This chapter describes how Jesus is better than the temple and all its laws and rules. This chapter will be difficult to understand if the first five books of the Old Testament have not yet been translated.
In the Old Testament, God had commanded the Israelites to offer sacrifices so that he would forgive their sins. Before they could offer these sacrifices, they had to kill animals and then offer not only the animal's body but also its blood. Shedding blood is a metaphor for killing an animal or person. Jesus offered his life, his blood, as a sacrifice when he allowed men to kill him. The writer of the Book of Hebrews is saying in this chapter that this sacrifice is better than the sacrifices of the Old Testament. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/covenant]])
Jesus will return to finish the work that he began when he died so that God would forgive his people's sins. He will finish saving those people who are waiting for him. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/save]])
This refers to the covenant that God made with Moses. However, before he made this covenant, God had made a covenant with Abraham. But this was the first covenant that God had made with the people of Israel. You may decide to translate "the first covenant" as "the earlier covenant."
See in Reader
