In other words, Jesus has fulfilled the sacrifices of the Day of Atonement; they are completed in Him; they find their final meaning in Him. And the meaning is: All there was to eat on the Day of Atonement was forgiveness and hope. That's all there is to eat from the altar of Calvary where the body of Jesus was consumed with suffering.

So the point is: When you feel like a failure, when you feel discouraged and hopeless and dirty, don't turn to food. It's an alien remedy, and v9 says, it has not benefited those who walk in it. It only makes things worse. Instead go to the altar of grace. We have an altar. And there is food. And the food is grace - the grace of forgiveness and the grace of hope. The only way to be strong is to come back to this table again and again.

THROUGH HIS OWN BLOOD: dia tou idiou haimatos

SUFFERED OUTSIDE THE GATE: exo tes pules epathen (3SAAI):

The inferential particle draws a conclusion from the preceding. . The subj. is hortatory "let us go out." The pres. tense expresses vividly the immediate effort. This could be a call for the readers to refuse to go back into Judaism

LET US GO OUT TO HIM OUTSIDE THE CAMP: exerchometha (1PPMS) pros auton exo tes paremboles:

Click for all 12 "let us..." exhortations in Hebrews (in the NASB).

BEARING HIS REPROACH: ton oneidismon autou pherontes (PAPMPN): Heb10:33, 11:26 Mt5:11,10:22,23, 16:24 27:39-44 Lu 6:22 Cp. Ac5:41:

You have to hold to this truth whether you have to suffer for it or not.

Vincent rightly argues that the Epistle must have been written before the destruction of Jerusalem else a reference to that event could hardly have been avoided here.

BUT WE ARE SEEKING THE CITY WHICH IS TO COME: alla ten mellousan (PAPFSA) epizetoumen (1PPAI): Heb11:10, 12:22, 2Pe3:13,14

The lack of need for materially expressed religion is underscored by this statement. Like Abraham of old, believers are pilgrims and strangers in the world, looking forward, as he did, to “the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (11:10). This is not intended to sentence believers of every age to penury—for Abraham was rich—or to prohibit involvement with politics or business—for Abraham was involved in both. But it frees us from lusting after material benefits, and especially from seeking to gain influence by religious display. We have already attained to that “city that is to come” in our spirits (12:22); we shall enter it in body at the resurrection when Jesus returns (Rev 21:2–4). We are in no need now of ornate buildings, special ceremonies and elaborate ritual.

The cities of the earth—all earthly institutions—will fall apart. Only the heavenly Zion will remain. We must go, flee to him outside the camp, and willfully embrace his “disgrace,” for such an act is worth doing a million times over! Thus Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday and today and forever,” becomes our constant meal—our food, our drink, our life—and we will receive from him grace upon grace upon grace. And because he is outside the camp, he will always be accessible. In fact, he is with us, in us, and coming to us! This understanding that he nourishes us and is accessible to us will help us keep on course.

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When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We'll sing and shout the victory.
—Hewitt

Heaven for the Christian is best spelled H-O-M-E.

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TO BE CONTINUED - Do you like continued stories? Let’s say you’re reading a magazine article or watching a television program for half an hour, and you come to the place where the hero plunges into the water to rescue his drowning sweetheart. Then you’re left hanging in the air with the words: “To be continued.” How disappointing!

I have quite a different response to the inscription on the tombstone of a follower of Christ. It reads: “To Be Continued Above.”

Yes, this life is but the first chapter of the book of life. Whether that chapter is long or short—it is not the end, but it is to be continued. For the believer, it will be continued in heaven with our Lord. There is no break between the chapters; you don’t have to wait till next month’s installment or tune in next week to hear the concluding episode. Chapter two follows chapter one without interruption. It is continued immediately, for “to be absent from the body [is] to be present with the Lord” (2Cor 5:8-note).

What will the next chapter be for you? It will be written sooner or later, either in heaven or in hell. Remember, when your time comes to die, that is not the end. Your story is “to be continued”—but where?--by M. R. De Haan  (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)