The High Priest Laying Hands on the ScapegoatBible World
16:9Leviticus 16:9
And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
On the yearly day for cleansing God's earthly dwelling among Israel, the goat marked by the Lord's lot was killed as the people's sin offering. Its blood was carried inside the veil to be placed upon and before the mercy seat and upon the altar of incense. That goat stands for Christ alone as Sin-bearer and Substitute for the repentant believer, to whom all the types point. It does not stand for Satan, who cannot bear even his own sins, nor for Pilate's washing his hands; the other goat sent away stands for Satan. The earthly rite was a shadow of Christ's entry within the second veil of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844 to finish atonement by His own blood and blot out the sins of His faithful ones, which calls the church now to afflict the soul, confess, and be cleansed.
The Day's Sanctuary Service
The chapter describes the cleansing of the sanctuary, which was God's earthly dwelling-place of glory among Israel. It was first the movable tabernacle made in the desert of Sinai, and afterward was housed in Solomon's temple with its holy and most holy place and sacred vessels. It was not the earth itself or the land of Canaan.
The service was the great Day of Atonement held once a year to complete the yearly round of ministration. On that day the most holy apartment was opened and the priest entered the most holy place for the cleansing of the sanctuary. The goat upon which the Lord's lot fell was slain and offered as a sin offering for the people.
Its blood was brought within the veil and sprinkled upon the mercy seat over the law and before the mercy seat. It was also sprinkled upon the altar of incense before the veil. As substitute for the sinner, its blood provided a means for sin to be transferred to the sanctuary, but did not itself cancel sin or fully release the sinner from the law's condemnation. The offering acknowledged the law's authority, confessed guilt, and expressed desire for pardon through faith in the coming Redeemer.
The high priest ministered after careful, solemn preparation and entered God's presence with trembling while incense veiled the glory and solemn silence prevailed. The people waited in prayer while he stood before God at the mercy seat. The sound of the bells on his garments reassured them that he had come through safely, and he then blessed them. The ceremony was designed to impress Israel with God's holiness and abhorrence of sin and to show that contact with sin brings pollution.
Christ's Antitypical Atonement Work
The earthly sanctuary service was an example and shadow of heavenly things, and its Day of Atonement opening of the most holy apartment for the cleansing of the sanctuary pointed to the opening of the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844. Then Christ entered within the second veil to perform the closing work of atonement, to cleanse the sanctuary from the people's sins by virtue of His own blood while pleading His blood for sinners.
He is now ministering there as great High Priest in the present dress and work of the final atonement, attired as the high priest was on the Day of Atonement while offering the sin offering. That entrance is the open door which no man can shut until the work therein is fully done. When that work of atonement is finished He will lay off the priestly attire and put on kingly robes and crowns to reign as King of kings.
There He blots out the sins of all His faithful ones from Abel to the present time. Sins confessed go beforehand to judgment so a person's case can be considered, and the soul is cleansed from defilement by the blood of Jesus. In this way Christ cleanses the sinner and secures pardon, which calls for humility, putting away sin, and trusting Him to wash away every stain.
The goat upon which the Lord's lot fell represents Christ alone as the sin offering, Sin-bearer, and Substitute for the offender, to whom all the types point. He takes away the sin of the repentant, believing transgressor. While Satan points to the defilement of God's people and accuses them as sinners and transgressors of the law, Christ cannot be so accused.
That goat does not represent Satan, for Satan cannot bear even his own sins. Nor does it represent Pilate washing his hands at the choosing of Barabbas, because death had no power over Christ and He alone was able to bear human sins. The other goat, the scapegoat chosen to bear the sins of the people, represents Satan himself. Satan must bear the sins of all who come to Jesus, while those who continue in transgression must bear their own sins.
Solemn Call to Repentance
The great Day of Atonement and its solemn work is to be kept before people as a reminder of the judgment and of the heavenly sanctuary work that concerns every person. That work calls for earnest attention, and daily business must not be allowed to make it seem unimportant. On that day the whole congregation laid aside business and spent the day in solemn humiliation.
Sinners are to seek entrance by faith to Christ in the most holy place, and they are to be invited to come to that open door until He declares probation closed and the ministry of the gospel ended. The church is now living in that solemn antitypical time of atonement. It calls for purification before God through repentance, humility, putting away sin, and deep searching of heart, with prayer, fasting, afflicting the soul, and trusting Christ to cleanse the sinner, wash away every stain, and secure pardon as sins confessed go beforehand to judgment. The ritual applies to a final day of confession and judgment before the books are opened, when people must face their sins honestly rather than cover their wrongs or assume they have nothing more to do.
On the yearly day for cleansing God's earthly dwelling among Israel, the goat marked by the Lord's lot was killed as the people's sin offering. Its blood was carried inside the veil to be placed upon and before the mercy seat and upon the altar of incense. That goat stands for Christ alone as Sin-bearer and Substitute for the repentant believer, to whom all the types point. It does not stand for Satan, who cannot bear even his own sins, nor for Pilate's washing his hands; the other goat sent away stands for Satan. The earthly rite was a shadow of Christ's entry within the second veil of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844 to finish atonement by His own blood and blot out the sins of His faithful ones, which calls the church now to afflict the soul, confess, and be cleansed.
The Day's Sanctuary Service
The chapter describes the cleansing of the sanctuary, which was God's earthly dwelling-place of glory among Israel. It was first the movable tabernacle made in the desert of Sinai, and afterward was housed in Solomon's temple with its holy and most holy place and sacred vessels. It was not the earth itself or the land of Canaan.
The service was the great Day of Atonement held once a year to complete the yearly round of ministration. On that day the most holy apartment was opened and the priest entered the most holy place for the cleansing of the sanctuary. The goat upon which the Lord's lot fell was slain and offered as a sin offering for the people.
Its blood was brought within the veil and sprinkled upon the mercy seat over the law and before the mercy seat. It was also sprinkled upon the altar of incense before the veil. As substitute for the sinner, its blood provided a means for sin to be transferred to the sanctuary, but did not itself cancel sin or fully release the sinner from the law's condemnation. The offering acknowledged the law's authority, confessed guilt, and expressed desire for pardon through faith in the coming Redeemer.
The high priest ministered after careful, solemn preparation and entered God's presence with trembling while incense veiled the glory and solemn silence prevailed. The people waited in prayer while he stood before God at the mercy seat. The sound of the bells on his garments reassured them that he had come through safely, and he then blessed them. The ceremony was designed to impress Israel with God's holiness and abhorrence of sin and to show that contact with sin brings pollution.
Christ's Antitypical Atonement Work
The earthly sanctuary service was an example and shadow of heavenly things, and its Day of Atonement opening of the most holy apartment for the cleansing of the sanctuary pointed to the opening of the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844. Then Christ entered within the second veil to perform the closing work of atonement, to cleanse the sanctuary from the people's sins by virtue of His own blood while pleading His blood for sinners.
He is now ministering there as great High Priest in the present dress and work of the final atonement, attired as the high priest was on the Day of Atonement while offering the sin offering. That entrance is the open door which no man can shut until the work therein is fully done. When that work of atonement is finished He will lay off the priestly attire and put on kingly robes and crowns to reign as King of kings.
There He blots out the sins of all His faithful ones from Abel to the present time. Sins confessed go beforehand to judgment so a person's case can be considered, and the soul is cleansed from defilement by the blood of Jesus. In this way Christ cleanses the sinner and secures pardon, which calls for humility, putting away sin, and trusting Him to wash away every stain.
The goat upon which the Lord's lot fell represents Christ alone as the sin offering, Sin-bearer, and Substitute for the offender, to whom all the types point. He takes away the sin of the repentant, believing transgressor. While Satan points to the defilement of God's people and accuses them as sinners and transgressors of the law, Christ cannot be so accused.
That goat does not represent Satan, for Satan cannot bear even his own sins. Nor does it represent Pilate washing his hands at the choosing of Barabbas, because death had no power over Christ and He alone was able to bear human sins. The other goat, the scapegoat chosen to bear the sins of the people, represents Satan himself. Satan must bear the sins of all who come to Jesus, while those who continue in transgression must bear their own sins.
Solemn Call to Repentance
The great Day of Atonement and its solemn work is to be kept before people as a reminder of the judgment and of the heavenly sanctuary work that concerns every person. That work calls for earnest attention, and daily business must not be allowed to make it seem unimportant. On that day the whole congregation laid aside business and spent the day in solemn humiliation.
Sinners are to seek entrance by faith to Christ in the most holy place, and they are to be invited to come to that open door until He declares probation closed and the ministry of the gospel ended. The church is now living in that solemn antitypical time of atonement. It calls for purification before God through repentance, humility, putting away sin, and deep searching of heart, with prayer, fasting, afflicting the soul, and trusting Christ to cleanse the sinner, wash away every stain, and secure pardon as sins confessed go beforehand to judgment. The ritual applies to a final day of confession and judgment before the books are opened, when people must face their sins honestly rather than cover their wrongs or assume they have nothing more to do.