has here written bears closely upon the moral relation between a
guilty people and the angry God.

If we turn to the other picture, we at once perceive that the thoughts
radiate from the holiest place as from a centre. The passage is, in
fact, an expansion of what is said in the ninth chapter, that Christ has
entered in once for all into the holiest place, through the greater and
more perfect tabernacle. The holiest has widened its boundaries. The
veil has been removed, so that the entire sanctuary now forms part of
the holy of holies. It is true that the Apostle begins, in the passage
under consideration, not with the holiest place, but with Mount Zion. He
does so because the immediate contrast is between the two mountains, and
he has already stated that Christ entered through a larger tabernacle.
The holiest place includes, therefore, the whole mountain of Zion, on
which the tabernacle was erected; yea, all Jerusalem is within the
precincts. If we extend the range of our survey, we behold the earth
sanctified by the presence of the first-born sons of God, who are the
Church, and of His myriads, the other sons of God, who also have, not
indeed the birthright, but a blessing, even the joyful multitude of the
heavenly host.[370] The Apostle describes the angels as keeping festal
holiday, for joy to witness the coming of the first-born sons. They are
the friends of the Bridegroom, who stand and hear Him, and rejoice
greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice. If, again, we attempt to soar
above this world of trials, we find ourselves at once before the
judgment-seat of God. But even here a change has taken place. For we are
come to a Judge Who is God of all,[371] and not merely to a God Who is
Judge of all. Thus the promise of the new covenant has been fulfilled,
"I will be to them a God."[372] If in imagination we pass the tribunal
and consider the condition of men in the world of spirits, we recognise
there the spirits of the righteous dead, and are given to understand
that they have already attained the perfection[373] which they could not
have received before the Christian Church had exercised a greater faith
than some had found possible to themselves on earth.[374] If we ascend
still higher, we are in the presence of Jesus Himself. But He is on the
right hand of the Majesty on high, not simply as Son of God, but as
Mediator of the new covenant. His blood is sprinkled on the mercy-seat,
and speaks to God, but not for v