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The Great Controversy
atonement be made for each of the sacred apartments. “He shall make
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an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the
children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins:
and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth
among them in the midst of their uncleanness.” An atonement was
also to be made for the altar, to “cleanse it, and hallow it from the
uncleanness of the children of Israel.”
Leviticus 16:16, 19
.
Once a year, on the great Day of Atonement, the priest entered the
most holy place for the cleansing of the sanctuary. The work there
performed completed the yearly round of ministration. On the Day
of Atonement two kids of the goats were brought to the door of the
tabernacle, and lots were cast upon them, “one lot for the Lord, and
the other lot for the scapegoat.”
Verse 8
. The goat upon which fell the
lot for the Lord was to be slain as a sin offering for the people. And
the priest was to bring his blood within the veil and sprinkle it upon
the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. The blood was also to be
sprinkled upon the altar of incense that was before the veil.
“And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat,
and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and
all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of
the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the
wilderness: and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a
land not inhabited.”
Verses 21, 22
. The scapegoat came no more into
the camp of Israel, and the man who led him away was required to
wash himself and his clothing with water before returning to the camp.
The whole ceremony was designed to impress the Israelites with
the holiness of God and His abhorrence of sin; and, further, to show
them that they could not come in contact with sin without becoming
polluted. Every man was required to afflict his soul while this work
of atonement was going forward. All business was to be laid aside,
and the whole congregation of Israel were to spend the day in solemn
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humiliation before God, with prayer, fasting, and deep searching of
heart.
Important truths concerning the atonement are taught by the typical
service. A substitute was accepted in the sinner’s stead; but the sin was
not canceled by the blood of the victim. A means was thus provided
by which it was transferred to the sanctuary. By the offering of blood
the sinner acknowledged the authority of the law, confessed his guilt