By John Thiel, The Sanctuary Series, study 3, mp3
We are looking at Christ in the Hebrew sanctuary. In our last study we looked at the furniture and the structure of the sanctuary gaining from it the symbolisms that depicted Jesus Christ. In this study we are looking at Christ in the sanctuary service itself.
Psalms 77:13 Thy way, O God, [is] in the sanctuary: who [is so] great a God as [our] God?
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus says He is the way and that He went to prepare a place for us. Many people read this to say He went to prepare a city for them but He is saying I am going to the sanctuary. The Hebrews should have known about the sanctuary. They were unconscious of their own teachings of the sanctuary. Jesus was written about in Psalms.
Psalms 77:13 Thy way, O God, [is] in the sanctuary: who [is so] great a God as [our] God?
Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And [having] an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
It is a new and living way that has been made for us through Jesus Christ in the Sanctuary through the veil. Jesus is most definitely the way to the Father in the sanctuary as it says no man cometh to the Father but by Jesus. To come to the Father in the sanctuary, we commence at the courts first veil. This was identified in the last study. Jesus is the door and the way you enter into the fold. No man comes any other way. The sinner comes through that veil to sacrifice their animal and then continues through to the next veil into the holy place and the further you go through each place, there is the Father on His throne. That is the way.
Everything that you study along the way in the Hebrew sanctuary is Jesus. As you approach the Father in the reality as you see it in the sanctuary, as you come in the veil, the veils prevent the glory of the Father to shine through. As you proceed through Jesus you come closer and closer to that brightness.
2 Timothy 6:14 That thou keep [this] commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15 Which in his times he shall show, [who is] the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of Lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom [be] honour and power everlasting. Amen.
So bright was the Father’s throne that no man could see it, it had to be veiled. Jesus said, “As you come to the Father you have to come through me through each successive veil.” Christ is the one who veils the glory but as you get very close to Jesus you can see the glory.
Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
That is the way through Jesus brighter and brighter until you come to a position through Jesus Christ that a man can see God.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
That is when through Jesus Christ we have come to a point where we can see Him who is too bright for man to see through those veils and through the way of Jesus Christ. We are now looking at the way of the services that will bring us there.
Blood
Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
We are not looking at the furniture – we are looking at the blood of Jesus. This is what we are trying to understand in these services. The blood like the flesh of Christ is the way by which we come boldly. The veils we have studied but now the blood and the way by which we come to the Father. The services for the sinner had to do with the shedding of blood. In the Hebrew sanctuary where was the focus of the beginning of all the services?
Hebrews 8:3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore [it is] of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. 4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
Gifts and sacrifices were associated with the sanctuary service. Where were those gifts and sacrifices placed? Where did they go?
Hebrews 9:9 Which [was] a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
The gifts and sacrifices were brought to the altar of sacrifice. That was the focus of the service.
Exodus 29:38 Now this [is that] which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. 39 The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even: 40 And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine [for] a drink offering. 41 And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 42 [This shall be] a continual burnt offering throughout your generations [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
In the morning a lamb was taken and it was slain and it was put on the altar and burnt with the food, the flour, wine and oil. In the evening another lamb was slain and put there. Morning and evening it was burning continually. It was called the Tarmid, the continual sacrifices. That was one of the sacrifices placed there. There were also other sacrifices other than that which pertained to the sinner that had to bring a sin offering.
Leviticus 4:22 When a ruler hath sinned, and done [somewhat] through ignorance [against] any of the commandments of the LORD his God [concerning things] which should not be done, and is guilty; 23 Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish: 24 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD: it [is] a sin offering. 25 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put [it] upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering. 26 And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.
That was the burnt offering day and night and then He comes with his sin offering to the same place.
The Common People
Leviticus 4:27 And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth [somewhat against] any of the commandments of the LORD [concerning things] which ought not to be done, and be guilty; 28 Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned. 29 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. 30 And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put [it] upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar. 31 And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn [it] upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the LORD; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him. 32 And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish. 33 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.
That is where it centred, always at the burnt offering place.
Leviticus 4:34 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put [it] upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar: 35 And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.
The blood relates to the sacrifices and was shed at the altar of sacrifice. Let us look into the blood being shed.
The Sin Offering
What is so important about the blood being the way to the Father of the sinner? Why blood?
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it [is] the blood [that] maketh an atonement for the soul.
Why blood? The blood is the life of the flesh.
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
In Leviticus the Lord tells us that the blood is the life of the flesh and in the laws of Moses with the sanctuary service, the application of blood was the avenue by which sin was to be cleansed. Physiologically this is exactly what blood does. As your blood circulates through the body it brings life to the tissues by the nutrition. The oxygen and the nutrition are taken from the stomach into the blood and the liver to the tissues around the body. The blood is the life of the flesh.
As it circulates it picks up the waste products, the carbon dioxide and the uric acid and everything that is the waste product of the tissues. If the tissues did not receive the life nutrition or were relieved of the poisons, the cells would die. Blood is necessary for the life of the flesh to nourish and to cleanse.
That symbolism is what is so important to understand in the work of Jesus Christ. Through sin impurities have come into existence. Only blood can cleanse those impurities.
The Symbols of Animal’s Blood
What blood is necessary to cleanse from all sin in reality?
Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
The symbols of the Hebrew sanctuary are symbolic of the cleansing of sin which could not be done by animal blood but by the blood of Jesus which is the blood that is to be used to cleanse from sin. Like blood gives nutrients and cleansing in the human body, this is the symbolism of Christ’s blood that cleanses us from sin.
Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
As we look at the way to the Father, the sinner is to be washed by the blood. The blood of the animals symbolises the blood of Jesus and that blood like blood in the body is to cleanse the sinner of the pollutants of his life. Here is the true slant of the blood of Jesus in reference to the 144,000.
Revelation 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Our minds are now turned to the blood of Jesus as something that makes somebody’s robes white. You can see the blood of Jesus is not a literal avenue of literal blood washing us, it is a spiritual term. The physical blood of Jesus does not make our robes white, it is our characters that have been smudged by sin and it is the life that is in the blood. What is that? It is the life giving elements of Jesus Christ that cleanses and nourishes us. That is the picture that is portrayed.
Let us examine the efficacy of the blood in the Hebrew sanctuary so that we may come through the efficacy of that blood and the purifying life giving energies of Jesus Christ that bring us to the Father. Notice something that was done in the Hebrew sanctuary with the blood or the consequence of the sinner coming with His sacrifice. We have a representation of various sin sacrifices – the ruler, the common person or the priest. The person who came with the sin offering, the blood was sprinkled on the horns of the altar of sacrifice. Then it was poured at the base of the altar.
Leviticus 4:3 If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering. :4 And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock’s head, and kill the bullock before the LORD. 5 And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock’s blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation: 6 And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the veil of the sanctuary. 4:7 And the priest shall put [some] of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which [is] in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which [is at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
For a priest, a bullock was used. The priest had sinned and laid his hands on the sin offering and confessed his sins on that animal. He slit the throat and the blood poured out and the priest, who was officiating, took that into the sanctuary and sprinkled the blood seven times in front of the veil just before the altar of incense. He put the blood on the horns of the altar of incense. That was in reference to that sin offering.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Jesus was slain and He was the lamb, goat and bullock. He was slain when the sinner confessed his sins upon the animal. Jesus bears our sin, He was the sin bearer. The blood that was shed was a symbol of the sins that were confessed and carried away from the sinner just like in the body the blood picks up the waste from the tissues. Jesus was the sin bearing vehicle that takes away from the sinner his sin.
Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all]. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Jesus is the way by which sin is removed from the sinner. The blood was the channel by which the sins of the sinner were taken from Him and placed and sprinkled before the ark. The blood was the agent of bearing the sins. They were recorded in the sanctuary away from the sinner.
Blood is a vehicle. Blood takes impurities and nutrition all within the same vehicle. It is like a transport company in a city that transports nutrition and waste products all in the same truck. The milk tank brings the milk into the city and to save money He goes to the sewerage and picks it up and drops it off and then picks up food and drops that off. There are all sorts of trucks and you have purities and impurities in the same vehicle. It carries purities and impurities and yet it doesn’t contaminate the purities with the impurities.
This is what we have to understand about the blood of Jesus. He can carry and yet not be contaminated. As He is the sin bearer like blood, He carries and takes it into the sanctuary above. Some of the sin offerings did not have the blood carried into the holy place. It was put on the altar of the horns of sacrifice which represents Christ. Look at what the priest had to do with the offerings where the blood was not taken into the sanctuary.
Leviticus 6:25 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This [is] the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the LORD: it [is] most holy. 26 The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.
The sin offering was not just the blood taken in, but instead the sin offering itself was partly eaten by the priests. The priest ingested it into himself. As a consequence He had it inside of him now. He then went in to officiate in front of the burnt offering.
Leviticus 10:17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it [is] most holy, and [God] hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?
What was the eating of it meant to be? The priest was to bear the iniquity of the people and make atonement for them. The blood was to carry the sin and the priest to carry it to make atonement. We see Jesus the sacrifice and Jesus as the priests being bearers. You can see how the sin of the sinner is taken care of so that the sinner can by faith come to the presence of God come through the blood by the sacrifice and the priest.
Day by day the repentant sinner brought his offering to the door of the tabernacle and, placing his hand upon the victim’s head, confessed his sins, thus in figure transferring them from himself to the innocent sacrifice. The animal was then slain. “Without shedding of blood,” says the apostle, there is no remission of sin. “The life of the flesh is in the blood.” Leviticus 17:11. The broken law of God demanded the life of the transgressor. The blood, representing the forfeited life of the sinner, whose guilt the victim bore, was carried by the priest into the holy place and sprinkled before the veil, behind which was the ark containing the law that the sinner had transgressed. By this ceremony the sin was, through the blood, transferred in figure to the sanctuary. In some cases the blood was not taken into the holy place; but the flesh was then to be eaten by the priest, as Moses directed the sons of Aaron, saying: “God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation.” Leviticus 10:17. Both ceremonies alike symbolized the transfer of the sin from the penitent to the sanctuary. {GC 418.1}
What is in symbolism is a powerful demonstration that as blood takes away the sin and carries it way to be dealt with, so also the priest takes the sin in himself and caries it to be dealt with when he eats it. Jesus whether in blood or in person can take the sin and not be polluted by it and be used as a transferring vehicle of the sin.
Notice there was something else mentioned as we go into the full detail of the sacrifices that have to do with the service of the sanctuary. Everything had to do with the blood.
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Why is that word almost there? All we have been reading about is the shedding of blood of animals. Is there an offering that had nothing to do with the shedding of blood?
Leviticus 5:7 And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.
A sinner who is too poor to get a lamb brings two turtle doves. The blood was taken from the bird. That is a poor person but then there are really poor people who have no animals to bring.
Leviticus 5:11 But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put [any] frankincense thereon: for it [is] a sin offering. 12 Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, [even] a memorial thereof, and burn [it] on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it [is] a sin offering. 13 And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and [the remnant] shall be the priest’s, as a meat offering.
Here was an offering that had nothing to do with blood because someone very poor could not bring an animal to be slain. He would bring what kind of an offering? An ephah of fine flour. What was that? The part of the wheat to produce white flour. For that to happen, what happened to the wheat? The wheat had to be crushed and then from that wheat it poured out the fine flour. It is the same thing as blood being poured out of an animal. It still represented the pouring out of someone being crushed. This represents people who are very poor identified in Romans in their relationship to Jesus Christ.
Romans 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Here are a people who are not of the Jews and have no knowledge of the Ten Commandments. Of all that was connected in the sanctuary, they were too poor, they did not know of the story of redemption as the Jews were taught. They did not know Jesus either but they knew something and they could not shed the blood of Jesus according to knowledge. Are they going to be lost? They are so poor? These poor people who do not have a rich knowledge of the story of the gospel can be saved.
Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God. {DA 638.2}
How surprised and gladdened will be the lowly among the nations, and among the heathen, to hear from the lips of the Saviour, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me”! How glad will be the heart of Infinite Love as His followers look up with surprise and joy at His words of approval! {DA 638.3}
Almost all things but that little number of people that come from ignorance can still be saved and what a surprise, that ephah of white flour is also as something that can be poured as blood can be. These daily sacrifices were a representation of the work of Jesus so the sinner can be brought into the proximity by Jesus to the closeness of the Father. That was done right in front of the veil.
The priest went in every day through each veil and carried the sins of the people as He ate the sins of the sacrifice. There is also the laver. Jesus was baptised and the life flowing water was also part of Jesus Christ and the priest as they went through and washed. Jesus himself was baptised. That was done in the court before the veil of the sanctuary itself.
Hebrews 9:6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service [of God].
This happened all through the year from that altar of sacrifice as the priest went in every day into the first apartment to keep the lights burning and to keep the offering of the prayers. The service of the sacrifices were taken into the holy place every day right through the whole year.
Hebrews 9:7 But into the second [went] the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and [for] the errors of the people:
This was when the high priest dressed himself in the special garments only once every year for the Day of Atonement. He went there with a censor with which he lit with the coals of the altar of incense. All through the year he was only dressed in his white apparel but now He is dressed with high his priestly attire with the breastplate of the stones.
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
The priest that was doing the work is a representative of Jesus but also of the high priest once a year. He ate of the offering of sacrifices as well. It was part of him. As the high priest moves in his work, he comes right into the most holy place once every year. That is Jesus. That is why it says let us come boldly. Jesus our representative who has taken our sins goes right into the presence of the Father. Here is the full activity of the service that brings us by faith right to the Father. I am the way to the Father. No one comes to the Father but by me.
Hebrews 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. 6 As he saith also in another [place], Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Through the priest we may enter into the presence of the Father to a light that cannot be approached unto.
Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].
What does He do as He goes into the most holy place? What is His service? What is his work now? All through the year the priest transferred the blood and ate the sin offering, transferring the sins of the people before the veil and onto the horns of the altar of incense.
Leviticus 16:29 And [this] shall be a statute for ever unto you: [that] in the seventh month, on the tenth [day] of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, [whether it be] one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30 For on that day shall [the priest] make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, [that] ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31 It [shall be] a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. 32 And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his Father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, [even] the holy garments: 33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.
The blood is the vehicle that transferred the sins before the veil so that over the whole year the sanctuary became polluted by sins. Now once a year he is to cleanse the temple from all the sins of all the people that had accumulated there. The blood had to be used for another objective in symbol.
Leviticus 16:5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. 7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him [for] a sin offering.
Another sin offering was slain but this time it was for the whole congregation for the sins that had been done through the year in the transfer of the sanctuary.
Leviticus 16:14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle [it] with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. 15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that [is] for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
This time the blood was taken right into the most holy place. What did he do with that blood? He took it and sprinkled it before the ark and on the mercy seat.
Leviticus 16:16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy [place], because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy [place], until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. 18 And he shall go out unto the altar that [is] before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put [it] upon the horns of the altar round about.
He takes the blood after it had been sprinkled on the mercy seat and puts it on the horns or the altar of sacrifice.
Leviticus 16:19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
The sins were also symbolically put on the horns of that altar for the blood taken into the sanctuary.
Leviticus 16:20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy [place], and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
He sprinkled blood at the altar of the holy place and the horns of the altar of incense as well. All the sins that had been transferred onto these instruments now were transferred by the blood and taken by the priest.
Leviticus 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send [him] away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
This is the way by which the sinner can come into the presence of God and yet have all his sins washed away and totally out of the sanctuary as well. This took place once a year the Day of Atonement. We know this is the work of Jesus our priest applying His life to cleanse our sins that have been transferred.
Hebrews 9:23 [It was] therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
This is the one New Testament statement that tells you that heavenly things need to be cleansed. Jesus was not only to cleanse the sinner but He is also to cleanse the record of the sins that were transferred into the heavenly. We will enlarge this topic as we continue in the whole series how the detail of the heavenly sanctuary comes to this. We have seen the work of Jesus as priest and sacrifice, the blood and the priest representing my sins being transferred and cleansed out of the sanctuary records for good. This was the sanctuary service. All that Jesus did is portrayed here in Hebrews.
Hebrews 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: 9 Which [was] a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
The Hebrew sanctuary could not do it as it was just symbolic. It could not do what it was meant to be doing but was symbolic of what Jesus is doing. It could not be made manifest while the earthily sanctuary was functioning.
Hebrews 8:4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: 5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, [that] thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.
The Hebrew sanctuary was a representation and not the real thing.
Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]. 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
In our studies following we will break out of the Hebrew sanctuary and discover what it was dealing with in symbol. We will look at another sanctuary besides the heavenly one and see what the Hebrew sanctuary is to reveal in reality of this other sanctuary. Here we have the basics that symbolise a prophetic picture of the real thing.
May God help us to look upon this sanctuary as something not which the Hebrews fell into which was the danger of worshiping the symbols. Today there are religions that look at the symbols and bow to images but this is no longer to be considered as we come to the reality. Just like the children of Israel began to worship the serpent on the stick, we are not to worship anything of the earthly sanctuary. They are just prophetic pictures to show us the reality.
Amen.
