The Atonement-Part II by J. H. W.

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 17, 1863

The Atonement—Part II.

By J. H. W.

(Continued.)*

WHAT THE ATONEMENT IS.

I HAVE now examined the principles of God's government upon which, of necessity, the atonement must be based; and I have examined the nature of the offering made for man's redemption. That "Christ died," there can be no doubt, except with those who prefer their own theories to the plain testimony of the word of God. That in his death he suffered the penalty of the law, I see no chance for dispute, except with those who would deny that "the wages of sin is death." That he died for "the world,"—"for all," is expressly declared; and of the sufficiency of the offering there can be no doubt, admitting the scriptural declarations concerning the death of him who was the Word, who "was in the beginning," "with the Father." According to the most commonly received views these points about exhaust the subject; it being taken for granted that the death of Christ and the atonement are the same thing.

While I firmly hold to the vicariousness of the death of Christ, I have avoided the term "vicarious atonement." True, that which is done for another is considered as vicarious: and as Christ makes the atonement for others, not for himself, it may be called vicarious. But the word vicarious is mostly used in a stricter sense, as of substitution; as that Christ does for us precisely what the law requires of us. The law requires the life of the transgressor, and Christ died for us; therefore his death was strictly vicarious. But the atonement is the work of a priest, and is not embraced within the requirement of the sinner; for it is something entirely beyond the limit of the sinner's action. A sinner may die for his own sins, and thereby meet the demand of justice; but he is then lost, and we cannot say any atonement is made for him. The action of the priest is not in the sinner's stead, for it is beyond that which the sinner was required or expected to do; and in this restricted sense it is not vicarious, as was the death of Christ. By this it is seen that there is a clear distinction between the death of Christ and the atonement, and as long as this distinction is lost sight of, so long will the term "vicarious atonement" convey a wrong impression to the mind. Many diverse views of the atonement exist; and there are many whose views are vague and undefined; and I think both confusion and error grow out of a disregard of this distinction more than of any other cause.

We have seen that when a man 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. iv, 20, 26, 31, 35; v, 6, 10, 16, 18; vi, 7; xvi, 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. iv, 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. xvii, 11.

Passing over many instances of the use of the word, I turn to Lev. xvi, to the prescribed order on the day of atonement, which specially 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 at least 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. vii, 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 xxv, 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, 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. xxv, 16-21; xxxi, 18; 1 Kings viii, 9. The ark was put in 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 candlesticks, and the altar of incense.

When the command 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. xxv, 22. But by other scriptures we learn that he would meet with them 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. xxix, 42, 43; Heb. ix, 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 candlesticks 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. xl, 34, 35; 1 Kings viii, 10, 11; 2 Chron. v, 13, 14; vii, 1, 2. These few facts are sufficient to guide us in our examination of the atonement; and I would request the reader to examine them with care, and get them all well fixed in the mind.

J. H. W.

(To be Continued.)