Prophecy - 29

The phases of the High Priest's work on the Day of Atonements.


First, before we delve deeper into those various phases let's note the special garments the High Priest wore.


Lev 16:4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.


Why the special clothing?


Why do we put special clothing on? We put special clothing on for special occasions. This was a very special occasion. Even today the Jewish people consider it their holiest day of the year. The holiest day of the year. If this day was and is considered the holiest day for the Jewish people, honestly we have to believe without any doubt that this holiest of days with its intricate ceremonies and sacrifices has to reflect something amazingly important in the *bigger picture*.


Back to special clothing. This might be a minor detail but it's not so minor that it wasn't left unwritten.


Lev 16:4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.


A holy linen coat
Holy breeches
Holy girdle
Holy mitre


Holy garments for High Priests.


Zec 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.


A vision of Joshua the high priest- standing before the angel of the LORD and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.


Zec 3:2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

Zec 3:3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.


The High Priest is clothed with FILTHY GARMENTS.


Is it acceptable for the High Priest to stand before the angel of the LORD in filthy garments?


Zec 3:4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.


No. It is NOT acceptable for the High Priest to be presented before the LORD and to keep filthy clothes on. The filthy garments represents what? Our sinfulness. Remember this verse-


Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.


OUR righteousness are as FILTHY RAGS. We are clothed in filthy rags, we are made up of filthy rags. There is NOTHING we can to do with our own filthy rags. Just as in these figurative verses - Joshua the High Priest had to have his filthy garments taken from him. We all can have our filthy garments taken from us by the Lord.


Zec 3:5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.


Clothed in garments of the LORD, by the LORD, now standing in a sinless state covered in the righteousness of Christ. The LORD said- 'I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee' We are helpless as Joshua the High Priest who would NEVER have dreamed of presenting Himself to the Lord in filthy clothing. High Priests were given holy garments, and the High Priest entered the Most Holy Place to stand in the presence of God ONLY when he was clothed in holy garments. Those holy garments symbolized the need for purity before the Lord, a need for sinlessness before the Lord.


The High Priest washed and put on the holy garments on the Day of Atonements.


Christ our High Priest presented Himself as our Sacrifice, Christ our High Priest is clothed in all righteousness. Jesus Christ took upon Himself our sins as our Great Sacrificial Lamb. After He took upon Himself our sins He was sacrificed, His blood covering our filthy sinful state. Then our Savior rose having become the Great Sacrifice- sufficient to atone- sufficient enough blood to cover all our many, many sins. However a blood covered sin is NOT a sin that is gone, but a sin that is covered. Just as the sins of the people of God were covered throughout the year through the sacrifices made - covered but not cleansed. There was NOT a once a day cleansing of the sins from the Sanctuary. There was NOT a once a week cleansing of sins from the Sanctuary. There was NOT a once a month cleansing of sins from the Sanctuary. There WAS a once a year cleansing of the sins from the Sanctuary.


Surely there would have to be a cleansing for all the sins of God's people throughout all time and this cleansing of their blood covered sins would have to be completed BEFORE Jesus returns to take His people, His bride with Him to heaven.


So we have a cleansing of blood covered sins and the end results of THIS cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary would be the end of all forgiven sins. After this cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary is fully complete then there would be NO more forgiveness for any sins committed. At that point in time all those who are God's will be living in a forgiven, sinless state, never to sin again. It has to be this way! It has to for sin to come to an end, for Christ to come again and take His people with Him. To take those who have a complete dependence upon Him for all their righteousness, His righteousness by faith being theirs.


People don't like to think about this, they want to imagine things going on the same day after day. But if things were to go on the same day after day then Christ would never return. We know in our own limited life spans how much things change year after year. We live in an age of accelerated learning beyond that of any other age. The things we have created through technological advances, through scientific discoveries would be completely unimaginable to people 200 years ago. Just last night I was talking with a friend and he told me his nephew would be going to Afghanistan in a few days and his wife was expecting their baby in two weeks. Immediately a began to say how horrible it was that he had to leave right before the baby was to be born and be gone for seven months. Then as the conversation continued it went along this vein, at least he'll be able to see pictures of the baby, and have email contact and phone contact - all that stuff which was unimaginable to my friend when he was in the army back in the 70's. Then he went on to say how much easier life would have been in the army if he'd had access to all the communication technology we have today. These reality checks of just how far we've come happen from time to time and it's simply amazing. The point here being- we live in a time of change and change is something that HAS to take place if we want our Savior to return, if we are truly expecting Him to return. We cannot wallow in our comfort sins and feel alright because we can repent and seek forgiveness, it does not and has not ever worked that way. We cannot believe that sin will continue on endlessly in our lives, in our history for those who are truly God's if we want our Savior to take us to heaven. People love to say Jesus is endlessly forgiving, but very few want to realize that there will be a point in time when that will end because all who will be saved will have been saved and those who would be saved will be living so closely to their Savior that He through the Holy Spirit will keep them spotless, sinless and they will remain sinless forever more even as Christ comes and gives them immortality, changing them into the beings we were meant to be fully united with Him.


Cleansing of the sanctuary. All sin cleansed.


The beginning of the cleansing was the year 1844 according to the prophecies of the Bible. Now some people misunderstood this to mean there would be an instant ending, and instant cleansing, but WHY would there be an instant cleansing for something so complex in the example given to us on earth? Even Christ as our Sacrificial Lamb Offering wasn't instantaneous. Christ was not born and then instantly sacrificed. Christ did not live five years and then was sacrifice. Our Sacrificial Lamb- Jesus Christ lived right up into adulthood and beyond, He had a ministry, He was anointed by God at His baptism, He gave His message of the gospel of the kingdom and went about healing people for 3 years! To think that the Cleansing of the Sanctuary should be instantaneous when nothing else has been is truly to be deceived.


So maybe if we study the earthly type we can get a better picture of what the heavenly sanctuary cleansing might be.


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Three times the High Priest enters the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement.


First-

To burn the incense.

Lev 16:12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:
Lev 16:13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not


Secondly-

After the incense is burned and a cloud of incense covered the mercy seat the High Priest brought in the blood of the bullock.


Lev 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.


He sprinkled this blood before the mercy seat seven times.


Thirdly-


The blood of the LORD'S goat which was killed as a sin offering for all the people was brought in and sprinkled upon and before the mercy seat.


Lev 16:15 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


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Lev 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.


An atonement is made for the holy place
BECAUSE of the uncleanness of the children of Israel
And BECAUSE of their transgressions in ALL their sins
An atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation is made
That remains among them- in the middle of their uncleanness.

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More on all this tomorrow, by the grace of God… remember we're taking it slow.


Please Lord open our hearts, open our minds to Your truth and nothing but Your truth!


Through Your love!


Amen.