[EXO:30:1-10]; [EXO:40:22-28]; [LEV:4:1-12]; [LEV:6:30]; [HEB:13:11-12].

Lesson 73 - Senior

Memory Verse
"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate" (Hebrews 13:12).
Cross References

I The Furnishings and Ministrations in the Holy Place

1. The golden altar of incense was located in the Holy Place, [EXO:30:1-6], [EXO:30:26-29]; [EXO:37:25-28]; [EXO:39:33], [EXO:39:36-38]; [EXO:40:5], [EXO:40:26- 28].

2. Incense was burnt during the sin offerings and at the time of prayer, [EXO:30:7-9]; [EXO:40:27]; [LEV:16:11-13]; [LUK:1:10]; [PS:141:2]; [REV:8:1-4]; [MAL:1:11].

3. The blood atonement for inbred sin was made upon the golden altar, [EXO:30:10].

4. The table of shewbread was put in its place on the north side, [EXO:40:4], [EXO:40:22-23]; [EXO:37:10-16]; [EXO:26:35].

5. The seven-lamp candlestick was placed on the south side, [EXO:40:24-25]; [EXO:37:17-24]; [EXO:26:35].

II The Holy Place a Type of Entire Sanctification

1. The provision in the Atonement for cleansing of carnal, inbred sin was typified by the sin offering, [LEV:4:1-4], [LEV:4:13-15], [LEV:22-24], [LEV:22:27-29]; [HEB:13:11-12]; [PS:51:5-10]; [EPH:4:20-24]; [EPH:5:25-27]; [LUK:1:74-75]; [2CO:7:1]; [1TS:4:3]; [JHN:17:9-24]; [HEB:2:11]; [ROM:6:6-12].

2. Atonement for sin was made by the sprinkling of blood, [LEV:4:5-7], [LEV:4:16-18], [LEV:4:25], [LEV:4:30]; [1JN:1:7]; [HEB:9:19-22].

3. The body of the beast was burnt without the camp, [LEV:4:8-12], [LEV:4:19-21], [LEV:4:26], [LEV:4:31-32]; [LEV:6:30]; [MAT:27:31-33]; [HEB:13:11-12].

4. The shewbread was a type of the spiritual food of the Word, [LEV:24:5-9]; [JHN:6:32-58]; [JHN:1:1-2].

5. The golden candlestick was a type of the Holy Spirit which illuminates the Word, [EXO:25:31-40]; [EXO:27:20-21]; [NUM:8:1-4]; [JHN:1:4], [JHN:1:9]; [JHN:8:12]; [JHN:12:46]; [2CO:4:6]; [REV:1:4], [REV:1:13]; [REV:4:5].

Notes

The Tabernacle and God's Presence over and in It

We have found that the Tabernacle was the centre of Israel's worship, the place where God met man and the place where man approached God. To guide His people in the true worship, God gave various symbols and visible tokens that would express to them the great truths of the Atonement and His love for all mankind. Most of these symbols and tokens were found in the Tabernacle, which was constructed from the freewill offerings of the people ([EXO:25:2]). It is stirring to read that every need for its construction and furnishing was provided by the willing sacrifice of God's chosen ([EXO:35:21-29]).

The cloud of God's glory rested on the Tabernacle by day and night during the wanderings in the wilderness. This cloud, as the pillar that led the Israelites in their exodus from Egypt, was visible as a cloud by day and as fire by night ([NUM:9:15-17]). When God wanted the Israelites to resume their journey the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle and moved to the head of the marching column, leading them through to their next stopping place. The pillar of cloud by day was a protection, and the pillar of fire by night was a guide; but the "Shekinah," or light in the Holiest of All, was "the Divine Manifestation, through which God's presence is felt by man." The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were God's provision for Israel, but the "Shekinah" was the very Presence of God Himself in the Holiest of All, where only the high priest went but once a year.

The Way to God

A sinner came to God by bringing a trespass offering for his sins, which was killed at the brazen altar in the outer court of the Tabernacle. It was there that repentance was made for sins committed; necessary faith was exercised; and atonement was made in the sprinkling of blood. Beyond this point the average man never came; and his further approach to God, through the visible symbols, was through the mediatorship of the priests who were representatives of the people before God. We shall see that there was great wisdom in this, God's plan.

Man has always been prone to advance the works of his own hands to secure God's favour, as Cain did when he brought his sacrifice. God wants man to approach Him in faith so that the divine precepts can be written on his heart, enabling him to walk with God and enjoy His fellowship. But a man has drawn back, over and over again. Visible symbols were necessary; but they were not, in themselves alone, the means of securing the atonement and pardon from God. They were only signposts, types, or pictures of the great Sacrifice which was to come and of the true worship which should be revealed to mankind in the fullness of time when man should worship God in spirit and in truth, and not at some particular time and place ([JHN:4:20-24]).

God gave these symbols to man for his guidance, but divine wisdom set bounds upon their use. Had the general worshiper been allowed to come into the Holy Place to sprinkle the blood of his sin offering before the veil and to place some of it upon the horns of the golden altar where the consecrated incense was kept burning, it would not have been long until the whole worship would have degenerated. It would soon have become a series of works or acts; and true faith, with the true spirit of worship and penitence, would have been lost. The worship of the Israelites would then have been no different from the idol worship of the Canaanite nations they were sent to supplant.

The Holy Place

When a person had presented his trespass offering for the pardon of his wilfully committed sins, there yet remained a root of sin in his heart, an inbred sin that needed further cleansing. This is the work that is done in the experience we know as Entire Sanctification. To symbolise this wonderful experience of grace, God gave Israel the Holy Place in the Tabernacle. Each of the items found in this room picture some phase of, or provision for the securing of, that glorious experience. Only the priests entered the Holy Place and they did so only as representatives of the people. The person who brought the sin offering remained outside in prayer. Since the experience he received was God-given, we can easily see that it was not the result of his own physical efforts or the works of his hands; but it was the result of his prayers uttered in faith to God. In this manner divine wisdom sought to keep the true worship on the earth.

On the north side of the sanctuary, or Holy Place, was placed a gold overlaid table made of shittim wood. Upon this table the priests placed twelve loaves of shewbread in two rows of six loaves each, with frankincense upon each row. This bread was eaten by the priests only, the sanctified, in the Holy Place. It was a type of the spiritual food of the Word that is our when we have received that glorious experience.

On the south side, or the left as the priest entered, was placed the golden candlestick, or lamp stand. This furnished the light for the otherwise dark interior.The hanging across the front, and the four coverings would exclude most of the natural daylight. This is a type of the Holy Spirit, which illuminates the Word that is planted in the heart of the truly sanctified (Revelation 1:4; 4:5).

The Golden Altar

In the middle, in front of the great veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, was the golden altar of incense. No burnt offering was ever made on this altar. It was solely used for burning the consecrated incense. It was highly criminal to offer strange incense or strange fire upon it, or for anyone to usurp the function of the priests, or for anyone to make the sacred incense or apply it to any other use. Nadab and Ahibu were slain for the second of these offences ([LEV:10:1-2]); King Uzziah was smitten with leprosy for the third ([2CH:26:16-21]); and the punishment of death was appointed and meted out for the fourth ([NUM:16:35-40]).

The offering of the incense upon the golden altar was symbolic of the prayers of the saints ([PS:141:2]; [MAL:1:11]; [REV:8:3-4]), and the people were accustomed to pray without the court when the priest was offering it ([LUK:1:10)]. The continually ascending sweet savour is typical of the constant communion ([1TS:5:16-18]) established in a greater degree when a heart is cleansed and the inbred nature taken out; and the image of God " righteousness and true holiness " is restored ([EPH:4:24]; [COL:3:10]). This close communion is possible only in the heart of the sanctified.

The Sin Offering

But in order that that inbred sin might be cleansed, blood must be shed ([HEB:9:22]); and this was ordained by God in the sacrifice known to Israel as the sin offering. In the trespass offering the sacrifice was killed at the brazen altar. It was by this offering that reconciliation was effected with God, and it was upon this reconciliation that the person could later bring the sin offering for the complete cleansing of his inbred sin. A change in the order of the sacrifice was necessary, for the same type of offering at both places would have brought a confusion in the symbolic services.

The sin offering was slain at the brazen altar. Then the blood was taken into the Holy Place and sprinkled seven times before the veil and placed upon the golden altar. When this was done the atonement was made and cleansing given to the person or group represented by the sacrifice. The bodies of the slain beasts were burnt without the camp. Jesus, the perfect Sacrifice, fulfilled all phases of the atonement types. We are told in the book of Hebrews, that when the bodies of those beasts, whose blood was taken into the Holy Place, were burned outside the gates they typified the death of Christ outside the gate of Jerusalem for our sanctification ([HEB:13:11-12]).

We are indebted entirely to Christ for His atoning sacrifice, for on Calvary He made possible a full salvation for us. Full salvation includes all the experiences we receive from the time that God convicts our hearts and brings us to Christ until we are taken up to meet Him in the clouds. The founder of the Apostolic Faith work often said that entire sanctification is the "hub and centre" of our Christian experience, for without holiness no one shall see the Lord ([HEB:12:14]).

Satan has put out imitations of all the experiences that he could counterfeit, but since there could not possibly be a substitute for holiness he had to adopt other tactics in reference to this essential experience. He denied it to some, minimised it to others, and corrupted the Biblical teachings regarding it to others. But we thank God that His truth is still in the world and that those who aspire for all the fullness of God's blessing can have this second great experience, without which the entrance into our Holy of Holies " the mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire " cannot be made.

Questions

1. Give the dimensions of the Holy Place.

2. What other name, in the book of Hebrews, is applied to the Holy Place?

3. What furnished the light in the Holy Place? What is typified in this light?

4. How often was the shewbread renewed? What did it typify?

5. What was offered on the golden altar? What did it typify?

6. When the blood of the sin offering was sprinkled before the veil and put on the horns of the golden altar, what was being typified?

7. What disposition was made of the body of the animal whose blood was placed on the golden altar? Quote the New Testament verses that make application of this type.

8. Who went into the Holy Place? What was necessary for them to do before they were eligible to enter the Holy Place?

9. Tell the difference in procedure between the offerings brought for pardon of sins and the sin offering for inward cleansing.

10.Why is there no substitute for sanctification as Satan has invented for justification and the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire?