Inauguration or Day of Atonement : the cleansing of the heavenly things in Hebrews 9:23

In Heb 9:23,scholars have different interpretations on the second clause autà δèτà έπουρávια κpεττoσν θυσiaiς πapa taτa:literal and metaphoric views.Those scholars who consider that the cleansing in Heb 9:23 is literal are divided into three prominent strands:(a) the cleansing relates to the inauguration of the new covenant and its cult.(b) the cleansing refers to the Day of Atonement,and (c)the necessity of the cleansing itself. Those scholars who consider that the cleansing is metaphorical have proposed several views but the most prominent one is that this cleansing refers to the cleansing of the conscience of God's people. Chapter I provides the literature review and describes the methodology used in this study.Chapter 2 is the analysis of the text.It analyzes the structure of Hebrews, particularly the section where Heb 9:23 is located. It also analyzes the context, grammatical/syntactical elements, and relevant words to understand the intended meaning of cleansing in the text under study.Chapter 3 is the OT background of cleansing in Heb 9:23.Chapter 4 presents the summary,conclusion,and recommendations for further study. The analysis of Heb 8:1-10:18 shows that Heb 9:23 is tied to the contrast found in Heb 9:1-14,particularly the contrast between the ministry of Christ as the high priest and the earthly high priest in their respective sanctuaries, not to the inauguration discussion found in Heb 9:15-21.The contextual analysis indicates that the emphasis of the author of Hebrews in the central section of Hebrews is not the detail of the cleansing but the necessity of blood as a means of cleansing. Based on the imagery of the Day of Atonement that the author utilizes in Heb 9, this study concludes that the cleansing in Heb 9:23 refers to the literal cleansing of the sanctuary.This cleansing corresponds to the cleansing event on the Day of Atonement. However,since blood is the main point of the discussion in the central section of Hebrews,the focus of the author is not the cleansing rite itself.His main emphasis in Heb 9:23 is Christ's blood as the better sacrifice cleansing the heavenly tabernacle.With regard to the temporal aspect of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, however, this study finds that the author does not explicitly indicate when that cleansing will take place.