Sinners…
*******
Imagine…
A sinning anointed priest needs to atone for his sin. He goes to the local herd of bullocks and picks out a young, spotless bull. Taking the young bull he brings it to the temple right to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. The priest doesn't open that door leading into the Holy Place but rather goes to the altar placed there before that door and it is there, right there before the LORD the priest must offer this young bull as a sacrifice to atone for His sin.
The priest lays his hand upon the young bull's head, but it's not a gentle caress to the hide upon this young animal's head. The priest leans very hard upon the sacrificial bullock placing all of his weight into that leaning and then…well then he kills the young bull. The hot life blood of the dying animal spills into a catch basin near the altar.
With the young bull now dead the priest takes some of that blood and he brings it inside the Holy Place walking right up to the veil that separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Dipping his finger in the still warm blood he sprinkles it seven times before the veil- before the LORD.
This priest is atoning for a sin HE committed. He then puts some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of incense there before the veil, before the LORD. After all that he carries that blood filled basin back to the altar of burnt offerings- an altar placed before the door that led into the Holy Place- the Tabernacle of the congregation. Looking downwards at the bottom of the altar he pours the rest of the bullock's sacrificial blood out there. Can you imagine it as a reality?
Imagine still--
The whole congregation of Israel sins through ignorance- they are guilty of breaking the commandments of God. When the whole congregation realizes they've sinned, this sin of ignorance, the whole congregation must choose a bullock to sacrifice and bring it before the Holy Place-the tabernacle of the congregation. Then the elders of that congregation lay their hands upon this young bull's head.
Remember they aren't just touching the animal's head gently but they are -as a group of men- a group of elders leaning their full weight upon the head of this sacrificial bullock. Why are they doing this? They have to do this because it symbolizes the transference of their sin to the animal to be sacrifice and that transference isn't something to be taken in a lackadaisical manner.
Then the young bull is killed before the LORD. After he's killed the anointed priest brings the bullock's spilt blood into the holy place- the tabernacle of the congregation. The priest then dips his finger into the blood and once again he completes the necessary ritual of sprinkling the blood before the veil, as well as putting it upon the horns of the altar of incense, and then he takes the blood back outside and pours it at the bottom of the altar of burnt offerings. So similar to the earlier sacrificial ritual.
The priest is making an atonement for the congregation of Israel so they will be forgiven of their sin against the LORD.
Now imagine more--
A ruler sins a sin of ignorance against the commandments of the LORD. That ruler must bring a kid of the goats, a spotless male young goat. This ruler must lay his hands upon the head of the goat- yes, just as the others he must put his whole weight behind the touch. Then the goat just as the other sacrifices noted - is killed. Here's where things are changed up a bit- the priest takes the blood of the kid goat and with his finger he puts it on the altar of burnt offering, right there before the door to the tabernacle of the congregation-the Holy Place. Then he pours the blood out at the bottom of the altar just as the others. He didn't go into the first compartment- the tabernacle of the congregation.
Imagine now a little bit more--
There is a common person sinning through ignorance-guilty before the LORD. This common person must bring a female kid goat without any blemish and the process is begun- the laying of hands leaning, the killing, then the priest puts the blood on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings before pouring it out at the bottom of that same altar. With this particular sacrificial offering the common person could bring a lamb as well but it must be a female without blemish. The priest is making an atonement for his sin and it will be forgiven him. Making an atonement for his sin of ignorance. Forgiven of the sin committed in ignorance.
*******
Now we've imagined many of the sacrificial rituals required of God's people- required of the priests, required of the congregation as a whole, required of the individual throughout the year- rulers, common people.
Now let's imagine the Day of Atonement.
The High Priest brought a bullock for a sin offering for HIMSELF and HIS HOUSE.
The congregation of Israel brought two goats. Those two goats had lots cast upon them - one would be chosen as a sin offering the other to be the scapegoat.
The High Priest brought the bullock he was to make an atonement with for himself and his house, and guess what? He did NOT put his hands upon the bullock. Clearly from all we learned previously the hands laying upon the animal to be sacrificed was a big deal. So why wasn't the High Priest to lean upon this bullock as he had the other bullocks, and as other people had to? Clearly this wasn't going to be the exact same sort of ritual ceremony here. This bullock was killed without the transference of sin to him, yet he was a sin offering- something to think about.
Coals were taken from the altar of burnt offerings, hot coals and these coals along with handfuls of sweet incense were brought into the Holy Place-within the veil- the Most Holy Place. The incense was then put on the hot coals from the altar of burnt offering before the LORD and a cloud of that incense rose up covering the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant.
Then the High Priest took the blood from the sacrificed bullock and he sprinkled it upon the mercy seat eastward, then before the mercy seat seven times. Do you remember the other sacrificial blood being sprinkled seven times before the veil? Not on this special day. This day it was brought WITHIN the veil.
After this the goat whose lot was to be the sin offering for the people was killed. So we have the blood of the bullock for the High Priest and His entire household, now we have the blood of the goat which is for the people- the congregation of the people of Israel. This blood also was brought WITHIN the veil and the same ritual was completed as with the bullock blood.
The blood of these offerings is serving a dual purpose- remember we discussed it a few days ago. Why is the blood serving dual purpose? Because it serves as a sacrifice for judged sins and for a cleansing. The holy place and tabernacle of the congregation were unclean! Why were they unclean? Because of the sins of the people of Israel. All year long those sins were placed on the sanctuary, all year long those sins were put onto the animals which were then sacrifice before the LORD in the sanctuary. All that uncleanness, all that sin, was taken off the people and put onto the animals whose blood was then placed upon the sanctuary, placed before the LORD. A judgment was made for every sin offering given. You cannot be guilty and forgiven unless you are judged guilty and in need of forgiveness, it all goes hand in hand. There is a duality to the Sanctuary cleansing and this can never be forgotten.
Now we have to imagine the rest of this -
The High Priest after placing the blood in the Holy Place within the veil, and then after placing the blood in the congregation of the tabernacle without the veil, went out of that holy place and before the altar of burnt offerings. Why? Because he had to make an atonement for the altar as well and this atonement wasn't made by using the blood of the bullock and the blood of the lamb in separate ceremonies as was done with the inside of the sanctuary, but both bloods were used TOGETHER- the blood was mingled and then put upon the horns of the altar of burnt offerings, then sprinkled seven times upon it- making an atonement for it, cleansing it, hallowing it from all the uncleanness that had been placed upon it.
Then ONLY after the Holy Place (Most Holy Place), the tabernacle of the congregation (Holy Place), and the altar of burnt offering were atoned for, only after all three of them were cleansed of all sin did the High Priest go to the live goat and guess what he did? He put BOTH his hands upon the head of that live goat. Remember what we said about the laying on of hands to transfer sin? This wasn't any gentle love tap, no delicate pat upon the head, in earnest the High Priest's hands both lay upon the head of this goat and then the High Priest confessed onto this live goat ALL the INIQUITIES, all the sins of the children of Israel. All that sin taken off the Sanctuary including the altar of burnt offerings were placed upon that goat left to live and not be sacrificed by blood sacrificed. All that sin was put upon that scapegoat who was led off into the wilderness to die but not by any hand, not to be sacrificed for atoning, but left to die bearing the weight of all that sin left, to keep that sin upon it and to go off to be no more, forever gone, forever lost to the sight of all the children of God never, never to be seen again!
Only when this was all done did the High Priest go into the tabernacle of congregation- only then did he go into the holy place but NOT within the veil, and take off the holy garments he had to wear before entering within the veil.
Then he went into the Holy Place within the veil and washed before he put on new garments. After he was clothed he went out of the Holy Place and the tabernacle of the congregation and to the altar of burnt offerings and there he offered the burnt offering of the people to make an atonement for HIMSELF and the PEOPLE.
Lev 16:30 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.
Lev 16:31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.
Lev 16:32 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:
Lev 16:33 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.
Lev 16:34 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.
Do you see how much is involved in the cleansing of the Sanctuary?
Dan 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
172 years ago the cleansing of the Sanctuary was begun. The many, many years of sin placed upon the heavenly sanctuary through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior would begin the process of being cleansed.
The High Priest and His House would be cleansed first. The Most Holy Place would be cleansed.
The People of the Congregation of Israel would be cleansed secondly. The Holy Place would be cleansed.
The Children of Israel would be cleansed thirdly. The Altar of Burnt offering would be cleansed.
Remember this-
ONLY after the Holy Place (Most Holy Place), the tabernacle of the congregation (Holy Place), and the altar of burnt offering (Altar before the door to the Holy Place) were atoned for, only after ALL three of them were judged and cleansed of all sin did the High Priest go to the live goat.
Did people stop sinning during that yearly Day of Atonement? No, not all.
Lev 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Lev 23:30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
Lev 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Lev 23:32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
Whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted - shall be cut off.
Whatsoever soul that doeth any work- will be destroyed.
On that day… those who don't recognize their need of a Savior will be cut off.
On that day… those who rely on themselves for anything, forgetting to give all glory to our God, all worship to our King; those who believe they in anyway can save themselves will be destroyed.
We know for a fact there is a judgment in connection with the Day of Atonement, a judgment we will ALL face --- more on that tomorrow though, by the grace and will of our Lord. May we gain more understanding as we are blessed with spiritual sight, all through His amazing, wondrous love. There is nothing at all like the love of our God, nothing. All glory and honor to Him! All praise! All worship to our King! Blessed be His Name! Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! Blessed be His Holy Name!
Amen!
*******
Imagine…
A sinning anointed priest needs to atone for his sin. He goes to the local herd of bullocks and picks out a young, spotless bull. Taking the young bull he brings it to the temple right to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. The priest doesn't open that door leading into the Holy Place but rather goes to the altar placed there before that door and it is there, right there before the LORD the priest must offer this young bull as a sacrifice to atone for His sin.
The priest lays his hand upon the young bull's head, but it's not a gentle caress to the hide upon this young animal's head. The priest leans very hard upon the sacrificial bullock placing all of his weight into that leaning and then…well then he kills the young bull. The hot life blood of the dying animal spills into a catch basin near the altar.
With the young bull now dead the priest takes some of that blood and he brings it inside the Holy Place walking right up to the veil that separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Dipping his finger in the still warm blood he sprinkles it seven times before the veil- before the LORD.
This priest is atoning for a sin HE committed. He then puts some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of incense there before the veil, before the LORD. After all that he carries that blood filled basin back to the altar of burnt offerings- an altar placed before the door that led into the Holy Place- the Tabernacle of the congregation. Looking downwards at the bottom of the altar he pours the rest of the bullock's sacrificial blood out there. Can you imagine it as a reality?
Imagine still--
The whole congregation of Israel sins through ignorance- they are guilty of breaking the commandments of God. When the whole congregation realizes they've sinned, this sin of ignorance, the whole congregation must choose a bullock to sacrifice and bring it before the Holy Place-the tabernacle of the congregation. Then the elders of that congregation lay their hands upon this young bull's head.
Remember they aren't just touching the animal's head gently but they are -as a group of men- a group of elders leaning their full weight upon the head of this sacrificial bullock. Why are they doing this? They have to do this because it symbolizes the transference of their sin to the animal to be sacrifice and that transference isn't something to be taken in a lackadaisical manner.
Then the young bull is killed before the LORD. After he's killed the anointed priest brings the bullock's spilt blood into the holy place- the tabernacle of the congregation. The priest then dips his finger into the blood and once again he completes the necessary ritual of sprinkling the blood before the veil, as well as putting it upon the horns of the altar of incense, and then he takes the blood back outside and pours it at the bottom of the altar of burnt offerings. So similar to the earlier sacrificial ritual.
The priest is making an atonement for the congregation of Israel so they will be forgiven of their sin against the LORD.
Now imagine more--
A ruler sins a sin of ignorance against the commandments of the LORD. That ruler must bring a kid of the goats, a spotless male young goat. This ruler must lay his hands upon the head of the goat- yes, just as the others he must put his whole weight behind the touch. Then the goat just as the other sacrifices noted - is killed. Here's where things are changed up a bit- the priest takes the blood of the kid goat and with his finger he puts it on the altar of burnt offering, right there before the door to the tabernacle of the congregation-the Holy Place. Then he pours the blood out at the bottom of the altar just as the others. He didn't go into the first compartment- the tabernacle of the congregation.
Imagine now a little bit more--
There is a common person sinning through ignorance-guilty before the LORD. This common person must bring a female kid goat without any blemish and the process is begun- the laying of hands leaning, the killing, then the priest puts the blood on the horns of the altar of burnt offerings before pouring it out at the bottom of that same altar. With this particular sacrificial offering the common person could bring a lamb as well but it must be a female without blemish. The priest is making an atonement for his sin and it will be forgiven him. Making an atonement for his sin of ignorance. Forgiven of the sin committed in ignorance.
*******
Now we've imagined many of the sacrificial rituals required of God's people- required of the priests, required of the congregation as a whole, required of the individual throughout the year- rulers, common people.
Now let's imagine the Day of Atonement.
The High Priest brought a bullock for a sin offering for HIMSELF and HIS HOUSE.
The congregation of Israel brought two goats. Those two goats had lots cast upon them - one would be chosen as a sin offering the other to be the scapegoat.
The High Priest brought the bullock he was to make an atonement with for himself and his house, and guess what? He did NOT put his hands upon the bullock. Clearly from all we learned previously the hands laying upon the animal to be sacrificed was a big deal. So why wasn't the High Priest to lean upon this bullock as he had the other bullocks, and as other people had to? Clearly this wasn't going to be the exact same sort of ritual ceremony here. This bullock was killed without the transference of sin to him, yet he was a sin offering- something to think about.
Coals were taken from the altar of burnt offerings, hot coals and these coals along with handfuls of sweet incense were brought into the Holy Place-within the veil- the Most Holy Place. The incense was then put on the hot coals from the altar of burnt offering before the LORD and a cloud of that incense rose up covering the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant.
Then the High Priest took the blood from the sacrificed bullock and he sprinkled it upon the mercy seat eastward, then before the mercy seat seven times. Do you remember the other sacrificial blood being sprinkled seven times before the veil? Not on this special day. This day it was brought WITHIN the veil.
After this the goat whose lot was to be the sin offering for the people was killed. So we have the blood of the bullock for the High Priest and His entire household, now we have the blood of the goat which is for the people- the congregation of the people of Israel. This blood also was brought WITHIN the veil and the same ritual was completed as with the bullock blood.
The blood of these offerings is serving a dual purpose- remember we discussed it a few days ago. Why is the blood serving dual purpose? Because it serves as a sacrifice for judged sins and for a cleansing. The holy place and tabernacle of the congregation were unclean! Why were they unclean? Because of the sins of the people of Israel. All year long those sins were placed on the sanctuary, all year long those sins were put onto the animals which were then sacrifice before the LORD in the sanctuary. All that uncleanness, all that sin, was taken off the people and put onto the animals whose blood was then placed upon the sanctuary, placed before the LORD. A judgment was made for every sin offering given. You cannot be guilty and forgiven unless you are judged guilty and in need of forgiveness, it all goes hand in hand. There is a duality to the Sanctuary cleansing and this can never be forgotten.
Now we have to imagine the rest of this -
The High Priest after placing the blood in the Holy Place within the veil, and then after placing the blood in the congregation of the tabernacle without the veil, went out of that holy place and before the altar of burnt offerings. Why? Because he had to make an atonement for the altar as well and this atonement wasn't made by using the blood of the bullock and the blood of the lamb in separate ceremonies as was done with the inside of the sanctuary, but both bloods were used TOGETHER- the blood was mingled and then put upon the horns of the altar of burnt offerings, then sprinkled seven times upon it- making an atonement for it, cleansing it, hallowing it from all the uncleanness that had been placed upon it.
Then ONLY after the Holy Place (Most Holy Place), the tabernacle of the congregation (Holy Place), and the altar of burnt offering were atoned for, only after all three of them were cleansed of all sin did the High Priest go to the live goat and guess what he did? He put BOTH his hands upon the head of that live goat. Remember what we said about the laying on of hands to transfer sin? This wasn't any gentle love tap, no delicate pat upon the head, in earnest the High Priest's hands both lay upon the head of this goat and then the High Priest confessed onto this live goat ALL the INIQUITIES, all the sins of the children of Israel. All that sin taken off the Sanctuary including the altar of burnt offerings were placed upon that goat left to live and not be sacrificed by blood sacrificed. All that sin was put upon that scapegoat who was led off into the wilderness to die but not by any hand, not to be sacrificed for atoning, but left to die bearing the weight of all that sin left, to keep that sin upon it and to go off to be no more, forever gone, forever lost to the sight of all the children of God never, never to be seen again!
Only when this was all done did the High Priest go into the tabernacle of congregation- only then did he go into the holy place but NOT within the veil, and take off the holy garments he had to wear before entering within the veil.
Then he went into the Holy Place within the veil and washed before he put on new garments. After he was clothed he went out of the Holy Place and the tabernacle of the congregation and to the altar of burnt offerings and there he offered the burnt offering of the people to make an atonement for HIMSELF and the PEOPLE.
Lev 16:30 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.
Lev 16:31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.
Lev 16:32 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:
Lev 16:33 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.
Lev 16:34 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.
Do you see how much is involved in the cleansing of the Sanctuary?
Dan 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
172 years ago the cleansing of the Sanctuary was begun. The many, many years of sin placed upon the heavenly sanctuary through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior would begin the process of being cleansed.
The High Priest and His House would be cleansed first. The Most Holy Place would be cleansed.
The People of the Congregation of Israel would be cleansed secondly. The Holy Place would be cleansed.
The Children of Israel would be cleansed thirdly. The Altar of Burnt offering would be cleansed.
Remember this-
ONLY after the Holy Place (Most Holy Place), the tabernacle of the congregation (Holy Place), and the altar of burnt offering (Altar before the door to the Holy Place) were atoned for, only after ALL three of them were judged and cleansed of all sin did the High Priest go to the live goat.
Did people stop sinning during that yearly Day of Atonement? No, not all.
Lev 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Lev 23:30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
Lev 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Lev 23:32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
Whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted - shall be cut off.
Whatsoever soul that doeth any work- will be destroyed.
On that day… those who don't recognize their need of a Savior will be cut off.
On that day… those who rely on themselves for anything, forgetting to give all glory to our God, all worship to our King; those who believe they in anyway can save themselves will be destroyed.
We know for a fact there is a judgment in connection with the Day of Atonement, a judgment we will ALL face --- more on that tomorrow though, by the grace and will of our Lord. May we gain more understanding as we are blessed with spiritual sight, all through His amazing, wondrous love. There is nothing at all like the love of our God, nothing. All glory and honor to Him! All praise! All worship to our King! Blessed be His Name! Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! Blessed be His Holy Name!
Amen!
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