By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Spirit used the physical structure of the tabernacle, specifically the division between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, to show that direct access to God wasn't fully established yet. As long as that inner curtain and the separation it represented remained, it signified that the ultimate way into God's very presence was still hidden, waiting for a later unveiling.
By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing
English Standard Version (ESV)
The author is explaining the symbolic meaning of the Old Testament Tabernacle's design, specifically the separation between the outer Holy Place and the inner Most Holy Place. This physical barrier, accessible only to the High Priest once a year, served as a powerful sign from the Holy Spirit that direct access to God's presence wasn't yet fully established. As long as this "first tabernacle" stood, it pointed to an incomplete system and a reality not yet revealed, which the following verses will clarify.
How can an ancient building reveal a spiritual truth? The Holy Spirit used the very structure of the Tabernacle to teach a profound lesson about access to God.
The author of Hebrews points out that the Holy Spirit, through the arrangements of the Old Testament Tabernacle, was signifying something crucial.
A Divine Symbol
It wasn't a direct, spoken message, but a symbolic one. The elaborate system of the Tabernacle, with its outer courts and inner sanctuaries, was designed by God to teach His people.
The Spirit's Intention
The Holy Spirit used these physical barriers – the priests' limited access, the veil separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place – to indicate that full, direct access to God wasn't yet established. This wasn't a flaw in God's plan, but an intentional setup to create a longing for something more.
Imagine standing before an impenetrable curtain, knowing God's presence is just beyond it, but you can never cross. That was the reality for most under the Old Covenant.
The 'first tabernacle' in this verse refers to the Holy Place, separated from the Most Holy Place (where God's presence was symbolized) by a thick veil.
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A Temporary Reality
As long as this physical and symbolic barrier stood, it clearly communicated that the way into God's immediate, unhindered presence was not yet fully open. The arrangement itself declared limitations.
The verse speaks of the way into God's presence 'not yet made manifest.' What does it mean for something to be 'manifested,' and how does this verse point to Christ?
The key idea here is manifestation – a clear unveiling or making known.
Hidden Truth
Under the Old Covenant, the way into God's very presence was not fully manifest. It was obscured by the Tabernacle's limitations, veiled in prophecy and types.
Christ's Arrival
The author of Hebrews is building an argument: the Old Testament system was temporary and incomplete precisely because it pointed to something greater. The standing of the 'first tabernacle' served as a constant reminder that the ultimate access, the true 'way into the holiest of all' (which is heaven itself, God's dwelling), was yet to be revealed.
This revelation comes through Jesus Christ. His death tore the veil, and His ascension opens the way for believers to have direct access to God through Him. The way that was hidden is now made gloriously manifest.
Understand the original words
pneuma hagion · Greek Noun
The third person of the Trinity who illuminates, convicts, and reveals divine truth. In Scripture, He is the ultimate author of prophetic revelation and the internal witness to the meaning of the Old Covenant system.
The tearing of the Temple veil at Jesus' death wasn't just a dramatic event; it was the definitive sign that the exclusive, limited access to God represented by the Old Testament sanctuary was over, replaced by direct access through Christ.
c. 1440 BC
Tabernacle Construction
Under God's specific instructions, Moses oversees the construction of the portable Tabernacle, a central place of worship and God's dwelling among the Israelites.
c. 960 BC
Solomon's Temple Dedicated
King Solomon builds a permanent Temple in Jerusalem, replacing the Tabernacle. This Temple continues the symbolic division between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy Solomon's Temple, and exile many Israelites. This marks a significant break in continuous Temple worship.
c. 516 BC
Second Temple Construction Completed
After the return from exile, the Second Temple is completed. While a symbol of restored worship, it lacks some of the glory of Solomon's Temple.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Ministry and Crucifixion
Jesus' earthly ministry, culminating in his sacrificial death, fulfills the symbolism of the Old Testament sacrificial system.
c. AD 30— this verse
Temple Veil Torn
At Jesus' death, the massive veil in the Jerusalem Temple, separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, is supernaturally torn in two.
AD 70
Destruction of the Second Temple
The Roman army destroys Jerusalem and the Second Temple, ending the age of Levitical sacrifice and Temple worship.
This passage describes the physical separation within the Tabernacle, with a veil dividing the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, directly illustrating the barrier mentioned in Hebrews 9:8.
Leviticus 16:2This verse shows that only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and only once a year, highlighting the limited and difficult access to God's presence under the Old Covenant.
Matthew 27:51The tearing of the temple veil at Jesus' death signifies the immediate opening of the way into God's presence, directly fulfilling the foreshadowing in Hebrews 9:8.
Hebrews 10:19This verse explicitly states that believers now have confidence to enter the holy places through the blood of Jesus, providing the 'new and living way' that was not manifest in the time of the first tabernacle.
vincentHebrews 9:8: "The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:"
The Holy GhostSpeaking through the appliances and forms of worship. The intimation is that God intended to emphasize, in the old economy itself, the fact of his inaccessibility, in order to create the desire for full access and to prepare the way for this.The way into the holiest of all (τὴν τῶν ἁγίων ὁδὸν)Lit. the way of the holies…
meyerHebrews 9:8: "The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:"
Hebrews 9:8 . Now follows (apparently as a subordinate thought ) the main consideration, with a view to which the author has been led more fully to describe the ἅγιον κοσμικόν and the δικαιώματα λατρείας of Hebrews 9:1 . τοῦτο δηλοῦντος τοῦ πνεύματος ἁγίου ] the Holy Ghost indicating this very thing (following). τοῦτο ] has the emphasis,…
The Holy Spirit used the physical structure of the tabernacle, specifically the division between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, to show that direct access to God wasn't fully established yet. As long as that inner curtain and the separation it represented remained, it signified that the ultimate way into God's very presence was still hidden, waiting for a later unveiling.
The author is explaining the symbolic meaning of the Old Testament Tabernacle's design, specifically the separation between the outer Holy Place and the inner Most Holy Place. This physical barrier, accessible only to the High Priest once a year, served as a powerful sign from the Holy Spirit that direct access to God's presence wasn't yet fully established. As long as this "first tabernacle" stood, it pointed to an incomplete system and a reality not yet revealed, which the following verses will clarify.
The author is explaining the symbolic meaning of the Old Testament Tabernacle's design, specifically the separation between the outer Holy Place and the inner Most Holy Place. This physical barrier, accessible only to the High Priest once a year, served as a powerful sign from the Holy Spirit that direct access to God's presence wasn't yet fully established. As long as this "first tabernacle" stood, it pointed to an incomplete system and a reality not yet revealed, which the following verses will clarify.
"By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing" — The Holy Spirit used the physical structure of the tabernacle, specifically the division between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, to show that direct access to God wasn't fully established yet…
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Last reviewed October 2026