When He Appears

Scripture Reading: Psalm 120; Lamentations 1-2; Hebrews 9

So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

- Hebrews 9:28

We usually hear this verse as a general statement about the second coming of Christ. That is certainly true, but the context in Hebrews adds another layer of meaning. All through this letter, the author is showing the superiority of Christ over the worship practices of the Old Covenant. Yet he is not saying the Old and New are disconnected. Rather, the Old was full of signs and shadows that pointed forward to Christ.

Christ is superior because He is the fulfillment of everything those shadows promised.

One of the most important Old Testament pictures was the Day of Atonement. On that day, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to present a sacrifice for the sins of the people. While he was behind the veil, the people waited outside, watching for him to reappear. His reappearance signaled that the sacrifice had been accepted and that their sins were covered for another year.

The writer of Hebrews uses that exact picture here. Christ has gone into the true Holy Place, not with the blood of animals but with His own blood, securing eternal redemption. And now, like Israel of old, the people of God wait for His appearing.

But here is the difference:
When Christ appears again, He will not be coming to deal with sin. That has already been settled. There is no “next year’s sacrifice,” no more offerings, no more uncertainty. His second coming is the joyful return of the High Priest whose work is finished. It is the appearing of the One who has secured salvation forever for those who are waiting for Him.

The shadow was temporary.
The reality is final.
And the One who is coming is the Savior we have already received.