Hebrews 9:27

Context

Chapter 9 of Hebrews compares the sacrifices of the tabernacle under the old covenant with the sacrifice of Christ. The high priest entered the Most Holy Place every year with the blood of animals, but Christ entered the heavenly sanctuary "once" by his own blood (Hebrews 9:11-12, 9:25-26). Verse 27 forms the first half of a comparison that concludes this contrast: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Just as human beings die once and then face judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. Verse 28 goes on to say that Christ will "appear the second time without sin unto salvation." The author and original recipients of Hebrews are not known with certainty. Many, however, regard it as a letter written to believers who, in the midst of trials, were tempted to return to the old sacrificial system.

Interpretation

• Contextual reading: This reading holds that the primary purpose of the verse is Christological rather than anthropological. It understands the verse to emphasize that, just as a person dies only once, Christ's atoning sacrifice need not be repeated.
• Reading as a basis for judgment after death: This reading takes the verse as evidence that judgment before God will certainly follow death. Many Protestant traditions cite it to teach that there is no further opportunity for repentance after death.
• Reading as a rejection of reincarnation: On the basis of the phrase "once to die," this reading rejects the doctrine of reincarnation, the belief that a person is reborn many times. On this point Protestant and Catholic understandings are broadly in agreement.

Debates and Issues

• The timing of "after this": Interpretations fall into two main views. One holds that the verse refers to the judgment each person faces immediately after death (the particular judgment). The other holds that it refers to the Last Judgment that follows the Second Coming mentioned in verse 28. Some also argue that the verse describes not a chronological sequence but a logical order, namely that judgment comes after death.
• Purgatory and prayer for the dead: Some Protestants, including those in the Reformed tradition, cite this verse as evidence against the doctrine of purgatory. The Catholic Church, which explains purgatory not as a second chance at salvation but as the purification of those already saved, holds that the doctrine does not conflict with this verse.
• The question of exceptions: Some figures, such as Enoch and Elijah, did not see death. Others, such as Lazarus, were raised to life and later died again, and there will also be believers who are alive at the Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). For this reason many interpreters regard the verse not as a rule without exceptions but as a statement about the general destiny of humankind.

In the Korean Church

The verse is reportedly cited often in funeral services, memorial services, and evangelistic sermons as a reminder of death and judgment. It is also used as a proof text in dialogue with other religions that teach reincarnation and in explaining ancestral rites and Christian memorial services.

Related Passages

• Hebrews 9:28
• 2 Corinthians 5:10
• John 5:25-29
• Revelation 20:11-15
• 1 Corinthians 15:51-52