And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
The engraved plate of pure gold was to be fastened on the front of the high priest's white linen miter as a crown-like sign of consecration to God. It signifies that sin is taken away and pardoned, and that the priest is clothed in Christ's righteousness and made fit to minister before God in obedience to His ways. It points to Christ as the true High Priest over His house, bearing the divine name and the names of His people, whose ministration passed into the most holy place to cleanse the sanctuary at the close of the prophetic periods. It is the motto for a life wholly surrendered to God, in which all powers, business, and service are set apart for His holy purpose and marked by purity, faithfulness, and diligence. It will become the inscription placed by Jesus Himself upon every overcomer's crown of glory at entrance into the city of God as the emblem of victory and consecration.
The Golden Plate Described
The command is to fashion a plate of pure gold and engrave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, the words holiness to the Lord. It was to be set on the front of the high priest's miter, which was a turban of white linen, and fastened there by a lace of blue. Worn on the head as part of the precious garments, it had the appearance of a crown, seen together with the robe with a bell and a pomegranate around the hem and the breastplate with engraved names glittering like diamonds. The inscription stands for the purity and holiness required in appointed service, so that those who minister uphold those standards and give an ennobling representation of the work.
The plate belongs to distinct and detailed instructions specifying the particular garments to be worn for doing service in the holy place and ministering in the priest's office, with clothing made in accordance with the work. That dress was symbolic of the service, and the dress of followers is likewise to symbolize their service and represent Christ in all things. Clothing connected with worship could honor or dishonor God, requiring order and cleanliness in everything. The laver stood between the altar and the congregation, where priests washed their hands and their feet in sight of the people before coming into the presence of God. This, with all connected with priestly apparel and deportment, was to impress beholders with the holiness of God, the sacredness of His worship, and the purity required of those who come into His presence, giving an exalted sense of God and His work through cleanliness, order, and reverence in clothing and conduct. It taught that every particle of dust must be put away before going into God's presence, because God is so high and holy that failure to meet these conditions would bring death.
The instruction was given by Christ enshrouded in the pillar of cloud while educating His church in the wilderness. It sets forth the outline of the expressed will of God and the laws of His kingdom for conducting life as a citizen of heaven for present and eternal good. It states the covenant with the people He is seeking to save, gives the terms of salvation, and provides the education of most value for knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. It is to be kept as the definite object before students, giving correct lessons for mental discipline that come to knowledge only by practical working out and that strengthen the mental powers for that knowledge.
Pardon and Priestly Ministry
The inscription of consecration borne on the priestly miter marked Joshua as one whose own sins and the sins of Israel had been pardoned, whose iniquity had been caused to pass away, and who had been clothed with Christ's imputed righteousness. That clothing followed the taking away of his filthy garments, for the holiness represented by the miter belongs to the righteousness God gives only after sin is removed. So attired, Joshua was qualified to minister before God in His sanctuary despite his former transgressions.
The filthy garments of disobedience and transgression are first taken away rather than covered over, and then the punished, repenting people are clothed by Christ with His own garments of righteousness. Those garments were bought with a price, and acceptance comes through the righteousness of One who resisted every art of the enemy. The fair miter with its gold plate is set upon the head of the one thus given a change of raiment. That gift is given on condition of walking in God's ways and keeping His charge, with the promise of judging His house and keeping His courts and of having places to walk among those standing by.
The same plate marks Christ as the true High Priest over His own house, bearing the name of Jehovah upon His miter while bearing the name of Israel upon His breastplate. He is greater than Moses who served in the house and higher than the highest angel, for He was the invisible Leader of Israel in the wilderness enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, the angel of the covenant come in the name of God. He took humanity that humanity might touch humanity, humbling Himself in the form of man and becoming a servant, yet remaining as Son of God and Majesty of heaven exalted above the angels, so that by His life in humanity men may become partakers of the divine nature. This priestly attire was seen when Jesus ended His ministration in the holy place and closed the door of that apartment at the close of the prophetic periods in 1844. Attired in the precious garments with the headpiece having the appearance of a crown, together with the robe bordered with bell and pomegranate and the breastplate with engraved names glittering like diamonds, He passed, surrounded by angels in a flaming chariot, within the second veil into the most holy place to cleanse the sanctuary and make a special atonement for Israel.
Holiness in Life and Victory
The inscription on the golden plate defines the character of Christ's earthly life and is to characterize the lives of His followers. Those who serve God are to work with unselfishness and faithfulness, and their work and business dealings are to be marked by intelligence and purity. There is no place in such a life for dishonest acts or injustice.
It is the motto for every department of work, including business and trade as well as ministry and religious service, which is to bear heaven's signature. Those who serve are to strive for perfection and become complete in Christ. Their work is to be carried out with regularity, propriety, fidelity, dispatch, diligence, and striving for completeness.
As the motto for a life wholly surrendered to Christ, it means recognizing that one's powers, influence, wealth, abilities, and whole self belong to God and are set apart for His holy purpose to be used in cooperation with Him. It means giving oneself unreservedly to the Saviour in unselfish service and serving God with the energies of the whole being, with the whole mind, heart, soul, and strength. Such consecration makes every act in business, ministry, or any trade and appointed post of duty a sacred act of consecrated service, marked by gentleness, kindness, and courtesy. While living under Christ the person is trained for the courts above and for a higher grade. It means the grace of Christ disciplining the whole human fabric, so that mind, strength, body as well as soul partake of the divine nature as His purchased possession because He made all and redeemed all. In this way the inscription comes to be upon God's saints and even upon the common temporal things connected with them, and upon every work of the church through faithful improvement of entrusted talents and conferred privileges, placing the church on vantage ground with the entire life glorifying God and the Lord glorified in His saints.
It is displayed on the Christians' white banner of purity and holiness, standing for a commitment held firmly through persecution and refused to be surrendered to idolatry or compromise. It will become the inscription on every overcomer's crown of glory at entrance into the city of God. Jesus Himself with His own right hand will place such a crown on each redeemed person as the emblem of victory, the insignia of royal state, and the mark of consecration to God. Each crown will also bear that person's own new name, while into every hand will be placed the victor's palm and the shining harp.
The engraved plate of pure gold was to be fastened on the front of the high priest's white linen miter as a crown-like sign of consecration to God. It signifies that sin is taken away and pardoned, and that the priest is clothed in Christ's righteousness and made fit to minister before God in obedience to His ways. It points to Christ as the true High Priest over His house, bearing the divine name and the names of His people, whose ministration passed into the most holy place to cleanse the sanctuary at the close of the prophetic periods. It is the motto for a life wholly surrendered to God, in which all powers, business, and service are set apart for His holy purpose and marked by purity, faithfulness, and diligence. It will become the inscription placed by Jesus Himself upon every overcomer's crown of glory at entrance into the city of God as the emblem of victory and consecration.
The Golden Plate Described
The command is to fashion a plate of pure gold and engrave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, the words holiness to the Lord. It was to be set on the front of the high priest's miter, which was a turban of white linen, and fastened there by a lace of blue. Worn on the head as part of the precious garments, it had the appearance of a crown, seen together with the robe with a bell and a pomegranate around the hem and the breastplate with engraved names glittering like diamonds. The inscription stands for the purity and holiness required in appointed service, so that those who minister uphold those standards and give an ennobling representation of the work.
The plate belongs to distinct and detailed instructions specifying the particular garments to be worn for doing service in the holy place and ministering in the priest's office, with clothing made in accordance with the work. That dress was symbolic of the service, and the dress of followers is likewise to symbolize their service and represent Christ in all things. Clothing connected with worship could honor or dishonor God, requiring order and cleanliness in everything. The laver stood between the altar and the congregation, where priests washed their hands and their feet in sight of the people before coming into the presence of God. This, with all connected with priestly apparel and deportment, was to impress beholders with the holiness of God, the sacredness of His worship, and the purity required of those who come into His presence, giving an exalted sense of God and His work through cleanliness, order, and reverence in clothing and conduct. It taught that every particle of dust must be put away before going into God's presence, because God is so high and holy that failure to meet these conditions would bring death.
The instruction was given by Christ enshrouded in the pillar of cloud while educating His church in the wilderness. It sets forth the outline of the expressed will of God and the laws of His kingdom for conducting life as a citizen of heaven for present and eternal good. It states the covenant with the people He is seeking to save, gives the terms of salvation, and provides the education of most value for knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. It is to be kept as the definite object before students, giving correct lessons for mental discipline that come to knowledge only by practical working out and that strengthen the mental powers for that knowledge.
Pardon and Priestly Ministry
The inscription of consecration borne on the priestly miter marked Joshua as one whose own sins and the sins of Israel had been pardoned, whose iniquity had been caused to pass away, and who had been clothed with Christ's imputed righteousness. That clothing followed the taking away of his filthy garments, for the holiness represented by the miter belongs to the righteousness God gives only after sin is removed. So attired, Joshua was qualified to minister before God in His sanctuary despite his former transgressions.
The filthy garments of disobedience and transgression are first taken away rather than covered over, and then the punished, repenting people are clothed by Christ with His own garments of righteousness. Those garments were bought with a price, and acceptance comes through the righteousness of One who resisted every art of the enemy. The fair miter with its gold plate is set upon the head of the one thus given a change of raiment. That gift is given on condition of walking in God's ways and keeping His charge, with the promise of judging His house and keeping His courts and of having places to walk among those standing by.
The same plate marks Christ as the true High Priest over His own house, bearing the name of Jehovah upon His miter while bearing the name of Israel upon His breastplate. He is greater than Moses who served in the house and higher than the highest angel, for He was the invisible Leader of Israel in the wilderness enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, the angel of the covenant come in the name of God. He took humanity that humanity might touch humanity, humbling Himself in the form of man and becoming a servant, yet remaining as Son of God and Majesty of heaven exalted above the angels, so that by His life in humanity men may become partakers of the divine nature. This priestly attire was seen when Jesus ended His ministration in the holy place and closed the door of that apartment at the close of the prophetic periods in 1844. Attired in the precious garments with the headpiece having the appearance of a crown, together with the robe bordered with bell and pomegranate and the breastplate with engraved names glittering like diamonds, He passed, surrounded by angels in a flaming chariot, within the second veil into the most holy place to cleanse the sanctuary and make a special atonement for Israel.
Holiness in Life and Victory
The inscription on the golden plate defines the character of Christ's earthly life and is to characterize the lives of His followers. Those who serve God are to work with unselfishness and faithfulness, and their work and business dealings are to be marked by intelligence and purity. There is no place in such a life for dishonest acts or injustice.
It is the motto for every department of work, including business and trade as well as ministry and religious service, which is to bear heaven's signature. Those who serve are to strive for perfection and become complete in Christ. Their work is to be carried out with regularity, propriety, fidelity, dispatch, diligence, and striving for completeness.
As the motto for a life wholly surrendered to Christ, it means recognizing that one's powers, influence, wealth, abilities, and whole self belong to God and are set apart for His holy purpose to be used in cooperation with Him. It means giving oneself unreservedly to the Saviour in unselfish service and serving God with the energies of the whole being, with the whole mind, heart, soul, and strength. Such consecration makes every act in business, ministry, or any trade and appointed post of duty a sacred act of consecrated service, marked by gentleness, kindness, and courtesy. While living under Christ the person is trained for the courts above and for a higher grade. It means the grace of Christ disciplining the whole human fabric, so that mind, strength, body as well as soul partake of the divine nature as His purchased possession because He made all and redeemed all. In this way the inscription comes to be upon God's saints and even upon the common temporal things connected with them, and upon every work of the church through faithful improvement of entrusted talents and conferred privileges, placing the church on vantage ground with the entire life glorifying God and the Lord glorified in His saints.
It is displayed on the Christians' white banner of purity and holiness, standing for a commitment held firmly through persecution and refused to be surrendered to idolatry or compromise. It will become the inscription on every overcomer's crown of glory at entrance into the city of God. Jesus Himself with His own right hand will place such a crown on each redeemed person as the emblem of victory, the insignia of royal state, and the mark of consecration to God. Each crown will also bear that person's own new name, while into every hand will be placed the victor's palm and the shining harp.