What is the Sanctuary?
347
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
in transgression, and expressed his desire for pardon through faith in
a Redeemer to come; but he was not yet entirely released from the
condemnation of the law. On the day of atonement the high priest,
having taken an offering from the congregation, went into the most
holy place with the blood of this offering, and sprinkled it upon the
mercy-seat, directly over the law, to make satisfaction for its claims.
Then, in his character of mediator, he took the sins upon himself, and
bore them from the sanctuary. Placing his hands upon the head of
the scape-goat, he confessed over him all these sins, thus in figure
transferring them from himself to the goat. The goat then bore them
away, and they were regarded as forever separated from the people.
Such was the service performed “unto the example and shadow of
heavenly things.” And what was done in type in the ministration of the
earthly sanctuary, is done in reality in the ministration of the heavenly
sanctuary. After his ascension, our Saviour began his work as our high
priest. Says Paul, “Christ is not entered into the holy places made with
hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us.” [
Hebrews 9:24
.]
The ministration of the priest throughout the year in the first apart-
ment of the sanctuary, “within the veil” which formed the door and
separated the holy place from the outer court, represents the work
[421]
of ministration upon which Christ entered at his ascension. It was
the work of the priest in the daily ministration to present before God
the blood of the sin-offering, also the incense which ascended with
the prayers of Israel. So did Christ plead his blood before the Father
in behalf of sinners, and present before him also, with the precious
fragrance of his own righteousness, the prayers of penitent believ-
ers. Such was the work of ministration in the first apartment of the
sanctuary in Heaven.
Thither the faith of Christ’s disciples followed him as he ascended
from their sight. Here their hopes centered, “which hope we have,”