Chapter 16

1 How the high priest must enter into the holy place. 11 The sin offering for himself. 15 The sin offering for the people. 20 The scapegoat. 29 The yearly feast of the expiations.

1. The Lord spake unto Moses. Even though Aaron had been appointed high priest, God still recognized Moses as the leader and gave Aaron instructions through him.

2. That he come not. This was soon after the death of the two sons of Aaron, recorded in ch. 10. Though there were yet some months until the Day of Atonement, God instructed Aaron relative to it, that he might have sufficient time to become acquainted with the ritual.

The vail. There were two veils in the sanctuary, one leading from the court into the first apartment, the other separating the two apartments. The veil here referred to is the second veil (Heb. 9:3), the one before the mercy seat (Ex. 26:31, 32). It was before this veil that the priests stood as they offered incense upon the altar of incense, before the mercy seat. Their sight could not pierce the veil, but they knew that on the other side of it was the ark with its mercy seat, where God had promised to meet with His people (Ex. 25:22). The figures of cherubim embroidered on the veil represented to them the angels that stand before the throne of Deity. The veil shielded them from the consuming glory, and at the same time it permitted them to approach closely.

The cherubim must have brought vividly to their minds the cherubim stationed at the gate of Eden (see on Gen. 3:24). After Adam and Eve had sinned they could not pass the cherubim; neither could the priests in the sanctuary pass the symbolic cherubim and enter into the presence of God. This must have deeply impressed upon them the holiness of God. None but the high priest could enter the holy of holies to minister, and he but briefly one day in the year.

Throughout the year the blood of the victims was brought into the sanctuary and sprinkled “seven times before the Lord, before the vail of the sanctuary” (Lev. 4:6, 17), in instances where the anointed priest or the whole congregation had sinned. Immediately behind the veil was the ark containing the tables of the law. It was with reference to the law that the blood was sprinkled, for in sinning, men had broken that law, and their transgressions demanded atonement. The sprinkling of the blood was an acknowledgement of the authority of the law and a symbolical token payment of its demand, either for perfect obedience or for the life of the disobedient. Obey and live, disobey and perish, was its dictum.

However, the sprinkled blood never reached the law, for the veil intervened. And even on the Day of Atonement, when the veil was drawn aside and the blood sprinkled in the holiest, the blood did not reach the law. The mercy seat covered the law, and there the blood rested. The mercy seat was a type of Christ. According to Rom. 3:25 God set forth Christ “to be a propitiation,” literally, a “mercy seat.” Christ is our “mercy seat.” By His death on the cross and His ministry in the courts above, Christ saves us by taking our place on the cross and pleading our case over the broken law. He stands between us and the law and saves us from its penalty, not by ignoring or abolishing it, but by paying its just demands, and thus acknowledging its authority and honoring it.

The priests entered the sanctuary with the blood of a slain animal, and by virtue of it. Christ, “by the power of an indestructiblelife” (Heb. 7:16, RSV), entered, not with “the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood … once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Heb. 9:12). We are invited to follow Him there by faith (Heb. 4:16). The new and living way He has opened for us and He Himself has trod, is the way of the cross, the way of obedience. There is no other way.

This gives point to the expression often used—and at times thoughtlessly—of going “all the way” with Christ. He has gone into the holiest of all, and is now there ministering for us. He went by way of the cross, the way of Gethsemane and Golgotha. And again He invites us to follow Him (Matt. 20:22, 23). Those who accept His invitation must be willing to go with Him by way of the cross. And it is those who thus follow Him here that will, in a better world, have the privilege of living in His presence.

The same lesson is presented to us in the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the cup. Says Christ, “This is my body, which is broken for you. … This cup is the new testament in my blood” (1 Cor. 11:24, 25). As we take the cup, as we take the broken bread, we enter into a solemn covenant with God that we will go all the way, even though this may mean a broken body and the shedding of our blood in martyrdom.

It seems eminently fitting that God’s remnant church should be “time’s noblest offspring.” On them shines the light of all past ages; they have inherited not only the weaknesses of past generations but also the accumulated Biblical knowledge of the ages. To them has come light on Scripture such as has been given to no other people. They have light on the sanctuary; they have the more sure word of prophecy; to them have been entrusted the oracles of God. They understand the work that Christ is now doing in the courts above. They have been given the inestimable privilege of heralding to the world that the hour of God’s judgment is come, and that the end of all things is at hand. What manner of men ought they to be “in all holy conversation and godliness” (2 Peter 3:11)!

The ark. In the ark, below the mercy seat, were the Ten Commandments, the very foundation of the throne of God. Here, at the ark, justice and mercy met; here, righteousness and peace “kissed each other” (Ps. 85:10); here God revealed Himself; here was the secret place of the Most High. The ark and the mercy seat were the center of the entire sacrificial service.

That he die not. The caution given Aaron is reminiscent of the disaster that had come upon his sons because of their disobedience (Lev. 10:1, 2).

In the cloud. God promised Moses to meet with him at the “door of the tabernacle” (Ex. 29:42), at the altar of incense before the veil (Ex. 30:36; Num. 17:4), and, as here, directly before the mercy seat (Ex. 25:22; 30:36). The presence of the “cloud” above the mercy seat in no way implies that the holy of holies was dark, for with the “cloud” was the glory of the Lord (1 Kings 8:10, 11; 2 Chron. 5:13, 14; Rev. 15:8). The Shekinah, the visible evidence that God was indeed with His people, abode above the mercy seat (Ex. 25:22; Ps. 80:1; Isa. 37:16). To man it might appear that God dwells in “darkness” (1 Kings 8:12; Ps. 18:11). But “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). He dwells “in the light which no man can approach unto” (1 Tim. 6:16). In revealing Himself to His people, God ever veiled His glory with a cloud, so that mortal beings might be aware of His presence, yet able to endure it (Ex. 16:10; 19:9; 24:16; 34:5; 40:34, 38).

3. The holy place. Throughout this chapter Moses calls the second apartment “the holy place”; the first apartment, the “tabernacle of the congregation.”

A sin offering. When sin offerings and burnt offerings were presented together, the sin offering was brought first, and demanded the nobler victim. Hence the sin offering was a bullock, the burnt offering a ram.

4. Holy garments. At first there were but few priests, and the high priest generally assisted the common priests in their work. As the numbers of the priests increased, he did so less frequently. Eventually, he assisted his brother priests only upon the Sabbath days, the new moons,and at the three annual feasts. The common priests were considered his deputies, and when they officiated, their ministry was accepted as if the high priest himself had performed it, except that they could not officiate in his stead on the Day of Atonement. He was the priest; and whenever he officiated he wore the glorious golden garments that pertained to his exalted office. These costly garments not only were adorned with gold and precious stones (Ex. 28:13–36) but were also embroidered with the colors of the sanctuary and with fine thread of pure gold (Ex. 28:4–6). Clad thus the high priest represented Christ in His divine glory as the Son of God.

On the Day of Atonement the high priest himself officiated in all parts of the service, assisted by the other priests. He conducted the daily morning and evening services arrayed in these golden garments. But for the unique ritual of the Day of Atonement the high priest wore the holy “linen garments” (Lev. 16:23) used exclusively upon this occasion. These “holy garments” resembled those of the common priests, except for the variegated embroidery of the latter. They were probably also of a finer texture than those of the common priests.

The high priest changed his garments several times during the day, and with each change washed his entire body. At the first light of dawn, according to the Talmud, he removed his personal clothing and attired himself in the golden garments; in these he conducted the regular morning service. This completed, he removed the golden garments and put on the “holy garments” for the special services of the day (v. 4). These he later exchanged for his golden garments, for the evening service (vs. 23, 24). At the conclusion of the evening service he changed once more to his personal clothing and retired from the sacred precincts of the sanctuary. Whereas the high priest clad in his golden garments represented Christ to the people, in his “holy garments” he typified Christ in His mediatorial capacity as a representative of the people before God (GC 422).

The spotless white of the garments of the high priest upon the Day of Atonement typified the perfection of character he and the people sought through the rites of that day. As the high priest “came forth to the waiting congregation in his pontifical robes; so Christ will come the second time, clothed in garments of whitest white” (AA 33). And as at the close of the special services of that day the people were “clean” from all their sins (v. 30), so when Christ appears before His people they will be “without fault before the throne of God” (Rev. 14:5; Eph. 5:27; Col. 1:22; Jude 24; Rev. 19:8).

5. Sin offering. Aaron was to take two kids of the goats of the congregation “for a sin offering.” This was unusual, for in the daily service a bullock was demanded as an offering for the people, and not a goat (ch. 4:14). But the Day of Atonement was different from all other days.

Burnt offering. The burnt offering was to be a ram, the same as for Aaron’s consecration (ch. 9:2).

6. Aaron shall offer. Aaron was not to slay the bullock at this time, but was to present it to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle for His acceptance (see v. 11). He left it standing near the altar of burnt offering, ready to offer it when the time should come.

For his house. This bullock was for himself and his family. He alone was to officiate on this solemn occasion, and must be free from every stain of sin before he could appropriately typify Christ in His mediatorial role (see John 17:19). The other priests assisted, but offered no sacrifice.

7. The two goats. Aaron was to take the two goats and present them to the Lord at the door of the tabernacle, where they stood while lots were cast for them.

8. Cast lots. This was done by placing two inscribed objects in an urn or other receptacle, and then drawing them out. Thus the selection was left to God. In early times these lots were made of wood and inscribed, one for the Lord, the other for “the scapegoat.” Later, they were made of more precious materials, even of gold. According to the Talmud, the goats were to be as nearly alike as possible. To avoid any mistake after lots were cast, a scarlet cord was placed around the horns of thescapegoat, and about the neck of the Lord’s goat. This clearly distinguished them.

The scapegoat. Some theologians think both goats are symbolic of Christ, and that they represent two phases of His atoning work. Not a few, however, believe that they represent two opposing forces, and that as the one is for the Lord, the other is for Satan. Most versions leave the Hebrew word for scapegoat, Фazazel, untranslated, since there is no unanimity of opinion in regard to its meaning. Many modern scholars hold, with the Jews, that Azazel denotes a personal, wicked, superhuman spirit, and nearly all agree that its root meaning is, “one who removes,” “a remover,” specifically, one who removes “by a series of acts.” Others suggest that it is a combination of Фez, “goat,” and Фazal, “to go away,” “to depart.”

As one goat is for the Lord, a personal Being, so the other goat must also be for a personal being; and as they are evidently antithetical, the most consistent view would be that Azazel stands in opposition to the Lord, and hence can be no other than Satan.

9. The Lord’s lot. Aaron was to offer the goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell, for a sin offering for the people (v. 15).

10. But the goat. The contrast between the two goats is quite complete. The Lord’s goat was slain; the scapegoat was not slain. The blood of the Lord’s goat was carried into the sanctuary and sprinkled; the blood of the scapegoat was not, for the simple reason that its blood was not shed. The fat of the sin offering was always burned on the altar. This was the case with the Lord’s goat (v. 25), but not, of course, with the scapegoat. The blood of the Lord’s goat cleansed (vs. 15, 16); the scapegoat contaminated (v. 26). The contrast between the two goats is absolute (see on vs. 20, 21).

An atonement. See on v. 21.

11. Aaron shall bring the bullock. This bullock had been presented to the Lord (v. 6); now it was brought forward for sacrifice. Before Aaron was prepared to make atonement for others, he must make an atonement for himself.

12. Coals of fire. The bullock had been killed and its blood kept in a basin by one of the priests. Before entering with the blood Aaron took coals from off the altar of burnt offering and filled his censer. He took also two handfuls of incense, which he placed on the coals after entering the most holy place.

Within the vail. This was the first time Aaron officiated in the most holy place. It was also the first time he officiated in the “holy garments.” Heretofore he had worn the glorious golden garments and made atonement for others. Now he appears in the garments of humility, asking mercy for himself as well as for the people. His status has entirely changed.

According to the Talmud the high priest spent the week preceding the Day of Atonement in the room reserved for him in the priests’ quarters, engaged in prayer and meditation, and in carefully reviewing the ritual of the day. He could but wonder as to the meaning of the service in which he was about to engage. Did he begin to grasp the significance of the change of garments, and the changed status of Christ at His incarnation (see on v. 4)? Did he grasp the significance of laying aside the royal garments and passing through the veil into the presence of God? It seems unthinkable that the high priest should officiate at the most important service of the year without at least some appreciation of its true significance. To kill bullocks and rams and goats, to sprinkle their blood on the altar or in the most holy place, and not to know the meaning of these acts, would be tantamount to reducing the most solemn ceremony of the sanctuary to a pious mummery. This cannot be. “Abraham rejoiced to see my day,” said Christ; “and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56). If Abraham understood, surely Aaron did also.

We may rightly conclude that Aaron thus understood in part, without, perhaps, having a complete grasp of all spiritual truth related to the plan of redemption. Some of the men of old knew more about God and salvation than do many learned men today. Of Moses, Christ said, “He wrote of me” (John 5:46). What Moses wrote was so clear that Philip and Nathanael thereby recognized the Messiah when He came (John 1:45). Paul affirmedthat he preached “none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead” (Acts 26:22, 23).

13. The incense. With the inner veil drawn aside, incense alone separated Aaron from the sacred presence of God. Outside the tabernacle the prayers of the people ascended with the incense, as by faith they entered in with Aaron.

14. The blood of the bullock. Leaving the censer in the most holy place, Aaron returned to the court for the blood of the bullock. The sprinkling of its blood, first upon the mercy seat, and then seven times before it, ended his work in the holiest with its blood. He had thus made atonement “for himself, and for his household” (v. 17). Free from sin, he now became a fit representative of Christ, the sinless One, and might therefore mediate on behalf of others.

15. The goat. After the service with the bullock had been concluded, Aaron brought the Lord’s goat, which was “for the people,” and slew it. He then brought the blood within the veil and sprinkled it in the same manner as he had sprinkled the blood of the bullock, once upon the mercy seat, and seven times before it. Wherever the blood of the bullock had been sprinkled, there he sprinkled the blood of the goat also.

16. An atonement. Better, “thus shall he make an atonement,” or “in this manner and with this blood shall he make an atonement for the holy place.” The services of the sanctuary, from beginning to end, were essentially a work of atonement. An “atonement” for sin was made at each step in the process of dealing with it.

1. At any time during the year when a sinner presented his offering and confessed over it his sins, an “atonement” was made for him. He was “forgiven” (chs. 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:6, 10, 13, 16, 18; 6:7). His sin was symbolically transferred to the sanctuary by the ministration of the blood of the offering and the burning of its altar portions—in some cases by the priest eating a portion of it. Nevertheless, full atonement for his sin had not been made. Though his sin was forgiven he must continue in the way of obedience. Should he fail to do so and neglect to “afflict” his soul upon the Day of Atonement (ch. 23:27–29), all of his erstwhile forgiven sins would return upon him and he must die (Eze. 18:24; 33:13). His only safety lay in enduring to “the end.” Then, and only then, could he expect to be “saved” (Matt. 24:13).

2. On the Day of Atonement—the day of final and complete atonement for all sins confessed and forgiven during the year (Lev. 16:16, 19; Heb. 10:1–3)—the blood of the Lord’s goat symbolically removed these sins from the sanctuary, making “atonement” for it also. It too was now free from sin (Lev. 16:17, 20).

On the first day of the seventh month came the blowing of trumpets, which was to call the attention of the people to the Day of Atonement, ten days later (Num. 29:1). The intervening nine days became days of heart searching, of preparation for the Day of Atonement, the day of judgment that sealed their destiny. They believed that on that day “it is sealed who shall live and who are to die” (Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. 2, p. 286, art. “Atonement, Day of”).

17. No man. During the ministration of the blood of the bullock and that of the goat in the most holy place, the veil between it and the holy place was drawn aside. For this reason any person within the holy place could see into the holiest; but this was the prerogative of the high priest alone, for he only might appear in the very presence of God. The prohibition here stated applies to vs. 12–16, which deal with the ministration of the high priest in the most holy.

The people anxiously waited to hear the bells on the high priest’s robe on the Day of Atonement. He had gone into the holiest in the white garments to sprinkle the blood and thus symbolically remove forever the record of their life’s sins. Would God accept him—and them? As he left the holiest and resumed his golden robes, and the people heard the sound of the bells, their joy and thankfulness were profound.

18. Go out unto the altar. Having purifiedthe most holy and thus completed his ministry there, Aaron was to do the same for the “tabernacle of the congregation,” that is, for the holy place (v. 16). Then he was to “go out unto the altar,” that is, the altar of burnt offering. Here he was to take some of the blood of the bullock and of the goat, and with it purify the altar from all “the uncleanness of the children of Israel” (v. 19). According to Jewish tradition the blood of the goat and the blood of the bullock were here mingled in one vessel. The fact that the two samples of blood are spoken of as “it” tends to confirm this view.

Besides putting the blood on the horns of the altar—where the blood of the sin offerings had been placed—the high priest was also to sprinkle the blood upon the altar itself, where the blood of the burnt offerings and the trespass offerings had been sprinkled, as well as the blood of the evening and the morning sacrifice. In doing this, the high priest cleansed and hallowed the altar “from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.”

We can readily understand the need of cleansing the two altars of the sanctuary on earth, for the blood of the burnt offerings and the sin offerings had been sprinkled on them (chs. 1:5, 11; 4:7, 18, 25, 30, 34). In the case of burnt offerings and trespass offerings the blood had been sprinkled on the altar itself (chs. 1:5, 11; 5:9); and in sin offerings it had been put on the horns (ch. 4:7, 18, 25, 30, 34). Of the altar of incense this is said: Aaron “shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements” (Ex. 30:10). Of the altar of burnt offerings this is said: “He shall go out [of the sanctuary] unto the altar that is before the Lord …; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel” (Lev. 16:18, 19; cf. v. 20).

The temple on earth is a pattern of the temple in heaven; the cleansing on earth is merely a type of the cleansing in heaven. Of this Daniel speaks when he says that at the end of the 2300 days, “then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (see on Dan. 8:14). But does the heavenly sanctuary need cleansing? Has there been defilement in heaven that makes such cleansing necessary? Paul answers: “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these [sacrifices of animals]; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these” (Heb. 9:23).

20. An end of reconciling. The blood of the Lord’s goat offered on the Day of Atonement cleansed the holiest, the holy, and the altar of burnt offering, of “the uncleanness of the children of Israel” and “of their transgressions in all their sins” (vs. 16, 19). The people had previously obtained forgiveness for these same sins, when in the daily service they brought their personal sacrifices for sin. The blood was placed on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and the penitent went away forgiven. It is stated repeatedly that “the priest shall make an atonement for him …, and it shall be forgiven him” (ch. 4:26, 31, 35). However, though the sin was forgiven, the record of the sin remained until the Day of Atonement, when it was “blotted out.” And when this had taken place there was “an end of reconciling” (see on v. 16).

21. The live goat. While the high priest made atonement with the Lord’s goat and cleansed the sanctuary with its blood, the scapegoat stood bound near the altar, having had no part in the ritual. Its part came only after the atonement with the Lord’s goat had been completed (v. 20), and “an end” had been made “of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar” (v. 20).

The high priest, having cleansed the sanctuary of sin, now went forth with these sins to the door of the tabernacle where the scapegoat waited (PP 356; GC 422). He laid his hands upon its head and confessed over it these sins, thus transferring them from the sanctuary to this goat, who bore them away into the wilderness (PP 356, 258).

In the antitype Christ will finally cleanse the heavenly sanctuary, removing the confessedand forgiven sins of His people thence, and placing them upon Satan. He will be declared guilty of all the evil he has caused them to commit, and must bear the final penalty (GC 422, 485, 658). “The sins of those who are redeemed by the blood of Christ will at last be rolled back upon the originator of sin, and he must bear their punishment” (EW 178).

How fitting that the closing act of the drama of God’s dealing with sin should be a returning upon the head of Satan of all the sin and guilt that, issuing from him originally, once brought such tragedy to the lives of those now freed of sin by Christ’s atoning blood. Thus the cycle is completed, the drama ended. Only when Satan, the instigator of all sin, is finally removed can it truly be said that sin is forever blotted out of God’s universe. In this accommodated sense we may understand that the scapegoat has a part in the “atonement” (v. 10). With the righteous saved, the wicked “cut off,” and Satan no more, then, not till then, will the universe be in a state of perfect harmony as it was originally before sin entered.

Send him away. Literally, “expel him.” The word thus translated is used of divorcing a wife (Deut. 21:14; 22:19, 22; Jer. 3:8). This is a strong word. As some objectionable or repulsive beast is driven off, so the scapegoat is sent into the wilderness (Heb. midbar). It may or may not have perished there, for the Hebrews pastured flocks in the midbar, which could mean an uninhabited land where wild beasts lived. The Talmud mentions a later custom of throwing this goat over a cliff, but even then its death played no part in the sacrificial ceremony. In contrast to the Lord’s goat, the scapegoat was sent away alive; its eventual death was not in any sense sacrificial or substitutionary.

22. All their iniquities. The Israelites knew that they had sinned and come short of God’s expectation for them. But throughout this Day of Atonement they had had a visual demonstration of their complete separation from the sins they had confessed and been forgiven during the year that had now ended, and of God’s goodness in sparing their lives. They knew that they did not deserve the grace extended them. But by the shed blood of the atonement-day sacrifice the very record of their forgiven sins had been blotted from the sanctuary. Now as they watched the scapegoat depart they witnessed the last act in the drama—Satan, with all the sins he had instigated returned “upon his own head” (Ps. 7:16), going off to his doom.

23. Put off the linen garments. These garments, called also the “holy garments” (v. 4), were used only on the Day of Atonement. Aaron put them on when he went into the most holy with the incense in the morning. When the special mediatorial work was done, he removed the linen garments and put on the golden ones.

24. Wash his flesh. Aaron had come in contact with sin. This had not defiled him to the extent that he must offer a sin offering. He must bathe, however, after which he was to put on the golden garments. He then offered the usual evening burnt offering, both for himself and for the people. With this the round of ceremonies for another year began.

25. The fat. The fat of the various sin offerings earlier in the day was not burned till this time (vs. 11, 15).

26. He that let go the goat. This individual was not necessarily a priest. He might be any “fit man” (v. 21). A rope had been tied about the neck of the goat, and the man led the goat or prodded him with the staff he carried.

27. The bullock. The law required that the bodies of those beasts whose blood was brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin be burned without the camp. Paul sees in this a type of Christ, who “suffered without the gate,” and admonishes us to follow “him without the camp, bearing his reproach” (Heb. 13:11–13).

29. A statute for ever. The Day of Atonement was the only fast day of the year, and was called “the fast” (Acts 27:9). Other fasts added later were not required or approved by God (Isa. 58:3–7; Zech. 7:3–10). In the time of Christ there were 29 fasts in addition to 2 weekly fast days.

Afflict your souls. This was more than fasting. It included soul searching, a review of one’s progress in holy living, a seeking of God, confession of sin, making amends for neglected duties, squaring accountswith God and men, thus redeeming the time.

30. That ye may be clean. This day being the Day of Atonement, it was necessary for each soul to cooperate in the work of cleansing. The priest could make atonement only as Israel confessed their sins and called upon God for help. The sins for which the high priest made atonement were the confessed sins only, the sins for which the penitent had brought offerings during the year. This day provided the annual opportunity, in type, to have sins blotted out forever; it was the accepted time.

31. A sabbath of rest. Literally “a sabbath of sabbaths,” a high day.

32. Whom he shall anoint. The priesthood and service were to continue after the death of Aaron. Another priest was then to be anointed and consecrated to the priest’s office, to put on the holy linen garments, and to conduct the service.

Leviticus 16 is one of the great chapters of the Bible. In it the plan of salvation is beautifully and impressively revealed, and some of the deep things of God are hidden within its 34 verses. The depth of meaning revealed in the ceremonies described proclaims a divine author. The mind is stretched to its utmost in the attempt to comprehend its teachings.

additional note on chapter 16

In order to understand clearly the services of the Day of Atonement, one must have some knowledge of the building in which the ritual of the sanctuary took place and some acquaintance with its surroundings. For a general description, see on Ex. 26:1; for a detailed description, on Ex. 25 to 40.

The original tabernacle built by Moses was a tent with wooden side walls (see on Ex. 26:15–26). The roof consisted of four layers of material, the inner being fine twined linen, the others various kinds of skin (see on Ex. 26:1–14). The tent itself was about 43 ft. 9 in. long and 14 ft. 7 in. wide (13.34 by 4.45 m.), with an outer enclosure called the court, about 172 ft. long and 86 ft. wide (see on Ex. 27:9–18).

The building was divided into two apartments, the first and larger called the holy, and the second the most holy. A rich curtain, or veil, divided the two rooms. As there were no windows in the building, artificial light was provided by the seven-branched candlestick in the first apartment, which gave sufficient light for the priests to perform their service there.

In the first apartment there were three articles of furniture: the table of shewbread, the candlestick, and the altar of incense. Entering the building from the front, which faced the east, one could see near the end of the room the altar of incense. To the right was the table of shewbread, to the left the candlestick. On the table were the cakes of shewbread, arranged in two piles of six each, and also the incense for the bread and the flagons for the drink offerings. There were also dishes, spoons, and bowls used in the service. The candlestick was pure gold; its bowls or lamps were fashioned like almonds.

The most important object in this apartment was the altar of incense. It was about 2 ft. 11 in. in height, and the top 1 ft. 51/2 in. square (88.9 by 44.45 by 44.45 cm.). It was overlaid with gold, and around its top was a crown of gold. On this altar the priest placed the vessel containing the coals of fire taken from the altar of burnt offering, and also the incense. As he put the incense on the coals, the smoke ascended, and as the veil did not reach to the top of the building, the incense not only filled the first apartment but penetrated into the second. It thus served the most holy place also.

In the second apartment there was only the ark, a chest about 3 ft. 8 in. long, 2 ft. 2 in. wide and high. The cover of the ark was called the mercy seat, upon which atonement was made on the Day of Atonement. Around the top of the mercy seat was a crown of gold, similar to that on the altar of incense. Inside the ark the law was written on two tables of stone with God’s own finger.

On top of the mercy seat were two cherubim of gold. Here God communed with His people (Ex. 25:22).

In the court outside the tent was the laver, a large basin made of bronze, containing water for bathing. In this laver the priests were to bathe their hands and feet before entering the sanctuary or beginning their service (Ex. 30:17-21; 38:8).

In the court, to the east of the laver, was also the altar of burnt offering, which served a most important purpose for all sacrificial offerings. The altar was about 4 ft. 5 in. (1.33 m.) in height, which necessitated a ledge upon which the priest could stand when he officiated at the altar. This also enabled the people to see him when he ministered at the altar. The top of the altar was about 7 ft. 4 in. (2.22 m.) square. It was made of wood covered with brass. At a later time this altar was greatly enlarged to accommodate the increased number of worshipers. On this altar the sacrifices were burned. Hence the name, altar of burnt offering. Here also the fat of the sacrificial victims was burned, as well as certain parts of other offerings. On the four corners of the altar were hornlike projections known as the “horns of the altar.” In certain of the sacrifices the priests touched the horns of the altar with the blood. In others, it was sprinkled round about upon the altar. At its base the surplus blood not used in the service was poured out upon the ground.

Ellen G. White comments

2 MH 437

7, 8 PP 355

8, 10 GC 419

13, 14 4T 124

14 GC 419

15 PP 355

16 GC 419; PP 355

17 GC 428; MH 437

19 GC 419; PP 355

21 GC 658; PP 356

21, 22 EW 178; GC 419; PP 355

22 GC 485

29-34GC 400