The holy of holies was the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle, shut off and separated from the holy place by the beautiful veil. This was the place where the ark of God stood, and it was upon the mercy seat, which formed the lid of the ark, that the cloud of the Skekina Glory rested, and it was there God told Moses He would meet with him, and speak with him, from between the cherubim, which were above upon the mercy seat., Ex. 25; 22. It was into this holy shrine that the high priest alone was to enter, once a year, and even then, not without blood.

Entrance to that place by all others was barred, until the veil was rent, when Christ hanging on the cross, had finished the work of redemption. Now the way into the "Holiest" is open to all members of the "Royal" and "Holy" priesthood. We are invited, even commanded to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, the "new and living way." (Heb.10; 19-22.)

We have been seeing in the earlier chapters of this book, how that God made provision for the sins and trespasses of the individual Israelite, the ruler, the priest and the whole assembly, but the sacrifice of the great day of atonement was to be offered only once a year, on the tenth day of the seventh month, (Lev.16;29.) This great sacrifice teaches us about the greatness and scope of that "One Offering" by which the Lord Jesus perfected forever those that are sanctified, (Heb. 10; 12-14.) The sacrifice of the day of atonement was offered yearly, but the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus that it typified, never needed to be offered again, it was " One sacrifice, forever".

The other sacrifices refer to the personal effect of the sacrifice of Christ upon us individually, or as an assembly of God's people, but this great sacrifice would draw our attention to the great, universal effect, upon all of the redeemed, of all ages, of that one wonderful offering, which was made by our Lord Jesus on the cross, fulfilling that to which every offering since Abel's had pointed..

The fact that it was offered on the tenth day of the seventh month is significant. The number seven in typical teaching suggests completeness and perfection. The Lord Jesus came forth "In the fullness of time", which the Amplified New Testament states was "At exactly the right time". Not a moment too soon, not a moment too late.

God promised the redeemer on the day that sin entered the world, saying that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head. It seems to me that Adam and Eve believed that promise, and when Cain was born it is possible that Eve believed that he would be the one who would crush the serpent's head, because she said " I have gotten a man from the Lord", (Gen. 4; 1.) But millenniums were to pass before " the fullness of time was come", ( Gal. 4; 4.) Man was to be tried out under all circumstances, and to prove himself to be a complete and utter failure, ( in achieving the righteousness of God,) and only then did "God send forth His Son".

The tenth day is also important, for the number ten in typical teaching refers to responsibility, and in this instance to the responsibility of man, of all of the children of Israel, but in the sacrifice of Christ to which it points, the responsibility of all men. The atonement accomplished by the Lord Jesus, is unlimited, for "He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world", ( 1 John 2; 1.) Because of this we can go to all men everywhere with the joyful invitation, "Whosoever wills, let him come".

At the "place of the skull", the Lord Jesus took upon Himself the whole responsibility of man, and by His sufferings and death met every righteous claim of divine justice, satisfying the holy demands of the law fully.

No type can ever adequately set forth the glories of the One who is typified. Thus Aaron also fails as a type of Christ, because Aaron had first to offer for his own sins and also for those of his house, (verse 6.) But our Great High Priest surpasses all, for He was sinless, and Paul said of Him that "He needed not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins," ( Heb. 7; 27.) Because of this, we will pass by the details of Aaron' personal sacrifices, as they have been dealt with in earlier chapters.

In verse seven (Lev.16,) we are told that Aaron was to take two goats, one of which was to be for God, and the other for the people. Aaron was to cast lots on the two goats, and the goat on which the Lord's lot fell, was to be offered for a sin-offering. The casting of the lots was the means of indicating the divine choice, this points to the wonderful fact of God's choice of our Lord Jesus, first to be His servant, then to be the sacrifice for sin. In Isa.42; 1, God says, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth", and in the following verses goes on to reveal what His Servant would do, and how He would carry out God's will. Peter says of Him that though He was rejected by men, yet he was chosen and precious to God, ( 1 Pet. 2; 4.) God had watched Him from the moment of His birth, and found in Him everything that was delightful to God's own heart. Peter also told the men of Israel that " Jesus of Nazareth.[was], a man approved of God", ( Acts 2; 22.) Thus we are shown the unique character of Christ as the One chosen of God.

The goat that was chosen by the Lord, was to be offered for a sin-offering, but the other goat was to be for the people, it was to bear their sins away. Thus is set before us in the type, the two-fold character of the atoning work of our blessed Lord Jesus. He upheld the rights of God, fully met the claims of the law, all to the perfect satisfaction of the heart of God, but He also suffered the punishment of our sins, which He bore in His own body on the tree, (1 Pet. 2; 24,) He "suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God", (1 Pet. 3; 18.) So that His sacrificial death was first for God, and then also for us.

Before the goat chosen by Jehovah was offered, Aaron first had to make atonement for himself and his house, but before entering the Holy of Holies with the blood of his sin-offering, he was to take burning coals from the brazen altar, put them in the golden censer, and with both hands full of sweet incense, beaten small, was to enter the Holy of Holies, where he placed the incense upon the fire before the Lord. A cloud of fragrance arose from the burning incense and covered the mercy seat, thus he would only dimly see the ark and the mercy seat, through the cloud. This would teach us of the greatness and mystery of the person of Christ that we must ever acknowledge. There is that about the mystery of His person that we will never be able to understand, so great is He. In Matt.11; 27 He said, "No man knoweth the Son but the Father;" showing us that there is that about Himself which could never be known or understood by any one other than His Father. We live in a day of great irreverence, when even believers sometimes address the great eternal Son of God, as though He is just some common person. Using His personal name, ( JESUS,) glibly and loosely, some even daring to call Him brother, thus (perhaps ignorantly), making themselves equal with Him. He may call us His brethren, that is just His marvelous grace, but to us He must ever be our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

The fact that Aaron had both hands full of sweet incense, would teach us that whenever we enter the Holiest we should do so with our hearts filled with the appreciation of His sweetness, which we should express in praise and adoration. The Psalmist could say " Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise:"

In verse 15, (Lev.16,) Aaron is told to kill the goat of the sin-offering, and to take its blood inside the veil, where he was to sprinkle it once on the mercy seat, and seven times before it. This turns our minds again to Calvary, where our blessed Lord Jesus offered that one sacrifice forever, where He shed the precious blood of our atonement. That precious blood satisfied every claim of divine righteousness and holiness. On the cross the Lord Jesus cried, "It is finished", the work was done, eternal redemption had been obtained for us, Blessed be His holy name!

The high priest was then to take the blood into the Holy of Holies and there sprinkle it on the mercy seat once, and seven times before it. The cherubim, who represent the guardians of the rights of God in holiness, then looked down upon that blood with perfect satisfaction. The Almighty God looked upon that precious blood, and saw in it, the meeting of all His righteous claims, and thus found His rest in Christ and His accomplished redemption. Hebrews 9;11, tells us that "by His own blood He entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."

The sprinkling of the blood once, refers to the fact that His sacrifice never needs to be repeated, and the sprinkling of the blood seven times before the ark, teaches us about the completeness and perfection of the work that He has done. God has set Him forth as a "mercy seat", (J.N.Darby trans), through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins, whether the sins of those in past ages, or the sins of the present time, so that He might be just, yet the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Rom. 3; 25-26.) The Greek word translated "propitiation" is the word "hilasferion", which means the "place of propitiation", that is the mercy seat. All this took place in the holiest, it was seen only by the eye of God, and the high priest.

Aaron then came out and cleansed the altar and sprinkled the blood seven times upon it to cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. This cleansing was outward, it was seen by all assembled there, it was the public testimony to the efficacy and cleansing power of the "blood of Jesus Christ, His Son", in the type. The altar speaks of Christ, who had no personal sin, but took our sins as His own, and now His precious blood goes on cleansing from all sin. (1 John 1; 7.) Thus those without were given the testimony and assurance that the work of redemption was done, and done to the satisfaction of God.

Once the work of atonement and cleansing was completed, then Aaron was to take the live goat, which was for the people, and lay his hands on it, and confess over him all the iniquities, transgressions and sins of the children of Israel, verse 21. By this act all of the guilt of the people was transferred to the sinless substitute, it became the sin-bearer. It speaks so beautifully of our SIN-BEARER, our Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah says, "Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows", (Isa. 53; 4,) and Peter says, "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree",( 1 Pet. 2; 21.)

The goat was sent away into the wilderness by the hand of a fit man, it bore on it, "all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited". This teaches us that through the sacrifice of Christ, our sins were not only punished, cleansed and forgiven, but also removed. Our sins have been removed not merely into the wilderness, into a land not inhabited, but "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us", (Psl.103; 12,) "But now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself," So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for Him He shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Heb. 9; 26 & 28.)

This is so wonderful to know, that the Lord Jesus has done what no Old Testament sacrifice could ever do, those sacrifices made atonement for, (covered) the sins of those for whom the sacrifices were offered, making it necessary to offer sacrifices again and again. The Lord Jesus has borne our sins and removed them forever from the sight of God. HALLELUJAH!

This passage has a dispensational application as well. Just as Aaron went into the holiest with the blood of the sin-offering, so our Lord Jesus has entered with His own blood into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: (Heb. 9; 24.) He is there now serving us as our great High Priest, but just as Aaron came out to cleanse the altar, so the Lord Jesus is soon to come, first for His Church, then He is going to appear to those who look for Him, (to the remnant of Israel), without sin, unto (their), salvation. Then Israel as a nation will enter into the gain of the redeeming work of Christ. What a wonderful day that will be!

Now that the veil has been rent, and our Great High Priest, with His own blood has entered into heaven itself, into the holiest, we have access there and can enter at any time. This is what we are exhorted to do in Heb. 10; 19-25, to enter with boldness into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. The holiest is the immediate presence of God, where the Lord Jesus is, appearing for us. It is the nearest place, the very place where the Shekina glory dwells, a place where sin cannot come. How sad that many believers seldom enter there, that they are content to remain at the brazen altar.

So many never get beyond the knowledge that their sins are forgiven, and when they speak to God they are continually occupied with what they were, before being saved, with all that they have been forgiven. It seems that they are content to never be more than forgiven sinners. Like the prodigal who would have been content just to be a hired servant in his father's house, their prayers and praises are brazen altar prayers.

At the golden altar in the holy place, we are not occupied with ourselves and what we have done, or with what we have been forgiven, but rather occupied with the glory of Christ and what He is , and the promises of God that are yea and amen in Him. That is the place of light and revelation, the place where God communicates with us through His heavenly messengers.

But the holiest is even beyond that, there is the " ark of the covenant", in all His glory, our blessed Lord Jesus who did the will of God perfectly. The One who hid God's word in His heart, who trod the path of the will of God through a wicked world, through death and the grave, right up to the throne of Glory. There the Shekina glory dwells above the mercy-seat, there God meets with us, there He speaks with us. Not now through an angel, but in the sweet joy of an intimate communion and relationship with Himself.

To enter there three things are required from us, the first is a true heart, the second is faith, and the third is personal holiness,(Heb. 10; 22.) A true heart is a heart that seeks one thing, that is undivided-divided in its loyalty, a heart that is weaned from the love of the world, the love of money, the love of things. David could say, "one thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple," (Psl. 27; 4,) that is an example of a true heart. Faith, is that active power or principle in me that enables me to believe that God means what He says, (His promises), and leads me to act on that assumption It is not just a passive mental assent to what God says, but an active power. Personal holiness begins with the sprinkling of the heart, which removes the evil conscience. This takes place on the day of our experiencing the new birth, when we are washed from our sins, by the Lord Jesus, in His precious blood. From that time, the worshippers once purged, have no longer any conscience of sins, ( Heb. 10; 2,) that matter is settled forever. But the body must be washed with pure water, this is no ritual physical cleansing, but the application to ourselves of the pure water of the word of God, (Eph.5; 26.) The examination of our lives, in the mirror of God's word, (James 1; 22-25,) the confession and forsaking of every sin which that word reveals to our conscience, which results in our moral cleansing from "every pollution of flesh and spirit," (2 Cor. 7; 1, J.N.D.) "perfecting holiness in the fear of God". When this is so with us, we may have "boldness to enter the holiest, by the blood of Jesus.

We may experience this in an individual sense, in our personal devotions and communion with the Lord, and we should covet that this may be so. It is so wonderful to know and experience the nearness of the person of Christ in our circumstances, to know that He is with us where we are. But it is even more wonderful to be, (in our spirits,) where He is, to enter His Father's and our Father's house, where the Glory dwells.

We may also, and should experience this as we gather together, in the name of the Lord Jesus, to remember and to worship Him. It is to be noted that in the same section where the writer of the Hebrews is stressing the need for us to approach into the holiest, he also exhorts us not to forsake "the assembling of ourselves together." (Heb. 10; 25.) It is possible as we are assembled, and occupied with the person of Christ, remembering and worshipping Him, not only to experience His presence with us, but in our spirits to be taken by Him, into His Father's presence, there to join with Christ, in the worship of God and the Father, ( Heb. 2; 12.)

As we return again to Leviticus chapter 16, there are a few other details that we should notice.

(1) The garments worn by Aaron when offering the sin -offering, sprinkling the blood, confessing the sins of the people, were linen garments, not the garments of glory and beauty that he normally wore in his high-priestly service. This would show us that what is emphasized here is the spotless righteousness of Christ, rather than His beauty and glory. But when Aaron came out after the blood had been sprinkled and atonement made, when he came out to offer the fat and the burnt-offering, his own, and that for the people, he was wearing the garments of glory and beauty.

This type would teach us that when the Lord Jesus comes out to reign, to bring the whole world into the gain of His redeeming work, He will come out in Glory. Then the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. ( Hab. 2; 14.) Then "every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him", (Rev. 1; 7.)

(2). Aaron did all the work alone, except for those who led the scapegoat away, and carried the sin-offerings outside the camp to burn them. This would teach us that the whole of the work of our redemption, the purging of our sins, was done by the Lord Jesus alone. As we read in Heb. 1; 3, "When He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."

(3.) Aaron was to bathe his flesh, and those referred to above were to wash their clothes, and bathe their flesh in water. There was a very close association between sin, and the sin-offering. The same Hebrew word is used for both sin, and sin-offering, it is the word 'chattaah", so that those involved in handling the sacrifice were made ceremoniously unclean. This emphasizes the need for personal holiness, as we handle these precious truths.

(4.) The people were to do no work at all on that day: Salvation or redemption, purification from the guilt and judgment of sin does not come through our works. Christ did the work alone, and did it all, Blessed be His Holy Name! But the people were to "afflict their souls". This would suggest that the realization of what Christ has done for us, and what we and our sins have cost Him, would always humble the child of God, and make us to repent, to judge ourselves.

(5.) Finally; that day was a day of rest, a Sabbath of rest unto the people. How beautiful it is to see that we can now rest absolutely on the Lord Jesus, and the work that He has done, for God, and for us. No longer any conscience of sins, no fear of impending judgment, to trouble us,

O the rest forever flowing,

From God's thoughts of His own Son,

O the rest of simply knowing,

On the cross that all was done!

But not only do we find our rest, but God finds His rest, in Christ, and in His finished work. In Heb.4; 3-5, we are told that "the works were finished from the foundation of the world." God, because of His eternal and timeless nature, sees the end from the beginning. With God there is no past, and no future, He is the eternal I AM, He saw the redeeming work of Christ as an accomplished fact, from the foundation of the world. It is said that the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world, (Rev. 13; 8.)

Thus the sacrifice of the great day of atonement, spoke to God of that terrible, yet wonderful day when the sinless Son of God would bear the judgment due to lost men, would bear their sins away, would remove them forever from God's sight. Thus God could rest in the perfection of what Christ is, and what He has done. There at Calvary, mercy and truth met together, their righteousness and peace kissed each other, ( Psl. 85; 10.)

May the Lord grant to us all a deeper appreciation of the wonder of His great eternal work of atonement!