THE MINISTRATION AND CLEANSING OF THE EARTHLY SANCTUARY

We have before shown that the earthly sanctuary consisted of two holy places, and that it was a pattern of the true tabernacle of God in Heaven. We shall now present, in a brief manner, the work of ministration in both those holy places, and also the work of cleansing that sanctuary, at the end of that ministration, every year, and shall prove that that ministration was the example and shadow of Christ’s more excellent ministry in the true tabernacle.S23D 78.2

The ministration in the earthly sanctuary was performed by the Levitical order of priesthood. Exodus 28; 29; Leviticus 8; 9; Hebrews 7. The act, preparatory to the commencement of the ministration in that earthly tabernacle, was the anointing of its two holy places, and of all its sacred vessels. Exodus 40:9; 30:26-29; Leviticus 8:10. The entire work of the priests in the two holy places is summed up by Paul as follows: “Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God; 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.” Hebrews 9:6, 7. The ministration in the earthly sanctuary is thus presented before us in two grand divisions. First, the daily service in the holy place, which consisted of the regular morning and evening burnt offering (Exodus 29:38-43; Numbers 28:3-8), the burning of sweet incense upon the golden altar, when the high priest lighted the lamps every morning and evening (Exodus 30:7, 8, 34-36; 31:11), the special work upon the Lord’s Sabbaths, and also upon the annual sabbaths, new moons, and feasts (Numbers 28:11-31; 29; Leviticus 23), and beside all this, the special work for individuals as they should present their particular offerings through the year. Leviticus 1-7. And second, the yearly work, in the most holy place, for the sins of the people, and for the cleansing of the sanctuary. Leviticus 16. Thus each of the two holy places had its appropriate work assigned. The glory of the God of Israel was manifested in both apartments. When he entered the tabernacle at the first, his glory filled both the holy places. Exodus 40:34, 35. See also 1 Kings 8:10, 11; 2 Chronicles 5:13, 14; 7:1, 2. In the door of the first apartment, the Lord stood and talked with Moses. Exodus 33:9-11. In this place God promised to meet with the children of Israel, and to sanctify the tabernacle with his glory. Exodus 29:42-44; 30:36. In the holiest, also, God manifested his glory in a special manner. Exodus 25:21, 22; Leviticus 16:2.S23D 79.1

In the first apartment stood the priests in a continual course of ministration for the people. He that had sinned, brought his victim to the door of this apartment to be offered up for himself. He laid his hand upon the head of the victim to denote that his sin was transferred to it. Leviticus 1-3. Then the victim was slain on account of that transgression, and his blood, bearing that sin and guilt, was carried into the sanctuary, and sprinkled upon it. Leviticus 4. Thus, through the year, this ministration went forward. The sins of the people being transferred from themselves to the victims offered in sacrifice, and through the blood of the sacrifices, transferred to the sanctuary itself.S23D 80.1

On the tenth day of the seventh month, the ministration was changed from the holy place, where it had been continued through the year, to the most holy place. Leviticus 16:2, 29-34. The high priest entered the holiest with the blood of a bullock, as a sin-offering for himself. Verses 3, 6, 11-14. He then received of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin-offering. Upon these goats he cast lots; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scape-goat. Verses 5, 7, 8.S23D 80.2

He next proceeded to offer the goat, upon which the Lord’s lot fell, as a sin-offering for the people.S23D 81.1

We shall now show that he offered this blood for two purposes: 1. “To make an atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins.” 2. To cleanse or “make an atonement for the holy sanctuary.” Let us read a portion of the chapter. “Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, 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; 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. 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. 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. 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. 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; 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; 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.” “And this shall be a statute forever 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; 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.” “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. 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.” Verses 15-22, 29, 30, 33, 34.S23D 81.2

We have here read several important facts. 1. On the tenth day of the seventh month the ministration was changed from the holy place to the holiest of all. Verses 2, 29-34. 2. That in the most holy place, blood was offered for the sins of the people to make an atonement for them. Verses 5, 9, 15, 17, 30, 33, 34; Hebrews 9:7. 3. That the two holy places of the sanctuary, and also the altar of incense were on this day cleansed from the sins of the people, which, as we have seen, had through the year been borne into the sanctuary, and sprinkled upon it. Verses 16, 18-20, 33; Exodus 30:10. 4. That the high priest, having by blood removed the sins of the people from the sanctuary, bears them to the door of the tabernacle (Numbers 18:1; Exodus 28:38) where the scape-goat stands, and putting both his hands upon the head of the goat, and confessing over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel in all their sins, he puts them upon the head of the goat, and sends him away, with all their iniquities, into a land not inhabited. Verses 5, 7-10, 20-22. The sanctuary was thus cleansed from the sins of the people, and those sins were borne by the scape-goat from the sanctuary. The foregoing presents to our view a general outline of the ministration in the worldly sanctuary. The following scriptures show that that ministration was the example and shadow of Christ’s ministry in the tabernacle in Heaven: “Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens: a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law; 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. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” Hebrews 8:1-6; Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 10:1; 9:11, 12.S23D 82.1

The facts stated in these texts are worthy of careful attention. 1. We have a High Priest in the heavens. 2. This High Priest is a minister of the sanctuary or true tabernacle. 3. As the earthly high priests were ordained to offer sacrifice for sins, so it is of necessity that our High Priest should have something to offer for us in the heavenly sanctuary. 4. When upon earth, he was not a priest. 5. The ministry of the priests in that tabernacle, made after the pattern of the true, was the example and shadow of Christ’s more excellent ministry in the true tabernacle itself. 6. The entire typical service was a shadow of good things to come. 7. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle, Christ is a minister of these good things thus shadowed forth. With these facts before us, let us now consider that more excellent ministry in the temple of God in Heaven.S23D 83.1