Leviticus 16:2, commentary and pictures

God barred Aaron and his successors from entering at will the inner room behind the veil before the mercy seat where He appears in the cloud, permitting the high priest to enter only once a year on the Day of Atonement after careful, solemn preparation, on pain of death for unbidden intrusion. That veiled chamber was set apart as God's dwelling-place, centered on the ark containing His law with the mercy seat above it where His glory rests between the cherubim. Within, God met the high priest in the cloud of glory and made His will known, while the priest entered with trembling behind incense that veiled the glory and the waiting congregation held silent prayer until the bells on his garments signaled he lived to come out and bless them. This yearly service in the most holy place is the earthly counterpart of Christ's work as great High Priest within the veil before the mercy seat, entered into the heavenly sanctuary to perform the closing work of atonement and blot out sin by His own blood. Its fulfillment now calls for reverent readiness for the judgment, with confession, putting away of sin, and humble heart-searching while probation lingers and every case stands to be tried from the books.

The Veiled Presence Guarded

The sanctuary to be cleansed in Leviticus 16 is the dwelling-place of God's glory upon the earth made in the desert of Sinai with its holy and most holy place, whose vessels were afterward transferred to Solomon's temple in Canaan, not the earth itself and not the church. The innermost room symbolized God's dwelling-place and was set apart as sacred to His presence behind a cherubim-woven veil that no hand but one might lift. Above the mercy seat that covers the ark, which contains God's law with angels standing at either end between whom God dwells, is the glory of the Holiest. The ark and its mercy seat stood at the center of the symbolic service of atonement and intercession, and the divine presence there was the means by which God made His will known, mysteries of heaven not further described.

Aaron and his successors were forbidden to come at all times within the veil before the mercy seat. The high priest could enter the inner apartment only once a year on the Day of Atonement and only after careful, solemn preparation, including cleanliness and proper readiness for ministering before God, for God's purity matters and cleanliness is closely connected with acceptable worship. Eli, as high priest, illustrates this restriction, being permitted to enter only once a year. To lift the veil unbidden and intrude without authorization into the sacred mystery before the mercy seat meant death, for the glory there was too holy for any man to look upon directly and live. Above the mercy seat and the bowed, worshiping angels dwelt the glory of the Holiest upon which no man might look and live.

The place within the veil was the special dwelling of God's visible glory, and God appeared in the cloud upon the mercy seat. The high priest entered with trembling 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 waited in silence and prayer sending up petitions for mercy. They feared that unusual delay meant the Lord's glory had struck him dead because of his sin or theirs, while the sound of the bells on his garments reassured them he was alive and coming out to bless them.

Within the veil God met the high priest in the cloud of glory and conversed with him before the mercy seat. God sometimes answered inquiries with an audible voice, and when He did not answer by voice, light and glory resting on the cherubim on the right signified approval and favor while a cloud on the left signified refusal. The ark was so sacred that only the high priest could behold it and only once a year. When the men of Beth-shemesh removed its coverings and opened it they violated this reverence and many were struck dead.

When Christ died the temple veil was torn from top to bottom, exposing the place kept from ordinary human sight. God's presence would no longer overshadow the earthly mercy seat, and the cloud of His glory and its manifestation connected with the breastplate would no longer appear there because the sacrificial type was fulfilled.

Christ's Closing Atonement Foretold

The service appointed for the most holy place on the Day of Atonement is the example and earthly counterpart of the great High Priest's antitypical work within the veil before the mercy seat. He wears the same priestly attire worn in that inner work while He finishes the atonement in the Holy of Holies, before laying aside that priestly dress to put on kingly robes and crowns to reign as King of kings. Aaron could not enter at any time because God would appear in the cloud above the mercy seat and unauthorized entry meant death, and that restricted movement foreshadows Christ's change of ministration from the holy place to the most holy place in the heavenly sanctuary.

The sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the prophetic period is in heaven, not the earth, and Christ entered that heavenly sanctuary as the great antitypical Day of Atonement to cleanse it from the people's sins by virtue of His own blood. The earthly most holy place was entered only on the great day of atonement when the sanctuary was cleansed, and the opening of the heavenly temple with the appearance of its ark points to the most holy place being opened in 1844, when Christ entered to perform the closing work of the atonement and plead His blood for sinners. The second veil marks the entrance to that place where by faith sinners are invited to enter where He ministers. There He ministers to blot out the sins of His faithful people from Abel onward, and this ministry continues while the door remains open until probation closes and the gospel ministry ends.

On the Day of Atonement the high priest ministered in behalf of Israel as representative of an imperfect, sinful, contaminated people, illustrated by Joshua's service for Israel. Satan stood as adversary to accuse the transgressor of the law, to point to the defilement of God's people, and to triumph in their discomfiture. This points to Christ's actual ministry for His people as the Sin-bearer and Substitute to whom all types point, who cannot be accused as the sinful high priest was but takes away the sin of the repentant, believing transgressor. God's presence was manifested above the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place where the high priest could enter only once a year to make atonement under penalty of death, but at Christ's death the temple veil was torn to signal that the former separation was ended, the sacrificial type fulfilled, and a new way into God's presence opened to all through Him.

Reverent Readiness for Judgment

The innermost room of the earthly sanctuary and temple symbolized God's dwelling-place and was set apart as sacred to His presence behind a cherubim-woven veil that no hand but one might lift. To lift that veil unbidden and intrude into the sacred mystery before the mercy seat meant death, for above the mercy seat and the bowed, worshiping angels dwelt the glory of the Holiest upon which no man might look and live. Ministry there was appointed for only one day in the year, when the high priest entered with trembling while clouds of incense veiled the glory from his sight. While he was within, every sound throughout the courts was hushed, no priests ministered at the altars, and the hosts of worshipers bowed in silent awe sending up their petitions for mercy. This happened by way of example and was written for admonition upon those on whom the ends of the ages come, teaching silent reverence before God in His holy presence. Entering the sanctuary was thus restricted, and priests had to be clean and properly prepared before ministering before God, neglecting which could result in death, showing that God's purity matters and that cleanliness is closely connected with acceptable worship.

The solemn work of the Day of Atonement bears on the heavenly sanctuary and the judgment concerning every person. It calls for earnest self-examination in view of that judgment, in which each person must consider how his case will stand before God.

The great antitypical Day of Atonement calls for special preparation, in which sins are to be confessed so they may go beforehand to judgment, and people are to draw near to God for pardon. Christ can cleanse from all unrighteousness and wash away every stain of sin, which calls for humility, putting away sin, and clinging to Him. God's people must thus purify themselves through repentance, humility, and deep heart-searching because eternal results are at stake.

The Day of Atonement was a day of confession, and its final fulfillment is now as the last great day of atonement before the judgment. In this time the books are about to be opened and every person will be judged by the things written in the books, with every deed tried and every act brought into review before the heavenly universe. Therefore this is a time to consider how to stand in the judgment and to uncover rather than cover wrongs. It is a time to stand on vantage ground through the rectitude and grace revealed by disciples of Christ that leads the world to believe, and to believe that Christ died on Calvary to forgive sins and pardon transgressions rather than making religious life play-work.