16:24Leviticus 16:24

On the great day of atonement, after finishing the work in the most holy place, the high priest washed his body with water in the holy place, put on his regular garments, came out, and offered burnt offerings to make atonement for himself and for the people.Ms 81, 1886, par. 9+1 It belonged to the once-a-year service for the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary, the tabernacle and afterward the temple with its holy and most holy place, completing the yearly round of ministration.4SP 498.6+2 It is a shadow pointing to Christ's work of atonement and cleansing in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, which He entered in 1844 at the end of the 2300 days to plead His own blood for sinners and cleanse it from their sins.4SP 499.3–500.1+2 His change of clothing shows His first and second comings, laying aside His priestly dress to become servant and sacrifice as both priest and victim, and coming forth again to the waiting congregation in glorious pontifical robes as King of kings and Lord of lords.WLF 9.1+1 It therefore points to the solemn work now going on above in the judgment, calling every person to afflict the soul, confess sin beforehand to judgment, put sin away, and be cleansed by the blood of Jesus in special preparation.5T 420.3+3

Leviticus 16:24 belongs to the once-a-year work on the great day of atonement, when the priest entered the most holy place for the cleansing of the sanctuary, completing the yearly round of ministration.4SP 498.6+2 That cleansing is described in Leviticus 16 as the process for cleansing the sanctuary.4SP 498.6 The sanctuary to be cleansed was the tabernacle made in the desert of Arabia and afterward the temple built by Solomon, with its holy and most holy place and its vessels, the dwelling-place of God's glory upon the earth, not the land of Canaan or the earth itself.4SP 498.6

After completing the most holy place service, the high priest washed his flesh with water in the holy place, changed into his regular garments, came forth, and offered burnt offerings for himself and for the people as part of making atonement for both.Ms 81, 1886, par. 9+1 The accompanying ceremony included bringing two kids of the goats with lots cast for the Lord and for the scapegoat.GC 419.1–3 The Lord's goat was slain as a sin-offering and its blood was brought within the veil to be sprinkled upon and before the mercy-seat and upon the altar of incense.GC 419.1–3 All the iniquities and transgressions of Israel were confessed over the live goat, which was sent by a fit man into the wilderness to a land not inhabited, never to return to the camp, with washing with water required after contact with the sin-bearing goat.GC 419.1–3

His emergence and blessing brought relief to the people, who had waited in prayerful silence fearing that he might have been struck down in God's presence.ST Mar 4, 1903 The whole ceremony was designed to impress Israel with the holiness of God and His abhorrence of sin and to show that contact with sin brings pollution.GC 419.1–3 While this work of atonement went forward every man was required to afflict his soul with all business laid aside in solemn humiliation before God with prayer, fasting, and deep searching of heart.GC 419.1–3

The ritual is an example and shadow pointing to Christ's antitypical work of atonement and cleansing in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.4SP 499.3–500.1+1 In 1844, at the end of the 2300 days, Christ entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary to perform the closing work of the atonement, pleading His blood for sinners.GC88 433.1+1 He entered to cleanse it from the sins of the people by virtue of His own blood.Ms 6, 1876, par. 5–6 The sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days is the sanctuary in heaven, not the earth to be purified by fire at the second coming.Ms 6, 1876, par. 5–6 His mercy in entering to cleanse instead of coming to destroy the wicked gave sinners still more time to repent of their sins and prepare for His coming.Ms 6, 1876, par. 5–6

The verse shows Christ in actual ministry for His people as the high priest ministered for Israel.Ms 124, 1901, par. 18–19 The high priest stood as representative of an imperfect, sinful, contaminated people, whom Satan as adversary accuses as transgressors of the law by pointing to their defilement and triumphing in their discomfiture.Ms 124, 1901, par. 18–19 Christ is the Sin-bearer and Substitute to whom all types point, who carries on the Redeemer's work by taking away the sin of the repentant, believing transgressor so that the justified sinner stands accepted and cannot be successfully accused.Ms 124, 1901, par. 18–19+1 He Himself, unlike sinful people, cannot be accused as a transgressor.17MR 242.1–2 The verse shows the attire of Christ as great High Priest, the same as that worn by the Jewish high priest, which belongs to His work as High Priest and is different from what He wears when Michael stands up to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords, when He has on many crowns in one crown.WLF 9.1

The high priest's change of clothing shows Christ's first and second comings.Ms 113, 1899, par. 25 Laying aside his pontifical dress to officiate in the white linen dress of a common priest means Christ emptying Himself and taking the form of a servant to offer sacrifice, Himself the priest and Himself the victim.Ms 113, 1899, par. 25 Coming forth to the waiting congregation in his pontifical robes after service in the holy of holies means Christ will come the second time to the waiting congregation clothed in glorious garments of the whitest white.Ms 113, 1899, par. 25 He comes in His own glory and in the glory of His Father as King of kings and Lord of lords, with all the angelic host escorting Him on His way.Ms 113, 1899, par. 25

Leviticus 16 points to the solemn work now going on in the sanctuary above in the great day of atonement, which is the solemn scenes of the Judgment.5T 420.3 This is the great day of preparation and concerns every individual, serving as a pattern for a final day of confession and atonement before the books are opened and every person's deeds are reviewed in judgment.5T 420.3+1 It has an antitypical application to the present time, calling people to consider how their cases will stand in the judgment and to be cleansed from defilement by the blood of Jesus.Lt 53, 1886, par. 4 Christ's death is the ground for forgiveness and pardon.Ms 52, 1905, par. 10

It calls for special preparation in which people confess their sins so they may go beforehand to judgment, put sin away, and trust Christ to cleanse them from unrighteousness.Ms 81, 1886, par. 9 That putting away requires honest confession rather than covering up wrongs, with serious preparation for the opening of the books.Ms 52, 1905, par. 10 The antitypical day of atonement is a solemn time for the church to seek purification before God through repentance, humility, and deep heart-searching, and to depart from sin.Lt 55, 1886, par. 9–10

The solemn work should be kept constantly before the mind, not lightly regarded nor crowded out by business cares.5T 420.3 It should be kept before the people and urged upon their consciences with earnestness and power, for the subject of the sanctuary gives correct views of the importance of the work for this time.5T 420.3 A proper appreciation of it leads to greater energy and zeal for success, guards against becoming careless and blinded to the wants of the cause and the perils attending every soul, and leads each to seek to be a channel of light.5T 420.3

The high priest reappearing from within the holy of holies to come forth to the people after communion with God means no worker has a right to go forth to the work in his own spirit.Lt 31, 1892, par. 15–18 He must first meet with Christ in secret, have the lips touched with a live coal from off the altar, be imbued with the Holy Spirit, and derive efficiency from God, bringing no self into the work.Lt 31, 1892, par. 15–18 Then coming forth he carries truth greater and more precious than Moses descending glorified from the mount or Isaiah fresh from the temple vision ever carried, the doctrine of the cross and the imputed righteousness of Christ.Lt 31, 1892, par. 15–18 He comes not in word only but in the power of God to every one that believeth, representing in actions the character of God to bring souls back to God as a co-laborer with Christ.Lt 31, 1892, par. 15–18