|
Chapter
48
The Atonement in
the New Testament
[ Back ] [ Up ] [ Next ]
At the death of Christ,
what miracle signified that the priestly work of the earthly sanctuary was
finished?
"Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the
ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to
the bottom." Matt. 27:50, 51.
Where has the work of the
sanctuary been conducted since the ascension of Christ?
"Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a
High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the
heavens." Heb. 8:1.
Who is this high priest?
"But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by
a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands." Heb. 9:11.
Who erected this heavenly
tabernacle, of which Christ is the minister?
"A minister of the sanctuary , and of the true tabernacle, which the
Lord pitched, and not man." Heb. 8:2.
Could Christ be a priest
while He was on earth, and before the old priesthood ceased?
"For if He were on earth, He should not be a priest, seeing that
there are priests that offer gifts according to the law." Heb 8:4.
What did the service of
the earthly priests signify?
"There are priests that offer gifts according to the law: who serve
unto the example and shadow of heavenly things." Heb. 8:4, 5.
What was the earthly
sanctuary designed to be?
"The way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as
the first tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure for the time then
present." Heb. 9:8, 9.
Are there different
apartments of the heavenly sanctuary in which Christ ministers?
"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,
which are the figures of the true." Heb. 9:24.
Does the heavenly
sanctuary contain an ark of the testament (covenant)?
"And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in
His temple the ark of His testament." Rev. 11:19.
NOTE. - The priestly
work in the earthly sanctuary foreshadowed the work in the heavenly sanctuary.
In the earthly, the atonement was performed on the last day of the ceremonial
year. All who did not then have their sins atoned for, were put to death, and
the camp was cleansed from sin. The atonement day of judgment for Israel, as at
that time sin and sinners were separated from the camp, and the people whose
sins had been atoned for were free from sin, and could enter upon the services
of the new year clean in the sight of God. This work was kept up year after
year. In the heavenly, the sacrifice is offered but once, and but one atonement
can be made, which must take place at the time assigned of God for it to occur.
And when the great atonement has been made, God's people will be forever free
from sin, and sinners will have been forever banished from the universe. This
will be, as in the type, a day of judgment, with this difference: that was a
temporal and shadowy judgment, this will be the final and eternal judgment.
The earthly sanctuary was
cleansed by a high priest Is it necessary for the heavenly sanctuary also to
come to a time of cleansing, or purifying?
"It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens
should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better
sacrifices than these." Heb. 9:23.
From what will it be
cleansed, or purified?
"Nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest
entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others; for then must
He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the
end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
Himself." Heb. 9:25, 26. For the counterpart of this, in the type, see
Lev.16:30.
When the earthly high
priest came out to the people after making the atonement, how did he transfer
the sins of the people from himself?
"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." Lev. 16:21.
How will it be when
Christ has finished the atonement for his people?
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto
them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto
salvation." Heb. 9:28.
NOTE. - That is, to
those who stand waiting and watching for His appearance as did the people of
Israel for their high priest to appear to them, Christ will appear to His
people; and at that time He will have laid upon the head of the great scapegoat
(Satan) the sins of His people, which have been atoned for. Then Satan will bear
these sins (as did the typical scapegoat) to an uninhabited region, the
desolated earth while the saints will be enjoying the glories of heaven during
the one thousand years. When will the sins of the righteous be blotted out?
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when
the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Acts
3:19.
What immediately follows
the blotting out of sins?
"And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto
you, whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all
things." Acts 3:20, 21.
While Christ as high
priest is still before the Father, what is given Him?
"One like the Son of man came... to the Ancient of days, and they
brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and
a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him."
Dan. 7:13, 14.
And when He comes to
earth; what is His purpose?
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ
shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be
with the Lord." 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.
But before any are thus
raised at Christ's coming, what decision must be rendered in their cases?
"But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world,
and the resurrection from the dead." Luke 20:35.
NOTE.-We see that the
typical sanctuary service is fully met in the work of Christ. And as the
atonement day of the old dispensation was really a day of judgment, so the
atonement work of Christ will include an investigation of the cases of His
people. All who shall be "accounted worthy" to have a place in His
kingdom will be called to dwell with Him when He comes again to earth to gather
His people.
Is there a specified time
for the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary?
"And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then
shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Dan. 8:14.
How may one know that
this does not refer to the earthly sanctuary?
"He said unto me, Understand, a son of man: for at the time of the
end shall be the vision." Dan. 8:17.
|
