Amongst the sacrifices for sin ordained by God to express from different points of view the perfection of the sacrifice of Jesus, that of the Day of Atonement stands out with peculiar importance. It was the yearly offering for Israel, and covered, as it were, the people's sins for twelve months. By it God could dwell among Israel, and the Israelite draw near to God.
The blood of the Sin offering, as we have just seen, was taken merely within the Holy place – the outer of the two rooms comprising the Tabernacle – but the blood of the sacrifice of the Day of Atonement was taken within the Holiest of All, that sacred inner chamber, the dwelling-place of Jehovah between the cherubim, which none dared enter save the High Priest once a year.
This type has teaching, for us of vast moment, for upon the great Day of Atonement (the day when Jesus died) “Behold the veil of the Temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom,” and until now it remains rent, and, all who believe, are exhorted to draw near to God in that place which spiritually is, the HOLIEST – to enter freely at all times wherein the High Priest of Israel could only pass once a year. We ask our readers to compare Leviticus 16 with Hebrews 9-10, where these things are taught us. This access is the privilege of all God's people, a privilege which does away with the barriers and the restrictions for drawing near to Him which the “priests” have set up. It sweeps away all holy places and all degrees of sacredness of buildings, tolerates no screens, but lays bare the heart of God to all. “Let us draw near” is the God – given exhortation. Yes, draw near to God Himself, to the throne of His Mercy and His Justice; and in the sure faith that our access is based upon the efficacy of the blood of the great Sin-Offering, and the ever-availing presence of Jesus in the glory! Not a veil of thinnest tissue between! Not the faintest hiding of God whatever! Complete liberty! Holy boldness! Yes, with the Word of God in our hand we may fearlessly assert that any system which hangs a veil between God and His people is dishonoring to God according to the thickness of the obstruction.
There were two goats dealt with in connection with sib upon the Day of Atonement. Lots were “cast upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other for the scape-goat.”
Upon the head of the scape-goat, “all the iniquities” of Israel and “all their transgressions in all their sins” were confessed, whereupon the goat was led into the wilderness “to bear upon hint all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited,” to wander away and be utterly forgotten. Forcible illustration of the sins of the sinner being transferred to Jesus, and being carried by Him into oblivion. “Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Sins, not only forgiven but forgotten by God. Oh let us rejoice in this perfect grace of God!
The Lord's lot was dealt with in an entirely different manner. It was “the goat of the sin-offering” and was slain. Its blood was carried within the veil, into the Holiest of all, and was sprinkled “upon the Mercy-seat and before the Mercy-seat.” We remember that from between the overshadowing Cherubim the voice of God's judgment issued, and thus the sacrificial and atoning blood was brought up to, and sprinkled upon, the very throne of Jehovah. Sins called for that blood; but the blood, not the sins, spoke upon and before the throne of Justice. The claims of God's holiness demanded the death of the sinner, but the death of Jesus for the sinner speaks, from the throne on high, divinely made peace, to those who deserved to die. The Cherubim over the Ark were in perfect rest, for they looked down upon the Mercy-seat gazing, as it were, upon the blood, figuratively the death, of Christ for us. Those in the Garden of Eden were in activity holding the flaming sword of Justice, which turned every way to guard the Tree of Life. Does our reader rest his soul where the Justice of Jehovah rests? or is his way to life barred by the sword? Thanks be to God, Justice is now ranged upon the side of Mercy: they have met together, and from the wounds of the once crucified but now glorified Jesus, their united voices utter the gospel of God. Righteousness is revealed from heaven, and declares to all, and for all who believe, peace by the blood of Jesus.
Will our reader now turn to the diagram overleaf. Note that we have removed from the Tabernacle the intervening veil, for the Mercy-seat is now open to faith's gaze. The Lord has entered the true Tabernacle, which is above; He has passed through the heavens. Look up to the glory where He is, it is a direct line, there is nothing now between God and you. Jesus is seated at God's right hand, a Savior for you. There is no veil of God's ordaining. God looks down from His glory on high upon men, in His perfect love and perfect righteousness. Through the veil – that is the flesh of Jesus – through the sacrifice of Jesus we see God's love and God's righteousness, and learn, to our rejoicing, that God is upon our side; that He has taken up man's cause, dealt with man's sin, and made an access to Himself for the chief of sinners. And now God proclaims from the Holiest His grace to sinners.
Mark how God sets forth the Mercy-seat for the blessing of sinners. In the Epistle to the Romans, immediately upon the guilt of man being proved, God's righteousness upon his behalf is proclaimed. And from where? The Mercy-seat! God sets forth the Propitiatory in all its availability for sinners. He displays Christ at His right hand, a Mercy-seat through faith in His blood. (See Rom. 3:2525Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:25).) The Sacrifice for Sin-Jesus, once slain, but now the High Priest in the true Tabernacle, and alive for evermore – is the object of faith.
But a veil exists. What is it? It is Unbelief How is it made? It is made out of misrepresentations of God, and out of confidence in self. These two are woven together and form the obstruction which blinds men's eyes to God. Oh! if this be before your eyes, reader, may God tear it down! Believe, and know God.
The sacrifices of old were repeated because they were but types of the reality. That of Jesus being perfect cannot be repeated. “It is finished.” It is eternal. These of old “could never take away sins,” if they could “would they not have ceased to be offered?” Their repetition evidented their character. Our sins are gone and “where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin.” Faith knows the impossibility of a second sacrifice, and rejects with utter abhorrence and with holy scorn every kind of abomination which is paraded before Christendom by the traducers of the one offering of Christ, and of the truth contained in the veil once rent by God.
In the ancient Tabernacle there was no seat for the priests; their work was perpetual, hence they could not rest. And how true this is practically of all who do not rest their souls where God's heart rests – in the finished work and in the Person of the Lord. They know no peace, no abiding place, no repose for heart and conscience. They are always doing something. They cannot sit down, for they have no seat. But God has “made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:66And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:6)).
The order of sacrificing-priests was recognized by God no longer, after that Christ had offered Himself to God. The occupation of the “priest standing, daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices” vanished when God rent the veil of the Temple, in order to display to all who had eyes to see, the Mercy-seat in the glory on high.
Doubt not, distrust not. Look up to heaven. There Jesus lives. There He is seated. There He has entered for all who believe on Him in the efficacy of His own blood; by that blood you may enter where Christ has gone, you may draw near to God in His light. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh, and having an High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near, with a true heart and in full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:19-2219Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; 22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19‑22)).