The Sanctuary Study

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IV. RUBY
The fourth breastplate stone was the ruby (nophek, from a root meaning to transmit light, to pervade and hence to glow, Ex 28:18; 39:11). Josephus and the LXX call this anthrax, and other ancient writers carbunculus. Anthrax means a glowing ember, and has given its name to anthracite, a slow burning, very hot coal.

Another Hebrew word kadkod (found only in Isa 54:12; Ezek 27:16) has been rendered anthrax in the LXX. The KJV uses agate, and the RV ruby. The Aramaic equivalents are kadkedana and kadkodin. Epiphanius described his chalcedony as "bright red in appearance." Symmachus (ca. 200 A.D.) used kalkedonion to translate kadkod. In the Revelation we find this stone called chalcedony (kalkedon, Rev 21:19). Greek writers used rodios for both kadkod and nophek, and this reveals their understanding of its color. If these stones are linked, as seems to be the case, the chalcedony of the Apocalypse is the same as Symmachus' kalkedonion which is the same as the LXX's anthrax, which is the same as the breastplate's nophek.

Theophrastus knew the anthrax well, and was impressed with the regular hexangular shape of this most valuable kind of red stone. When held against the sun it appeared like a burning coal. It was generally small, and highly valued. According to Pliny, his best anthrax, or chalcedony, was electric (static) and magnetic, and sometimes displayed a six-pointed star. Both Theophrastus and Pliny mentioned that anthrax was unaffected by fire. All these clues point to the ruby. No other ancient red stone possesses all these characteristics.

Reuben (See-a-son!) was registered on the ruby over the heart of the high priest. He lived the life of the prodigal-heir, and represents the impetuous and hot-headed. His ensign was a man (Deut 33:6), created in God's image, who fell badly, but was eventually redeemed.

Reuben was the first-born of Jacob's children and should have been chief of the entire clan. He might have enjoyed his birthright, and also led in priestly ministry for Israel. But he failed in both. His father loved him dearly, and had the highest hopes for him. But perceiving his fatal weakness, he warned: "unstable as water, you shall not have pre-eminence, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it" (Gen 49:3, 4, RSV). Jacob must have had tears in his voice as he uttered these damning words.

Bilhah, Reuben's step mother, must have been at least twenty years older than he was, yet for a moment of insane and ephemeral gratification with her the boy threw away his good name and peace of mind, and brought enmity and discord, sorrow and bitterness into his father's household. Temptation does not produce character, it reveals it. Reuben was evidently driven by sex.

When the brothers were debating what to do with Joseph, Reuben suggested that they should abandon him in a dry well instead of killing him. His advice saved the lad's life. We learn that he planned to return later and rescue Joseph. But Reuben might just as easily have persuaded his brothers to do nothing about the young man. When he discovered that they had sold Joseph into slavery, he wailed, "And I, whither shall I go?" He still thought only of himself, and gave little consideration to the fate of his young brother or his bereft father. He was a weak eldest son. Years later, Reuben offered himself as a surety for Benjamin (Gen 42:37). In a grandiose gesture, he argued that should anything befall him, Jacob might want to kill his two grandsons! What an obscene suggestion! But his father knew Reuben's instability, and refused to trust him.

Dathan and Abiram, the leaders of the tribe of Reuben, joined with Korah, the chief of Levi, in defying God and condemning the leadership of Moses and Aaron (Num 16:1ff). They led the people in what was perhaps the greatest act of anarchy during the forty years. As the story unfolds their arrogance grew and their rebellion hardened, and eventually the earth opened and buried them alive. Impetuous, hot-headed, defiant and arrogant, the Reubenites refused to submit wholly to Jehovah.
The tribesmen were the first to "transgress against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them" (1 Chron 5:25). And they were among the first to be taken captive by Assyria. "There are those to be met with everywhere who have no fixed principles. It is hard for them to resist temptation. Let it come from what quarter, and in what form it may, and every precaution must be taken to surround them with influences that will strengthen their moral power. Let them be separated from these helpful influences and associations, be thrown with a class who are irreligious, and they will soon show that they have no real hold from above. They trusted in their own strength. They have been praised and exalted when their feet were standing in sliding sand. They are like Reuben, unstable as water, having no inward rectitude, and like Reuben they will never excel. . . . They are led into evil very easily because they have a very accommodating disposition, and it hurts them to give a square No. . . . They have no high principles of duty" (1BC 1098).

Deborah's oracle noted encouragingly that in "the divisions of Reuben their were great searchings of heart" (Jud 5:15, 16). In the mystery of Providence members of this tribe will be among those who will receive the seal of God (Rev 7:7), and make their way into the kingdom! And from the walls of the golden city the name of this one-time unstable lecher beckons the weak though well-meaning to struggle through the Reuben gate. If they choose, the grace of God will make this possible, even if it is by "the skin of their teeth" (Job 19:20).

Reuben's name was engraved on the blood-washed ruby. Constantly reminded of sin and death and the sacrifice of the lamb by its color, he accepted salvation, and, being dead, yet speaks of the power of Calvary to change lives. His representative in the city's foundation is Jude, the quiet worker whose epistle displays the vigor of his thought and the longings of his soul.

 

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V. SAPPHIRE
The name of the fifth stone on the breastplate is sapphire, an English transliteration of the Hebrew sapphir, (from the root saphar, to write, scratch or engrave, Ex 28:18), as is the Greek sappheiros (Rev 21:19). This root emphasizes the hardness of the stone. Made of corundum it is used to engrave other softer stones. This the soft lapis lazuli, often suggested as the stone intended by Moses, cannot do. The sapphire platform of Jehovah's throne appeared to Moses "as the body of heaven in clearness" (Ex 24:10; cf. Ezek 1:26; 10:1). The gem was, therefore, transparent blue. The opaque lapis cannot possibly be intended by the Hebrew sapphir.


The sapphire was valuable (Job 28:16; Cant 5:14; Lam 4:7; Ezek 28:13), and found washed out of the rocks in the gravel of river-beds (Job 28:9. 10, 16). It could be readily polished (Lam 4:7). These clues also exclude the easily procured lapis lazuli, never found in river gravels, and far too soft to polish.


Simeon's name (Hearing) was etched on the sapphire over the high priest's heart. He might be characterized as a sadist and bully, one who instigated mischief which his brothers carried out. Some of the darkest stains in Israel's history were left by the tribe of Simeon. Jewish tradition remembers that His standard depicted a citadel.

Simeon was Jacob's second son by Leah (Gen 29:32, 33). In this violent and headstrong man were continually seen the cunning of Leah and the ruthless audacity in deceit of Jacob. Soon after the arrival of Jacob and his children in Palestine, Simeon's only sister Dinah "went out to see the daughters of land," and had an affair with one of their brothers named Schechem. The young man then requested permission from Jacob to marry her (Gen 34:1ff). With their father, Simeon and his brothers agreed, on condition that all the males in Schechem's family should be circumcised. When the men were recovering from their surgery, Simeon and his brother Levi crept into the village and put every male to the sword. Years later Jacob exclaimed, "Simeon and Levi are brethren, weapons of violence are their swords. . . . In their anger they slay men, and in their wantonness they hamstring oxen" (Gen 40:15-7, RSV). Josephus remembered that Simeon was cruel, artful and ferocious.

Simeon was a self-righteous and cruel bully. He murdered the honorable Canaanite Schechem for wanting to marry his sister because he thought this would dilute the blood of Israel, but then turned around and married a "Canaanitish woman" himself (Gen 46:10), well aware of the divine prohibition against this union. Prone to murmur against Jehovah, the numbers of the Simeonites were reduced by more than half during the years of wilderness wandering (Num 1:23; 26:14). Young men from this tribe were among the first to follow Balaam's plan to socialize with the Midianite girls. Zimri, a prince of this tribe, displayed a reckless disregard of God's law, and high-handedly and openly brought a woman of Midian into his tent (Num 23:1ff; cf. Prov 7:26), and immediately suffered the consequences. On the entry of the tribes into Canaan, Simeon had shrunk into the smallest tribe, and in consequence was given an inheritance within the borders of Judah (Josh 19:1-9; 1 Chron 4:28-33). But "such families as afterward became powerful formed different colonies and settled in territory outside the borders of the Holy Land" (PP 236). They were the first to be taken captive by the Assyrians.

But so powerful and patient is the love and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit that even men and women like Simeon may be changed and finally sealed prior to the Second Advent (Rev 7:7). His name on a pearly gate invites persons like him to come home, singing, Amazing grace!

Through the clear blue light of the sapphire, Simeon should have been reminded of the law of God, the standard of Christ's righteousness, which might be his as a gift. Its influence should have pervaded his life until the Spirit revolutionized him. His counterpart on the foundation of the golden city is Simon the Zealot, the reformed gorilla-fighter and partisan.


VI. SARDONYX
The sixth breastplate stone was a sardonyx (RV and Moffatt, Hebrew yahalom, from a root meaning to strike or give a blow, Ex 28:13; 39:11). The LXX, Josephus and the Vulgate translate the Hebrew as red jasper. A comparison of the stones of the breastplate with those of the city's foundations points to the sardonyx as the Greek counterpart of yahalom. Is it possible that the red weal which appears on white skin when struck gave rise to the name of this striped stone?

A sardonyx is made up of a layer of red quartz lying over a layer of white quartz. Pliny has left us his opinion that "the sardonyx . . . was taken from the precious stone which seemed to be a carnelian upon white . . . and both together transparent."


All agates and sardonyxes belong to the same family. They appear as an amorphous mass of vari-colored stratified quartz pigmented by various metallic salts. But under the microscope they are seen to contain minute quartz crystals, and hence are called crypto-crystaline. Agate and sardonyx are found in river gravels. At some period the waters saturating the parent rocks contained the solutions which later crystallized into these gems. Crystals were deposited, layer upon layer, within hollows in the magma. It seems incredible that these strata should remain so discretely separate. The sardonyx often has a black or dark blue ground forming the base. On this the light, cream-colored onyx settled, to be followed by the crimson sard or carnelian. The lapidary cuts out the segment of the agate to present the colored stones he wants.


Gad's name (A-troop) was engraved on the sardonyx on the breastplate. His motto seems to have been, "Lets have fun!" This playboy backslider was evidently prone to yield to doubts and questions when pressed by his peers. His ensign portrayed a milling crowd of people (Gen 49:19).


Gad was the son of Leah's maid Zilpah. When Jacob took her, the servant moved in to share her mistress's bed. When Leah picked up the little mite that was born of this union, she exclaimed, "Ba Gad!"--a troop comes, and so the boy was named (Gen 30:9-11). Near his death Jacob predicted of Gad: "A troop shall overcome him; but he shall overcome at last" (Gen 49:19).


Gad represents those who run with the crowd. He liked people, lots of them. His name meant "Company" (Gen 30:11, margin), and he craved popularity. This led to compromise. Always intending to do the right thing, he seldom did. His father saw that "a troop would overcome him," and it did. But Jacob also saw something positive about him: "He shall overcome at the last." When his over-kindness and amiability were sublimated into a love for God, his genial disposition led Gad to victories in his own life, and his influence over others brought glory to his Lord.

Centuries after Jacob's prediction, Moses declared, "Blessed be God for enlarging Gad" (Deut 33:20, Moffatt). The legislator continued his oracle by likening this tribe to a hunting lion which "provided the first part for himself." This acquisitive impatience was shown in the way the tribe demanded the first portion of land in the settlement of Canaan (Num 32:1-33).


But the Gadites later thought better of their policies, and "went first with the nation's chiefs to execute the Eternal's justice and enforce His decrees, with Israel" (Deut 33:22, Moffatt; cf. Josh 22:1-5). But during the battle against Sisera this tribe held back, and were reproached by Deborah (Jud 5:17; cf. Josh 13:25, 31). King Saul's forces contained a detachment of Gadites who waged war against the Hagarites. "They were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and He was entreated of them; because they put their trust in Him" (1 Chron 5:20; cf. 12:14, 15). The Gadites had learned the power of prayer.

Eventually there flowed into the life-stream of Israel the balm of Gilead, or Gad, a symbol of the saving, soothing grace of God's Spirit. And in time of grave apostasy the message of Elijah the Gadite, saved the nation. His was a type of the spirit in which the final message of warning to a world in danger of destruction will be proclaimed.

Representatives from the tribe of Gad will be found among the sealed remnant (Rev 7:5). His name on a gate into the city of gold assures modern Gadites that the way is open for them. Gad never did anything really bad. He was sometimes a bit too friendly and easy-going, with a zest for having fun. But he allowed the grace of God to overcome his weaknesses and to develop dormant traits in his character. His communication skills and pleasant manner added to his friendliness, when clad with the righteousness of Christ, transformed him into a useful member of the people of God.


Gad's name was engraved on the sardonyx on the breastplate . Its twin colors of white and crimson, of purity and sacrifice, encouraged the members of his tribe to trust in Christ's red death on Calvary and His gift of snowy righteousness. Every victory is possible for those who truly believe. Gad's counterpart in the city's foundation is Levi-Matthew, the renegade Jew who became Rome's tax collector. He wrote the first gospel, however, when touched by the Nazarene, and proved that it matters little what a man has been, it only matters what he becomes through grace.

 

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VII. ZIRCON
The seventh stone on the breastplate was the zircon. Its Hebrew name, leshem (Ex 28:10; 39:12) is rendered ligure in the KJV. This is a transliteration of ligurion, the term used in the LXX. Some ancient writers believed that this stone was petrified lynx's urine!

The ligurion of Theophrastus was electric and magnetic, and soft enough to require a great deal of work to polish. He also observed that it felt cold to the touch. Epiphanius stated that he was unable to find the ligurion in the writings of the Greek petrologists, and concluded that Theophrastus must have meant the huakinthos, also called the jacinth (Rev 21:20). If this word is derived from the Persian jacut, meaning pale yellow or flame colored, it is appropriate. King quotes Melichristus' mellifluous description that the jacinth was "transparent like pure honey shining through gold." Webster states that hyacinth is a variety of transparent zircon, a stone which may appear in various tints, and can be given a high polish.

The rabbis remember that the stone leshem was a most brilliant gem, and one of the Targums commented that it might appear as if filled "with little grains." Pliny also states that huakinthos might contain clouds which made the stone look as if filled with its own dust. Zircons may be carefully heated to clear their discolorations or internal imperfections completely, and then polished to resemble diamonds.

Ephraim's (Fruitfulness) honored position on the high priest's breastplate was a zircon. Ephraim and Manasseh grew up in a wealthy and powerful family. Their father was the prime minister of Egypt, and their mother was hand-picked by Pharoah from the sacerdotal nobility of the land. Surrounded by servants they were waited on hand and foot. This had a most corrosive effect on Ephraim. He came to expect that the world owed him a living, and that what he wanted he should receive immediately. He grew to believe that he had all the answers, and suffered from a chronic case of cranial inflation. He showed no gratitude to God, nor was he appreciative of his parents. His tribal standard displayed a bull (Deut 33:17).

As the younger of Joseph's sons, he was exalted over his brother to a position of great honor and power by his grandfather's blessing (Gen 48:8-20). In the tribal organization, Ephraim's name fluttered on a standard in place of that of his father Joseph. But unfortunately this would all change.

When the land of Canaan was being distributed, Ephraim petulantly queried, "Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people?" To this Joshua, who was himself the chief of Ephraim, as well as leader of the twelve tribes, responded, "If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perrizites and the giants, if Mt. Ephraim be too narrow for thee." The whining reply of Ephraim is typical. "The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron" (Josh 17:14-16). So! Let some other tribe face the enemy, not Ephraim!
For over three centuries the picture remained the same. The men of Ephraim refused to help Gideon (Jud 8:1-3), and were hostile to Jephthah (Jud 12:1-6), and bristled at king Saul (PP 611, 612). In the end the Lord rejected them as members of His people (Hos 7:1-14), saying, "Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone" (Hos 4:17).

"Of the tribe of Ephraim, a leader in apostasy among the ten tribes, the Lord said, `Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not. . . . Israel hath cast off the thing that is good' (Hos 7:9; 8:3; 5:11). Unable to discern the sure results of their continued apostasy, the ten tribes led by Ephraim, were soon to be `wanderers among the nations"' (RH 29 Jan l914).

Ephraim is conspicuous by his absence from the roster of the sealed remnant before the second coming of Jesus (Rev 7:1ff). His name is missing from the pearly gates. No one who remains an Ephraimite will enter the city of God. In his place we find the name of his father, Joseph. Moses had long before hinted at this switch by including the name of Joseph in his farewell benediction (Deut 33:13). To the position to which Ephraim might have attained, another stepped in. Pride, arrogance, self-sufficiency, and independence from man and God, when cherished in the heart, bars the way to the gate of the golden city.

The name of Ephraim was inscribed for a while on the zircon fixed to the breastplate, but even his position of high honor as leader of his triad did him no good. His life shows the results of the selfish choices he made in spite of a father like Joseph, and with wealth and opportunity second to none. Ephraim's counterpart in the foundation of the city is Andrew, the solicitous seeker for souls, always interested in the salvation of his brothers.

VIII. AGATE
The Hebrew word rendered agate is shebo (Ex 28:19; 39:12), which the LXX translated achates. Shebo might have originated from a root appropriately meaning the varier, for no two agates are alike. Gesenius suggested its name was derived from shabah, to take captive, perhaps pointing to a stone trapped within a geode. Pliny noted that agate "occurs in large masses and in various colors, hence its numerous names" (Natural History, Book 37, liv). From these many-colored layers which stratum was chosen for the Breastplate?

Epiphanius informed us that his choicest "agate is grey-blue in appearance having a white belt around it after the likeness of marble. . . . The agate is of a bluish color." The Jewish Encyclopedia has concluded that the sky-blue agate is the stone intended on the breastplate, adding, "Jewish tradition confirms the modern identification." As we have noted,the agate can occur in almost any color. Chalcedony is the name given to the whole family which includes jasper, onyx, sardonyx, sard, chrysoprase or chrusopaston, carnelian and quartz of every hue and tint. They are all crystalline silicon colored by various other mineral salts.

The blue agate in the breastplate and the chrysoprase or chrysopaston of the foundations (Rev 21:20) were slices of blue stone cut from banded agate. That portion was selected because it contained rings of various tints of blue. The most beautiful agate may appear almost transparent.

Manasseh's name (Forgetting) was recorded in the blue agate. He represents the quiet ones we meet from day to day. But in spite of all his self-made problems, he finally established himself as part of God's covenant society. He valued his fewer blessing more than his doubly-blessed brother Ephraim cherished his. His ensign displayed a wild buffalo (Deut 33:17).

Manasseh was Joseph's older son (Gen 41:51; 46:20). Since Joseph received "the double portion" of his father's birthright, both his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were counted among the twelve tribes. This was possible because Levi was granted no inheritance in the promised land. Like Ephraim, Manasseh had all the advantages and disadvantages of wealth and privilege. But he chose an altogether different road in life from the one his brother travelled.

When Joshua commenced the division of the land, Manasseh was immediately allotted half its inheritance east of the Jordan (Num 32:1-32; Josh 1:12-16). The historian has left this ominous record with far-reaching consequences: "Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. . . They put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out" (Josh 17:12, 13). But in spite of this procrastination and negligence of duty, the tribesmen occasionally turned to God.

In the battle against Sisera, Manasseh was absent. Did Deborah include these renegade tribesmen in her diatribe: "Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty" (Jud 5:23)? "What had Meroz done? Nothing. And this was their sin" (2T 247).

Manasseh did help David at the time of his coronation--"captains of the thousands that were of Manasseh" joined forces with him. "They helped David against the band of the rovers; for they were all mighty men of valor." They loyally sent a contingent of men, "expressed by name" to "come and make David king" (1 Chron 12:20, 221, 31).

Manasseh, although part of the northern kingdom, later flocked to Jerusalem to join in King Asa's reformation "in abundance," for they saw that the Lord was with him (2 Chron 15:8, 9), And in the days of Hezekiah Manasseh joined in the celebration of perhaps the greatest Passover ever held at Jerusalem (2 Chron 30:1-8). The first women in the Bible to hold property were the daughters of Zelophehad from this tribe (Num 27:1-8).

Moses had appropriately likened Manasseh to a wild buffalo called the uri (Deut 33:17). In his Commentaries Julius Caesar described "the Uri [or buffalo, of his day] as little inferior to elephants in size." Massive, powerful and intractable, these beasts represented Manasseh well. The buffalo was emblazoned on his flag. But Jacob's prayer for his grandson, "The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads" (Gen 48:16) was eventually answered. Jesus is that redeeming Angel.

Among the sealed in the last days Manasseh is mentioned (Rev 7:6), and his name is on a gate to the golden city. From there he beckons to all who have inherited his traits of character, and who face the battles he has fought and won. He points them to the redeeming Angel Who stands ready to bless and save.

The blue of heaven, symbol of the light and joy of obedience to the law of God, shone through the agate and into the life of Manasseh while he rested on the heart of the high priest. By the power of the grace of Christ his life was changed. His counter-part in the city is James Thunderson, the first martyr among the apostles, slaughtered by the sword of Herod.

 

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IX. AMETHYST
Gesenius believed that the Hebrew word rendered amethyst ('achlamah, Ex 28:19; 39:12) was derived from a root (chalam) meaning to dream. The LXX rendered it amethustos (cf. Rev 21:20), and Josephus understood it to be an amethyst.

Amethyst is crystalline quartz of a purple color, and occurs in geodes. Theophrastus noted that they were "found, like sard, by splitting rocks". Pliny described its color precisely: "the stone approaches the color of wine yet before it really attains the tint it turns into the color of violet" (Natural History, bk 37, xl).

Amethyst crystallizes in distinctly hexagonal prisms. Often a single prism will display several shades of purple along its length. Sometimes one end will be colorless while the other will show purple of a very dark hue. Faults and cloudiness, feathers, cracks and patchy coloring often occur within the stone.

Benjamin (Son-of-my-right-hand), the youngest of Jacob's sons was engraved on the amethyst on the breastplate. What he wanted in life he took, by force, if necessary! He was a fighter, self-willed and bad-tempered. His ensign was a wolf (Gen 49:27).

His mother Rachael died when Benjamin was born. The death of his favorite wife broke the heart of his father Jacob, who then poured his affection and protection on his boy. When the family faced starvation, his father refused to allow Benjamin to go down to Egypt to buy grain, but eventually agreed to do so under pressure. As the result the whole family was happily reunited, and moved to Egypt. On his death-bed Jacob declared: "Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil" (Gen 49:27).

When alone, a wolf is somewhat timid. Trappers have found that a piece of flapping cloth tied to a carcass of a deer may frighten a wolf away. Collectively, however, wolves may be dangerous, and their combined intelligence can outwit nearly any quarry. Persistence, staying-power, cunning and cooperative effort have enabled wolves to survive. Ferocity and rapine are words which depict the Benjamites. But the sacred writer has left a description of them at what must surely be their lowest dip (Jud 19-21). At that juncture the tribe almost disappeared through self-induced calamities.

But by David's time the clan had been rebuilt (1 Chron 7:6-12; 8:40; 12:2). King Saul was a Benjamite, and David's greatest foe, while his son Jonathan was David's greatest friend. Many of the Benjamites had availed themselves of all their privileges, and had strengthened themselves in God. Moses had predicted that some of them as "the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between His shoulders" (Deut 33:12). Saul of Tarsus, the gospel champion to the Gentile world, was a Benjamite. In him the ravening wolf became the gentle lamb,--when the wolf beheld the risen Lamb. Paul's nature was changed with his name, and his character completely transformed. He who had spent his time persecuting, or "pressing" Christians (Phil 3:16, he used the same word for both persecuting and pressing), sublimated his zeal into "pressing" toward the mark of the uplifting calling of Christ (Phil 3:6, 14).

There will be Benjamites among the sealed saints (Rev 7:8), and a city gate is open to all who claim this name. It was on the purple amethyst on the heart of the high priest that Benjamin developed his character. Its color, blue mysteriously mingled with red, reminded the pensive viewer of the ministry of the divine Mediator, Who finally transforms the wolf to lie down with the Lamb. In the first foundation of the golden city is inscribed the name of Peter, Benjamin's spiritual counterpart.

X. TOPAZ
The Hebrew word translated beryl in the KJV is tarshish (Ex 28:20; 39:13). The margin of the RV suggests topaz (Cant 5:14). The LXX used the word chrysolithos, golden stone, to render the Hebrew, and so do Josephus and the Vulgate. The corresponding foundation stone was the chrysolite (Rev 21:2), which Pliny describes as a "bright golden, transparent stone" (Natural History, Book XXXVII:xlii). C.W. King noted that "the Indian [chrysolite] was a gem now commonly but improperly styled the Oriental Topaz, a yellow variety of sapphire, and of equal hardness and rarity. . . . The description `transparent, with golden luster,' applies to no other gem so exactly as to this" (A Natural History of Gems and Decorative Stones, 93).

By some freak of nomenclature the ancient topaz must be identified with our modern chrysolite or peridot, while the ancient chrysolite is a "golden stone" with no mixture of green, and should be identified with our topaz (A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles, Topaz).

Dan's name (Judge) was cut deep into the topaz on the high priest's breastplate. This stone might well be considered as his grave-marker. Dan failed to find his way into the kingdom of God, and is missing from the roster of the sealed. His name is not found on any gate to the city of God. He is the backbiter, the traitor, the turn-coat who fell by the wayside on his journey to heaven. And he is represented on his standard by a snake (Gen 49:16-18).

The study of the life of this man is an exercise in frustration. In the list found in the last chapter of Ezekiel Dan is still present. But he represents those who start out with great promise, and then quit. Let us look at the Scriptures to try to find out just why.

Dan (meaning judge) was the fifth son of Jacob, and his first by Rachael's maid Bilhah (Gen 30:3-6). The very circumstances of his conception were inauspicious. Rachel's suggestion that her husband take her set an example to her sister, Leah, and brought rivalry, friction, hatred and a host of attendant ills into the family life of Jacob. If God's way had been followed, several of Jacob's children would never have been born. They were not needed in Heaven's plan, and were conceived in sin. But God works with what we present to Him, and demonstrates the power of His grace by taking weak and sinful human beings conceived in squalor and degradation, and transforming them into sons and daughters of the heavenly King. Eternal Spirit, help us to love the unlovely whom Thou lovest.

Jacob predicted: "Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be [or become] a serpent in the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horses' heels, so that his rider shall fall backward" (Gen 49:16-18). After making this devastating forecast, Jacob seems to break away from his oracle to exclaim, "I have waited for Thy salvation, O Lord." What a descent, from a judge, an arbiter of justice to a snake, a heel biter of the innocent. Dan was a tale-bearer, a purveyor of gossip, a fabricator of misinformation, and there is no place for liars in the city of God (Rev 21:8).

Deborah enquired, "Why did Dan remain in the ships?" (Jud 5:17), Unwilling to commit himself to the cause of God, Dan pulled away from his colleagues in their time of desperate need. The only man of any distinction ever to emerge from this tribe was Samson, and what bizarre pictures his name conjures up in our minds! Inspiration has left this insight into his fickle nature: "And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan" (Jud 13:25). What spirit moved him at other times? Inspiration has not left us to wonder.

His brief life of zealous service in the defense of Israel when contrasted with his sinful devotion to the lusts of the flesh encapsulates the story of the unstable tribe to which he belonged.

The Lord originally placed Dan upon the golden topaz on the breastplate, and appointed him a leader of a triad of tribes. But the golden light shining upon him day by day failed to remind him of faith and love and left no impression upon his life. The best of circumstances and environments will do little for one who refuses to submit to God's will. Dan has no counterpart in the foundations of the New Jerusalem. But outside the city, among the raging demons who would claw Christ from His great white throne, he joins the traitor Judas. But in the great hereafter when all God's purposes have reached their fulfillment, it will be seen that another, Levi, has taken Dan's place on the pearly gate, and another, Matthias, that of Judas in the topaz foundation. God always has His minute men and minute women ready for His purpose.

 

[OntheDL]

XI. ONYX
The Hebrew shoham (Ex 28:9) was compared by Gesenius to an Arabic word which means a striped garment. He suggested that it referred to a flesh-colored onyx with whitish lines. Josephus described the shoulder pieces of the high priest's regalia as "two sardonyxes," and called the shoham of the breastplate "an onyx" (Antiquities III:vii:7 & 5). Both are quartz or chalcedony, but vary in color.

The translator of Theophrastus, John Hill, observed: "The question, how is the onyx to be distinguished from the sardonyx is now easily answered out of Pliny. As far as the substance and the colors, both are one and the same stone. It is called onyx when the red, brown, or yellow ground is covered by white veins formed sometimes stripes, sometimes spots, sometimes eyes, then this stone was onyx. But if the various colors of the stone lay in regular strata one over the other, then it became sardonyx."

Asher (Happy) was engraved on the breastplate onyx. He loved "the good things of life," and might well be characterized as fastidious. He represents the unostentatious who help to smooth the path of life travelled by others. The Jews believed that his standard depicted a fruitful olive tree (Gen 49:24).

Asher was one of the fraternal conspirators who plotted the murder of Joseph, acquiesced in his sale into slavery, and kept his tongue for twenty-two years while his father mourned the death of his beloved boy. The Scriptures say nothing of his personal life, but centuries later his descendants are described as providing "choice and mighty men of valor. . . . apt to the war and to battle" (1 Chron 7:40). The Chronicler noted that they were "experts in war," or better, "keeping rank" (1 Chron 12:36, margin). Under stress Asherites showed themselves to be top quality soldiers.

Jacob predicted that "out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties" (Gen 49:20). Moses added, "Let Asher be blessed with children; let him dip his foot in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be" (Deut 32:24, 25). What a list of wonderful blessings! And to them was added this encouraging promise, he would be "acceptable to his brethren."

Deborah regretted that in the crisis with Sisera "Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and abode by his creeks" (Jud 7:17). Through the centuries the tribe continued to degenerate in character and decreased in numbers (Jud 1:31; 5:17). During the reign of David they had grown so insignificant that Asher is ignored in the roster of the tribal chiefs (1 Chron 27:16-22). But for those persons who are endowed with many talents and blessings and fail to achieve their potentials, Asher blazes an encouraging, if faint, trail to glory. Members of this tribe will be sealed for the return of Jesus (Rev 7:6), and their leader's name is mercifully emblazoned on a pearly gate.

The snowy onyx was the base upon which the name of Asher the simple-minded was engraved on the breastplate. The purity of Christ's righteousness was provided as the foundation for the development of his character. His counterpart in the city's foundation is the pleasant if doubting Philip. His cheery countenance won Nathaniel's questioning mind and encouraged the shy Greeks who longed to see Jesus. Christ can do through the yielded life what self-willed self-righteousness prevents.

XII. GREEN JASPER or Jasper
The last stone on the breastplate is called the jasper (KJV, Hebrew yashepeh, (Ex 28:20; 39:13). There is little doubt among students that this is a correct identification. Jasper is actually a transliteration of the Hebrew, as are the Greek iaspis (Rev 21:19) and the Latin jaspis. Viewing the glory of the New Jerusalem John exclaimed: "her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal" (Rev 21:11, 18. He also observed that the appearance of the King of the universe when seated on His throne as Judge was "like a jasper" (Rev 4:3). But the stone we generally call jasper today cannot possibly be thought of as "clear as crystal," it is opaque. The Biblical jasper must be a rare and colorless example of this stone.

Theophrastus recorded that a stone found on Cyprus was half smaragdus and half jaspis and Pliny corroborated this (Natural History, Book 37, 118). These observations strongly suggest that these ancient naturalists classed their jasper with a smaragdos or emerald. According to Isodore, the Greek jasper "signifieth green, and such a green as doth illustriously shine forth with a supreme viridity or greenness of glory." Pliny confirmed that his jasper was often transparent. Epiphanius affirmed that "in appearance [it] resembles the emerald, like which it is green, only duller and more opaque, having also its substance green internally like verdigris." Dana concluded that "the jaspers of Pliny's day included all bright colored chalcedony except sard, and that he gave special prominence to blue and green, which may refer to prasse or plasma." (Plasma, an old name for green chalcedony, is now used exclusively of blood).

Hill concluded: "The ancient jasper and beryl were often confounded and mistaken for emerald. They were considered almost as valuable. . . . The jasper is another semi-pellucid stone: it is much the same grain and texture with the agates, but not so hard or so capable of so excellent a polish, nor does it approach so near transparency. Its general color is green, but it is spotted or clouded with several colors, as yellow, blue, brown, red and white."

The finest jasper came from India. A perfectly transparent specimen, however, was most uncommon. Church describes the oriental jasper as a "very translucent, rich leaf-green stone," unlike the common jasper which is opaque. The Talmud remembered that "during the existence of the second Temple the jasper stone . . . was lost, and that people were at great exertion to replace it with another; at last one was found and purchased for 100 denarii." The difficulty would have been minimal, had the ordinary opaque jasper been sought. When we realize that it was the clear, rare oriental green jasper that was the object of the search this price becomes appropriate. Webster concurs with Pliny and defines jasper as the "green chalcedony."
Naphtali's name (My-wrestling) gleamed on the green jasper over the heart of the high priest. A quiet and studious man, he might have earned the nickname Bookworm! He represents the earnest worker who accomplishes a great deal while remaining in the background. His ensign displayed a graceful gazelle (Gen 49:21).

Naphtali was Jacob's sixth son, and the second child of Bilhah, Rachael's maid. A consideration of the Biblical stories reveals that the children of the two serving maids caused most of the trouble in Jacob's's family (Gen 37:2). Jewish records suggest that Naphtali was a speedy runner, and that he had quickness of mind and a pleasant manner, with an easy way of speaking. For these reasons he was chosen by Joseph as one of the five brothers who should represent the family when the prime minister introduced his clan to Pharoah.

In his dying prophecy Jacob declared: "Naphtali is a hind let loose; he giveth goodly words" (Gen 49:21). In using this metaphor he depicted his son as alert, quick to sense danger, swift in flight, and easy and graceful in motion, sure-footed in climbing mountain paths, intelligent in maneuvering around ragged crags, affectionate and tender, lovable and gentle.

Deborah complimented the men of Naphtali after the battle against Sisera: "Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field" (Jud 5:18). Barak, the military leader who helped Deborah in her attempt to liberate Israel, was a man of Naphtali (Jud 4:6). Moses had stated that this tribe "was full with the blessing of the Lord" (Deut 33:23), adding that "they would be satisfied with favor: possess thou the west and the south." Naphtali was one of the few tribesmen who actually took possession of their assigned territory fully.

The location in Canaan, however, was not without danger. Naphtali was among the first to feel the brunt of the attacks of the enemies from the north led by Benhadad and Tiglath-pileser, and was among the first to be taken captive by Assyria. But Inspiration reveals that the Light of the world would first shine in Naphtali (Matt 4:13-16). In Galilee Jesus performed more miracles and spoke more gracious words and helped more needy persons than anywhere else. Grace always submerges need. People like Naphtali will be among the sealed remnant (Rev 7:6), and march into the city of God through the pearly gate inscribed with his name.
Upon the green jasper Naphtali developed a character which Providence decided was safe to save. The green light of hope pervaded his daily life and lifted his heart to heavenly places. Nathaniel, also called Bartholomew, is his counterpart in the foundation of the city. "An Israelite indeed," he left no book, wrote no epistle, preached no sermon, produced no magnum opus, yet God's kingdom has a place for all like him.

In our review of the twelve tribes engraved upon twelve precious stones and carried on the heart of the high priest in the holy place we have discovered a microcosm of redemption. From the wastes of the desert this twelve-fold group of representative persons displays God's dealings with mankind. How often their names have been listed. With what detail has the Spirit recorded their children and their children's children. All these persons are totally unknown to us. We are bored when reading them. But God knows each one personally. This revelation has carried us across the millennia and thrust our minds forward to the city of gold with its tree of life and river of peace. There God's long-maintained plan to redeem fallen humanity, person by person, will reach its fulfillment, and true Israel will finally dwell in His presence for eternity, firmly established on the foundation of the apostles fixed on the Rock of Ages.

 

[OntheDL]

Priestly Annointing​

Moses took a golden bowl of the Divinely designed anointing oil and poured the perfume upon Aaron's head. Its generous cataracts cascaded down his beard and flowed to the hem of his garment and splashed on the ground (Lev 8:12; Ex 28:41; 29:7, 29, 30; 30:25, 31; 31:11; 40:12, 13; Lev 21:10). The rabbis remember that the sacred oil was not only poured over him, but was also applied to his forehead in the form of the Greek letter chi, or X (Alfred Edersheim, The Temple, 98). This oily cross ensured that "the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him" (Lev 21:12; Ex 29:7). The high priest was now the king of Israel. This sacred ceremony anticipated the inauguration of the ascended Christ for His work as the royal High Priest in the heavenly Sanctuary (Ps 133:1-3).

The Hebrew word suk describes the application of a simple cosmetic unguent (Deut 28:40; Ruth 3:3). The other word, marshak, is used almost exclusively with a spiritual meaning, and is never used in the sense of suk. It has given rise to the term Messiah which now specifically points of Jesus as the Lord's Anointed. In a lesser sense, His "royal priests" are also anointed with the oil of the Spirit. As a Priest Jesus offered special offerings. On His way to the cross He offered His Father His song,--the "sacrifice of praise" (Matt 26:30; Heb 13:15); His body,--the sacrifice of substance (Heb 13:1); His energies,--the sacrifice of service (Rom 15:16; and His life,--the sacrifice of Himself (Rom 12:l; Phil 2:8). As His royal priests we must do no less (1 Peter 2:9, v. 5). Eternal Spirit, make us like our Master.

Jesus is Anointed as Priest and King
We should keep in mind that this chrismating ritual was also the coronation of Christ, the eternal Priest-King. After He had taken His seat on the eternal throne as the embodiment of the three offices represented on earth by the prophet, the potentate and the priest, each of whom was anointed, the Father signaled the consummation of this event by pouring His Spirit in Pentecostal fullness on His sons and daughters waiting on earth (AA 39). This had been anticipated by the anointing of Aaron's sons immediately after their father's chrismating as high priest at the foot of Sinai.

Paul emphasized the priestly anointing of Jesus as the King. In fact, he applied the psalmist's words "touching the King" (Ps 45:1) specifically to Him. He then described the incarnation and resurrection, and extolled our Lord's glorious reception by the Father and the angelic hosts at His ascension (Heb 1:5-7). He next noted the installation of the Saviour as King on the throne of God, followed by the Father's affirmation: "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity: therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows" (Heb 1:8, 9; Ps 45:7). But let us return to the court of the Tabernacle as Sinai.

Aaron's Sons Consecrated
Turning to Aaron's sons, whom he had also bathed and robed in their four priestly garments of fine linen (Lev 8:13, 30; Ex 28:40-44: 29:8, 9; 40:12-16), Moses consecrated them by pouring oil upon their heads. This ceremony points to God's design for the children of the heavenly King, the church on earth. We should ask our hearts: Have I received this anointing of the Spirit, setting me apart as one of God's "kings and priests"?
Let us review the points we made when considering the ingredients in this unguent. What meanings lie concealed within the details of this sign, made by God's command into a complex blend of "sweet spices"? On the Hebrew's tongue "spices" exhale their lovely fragrance on the air (Ex 30:22-33), for the word means to "smell sweetly." Only "principal spices" might add their rare and finest qualities to the oil of olives. The Psalmist appropriately continued his prophetic description of the exaltation and anointing of the King-Priest with this observation: "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness; therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made Thee glad" (Ps 45:1-8). His allusion is to this perfumed unguent. Christ's robes of righteous living and kindly deeds are fragrant as the garden of the Lord.

As we sense the sweet-heaviness which the precious perfumed oil adds to the aura around the anointed priests, we are attracted to their invisible presence. This loveliness turns our senses to the fragrant characteristics of Jesus. With this perfume the Lord thrusts His people into another dimension of worship. Their eyes have seen the glories of the King-Priest splendidly attired in golden garments. Their ears have listened to the dying cry of innocent victims, and their hearts have been tortured by their pain. And this has triggered the songs of praise from Levite choirs which their ears have also heard as their souls have been lifted to heavenly places. Their tongues have tasted the bread and wine provided for them in the presence of their enemies.

And now their sense of smell has been regaled with the warm sweetest of perfumes breathing from the garments of the Bridegroom-Priest. What are the bride's reactions to this fragrance,--illusive, invisible, intangible, intimate, mysterious, exhilarating, appreciated even when the wearer is unseen? She can hardly put her feelings into words, and God does not intend her to. Her thoughts belong to another, very private domain. Let each worshiper rejoice, in the inner chapel of his mind, in his unique and personal perception of what his perfumed Saviour-Priest means to him. Let us review our understanding of

The Significance of These Spices
The myrrh whispers of the bitter fragrance of His sacrifice freely made, and the cinnamon of His all-consuming zeal. Blending with the calamus of His gentle love, and the cassia of His deep humility, they are all compounded in perfect proportions with oil pressed from ripe olives. This symbol always sings of the Spirit in His healing and illuminating power, and is the bond of unity, pervading all, and which melded the sweet spices smoothly into one.

This unguent was the most fragrant and sacred ever made, and, on the high priest's person as well as on his robes, pointed to the human character of Jesus, brought into existence by the ministry of the Holy Ghost. The high priest's royal regalia of righteousness and ministry was enhanced by the addition of the perfumed oil. Its silent fragrance, invisible, intangible, and intimate, reached into another dimension of the worshipers' thoughts. Its exhilarating and lovely breath continued to flow out to touch those who remained at a distance, to surround them with reminders of the ministry of their unseen high priest.

Christ's garments of snowy linen represent the holiness of His character, and His golden robes picture the glory of His ministry. Together they portray the beauty of His person and the compassion of His life. He now has a" more excellent ministry" than all who have preceded Him (Heb 8:6). His service is "better" because He is more faithful than those who have served before, for He is a Son (Heb 3:1-6). His concern is "better" because it never wanes, for He lives for eternity (Heb 7:17). His mercy, perfectly balancing His justice, is "better" because He is a Judge Who has died to save all whose cases He considers (John 3:17; 2 Cor 3:6). Eternal Spirit, teach us to love Him more.

Dedication Through Death
At this point in the ceremonies the Lord required three kinds of sacrifices to be presented for "Aaron and his sons." They were all to cooperate in the ritual by pressing their hands on the heads of the innocent victims to transfer their guilt to them. Their act showed their identification with their substitute in life and death (Lev 8:14). The blood of these animals, of course, represented the blood of the Saviour, which of necessity, must be shed before the services of the heavenly Sanctuary could be inaugurated.

The first victim was a bull, sacrificed as a sin-offering. As with all sin-offerings for priests, its blood was splashed on the four horns of the golden altar (Lev 4:3-12). Moses did this with his finger in the holy place, and then poured the residue at the base of the copper altar. "Finger" is always a emblem of a specific ministry of the Spirit. This altar is a symbol of the cross of Calvary, and this rite not only rendered the priests free from guilt, but also sanctified the altar, hitherto unused, for its ministry. Because the blood lay at its very foundation the priests were able to make reconciliation for the sins of the people upon it (Lev 8:15). The bull's suet was burned on the altar, while its entire carcass, including its viscera, dung and hide, was reduced to ashes outside the camp (Lev 8:17; Heb 13:11, 12).

This sin-offering represented the death of Jesus on Calvary for the sins of the world. When He presented His own blood to His Father in the heavenly Sanctuary on the morning of the resurrection His atoning sacrifice was accepted, and the announcement made, "Let the angels of God worship Him" (Heb 1:6; DA 790). By this declaration His mediation as priest and high priest on behalf of the lost world was authorized, and Jesus awaited only the dedication of His celestial Tabernacle to commence His ministry. This sin-offering, while specifically for Aaron and his sons, also "made an atonement for the people" (Lev 9:7), and pointed to the all-embracing nature of Christ's death.

Dedication of the Priesthood by Blood
And now a burnt-offering of dedication, together with its appropriate meal-and drink-offerings, was slain to ratify the fact that Aaron and his sons were ready to devote themselves and everything they possessed to the service of God. After slaying the victim and cutting it into its prescribed pieces, Moses washed the parts with water from the laver, salted them. and laid them upon the altar. When the fire of God descended later in the ceremony, these pieces were completely consumed, together with their mincah (Lev 8:18-21). As the smoke of the burning substitute ascended, its "sweet savor" validated the characters of the priests, and pleased God because they had symbolically laid their all on His altar. This ritual looked forward to Christ's total and personal dedication of Himself to His Father, and the satisfaction and joy with which Heaven accepted His sacrifice.
The third ritual was perhaps the most impressive of the entire ceremony. Aaron, the high priest-designate, with his sons, brought a ram as their peace-offering of consecration, and solemnly laid their hands on its head as a gesture of gratitude for the honor done to them. After slaying it, Moses caught its blood in a golden container and prepared to administer it in several complex and vital ways.

But before he was allowed to use this blood to consecrate the priests by splashing them and their garments with it, Moses was required to sanctify the Tabernacle and its furnishings by sprinkling each part of them with the blood. It should be emphasized that he could not do this until after "the ram of consecration" (Lev 8:22) had been slaughtered. While details of this blood-rite are not given in the Old Testament, they are hinted at by the two acts which Moses performed (Num 7:1). He first "consecrated" the Tabernacle (from the root marshak, from which Messiah, the Anointed One is derived) and then "sanctified" it (from the root qodesh, made holy, indicating that the life is dedicated to God even to the death). The former was accomplished with oil, and the latter with blood. Josephus recorded this inaugural procedure with the blood (Antiquities III:8:6), and Paul corroborated the fact. The apostle remembered that Moses had "sprinkled with blood both the Tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry" (Heb 9:21; Ex 30:26-29; 40:9-11; Lev 8:10,11, note the emphasis on "all" in each quotation), to render them operational. Moses has left a detailed description of the sprinkling with oil, but only these allusions to the sprinkling with blood.

To "sanctify" the Tabernacle with blood, as he had "consecrated" it with oil, Moses, in company with Aaron the high priest designate, carried the golden bowl of the ram's blood and repeated with it what he had done with the oil. In this ritual Moses represented the Father while Aaron typified Christ Who provided His own blood for this purpose in the celestial Tabernacle. The oil represented the role of the Holy Spirit. Moses first sprinkled the outside of the building. Then, moving into the most holy place "within the veil," he splashed the ark seven times with blood. His act anticipated the time when the blood of Christ would be carried "within the vail" of the heavenly Sanctuary to consecrate the ark and the entire building. Moving into the holy place, Moses flicked blood on each piece of furniture with his finger. Passing though the outer vail he splashed blood on the laver and the altar in the court.

 

[OntheDL]

Inauguration of the Heavenly Sanctuary Through Blood
Since these activities were "patterns of things in the heavens," both these rites of sprinkling, with oil and with blood, illustrate steps taken in the dedication of the heavenly Sanctuary through the power of the Holy Spirit and the blood of the risen Son. In imagination, let us follow the Father and the Saviour-Priest in the heavenly Sanctuary, retracing the shadowy footprints left by Moses and Aaron on the sandy floor of Israel's Shrine at Sinai, to carry out the ceremonies They had inaugurated so long before.

Following His death on Calvary, in fact, on the very day of His resurrection, as we have often emphasized, Christ ascended to "the courts above" to present His blood at the Sanctuary (Heb 9:12), and to hear "the assurance that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father" (DA 790). Then at the prearranged moment, God the Father [of Whom Moses had been the appointed representative during the entire ceremony for the earthly Tabernacle] in company with His Son, the High Priest-Victim, first applied His consecrating blood to the heavenly structure. They worked Their way through the Most Holy Place, sprinkling the blood of consecration on the ark, and thence to the holy place, where They splashed it on the three pieces of symbolical furniture found there. The application of Christ's victorious and powerful blood made it possible for the heavenly Sanctuary to function for its ministry of reconciliation.

While on earth Jesus had precisely followed "the path God had marked out for Him" [illustrated in the ritual of the earthly Sanctuary], Ellen White explained. She further noted that, following His death and resurrection, and "still bearing humanity, He ascended to heaven [forty days later], triumphant and victorious. He has taken the blood of the atonement into the holiest of all [on the day of His resurrection], sprinkled it upon the mercy-seat and His own garments [Lev 8:30 which describes the blood of the ram of consecration being sprinkled on the clothes of the priests], and blessed the people [with the Holy Spirit, Acts 3:21, 26; Lev 9:22-24]. Soon He will appear the second time to declare that there is no more sacrifice for sin. Then by innumerable voices will be sung the song, `Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men. . ."' (Signs 19 April l905).

This dedication of the heavenly Sanctuary with the triumphant blood of Christ marked the moment when His mediatorial work commenced. It indicated the precise point when Gabriel's prediction that Messiah the Prince, having been cut off in the midst of the week, would "anoint the most holy" place of the celestial Tabernacle (Dan 9:24-27. As has often been emphasized the phrase "the most holy," Hebrew kodesh kodeshim, is never used of persons, but exclusively of things and places).

Consecrating Blood Needed by the "Royal Priests"
This consecrating blood had a further use in the personal lives of the priests. As Aaron and his sons stood before him, after watching the dedication of the Tabernacle, Moses dipped his finger into the golden bowl (Lev 8:15; 9:9; 14:15, 16) and smeared blood on Aaron's right ear, then his right thumb, and finally his right great toe, as the high priest voluntarily presented them. Moses repeated this rite with each of Aaron's sons. The remainder of the blood he poured out at the base of the copper altar (Lev 8:22-24). This ordinance indicated that henceforth the priests were to listen only to what passed the censorship of the blood of the great Sacrifice; to work for Him only with blood cleansed hands; and to walk only along the path of His choosing on blood consecrated feet.

The Priesthood of Christ
As Aaron dedicated himself to the priesthood, so Christ presented Himself to the Father. As Moses anointed Aaron, God anointed Christ (Lev 8:30; Ps 45:7). As Moses sprinkled the blood of dedication upon Aaron's garments, so were Christ's garments of character splashed by His dying blood. "Still bearing humanity [garments of flesh] He ascended to heaven, triumphant and victorious. He has taken the blood of His atonement into the holiest of all [on the day of resurrection], sprinkled it upon the mercy seat [during the dedication of the celestial Tabernacle] and His own garments, and blessed the people" [with the Spirit] (YI 25 July 1901). When Jesus was inaugurated, the Father gave Him the title of High Priest, for Paul noted that He was "called of God an high priest" (Heb 5:10; in v. 4, a word which indicates a "call" to the ministry), just as the president of an institution of higher learning addresses or calls the graduate "Doctor" on his graduation!

As we have noted, all these Aaronic types of oil and blood focus on Jesus. His blood-marked ear listens to the voice of His Father, and responds to the cry of His forlorn sheep, Spirit quickened. His hand, bloodied by the nails, work for His Father's kingdom, Spirit directed. His torn feet leave crimson footsteps so we can trace our way to glory, Spirit lighted. O Father, how we love Him for His love! Eternal Spirit, how we thank Thee for Thy power. Lord Jesus, how we praise Thee for Thy life and death. And we rejoice, O heavenly Trio, that we "have such a High Priest."

"The Food of the Altar"
Moses then took the designated parts of this sacrificial ram of consecration, considered the "food of the altar" or the Lord's portion, together with a loaf of unleavened bread, an unleavened cake, a cake of oiled bread, and a wafer, and, with the fat from the right shoulder, placed them all in a basket. This he laid upon Aaron's outstretched hands. Then putting his own hands under Aaron's, he waved the entire offering before the Lord (Lev 8:25-27), up and down, up and down, and side to side.

These parts of the victim and the various kinds of oil-anointed bread represented two aspects of the ministry of Christ, His bloody death on Calvary for our sins, and the gift of Himself as "the bread of life" to strengthen and sustain us. The priest then lifted up these symbols for all to see, and waved them, first up, and then down. This illustrated how Christ initially presented Himself to His Father, and how God then gave Him back to mankind, for His Son to share Himself with His people here on earth. Aaron's horizontal waving of the basket displayed his sharing of its contents with those around him.

The Priest has His Hands Filled
This ceremony of consecration is fittingly called in Hebrew "filling the hands" (see the margins of Ex 28:41; 29:9; Num 6:7; Lev 8:25-28). This expression pictures the priests' upholding in their hands nothing but these symbols of the crucified Saviour and all He represented. It also emphasizes that the primary responsibility of God's "royal priests" is to exalt Jesus as sacrifice and sustenance. The needy world is saying, "Sir, we would see Jesus" (John 12:21). Today the hands of God's "kings and priests," filled with the crucified Christ, must lift Him up so that all mankind can see Him. All the while their hands may be supported and made strong by the hands of El Shaddai (Gen 49:24, 25).

Moses then splashed the oil and blood of dedication on the garments of Aaron and his sons (Lev 8:30; Ps 45:7) to complete the rite of consecration. These robes together reminded the observer of the life-style of the priests, the character they should possess and the service they should render. The added dimensions of the "consecrating" Spirit and "sanctifying" blood, splashed upon these symbols of outward conduct, must be clearly understood. Isaiah caught a vision of the blood-soaked garments of the Saviour, and enquired wonderingly, "Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth the wine fat?" And the Saviour responded: "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment" (Isa 63:2, 3). The blood of the cross has this two-fold symbolic message, (1) it affirms that our Substitute has poured out His blood to cleanse us, and (2) for those who reject Him, "His blood will be upon them."

Rites of Consecration Occupy Seven Days
These rites for the consecration of the Tabernacle and the ordination of the priests were to extend over "seven days" to indicate that all the time necessary to make them "complete" and "thorough" (AA 585; 4T 122) had been devoted to them. "On the eighth day" Aaron and his sons were ready to enter upon their service (PP 359) as fully ordained priests in a dedicated Sanctuary.
During this week of services Aaron and his sons were required to remain within the confines of the Tabernacle (Lev 8:33-36). At the door of the Sanctuary they were to boil the flesh of the peace-offering of consecration, "and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket" (Lev 8:31), acts which displayed their identification with them. As they ate this covenant meal by partaking of the "food of the altar," they entered into fellowship with Heaven (Ex 29:31-34). They also expressed their joy in anticipation of the services which lay ahead, and pledged themselves to carry them out with all their strength.

By eating its flesh Aaron and his sons were organically identified with the victim. This rite typified the fullness with which Christ partook of humanity to become the heavenly Minister, Himself the Priest and Himself the Victim. "For the joy that was set before Him, [He] endured the cross and despised the shame" in order to serve His Father as priest and high priest in the heavenly Sanctuary.

The Priestly Benediction
After Moses had completed the various rites connected with this peace-offering, he and Aaron went back into the Sanctuary together (Lev 9:23). The Scriptures are silent concerning their communion with God in that glorious seclusion. But when "they came out" Aaron "lifted up his hand toward heaven and the people and blessed them" with this three-fold benediction (Lev 9:22, 23; Deut 21:5; 1 Chron 23:13):
"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make His face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee,
and give thee peace" (Num 6:22-27),
as if invoking the Trinity. When Christ's consecration to the priesthood had been completed in the heavenly Sanctuary, He came out and blessed His people on earth by pouring upon them cataracts of the Early Rain on the Day of Pentecost. Peter reminded his Jewish listeners that this benison had come in realization of the Lord's own promise: "Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts 3:26; Ps 133:3; Deut 28:1-14; GC 485, 612).

The Shekinah Appears
Following this Aaronic blessing "the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people" of ancient Israel, and His eternal flame "came out from before" Him, and, in approval, consumed all the sacrifices on the altar, accepting them as fragrant smoke. And when the people witnessed this burning, and sensed the approbation of Heaven, they shouted for joy and fell prostrate in adoration before the face of Yahweh (Lev 9:23, 24).
Looking back at this scene Ellen White remembered that "after the building of the Tabernacle was completed, Moses examined all the work, comparing it with the pattern, shown him in the mount and the directions he had received of God, and all the multitude of Israel pressed in crowds around the Tabernacle, set upon an eminence, to view it with critical eye. They regarded it perfect. They saw the golden furniture carried in, the altar and laver put in position, and while they were contemplating the full effect with reverent satisfaction, suddenly their attention was attracted to the pillar of cloud which had conducted their travels through the wilderness. The cloud arose and floated over the Tabernacle, then descended and embraced it. There was a revealing of divine majesty, and the dazzling splendor was overwhelming; even Moses was not able to enter the burning glory which enshrouded the Tabernacle until the cloud had in a measure hid the exceeding brightness, for every human eye had been shaded" (Signs 24 June l880).

Following the inauguration of Christ as priest and high priest in the celestial Sanctuary the blessings of God fell as Pentecostal "fire" upon the waiting and united disciples, signaling their cleansing and acceptance by Heaven, and empowering them for service. The glowing "cloven tongues" pointed to their ministry of proclamation. And from the Upper Room, the rejoicing church went forth with the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ burning on the fire-cleansed altars of their lips to establish the kingdom of God on earth.

And in the celestial heights the Three Persons of the Godhead had made complete and sacrificial provision in Their heavenly Sanctuary for any emergency which might arise because of sin. And from the "glorious high throne. . . . [this] place of our Sanctuary" now streams the light of the knowledge of the glory of God into the farthest limits of the universe, proclaiming, God is love.

 

[OntheDL]

Some of sanctuary related pictures

 

[OntheDL]

more

 

[OntheDL]

more pix

 

[Jon0388g]

The lampstand in some pictures has the central stand elevated a little higher than the other six, and in some others it is not. Is there any significance to this?


Jon

 

[OntheDL]

The lampstand in some pictures has the central stand elevated a little higher than the other six, and in some others it is not. Is there any significance to this?

Jon

Good observation.

The arch of Titus depicts 7 equal height branches while other drawings have the center branch raised.

Because of the lack of biblical evidence and historic record, I think we can make a case for each.

Jesus said "I am the light of the world". Then He said to His followers "you are the light of the world". With center branch raised, it depicts Jesus whose characters His followers must emulate.

The Arch of Titus depicts the branches and central shaft rising to one height. This suggests that each branch, each church, each believer, once illuminated by the Spark of Heaven, may rise to equal heights when joined with Christ.

 

[Nutella]

Thank you so much for this study . My husband and I will start it together once he comes back from Iraq.

 

[OntheDL]

Thank you so much for this study . My husband and I will start it together once he comes back from Iraq.

Please be sure to post comments, quesitons here. May it be a blessing for you!

 

[Dedication]

Quote:
2. what were the four main tribes on each side of the encampment of Israel? What flag did each tribe carry and what do they represent and corresponds to which book of the Gospel?
east: Judah, lion (Christ the king), Matthew
south: Reuben, man (Christ the man), Luke
west: Ephram, ox (Christ the servant), Mark
North: Dan, eagle (Christ the divine), John

Comparing them to the four gospels is interesting,
but why not look at scripture itself to find out what
these flags may have stood for?


In the heavenly sanctuary which is depicted in Revelation 4 and 5 we see four living creatures.

Revelation
4:7 And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature like a calf, and the third living creature had a face as a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.
4:8 And the four living creatures had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

5:8 And when he [Christ the Lamb] had taken the book, the four living creatures and twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

And as we move into Revelation 6
Each of these four living creatures announces one of the seals.

The first living creature -- the one like a lion -- announces the first seal, (the white horse)

The second living creature -- the one like an ox --
announces the second seal (the red horse)

The third living creature -- the one like a man --
announces the third seal (the black horse)

The forth living creature -- the one like an eagle --
announces the fourth seal (the pale horse).

Then we move on into Revelation 7
The sealing of the 144,000 of the tribes of Israel.

there we see the 12,000 of each tribe sealed.


The tribe of Ephriam and Dan are both missing --
Joseph has taken Ephriam's place and
Levi has taken Dan's place.

Paul refers to the church as the "Israel of God" Gal.6:16 and he
tells the believers, "If you belong to Christ, then you are
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:29
So the apostles saw the Christian church as a fulfillment of the
promise of the restoration of the twelve tribes.

But why do we have the number 144,000 and why the emphasis on 12,000 from each tribe? As we have noticed, Satan could claim the apostasy of Israel and the subsequent disappearance of the ten tribes as a defeat for God and great victory for Satan and hi cause. The sealing is the opposite of this. It takes place during the time Satan is throwing his worst temptations and his most subtle deceptions at the world. It comes when violence and death are a daily threat to the faithful. At that very moment, God will bring forth His own. In the pre-advent judgment, after every case has been examined in the presence of the heavenly witnesses, God's triumph will be seen in those who are sealed.

So the sealing is a great victory for God and a defeat for Satan.
The end-time 144,000 are God's shout of victory. He is saying:
See! I have my children back! They surrond my throne, just like it was pictured in the type back there in the wilderness.

 

[OntheDL]

Comparing them to the four gospels is interesting,
but why not look at scripture itself to find out what
these flags may have stood for?


In the heavenly sanctuary which is depicted in Revelation 4 and 5 we see four living creatures.

Revelation
4:7 And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature like a calf, and the third living creature had a face as a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.
4:8 And the four living creatures had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

5:8 And when he [Christ the Lamb] had taken the book, the four living creatures and twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

And as we move into Revelation 6
Each of these four living creatures announces one of the seals.

The first living creature -- the one like a lion -- announces the first seal, (the white horse)

The second living creature -- the one like an ox --
announces the second seal (the red horse)

The third living creature -- the one like a man --
announces the third seal (the black horse)

The forth living creature -- the one like an eagle --
announces the fourth seal (the pale horse).

Then we move on into Revelation 7
The sealing of the 144,000 of the tribes of Israel.

there we see the 12,000 of each tribe sealed.


The tribe of Ephriam and Dan are both missing --
Joseph has taken Ephriam's place and
Levi has taken Dan's place.

Paul refers to the church as the "Israel of God" Gal.6:16 and he
tells the believers, "If you belong to Christ, then you are
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:29
So the apostles saw the Christian church as a fulfillment of the
promise of the restoration of the twelve tribes.

But why do we have the number 144,000 and why the emphasis on 12,000 from each tribe? As we have noticed, Satan could claim the apostasy of Israel and the subsequent disappearance of the ten tribes as a defeat for God and great victory for Satan and hi cause. The sealing is the opposite of this. It takes place during the time Satan is throwing his worst temptations and his most subtle deceptions at the world. It comes when violence and death are a daily threat to the faithful. At that very moment, God will bring forth His own. In the pre-advent judgment, after every case has been examined in the presence of the heavenly witnesses, God's triumph will be seen in those who are sealed.

So the sealing is a great victory for God and a defeat for Satan.
The end-time 144,000 are God's shout of victory. He is saying:
See! I have my children back! They surrond my throne, just like it was pictured in the type back there in the wilderness.

Great post! Indeed the organization of Israel in the wilderness was a type of the 144000 and their deliverance through Jesus Christ. Good to have you participate in our study.

 

[OntheDL]

DEDICATION OF THE TRIBES​

During the twelve days which immediately followed the glorious events which surrounded the completion, erection and dedication of the Tabernacle at Sinai, and the consecration of the priests, the twelve tribes dedicated themselves to the Lord. The fire-fall which had signaled the acceptance of the first sacrifice which Israel presented on the altar had inspired the devotion of all the people. Each day an Israelite prince consecrated himself to the Lord, and as a representative of his tribe, encouraged his clansmen to follow his example. Starting with Judah, the entire nation thus pledged itself to the task of establishing the church in the wilderness (Num 7:1-89). In this we see a type of the gradual dedication of God's people century by century, and the establishment of the kingdom of heaven.

But before we leave this thrilling scene, we should think for a few moments of the consecration of the Levites for their menial service in the Sanctuary. The Lord declared five times that He had specifically chosen the Levites as the unique helpers of the priests because of their faithfulness at the time of Israel's apostasy in connection with the worship of the golden calf (Num 3:3-51; 8:5-26; 18:1-32; Deut 10:8, 9; 18:1-8; Ex 32:25-29). These included all the descendants of Levi, and on occasion were termed "the priests of the Levites" (Josh 3:3; Ezek 44:15).

Since the first-born of the tribes of God's people had failed in their trust to act as the ministers of their families, the Levites were called by God to fill their places (Num 3:14-39; 18:15). When counted they numbered 22,000. The first-born of all the tribes numbered 22,273 (Num 3:40-43). The Lord required that a beq'a apiece (Ex 30:11-16) should be provided for each of the 273 first-born sons who had not been redeemed by a Levite (Num 3:46-51).

These earthly rituals of consecration enacted at Sinai were like fingers pointing forward to the days of the Messiah. Following the setting up and dedication of the heavenly Sanctuary, and the inauguration of the ministry of our High Priest, the fire-fall of the Spirit brought about the consecration of the twelve apostles as princes of the New Testament community, and the founding of the Christian church. In this way the kingdom of God was reestablished to continue its witness on earth to the end of time.

In the mind and purpose of God every detail of the plan of salvation to be carried out through Jesus has been formulated, and actually functioned from the very beginning. Then each part of the grand design which had a bearing on His mediation was carried out in reality between the crucifixion and the day of Pentecost. For instance, Jesus is the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world, and each one saved during Old Testament times was saved through Him. But Jesus actually died on Calvary. He is also a priest "forever," and Enoch and Elijah and Moses validated His mediation by living lives of victory which enabled them to be taken to Paradise. But His inauguration as Priest in the heavenly Sanctuary actually occurred at Pentecost. By His life, death, resurrection, ascension and consecration as Priest and Sacrifice Jesus has literally carried out these eternal purposes in time. Our study of both the Old and New Testament references to these events enables us to visualize what our Saviour is doing now.

Following the dedication of the twelve tribes in the persons of their representative princes (Num 7:1-89), that of the Levites immediately followed. The 22,000 Levites were assembled before the gathered Israelites, and sprinkled with the waters of purification after they had shaved off all their hair and washed their clothes (Num 8:7). This cleansing water was prepared with the ashes of the red heifer (Num 19:1ff). The children of Israel were represented by their twelve tribal chieftains. These men placed their hands on the heads of the Levites, "and Aaron shall offer (wave) the Levites before the Lord for a wave-offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the Lord" (Num 8:10, 11). The wave-offering always represented the gift being lifted up to God for His acceptance, and then brought back down from Him as a present. The Levites were thus given to God, and by God given to the people.

The Levites were then to lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks which were to be offered as burnt-offerings of consecration. Following this a sin-offering was slaughtered (Num 8:12). The Lord then declared: "The Levites are wholly given unto Me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto Me. . . . I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the Sanctuary" (Num 8:16-19).

Then "the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the Lord: and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them. And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the Tabernacle (Num 8:21, 22).

"Jehovah did not deem the plan of salvation complete while it was invested only with His own love. He has placed at His altar [of perpetual intercession in the holy place of the heavenly Sanctuary] an Advocate clothed with our nature, Whose office it is to introduce us to God as His sons and daughters. Christ intercedes in behalf of all who receive Him. He gives to them powers to become the sons of God. And the Father demonstrates His love for Christ by receiving and welcoming Christ's friends as His friends. He is satisfied with the atonement made. He is glorified by the mediation of His Son. We are accepted in the beloved" (Signs, 13 August 1902; the words between [] added).

Functions of the Priest in the Heavenly Sanctuary
"Yes; Christ has become the medium of prayer and of blessing between God and man. He places the whole influence of His righteousness on the side of the suppliant. He pleads for man; and man, in need of divine help, pleads for himself, using the name of the One Who gave His life for the life of the world. As we approach God in Christ's name, acknowledging our appreciation of His sacrifice, fragrance is given our petitions. We are clothed with His priestly vestments. The Saviour draws us close to His side, encircling us with His human arm, while with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Infinite" (ST 13 Aug l902). Besides His ministry as Priest and High Priest, Inspiration uses five other terms to describe facets of Christ's work: Advocate, Mediator, Intercessor, Justifier and Judge.

"Advocate" (parakletos), His special designation of the Holy Spirit, is applied only once to Christ. The Spirit and Christ are one. John encourages the penitent to turn to the "Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1) every time he sins. This ministry is part of the daily service of the priest as illustrated by the various activities he performed in the court and holy place of the Tabernacle. In Greek the word describes one who is constantly on call, ever ready to respond to the slightest cry for help from the least of His children.

With all power accorded Him as Lord and Saviour, and seated on His Father's throne as King, Jesus functions as the Priest and High Priest. Although He is circumscribed by His human body, He promises to send another Comforter just like Himself, His personal Representative, the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18), to all who ask for His help. When His Spirit comes to our aid it is as if Christ Himself was by our side.

Jesus also dispatches angels who, as ministering spirits sally forth to help all who have any need (Heb 1:13, 14). Ellen White describes in a legal metaphor how our Saviour functions as our Advocate. "No sooner does the child of God approach the mercy-seat than he becomes the client of the great Advocate. At his first utterance of penitence and appeal for pardon, Christ espouses his case and makes it His own, presenting the supplication before the Father as His own request" (6T 364). Eternal Spirit, teach us to believe this.

Writing to the Hebrews the apostle concluded his discussion of the incarnation in these words: "Wherefore it behooved Him to be made like to His brethren in all things, in order that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to the end that He might make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor those who are being tempted" (Heb 2:17, 18). His term "succor" (boetheo), to go to the help of, has a meaning closely related to parakletos or advocate. Our Priest is prepared to come immediately to comfort and support us in the person of the Holy Spirit, while He Himself "ever lives" to work as our constant representative with the Father.

"Mediator" is used to describe Jesus four times (1 Tim 2:5; Heb 8:6; 9:15; 12:24). In these passages He is portrayed as the Mediator (mesites) of the new covenant between God and man. He is the Go-between, the Arbitrator, the Ombudsman, the Negotiator or Intermediary Who reconciles estranged man to his waiting Father (Gal 3:19, 20). The Saviour shed His own blood to ratify the new and everlasting covenant to make this possible. Even before His death He was man's Mediator. He is the Goel, or Kinsman-Redeemer of our race.

"This chapter [John 17] contains the intercessory prayer offered by Christ to His Father just before His trial and crucifixion. This prayer is a lesson regarding the intercession that the Saviour would carry on within the veil, when His great sacrifice in behalf of men, the offering of Himself, should have been completed. Our Mediator gave His disciples this illustration of His ministration in the heavenly Sanctuary in behalf of all who will come to Him in meekness and humility, emptied of all selfishness, and believing in His power to save. This was Christ's last prayer with His disciples. It was offered just before He went into the Garden of Gethsemane" (5BC 1145). There Jesus acted as man's Intercessor (John 17), and ever since He has been our Pleader.

"Intercessor" (entugchano) is often used of Christ (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25; 9:24; 10:12-14; John 11:42). The word means a petitioner, pleader or one who interposes on behalf of another in times of conflict. Jesus is able to accomplish this because He has identified Himself with every human being, and now sits upon His Father's throne as their Representative. We are in Him when we have been born again. "By His spotless life, His obedience, His death on the cross of Calvary, Christ interceded for the lost race. And now, not as a mere petitioner does the Captain of our salvation intercede for us, but as a Conqueror claiming His victory. His offering is complete, and as our Intercessor He executes His self-appointed work, holding before God the censor containing His own spotless merits and the prayers, confessions, and thanksgiving of His people. Perfumed with the fragrance of His righteousness, these ascend to God as a sweet savor. The offering is wholly acceptable, and pardon covers all transgressions" (COL156).

As the "Justifier" (Rom 3:26) of every penitent, Christ's ministry was predicted by Isaiah (50:5, 6). He has the final word in declaring the sinner "right" (dike) before God. In this Messianic prophecy the sufferings of the Saviour are first noted. The prophet then confidently testifies that, in spite of his personal accusers, he is certain that "He is near that justifieth me" (Isa 50:7, 8). The concept behind this term is forensic. When the demonic "accuser of the brethren" levels his false charges against the saints, Christ the Judge will declare His brothers and sisters righteous.

Paul asked the question, "Who will lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" and answered it to the effect that no such charges can stand in the judgment. God is ready to justify even the repentant ungodly, who are outside the covenant, through Christ (Rom 4:5; 8:33). This ministry, which grows out of His judicial position, Christ carries out in the celestial Sanctuary. Jesus assures us that His Father has "committed all judgment unto the Son" (John 5:22). As the high priest wore his "breastplate of judgment" as the representative judge of Israel in the earthly Tabernacle, so Christ is arrayed in the accouterments of and is invested with the authority of the supreme Judge in the heavenly Sanctuary.

"When we trust God fully, when we rely upon the merits of Jesus as a sin-pardoning Saviour, we shall receive all the help that we can desire. Let none look to self, as though they had power to save themselves. Jesus died for us because we were helpless to do this. In Him is our hope, our justification, our righteousness. When we see our sinfulness, we should not despond, and fear that we have no Saviour, or that He has no thoughts of mercy toward us. At this very time He is inviting us to come to Him in our helplessness, and be saved" (PP 431).

 

[OntheDL]

The Plan of Salvation was not an After-thought
We have seen that before the priests and high priest of Israel could function certain complex preparations had to be completed. Let us list them: The Tabernacle and all its arrangements and furnishings had been made and consecrated. The priests had been called, vested and ordained for their tasks. The sacrifices were ready to be slain and their blood used in these rites of dedication. The unguent and incense had been readied and applied. Only after the complex structure had been set up and all these ceremonies carried out during a round of seven days,--the number calling attention to perfection and completeness,--could the priests and high priest commence their official duties "on the eighth day." Each of these elements has its counterpart in the celestial Tabernacle where Jesus ministers.

Before Christ could begin his ministry as priest and high priest He, too, must be "taken from among men [and] ordained on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order that he may offer both [non bloody] gifts and [bloody] sacrifices for sin" (Heb 5:1). For "it was necessary that this One also have something which He might offer" (Heb 8:3) before He could mediate on behalf of His people. These requirements He fulfilled when "He offered Himself without spot o God" (Heb 9:14) on Calvary. Unlike Israel's priests, however, who offered daily sacrifices of beasts, Jesus offered "once for all when he offered up Himself" (Heb 7:27).

Then "He ascended to the heavenly courts, and from God Himself heard the assurance that His atonement for the sins of men had been ample, that through His blood all might gain eternal life. The Father ratified the covenant made with Christ, that He would receive repentant and obedient men, and would love them even as He loves His Son. Christ was to complete His work, and fulfill His pledge to `to make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.' All power in heaven and on earth was given to the Prince of life, and He returned to His followers in a world of sin, that He might impart to them of His power and glory" (DA 790, emphasis added). Jesus did not complete His work on Calvary. His resurrection, ascension, and ministry as Priest and High Priest in the Sanctuary in heaven are just as important as His death, for the plan of salvation to be consummated.

Jesus, of course, did not die many separate deaths, such as that of the Paschal lamb, the red heifer, the sin-offering, or the 199 offerings needed at the Feast of Tabernacles. The offering of Himself on the cross once for all embraced every one of the different kinds of sacrifices in the rituals of the Sanctuary, including the killing of the bull and goat on the annual Day of Atonement. This sacrificial aspect of His ministry He "finished." We should study the whole inspired scheme until we can see the significance of each kind of offering embedded in His death. Individually Israel's rites should focus our attention on some aspect of His sacrifice, and this meditation on Calvary will explain them, and reveal their bearing on our daily lives.

After Jesus had been inaugurated in the heavenly Sanctuary as the Victim-Priest, He needed only to apply the efficacy of His "spilled blood" to the needs of His followers. This ministration was symbolized by His fully adequate "sprinkled" blood. The merits of His atoning sacrifice will meet the needs of each individual person to the uttermost. This term includes duration as well as extent.

There was a period in salvation history before which there was no Spirit-ordained heavenly Priest, in a Tabernacle "pitched" by God. These existed for generations only in the mind and purpose of Deity. Then there came the "fullness of the time" when there was both a Tabernacle and Priest in heaven. Five centuries prior to Christ's resurrection Zechariah had foreseen this time when "He shall be a priest upon His throne" (Zech 6:11-15). Paul explained that this occurred when "Christ came as high priest" (Heb 9:11, Taylor), that is, on the day of Pentecost.

Following Calvary "the heavenly Sanctuary had taken the place of the earthly, yet they [the Jews] had no knowledge of the change. Therefore they could not be benefited by the mediation of Christ in the holy place" (EW 260). Notice this language: "Our Saviour is in the Sanctuary pleading in our behalf. He is our interceding High Priest, making an atoning sacrifice for us, pleading in our behalf the efficacy of His blood" (FE 370). Each time He "sprinkles" His blood on individual cases His sacrificial death is being specifically applied.

Let us recapitulate: When Christ presented Himself as the consummated sacrifice to His Father, His atoning blood was accepted. The first use He made of it was to dedicate the heavenly Sanctuary as the "place" in which to fulfill His mission. After everything had been fully set up, Jesus was anointed to minister His blood as priest and high priest on behalf of His people. "Not that He should offer Himself often, as the [earthly] high priest enters into the holies every year with blood of others, for then must He often have suffered from the foundation of the world. But now once in the consummation of the ages hath He been made manifest for the putting away of sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Heb 9:25, 26).

Paul stressed Christ's eternal priesthood by applying the psalmist's phrase (Ps 110:4), "a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek" to Him five times (Heb 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:17, 21). After alerting his readers to the ephemeral nature of the Aaronic high priests the apostle affirmed that "this One, because He continueth ever, has the priesthood which passeth not from one to another" (Heb 7:24, margin). Christ's ministry is also infinitely superior because He conducts it at "the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens" (Heb 8:1), not on earth, but in the celestial Tabernacle, and not with animal blood, but with His own.

The question naturally arises, What are these priestly and high priestly activities now performed by the Saviour "in the heavenlies"?

The Functions of the Priest and the High Priest
Two main functions were carried out by the ministry of the earthly Sanctuary. These specific rituals were conducted in precise areas in the sacred enclosure. The ordinary priest's activities were confined to the court and the holy place on a day to day basis. These services were called "the daily" (tamid in Hebrew). Those of the high priest were performed in the most holy place on the Day of Atonement only. These were "yearly" ministries. The functions of the priest were included in those of the high priest. Anytime the Aaronic high priest chose to perform any service which the priest normally carried out, he was free to do so.

On this analogy we should expect to see the risen and ascended Victim-Priest function in heaven both as a priest helping worshipers on a "daily" basis, and also as the high priest carrying out the "yearly" services of the Day of Atonement. The high priest alone performed the daily as well as the yearly services on every Yom Kippur. Let us now consider the Biblical evidence that Jesus does, indeed, now carry on the "daily" or continual work of the ordinary priest in the "holy place" (4T 122) of the celestial Tabernacle.

Paul called the attention of his Roman friends to the sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection of Jesus as preludes to His ascension to the right hand of God where "He also makes intercession for us" (Rom 8:34) as a Priest (Heb 5:6; 8:4). To the Hebrews he added that "He is able to save also to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them" (Heb 7:25). Enthroned at His Father's right hand with infinite power and authority He is "made manifest [to the universe] in the presence of God for us" (Heb 9:24). The apostle often reminded his readers that Christ was also a high Priest (Heb 7:26-28).

Paul sensed that the triumphs of Christ while on earth put Him in such a position of power in heaven that it calls for an expression of faith and commitment on the part of every Christian. "Having, therefore, brethren boldness to enter into the holiest (ton hagion, the holies) by the blood of Jesus. . . . and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (Heb 10:19-22). The disciple's response should be simple and joyous, "seeing then that we have a great high priest Who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not an high priest who cannot sympathize with our infirmities, but was tempted in all things by way of likeness to us but without sin" (Heb 4:14, 15). "The intercession of Christ in man's behalf in the Sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross" (GC 489). But Christ's work as heavenly priest did not cease with His intercessory ministry. It had other facets.

Paul urged upon his readers the vital truth that the triumphant Christ makes "reconciliation" or "propitiation" for all who accept His ministry. His word hilaskomai is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew kaphar, signifying to cover up. Kaphar has been rendered in twenty different ways in the English Bible (see Young's Concordance). From its root meaning it came to denote to forgive, pardon, expiate, make atonement, purify, appease, blot out or pacify (Ps 25:11; 65:4; 79:9; Dan 9:19; Luke 18:13). The idea in these theological terms is that of making reconciliation through expiation, appeasing or propitiating. This the Saviour accomplishes through His expiatory sacrifice (Rom 3:25; Heb 9:15, 26; 1 Cor 5:7; Eph 5:2).

Hilasterion, from the Greek verbal root, is the name of the mercy seat or cover of the ark (Heb 9:5; LXX Ex 25:17-22; &c) on which the high priest sprinkled blood on the Day of Atonement once a year (Lev 16:13-16). These two uses of the term call our attention both to the day to day reconciliation of sinners performed by the priest, as well as the annual "cleansing" of the people and the Sanctuary on "the Day" by the high priest.

One aspect of the ministry of Christ as priest in the holy place of the celestial Tabernacle consists in applying the benefits of His atoning death to the continuing needs of His people on earth. As the priest took the blood spilled in the outer court and sprinkled it in the holy place, so "Christ must enter a Sanctuary in order to present the sacrifice slain on Calvary" (T. C. Edwards, The Expositor's Bible, Hebrews, 134, 135). And H. B. Swete was right when he affirmed, "Neither the analogy of the Old Testament Day of Atonement, nor the direct teaching of the New Testament, sanctions the doctrine that the priestly work of Christ was finished when He died. If He was delivered for our justification; if we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more . . . we shall be saved by His life. With S. Paul not the Cross and Passion, but the Ascension and the High-priestly intercession are the climax of our Lord's saving work" (The Ascended Christ, 49). It is through "the power of an endless life" that the Victim-Priest now ministers His blood on behalf sinners.

Paul compared another aspect of Christ's ministry in the church, the current "household of God," to Moses' and Aaron's work of administration in Israel, the ancient "household of God" (Heb 3:1-6). As Moses led the tribes of Israel and the high priest supervised the ordinary priests, the Saviour oversees the work of His "kings and priests" (1 Pet 2:5, 9) serving on earth. On Patmos John caught a glimpse of the Saviour robed in the white garments of the ordinary priest, walking among the seven candlesticks, which he knew were located in the holy place. He was there ministering so that the light enjoyed by the members of His church in all ages should shine brightly. He was also managing their affairs through their representative "angels" or leaders here on earth whom He upholds with His nail-marred hands (Rev 1-3). Christ has been "ordained for men in things pertaining to God" as priest and high priest of the celestial Sanctuary (Heb 2:17, 18; 5:1) for this very purpose.

Jesus used David's prediction, "The Lord said to My Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool" (Ps 110:1, 4) as support for His claim to be the Messiah (Mark 12:35-37). Zechariah corroborated the psalmist's point: "Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both" (Zech 6:12, 13). The word tsamach here translated Branch (also used by Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15), invariably points to the Messiah. The high priestly ministry of Jesus is inseparable from His kingship. Like Melchizedek He is the King-Priest, and will one day return to earth as "King of kings, and Lord of lords" to rule supreme forever (Rev 17:14; 19:16). Until then He continually ministers for the eternal well-being of His people.

To summarize: "Thus Christ in His own spotless righteousness, after shedding His precious blood, enters into the holy place to cleanse the Sanctuary. [No confessed and forever forgiven sins were ever recorded in the most holy place]. And there the crimson current is brought into the service of reconciling God to man" (4T 122). As through His daily ministry our Priest cleanses the hearts of His disciples, He prepares them for the final Day of Atonement cleansing which concludes just prior to His second coming.

 

[OntheDL]

With Jesus on Calvary
Freedom from Sin's Bondage​

Some readers of the Bible feel that a detailed study of the various sacrifices connected with the Sanctuary services is a useless exercise. Because they think that the fine points of the different rituals are valueless, they skip over the chapters dealing with them. But to the student who believes that the Scriptures "are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Cor 10:11), and that "all things must be fulfilled [by Jesus], which were written in the law of Moses" (Luke 24:44), and that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable" (2 Tim 3:16), these intricacies are priceless and challenging. Such an investigator will zestfully delve into their meanings, and be rewarded with rich insights into the plan of salvation and the work of Christ. He will soon discover that each detail is a window into the significance of the great Sacrifice presented in the heavenly Sanctuary where the concluding phases of the redemption are being enacted by our great High Priest.

The bloody sacrifices and non-bloody offerings presented at the Tabernacle of Israel set forth the sufferings of the Lamb of God, and illustrate the ways in which He atones for the sinner with His life. Each one has three basic elements:
(1) the designated offerer,
(2) the prescribed offering,
(3) the officiating priest

And their focus is always on Jesus. As Offerer He displays His character to man as perfect Man. As Offering He lays down His life for man as perfect Substitute. As Priest He pleads His victory on behalf of man as perfect God-Man. Eternal Spirit, grant us Thy light as we study the Sacrifice in type.

The Nuances of the Offerings Clarify Christ's Sacrifice
The particulars which Inspiration has given concerning the victims used in the various ceremonies display the qualities of Christ's character, the nature of His person, and the scope of His ministry, all aglow with glory.

Because the Saviour is many things, and fills many roles, many types and symbols are needed to depict Him. No one illustration is complete in itself. All the pieces must be put together before a clear and comprehensive portrait can be obtained.

Jesus is the ultimate Offerer, The rabbis remember that "the ways of God differ from those of man; whereas man directs others to do a thing while he does nothing, God only tells Israel to do and observe those things which He Himself does" (Midrash Exodus Rabbah, 30:9, 355). No one compelled the Son of God to "the altar of the cross" to die (John 10:18; Signs 1 Dec 1898). He willingly presented Himself to His Father on behalf of His condemned brothers and sisters. To be able to do this Jesus emptied Himself of the independent exercise of His divine prerogatives which would have made it impossible for Him to die (Phil 2:5-9). He then assumed the role of the Kinsman Redeemer, or goel (Lev 25:25; cf. Ruth 2:20; 3:2, 9, 12) of the criminal race (Heb 2:14-18), in abject flight from the avenger of blood. And since man had nothing with which to pay his debt, and must die, the Saviour, as the ultimate Offerer, laid down His life to cancel both with His blood.


The Ritual Shows the Sinner's Part
The ritual illustrates how the penitent identifies with the victim. The rabbis believe that when the sinner took the life of his sacrifice it was as though he were offering up his own life (Midrash Leviticus Rabbah 3:5, 40, 41).

"The sacrifice takes the place of the person offering it. With him it is essentially connected, the sacrificer gives himself in and with his offering, and in this surrender the sacrifice assists him" (Religion in Essence and Manifestation, G. van der Loeuv).

The rubric stipulated that while he was confessing his sins, the penitent must lay his hands on its head. This symbolically transferred his guilt away from himself and on to his substitute. Believing that the creature now bore the burden of his sin, he slew the sacrifice with his own hand. By his act he acknowledged that, as a sinner, he was guilty and therefore deserving of death.

And that, since the victim had become his stand-in, he was responsible for its death. Then by faith he believed that it had suffered the penal death which he should have undergone. Now that his penalty had been paid, he rejoiced at his release from the guilt of sin, and the cancellation of the sentence of death which had hung over him. These typical details anticipated the sinner's relationship to the sacrificial ministry of the Lamb of God, and assured him that he was "accepted in the Beloved" (Eph 1:6).

Jesus, the ultimate Offering, assumed the position of man condemned under the law. The goal of His sublime act of self-emptying is to ensure that "as He is, so are we in this world" (I John 4:17). On a dateless date in the council of peace, the Deity agreed (EW 149) that Jesus should come to this earth as man's "faultless example" (5T 223) and "holy substitute" (1SM 256). Prior to His incarnation He vowed, "Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart" (Ps 40:6-8; cf. Heb 10:5-9). As Mary's Baby that "holy Thing" assumed the body especially "fitted" for His conflicts and tasks (Heb 10:5, margin), and, as the Sin-Offering, He deliberately laid it on the altar to die for all mankind. And because He took man's place on the cross, humanity was executed in Him. In life and in death Jesus set the perfect example as the ultimate Offering.

The Various Victims Represent the Multi-faceted Sacrifice
Since every sacrifice represented the holy Jesus, the beasts and birds must be perfect, without "spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing" (Eph 5:27). Because Christ is our Creator, humankind emanated from Him in the beginning, and thus, when He became man, it was still true that we, including every man and woman who has ever lived, are "in Him." Because Jesus is free from all guilt, He was entitled to pay man's ransom. On the cross humanity died in Him.

When Jesus came to earth to fulfill His mission He was aware that the real objective which lay at the foundation of His sacrifice transcended death. The Godhead required more than His dying. Deity demanded perfect obedience as well as all-embracing mercy, and was not satisfied with a merely cruel and merciless sacrificial killing. These the Saviour fully gave, affirming, "Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire . . . I delight to do thy will, O My God" (Heb 10:5-9; Matt 9:13; 12:7). And now He wants His ransomed ones to have this kind of submission and obedience growing out of hearts of love and appreciation.

But the fallen race needs even more than the Saviour's substitutionary death to value and Example to emulate. In order to begin a life of faith each believer must have the presence of Christ in his heart. This he may receive through the ministry of the risen High Priest. From the celestial Sanctuary He is ready to give the power of omnipotent grace through the Spirit abiding in the disciple's life (John 3:3, 5; Gal 2:20, 21).

Christ is the Ultimate Priest
Jesus is the ultimate Priest, dimly illustrated by Israel's frail and ephemeral mediators. After the victim had poured out its life, the priest was needed to take this "spilled blood" to where the sinner longed to go, into the holy place of God's presence. There he "sprinkled" the blood to bring about the atonement for the worshiper. To accomplish this for His people, Christ, as Priest and High Priest, entered the heavenly Shrine to serve with the blood He had spilled on Calvary. He is the indispensable daily link between God and man. Then, on the antitypical Day of Atonement, He will minister the merits of His "sprinkled blood" at the throne of grace in the most holy place to vindicate the characters He has helped every penitent soul to develop.

Because Christ embraces every one of His disciples within Himself, He is able to present them to God as His sons and daughters. In the heavenly Sanctuary He is the Offerer, the Offering and the Priest, and so is able to claim His victory on their behalf. These truths are revealed in every sacrifice. Man offers himself to God through Christ, and God accepts man in Christ.

 

[OntheDL]

Every Sacrifice Depicts Christ in Some Fashion
In each offering we should look for three concepts: (1) man's view of Christ's sacrifice, (2) God's view of Christ's sacrifice, and (3) God's view of man's sacrifice in Christ. "The system of offerings appointed to Israel may thus be regarded as a book of pictures, sketched in shadowy outline, indicating to God's people the work which was to be accomplished by Divine grace when the fullness of the time should have come" (R. B. Girdlestone, Synonyms of the Old Testament, 185)

Cleansing Elements
In the Levitical system three elements are used to bring about ritual purification: blood, water and fire, and their functions are interdependent. Together they focus on aspects of the ministry of Jesus.

Blood
We have already considered the use of blood in the court. Let us examine it further. The Lord declares that "the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Lev 17:11; Gen 9:4, 5). The Hebrew of the last clause has been rendered, "for it is the blood with the living being that covers" (BDB 498), and the RSV suggests "by reason of the life." In the sacrificial system blood is used frequently as a symbol representing the innocent victim's life laid down in the stead of the guilty penitent. But the atoning or cleansing efficacy of Christ's blood is contingent on the quality of the life He lived before and following His resurrection.

Physiologically blood is the finest cleansing agent in the body, working instantaneously to carry away every particle of lifeless matter from each part of the tissue. In the ritual law blood is the paramount agent for cleansing the necrotic effects of sin in the lives of the worshipers. This symbolic usage anticipated the gospel reality embedded in the marvelous words: "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin" (1 John 1:7), for "it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul" (Lev 1:4). And, because of its Source and eternal results it is most "precious" (1 Pet 1:19).

The sacrificial blood employed in the Sanctuary ritual, and representing the blood of the Lamb of God, was used to record the confessed sins which had been repented of and forgiven. These records were placed on the veil and the horns of the golden altar in the holy place, and on the horns of the brazen altar in the court. In the New Testament the word blood is always used to remind us of the sacrifice of Jesus. It is mentioned three times as often as is His cross, and five times as frequently as His death, and its functions are carefully spelled out. Blood is said to cleanse (Lev 16:19; 1 John 1:7), justify (Rom 5:9), reconcile (Eph 2:13), redeem (Eph 1:7), sanctify (Heb 10:29), and remit sin (Heb 9:22).

Sinners who are reconciled to God by Christ's death, are saved by His life (Rom 5:10). Sacrificial blood declares that the victim has surrendered everything, even life itself, absolutely and finally (cf. John 19:30, 34). In some rituals blood was typified by wine, the essence of the grape. In the Upper Room Jesus embedded wine, as the symbol of His own spilled blood, in the Communion Service He there established. Through it He wishes to help His disciples to realize that by drinking the wine they are identifying with His life surrendered on Calvary (cf. John 6:53-57; DA 660, 661).

Water
We have considered water in connection with the laver. Let us look at it again. Water is the most effective agent for removing superficial defilement from the skin of the body, as well as from clothes and the home itself. It works easily and painlessly. Paul compared water-cleansing to the efficacy of the inspired messages of Scripture applied to the believer's mind by the regenerating Spirit (Tit 3:5, 6; Eph 5:26, 27). This divine word penetrates to the "joints and marrow" (Heb 4:12) of existence, to expose "the thoughts and intents of the heart." The scope of its cleansing is illustrated by Christian baptism (Acts 22:16), and the ordinance of foot washing (John 13:8-17). In the rituals of Israel water pointed to the "fountain for sin and uncleanness" (Zech 13:1) which would flow from the riven heart of Christ (John 19:30, 34). Blood and water combine to ensure the acceptability and effectiveness of the sacrifice.

Fire
We have thought of the fire of God burning on the copper altar. Let us review its significance. "Our God is a consuming fire" (Heb 12:29). Fire is also a symbol of a function of the Holy Spirit. Fire is the finest agent for destroying rubbish and defilement permanently. Through the fire of His presence Jehovah purges away the dross from the sinner (Mal 3:2, 3), and Christ purifies (Isa 4:4), cleanses (Isa 6:6, 7), and consumes the refuse (Isa 33:14) of life.

The altar fire was no ordinary flame. It was kindled by God Himself (Lev 9:24), and symbolized His act of accepting what was worthy (cf. Jud 6:21; 1 Kings 18:38; 1 Chron 21:26; 2 Chron 7:1). Paul understood that the valuable materials, "the pure gold, the refined silver, the precious stones,-- faith and obedience and good works" (PK 410), day by day built into the character by faith and grace, would be made incandescent through the divine fire, while the useless "wood, hay, stubble" would eventually be burned up (1 Cor 3:12-15).

At the altar built outside the Garden of Eden Divine "fire [had] flashed from heaven and consumed the sacrifice" (PP 71) of righteous Abel (Gen 4:4). The same fire ratified Abraham's covenant offering (Gen 15:17), and accepted the victim presented at the consecration of Aaron (Lev 9:24). It validated Gideon's gift to the Theophanic Angel (Jud 6:21), and received Manoah's offering (Jud 13:19). David's sacrifice (1 Chron 21:26; 3BC 1127), and Solomon's offering at the dedication of the Temple (2 Chron 7:1), were lifted heavenward by a spark from the celestial torch. The last manifestation of this heavenly flame recorded in the Old Testament validated Elijah's sacrifice on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:38), and fitted the prophet for his ascent in the "chariot of fire" (2 Kings 2:11). At the empowering of the disciples heavenly "tongues of fire" purified their gospel-laden lips to launch the New Testament church on its mission of salvation through inspired preaching (Acts 2:1-4). The first mention of the word fire in the Old Testament is in connection with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:24). Its last mention describes the lake of fire in which the wicked are destroyed (Rev 21:8).

The ritual law prescribed two kinds of burning, and used a specific word for each.

Katar, which literally means to turn to smoke or vaporize, produced a result which was considered a "sweet savor" by God, and gave Him satisfaction. It is used of the burnt-offering, the mincah, or meal-and drink-offerings, and the fat of the peace-offerings, all burned on the altar in the court. The apostle Paul recognized Jesus in this offering. Christ, he said, "hath given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor" (Eph 5:2). It is also used to describe the eucharistic burning of the incense on the golden altar in the holy place.

Another word, saraph, meaning to consume or burn up, is used of sin-offerings reduced to ash outside the court. The apostle Paul recognized Jesus in this offering also. God "hath made Him to be sin [literally sin-offering, the same word in Greek] for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (1 Cor 5:21). There is never any idea of a "sweet savor" connected with this immolation. It is judicial and penal and final.

Blood, Water and Fire are Important Symbols
The realities illustrated by the blood, water and fire, which were so important in rendering the Sanctuary ritual pleasing to God, are mirrored in the loveliness of His life and the scope of His ministry, and focus on Jesus Himself. And now as we study the four great offerings which represent Him we should be on the look out for the ways in which they display His sufferings and death and final triumph.

Three of these rituals, the burnt-, peace-, and sin-offerings, required the death of the victims. Their virtue lay in the blood. And when the spilled blood was splashed on the golden or brazen altars, the triumphant proclamation was typically made, Christ died for all mankind.

The meal-and drink-offerings were non-bloody, consisting of grains, olive oil, and grape juice. They represented mankind's harvest, "his fruits, the products of his labor" (PP 72, "his" in italics), that is, his works. In them everything he had acquired or possessed as the result of the sweat of his brow, was being laid upon the altar. When the priest put this non-bloody offering on the top of the bloody sacrifice, the worshiper remembered that "Christ emptied Himself," and announced that he was following in His steps. This human "gift" "filled up" the self-emptying [or kenosis] of the Son of God (Phil 2:5-11).

The "drink-offering," consisting of "the blood of the grape," symbolized the pouring upon the altar of the very essence of life (cf. Heb 12:4; Luke 22:44), and was fulfilled when Jesus hung everything He had enjoyed as Deity upon the cross. These two types of offering, the bloody and the non-bloody, declared that the penitent had placed upon the altar his life and all he had so as to "fill up the sufferings" of Christ.

With this introduction let us enter the court of the Tabernacle and consider the complex rituals carried out by the priest.