Leviticus 16:12, commentary and pictures

On the one appointed day of the year the high priest alone entered within the veil with a censer of burning coals from the altar and hands full of sweet incense, whose cloud veiled the visible glory above the mercy seat from his sight as he stood trembling before God. That entrance into the Most Holy Place for the cleansing of the sanctuary was a pattern of Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, where He as great High Priest entered within the veil to plead His own blood for sinners. The fragrant incense and the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat pointed to the merits of His sacrifice, by which God cleanses sinners from sin and by which the prayers of the confessing sinner ascend made fragrant with the merits of Christ's character. In 1844 He entered the heavenly sanctuary upon the great antitypical day of atonement to cleanse it from the sins of the people, there blotting out the sins of His faithful people when confessed and pardoned in the judgment. Its antitype is now taking place as a solemn time with eternal consequences for every person, calling for repentance, deep heart-searching, humility, and cleansing from defilement by the blood of Jesus before the judgment reviews the deeds.

Earthly Day of Atonement

Leviticus 16 describes the process for cleansing the sanctuary, the earthly dwelling-place of God's glory upon the earth. That sanctuary was first made as the movable sanctuary in the desert of Sinai with its vessels, and afterward continued in Solomon's temple in Canaan with its holy and most holy place to which those vessels were transferred. The most holy place was the apartment sacred to His presence, closed by a veil inwrought with cherubim that only one hand could lift. To lift it and intrude unbidden into the sacred mystery was death, because above the mercy-seat dwelt the glory of the Holiest on which no man might look and live. The mercy-seat was the cover of the ark containing God's law, with bowed worshiping angels at either end.

On the one appointed day of the year the high priest alone entered within the veil into God's presence, after careful and solemn preparation. He took a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and finely beaten, and brought it within the veil. He entered with trembling before God's visible glory and stood before the mercy seat, where God conversed with him. The cloud of sweet incense from his censer formed a cloud that veiled the glory above the mercy seat from his sight. That yearly entrance belonged to the great day of atonement as a day of confession before the judgment when deeds are reviewed.

While he ministered every sound in the temple courts was hushed and no priests ministered at the altars. The hosts of worshipers waited in silence, bowed in silent awe, and sent up petitions for God's mercy and blessing. If he stayed unusually long they feared that their sins or his had caused God's glory to slay him. The bells on his garments reassured them when they heard him move, and he came out and blessed the people. The service taught that the sacrifice provided a substitute for the sinner, while the sin was transferred to the sanctuary. The high priest then acted as mediator in dealing with the sanctuary's claims and bearing the sins away in the service's final act. The fragrant incense and the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat accompanied the cleansing of Israel from guilt.

Christ's Heavenly Atonement Ministry

The service of entering the Most Holy Place with censer and incense for the cleansing of the sanctuary was the pattern of Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, where He entered the Most Holy Place to plead His blood for sinners. Jesus is the great High Priest now attired and ministering like the Jewish high priest on the Day of Atonement, bringing the censer and incense within the veil while finishing the work of atonement, an attire He will lay off to put on kingly robes and crowns when He stands up to reign. The sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days is not the earth to be purified by fire at Christ's second coming, but the sanctuary in heaven. In 1844 Christ entered it upon the great antitypical day of atonement to cleanse it from the sins of the people by virtue of His own blood, in mercy giving sinners still more time to repent of their sins and prepare for His coming.

The high priest's ministry with incense and burning coals inside the veil corresponds to Christ's ministry as High Priest in the most holy place in the great antitypical Day of Atonement, where He blots out the sins of His faithful people. There sins are confessed and taken away and the repentant receive pardon in the judgment. That ministry is Christ in actual ministry for His people as Sin-bearer and Substitute for the offender, who cannot be accused as a sinner and who takes away the sin of the repentant, believing transgressor, while Satan points to the defilement of God's people and triumphs in their discomfiture. The same ministry, in which Joshua ministered on behalf of Israel on the Day of Atonement, pointed to Christ's work for His people as Redeemer and Sin-bearer, taking away the sin of the repentant believer.

The fragrant incense carried behind the veil and the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat accompanied the cleansing of Israel from guilt and pointed to the merits of Christ's sacrifice, which God accepts to cleanse sinners from sin. The fragrant cloud ascending while the high priest sprinkled the warm blood means that while sinners confess their sins and plead the efficacy of Christ's atoning blood, their prayers ascend to heaven made fragrant with the merits of Christ's character. The efficacy of Christ's blood is to be represented with freshness and power so faith can lay hold on its merits, with the assurance that notwithstanding unworthiness there is One who can take away sin and save the sinner, and every sin acknowledged before God with a contrite heart He will remove. The opened entrance into the most holy place remains open while this work is unfinished, and people are urged to enter it by faith.

Solemn Present Application

The censer full of burning coals and hands full of sweet incense beaten small belongs to the ritual of the great day of atonement, when incense was carried within the veil behind the veil into God's presence. It is connected with the solemn sanctuary work and judgment that concern every person. It belongs to the picture of the great day of atonement as a day of confession before the judgment when deeds are reviewed.

Its antitype is now taking place as a solemn time with eternal consequences. In this time each person's case must be considered in the judgment, and the soul must be cleansed from defilement by the blood of Jesus. It calls for repentance, humility, deep heart-searching, and purification before God.

The Day of Atonement ministry in the most holy place was carried on in an apartment sacred to God's presence and closed by a veil inwrought with cherubim that only one hand could lift, and to lift it and intrude unbidden into the sacred mystery was death, because above the mercy-seat and the bowed, worshiping angels dwelt the glory of the Holiest on which no man might look and live. On the one appointed day of the year the high priest alone entered with trembling, and the cloud of sweet incense from his censer veiled the glory from his sight. While he ministered every sound in the temple courts was hushed, no priests ministered at the altars, and the hosts of worshipers bowed in silent awe sending up petitions for God's mercy. These things happened by way of example and were written for admonition upon those on whom the ends of the ages have come. The sacred fire and fragrant incense on the censer represent the God-given means by which human agents are joined to divine power. Using what God provides makes a firm connection with Him, while relying on oneself instead leads to pride and corruption and leaves a person unusable in His work.