THE CLEANSING OF THE SANCTUARY. (CONTINUED.)
SYNOPSIS OF THE PRESENT TRUTH, No. 16.
THE CLEANSING OF THE SANCTUARY. (CONTINUED.)
HAVING become satisfied of the existence of a Sanctuary in heaven, a true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man, the subject of its ministration and cleansing can furnish little ground for dispute. On this point, as on every other concerning the glorious heavenly things, and the more excellent ministry of the Melchisedec priesthood, in the person of our Lord, we must reason from type to antitype, from earth to heaven. The priests on earth, says Paul, serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. This being so, it follows that the work connected with the earthly tabernacle, was the example and shadow of a like work in heaven. Listen, then, to a brief and simple statement of The Ministration and Cleansing of the earthly Sanctuary. This ministration was accomplished by the Levitical order of priest-hood, and consisted of two great divisions: the daily ministration in the holy place, and the work in the most holy place at the end of the year. The daily ministration embraced the regular morning and evening burnt offering, [Ex. xxix, 38-43,] the burning of sweet incense on the golden altar, every morning when the high priest dressed the lamps, and every evening when he lighted them; [Ex. xxx;] also, the additional work appointed for the Sabbaths of the Lord, and the annual sabbaths, new moons and feasts, [Num. xxviii; xxix,] besides the particular work to be accomplished for individuals as they should present their offerings throughout the year. This latter was an important part of the service and was performed as follows: Whoever had sinned brought his victim, that was to be offered up for him, to the door of the tabernacle; then laid his hand upon the head of the victim which signified that his sin was transferred to it; it was then slain on account of that transgression, and the blood borne in by the priest and sprinkled in the Sanctuary. Lev. i; iii; iv. Thus the sin of the individual was transferred first to the victim, and then through his blood to the Sanctuary itself. In this manner went the typical service forward throughout the year. Day after day, week after week, month after month, we behold the victim of expiation brought up before the door of the tabernacle. We see the transgressor confessing over him his sin, and thus transferring to him his guilt. He hereby acknowledged that he had sinned and was worthy of death. The law demands the life of the transgressor. But a substitute was provided. The guilt was imputed to the victim and his life paid the forfeit. The priest took of his blood (and the blood of it is the life thereof, Lev. xvii, 11, 14,) and bore it within the tabernacle, and sprinkled it before the Lord, before the vail of the Sanctuary. Lev. iv. The Sanctuary thenceforth became the receptacle of the offender's sin. A continual transfer of sins from the people to the Sanctuary, thus went on through the year. But what at length became of these sins? Were they suffered to remain in the Sanctuary? They were not. There was another ministration at the close of the year, by which they were forever removed from the Sanctuary, and a final disposition made of them. This was the yearly ministration or the cleansing of the Sanctuary. Lev. xvi. It took place on the tenth day of the seventh month. Verse 29. To accomplish this, the work of the high priest was changed from the holy place, to the most holy, within the vail. Here he entered with the blood of a bullock as a sin-offering for himself. Verse 3. He was then to take of the congregation of the children of Israel, (verse 5,) two kids of the goats for a sin-offering. Upon these he was to cast lots, (verse 8,) one lot for the Lord and the other for the scape-goat. He then offered up the goat upon which the lot fell for the Lord, for a sin-offering for the people, (verse 15,) and bore his blood within the vail, and sprinkled it with his finger upon the mercy-seat eastward, and before the mercy-seat seven times. This blood was offered for two purposes: 1. To make an atonement for the transgression of the children of Israel in all their sins. 2. To cleanse, or make atonement for the holy Sanctuary. This fact is plainly stated in Lev. xvi, 15-22, a part of which we here transcribe: Verse 15. "Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat, and before the mercy-seat." Verse 16. "And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins; and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation." Verse 17. "And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel." Verse 20. "And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: Verse 21. "And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness." Verse 22. "And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited." Tradition has it, that the goat thus led away, was hurled from a precipice and so killed. With this act the yearly round of service was completed. The work of the priest is again summed up in verses 33, 34, as follows: "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. 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." In the foregoing testimony, we have presented before our minds a general outline of the ministration and cleansing of the earthly Sanctuary. This was performed unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. From this, therefore, we are to reason concerning The ministration and cleansing of the heavenly Sanctuary. If the reader has seen no cause to disagree with us, in any of the positions thus far taken, he will see none, we trust, while this point is under investigation. We are not left to our own reasoning on this subject. Paul in his divine commentary on the typical system, has drawn the parallels between that and the more excellent ministry of the Melchisedec priesthood, to the satisfaction, it should be, of every one. We refer to the book of Hebrews. Let us notice his testimony. 1. The earthly Sanctuary meets its antitype in the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man, of which, with its two holy places, it constituted a correct pattern or shadow. Chap. viii, 2, 5; ix, 8, 12, 23, 24. 2. The typical offerings meet their antitype in the great offering of Calvary. Chap. vii, 27; ix, 11-14, 26; x, 10, 12, 14. 3. The typical priesthood meets its antitype in the priesthood of our Lord. Chap. iv, 14; vii, 23, 24; viii, 1, 2; ix, 11, 24, 25. 4. As they had offerings to make, it is necessary that he also have somewhat to offer. Chap. viii, 3. 5. The work of the priests in the earthly tabernacle meets its antitype in the ministry of our Lord in the Sanctuary above. Chap. viii, 5, 6. We shall now show that Christ commences his ministry in the first apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary. It is necessary to keep this point in view to guard against the erroneous theories which some have been led to adopt, by either losing sight of or denying it. That Christ is our High Priest cannot be denied; that he has ascended to heaven is also beyond dispute; and that he there ministers for his people, they cannot call in question. But what is their next position? They claim that there is in the antitype only a most holy place, and that is all heaven; consequently our High Priest ministers in but one apartment. They pretend to draw proof for this position from the manner in which the new covenant Sanctuary is introduced; namely, "to anoint the most holy." Dan. ix, 24. But are they aware that in thus bringing up this text to support such a position, they have it by the blade, and not by the handle? For it directly refutes their assumption, and is good testimony in favor of the point for which we argue. 1. Bear in mind, then, that the Levitical priesthood, before they began to minister in the earthly Sanctuary, anointed the whole building, the most holy, as well as the holy. And after this was accomplished, what then? Did the ministration commence in the most holy? No: in the holy, in the first apartment. And this, be it remembered, was the example and shadow of heavenly things. 2. We have already proved that the temple of God in heaven consists of two holy places, or it cast a most inexplicable shadow upon earth. But who will explain the anomaly of there being two holy places in the heavenly Sanctuary, and yet a ministry performed in only one. 3. The text, "This man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God," [Heb. x. 12.] has been urged as forbidding the idea of his ministering in two holy places. We answer, that so far as the idea of sitting is concerned, it would be equally proper to represent him as standing on the Father's right hand. Act vii, 55, 56. And then we reply further, that even when he is seen coming in the clouds of heaven, he is said to be "sitting on the right hand of power." Matt. xxvi, 64; Mark xiv, 62. Then he can certainly be at the Father's right hand in both the holy places. But Paul bears direct testimony on this point. He says that Christ is a minister of the Sanctuary; and the word here rendered Sanctuary is in the plural number, and signifies the holy places. This none can deny. It is by the Douay Bible rendered, "the holies," and by Macnight, "holy places." We therefore justly conclude (1.) that our Lord can be a minister of the two holy places, and yet be at the Father's right hand; and (2.) that he must minister in both the holy places, or Paul's testimony that he is a minister of the holies (plural) is not true; for a priest that should minister simply in the holiest of all, would not be a minister of the holy places. 4. Again: Heb. ix, 8, and also x, 19, are by some urged to prove that Christ ministers only in the most holy place. These texts both speak of the holies as though it were in the singular number; but we have already observed that the words thus rendered are not in the singular, but plural: not "hagia hagion," holy of holies, as in chap. ix, 3, but simply "hagion," holies, plural, the same as is rendered Sanctuary in chap. viii, 2. Also the phrase in chap. ix, 12, 25, rendered "into the holy place," is the same as is in verse 24 literally rendered into the holy places, (plural.) These texts therefore instead of sustaining what they are often quoted to prove, viz., that Christ has but one apartment in which to minister, furnish positive testimony to the reverse, by showing that there are holy places in the heavenly Sanctuary, and that Jesus ministers in them both. 5. Three hundred and sixty-four days of that service which was performed unto the "example and shadow of heavenly things," was accomplished in the first apartment, or holy place, and only one day out of125the year, in the most holy. If therefore, Christ ministers only in the most holy place, the first, and by far the greater, part of the earthly ministration is without an antitype. 6. The ministration in the most holy at the end of the year, was only performed for the purpose of cleansing the Sanctuary; and if in the antitype, Christ only ministers in the most holy place, it follows that he performs only the antitype of this service; consequently the cleansing of the Sanctuary commenced at the ascension of our Lord. But the cleansing of the Sanctuary, according to the type, must be preceded by a long ministration; and who will tell us, in this case, when it took place. Again: the 2300 days extend to the cleansing of the Sanctuary, and with this view, they should have terminated in A. D. 31, at our Lord's ascension. But, as we have already seen, they did not terminate till 1813 years this side of that event. We have referred to the view that calls heaven and earth the Sanctuary. We call attention to it again for the sake of noticing another of its erroneous features. Says L. L. Howard in the World's Crisis of Dec. 30, 1857: "It seems to me that the figurative tabernacle was in the wilderness and at Jerusalem, while Christ is the true minister of the true house of God, which is heaven and earth; heaven being the holy of holies, and earth the other part where Christ and his people minister, where the candlestick, table and shew-bread are." The writer of the above seems to be blind to two fundamental points involved in this question. 1st. No part of Christ's ministry can be performed on the earth; and 2nd. The antitype of the ancient priestly service, is performed by Christ, and him alone. To the first point the Apostle bears direct testimony, when he says, "For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law." Heb. viii, 4. That is, all the service to be performed on earth in connection with the Sanctuary, is performed by those who offer gifts according to the law, that is, by the typical priesthood. The ministry of Christ is performed entirely and completely in another place. We can hardly restrain a word of astonishment, that any person should fall into an error, on this point, which the Apostle has taken such pains to guard against. The second principle to be kept in view, is, that the antitype of all the ancient offerings, and all the ministry of the ancient priesthood, is found in Christ alone. He performs it independent of, and separate from, his people. There is nothing in the services of christians which answers to the ancient Sanctuary service. They perform no part of the antitypical ministration. Christ is the priest, and they, as suppliants and sinners, seek pardon through his mediation. The priesthood of Christ is a superior priesthood in which the imperfections of the earthly priesthood find no analogy. We will notice this in a few of its particulars: 1. Christ is a priest after the order of Melchisedec, and not after the order of Aaron. Heb. v, 6. 2. Perfection was not of the Levitical priesthood; for if it had been, says Paul, what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not after the order of Aaron. Chap. vii, 11. 3. Those priests were many; because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death; but this man continueth ever and hath an unchangeable priesthood. Verses 23, 24. 4. It was necessary for the priests of the house of Levi, to offer up sacrifices daily, embracing all the various offerings that were made by those who had transgressed. But all this Christ did by one act when he offered up himself. Chap. ix, 25, 26, 28; x, 10, 12, 14. 5. The round of service in the earthly tabernacle was many times repeated; but the ministry of Christ is accomplished once for all. Heb. ix, 11, 12, 24, 25; x. 6. All the blood which was offered in the former dispensation, was offered for past transgression only, and made no provision for the future; while the merits of that blood which was shed on Calvary applied not to the past alone, but to the future also. Heb. ix, 14, 15. 7. As the blood of Christ is the only blood ministered in connection with the heavenly Sanctuary, whether by actual presentation, or by virtue of its merits we need not inquire, the same blood must be ministered in both apartments. 8. As long as Christ fills the office of priest so long he is mediator between God and man. The prophets John and Isaiah had each a view of our Lord's position and ministry in the heavenly Sanctuary. John saw a door opened in heaven. This must have been the door of the heavenly tabernacle; for it disclosed to John's view the throne of God, which was in that temple. Rev. iv, 1, 2; xvi, 17. That it was the door of the first apartment is evident from the objects which he there beheld; [Rev. iv, 5; viii, 3;] and the second apartment which contains the ark of the testament, or ten commandments, is not opened till the sounding of the seventh angel. Rev. xi, 19. Read also Isaiah's description of the same place: Isa. vi, 1-6. That he and John were both viewing the same place will appear from a comparison of the following Scriptures: Isa. vi, 1, with Rev. iv, 2. Isa. vi, 2, with Rev. iv, 6-8. Isa. vi, 3, with Rev. iv, 8. Isa. vi, 6, with Rev. viii, 3; ix, 13. The Lord here carries forward his great work which he commenced with the act of bearing the sins of the world at his death, by pleading the cause of penitent sinners, through his blood shed in their behalf; and thus their sins are, by his mediation, transferred to the heavenly Sanctuary. There is nothing strange or fanciful in this. Every one can easily understand it. Such was the service of the type, which was a shadow of heavenly things; and such, therefore, is the heavenly ministration itself. Thus are the sins of God's people transferred to the Sanctuary. But are they to remain there? No. They are to be removed, just as they were in the type, and the heavenly Sanctuary is to be cleansed even as was the earthly.