Leviticus 16:17, commentary and pictures

On the yearly day of cleansing no one else was to be inside the tent of meeting while the high priest made atonement in the holy place, and the regular work in the first room stopped until he came out. The covering he secured was in order, first for himself, then for his household, and then for all Israel. That earthly rite pictured Christ entering the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary to do the closing work of atonement, ending His ministry in the first apartment to begin His ministry in the second while still pleading His shed blood for sinners. There He is now blotting out from heaven's records through His own blood the sins of all the truly penitent, cleansing the heavenly sanctuary entered upon in 1844 at the end of the 2300 days. Because this great day of atonement and judgment concerns every person, the present is a solemn time to lay aside business cares, afflict the soul, confess and turn from sin, and be purified through the blood of Jesus by deep heart-searching.

Earthly Day of Atonement

On the Day of Atonement when the high priest went in to make atonement in the holy place, no other man was to be in the tabernacle of the congregation until he came out, and the regular ministration in the first apartment ceased during that inner work. The atonement was made in order, first for the high priest himself, then for his household, and then for all the congregation of Israel. The sanctuary to be cleansed by this service was the earthly dwelling-place of God's glory made for Him to dwell among Israel, first the movable tabernacle erected in the wilderness of Sinai and afterward Solomon's temple with its holy and most holy place into which its vessels were transferred, not the earth itself.

Inside, the blood of the sin-offering was brought before God and sprinkled upon the mercy-seat over the law, before the mercy-seat, and upon the altar of incense, with sevenfold sprinkling as a sign of completeness. After presenting the blood before God, the high priest as mediator bore the sins away from the sanctuary and confessed them over the scapegoat, which carried them away as a sign that they were separated from the people. This work was done once a year to complete the yearly round of ministration and to cleanse the earthly sanctuary by removing through blood the sins that had polluted it.

While the high priest alone entered the inner apartment, the whole congregation remained outside, laying aside all business and waiting in reverent silence, solemn prayer, humiliation, fasting, afflicting of soul, and deep searching of heart. The high priest entered only after careful preparation and communed with God at the mercy-seat, where God spoke with him, and then came out to bless the people, his return following communion with God and the work of atonement. If he remained unusually long the people feared that his own sins or their sins had caused him to be slain by God's glory, and hearing the bells on his garments reassured them that he still lived.

The attire of the great High Priest in this atoning work is like that of the Jewish high priest and is different from what He wears when He stands up to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords with many crowns in one crown.

Christ's Heavenly Atonement Work

The earthly service pictured the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, where the high priest entering alone to make atonement while other ministration ceased foreshadowed Christ's entrance into the Most Holy Place to perform the closing work of the atonement. In that heavenly work Christ is both High Priest and sacrifice, and after giving His life He presents the saving value of His shed blood to reconcile humanity to God. When He entered the Most Holy Place His ministration in the first apartment ended and His ministration in the second apartment began. He had completed only one part of His work as intercessor to enter upon another part, and He still pleads His blood before the Father in behalf of sinners, especially in behalf of all Israel who truly repent of their sins.

That inner work is the final blotting out from heaven's records, through Christ's atoning blood, of the sins of all His faithful ones from Abel to the present time and of all the truly penitent, answering the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary by removal through the blood of the sin offering of the sins that had polluted it. One door was shut and another opened, to be entered by faith through an open door which no one can shut until the work there is fully done. The invitation to sinners continues to come until probation is closed and the ministry of the gospel is ended, when it is proclaimed he that is unjust let him be unjust still.

The ministry on the day of atonement in behalf of the children of Israel types the ministry Christ now carries on for His people as Sin-bearer and Substitute to whom all types point, taking away the sin of the repentant, believing transgressor. That former work was done while Satan pointed to the defilement of God's people and triumphed in their discomfiture. The sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days is not the earth to be purified by fire at the second coming, but the sanctuary in heaven. In 1844 Christ entered upon the great antitypical day of atonement to cleanse it from the sins of the people by virtue of His own blood. His not then coming to destroy the wicked gives time to repent of sins and prepare for His coming.

Judgment and Solemn Preparation

The great day of atonement now going on in the sanctuary above is the solemn scenes of the judgment, pointing to a final day of atonement before the books are opened and each person is judged by the record of deeds. This heavenly work concerns every individual and marks the present as the great day of preparation. Each person is called in this antitypical day to consider how his case will stand in the judgment.

It calls for special preparation in which people confess their sins so they may be dealt with before judgment, turn from sin, and draw near to God. Through Christ He can cleanse them from every stain of sin and record pardon against their names. The antitypical day is a solemn time for the church and the soul to be purified from defilement through the blood of Jesus by repentance, humility, and deep heart-searching, with eternal results.

Business cares must not absorb the mind so that the heavenly work is lightly regarded, but correct views of its importance must be kept constantly before the mind and urged upon the conscience with earnestness and power. That calls for greater energy and zeal, for putting away carelessness and blindness to the wants of the cause and the perils attending every soul, and for each to seek to be a channel of light. While the atonement was made inside, the whole congregation remained outside, laying aside all business and spending the day in solemn humiliation before God with prayer, fasting, afflicting of soul, and deep searching of heart. The whole ceremony teaches the holiness of God and His abhorrence of sin, showing that no one can come in contact with sin without becoming polluted.