῆλθεν ὁ Χριστός, ἀντίτυπα τῶν ἀληθινῶν, ἀλλ᾿ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανόν, νῦν ἐμφανισθῆναι τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν·
Heb 9:25 οὐδ᾿ ἵνα πολλάκις προσφέρῃ ἑαυτόν, ὥσπερ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς εἰσέρχεται εἰς τὰ ἅγια κατ᾿ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐν αἵματι ἀλλοτρίῳ·
Here are some Adventist scholars who are constrained to admit that these verses have reference to the Day of Atonement:
Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary on Hebrews 10:1:
Compare ch. 9:25, 26, where the work of Christ is again contrasted with that of the earthly high priest on the Day of Atonement.
M.L. Andreasen in The Book of Hebrews:
On Hebrews 4:16
Verse 16. "The throne of grace." This expression in Christian terminology has always been closely connected with prayer, and hence with the mercy seat. It was at the mercy seat the high priest supplicated God for forgiveness on the Day of Atonement. We are invited to come there to find grace to help in time of need. (64)
On Hebrews 9:25-26
Verses 25, 26. The priests entered the first apartment daily, the high priest once every year when he went into the most holy with the blood of the bullock and the goat. (127)
William Johnsson in his essay "Day of Atonement Allusions," which can be found in the DARCOM volume on Hebrews, lists 9:25 as clearly alluding to the Day of Atonement.
The context clearly points to a Day of Atonement allusion (high priest . . . yearly . . . blood [cf. 9:7]) (113)
Alwyn Salom in his appendix article in the Daniel and Revelation committee series on Hebrews, speaking of verse 24, 25:
The reference in the context of the Day of Atonement service of the earthly high priest is not to the outer compartment of the sanctuary. (227)
Richard Davidson, notes that vs. 25 is an unmistakable reference to the Day of Atonement:
I agree with Young that Hebrews 9:7 and 9:25 refer to Day of Atonement, because of the clear references to “once a year” and “every year” respectively. ("Inauguration or Day of Atonement?" Andrews University Seminary Studies, Spring 2002, 79)
Felix Cortez states in his article "From the Holy to the Most Holy Place: The Period of Hebrews 9:6-10 and the Day of Atonement as a Metaphor of Transition" in the Journal of Biblical Literature, 125.3, Fall 2006, 527 (footnote):
Unchallenged references to the Day of Atonement in the central section include 9:7, 25
Jesus sacrificed Himself as the once for all sacrifice on the cross. He then ascended and having made purification for sins, sat at the right hand of God.
He entered into God's presence for us, as the high priest did yearly--but He did it once for all. And this was past tense for the writer of Hebrews. It was all done in the first century as
@Maria Billingsley noted.
And already in the first century they could come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace, because of what He had done.
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (NKJV)
Jesus was already on Heaven's true mercy seat in the first century, long before 1844. He reigns as King until His enemies are made His footstool And He intercedes for us on the basis of His completed blood ministration.
Another evidence that Jesus entered the equivalent of the Most Holy Place in the heavenly is seen in the fact that Jesus inaugurated the heavenly sanctuary. The inauguration included all the sanctuary and all its vessels. Speaking of that service in the earthly, in the context of Jesus' blood being better, the author of Hebrews says:
Heb 9:21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.
Jesus inaugurated or consecrated a new and living way to God at His ascension:
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
So it is evident that Jesus' entry in first century completed not only Day of Atonement aspects, but also inauguration aspects. This inauguration included the whole sanctuary, extending to the Most Holy Place.
Jesus entered the Most Holy Place in the first century.