Calvin’s Commentary on Hebrews 9:24-28
under scrutiny and appreciation
In the following I investigate the
commentary of Calvin and also the footnotes of Calvinistic Orthodoxy Scholars
to evaluate their views on the exegesis of Hebrews 9:24-28. Adventists have a
different view of the Book of Hebrews than other Protestants since they did not
follow through with the Sanctuary Symbolism. They stopped with the 364 days
ministry of Christ in Heaven and forgot the Yom Kippur or one day Judgment
Period in the Most Holy section of the Sanctuary Symbolism. Here are the
Comments. Calvin’s Commentary Online at Archive Page 188 Heb 9:18-23 Hebrews Chapter 9:24-28 24. Neque enim in manufacta sancta
ingressus est Christus, exempla verorum; sed in 24. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the
figipsum coelum, ut nunc appareat coram facie Dei pro nobis: ures of the true; but into heaven itself,
now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25. Neque ut saepe offerat seipsum, quemadmodum pontifex ingeditur in sancta quotannis cum sanguine aliena; 25. Nor yet that he should offer himself
often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26. (Quando quidem oportuisset illum
saepius pati a creatione mundi:) nunc autem in 26. For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he ap-
consummatione seculorum, semel in destructionem peccati per victimam sui ipsius
apparuit. peared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27. Et quatenus constitutum est hominibus semel mori, post hoc vero judicium; 27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28. Ita et Christus semel oblatus, ut
multorum anferret peccata: secundo absque peccato 28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for conspicietur iis qui eum expectant in
salutem. him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
24. For Christ is not entered, etc. This is
a confirmation of the former verse. He had spoken of the true sanctuary, even
the heavenly; he now adds that Christ entered there. It hence follows that a
suitable confirmation is required. The holy places he takes for the sanctuary;
he says that it is not made with hands, because it ought not to be classed with
the created things which are subject to decay; for he does not mean here the
heaven we see, and in which the stars shine, but the glorious kingdom of God
which is above all the heavens. He calls the old sanctuary the ἀντίτυπον, the antitype of the true, that is, of the
spiritual; for all the external figures represented as in a mirror what would
have otherwise been above our corporeal senses. Greek writers sometimes use the
same word in speaking of our sacraments, and wisely too and suitably, for every
sacrament is a visible image of what is invisible. Now to appear, etc. So formerly the
Levitical priest stood before God in the name of the people, but typically; for
in Christ is found the reality and the full accomplishment of what was
typified. The ark was indeed a symbol of the divine presence; But it is Christ
who really presents himself before God, and stands there to obtain favor for us,
so that now there is no reason why we should flee from God’s tribunal, since we
have so kind an advocate, through Heb 9:24-28 189 Heb 9:24-28 whose faithfulness and protection we are
made secure and safe. Christ was indeed our advocate when he was on earth; but
it was a further concession made to our infirmity that he ascended into heaven
to undertake there the office of an advocate. So that whenever mention is made
of his ascension into heaven, this benefit ought ever to come to our minds,
that he appears there before God to defend us by his advocacy. Foolishly, then,
and unreasonably the question is asked by some, has he not always appeared
there? For the Apostle speaks here only of his intercession, for the sake of
which he entered the heavenly sanctuary. [Van Wyk
Notes: Calvin is here very confused in his answer. The Advocacy function of
Christ is in the Heavenly Court scene of Daniel 7:9 when Christ as the Son of
Man appeared before the Ancient of Days, His Father, after the little horn, not
before it. He does not appear there during His life on earth as Calvin tries to
say. He does not function this way during His intercession for us and on our
behalf in the Holies function section of the Heavenly Sanctuary. He only
functions this way in the Most Holy section in heaven, and this only takes
place in 1844 after 2300 years starting in 457 BCE the same date that the exact
calculation of the death of Christ predicted in the 490 year prophecy of Daniel
9:24-27 is applicable. One can see that Calvin falls short of an exact
description of this verse and makes sweeping and biblically inaccurate
statements. Notice that Calvin does not
discuss the important “now” in the verse which is the year 62-63 A.D. Christ
works for sinners in the Heavenly apartment in 62-63 A.D. Everything was not
completed at the cross or during His life on earth as Calvin presumably
thought. 25. Nor yet that he should offer himself
often, etc. How, then, is he a priest, one may say, if he offers no sacrifices?
To this I reply that it is not requited of a priest that he should be continually
sacrificing; for even under the Law there were days appointed for the chief
sacrifices every year; they had also their hours daily morning and evening. But
as that only true sacrifice which Christ offered once for all is ever
efficacious, and thus perpetual in its effects, it is no wonder that on its virtue,
which never fails, Christ’s eternal priesthood should be sustained. Van Wyk Notes: The eternal Priesthood doctrine is not sustained.
Christ is functional in this position as long as the job needs to be carried
out. He quits or stops when the work is done and takes on His function as King
of Glory. The Book of Revelation has a text to this effect. And here again he shows how and in what
things Christ differs from the Levitical priest. Of the sanctuary he had spoken
before; but he notices one difference as to the kind of sacrifice, for Christ
offered himself and not an animal; and he adds another; that he repeated not
his sacrifice, as under the Law, for the repetition there was frequent and even
incessant. 26. For then must he often have suffered,
etc. He shows how great an absurdity follows, if we do not count it enough that
an expiation has been made by the one sacrifice of Christ. For he hence
concludes that he must have died often; for death is connected with sacrifices.
How this latter supposition is most unreasonable; it then follows that the
virtue of the one sacrifice is eternal and extends to all ages. And he says
since the foundation of the world, or from the beginning of the world 158 for
in all ages from the beginning there were sins which needed expiation. Except
then the sacrifice of Christ was efficacious, no one of the fathers would have
obtained salvation; for as they were exposed to God’s wrath, a remedy for
deliverance would have failed them, had not Christ by suffering once suffered
so much as was necessary to reconcile men to God from the beginning of the
world even to the end. Except then we look for many deaths, we must be
satisfied with the one true sacrifice. Van Wyk
Notes: Calvin in this sentence claims that Christ died for all sinners from the
Fall of Adam and Eve also. So where does TULIP fit into this all scenario? 158 This sentence is not to be taken strictly
in its literal meaning; for the world was founded and all things were set in
due order before sin entered into it. The phrase is used in a similar way in
Luke 11:50. It is a popular mode of speaking intelligible to common readers
though not suitable to over-nice and hair-splitting critics. The truth implied,
as Beza observes, is, that sins since the beginning of the world have alone
have been expiated by the blood of Christ, the virtue of which extends to all
sins, past and future. The effects of his sufferings being perpetual and the
same as to all ages, from the beginning to the end of the world, there was no
necessity of having them repeated. As to their retrospective influence, see
verse 15, and Romans 3:25, 26 — Ed. 190 Heb 9:24-28 And hence it is evident how frivolous is
the distinction, in the acuteness of which the Papists take so much delight;
for they say that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was bloody, but that the
sacrifice of the mass which they pretend to offer daily to God, is unbloody.
Were this subtle evasion adopted, then the Spirit of God would be accused of
inadvertence, having not thought of such a thing; for the Apostle assumes it
here as an admitted truth, that there is no sacrifice without death. I care
nothing that ancient writers have spoken thus; for it is not in the power of
men to invent sacrifices as they please. Here stands a truth declared by the
Holy Spirit, that sins are not expiated by a sacrifice except blood be shed. Therefore the notion, that Christ is often offered, is a
device of the devil. But now once in the end of the world, etc.
He calls that the end of the world or the consummation of the ages, which Paul calls “the fullness of time,” (Galatians 4:4;)
for it was the maturity of that time which God had determined in his eternal
purpose; and thus cut off is every occasion for men’s curiosity, that they may
not dare to inquire why it was no sooner, or why in that age rather than in
another. For it behooves us to acquiesce in God’s secret purpose, the reason
for which appears clear to him, though it may not be evident to us. In short,
the Apostle intimates that Christ’s death was in due time, as he was sent into
the world for this end by the Father, in whose power is the lawful right to
regulate all things as well as time, and who ordains their succession with
consummate wisdom, though often hid from us This consummation is also set in opposition
to the imperfection of past time; for God so held his ancient people in suspense,
that it might have been easily concluded that things had not yet reached a
fixed state. Hence Paul declares that the end of the ages had come upon us, (1
Corinthians 10:11;) by which he means that the kingdom of Christ contained the
accomplishment of all things. But since it was the fullness of time when Christ
appeared to expiate sins, they are guilty of offering him an atrocious insult,
who seek to renew his sacrifice, as though all things were not completed by his
death. He then appeared once for all; for had he done so once or twice, there
must have been something defective in the first oblation; but this is
inconsistent with fullness. To put away, or to destroy sin, etc. 159 This
agrees with Daniel’s prophecy, in which the sealing up and the abolition of
sins are promised, and in which it is also declared that there would be an end
to sacrifices, (Daniel 9:24-27;) for to what purpose are expiations when sins
are destroyed? But this destruction is then only effected, when sins are not
imputed to 159 Literally it is “for the abolishing of
sin,” as Doddridge renders it. The word occurs only in one other place, chapter
7:18, and is rendered “disannulling;” and Macknight gives it that meaning here,
taking “sin” in the sense of sin-offering, “He hath been manifested to abolish
sin-offering by the sacrifice of himself.” But this is inconsistent with the
drift of the passage. To remove or abolish sin is doubtless what is meant. To
“take away sin,” is the version of Beza; and “to remove the punishment due to sin,”
is that of Stuart. — Ed. 191 Heb 9:24-28 those who flee to the sacrifice of Christ;
for though pardon is to be sought daily, as we daily provoke God’s wrath; yet
as we are reconciled to God in no other way than by the one death of Christ,
sin is rightly said to be put away or destroyed by it. Van Wyk Notes: Calvin wisely also connected the phrase “at
the consummation of the ages” as having reference to Daniel 9:24-27 starting
from 457 BCE and predicting Christ’s death exactly over a period of nearly 500
years in advance. Calvin also see Galatians 4:4 in this regard. 27. And as it is appointed, etc. The
meaning is this: since we patiently wait after death for the day of judgment,
it being the common lot of nature which it is not right to struggle against;
why should there be less patience in waiting for the second coming of Christ? Van Wyk Notes: I do not think Calvin with his view on the
Immortality of the Soul, has it correct here. No one sit in a grave and wait
for the Second Coming of Christ. What an image! The statement is wholly
unbiblical. The dead knows nothing, scripture says. There is no waiting in
death. Rather what the Apostle has in mind here is that the Most Holy function
is Judgment since it is the Yom Kippur section of the yearly service and once
that is opened in 1844, as it was not opened yet in 62-63 A.D. according to
Hebrews 9:8 by the words of the Holy Spirit, therefore what is meant is that a
death dot is supplied to all lives but also a starting date for the Judgment as
Daniel 8:14 predicted for the Yom Kippur in Heaven. Taking care of the sins in
the Books of Heaven in a Judgment setting is what is going to allow Christ to
come without sin at the Second Coming. It is that simple. For if a long interval of time does not
diminish, as to men, the hope of a happy resurrection, how unreasonable would
it be to render less honor to Christ? But less would it be, were we to call
upon him to undergo a second death, when he had once died. Were any one to
object and say, that some had died twice, such as Lazarus, and not once; the
answer would be this, — that the Apostle speaks here of the ordinary lot of
men; but they are to be excepted from this condition, who shall by an
instantaneous change put off corruption, (1 Corinthians 15:51;) for he includes
none but those who wait for a long time in the dust for the redemption of their
bodies. 28. The second time without sin, etc. The
Apostle urges this one thing, — that we ought not to be disquieted by vain and
impure longings for new kinds of expiations, for the death of Christ is
abundantly sufficient for us. Hence he says, that he
once appeared and made a sacrifice to abolish sins, and that at his second
coming he will make openly manifest the efficacy of his death, so that sin will
have no more power to hurt us. 160 Van Wyk
Notes: Adventists says the same thing that sinlessness will be granted at the
Second Coming bodily with the Resurrection and Transformation. Secondly, Adventists
stressed that at the Second Coming, the Work in the Most Holy [Yom Kippur =
Investigative Judgment] section will be done and the Sanctuary will be nitzdaq
or Justified or Cleansed to use the semantics of Leviticus 16 in Daniel 8:14 at
the end of a process that started in 1844 calculating from 457 BCE, the same
date as in Daniel 9:24-27 that accurately predicted the crucifixion of Christ. To bear, or, take away sins, is to free
from guilt by his satisfaction those who have sinned. Van Wyk Notes: This is not in mind here. Calvin harp on a
Book of Romans phrase that is inreading here. The process of Justification by Faith
takes place in the Holies according to Hebrews 9:24. In 62/63 A.D. Paul was
aware that Chirst is appearing before the Father on behalf of us in the Holies,
according to this verse. The Second Coming of Christ takes place after He
completed His work in the Most Holy, which was not yet in 62-63 A.D. operative as
Paul made plain dealing the Most Holy description in Hebrews 9:8 where he
indicated that the Holy Spirit explained to him that the way to the Most Holy
was not revealed yet. It was not opened yet. According to Daniel 8:14 it could
not be opened until 1844. Christ is officially done with His work in dealing
with sin in the Books since 1844 on behalf of the saints. Thus, His reward is
with Him when He comes since their names are in the Book of Life and stay there
after the Investigative Judgment and His successful advocacy on their behalf. He says the sins of many, that is, of all,
as in Romans 5:15. It is yet certain that all receive no benefit from the death
of Christ; but this happens, because their unbelief prevents them. Van Wyk Notes: Calvin is more correct here than the Orthodox
Calvinists after him who tried to limit the all to a minimal group. At the same time this question is not to be
discussed here, for the Apostle is not speaking of the few or of the many to
whom the death of Christ may be available; but he simply means that he died for
others and not for himself; and therefore he opposes many to one. 161 Van Wyk Notes: Here Calvin speculates by watering his
previous statement down. He is just all inclusive in the previous statement and
now tries to water it down to only a selected few? This is cumbersome confusion
in Calvin’s phraseology. But what does he mean by saying
that Christ will appear without sin? Some say, without a propitiation or
an expiatory sacrifice for sin, as the word sin is taken in Romans 8:3; 2 Corinthians
5:21; and in many places in the writings of Moses; but in my judgment he
intended to express something more suitable to his present purpose, namely,
that Christ at 160 “Was once offered,” προσενεχθεὶς, — Grotius regarded this participle as
having a reflective sense, “having once for all offered up himself;” and so
does Stuart. The first aorist passive has often this sense. “By whom was he
offered?” asks Theophylact; he answers, “by himself, he being a high priest.”
This amounts to the same thing. — Ed Van Wyk Notes:
For Adventists this once and for all is no problem. Whether it is reflective or
not, does not change the picture. He was not offered in the Holies or in the
Most Holy. 31 A.D. happened in the outer courtyard in front of the first Veil
of the Heavenly Temple reality. This is important for these apartments were
important for God who gave them in divisions of three to Moses and Who died
once and for all in the outercourt and had some work or tasks to yet fulfill in
the Holies and Most Holies. 161 “We are told that οἱ πολλοὶ is often equivalent to πάντες. It is not however
quite certain that the Apostle here meant to express πάντων; the verse
concludes with the mention of those who ‘wait for him’ i.e., who wait for
Christ’s second coming in humble hope of receiving their reward; and these
manifestly are not the whole human race.” — Bp. Middleton, quoted by
Bloomfield. — Ed. Van Wyk Notes: It is not the whole
human race but all those in the human race alive at the end waiting for His
coming in expectation, prepared and not like the five virgins who were not
prepared with no oil in the lamps. Christ was once offered unto many, meaning
all could ex lege be saved but ex factum not. Equal opportunity was granted but
only partial acceptance by the free choice of the human race resulted in a partial
number in this “all”. Provision was made all inclusive without anyone left in
theory and it would be practice also if all chose Him, but they did not in
history, thus all now is exclusive of those who did not accept Him. 192 Heb 9:24-28 his coming will make it known how truly and
really he had taken away sins, so that there would be no need of any other sacrifice to
pacify God; as though he had said, “When we come to the tribunal of Christ, we shall
find that there was nothing wanting in his death.” 162 And to the same effect is what he
immediately adds, unto salvation to them who look, or wait for him.[ Adventists] Others render
the sentence differently, “To them who look for him
unto salvation;” [Calvinists] ascribe this in common to
believers, that they look for the coming of the Lord, in order to distinguish them from the
ungodly, by whom his coming is dreaded, (1 Thessalonians 1:10;) 162 Schleusner and Stuart consider “without
sin” to mean “without sin-offering” without any sacrifice for sin. Doddridge and Scott take its meaning
to be “without being in the likeness of sinful flesh,” or, without that humiliating form in which he atoned for
sin. Some have said, “without sin” being imputed to him. The construction which
the passage seems to afford is this, “without bearing sin.” The previous
clause is that, to bear or to suffer for, he having made the first time a
full and complete expiation. To “bear sins,” is not, as some say, to take them away, in allusion to the scape goat,
but to endure the punishment due to them, to make an atonement for them. See 1 Peter 2:24; where the same word
to “bear,” in connection with “sins,” is used; and where it clearly means to bear the penalty of sin; the end
of the verse is, “with whose stripes we are healed.” — Ed. 163 Most
commentators adopt the same view, as conveyed in our version, connecting
“salvation” with appearing, such as Beza, Grotius, Doddridge, Scott and Stuart. — Ed. [Editors note is
not Adventists only or Calvinists only but Adventist/Calvinist position]. 193 Source: file:///D:/Calvin%60s%20Commentary%20On%20Hebrews%20(1).pdfBut
the other meaning is the most appropriate; for he means that those shall find
complete salvation who recumb
with quiet minds on the death of Christ; for this looking
for or wanting has a reference to
the subject discussed. [Calivn admit like Adventists] The
Scripture indeed does elsewherebut as the Apostle now contends that we ought to acquiesce in the
one true sacrifice of
Christ, he calls it the looking
for Christ, when we are satisfied with his redemption alone,
and seek no other remedies or
helps.
163