DECEMBER — 1944
away of every stain of sin from the indi-
vidual who confessed his wrong and
sought cleansing and forgiveness. God’s
people were to be a clean people. Christ
could forgive the sin of an individual and
He could also cleanse and purify the
individual, and present him before God
without any trace of the defilement that
sin had brought. “Christ also loved the
church, and gave Himself for it; that He
might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the word, that He
might present it to Himself a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or
any such thing; but that it should be
holy and without blemish.” Ephesians
5: 25-27.
Every morning and evening incense
was offered upon the golden altar of the
holy place by the priests. At this time
the congregation would gather in the
court about the sanctuary, offering their
prayers to heaven, making confession of
sin, and consecrating their lives anew
to God. (Luke 1:8-10.) As the frag-
rance of the incense ascended and passed
beyond the veil into the Most Holy Place
where was the presence of God, the
prayers of His people ascended with it,
and were accepted by a kind and merciful
Father, in the name of the Saviour who
ever stood between the people and
heaven, making intercession for them,
and offering the fragrance of His merits
and righteousness in behalf of frail and
erring humanity, The merit of Christ
was accepted by God in behalf of the
sinner who found himself without merit,
and the righteousness of Christ was placed
to the account of him who because of his
sins found himself dispossessed of right-
eousness.
This intercessory work Christ today is
willing to perform in behalf of every
child of man. (1 John 2:1, 2.) “It is
Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen
again, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also maketh intercession for
us.” Romans 8: 34. “Seeing then that
we have a great High Priest, that is
passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast our profession. For
we have not an high priest which cannot
be touched with the feeling of our in-
firmities; but was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin. Let us
therefore come boldly unto the throne of
grace, that we may obtain mercy, and
find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4: 14-16.
This drawing represents the ministry of the high
priest in the Most Holy Place of the earthly
sanctuary on the Day of Atonement, when, as the
representative of men, he presented the shed
blood of the sacrificial victim as an expiation for
the transgression of the Ten Commandments con-
tained in the sacred ark of the testimony.
The lights on the golden candlestick
were kept ever burning, shedding abroad
their radiance; and the loaves on the
table of showbread were constantly kept
in place and were every Sabbath re-
newed. Thus does the ministration of
Christ in behalf of man never cease. It
is a daily, a constant, a continual service.
Anything that would interfere with the
continuity of that service would bring
separation between man and God, and
would cause a cessation of that stream of
life and love and blessing that heaven is
ever anxious to pour out to meet the
needs of sinners who would turn to Him,
Thus in the daily services of the sanctu-
ary ample provision was made for every
daily necessity of man. “My God shall
supply all your need according to His
riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philip-
pians 4: 19. Christ is the complete an-
swer to every need of man. Does man
sin and is he in need of grace and for-
giveness? “My grace is sufficient for
thee: for my strength is made perfect in
weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9. “If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:09.
Does man fall, and does he lack the
strength to rise? “They that wait upon
the Lord shall renew their strength; they
shall mount up with wings as eagles; they
shall run, and not be weary; and they
shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40: 31.
Does the courage of man falter, and does
he need help to walk in the upward way?
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be
not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will
strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;
yea, I will uphold thee with the right
hand of My righteousness.” Isaiah
41:10.
The individual who comprehended the
plan and purpose of the earthly sanctuary
understood also the plan and purpose of
heaven. He who entered into the spirit
of the sanctuary entered also into the
atmosphere of heaven. The sanctuary
program was God’s service, and those
who worshiped there found that there
they came in contact with heaven.
Until Christ came in person to this
earth the service of the earthly sanctuary
continued to point man to the Lamb of
God who was to come and offer His life
in behalf of fallen humanity. After
Christ came and lived and died, the
services of that sanctuary were no longer
required. Christ had come, His life of
spotless purity had been lived before the
children of men, His instruction had been
given, and His sacrifice had been made.
Type had met its antitype, and shadow
had given way to reality. The Jews and
all the world knew thereafter that the true
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