³⁸ And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.^(A)

A Call to Persevere

¹⁹ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,^{(A) 20} by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh),^{(B) 21} and since we have a great priest over the house of God,^{(C) 22} let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.^{(D) 23} Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.^(E)

⁴⁵ while the sun’s light failed,^[a] and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.^(A)

³ Behind the second curtain was a tent^[a] called the holy of holies.^{(A) 4} In it stood the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which there were a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;^{(B) 5} above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat.^[b] Of these things we cannot speak now in detail.^(C)

⁶ These preparations having thus been made, the priests go continually into the first tent^[c] to carry out their ritual duties, ⁷ but only the high priest goes into the second, and he but once a year and not without taking the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins committed unintentionally by the people.^{(D) 8} By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary has not yet been disclosed as long as the first tent^[d] is still standing.^{(E) 9} This is a symbol^[e] of the present time, indicating that gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper^{(F) 10} but deal only with food and drink and various baptisms, regulations for the body imposed until the time comes to set things right.^(G)

¹¹ But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come,^[f] then through the greater and more perfect tent^[g] (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation),^{(H) 12} he entered once for all into the holy place, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.^(I)

⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split.^{(A) 52} The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. ⁵³ After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.

² The Lord said to Moses:

“Tell your brother Aaron not to come just at any time into the sanctuary inside the curtain before the cover that is upon the ark, or he will die, for I appear in the cloud upon the cover.^{(A) 3} Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bull for a purification offering and a ram for a burnt offering.^{(B) 4} He shall put on the holy linen tunic and shall have the linen undergarments next to his body, fasten the linen sash, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy vestments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on.^{(C) 5} He shall take from the congregation of the Israelites two male goats for a purification offering and one ram for a burnt offering.^(D)

⁶ “Aaron shall offer the bull as a purification offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.^{(E) 7} He shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting, ⁸ and Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. ⁹ Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord and offer it as a purification offering, ¹⁰ but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.

¹¹ “Aaron shall present the bull as a purification offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house; he shall slaughter the bull as a purification offering for himself.^{(F) 12} He shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of crushed sweet incense, and he shall bring it inside the curtain^{(G) 13} and put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may shroud the cover that is upon the covenant, or he will die.^{(H) 14} He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the cover, and before the cover he shall sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times.^(I)

¹⁵ “He shall slaughter the goat of the purification offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the curtain and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it upon the cover and before the cover.^{(J) 16} Thus he shall make atonement for the sanctuary, because of the uncleannesses of the Israelites and because of their transgressions, all their sins, and so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which remains with them in the midst of their uncleanness.^{(K) 17} No one shall be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the sanctuary until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel. ¹⁸ Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement on its behalf and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat and put it on each of the horns of the altar.^{(L) 19} He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times and cleanse it and sanctify it from the uncleannesses of the Israelites.^(M)

Jesus the Great High Priest

¹⁴ Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.^{(A) 15} For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested^[a] as we are, yet without sin.^{(B) 16} Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The Curtain

³¹ “You shall make a curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarns and of fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it.^{(A) 32} You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, which have hooks of gold and rest on four bases of silver. ³³ You shall hang the curtain under the clasps and bring the ark of the covenant in there, within the curtain, and the curtain shall separate for you the holy place from the most holy place.^{(B) 34} You shall put the cover on the ark of the covenant in the most holy place.^(C)

⁸ He made the most holy place; its length, corresponding to the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits; he overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold.^{(A) 9} The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

¹⁰ In the most holy place he made two carved cherubim and overlaid^[a] them with gold.^{(B) 11} The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits: one wing of the one, five cubits long, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cherub; ¹² and of this cherub, one wing, five cubits long, touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also five cubits long, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. ¹³ The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits; the cherubim^[b] stood on their feet facing the main hall. ¹⁴ And Solomon^[c] made the curtain of blue and purple and crimson fabrics and fine linen and worked cherubim into it.^(C)