[Note to the Student.—These lessons are not designed to be exhaustive, but suggestive. In references to the “Desire of Ages,” in the lessons, the subscription edition is referred to. Those who have only the trade edition will find the matter in chapters 1, 4, 11, 27, 71, 77, 78; also read “Patriarchs and Prophets,” chapters 5 and 30. “Christ Our Advocate,” Bible Students’ Library No. 129 (price, 10 cents), and “Looking unto Jesus” (price, $1.00) will be found a great help. The SIGNS OF THE TIMES will have an article on the subject of each lesson this quarter by J. O. Corliss. Read these articles in connection with the study of the lesson. We have not space to print all the scriptures. Let the student study them carefully from the Bible. Those printed are from the Revised Version.]
1 “Now even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service, and its sanctuary was a sanctuary of this world.” “Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services; but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offereth for himself, and for the errors of the people.” “And according to the law, I may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission. It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”
17 “Wherefore it behoved Him in all things to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”
4 “Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, seeing there are those who offer the gifts according to the law; 5 who serve that which is a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, even as Moses is warned of God when he is about to make the tabernacle; for, See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern that was showed thee in the mount.”
38 “Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar: two lambs of the first year day by day continually. 39 The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even; 40 and with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink-offering. 41 And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meal-offering of the morning, and according to the drink-offering thereof, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto the Lord. 42 It shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations at the door of the tent of meeting before the Lord: where I will meet with you, to speak there unto thee.”
7 “And Aaron shall burn thereon incense of sweet spices: every morning, when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn it. 8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.”
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
What were connected with the worldly sanctuary? Heb. 9:1, last part.
Who performed this service? Whose service was it? Verse 6.
On whose behalf was it performed? Verse 7. (Heb. 7:27.)
Of what was the service of the earthly priest a type or shadow? Heb. 8:4, 5.
What, then, must be connected with the heavenly sanctuary? Heb. 9:1. Note 1.
What was the result to the person who refused to be separated from his sin? He was cut off. Num. 19:13, 20; 1 Cor. 3:16, 17. Note 4.
What was made necessary by this figurative transfer of sins to the earthly sanctuary? Heb. 9:22, 23. (Eze. 43:18-20.)
What is made necessary by the actual transfer of our sins to the heavenly sanctuary? Verse 23.
See article in another column “The Sin-Bearer.”
NOTES.
1. There were ordinances of divine service connected with the worldly sanctuary. These are described in Leviticus and Numbers, and briefly summarized in Heb. 9:6, 7. That sanctuary was a figure (verse 9), or pattern (verse 23), of the sanctuary, or true tabernacle, which is in heaven. Heb. 8:1, 2. And the services of the worldly sanctuary were an example or shadow of the services in the heavenly sanctuary. Verses 3-5. The worldly sanctuary and the service of the priests were to teach us by illustration in regard to the heavenly sanctuary and the work of our great High Priest.
2. “The daily service consisted of the morning and evening burnt-offering, the offering of sweet incense on the golden altar, and the special offerings for individual sins. And there were also offerings for sabbaths, new moons, and special feasts.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, page 352.
3. “The repentant sinner brought his offering to the door of the tabernacle, and placing his hand upon the victim’s head, confessed his sins, thus in figure transferring them from himself to the innocent sacrifice. By his own hand the animal was then slain, and the blood was carried by the priest into the holy place and sprinkled before the veil, behind which was the ark containing the law that the sinner had transgressed. By this ceremony the sin was, through the blood, transferred in figure to the sanctuary. In some cases the blood was not taken into the holy place, but the flesh was then to be eaten by the priest. Lev. 10:17. Both ceremonies alike symbolized the transfer of the sin from the penitent to the sanctuary. Such was the work that went on day by day throughout the year. The sins of Israel being thus transferred to the sanctuary, the holy places were defiled.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, chapter 30, paragraphs 33, 34. So the ordinances of divine service connected with the heavenly sanctuary are for the purpose of separating the sinner from his sins. “By faith the sins of the repentant are placed upon Christ and transferred, in fact, to the heavenly sanctuary.”
4. When a person sinned, the sanctuary was in a sense defiled, as brought to view in these verses; because it contained the law that had been transgressed. But until that sin was confessed, it did not become a part of the “iniquity of the sanctuary,” referred to in Num. 18:1; for the sinner still bore his own sin, and his own blood would be required to atone for it. But when confession was made, and his offering presented, the priest, through the blood, or the flesh, took the sin and bore it in a figure into the sanctuary. Thus the sinner was left free, and the priest stood responsible.
