What is the Sanctuary?
349
and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore neces-
sary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with
these [the blood of animals]; but the heavenly things themselves with
better sacrifices than these” (
Hebrews 9:22, 23
), even the precious
blood of Christ.
The cleansing, both in the typical and in the real service, must be
accomplished with blood: in the former, with the blood of animals;
[418]
in the latter, with the blood of Christ. Paul states, as the reason why
this cleansing must be performed with blood, that without shedding of
blood is no remission. Remission, or putting away of sin, is the work
to be accomplished. But how could there be sin connected with the
sanctuary, either in heaven or upon the earth? This may be learned
by reference to the symbolic service; for the priests who officiated
on earth, served “unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.”
Hebrews 8:5
.
The ministration of the earthly sanctuary consisted of two divisions;
the priests ministered daily in the holy place, while once a year the
high priest performed a special work of atonement in the most holy,
for the cleansing of the sanctuary. Day by day the repentant sinner
brought his offering to the door of the tabernacle and, placing his hand
upon the victim’s head, confessed his sins, thus in figure transferring
them from himself to the innocent sacrifice. The animal was then slain.
“Without shedding of blood,” says the apostle, there is no remission
of sin. “The life of the flesh is in the blood.”
Leviticus 17:11
. The
broken law of God demanded the life of the transgressor. The blood,
representing the forfeited life of the sinner, whose guilt the victim
bore, was carried by the priest into the holy place and sprinkled before
the veil, behind which was the ark containing the law that the sinner
had transgressed. By this ceremony the sin was, through the blood,
transferred in figure to the sanctuary. In some cases the blood was not
taken into the holy place; but the flesh was then to be eaten by the
priest, as Moses directed the sons of Aaron, saying: “God hath given
it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation.”
Leviticus 10:17
. Both
ceremonies alike symbolized the transfer of the sin from the penitent
to the sanctuary.
Such was the work that went on, day by day, throughout the year.
The sins of Israel were thus transferred to the sanctuary, and a special
work became necessary for their removal. God commanded that an