Leviticus 16:11
And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself: And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:
Leviticus 16:11 describes Aaron offering a bull as a sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household before he could minister on behalf of Israel. It belongs to the yearly service for cleansing the earthly sanctuary, when the most holy place was opened as a pattern of the heavenly sanctuary. That ministry of a sinful, imperfect high priest was a type pointing to Jesus Christ as Sin-bearer and Substitute in His actual ministry for His repentant people, who unlike His human representatives cannot Himself be accused as a sinner. Its fulfillment is the cleansing work in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ ministers by virtue of His own blood to blot out the sins of His faithful people since entering there in 1844, with the open door still inviting sinners to enter by faith and find time to repent. It therefore points to the solemn work of atonement and judgment that concerns every person and calls for special preparation in deep heart-searching, confession, putting away of sin, and drawing near to God to be cleansed through Christ.
The Earthly Day of Atonement
The verse belongs to the chapter that lays out the process for cleansing the sanctuary. It stands in the service of the great day of atonement, when the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary was opened for its cleansing, and that earthly service was a pattern of the heavenly sanctuary.
The sanctuary to be cleansed is the earthly sanctuary made for God to dwell among His people. It was first the movable sanctuary erected in the desert of Sinai and afterward Solomon's temple in Canaan, having a holy and a most holy place to which the vessels of the movable sanctuary were transferred. It was the dwelling-place of God's glory upon the earth, not the earth itself.
The verse sets forth Aaron's bull as the sin offering for himself and for his household, with atonement made for them before it was killed. It was the high priest's offering for his own sin and for his house before he ministered on behalf of Israel.
It was a yearly ministry in the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary that symbolized God's dwelling-place. One apartment was sacred to His presence, with a veil inwrought with cherubim at its entrance that no hand save the high priest's might lift, and to intrude unbidden into the sacred mystery was death. Above the mercy-seat and the bowed, worshiping angels dwelt the glory of the Holiest, glory upon which no man might look and live. On the one day of the year appointed for that ministry the high priest with trembling entered God's presence while clouds of incense veiled the glory from his sight. Throughout the courts every sound was hushed, no priests ministered at the altars, and the hosts of worshipers bowed in silent awe sent up their petitions for God's mercy. These things happened as an example and were written for admonition upon those on whom the ends of the ages are come.
The high priest entered the most holy place after careful and solemn preparation. Before the mercy seat he met with God, while the people waited in silence and prayed for divine blessing. If he stayed unusually long, they feared that their sins or a sin of the priest had caused the Lord's glory to slay him. The sound of the bells on his garments reassured them that he had survived, and he then came out and blessed the people.
In that Day of Atonement service a sacrificial substitute was accepted for the sinner, but the victim's blood did not cancel sin; it provided a means for sin to be transferred to the sanctuary. The service taught the sinner to acknowledge the law, confess guilt, and seek pardon through faith in the coming Redeemer, while still awaiting complete release from condemnation. In the later ceremony the high priest acted as mediator, carried the sins from the sanctuary, and symbolically transferred them to the scapegoat, which bore them away.
The Heavenly Fulfillment Applied
On that day the high priest ministered in behalf of Israel as representative of an imperfect, sinful, defiled people, while Satan stood as adversary to accuse him as a transgressor of the law and to triumph in their discomfiture. That ministry, including Joshua's service on that day, was a type pointing to Jesus Christ as Sin-bearer and Substitute in His actual ministry for His people now. He takes away the sin of the repentant, believing transgressor, and unlike sinful human representatives cannot Himself be accused as a sinner.
Christ is now attired as the great High Priest as the Jewish high priest was on the day of atonement. That dress is different from what He will wear with many crowns when He stands up to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The cleansing work takes place in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ the great High Priest ministers by virtue of His own blood to blot out the sins of His faithful people. He entered there in 1844 to cleanse it, not by coming to this earth in 1844 to punish its inhabitants for iniquity and purify the world by fire with the earth as the sanctuary to be cleansed. The open door into that place remains open while the work is being completed, and sinners are urged to enter by faith. This continuing heavenly work extends mercy and loving-kindness, giving still time to repent of sins and prepare for His coming.
The service points to the solemn work of atonement and judgment in the sanctuary above, a work that concerns every person and should be kept constantly in mind. It applies to the final day of atonement before the books are opened and every person is judged. Then every deed is reviewed before the heavenly universe, in a time of confession and reckoning. Its setting calls for each person to consider how their case will stand in the judgment.
Its setting calls for special preparation in this antitypical day, a solemn time for repentance, humility, deep heart-searching, and purification beginning with the church because eternal results are at stake. Sins are to be confessed so they may go beforehand to judgment. People are to put away sin, draw near to God, and trust Christ to cleanse them and secure pardon.