The Works of John Bunyan, vol 3, John Bunyan [ebook reader color screen TXT] 📗

(Heb 7:16-8:5).

‘But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

‘For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation’ (Heb 9:11-14,24-28).

LXVII. Of the high-priest’s going into the Holiest alone.

As it was the privilege of the high-priest to go into the holiest alone, so there was something of mystery also, to which I shall speak a little: ‘There shall,’ says God, ‘be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation, when he [Aaron] goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel’ (Lev 167:17). The reason is, for that Christ is mediator alone; he trod the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with him to help him there (Isa 63:3; 1 Tim 2:5).

Of the people there was none to help him to bear his cross, or in the management of the first part of his priestly office. Why then should there be any to share with him in his executing of the second part thereof? Besides, he that helps an intercessor must himself be innocent, or in favour, upon some grounds not depending on the worth of the intercession. But as to the intercession of Christ, who can come in to help upon the account of such innocency or worth?

Not the highest angel; for there is none such but one, wherefore he must do that alone. Hence it is said, He went in alone, is there alone, and there intercedes alone. And this is manifest not only in the type Aaron, but in the antitype Christ Jesus (Heb 6:19,20, 9:7-11,21,23,24).

I do not say that there is no man in heaven but Jesus Christ; but I say, he is there to make intercession for us alone. Yea, the holy text says more. ‘I go,’ saith Christ, ‘to prepare a place for you; and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also’

(John 14:1-3).

This text seems to insinuate that Christ is in the holiest or highest heavens alone; and that he there alone must be, until he has finished his work of intercession; for not till then he comes again to take us to himself. Let us grant Christ the pre-eminency in this, as also in all other things; for he is intercessor for his church, and makes it for them in the holiest alone. It is said he is the light that no man can approach unto.

LXVIII. Of the high-priest’s going in thither but once a year.

As the high-priest went into the holiest when he went in thither alone; so to do that work, he went in thither but once a year.

Thou shalt not come ‘at all times,’ said God to him, ‘into the holy place, within the veil, before the mercy-seat, which is upon the ark, that thou die not’ (Lev 16:2).

And as he was to go in thither but ‘once a year,’ so not then neither, unless clothed and adorned, with his Aaronical holy robes (Lev 16:32-34). Then he was to be clothed, as I hinted before, with the holy robes, the frontlet of gold upon his forehead, the names of the twelve tribes upon his breast, and the jingling bells upon the skirts of his garment? nor would all this do, unless he went in thither with blood (Exo 28; Lev 16).

Now, this once a year the apostle taketh special notice of, and makes great use of it. ‘Once a year,’ saith he, this high-priest went in thither: once a year, that is, to show, that Christ should once in the end of the world, go into heaven itself, to make intercession there for us. For by this word ‘year,’ he shows the term and time of the world is meant; and by ‘once’ in that year, he means once in the end of the world.

‘Not,’ saith he, ‘that he should offer himself often: as the high-priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others. For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (Heb 9:25,26).

And having thus once offered his sacrifice without the veil, he is now gone into the holiest, to perfect his work of mediation for us.

Not into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.

Now if our Lord Jesus is gone indeed, now to appear in the presence of God for us; and if this now be the once a year that the type speaks of; the once in the end of the world, as our apostle says; then it follows, that the people of God should all stand waiting for his benediction that to them he shall bring with him when he shall return from thence. Wherefore he adds, ‘Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation’ (v 28).

This, therefore, shows us the greatness of the work that Christ has to do at the right hand of God, for that he stays there so long.

He accomplished all the first part of his priesthood in less than forty years, if you take in the making of his holy garments and all; but about this second part thereof, he has been above in heaven above sixteen hundred years, and yet has not done.

This therefore calls for faith and patience in saints, and by this he also tries the world; so that they, in mocking manner, being to say already, ‘Where is the promise of his coming?’ (2 Peter 3:4). But I say again, We must look and wait. If the people waited for Zacharias, and wondered that he staid so long, because he staid in the holy place somewhat longer than they expected, no marvel if the faith of the world about Christ’s coming is fled and gone long ago, yea, and that the children also are put to it to wait, since a scripture ‘little while’ doth prove so long. For that which the apostle saith, ‘yet a little while,’ doth prove to some to be a very long little (John 16:16; Heb 10:37).

True, Zacharias had then to do with angels, and that made him stay so long. O but Jesus is with God, before him, in his presence, talking with him, swallowed up in him, and with his glory, and that is one cause he stays so long. He is there also pleading his blood for his tempted ones, and interceding for all his elect, and waits there till all his be fitted for, and ready to enter into glory. I say, he is there, and there must be till then; and this is another reason why he doth stay the time we count so long.

And, indeed, it is a wonder to me, that Jesus Christ our Lord should once think now he is there, of returning higher again, considering the ill treatment he met with here before. But what will not love do? Surely he would never touch the ground again, had he not a people here that cannot be made perfect but by his coming to them.

He also is made judge of quick and dead, and will get him glory in the ruin of them that hath him.

His people are as himself to him. Can a loving husband abide to be always from a beloved spouse? Besides, as I said, he is to pay the wicked off, for all their wickedness, and that in that very plat where they have committed it. Wherefore the day appointed for this is set, and he will, and shall come quickly to do it. For however the time may seem long to us, yet, according to the reckoning of God, it is but a little while since he went into the holiest to intercede. ‘A thousand years with the Lord is as one day’; and after this manner of counting, he has not been gone yet full two days into the holiest. ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness’; ‘he will come quickly, and will not tarry’ (2 Peter 3; Heb 10:37).

LXIX. Of the cherubims, and of their being placed over the mercy-seat in the inner Temple.

There were also cherubims in the most holy place, which were set on high above the mercy-seat. See 1 Kings 6:23-28.

1. These are called by the apostles, ‘the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy-seat’ (Heb 9:5).

2. These cherubims were figures of the angels of God, as in other places we have proved.

3. It is said these cherubims were made of image work, and that in such manner, as that they could, as some think, move their wings by art; wherefore it is said, ‘they stretched forth their wings’; the wings of the ‘cherubims spread themselves’; and that the ‘cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark,—and the staves thereof above’ (1 Kings 6:27; 2 Chron 3:13, 5:8).

4. I read also of these cherubims, that they had chariots and wheels; by which is taught us how ready and willing the angels are to fetch us when commanded, unto the paradise of God; for these chariots were types of the bosoms of the angels; and these wheels, of the quickness of their motion to come for us when sent. ‘The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels; the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place’ (1 Chron 28:18; Eze 10:9,15,16,18-20; 2 Kings 6:17; Psa 68:17; 2 Kings 2:11; Dan 9:2).

5. What difference, if any, there is between cherubims and seraphims, into that I shall not now inquire; though I believe that there are diverse orders and degrees of angels in the heavens, as there are degrees and diverse orders among men in the world. But that these cherubims were figures of the holy angels, their being thus placed in the holy oracle doth declare; for their dwelling-place is heaven, though they, for our sakes, are conversant in the world (Heb 1).

6. It is said