“It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”
Therefore 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 — the argument reaches its climax: if earthly copies required blood purification, how much more the heavenly realities themselves? Christ's offering is the better sacrifice (thysiai kreittons) that accomplishes what animal sacrifices could only prefigure.
Church Fathers on Hebrews 9:23
And how are they “patterns of things in the heavens”? And what does he mean now by “the things in the heavens”? Is it Heaven? Or is it the Angels? None of these, but what is ours. It follows then that our things are in Heaven, and heavenly things are ours, even though they be accomplished on earth; since although angels are on earth, yet they are called Heavenly. And the Cherubim appeared on earth, but yet are heavenly. And why do I say “appeared”? Nay rather they dwell on…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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