Us With Jesus: Ministry

UWJ|TT14: Disposing Spiritual Garbage

1. When a person's sins were pardoned and transferred to the sanctuary, what service took place on the tenth day of the seventh month of each year?

"Tt shall be a statute to you forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and shall do no kind of work, whether native-born or a stranger who lives as a foreigner among you; for on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you. You shall be clean trom all your sins before Yahweh. Leviticus 16:29, 30.

NOTE: This is the Day of Atonement.

2. How was the sanctuary itself to be cleansed, and how were the sins of the people to be finally disposed of?

"He [High Priest] shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.... He shall take the two goats, and set them before Yahweh at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for the scapegoat.' Leviticus 16:5-8.

NOTE: The Hebrew word for scapegoat is "Azazel." It is used as a proper name, and, according to the opinion of most ancient Hebrews and Christians, refers to Satan, or the angel who revolted and persisted in rebellion and sin. See Frank Holbrook, "Sanctuary of Salvation, Ministry, January 1983, p.16.

3. What was done with the blood of the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell?

"Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat." Leviticus 16:15.

4. Why was it necessary to make this atonement?

"He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins; and so he shall do for the Tent of Meeting that dwells with them in the middle of their uncleanness." Leviticus 16:16.

NOTE: Sins were transferred and remained in the sanctuary during the year by the blood of the personal sin-offerings offered daily. On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest went into the Most Holy Place with the blood of the goat on which the Lord's lot fell. And bearing the accumulated sins of the year before the mercy seat, the High Priest there, in type, atoned for them, and so cleansed the sanctuary.

5. After having made atonement for the people in the Most Holy Place, what did the High Priest do next?

"When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is ready. Leviticus 16:20, 21.

NOTE: The offering of the Lord's goat cleansed the sanctuary. By this offering the sins of the people, transferred there during the year, were, in type atoned for; but they were not by this offering finally disposed of, or destroyed. The scapegoat, symbolizing Satan, the great tempter and originator of sin, was brought to the sanctuary, and upon his head were placed all these sins which Satan had tempted Gods people to commit.

6. What final disposition was made of the sins of the people?

"The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness." Leviticus 16:22. 9

7. What does this earthly sanctuary symbolize?

"This is a symbol of the present age....." Hebrews 9:9.

8. By what comparison is shown that the heavenly sanctuary will be cleansed?

"It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." Hebrews 9:23.

9. Is there a specified time for the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary?

"He said to me, 'To two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary will be cleansed.'" Daniel 8:14.

10. What event is directly connected with the blotting out of sins and the final refreshing from God's presence?

"Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets." Acts 3:19-21.

11. After Christ has finished His priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, what decree will go forth?

"He who acts unjustly, let him act unjustly still. He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let him do righteousness still. He who is holy, let him be holy still. Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work." Revelation 22:11,12