Continuing now from our studies on the Sanctuary taken from Watchman What of the Night thought paper.
We've gone over this several times but we're doing so yet again and even more points will be brought out for us to consider. And we MUST consider these points, not blindly read without any real thought at all whatsoever.
Again, this is another recap so if you've the feeling that you've already gone over all this it's because you have.
---1989 Special 3 -- Light From the Throne -- Part 3 (WWN)
When Aaron was to come into the most holy place on the Day of Atonement, he was to bring a young bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. (16:3)
The "bullock" was to be "for himself, and for his house." (16:11)
But NO hands were laid upon the head of this bullock in either confession or transference, yet it was called a "sin offering."
One might reply that because this was a sin offering, the law of the sin offering required that this be done.
No blood carrying the confession of sin could cleanse, and in the final step of the cleansing the cleansing of the Altar of the Court the blood of the bullock was MINGLED with the blood of the Lord's goat. (16:18)
On the Day of Atonement, throughout the ministry of cleansing, Aaron was to wear the "holy garments" made of LINEN. (16:4) These were not removed until he had finished the whole ritual of the day up to and including the transfer of sin to the head of the live goat. (16:23)
Two kids of goats were taken from the congregation, and were presented before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle. (16:7)
Over these, lots were cast, one goat becoming the Lord's goat, and the other for Azazel, or the scapegoat.
A comment found in Keil Delitzsch explains well the significance of "one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat" (Heb. - Azazel; 16:8, margin) It reads:
"The words, one lot for Jehovah and one for Azazel, require unconditionally that Azazel should be regarded as a personal being in apposition to Jehovah ... We have not to think, however, of any demon, who seduces men to wickedness in the form of an evil spirit, as the fallen angel Azazel is represented as doing in Jewish writings ..., like the terrible fiend Shibe, whom the Arabs of the peninsula of Sinai so much dread ..., but of the devil himself, the head of the fallen angels, who was afterwards called Satan; for no subordinate evil spirit could have been placed in antithesis to Jehovah as Azazel is here, but only the ruler or head of the kingdom of demons. (Vol. 1, p. 398)"
THREE times Aaron enters the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement.
First to burn incense, so that "a cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony." (16:12-13)
Next he brings the blood of the bullock, and sprinkles it seven times before the ark. (16:14) Finally the blood of the Lord's goat is brought in and the same procedure is followed as for the blood of the bullock. (16:15)
Then the text reads: He shall make an atonement for the holy place [most holy], because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins. (16:16)
Here we must pause and do some thinking. IF in fact, the blood of the sin offerings represented the transference of sin to the sanctuary, how did the sin get into the Most Holy Place, inasmuch as no blood was ever taken into that Most Holy Place during the year?
Further, none of the blood on the Day of Atonement which was taken in was laden with sin.
The truth is, the RECORD of the sins of Israel were already recorded there, and the blood of the sin offerings merely indicated that the PENALTY HAD BEEN PAID for a life had been given. Now the record had to be EXPUNGED, and the final penalty for sin adjudicated.
But along with sin is introduced the "uncleannessess of the children of Israel."
This facet enters the ritual services again as the cleansing continues. While the record of the sins and transgressions could be expunged in the Most Holy Place, the uncleanness could not. The question remains - what does this phase of the cleansing mean? This must be addressed, and this we shall do as the study continues.
*
Following the cleansing of the Most Holy Place, the High Priest also cleansed the holy place, or first apartment, noted as "the tabernacle." (16:16) This was performed because of the record placed on the horns of the Altar of Incense. The instruction read: And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it [Altar of Incense] once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements. (Ex. 30:10)
It must be kept in mind that on this Alter during the year was recorded only the blood of corporate confession.
Then Aaron went to the Court. (16:18) Here the blood of the bullock and the blood of the Lord's goat were mingled for the cleansing of the Alter of Burnt Offering. Two things should be observed:
1) This Altar carried the record of the confessed sins of the individual, and the fact that the penalty had been paid.
And
2) Only the uncleanness of the children of Israel is mentioned in this cleansing, not their sins. (16:19)
After Aaron had "made an end of reconciling the [most] holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar" (16:20), then the live goat entered the picture. On him the High Priest placed "both" of his hands and "confessed" over the goat "all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins." (16:21)
This goat was then dispatched by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness, to "a land not inhabited." (16:22)
Again it should be observed that the uncleanness of the children of Israel was not included, only that which had been adjudicated in the Most Holy Place. The cleansing of the uncleanness ended at the Altar of the court.
It is well to note in passing that after Aaron had assumed his official attire, he offered his burnt offering, and a sin offering for the congregation, thus bringing the blood of confession once again into the sanctuary. (Cmp. Lev. 16:24 & Num. 29:11)
The new year had begun and with it came the same round of services which could not make the comer there unto perfect. It was but shadowy. The Reality to which it pointed could and would accomplish the objective of God and the longing of the contrite soul.
*
OTHER ASPECTS AND QUESTIONS --
The Day of Atonement was MORE sacred than a regular Sabbath.
It is called a "Sabbath of sabbaths." (Lev. 23:32, Heb. )
"All the various elements effecting atonement are in a marked degree combined in the Day of Atonement ... It is called - 'shabbat shabbaton,' the holiest of rest days." (Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 280; quoted in Messiah in His Sanctuary, p. 67)
On this day, as on the weekly Sabbath, NO work was to be done, while on the other feast days, "servile work" - the performance of a trade - alone was prohibited. (Lev. 23:28, cmp. with 23:7) It was to be FAST day, a day for SOUL AFFLICTION. It was called "the fast" by Luke. (Acts 27:9, margin)
The blood of the Lord's goat is noted in Scripture as "the sin offering of atonements" (Ex. 30:10) The same emphasis is to be found in Leviticus 23, though not apparent in the KJV. Literally, the record reads: "On the tenth of this seventh month is a day of atonements ... and ye shall do no work in this same day: for it is a day of atonements, to make an atonement for you." (27-28)
This day called for soul affliction, fasting and no work. In contemplating .the significance of these requirements, it would be well to ponder the message of Isaiah 58:1-7.
Isa 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
Isa 58:2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
Isa 58:3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
Isa 58:4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
Isa 58:5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
Isa 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Isa 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
An observation worthy of much thought is to be found in the chapter. "The Seal of God." (Testimonies, Vol.5) It reads: In the time when (God's) wrath shall go forth in judgments, ["the little company who are standing in the light", the] humble devoted followers of Christ will be distinguished from the rest of the world by their soul-anguish, which will be expressed in LAMENTATION AND WEEPING, REPROOFS AND WARNINGS. (p.210)
*******
Soul Anguish- 'severe mental or physical pain or suffering.'
Lamentation- 'the passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping.'
Weeping- 'shedding tears.'
Reproving- 'reprimand or censure (someone).'
Warning- 'An intimation, threat, or sign of impending danger or evil.'
The last days are not for the weak. The last days will be days of suffering. Suffering severe emotional, mental pain, filled with sorrow, much time spent in tears. Reproving of sin, warning of the penalty of unrepentant sin, this is how those who are God's will be living. To believe otherwise is to bury our heads in the sand and make believe all is right in the world.
We are told NOT to cry, not to be depressed, not to be negative, not to be pessimistic, we are told by the world that we should focus on PEACE, on SAFETY, on all things good. We are even told by others who claim to follow Christ that it is wrong for us to not have faith and if we cry, if we sorrow, if we reprove and warn we are obviously lacking faith. They are WRONG! Christ Himself wept and sorrowed! Christ Himself warned and reproved! Our Savior did not go about giggling and dancing, smiling and giddy all the time, far, far from it! Why then do we imagine that is how we are supposed to desire to live? Why?
More on all this tomorrow, by the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
All in HIS LOVE!
We've gone over this several times but we're doing so yet again and even more points will be brought out for us to consider. And we MUST consider these points, not blindly read without any real thought at all whatsoever.
Again, this is another recap so if you've the feeling that you've already gone over all this it's because you have.
---1989 Special 3 -- Light From the Throne -- Part 3 (WWN)
When Aaron was to come into the most holy place on the Day of Atonement, he was to bring a young bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. (16:3)
The "bullock" was to be "for himself, and for his house." (16:11)
But NO hands were laid upon the head of this bullock in either confession or transference, yet it was called a "sin offering."
One might reply that because this was a sin offering, the law of the sin offering required that this be done.
No blood carrying the confession of sin could cleanse, and in the final step of the cleansing the cleansing of the Altar of the Court the blood of the bullock was MINGLED with the blood of the Lord's goat. (16:18)
On the Day of Atonement, throughout the ministry of cleansing, Aaron was to wear the "holy garments" made of LINEN. (16:4) These were not removed until he had finished the whole ritual of the day up to and including the transfer of sin to the head of the live goat. (16:23)
Two kids of goats were taken from the congregation, and were presented before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle. (16:7)
Over these, lots were cast, one goat becoming the Lord's goat, and the other for Azazel, or the scapegoat.
A comment found in Keil Delitzsch explains well the significance of "one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat" (Heb. - Azazel; 16:8, margin) It reads:
"The words, one lot for Jehovah and one for Azazel, require unconditionally that Azazel should be regarded as a personal being in apposition to Jehovah ... We have not to think, however, of any demon, who seduces men to wickedness in the form of an evil spirit, as the fallen angel Azazel is represented as doing in Jewish writings ..., like the terrible fiend Shibe, whom the Arabs of the peninsula of Sinai so much dread ..., but of the devil himself, the head of the fallen angels, who was afterwards called Satan; for no subordinate evil spirit could have been placed in antithesis to Jehovah as Azazel is here, but only the ruler or head of the kingdom of demons. (Vol. 1, p. 398)"
THREE times Aaron enters the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement.
First to burn incense, so that "a cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony." (16:12-13)
Next he brings the blood of the bullock, and sprinkles it seven times before the ark. (16:14) Finally the blood of the Lord's goat is brought in and the same procedure is followed as for the blood of the bullock. (16:15)
Then the text reads: He shall make an atonement for the holy place [most holy], because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins. (16:16)
Here we must pause and do some thinking. IF in fact, the blood of the sin offerings represented the transference of sin to the sanctuary, how did the sin get into the Most Holy Place, inasmuch as no blood was ever taken into that Most Holy Place during the year?
Further, none of the blood on the Day of Atonement which was taken in was laden with sin.
The truth is, the RECORD of the sins of Israel were already recorded there, and the blood of the sin offerings merely indicated that the PENALTY HAD BEEN PAID for a life had been given. Now the record had to be EXPUNGED, and the final penalty for sin adjudicated.
But along with sin is introduced the "uncleannessess of the children of Israel."
This facet enters the ritual services again as the cleansing continues. While the record of the sins and transgressions could be expunged in the Most Holy Place, the uncleanness could not. The question remains - what does this phase of the cleansing mean? This must be addressed, and this we shall do as the study continues.
*
Following the cleansing of the Most Holy Place, the High Priest also cleansed the holy place, or first apartment, noted as "the tabernacle." (16:16) This was performed because of the record placed on the horns of the Altar of Incense. The instruction read: And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it [Altar of Incense] once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements. (Ex. 30:10)
It must be kept in mind that on this Alter during the year was recorded only the blood of corporate confession.
Then Aaron went to the Court. (16:18) Here the blood of the bullock and the blood of the Lord's goat were mingled for the cleansing of the Alter of Burnt Offering. Two things should be observed:
1) This Altar carried the record of the confessed sins of the individual, and the fact that the penalty had been paid.
And
2) Only the uncleanness of the children of Israel is mentioned in this cleansing, not their sins. (16:19)
After Aaron had "made an end of reconciling the [most] holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar" (16:20), then the live goat entered the picture. On him the High Priest placed "both" of his hands and "confessed" over the goat "all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins." (16:21)
This goat was then dispatched by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness, to "a land not inhabited." (16:22)
Again it should be observed that the uncleanness of the children of Israel was not included, only that which had been adjudicated in the Most Holy Place. The cleansing of the uncleanness ended at the Altar of the court.
It is well to note in passing that after Aaron had assumed his official attire, he offered his burnt offering, and a sin offering for the congregation, thus bringing the blood of confession once again into the sanctuary. (Cmp. Lev. 16:24 & Num. 29:11)
The new year had begun and with it came the same round of services which could not make the comer there unto perfect. It was but shadowy. The Reality to which it pointed could and would accomplish the objective of God and the longing of the contrite soul.
*
OTHER ASPECTS AND QUESTIONS --
The Day of Atonement was MORE sacred than a regular Sabbath.
It is called a "Sabbath of sabbaths." (Lev. 23:32, Heb. )
"All the various elements effecting atonement are in a marked degree combined in the Day of Atonement ... It is called - 'shabbat shabbaton,' the holiest of rest days." (Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 280; quoted in Messiah in His Sanctuary, p. 67)
On this day, as on the weekly Sabbath, NO work was to be done, while on the other feast days, "servile work" - the performance of a trade - alone was prohibited. (Lev. 23:28, cmp. with 23:7) It was to be FAST day, a day for SOUL AFFLICTION. It was called "the fast" by Luke. (Acts 27:9, margin)
The blood of the Lord's goat is noted in Scripture as "the sin offering of atonements" (Ex. 30:10) The same emphasis is to be found in Leviticus 23, though not apparent in the KJV. Literally, the record reads: "On the tenth of this seventh month is a day of atonements ... and ye shall do no work in this same day: for it is a day of atonements, to make an atonement for you." (27-28)
This day called for soul affliction, fasting and no work. In contemplating .the significance of these requirements, it would be well to ponder the message of Isaiah 58:1-7.
Isa 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
Isa 58:2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
Isa 58:3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
Isa 58:4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
Isa 58:5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
Isa 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Isa 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
An observation worthy of much thought is to be found in the chapter. "The Seal of God." (Testimonies, Vol.5) It reads: In the time when (God's) wrath shall go forth in judgments, ["the little company who are standing in the light", the] humble devoted followers of Christ will be distinguished from the rest of the world by their soul-anguish, which will be expressed in LAMENTATION AND WEEPING, REPROOFS AND WARNINGS. (p.210)
*******
Soul Anguish- 'severe mental or physical pain or suffering.'
Lamentation- 'the passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping.'
Weeping- 'shedding tears.'
Reproving- 'reprimand or censure (someone).'
Warning- 'An intimation, threat, or sign of impending danger or evil.'
The last days are not for the weak. The last days will be days of suffering. Suffering severe emotional, mental pain, filled with sorrow, much time spent in tears. Reproving of sin, warning of the penalty of unrepentant sin, this is how those who are God's will be living. To believe otherwise is to bury our heads in the sand and make believe all is right in the world.
We are told NOT to cry, not to be depressed, not to be negative, not to be pessimistic, we are told by the world that we should focus on PEACE, on SAFETY, on all things good. We are even told by others who claim to follow Christ that it is wrong for us to not have faith and if we cry, if we sorrow, if we reprove and warn we are obviously lacking faith. They are WRONG! Christ Himself wept and sorrowed! Christ Himself warned and reproved! Our Savior did not go about giggling and dancing, smiling and giddy all the time, far, far from it! Why then do we imagine that is how we are supposed to desire to live? Why?
More on all this tomorrow, by the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
All in HIS LOVE!
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