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hinting at this place and the one higher than it; and into the first the priests always performed the services, but into the second only the high priest alone once a year entered with the blood of goats and calves, making atonement in the inner tabernacle and obtaining forgiveness for the people. 7.12 For this reason Paul says that Christ, having come, being the high priest of the heavens, just as the earthly high priest entered into the inner tabernacle with the blood of others, so also he himself has entered into the higher place with his own blood, and just as the tabernacle here is small and made by hand and as a type is imperfect and can be destroyed, so also heaven is great and not made by hand and steadfast and true and eternal and indestructible, where eternal redemption is accomplished. For since the high priest is eternal, of necessity both the salvation and the tabernacle are eternal, as it is written again: "And they were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing; but he, because he continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For such a high priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens." 7.13 The phrase "higher than the heavens" says "of heaven" according to the idiom of the language; but "unchangeable" and "to remain forever" and "always" more clearly indicates the indestructibility of the matter; for if the priest is unchangeable, then certainly the tabernacle where he ministers is also unchangeable, that is, without a successor. And elsewhere again: "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken," that is to say, one that is permanent and immovable and indestructible and having no succession, and again: "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest," having called it a "rest," as being without a successor and not becoming migrants again, but always resting in heaven itself. 7.14 And again: "Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." The phrase "passed through the heavens" means through heaven, according to the idiom of the language, and being inside the two heavens, as in a tabernacle not made with hands; and again: "Therefore, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us," he calls "the entrance into the holy places by the blood of Jesus" his own entrance into the heavens, which he made after his passion and resurrection when he was taken up into heaven, which he also addressed as "a new and living way consecrated for us," as he himself was the first of all to walk this way in a new and recent manner, it being living and holy, and leaving us a certain example. 7.15 And again: "And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." If, as he said, he sits forever at the right hand of God after the passion and the sacrifice and forever sanctifies those who draw near, how is it possible for that place to be destroyed where he sits forever and those who draw near are sanctified? 7.16 And again: "For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priests." And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. "For he testifies: "3You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."3" Behold, most clearly he says that Christ has become an eternal priest through the power of an indestructible life. How then is it possible for the priest to be indestructible, but the tabernacle, of which he is also the minister,

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τοῦτον τὸν χῶρον καὶ τὸν τούτου ἀνώτερον αἰνιττόμενος· καὶ εἰς μὲν τὴν πρώτην διὰ παντὸς οἱ ἱερεῖς τὰς λατρείας ἐπετέλουν, εἰς δὲ τὴν δευτέραν ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ μόνον μόνος ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς δι' αἵματος τράγων καὶ μόσχων εἰσῄει, εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν σκηνὴν ἐξιλεούμενος καὶ τὴν ἄφεσιν τῷ λαῷ ποιούμενος. 7.12 Τούτου ἕνεκά φησιν ὁ Παῦλος ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς παραγενόμενος, ἀρχιερεὺς ὢν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὥσπερ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ὁ ἐπίγειος εἰσῄει εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν σκηνὴν ἐν αἵματι ἀλλοτρίῳ, οὕτως καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς τὸν ἀνώτερον χῶρον εἰσελήλυθεν ἐν αἵματι ἰδίῳ, καὶ ὥσπερ ἡ ἐνταῦθα σκηνὴ μικρὰ καὶ χειροποίητος καὶ ὡς τύπος ἀτελὴς καὶ καταλυομένη, οὕτω καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς μέγας καὶ ἀχειροποίητος καὶ βέβαιος καὶ ἀληθινὸς καὶ αἰώνιος καὶ ἀκατάλυτος, ἔνθα γίνεται ἡ αἰωνία λύτρωσις. Αἰωνίου γὰρ ὄντος τοῦ ἀρχιερέως ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ ἡ σωτηρία καὶ ἡ σκηνὴ αἰώνιοι τυγχάνουσι, καθὰ πάλιν γέγραπται· "Καὶ οἱ μὲν πλείονές εἰσιν ἱερεῖς διὰ τὸ θανάτῳ κωλύεσθαι παραμένειν· ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸ μένειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἀπαράβατον ἔχει τὴν ἱερωσύνην· ὅθεν καὶ σῴζειν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς δύναται τοὺς προσερχομένους δι' αὐτοῦ τῷ Θεῷ, πάντοτε ζῶν εἰς τὸ ἐντυγχάνειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. Τοιοῦτος γὰρ ἡμῖν ἔπρεπεν ἀρχιερεύς, ὅσιος, ἄκακος, ἀμίαντος, κεχωρισμένος ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν γενόμενος." 7.13 Τὸ "ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν" κατὰ τὸ ἰδίωμα τῆς γλώττης "τοῦ οὐρανοῦ" λέγει· φανερώτερον δὲ τὸ "ἀπαράβατον" καὶ τὸ "μένειν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα" καὶ τὸ "πάντοτε" δηλοῖ τὸ ἀκατάλυτον τοῦ πράγματος· εἰ γὰρ ὁ ἱερεὺς ἀπαράβατός ἐστι, πάντως καὶ ἡ σκηνὴ ἔνθα ἱερουργεῖ ἀπαράβατός ἐστι, τουτέστιν ἀδιάδοχος. Καὶ ἑτέρωθι πάλιν· "∆ιὸ βασιλείαν ἀσάλευτον παραλαμβάνοντες", ἵνα εἴπῃ μονίμην καὶ ἀμετακίνητον καὶ ἀκατάλυτον καὶ διαδοχὴν μὴ ἔχουσαν, καὶ πάλιν· "Σπουδάσωμεν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν κατάπαυσιν", "κατάπαυσιν" αὐτὴν εἰρηκώς, ὡς ἀδιάδοχον καὶ μὴ μετανάστας πάλιν γινομένους, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ οὐρανῷ καταπαύοντας. 7.14 Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἔχοντες οὖν ἀρχιερέα μέγαν, διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανούς, Ἰησοῦν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, κρατοῦμεν τῆς ὁμολογίας"· τὸ "διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανούς", ἵνα εἴπῃ τὸν οὐρανὸν κατὰ τὸ ἰδίωμα τῆς γλώττης, καὶ ἔσωθεν ὄντα τῶν δύο οὐρανῶν, ὡς ἐν σκηνῇ ἀχειροποιήτῳ· καὶ πάλιν· "Ἔχοντες οὖν παρρησίαν εἰς τὴν εἴσοδον τῶν ἁγίων ἐν τῷ αἵματι Ἰησοῦ, ἣν ἐνεκαίνισεν ἡμῖν ὁδὸν πρόσφατον καὶ ζῶσαν", "τὴν εἴσοδον τῶν ἁγίων τὴν ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ" γενομένην λέγει τὴν εἴσοδον αὐτοῦ τὴν εἰς τοὺς οὐρανούς, ἣν μετὰ τὸ πάθος καὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἐποιήσατο ἀναληφθεὶς εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, ἣν καὶ "ἐγκαινισθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ὁδὸν πρόσφατον καὶ ζῶσαν" προσεῖπεν, ὡς πρῶτος πάντων αὐτὸς καινοπρεπῶς καὶ προσφάτως αὐτὴν τὴν ὁδὸν ἐβάδισε, ζῶσαν οὖσαν καὶ ἁγίαν, καὶ ἡμῖν καταλιμπάνων τινὰ ὑπογραμμόν. 7.15 Καὶ πάλιν· "Καὶ πᾶς μὲν ἀρχιερεὺς ἕστηκε καθ' ἡμέραν λειτουργῶν καὶ τὰς αὐτὰς πολλάκις προσφέρων θυσίας, αἵτινες οὐδέποτε δύνανται περιελεῖν ἁμαρτίας· οὗτος δὲ μίαν ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν προσενέγκας θυσίαν εἰς τὸ διηνεκὲς ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Θεοῦ· τὸ λοιπὸν ἐκδεχόμενος ἕως ἂν τεθῶσιν οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ· μίᾳ γὰρ προσφορᾷ τετελείωκεν εἰς τὸ διηνεκὲς τοὺς ἁγιαζομένους"· εἰ, καθὰ ἔφη, εἰς τὸ διηνεκὲς καθέζεται ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Θεοῦ μετὰ τὸ πάθος καὶ τὴν θυσίαν καὶ εἰς τὸ διηνεκὲς ἁγιάζει τοὺς προσερχομένους, πῶς οἷόν τέ ἐστι καταλύεσθαι ἔνθα αὐτὸς εἰς τὸ διηνεκὲς καθέζεται καὶ οἱ προσερχόμενοι ἁγιάζονται; 7.16 Καὶ πάλιν· "Πρόδηλον γὰρ ὅτι ἐξ Ἰούδα ἀνατέταλκεν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, εἰς ἣν φυλὴν περὶ ἱερέων οὐδὲν Μωϋσῆς ἐλάλησε"· καὶ περισσότερον ἔτι κατάδηλόν ἐστιν εἰ κατὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα Μελχισεδὲκ ἀνίσταται ἱερεὺς ἕτερος, ὃς οὐ κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκίνης γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου. "Μαρτυρεῖται γὰρ ὅτι "3σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ"3"· ἰδοὺ φανερώτατα ἱερέα αἰώνιον γεγονέναι λέγει τὸν Χριστὸν διὰ δυνάμεως καὶ ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου. Πῶς οὖν ἐνδέχεται τὸν μὲν ἱερέα ἀκατάλυτον εἶναι, τὴν δὲ σκηνήν, ἧς καὶ λειτουργός ἐστι,