The reality of the whole Gospel is found in God’s gift of His Son to humanity and man’s acceptance of this gift through his faith. John 3:16. This means the forgiveness of sins. Gal. 1:3, 4. This means fulness of life. John 10:10. This means the utter overthrow of the devil (Heb. 2:14), and a complete victory over death (Isa. 25:8). All this was involved in the original promise of the Seed of the woman who should bruise the serpent’s head. Gen. 3:15. Thus was a Saviour promised who identified Himself with humanity (Luke 2:10, 11), that sin might be condemned and righteousness fulfilled in our flesh (Rom. 8:3, 4). This complete Gospel was revealed in the sanctuary, the central idea of which was the indwelling presence of God. Ex. 25:8. This divine presence was manifested in the holy of holies, over the mercy-seat, and between the cherubim. Ex. 25:21, 22. In the typical service performed by the priests, especially in the offering of gifts and sacrifices, the separation which sin had made between God and His people (Isa. 59:1) was overcome, the people found access to God, and a continual fellowship was established between God and His people.
“The daily service consisted of the morning and evening burnt-offering [Ex. 29:38-42], the offering of sweet incense on the golden altar [Ex. 30:7, 8], and the special offerings for individual sins.
Every morning and evening a lamb of a year old was burned upon the altar, with its appropriate meat-offering, thus symbolizing the daily consecration of the nation to Jehovah, and their constant dependence upon the atoning blood of Christ. . . . In the offering of incense the priest was brought more directly into the presence of God than in any other act of the daily ministration. . . . The incense, ascending with the prayers of Israel, represents the merits and intercession of Christ, His perfect righteousness, which through faith is imputed to His people, and which can alone make the worship of sinful beings acceptable to God. Before the veil of the most holy place was an altar of perpetual intercession, before the holy an altar of continual atonement. By blood and by incense God was to be approached,—symbols pointing to the great Mediator through whom sinners may approach Jehovah [Heb. 10:19-22], and through whom alone mercy and salvation can be granted to the repentant, believing soul.
. . . The showbread was kept ever before the Lord [Num. 4:7], as a perpetual offering. Thus it was a part of the daily sacrifice. . . . It was an acknowledgment of man’s dependence upon God for both temporal and spiritual food, and that it is received only through the mediation of Christ.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, pages 352-354. These offerings were all continual offerings, just as the breastplate of judgment was a continual memorial (Ex. 28:29, 30), and as the light of the lamp was a continual light (Lev. 24:2). Thus was performed a continual service, through which was revealed the continual intercession (Heb. 7:24, 25) of the continual One (Heb. 1:11, R.V.), and by which the abiding (continual) union is maintained (John 15:4).
QUESTIONS.
In what Scripture statement is the whole Gospel summed up?
What relation does the gift of Christ sustain to forgiveness of sin?
For what purpose did Christ come in the flesh?
What has been made sure by His death in the flesh?
How will He finally dispose of death itself?
In what original promise was all this involved?
In what experience did the Saviour identify Himself with humanity?
What was accomplished by the manifestation of the Son of God in sinful flesh?
What was the central idea in the preparation of the sanctuary? What was thus revealed?
Where did the Lord meet and commune with His people?
What was accomplished in the typical service of the sanctuary?
What constituted the continual burnt-offering? When was it offered?
When was the continual incense-offering made?
What was symbolized by the continual burnt-offering?
What did the continual incense represent?
What was found before the inner veil?
What was found before the outer veil?
Who was set forth in these continual offerings?
What was the lesson of the continual showbread?
How and for what purpose was the breastplate of judgment used in the typical service?
For what purpose were the lamps to be supplied with oil?
What idea was emphasized in all these offerings and services?
What kind of service was thus performed in the sanctuary?
