Atonement by J. H. Waggoner

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 19, 1874

Atonement

By J. H. Waggoner

Atonement.—No. 15.

Much controversy might have been avoided among writers on theology if the proper distinction had been regarded between the death of Christ and the atonement. In view of this distinction, which we propose to notice, we have avoided the expression, “vicarious atonement.” We firmly hold that the death of Christ is vicarious. This the Scriptures abundantly teach. The word vicarious being generally used in the strict sense of substitution is properly applied to the death of Christ, as in his death he stood in the sinner’s stead, and suffered just what the law demanded of the sinner, the loss of his life.

But the atonement is the work of a priest, and it is not anything which the law required of the sinner, because it is something which it is utterly impossible for the sinner to make. A sinner may die for his own sins and thereby meet the demands of justice, but he is then lost, and no atonement is made for him. The action of the priest is not strictly in the sinner’s stead, for what he does is entirely outside of what the sinner was required to do or could do, and hence his action is not properly vicarious. As long as the distinction is lost sight of between the death of the offering and the work of the priest in making the atonement, so long must the expression “vicarious atonement” mislead the mind, and, to avoid erroneous impressions, it is well to discard its use.

When any one brought an offering, he was required to lay his hand upon its head; if the people had sinned, the elders of the congregation were required to lay their hands upon the head of the offering; but in every case the priest made an atonement. See Lev. 4: 20, 26, 31, 35; 5: 6, 10, 16, 18; 6: 7; 16: 30, 32, and others. “When a ruler hath sinned . . . he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish; 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. . . . And the priest shall make an atonement for him.” Lev. 4: 22–26. Three things in this work we notice in their order: 1. He shall lay his hand upon the head of the offering. 2. He shall kill it. 3. The priest shall make an atonement. Here it is plainly seen that the killing of the offering and making the atonement are distinct and separate acts; and we shall find that in every case where a sin offering was brought to the priest, he took the blood to make an atonement, according to the word of the Lord: “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.” Lev. 17: 11.

Of the ceremony of laying hands upon the head of a sin offering, Rollin, in his remarks on the religion of the Egyptians, says:—“But one common and general ceremony was observed in all sacrifices, viz., the laying of hands upon the head of the victim, loading it at the same time with imprecations, and praying the gods to divert upon that victim all the calamities which might threaten Egypt.” Thus we see that the idea of substitutionary sacrifice, or vicarious death, was not confined to the Hebrews, but was recognized wherever the efficacy of sacrifices was acknowledged, which must have been revealed immediately after the fall of man.

In Lev. 16 is given the work of the high priest on the day of atonement, which typified the work of our High Priest and Saviour. On the tenth day of the seventh month, the high priest made an atonement for all the people. The Lord fixed it as a statute, “to make an atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins once a year.” Verses 29, 34. First, he made an atonement for himself and for his house, that he might appear sinless before God when he stood for the people. But this first act did not typify anything in the work of Christ, for Paul says he was separate from sinners, and therefore need not offer for himself. Heb. 7: 26, 27. As the high priest entered the most holy place on the day of atonement, it will be necessary to take a brief view of the sanctuary to understand this work.

The book of Exodus, commencing with chapter 25, contains an order from the Lord to make him a sanctuary, with a full description thereof, together with the formula for anointing the priests and inducting them into their office. The sanctuary was an oblong building, divided into two parts; the first room was called the holy, which was entered by a door or vail on the east side. The second part was called the most holy, which had no outside entrance, but was entered by a door or vail at the back or west end of the holy, called “the second vail.” The articles made and placed in the sanctuary were an ark of wood overlaid with gold, and a mercy-seat, which was the cover of the ark. On the mercy-seat were made two cherubim of gold, their wings shadowing the mercy-seat. In the ark were placed the testimony, or tables of stone, containing the ten commandments. See Ex. 25: 16–21; 31: 18; 1 Kings 8: 9. The ark was put into the most holy place of the sanctuary, and was the only article put therein. In the holy place, or first room, were the table of show-bread, the golden candlestick, and the altar of incense.

When the commandment was given to make the sanctuary, the object was stated by the Lord, that he might dwell among them. A holy dwelling-place, or dwelling-place of the Lord, is given as the signification of the word sanctuary. In accordance with this design, the Lord said he would meet with the high priest above the mercy-seat, between the wings of the cherubim, there to commune with him of all things that he would give him in commandment unto the children of Israel. Ex. 25: 22. But by other scriptures we learn that he would meet with them there, in the most holy place, only once a year, to wit, on the tenth day of the seventh month, which was the day of atonement. He promised also to meet with them at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, or holy place, where there was a continual or daily offering. Ex. 29: 42, 43; Heb. 9: 6, 7. Let it be borne in mind that although the glory of God was to abide in the sanctuary, it was manifested only in two places as specified: at the door of the holy where the table and candlestick were set; and in the most holy, above the ark, over the wings of the cherubim. Sometimes the glory of God filled the whole sanctuary; but when that was the case, the priests could not go in to minister. See Ex. 40: 34, 35; 1 Kings 8: 10, 11; 2 Chron. 5: 13, 14; 7: 1, 2. These few facts are sufficient to guide us in our examination of the atonement; and the reader is requested to examine them with care, and get them all well fixed in the mind.

Having made an atonement for himself, the high priest took two goats from the people, and cast lots upon them, one to be chosen for a sin offering, the other for a scapegoat. The goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell was then slain, and the priest took its blood and went into the sanctuary and sprinkled it upon the mercy-seat and before the mercy-seat, in that manner making an atonement for the children of Israel, by blotting out their sins and removing them from the presence of God. That this was the true idea and intent of that work we learn from verses 15–19, wherein it is not only said that the priest made atonement for the children of Israel, but that he also made atonement for the holy places, cleansing them and hallowing them from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. The uncleanness or sins of the children of Israel could never come directly in contact with the holiness of the sanctuary, but only by proxy; for they (the people) were never permitted to enter there. The priest was the representative of the people; he bore their judgment. Ex. 28: 30. In this manner, the sanctuary of God was defiled; and as the blood was given to make atonement, the priest cleansed the sanctuary from their sins by sprinkling the blood upon and before the mercy-seat, in the divine presence.

Thus it is seen that as the priest only made the atonement, so it was made in the sanctuary, and nowhere else. And in the sanctuary no one entered but the priest. This is further proof that the killing of the offering did not make the atonement, but was preparatory to it; for the atonement was made in the sanctuary, but the offering was not slain in the sanctuary.

These things, of course, were typical, and have their fulfillment in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. That he is a High Priest, and the only mediator in the gospel will be readily admitted; but the order and manner of his service must be determined by the Scriptures. The apostle states that he is a priest after the order of Melchisedec; i. e., a kingly priest on the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. Heb. 8: 1. Of course this is the antitype of the earthly sanctuary, of the tabernacle pitched or made by man. He also affirms that if he were on earth, he would not be a priest for the evident reason that the priests of the earthly sanctuary were of the tribe of Levi, while our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood, and of which no man gave attendance at the altar. Heb. 7: 13, 14; 8: 4. This will correct a mistake very often made, that the priesthood of our Lord commenced on earth. If he had entered on the work of his priesthood at his baptism, as has been said, he would have acted with those who were types of himself; and if as a priest he had officiated in the temple, it would have been to make offerings typical of his own. J. H. WAGGONER.