The Sanctuary-Part II
The services of the Sanctuary
“And he said unto me, unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Daniel 8:14
In part I of our lesson of the sanctuary, we dealt with the structure of the sanctuary which was built by Moses according to the heavenly pattern he was shown by God.
We will now shift our focus to the services that relate to the sanctuary theme from which we will derive some important truths for our time.
“Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for My mouth it hath commanded, and His spirit it hath gathered them.” Isaiah 34:16.
Contents:
- The Priest and the high Priest
- The two services of the sanctuary
- The Daily ministration
- The Day of atonement
- Type meets Antitype
1. The Priest and the high Priest
Read: Numbers 18:2-6; 1:47-54
The Bible presents to us the clear distinction between the common priest and the high priest. However, the distinction becomes even clearer as we look at the original appointment of the priesthood of Israel.
“By divine direction the tribe of Levi was set apart for the service of the sanctuary. In the earliest times every man was the priest of his own household. In the days of Abraham the priesthood was regarded as the birthright of the eldest son.”Lev.3:40-51 “Now, instead of the first-born of all Israel, the Lord accepted the tribe of Levi for the work of the sanctuary. By this signal honour He manifested His approval of their fidelity, both in adhering to His service and in executing His judgements when Israel apostatised in the worship of the golden calf. The priesthood, however, was restricted to the family of Aaron. Aaron and his
sons alone were permitted to minister before the Lord; the rest of the tribe were entrusted with the charge of the tabernacle and its furniture, and they were to attend upon the priests in their ministration, but they were not to sacrifice, to burn incense, or to see the holy things till they were covered.”PP.350.
(i) The common priests
“Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.” Hebrews 9:6,7.
“The priests ministered daily in the holy place, while once a year the high priest performed a special work of atonement in the most holy, for the cleansing of the sanctuary.” GC.418.
(ii) The high priest
Read: Exodus 28;39:1-30
“The robe of the common priest was of white linen, and woven in one piece. It extended nearly to the feet and was confined about the waist by a white linen girdle embroidered in blue, purple, and red. A linen turban, or mitre, completed his outer costume...The garments of the high priest were of costly material and beautiful workmanship, befitting his exalted station. In addition to the linen dress of the common priest, he wore a robe of blue, also woven in one piece. Around the skirt it was ornamented with golden bells, and pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet. Outside of this was the ephod, a shorter garment of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and white. It was confined by a girdle of the same colours, beautifully wrought. The ephod was sleeveless, and on its gold-embroidered shoulder pieces were set two onyx stones, bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.” PP.350,351.
2. The two services of the sanctuary
The ministry of the sanctuary can be divided into two services, viz. Daily and yearly services.
a. The daily services
“The daily service consisted of the morning and evening burnt offering, the offering of sweet incense on the golden altar, and the special offerings for individual sins. And there were also offerings for sabbaths, new moons, and special feasts. Every morning and evening a lamb of a year old was burned upon the altar, with its appropriate meat offering, thus symbolising the daily consecration of the nation to Jehovah, and their constant dependence upon the atoning blood of Christ.” PP.352
“Day by day the repentant sinner brought his offering to the door of the tabernacle and, placing his hand upon the victim's head, confessed his sins, thus in figure transferring them from himself to the innocent sacrifice. The animal was then slain. "Without shedding of blood," says the apostle, there is no remission of sin. "The life of the flesh is in the blood." Leviticus 17:11. The broken law of God demanded the life of the transgressor. The blood, representing the forfeited life of the sinner, whose guilt the victim bore, was carried by the priest into the holy place and sprinkled before the veil, behind which was the ark containing the law that the sinner had transgressed. By this ceremony the sin was, through the blood, transferred in figure to the sanctuary. In some cases the blood was not taken into the holy place; but the flesh was then to be eaten by the priest, as Moses directed the sons of Aaron, saying: "God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation." Leviticus 10:17. Both ceremonies alike symbolized the transfer of the sin from the penitent to the sanctuary.” GC.418.
b. The yearly services
The sins of Israel were thus transferred to the sanctuary, and a special work became necessary for their removal. God commanded that an atonement be made for each of the sacred apartments. "He shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness." An atonement was also to be made for the altar, to "cleanse it, and hallow if from the uncleanness of the children of Israel." Leviticus 16:16, 19.
“Once a year, on the great Day of Atonement, the priest entered the most holy place for the cleansing of the sanctuary. The work there performed completed the yearly round of ministration. On the Day of Atonement two kids of the goats were brought to the door of the tabernacle, and lots were cast upon them, "one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat." Verse 8. The goat upon which fell the lot for the Lord was to be slain as a sin offering for the people. And the priest was to bring his blood within the veil and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. The blood was also to be sprinkled upon the altar of incense that was before the veil. "And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited." Verses 21, 22. The scapegoat came no more into the camp of Israel, and the man who led him away was required to wash himself and his clothing with water before returning to the camp.” GC.419.
3. Type meets antitype
Type means shadow or figure; antitype means real and original. All the sacrificial events have been fulfilled in Christ. “Important truths concerning the atonement are taught by the typical service…Such was the service performed ‘unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.’ Hebrews 8:5.GC.420
Study questions
(i) What was God’s purpose for establishing the sanctuary service?
v Exodus 25:8,9;29:43-46;Hebrews 8:5
(ii) How did John describe Jesus and why?
v John 1:29;Leviticus 4:32
(iii) Who did the earthly priest represent?
v Hebrews 4:14; 8:1,2
(iv) What does the blood represent in the sanctuary services?
v Leviticus 17:11;Hebrews 9:22
(v) What did the daily services represent?
v Hebrews 9:12
(vi) What did the earthly Day of Atonement represent?
v Hebrews 9:7,24-26
(vii) What is Jesus doing now in heavenly most holy place?
v Leviticus 16:30;Hebrews 7:25; I Timothy 2:5
(viii) What does the cleansing of the sanctuary mean?
v Hebrews 9:24-26;4:15,16
(ix) What is our duty as the people of God living in the antitypical Day of Atonement?
v I John 1:9
(x) What was represented by azazel?
v Revelation 12:9
(xi) What does the symbol of ‘putting the sins of the people upon azazel and sending him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness’ represent?
v Psalm 103:12;Acts 3:19-21;Revelation 20:10
The Sanctuary
Compilation by Thabo Senooane for UPETECH SDASM Baptismal Class.
The Sanctuary –Part III
“And he said unto me, unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Daniel 8:14
The prophetic time -2300 days, is one of the most important reckonings given by God both in the Bible and in history. It is in understanding this period that the student of the Bible will be able to discern the saving work of Christ in full. Moreover, it strengthens one’s conviction and faith in God about the authority of His Word.
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the Word of our God shall stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8. The same Word that proclaimed the rise and fall of the nations is the same that proclaims the 2300 days; and He says: “Yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” Isaiah 46:11.
1. When does the Bible say the cleansing of the sanctuary will take place?
v Daniel 8:14
2. Which event marks out the beginning of the 2300 days?
v Daniel 9:25
3. Who gave the decree/Commandment?
v Ezra 6:14; 7:11-13
The beginning of the 2300 days was marked out by the commandment or decree to restore and build Jerusalem. In the autumn of 457 B.C., Artexerxes, king of the Medes and the Persians, gave the most complete decree to restore civil authority and build walls of Jerusalem.
4. What does a day in prophecy stand for?
v Ezekiel 4:6;Numbers 14:34
Ø “2300 days” = “2300 years”
4. How far does the 2300 years stretch from the “going forth of the commandment”?
Beginning of 2300 years / End of 2300 years457 BC / 1 BC-1 AD / 1844
Decree of Artexerxes / (no zero year)
457 BC-1 BC = 456 Years / 1 BC- 1 AD = 1 Year / 1844 AD- 1 AD = 1843
456 Years + 1 Year + 1843 Years =
2300 days analysed
v Daniel 9:24:
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city.”
Heretofore is the angel of the Lord speaking unto Daniel, giving unto him an explanation of the things which must come to pass. We will agree on the point that Daniel was an Israelite who was brought to Babylon when the Israelites were conquered and exiled there. This is the reason why the angel uses the expression: “upon thy [Daniel] people and upon thy holy city”.
The seventy weeks would start from the “going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem.” This period was cut off from the ‘2300 days’.
Let us see what this means:
1 Day = 1 Year1 Week = 7 Days
1 Score = 20
70 weeks = 70 x 7 = 490 days/ years
Four hundred and ninety years was determined for Daniel’s people!
This leaves us with eighteen hundred and ten years, i.e. 2300 – 490 = 1810 yrs.
What was to take place during the 490 years?
Verse 24 continues: “…to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.”
“Seventy weeks, then, or 490 days of the 2300, were allotted to Jerusalem and the Jews. The events which were to be consummated within that period are briefly stated. The transgression was to be finished, that is, the Jewish people were to fill up the cup of their iniquity, which they did in rejection and crucifixion of Christ. An end of sins or of sin offerings was to be made. This took place when the great offering was made on Calvary. Reconciliation for iniquity was to be provided. This was accomplished by the sacrificial death of the Son of God. Everlasting righteousness was to be brought in, the righteousness which our Lord manifested in His sinless life. The vision and the prophecy were to be sealed or made sure.” Uriah Smith, Daniel and the Revelation, p.203.
v Daniel 9:25
· For seven weeks/49 days (years) “the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troubulous times.”
“They builded, and finished [it], according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artexerxes king of Persia.”
Ezra 6:14
· Threescore and two weeks – [60 weeks + 2 weeks = 62 weeks x 7 = 434 days/years]
· Daniel 9:26
· “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off.”
We have dealt with the “seven weeks” in verse 24. Now we are dealing with the “sixty two weeks” which we will add up to the “seven weeks” to give us a sum of “sixty nine weeks”. [62 weeks+ 7 weeks = 69 weeks. This can also be expressed as follows: 434 days/years + 49days/years = 483 days/years]
“Sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years, were to extend to Messiah the Prince. Dating from 457 BC, they ended in A.D 27. What event then occurred? Luke thus informs us: “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was open, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice come from heaven, which said, Thou art My beloved Son; in whom I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21, 22. After this Jesus came “preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, the time is fulfilled.” Mark 1:14, 15. The time here mentioned must have been some specific, definite, and predicted period; but no prophetic period can be found terminating than except the sixty nine weeks of the prophecy of Daniel, which were to extend to Messiah the Prince.” Verse 24. The Messiah had now come and with His own lips He announced the termination of that period which was to be marked by His manifestation.” Uriah Smith. Daniel and the Revelation, p.213.