16. When someone dies and leaves a will, there must be proof that the one who wrote the will is dead.
17. A will means nothing while the one who wrote it is still living. It can be used only after that person’s death.
18. That is why blood was needed to begin the first agreement between God and his people.
19. First, Moses told the people every command in the law. Then he took the blood of young bulls and mixed it with water. He used red wool and a branch of hyssop to sprinkle the blood and water on the book of the law and on all the people.
20. Then he said, “This is the blood that makes the agreement good—the agreement that God commanded you to follow.”
21. In the same way, Moses sprinkled the blood on the Holy Tent. He sprinkled the blood over everything used in worship.
22. The law says that almost everything must be made clean by blood. Sins cannot be forgiven without a blood sacrifice.
23. These things are copies of the real things that are in heaven. These copies had to be made clean by animal sacrifices. But the real things in heaven must have much better sacrifices.
24. Christ went into the Most Holy Place. But it was not the man-made one, which is only a copy of the real one. He went into heaven, and he is there now before God to help us.
25. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once every year. He takes with him blood to offer. But he does not offer his own blood like Christ did. Christ went into heaven, but not to offer himself many times like the high priest offers blood again and again.
26. If Christ had offered himself many times, he would have needed to suffer many times since the time the world was made. But he came to offer himself only once. And that once is enough for all time. He came at a time when the world is nearing an end. He came to take away all sin by offering himself as a sacrifice.
27. Everyone must die once. Then they are judged.
28. So Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, but not to offer himself for sin. He will come the second time to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.