Tabernacle and Its Services
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bread from heaven, and they were still dependent upon His bounty,
both for temporal food and spiritual blessings. Both the manna and
the showbread pointed to Christ, the living Bread, who is ever in the
presence of God for us. He Himself said, “I am the living Bread which
came down from heaven.”
John 6:48-51
. Frankincense was placed
upon the loaves. When the bread was removed every Sabbath, to be
replaced by fresh loaves, the frankincense was burned upon the altar
as a memorial before God.
The most important part of the daily ministration was the service
performed in behalf of individuals. 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. By his own hand the animal was
then slain, and the blood 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; [
See appendix, note 6.
]
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
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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 being thus transferred to the sanctuary, the holy
places were defiled, and a special work became necessary for the
removal of the sins. God commanded that an atonement be made for
each of the sacred apartments, as for the altar, to “cleanse it, and hallow
it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.”
Leviticus 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.” The goat upon which
the first lot fell 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 he shall make an atonement for the holy place,
because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of