16. Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead.
17. The will goes into effect only after the person’s death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect.
18. That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal.
19. For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool.
20. Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.”
21. And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship.
22. In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
23. That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.
24. For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf.
25. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal.