Posted By: Charity
Atonement at the Golden Altar - The Final Phase - 08/16/19 06:41 PM
We're told in Hebrews that the ancient sanctuary was patterned after the sanctuary in heaven where Christ ministers for us today as our great high priest. Most Christians have been taught that the atonement of Christ for humanity was completed at the cross so the ministry of Christ in heaven is something of a mystery to them. While they believe that Christ ministers His grace to help them in times of need, they generally reject or do not see the inseparable connection between the law of God and the grace of God; that having died for us Christ as mediator of the New Covenant now ministers His grace in order to liberate humanity from the chains of sin, the transgression of the law, renewing us in character and writing and restoring His law of love, His changeless character, on our hearts, minds and souls.
Adventists and all Christians agree that all of this is done for us by the virtue and power of the life-blood of Christ. But what exactly is involved in this blood mediation going on in Heaven now in our behalf? Below we'll look at the blood, the altars, the various blood sacrifices etc to see if we can come to a clearer understanding of what exactly Christ is doing as our mediator in the heavenly sanctuary today; how He as our Priest is applying His blood to our lives to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Atonement by blood in the Mosaic tabernacle occurred at three locations - at the bronze altar, at the golden altar and the mercy-seat. These locations are the sanctuaries within the sanctuary where blood atonement was offered. But more than this it is at these sites that overcoming power was and is obtained through the mediation of Christ.
Speaking of these sites David, inspired by the Holy Spirit sang: "Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts." Psa 84:3. The intercession of Christ at these most holy sites within the heavenly sanctuary benefits not only humanity but also all of creation, even the little birds.
The sacrifices required for atonement by blood are divinely classed into two main categories - blood atonement by burnt offerings and blood atonement by sin offerings. Burnt offerings are preeminent in the daily corporate service while sin offerings have preeminence in the yearly but both are present throughout all the services and both are critical.
In the daily service the corporate offering called "the continual burnt offering" was the focal point of the morning and evening national worship. Significantly, in list of offerings by individuals the burnt offering also heads the list.
The law of the daily corporate service of the sanctuary was this: Each day's service began and ended with these sacrifices. All offerings throughout the remainder of the day were in effect offered on the continual burnt offering. Its perpetual nature was underscored in that the evening offering at the start of the day (a biblical day starts at sundown) was kindled and burned all night by the priests until morning when the morning sacrifice was offered. This sacred fire, like the fire of the golden altar, was never to go out. All sacrifices were in effect offered upon these, including all sin offerings.
The law of the continual burnt offering is summarized in the sixth chapter of Leviticus:
The meaning? Of course Christ is typified in the offering. But notice carefully that this offering does not atone for a specific sin but for sin generally by 1) the blood and 2) the entire consumption of the sacrifice. The preeminence of the burnt offering in the daily service teaches that the primary work of Christ in our behalf is to deal with our sinful natures. The solution for our souls is not to surgically remove individual sins but instead the remedy is a complete make-over of our entire beings. And for that purpose Christ offered up Himself in our place as a complete sacrifice, body, soul and spirit to the Father. The good news is that now He mediates the merits of His entire sacrifice for us before the mercy-seat, praise God. His own blood covers the mercy seat and the broken law of God that otherwise condemns and eternally dooms us because in our fallen flesh there is no good thing.
We'll get to the atonement of Christ for specific sins momentarily but first notice that besides the corporate burnt offering described in Numbers 28 and in Leviticus 6 quoted above in Leviticus 1 God also invited the Hebrews to bring individual burnt offerings. Three things characterized the burnt offering of the individual and these three typify the offering of ourselves to God today:
1. The offering was completely voluntary. Today, our decision to yield our hearts and lives to Him moment by moment is likewise completely voluntary.
2. The warm blood of the victim was caught in a bowl and applied all around the altar to each side of it, dashed against its four walls but never applied to those walls by hand and never applied to its horns. (We'll come back to those points.) In the same way the altar of our faith must be totally surrounded and cleansed by the blood of Christ.
3. The entire animal, every living part, was consumed on the altar. In the same way the sacrifice of ourselves must be complete. Nothing can be withheld. Unlike the sin, peace and thank offerings, no part of the burnt offering was eaten either by the priest or by the offeror. Like the corporate burnt offering, it was totally consumed by fire, a pleasing aroma to God.
We should be encouraged by this picture that reassures us that God who reads our motives delights in our undivided, wholehearted service to Him. When we willingly and gladly give Him our all it is indeed a delight, a pleasing aroma to Him.
The Sin Offering
Recall that the blood of the burnt offerings was thrown from the bowl against the sides of the bronze altar; that it was never applied to the horns of the bronze or golden altars and it was never brought within the tabernacle or temple. In contrast, the blood of the sin offerings was never thrown onto the sides of the bronze altar but instead was applied by hand to the horns of the bronze or golden altars. Think about the implications of these things. As the Spirit brings conviction He places His hand, even His finger, on our sins. This is an invitation for us to petition the very throne of God for mercy and grace, and to seek His divine overcoming power. When we place every ounce of our will on the side of righteousness our wills are immediately empowered by the life-blood of Christ, Satan flees and sin is expelled from the soul.
In the sin offering the remainder of the blood, the majority, was poured out at the base of the bronze altar. The fat of the sin offering was burned on the bronze altar and the flesh of it was not eaten by the offeror but only by the priest who offered it. The right action of the will is critical to victory but all overcoming power is from a source outside of ourselves for which we take no credit.
In the Mosaic service there were four main classes of sin offerings:
1. Offerings for sins of ingnorance. Leviticus 4.
2. Offerings for failing to discharge a duty to testify, for ceremonial uncleaness and for rash speech. All these sins required the same kind of offering and unique atonement procedure. Leviticus 5:1-13
3. Sin offerings for unintentional mistakes in the ceremonial requirements of the law. These had unique requirements as well that should be studied. Leviticus 5:14-19
4. Sin offerings for sins against another person. These were called guilt offerings which also had a unique procedure that should be closely studied. Leviticus 6:1-7.
The first sin offering the Lord lists in Leviticus 4 is the offering of the high priest for sins of ignorance and the second immediately following is the offering of the congregation, also for sins committed in ignorance. A careful reading of these two provisions shows that 1) the ritual for both is identical - what can that mean? - and 2) these are the only sacrifices in the daily service where the blood is brought within the sanctuary, applied to the horns of the golden altar, and sprinkled in front of the veil seven times before God. Notice, the only sins that defiled the golden altar were sins of ignorance.
Leviticus 4 combined with chapter 16, deserves close study because these scriptures are fulfilled in Revelation 4, 5, 8 and 9, which Ellen White states relate to that future time when the judgment sits and the books are opened. Anciently, on the Day of Atonement the sin of Israel was purged in two main acts of atonement: 1) The cleansing at the mercy seat followed immediately by 2) the cleansing at the golden altar. Comparing these passages with those in Revelation it appears that the cleansing at the mercy seat typifies the atonement of all confessed sin, while the final cleansing at the golden altar is for sins committed in ignorance.
The blood atonement at the golden altar cleansing us of our sins of ignorance also corresponds in my view to the final blotting out of sin which the apostle says occurs at the times of refreshing which are upon us. Acts 3:19. In order for us to benefit from this final mediatorial work of Christ our known sins must be confessed and forsaken beforehand. It is essential that these known sins go beforehand to judgment, I Timothy 5:24. Today the church of God is standing by faith before the bar of God, before the mercy seat. But when Christ leaves the mercy seat to atone at the golden altar no atonement remains for unconfessed and unforsaken sins. Only the atonement left is the blotting out of our sins of ignorance. When Christ applies the blood with His very finger to the altar of our souls we are enlightened and discover our need for His cleansing grace which is richly made available. If we confess our sin He is faithful to forgive us our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
In Revelation 8 we have a picture of this last phase of Christ's ministry at the golden altar. After the dramatic pause when the Father takes his seat and asks who is worthy to open the book, much incense is given by Christ to mingle with the prayers of the saints at the altar. Their prayers and wholehearted service come up to God mingled with and made acceptable by the righteousness of Christ. By virtue of the blood atonement applied by the divine finger to their lives and to the horns of the golden altar the church stands vindicated before God. Then holy fire is taken from the altar and scattered on the earth. This is the latter rain, the final cleansing that completes the purging of the golden altar and the church. When this holy fire is cast on the earth, the trumpets follow and at the sixth trumpet voices issue from the golden altar's horns indicating the blood atonement of the altar and of the church is accomplished.
Adventists and all Christians agree that all of this is done for us by the virtue and power of the life-blood of Christ. But what exactly is involved in this blood mediation going on in Heaven now in our behalf? Below we'll look at the blood, the altars, the various blood sacrifices etc to see if we can come to a clearer understanding of what exactly Christ is doing as our mediator in the heavenly sanctuary today; how He as our Priest is applying His blood to our lives to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Atonement by blood in the Mosaic tabernacle occurred at three locations - at the bronze altar, at the golden altar and the mercy-seat. These locations are the sanctuaries within the sanctuary where blood atonement was offered. But more than this it is at these sites that overcoming power was and is obtained through the mediation of Christ.
Speaking of these sites David, inspired by the Holy Spirit sang: "Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts." Psa 84:3. The intercession of Christ at these most holy sites within the heavenly sanctuary benefits not only humanity but also all of creation, even the little birds.
The sacrifices required for atonement by blood are divinely classed into two main categories - blood atonement by burnt offerings and blood atonement by sin offerings. Burnt offerings are preeminent in the daily corporate service while sin offerings have preeminence in the yearly but both are present throughout all the services and both are critical.
In the daily service the corporate offering called "the continual burnt offering" was the focal point of the morning and evening national worship. Significantly, in list of offerings by individuals the burnt offering also heads the list.
The law of the daily corporate service of the sanctuary was this: Each day's service began and ended with these sacrifices. All offerings throughout the remainder of the day were in effect offered on the continual burnt offering. Its perpetual nature was underscored in that the evening offering at the start of the day (a biblical day starts at sundown) was kindled and burned all night by the priests until morning when the morning sacrifice was offered. This sacred fire, like the fire of the golden altar, was never to go out. All sacrifices were in effect offered upon these, including all sin offerings.
The law of the continual burnt offering is summarized in the sixth chapter of Leviticus:
Quote
Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it. . . And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. Lev 6:9-13.
The meaning? Of course Christ is typified in the offering. But notice carefully that this offering does not atone for a specific sin but for sin generally by 1) the blood and 2) the entire consumption of the sacrifice. The preeminence of the burnt offering in the daily service teaches that the primary work of Christ in our behalf is to deal with our sinful natures. The solution for our souls is not to surgically remove individual sins but instead the remedy is a complete make-over of our entire beings. And for that purpose Christ offered up Himself in our place as a complete sacrifice, body, soul and spirit to the Father. The good news is that now He mediates the merits of His entire sacrifice for us before the mercy-seat, praise God. His own blood covers the mercy seat and the broken law of God that otherwise condemns and eternally dooms us because in our fallen flesh there is no good thing.
We'll get to the atonement of Christ for specific sins momentarily but first notice that besides the corporate burnt offering described in Numbers 28 and in Leviticus 6 quoted above in Leviticus 1 God also invited the Hebrews to bring individual burnt offerings. Three things characterized the burnt offering of the individual and these three typify the offering of ourselves to God today:
1. The offering was completely voluntary. Today, our decision to yield our hearts and lives to Him moment by moment is likewise completely voluntary.
2. The warm blood of the victim was caught in a bowl and applied all around the altar to each side of it, dashed against its four walls but never applied to those walls by hand and never applied to its horns. (We'll come back to those points.) In the same way the altar of our faith must be totally surrounded and cleansed by the blood of Christ.
3. The entire animal, every living part, was consumed on the altar. In the same way the sacrifice of ourselves must be complete. Nothing can be withheld. Unlike the sin, peace and thank offerings, no part of the burnt offering was eaten either by the priest or by the offeror. Like the corporate burnt offering, it was totally consumed by fire, a pleasing aroma to God.
We should be encouraged by this picture that reassures us that God who reads our motives delights in our undivided, wholehearted service to Him. When we willingly and gladly give Him our all it is indeed a delight, a pleasing aroma to Him.
The Sin Offering
Recall that the blood of the burnt offerings was thrown from the bowl against the sides of the bronze altar; that it was never applied to the horns of the bronze or golden altars and it was never brought within the tabernacle or temple. In contrast, the blood of the sin offerings was never thrown onto the sides of the bronze altar but instead was applied by hand to the horns of the bronze or golden altars. Think about the implications of these things. As the Spirit brings conviction He places His hand, even His finger, on our sins. This is an invitation for us to petition the very throne of God for mercy and grace, and to seek His divine overcoming power. When we place every ounce of our will on the side of righteousness our wills are immediately empowered by the life-blood of Christ, Satan flees and sin is expelled from the soul.
In the sin offering the remainder of the blood, the majority, was poured out at the base of the bronze altar. The fat of the sin offering was burned on the bronze altar and the flesh of it was not eaten by the offeror but only by the priest who offered it. The right action of the will is critical to victory but all overcoming power is from a source outside of ourselves for which we take no credit.
In the Mosaic service there were four main classes of sin offerings:
1. Offerings for sins of ingnorance. Leviticus 4.
2. Offerings for failing to discharge a duty to testify, for ceremonial uncleaness and for rash speech. All these sins required the same kind of offering and unique atonement procedure. Leviticus 5:1-13
3. Sin offerings for unintentional mistakes in the ceremonial requirements of the law. These had unique requirements as well that should be studied. Leviticus 5:14-19
4. Sin offerings for sins against another person. These were called guilt offerings which also had a unique procedure that should be closely studied. Leviticus 6:1-7.
The first sin offering the Lord lists in Leviticus 4 is the offering of the high priest for sins of ignorance and the second immediately following is the offering of the congregation, also for sins committed in ignorance. A careful reading of these two provisions shows that 1) the ritual for both is identical - what can that mean? - and 2) these are the only sacrifices in the daily service where the blood is brought within the sanctuary, applied to the horns of the golden altar, and sprinkled in front of the veil seven times before God. Notice, the only sins that defiled the golden altar were sins of ignorance.
Leviticus 4 combined with chapter 16, deserves close study because these scriptures are fulfilled in Revelation 4, 5, 8 and 9, which Ellen White states relate to that future time when the judgment sits and the books are opened. Anciently, on the Day of Atonement the sin of Israel was purged in two main acts of atonement: 1) The cleansing at the mercy seat followed immediately by 2) the cleansing at the golden altar. Comparing these passages with those in Revelation it appears that the cleansing at the mercy seat typifies the atonement of all confessed sin, while the final cleansing at the golden altar is for sins committed in ignorance.
The blood atonement at the golden altar cleansing us of our sins of ignorance also corresponds in my view to the final blotting out of sin which the apostle says occurs at the times of refreshing which are upon us. Acts 3:19. In order for us to benefit from this final mediatorial work of Christ our known sins must be confessed and forsaken beforehand. It is essential that these known sins go beforehand to judgment, I Timothy 5:24. Today the church of God is standing by faith before the bar of God, before the mercy seat. But when Christ leaves the mercy seat to atone at the golden altar no atonement remains for unconfessed and unforsaken sins. Only the atonement left is the blotting out of our sins of ignorance. When Christ applies the blood with His very finger to the altar of our souls we are enlightened and discover our need for His cleansing grace which is richly made available. If we confess our sin He is faithful to forgive us our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
In Revelation 8 we have a picture of this last phase of Christ's ministry at the golden altar. After the dramatic pause when the Father takes his seat and asks who is worthy to open the book, much incense is given by Christ to mingle with the prayers of the saints at the altar. Their prayers and wholehearted service come up to God mingled with and made acceptable by the righteousness of Christ. By virtue of the blood atonement applied by the divine finger to their lives and to the horns of the golden altar the church stands vindicated before God. Then holy fire is taken from the altar and scattered on the earth. This is the latter rain, the final cleansing that completes the purging of the golden altar and the church. When this holy fire is cast on the earth, the trumpets follow and at the sixth trumpet voices issue from the golden altar's horns indicating the blood atonement of the altar and of the church is accomplished.
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Rev 21:6- 7.