LESSONS FOR BIBLE CLASSES
By G. H. Bell
LESSON XX.—THE SERVICES OF THE WORLDLY SANCTUARY.
- Repeat Dan. 8:14.
- When did this cleansing of the sanctuary commence?
- This must be the cleansing of what sanctuary?
- Why?
- What do we now want to ascertain?
- What will it be necessary to do in order to know what is meant by the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary?
- Why? Heb. 8:5.
- How was the worldly sanctuary consecrated before the services commenced in it? Lev. 8:10.
- Who conducted the services there? Ex. 29:44.
- How were the priests set apart for this work? Read Ex. 29.
- Of what did the services of the sanctuary consist?
- How may they be classified?
- Of what did the daily morning service consist?
- What was the evening service?
- How did the services on the Sabbath differ from those on other days?
- What chapter gives a full description of the special services on feast days, new moons, and yearly sabbaths?
- Where were the sin offerings presented? Lev. 4:4.
- What did the one who brought a sin offering first do? Lev. 4:4, 24.
- What did this act signify?
- After the guilty man had laid his hand upon the head of the victim, what did he next do?
- What did he show by this?
- What did the priest do with the blood of the victim? Lev. 4:5–7.
- Where was the altar of incense?
- What was the second vail?
- How was the sanctuary polluted with the sins of the people?
- How was the guilt of the transgressor figuratively transferred to the victim?
- How from the victim to the sanctuary?
It has been shown that the cleansing of the sanctuary, referred to in Dan. 8:14, was to commence in the autumn of A. D. 1844. This cleansing must be that of the heavenly sanctuary; for the services of the worldly sanctuary ceased hundreds of years before the expiration of the 2300 days. We now want to ascertain what that cleansing is. Heb. 8:1–5 tells us that the priests of the worldly sanctuary served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. It will be necessary, then, to notice the services of the worldly sanctuary in order to understand what is meant by the cleansing of the heavenly. Before the services commenced in the tabernacle built by Moses, Aaron and his sons were set apart for the priesthood, and consecrated in a most solemn manner by being anointed with holy oil, and sprinkled with the blood of sacrifices. The tabernacle also, and all its holy vessels, were anointed. The services of the sanctuary consisted mainly of various offerings called burnt offerings, meat offerings, sin offerings, peace offerings, etc. Lev. 7:37. There were the perpetual daily services; the special services on feast days, new moons, and yearly sabbaths; the sin offerings for individuals; and the services on the great day of atonement. The daily morning service consisted of a lamb, as a burnt offering; a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil, as a meat offering; a fourth part of an hin of wine, as a drink offering; and the burning of incense upon the golden altar. The same services were repeated at evening. On the Sabbath, these offerings were doubled; two lambs being offered in the morning, and two in the evening. Ex. 29:38–42; 30:7, 8; Num. 28:9, 10. The special services on new moons, annual sabbaths, and feast days are fully described in the twenty-third chapter of Leviticus. The sin offerings for individuals were presented at the door of the tabernacle. The one who presented the offering, first placed his hand upon the head of the victim. By this act he not only confessed that he had broken God’s law, but figuratively transferred his guilt to the victim. He next took the life of the victim, thus showing that death is the penalty for violating the law of God. The priest then took some of the blood of the victim into the holy place. There he dipped his finger in the blood and sprinkled it before the second vail seven times. He also put some of it on the horns of the altar of incense. Thus, in a figure, the sin of the individual was transferred, first to the victim, and then, through the blood of the victim, into the sanctuary itself. In this way day by day throughout the year, the sanctuary was polluted by the sins of the people. G. H. Bell.