Verses 6 and 7 of chapter 9 say, “Now these things having been thus prepared, into the first tabernacle the priests enter continually, accomplishing their worship; but into the second, only the high priest enters, once a year and not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of ignorance of the people.” These verses refer to the actions of the priests in theHoly Place and Holy of Holies in the tabernacle. Verse 8 continues, “The Holy Spirit thus making this clear, that the way of the Holy of Holies has not yet been manifested while the first tabernacle still has its standing.” If we are in the spirit while we read concerning the things of the tabernacle, the Holy Spirit, the eternal Spirit who is not restricted by time or space, will speak to us and point out to us the real significance of these things.
Verses 11 and 12 say, “Christ, having come as a High Priest of the good things that have come into being, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not of this creation, and not through the blood of goats and calves but through His own blood, entered once for all into the Holy of Holies, obtaining an eternal redemption.” Then verses 14 and 15 say, “How much more will the blood ofChrist, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And because of this He is the Mediator of a new covenant, so that, death having taken place for redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, those who have been called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” These are not merely words spoken by man. These are the words spoken by the Holy Spirit, showing us how Christ offered Himself to God through the eternal Spirit, opening the way into the Holy of Holies and accomplishing an eternal redemption for us so that we may inherit all the riches of God. When we read these things in the spirit, the Holy Spirit will interpret them to us and point out the various aspects and riches of Christ in them.
Verse 10 of chapter 10 says, “By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Verses 12 through 16 continue, “But this One, having offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down forever on the right hand of God, henceforth waiting until His enemies are made the footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after having said, ‘This is the covenant which I will covenant with them after those days, says the Lord: I will impart My laws upon their hearts, and upon their mind I will inscribe them.’” While we read and consider the things concerning the work of Christ, the Holy Spirit testifies and witnesses within us that Christ is our High Priest, He has accomplished full redemption, our sins have been taken away, and the way into the Holy of Holies has been opened. His blood is effective, the sacrifice for sin which He offered is perpetual, and we now have boldness through His blood to enter into the Holy of Holies to contact God, obtain mercy, and find grace to meet our timely need. The Spirit who thus testifies is the eternal Spirit through whom Christ offered Himself to God. In this eternal and testifying Spirit we enjoy Christ as the Author of our eternal salvation.
In quoting from the Old Testament, most books of the New Testament tell us which person spoke that word. However, Hebrews never tells us the name of the quoted speaker. Rather, it says that the Holy Spirit testifies. Moreover, the author of Hebrews did not tell us his name, as the writers of the other Epistles do. This is because Hebrews stresses that it is not man but the Holy Spirit who speaks. Verses 1 and 2a of chapter 1 say, “God, having spoken of old in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets, has at the last of these days spoken to us in the Son.” Chapter 1 says that it is God who speaks in the Son, but the following chapters say that it is the Holy Spirit who speaks. This means that God speaks in the Son as the Holy Spirit. When the eternal Spirit speaks in us, that is the speaking of the Son of God. Therefore, whenever we read the Bible—whether Moses, the Psalms, the prophets, or the New Testament apostles—we must receive not only the written word but also the inner speaking of the Holy Spirit. Then we will receive something real from the Word. While we read the black and white letters, there is a living One who speaks in us, pointing out, testifying, and witnessing concerning Christ. This is the work of the eternal Spirit, who spans and surpasses all time and space. Otherwise, whatever we read will be only dead letter to us.
Verse 4 of chapter 2 says, “God bearing witness with them both by signs and wonders and by various works of power andby distributions of the Holy Spirit according to His will.” The distributing Spirit within us dispenses something into us. In principle, the things the Spirit dispenses to us are all the riches of Christ. We should not consider that the gifts of the Spirit include only things such as tongues and healings. According to Romans 12:6-10, even to serve, lead, teach, show mercy, love others, and extend hospitality are gifts, the distributions of the riches of all that Christ is. The eternal Spirit, the holy One, not only speaks to us about Christ and reveals to us the things of Christ, but while He is speaking and revealing, He imparts, distributes, and dispenses the bountiful riches of Christ into us.
Hebrews 10:29 speaks of the “Spirit of grace” (Zech. 12:10), and 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help.” The Spirit of grace is a sweet and precious title. Since grace is nothing less than the riches of Christ Himself, it is only by the Spirit of grace who dispenses the riches of Christ into us that we can find grace. Second Corinthians 13:14 speaks of “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” Grace is of Christ, and the fellowship of the Spirit isthe transmission of this grace by the Spirit of grace. The eternal Spirit, who is the Spirit of grace, always speaks something of Christ in us and distributes the riches of Christ into us. Hebrews 6:4 says that we have been made “partakers of the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit speaks concerning Christ, and He distributes, ministers, the riches of Christ into us as grace. Therefore, we enjoy Him and partake of Him as the Spirit of grace who transmits the grace of Christ to us to meet our timely need.