Leviticus 16:6, commentary and pictures

Aaron was to first make atonement for himself and his household as part of cleansing the sanctuary on the great Day of Atonement, when solemn sanctuary work was done for the people. On that one day of the year appointed for ministry in the most holy place, he entered God's presence before the mercy seat only after careful and solemn preparation, with trembling, while clouds of incense veiled the glory from his sight. The earthly Day of Atonement service was a pattern and type of Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, pointing to a great antitypical Day of Atonement and closing work in its most holy place. In 1844 Christ entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary to begin the closing work of the atonement, to cleanse it from the people's sins by His own blood, to plead His blood for sinners, and to blot out the sins of His faithful people. That day calls for purification before God through repentance, humility, deep heart-searching, and confession, with sins confessed and put away so they may go beforehand to judgment, and this preparation is urgent because the books are about to be opened and every person will be judged by the things written in the books.

Earthly Day of Atonement

Leviticus 16:6 belongs to the description in Leviticus 16 of the process of cleansing the sanctuary on the great Day of Atonement, when solemn sanctuary work was done for the people. The sanctuary so cleansed was the earthly dwelling-place of God's glory upon the earth, first erected as the movable sanctuary in the wilderness of Sinai and afterward housed in Solomon's temple. It had a holy place and a most holy place with its vessels, and it was not the earth itself and not the church.

One apartment was sacred to His presence, shut by a veil inwrought with cherubim that no hand save the high priest's might lift. To intrude unbidden into its sacred mystery was death, for there 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 ministry in the most holy place, the high priest entered God's presence before the mercy seat only after careful and solemn preparation. He entered with trembling, while clouds of incense veiled the glory from his sight.

While he ministered, every sound was hushed throughout the courts of the temple and no priests ministered at the altars. The hosts of worshipers waited in prayer and bowed in silent awe, sending up their petitions for mercy. They feared for his safety until they heard his bells and saw him come out to bless them. The pattern set by the verse is that the high priest first made atonement for himself and his household.

Heavenly Antitypical Atonement

The earthly Day of Atonement service was a pattern and type of Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. It points to a great antitypical Day of Atonement and a closing work in its most holy place. That antitypical day is now in progress as the present reality to which the ritual looked forward.

In 1844 Christ entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary to begin the closing work of the atonement. There He cleanses it from the people's sins by His own blood. There He pleads His blood for sinners. In that work Christ as High Priest blots out the sins of His faithful people.

Christ as great High Priest is now attired as the Jewish high priest was. He wears priestly attire while finishing His work of atonement in the Holy of Holies. When that work is finished He will lay off the priestly attire. He will then put on kingly robes and crowns to manifest His kingly power and reign.

The high priest ministering on the Day of Atonement acted in behalf of Israel as the representative of an imperfect, sinful, defiled people. Satan stood by as adversary to accuse him as a transgressor of the law, pointing to the defilement of God's people and triumphing in their discomfiture, and he does the same now. That ministry points to Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, Sin-bearer and Substitute to whom all types point, now in actual ministry in heaven for His people. He takes away the sin of the repentant, believing transgressor, and He Himself, unlike sinful Joshua, cannot be accused as a transgressor.

Present Call to Repentance

The setting of the Day of Atonement points to a solemn work in the heavenly sanctuary that concerns every person and should be kept before the mind and conscience. These things happened by way of example and were written for admonition upon those on whom the ends of the ages are come. That antitypical Day of Atonement is now in progress as the present day of atonement. It is the last great day of atonement before judgment, a time to consider how each person's case will stand in the judgment.

That day calls for purification before God through repentance, humility, and deep heart-searching. Sins must be confessed and put away so they may go beforehand to judgment. Christ can cleanse people from unrighteousness, and those who humbly draw near to God may receive pardon.

Atonement requires not covering sin or stopping with a glimpse of light, but uncovering and forsaking wrongs. It means confessing sins, being sorry enough not to repeat them, and believing that Christ died on Calvary to forgive sins and pardon transgressions. It means living in rectitude and grace so the world is led to believe, and salvation comes only to those who so prepare. This preparation is urgent because 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.