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Abiding in the Father and His Son |
Let The Dead Speak November 2011 Issue
By ITH Ministries
God has given me light regarding our periodicals. What is it?--He has said that the dead are to speak. How?--Their works shall follow them. We are to repeat the words of the pioneers in our work, who knew what it cost to search for the truth as for hidden treasure, and who labored to lay the foundation of our work. They moved forward step by step under the influence of the Spirit of God. One by one these pioneers are passing away. The word given me is, Let that which these men have written in the past be reproduced. Review and Herald - May 25, 1905
Stephen Haskell - The Cross and its Shadow - Part 2 James White - Millennium Bible Adventism - Sermon 2
Stephen HaskellThe Cross and It's Shadow Part 2 of 5 Chapter 11The LevitesONE entire tribe of Israel was set apart for the
service of the sanctuary. As we recall the last words spoken to Levi by his father Jacob as he lay on his
death-bed, we might wonder that his descendants were chosen for that sacred work. When Jacob remembered the
sins of Levi, he pronounced almost a curse instead of a blessing upon his son, and closed it with these
words: Wondrous is the love of our God that can change a curse into a blessing. (Neh. 13:2) Only a mighty God can make scarlet sins as white as snow. (Isa. 1:18) The impulsive nature which, under the control of Satan, drives a man to commit desperate crimes, is not removed when he is converted. That same impetuosity, consecrated and under the control of Christ, makes him a valiant warrior for the Lord. Saul, the desperate persecutor, when converted, became Paul, the leading apostle. The fearless character which, under the control of Satan, led Levi
to murder the Shechemites, when controlled by the grace of God, enabled his descendants to take their stand
boldly on the Lord's side when the mass of Israel went into idolatry. (Ex. 32:26-29) God then turned the curse
into a blessing; He said because they had observed His law and kept His covenant, they
should In order that their influence for good might be more widely felt throughout Israel, the Lord, instead of giving them one portion of the land for their inheritance, as He had given the other tribes, appointed as their portion forty-eight cities scattered among all the tribes, (Number 18:20; 35:1-8) Truly they were divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel, but the curse was turned into a blessing. Our God is The term The Levites were consecrated to the work of the sanctuary by the
laying on of hands by the whole assembly of Israel, and then Aaron offered them The Levites were chosen by the Lord instead of the firstborn of Israel. (Num. 8:17,18) While journeying in the wilderness, they carried all that pertained to the tabernacle; but although they bore the sacred furniture, they were never permitted even to look upon it. (Num. 4:20) After the temple was built, the Levites were assigned the work of waiting on the priests in the sanctuary service. They prepared the showbread, often led the singing, collected the tithe, and did a large amount of work in connection with the service of the Lord. (1 Chr. 23:24-32) In the time of David the Levites began to serve in the sanctuary
at the age of twenty-five. At fifty years of age they were to The work of the Levites was largely confined to the court, and thus typified the work of the gospel ministry of the present day.
Chapter 12Garments of the PriestsTHE garments worn by the ordinary priests were of white linen, a
fit emblem of the Spotless One of whom their ministry was a type The outer robe was white woven in one piece,
and extended nearly to the feet. It was confined at the waist with a white linen girdle, embroidered in blue,
purple, and scarlet. A white linen miter or turban, covered the head. These articles, with the linen breeches
which were worn by all officiating priests, completed the costume of the common priest. These garments of white
linen were made for Only the family of Aaron could wear the rich garments of the priest; but there are robes of
The pure white garments were worn by the high priest on ordinary occasions, but when he entered the most holy place to make atonement for the people, he was clad in gorgeous robes, which fitly represented our High Priest as He confesses the names of His people before the judgment-seat of the Judge of the whole earth. The high priest always wore the long white linen robe of the common priest, but over this was a robe of blue woven in one piece, and beautifully ornamented around the skirt with golden bells and pomegranates of blue, purple, and gold. The ephod, a sleeveless garment of white linen, beautifully embroidered in gold, blue, purple, and scarlet, was worn over the blue robe. This was shorter than the other garments, and was confined at the waist by a richly embroidered girdle of the same color. On the gold embroidered shoulders of the ephod were two onyx stones, on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, six names on each shoulder, thus typifying the Mighty One who bears the perplexities and burdens of His people upon His shoulders. (Isa. 9:6) While the robe of blue with its golden bells and the handsomely embroidered ephod were beautiful, yet the crowning feature in all the gorgeous dress of the high priest was the breastplate worn over his heart as he officiated in the holy of holies before the Lord. The breastplate was of the same material as the ephod. It was in the form of a square and measured a span. In it were set in gold twelve precious stones, arranged three in a row. On each stone was engraved the name of one of the tribes of Israel. Around these was a border of a variety of stones. The stones in the breastplate were the same as those that form the foundation of the New Jerusalem. (Ex. 28:2-39) The breastplate hung from the shoulders of the ephod and was fastened at the waist by a blue cord through gold rings. Set in the breastplate, one on either side, were two brilliant stones, called the Urim and Thummim. By means of these stones the mind of the Lord could be ascertained by the high priest. When questions were asked, if light encircled the precious stone at the right, the answer was in the affirmative; but if a shadow rested on the stone at the left, the answer was negative. The breastplate being attached to the ephod, David, in calling for the priest to bring the ephod when he was undecided as to what course to pursue, was really asking for the breastplate, by which he might know the mind of the Lord. (1 Sam. 23:9-12) There was one other article belonging to the high priest's garments, the miter, or bonnet, (Ex.
28:36,37) A gold plate bearing the inscription, No priest was allowed to wear the priestly garments except when officiating in the sanctuary or court. (Eze 44:19) There is a touching significance in the high priest's wearing the names of all Israel on his
shoulders and over his heart as he performed the work which typified the judgment, when the case of every one
will come up in review before God. The breastplate was called
Chapter 13The PassoverTHE Passover was the opening feast of the yearly round of religious services. It was both commemorative and typical, commemorative of the deliverance of the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, and typical of the deliverance from the thralldom of sin of every individual who claims Christ as his Passover Lamb, and accepts His blood as a covering for past sins. (1 Cor. 5:7) The Passover was celebrated in the early springtime, when the opening buds and flowers proclaimed that winter was past. As the time drew near for this feast, every road leading toward Jerusalem was thronged with devout Jews wending their way toward the holy city; for every man of the children of Israel had to appear before the Lord at the time of this feast. (Duet 16:16) All classes mingled together in these traveling companies, which were constantly increasing as they neared the city. Shepherds, farmers, priests, and Levites, men from all walks in life, joined the throngs which entered Jerusalem from all directions. The homes in the city were thrown open to entertain them, and tents were pitched upon the house-tops and in the streets to shelter those attending the feast, and to provide rooms where as families and groups they might gather to eat the Passover. Prior to the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt, the new year began in the autumn;
(Ex. 23:16; 34:22) but when the Lord brought the Israelites out from Egyptian bondage, in the month Abib, or
Nisan, He said, On the tenth day of the month Abib, the Passover lamb was selected, and was kept separate from
the rest of the flock until the fourteenth day of the month, when it was slain. There was an appointed hour for
the slaying of the lamb The lamb was roasted entire, not one bone being broken. If the family was small, several
families could join together in the feast. Unleavened bread and bitter herbs were eaten with the lamb. The
unleavened bread commemorated the rapid flight from Egypt, when the children of Israel took their dough before
it was leavened, Not only was unleavened bread used in the feast, but no leaven was allowed in the homes during the entire week following the day of the Passover. This is a very beautiful emblem of the Christian, who, while claiming to be sheltered by the
blood of Christ, should not only keep his mouth from speaking evil, but his heart also should be free from the
When the lamb was slain, a sprig of hyssop was dipped in the blood, and with it they were to
strike the two side posts and the lintel of the door of the house where the lamb was eaten. This commemorated
that wonderful deliverance of the first- born of Israel when all the first-born of Egypt were slain. The Lord
said, While the event commemorated by the blood on the lintel was wonderful, yet the event typified
was far more wonderful. Just as truly as the destroying angel passed through Egypt and laid the icy hand of
death upon the brow of every first-born child who was not shielded by the blood, so the second death, from which
there will be no resurrection, will fall upon every one who has not been cleansed from sin by the blood of
Christ. (Rev. 20:14,15) There was no respect of persons; all were slain, from the heir to the throne of Egypt to
the first-born of the prisoner in the dungeon. Exalted station, wealth, or earthly fame will not shield one from
the destroying angel of the Lord. One thing alone will shield rich and poor alike, it is the precious blood of
Christ. Dwelling upon the commemorative side of the Passover feast, strengthens our faith. Remembering
how the Lord wrought for His afflicted people, how he heard their cries and worked miracles for their
deliverance, brings a blessing to the soul; but there is also salvation for the one who dwells upon the typical
part of the Passover feast, and claims the blessings there shadowed forth by type and symbol. Every Passover
lamb, from the one slain on the night of the deliverance from Egypt to the time of Christ, was a type of the
Saviour in a special sense. Just as the Passover lamb had for centuries been taken from the flocks a few days before it was
to be slain, and had been kept separate, a lamb marked for death; so a few days before Christ was crucified, the
Sanhedrin condemned Him to death. From that day forth, as they looked upon Him, they knew that His death was
determined. As the lamb was kept apart, so On the morning after that awful night of torture and agony, the Saviour was brought to Pilate's
judgment hall. All night the Jews had followed Christ while He had been in the presence of their high priest;
but now, when He was taken into the Roman hall of justice, the Jews It was not by chance that the Saviour was crucified upon Friday, the sixth day of the week. For
centuries God had ordained that the day following the Passover, the fifteenth day of the month Abib, should be
kept as a ceremonial Sabbath, (Lev. 23:6,7) thus typifying the fact that Christ, the real Passover, would be
offered the day before the Sabbath. The Passover lamb was slain between the two evenings, or about the ninth
hour of the day. The great antitypical Lamb, as He hung between heaven and earth an offering for sinful man,
about the ninth hour, cried, The work typified by the Passover extends on down through the ages, and will not have fully met its antitype until the children of God are forever freed from the power of the enemy of all righteousness. It was at midnight that the destroying angel passed throughout Egypt, and manifested his power
in delivering the people of God from bondage; so it will be at midnight that God will manifest His power for the
final deliverance of His people. (Ex. 12:29,30) The prophet, looking down through the ages, says, Those partaking of the Passover feast were to leave nothing of it until the morning. The morning
was to bring a new experience freedom from bondage. The soul that accepts Christ as his Passover and partakes of
Him by faith, enters upon a new experience freedom from the condemnation of the old life. When God manifests His
power at midnight for the final deliverance of His people, the morning will leave none in bondage. The destruction of Pharaoh and all his host in the Red Sea, and the song of deliverance sung by the Israelites on the other shore, were typical of the final deliverance of God's people from this earth. (Rev. 15:2,3) The righteous will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, but the wicked, like Pharaoh's host, will be left dead upon the earth, neither gathered nor buried. (1 Thess 4:16,17) No stranger could partake of the Passover feast; but there were provisions made in the old
Levitical service whereby a stranger, by complying with certain forms and ceremonies, could become an Israelite,
and then partake of the Passover. (Ex 12:48) Sin debars mankind from sharing in the blessings promised the
children of God, but there is a remedy for sins: The children of Israel were surrounded by heathen nations, who, when all the men went up to
attend the annual feasts, would seize upon their flocks and land, unless they were especially protected by God;
for not only at the Passover, but three times in the year all the men of Israel were required to attend the
feasts at Jerusalem. They went up trusting the promise, No longer do God's people gather at Jerusalem to eat the Passover; but faithful followers of the
Lord in all nations of the earth partake of the memorial of His broken body and shed blood. To each company the
words are spoken: There is a difference between the annual offerings, or feasts, and the ordinary offerings. The sin-offering, trespass-offering, peace-offering, or any of the ordinary, offerings could be celebrated at any time in the year, whenever the occasion or needs of the people demanded it; but not so with the annual feasts. All the annual feasts were prophetic as well as typical. While the Passover lamb, slain each
year, was a shadow of One unanswerable argument that Jesus is the Messiah, is that He died upon the cross the very day, and time of the day, that God had said the Passover lamb should be slain; and He came forth from the dead the same day of the month, that the first-fruits had been waved for centuries. God, Himself, definitely fixed the date for the celebration of each of the annual offerings. The day of the year when each annual offering was to be celebrated, was a direct prophecy of the
time when the type would meet its antitype.
Chapter 14The Feast of Unleavened BreadTHE Feast of Unleavened Bread began with the fifteenth day of the
month Abib, or Nisan, and continued seven days. (Num. 28:17) Unleavened bread was eaten with the Passover lamb;
but the Feast of Unleavened Bread followed the Passover, although at times the term
In the previous chapter we have shown that it was not by chance that in the year the Saviour was
crucified the Passover came on Friday, the sixth day of the week. Neither was it by chance that the ceremonial
Sabbath, the fifteenth day of Abib, came upon the seventh-day Sabbath of the Lord. It was type meeting antitype.
The beloved disciple John said, Four thousand years before, on the first sixth day of time, God and Christ finished the work of
creation. God pronounced the finished work very good, and It was a mighty work to speak this world into existence, to clothe it with verdure and beauty,
to supply it with animal life, to people it with human beings made in the image of God; but it is a far greater
work to take the earth marred by sin, its inhabitants sunken in iniquity, and re-create them, bringing them
really to a higher state of perfection than when they first came from the hand of the Creator. This is the work
undertaken by the Son of God; and when He cried upon Calvary, As the westering sun was heralding to the world the approach of the holy Sabbath of the Lord,
from the cross on Calvary the Son of God proclaimed the work of redemption finished. That work was to affect the
entire creation, and although wicked men understood not the meaning of those mystic words, The work of redemption was completed on the sixth day, and as God rested after the work of creation, so Jesus rested in Joseph's tomb during the sacred hours of that holy Sabbath. His followers rested also; for He had ever taught them obedience to His Father's holy law. He had forbidden any ever to think that even a jot or tittle of the law of God could be changed. (Matt. 5:17,18) For four thousand years the Sabbath had been observed as a memorial of creation; but after the Saviour died upon the cross it was doubly blessed, being a memorial of redemption as well as of creation. The Sabbath, like a great bridge, spans all time. The first pier upholding this great
institution was placed in Eden, when, according to the account given in Gen. 2:2, 3, God and unfallen man rested
through the sacred hours of the Sabbath. The second pier of the bridge was founded amid the thunders of Sinai,
when God, in proclaiming the fourth commandment as found in Ex. 20:8-11, gave the fact that He had rested upon
the seventh day from the work of creation, as the reason why man should keep it holy. The third pier of the
Sabbath bridge was hallowed by the blood of Calvary. While the Son of the mighty God rested in the tomb from the
work of redemption, it is recorded in Luke 23:54-56 that Jesus' followers The second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was the offering of first-fruits. This was a
very important service, and will be dwelt upon separately from the rest of the feast. During the seven days
following the Passover, the people ate unleavened bread. Seven, denoting a complete number, was a fitting type
of the life that should be lived by the one who claims Christ as his Passover, and has the blessed assurance
that his sins are covered by the blood of the Saviour. Leaven is a type of
Chapter 15The Offering of The First-FruitsWHEN the waving fields of golden grain proclaimed that the time of harvest had come, the service of offering the first-fruits before the Lord was performed in the temple. As the children of Israel journeyed toward Jerusalem to attend the Passover, on every side could be seen fields of yellow barley, the heads heavy with ripened grain bending in the breeze. But not a sickle could be put into the grain, or even kernels gathered to be eaten until the first-fruits had been presented before the Lord. The offering of first-fruits came on the third day of the Passover feast. The fourteenth day of
the month Abib, or Nisan, the Passover was eaten, the fifteenth day was the Sabbath, and upon the sixteenth day,
or as the Bible states it, It was a beautiful service. The priest clad in his sacred robes, with a handful of yellow heads of ripened grain, entered the temple. The glow of burnished gold from walls and furniture blended with the tints of the golden heads of grain. The priest paused in front of the golden altar, and waved the grain before the Lord. Those first heads were a pledge of the bountiful harvest to be gathered, and the waving indicated thanksgiving and praise to the Lord of the harvest. The waving of the first-fruits was the principal service of the day, but a lamb was also offered as a burnt-offering. No portion of the first-fruits were ever burned in the fire, for they were a type of resurrected beings clad in immortality, nevermore subject to death or decay. For centuries God had met with His people in the temple, and accepted their offerings of praise
and thanksgiving; but a change came. When Christ died on Calvary and the veil of the temple was rent asunder,
the virtue of the temple service came to an end. The Jews slew their paschal lambs as formerly, but the service
was only a mockery; for that year, upon the fourteenth day of the month Abib, Every field of ripened grain gathered into the garner, is but a reminder of the great final
harvest, when the Lord of the harvest, with His band of angel reapers, will come to gather the spiritual harvest
of the world. Just as the first handful of grain was a pledge of the coming harvest, so the resurrection of
Christ was a pledge of the resurrection of the righteous; The priest did not enter the temple with only one head of grain, he waved a handful before the
Lord; neither did Jesus come forth from the grave alone, for It is a sad fact that even the disciples who loved their Lord were so blinded that they could not recognize the fact that the time had come for the appearance of the great Antitype of the service they had yearly celebrated all their lives; and even when they listened to the announcement of His resurrection, it seemed to them as an idle tale, and they believed it not. (Luke 24:10,11) But God never lacks for agents. When living human beings are dumb, He awakens sleeping saints to perform His appointed work. In the type the grain was waved in the temple, and to fulfil the antitype Christ must present Himself and the company who had risen with Him before God in the first apartment of the heavenly temple. In the early morning of the resurrection day, when Jesus appeared to Mary, she fell at His feet
to worship Him, but Jesus said to her, Paul tells us that when Christ ascended up on high, Little did the inhabitants of earth dream of the wonderful antitypical offering of first-fruits that was being celebrated in the heavenly temple at the time the Jews were carrying out the empty forms in the temple on earth. That was a wonderful congregation in the heavenly courts. All the hosts of heaven and representatives from the unfallen worlds were assembled to greet the mighty Conqueror as He returned from the most terrible war ever waged and the greatest victory ever won. Earthly battles that simply gain dominion over a small portion of the earth for a brief span of years, are as nothing compared with the war that raged between Christ and Satan here upon this earth. Christ returned to heaven bearing the scars of that terrible struggle in the prints of the nails in His hands and feet and the wound in His side. (Isa. 49:16) Words fail to describe the scene as the heavenly host with one accord fail prostrate at His feet
in adoration; but He waves them back, He bids them wait. Jesus has entered heaven as We wonder how Christ could ever leave the glories of heaven to return to the earth, where He had met only ignominy and reproach. But marvelous is the power of love! His sorrowing followers on earth were so dear to His heart that the worship of all heaven could not keep Him from them, and He returned to comfort and cheer their hearts. The first three days of the Passover feast typified wonderful events in the work of our Saviour. The first day typified His broken body and shed blood; and the day before the type met antitype, Christ gathered His disciples together and instituted the touching memorial service of the Lord's supper, to commemorate His death and suffering until He comes a second time. (Matt. 26:26-29) Every weekly Sabbath of the Lord is a memorial of that Sabbath on which Jesus rested in the tomb, after He had finished His work on earth for the redemption of a lost race. God has not left His church without a memorial of the great antitype of the offering of the
first-fruits. He has given them baptism to commemorate this glorious event. As Christ was laid in the tomb, so
the candidate for baptism is laid in the watery grave. Christ the First-fruits. 1 Cor. 15:23 NOTE:--Bible students for centuries have been divided into two classes in regard to their opinion of the time that the Lord ate the last supper with His disciples. One class believe Jesus did not fulfil the type in regard to the time, but only as to the event. They claim that the year Christ died, the 14th day of Nisan, or Passover, came on Thursday; that He was crucified on Friday, the annual Sabbath, the 15th day of Nisan; that He lay in the tomb while the first-fruits were waved in the temple on the 16th day of Nisan; and arose from the dead on the 17th day of Nisan. In support of this position, they quote the following texts:Matt. 26:17; Mark 14:1, 12; Luke 22:7. The other class believe that, when God decreed certain offerings should be offered on a definite
day of the month, the type would meet antitype at that specified time.
Chapter 16PentecostPENTECOST, so called because it was held fifty days after the waving of first-fruits, (Lev. 23:16) was the last of the annual feasts held in the first half of the year. (Acts 2:1) This feast was called the Feast of Weeks, on account of seven weeks intervening between it and the Passover feast. (Duet. 16:9,10) It was also called the Feast of Harvest, as it came at the close of the harvest. (Ex. 23:14-16) The Feast of Weeks was one of the three principal annual feasts, when all the men of Israel were required to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem. As the children of Israel journeyed toward Jerusalem to attend this feast, on all sides could be seen the stubble from which had been gathered the ripened grain that lay all ready to be trodden out upon the threshing-floors. At the time of the Passover feast there was uncertainty in regard to the coming harvest, as drought or storm might blight it before it was gathered; but now there was no uncertainty. The fruit of the harvest was in their possession, to be used for their pleasure and the advancement of the work of the Lord. And none were to appear before the Lord empty. They were not simply to bring a few heads of grain, as in the springtime; but they were to bring a freewill-offering according as the Lord had blessed them. (Duet. 16:10) This feast was sometimes called the Day of the First-fruits (Num. 28:26) because the children of Israel were expected to make liberal offerings to the Lord at this time. It was a season of great rejoicing for the entire family, in which the Levites and the poor and afflicted were to join. The services of the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, occupied but one day. Many offerings were presented at the temple, among them two loaves of leavened bread, which were waved before the Lord. The Feast of Weeks was observed as an annual Sabbath, and was a holy convocation. (Lev. 23:15-21) When Christ ascended from the earth, He bade His disciples teach all nations. They were to carry the gospel to the entire world. The disciples saw only a mere handful of believers as the result of Christ's three years of toil and sacrifice. But when Pentecost had fully come, or in other words, when the seed which the Son of God Himself had sown during those three and a half years of weary toil, had sprung up, then came the harvest. (Acts 2:41) The disciples were ignorant of the results of the Saviour's life, work, and sacrifice upon the
minds of the people. In explaining to them the parable of the tares and the wheat, Christ had said, There was a work for the disciples to do in order that they might be ready for the great antitypical Feast of Harvest. They needed to study the Scriptures, to put aside every difference, and become of one accord, that they might receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which would enable them to know how to care for the great harvest of three thousand souls that was awaiting them as the result of the Saviour's ministry. They also needed this special outpouring of the Spirit to prepare them to carry forward the wonderful work begun on the day of Pentecost, until every creature under heaven should hear the glad news of salvation. (Acts 1:14-26) In Palestine there was an early rain and a latter rain, which came in time to ripen the harvest.
The prophet Joel, in speaking of the work of God in the last days, uses the terms In the type the children of Israel brought liberal offerings to the Lord at the Feast of
Harvest. Those who entered into the spirit of the antitypical Feast of Harvest, or Pentecost, As the seed sown by the Son of man during His earthly ministry brought a harvest of souls at
Pentecost, or the early rain, so the good seed sown by Christ's ambassadors who faithfully scatter the printed
page filled, with the gospel message, and by voice and life teach the saving truth, will yield a bountiful
harvest in the time of the latter rain, when God's Spirit is poured out upon all flesh. Then will be gathered
the fruit of what each one has sown in the field.
Chapter 17The Sin-OfferingIN none of the types was the individual worshiper brought into so
close contact with the sanctuary service as in the sin-offering. There is no part of religious worship that
brings the individual worshiper into such close touch with the Lord as when he kneels at the Saviour's feet,
confessing his sins, and knowing the strength of the promise, Sin is the transgression of the law of God. The one who had The sin-offering was brought into the court of the sanctuary, to the door of the tabernacle of
the congregation. (Lev. 4:1-35) The sinner, with his hands laid upon the head of the lamb, confessed over it all
his sins, and then with his own hand he killed it. (Lev. 4:29; Num. 5:7) sometimes the blood was taken into the
first apartment of the sanctuary by the officiating priest, who dipped his finger in the blood and sprinkled it
before the Lord. The horns of the golden altar, the altar of incense, were also touched with the blood. The
priest then came out into the court, and poured all the blood at the base of the altar of burnt-offering. (Lev.
4:7,18,25,30) The bodies of the animals whose blood was taken into the sanctuary, were burned without the camp.
(Lev. 6:30) The sinner, by confessing his sins over the lamb, in type and shadow transferred them to the lamb. The life of the lamb was then taken instead of the life of the sinner, typifying the death of the Lamb of God, who would offer His life for the sins of the world. The blood of the animal was powerless to remove sin, (Heb. 10:4) but by shedding its blood the penitent revealed his faith in the divine offering of the Son of God. Every sin-offering was to be without blemish, thus typifying the perfect sacrifice of the Saviour. (1 Peter 1:19) In some offerings the blood was not taken into the sanctuary, but in every sin-offering all the blood was poured out at the base of the altar of burn-offering in the court. When the blood was not taken into the first apartment of the sanctuary, a portion of the flesh of the sin-offering was eaten by the priest in the holy place. (Lev. 10:18) As the priest assimilated the flesh of the sin-offering, and it thus became a part of his own
body; and as he performed the work of the sanctuary, he strikingly typified how The priest ate only the flesh of the sin-offering when the blood was not taken within the
sanctuary. The command in regard to this was very pain: The type was beautiful, but how much more beautiful the antitype! When the sinner lays his sins
on Christ, In every sin-offering two things were essential on the part of the sinner: first to realize his
own sinfulness before God, and to prize pardon sufficiently to make a sacrifice to obtain it; second, to see by
faith beyond his offering, the son of God through whom he is to receive his pardon, After the blood was presented before the Lord, there was yet an important work for the sinner to perform. With his own hands he was to remove all the fat from the different organs of the animal offered as a sin-offering. (Lev. 7:30,31) and give it to the priest, who burned it upon the brazen altar. At first thought this might seem a strange ceremony, but when we remember that the fat represented sin, (Ps. 37:20, Isa 43:23,24) we see that it is a fitting ceremony. It was evidently viewing this service in the sanctuary that saved David from backsliding. He had
beheld the prosperity of the wicked, and was envious of them. Until his This was an impressive type, the priest waiting for the sinner to separate the fat from the offering, ready to take it as soon as it was offered to him. So Christ, our great High Priest, is waiting for each sinner to confess his sins and give them to Him, that He in return can clothe the sinner with His own robe of righteousness; (Isa. 61:10) and consume his sins in the fires of the last day. Paul evidently refers to this part of the sanctuary service in Heb. 4:12. The burning of the fat was An individual who was too poor to offer a lamb for a sin-offering could bring two pigeons' and
if he was so poor that he did not possess two pigeons, then he could catch two of the wild turtle doves, and
offer them for a sin-offering; but if he was too feeble to capture the wild doves, the Lord made provision that
he should be allowed to bring a small portion of fine flour, and the priest would present the crushed grain as a
type of the broken body of the Saviour. Of this one it was said, In every sin-offering where animals or birds were offered, the blood was all poured out at the base of the altar of burnt-offering in the court of the sanctuary. When we remember how particular the Lord was that everything about the camp should be kept in a sanitary condition, (Deut 23:14) we can see at a glance that it must have required much labor to keep the court clean. Therefore the Lord would not have directed that all the blood by poured on the ground at the base of the altar if it had not contained a very important lesson. The first sin ever committed in the earth affected the earth as well as the sinner. The Lord
said to Adam, The curse of sin rests heavier and heavier upon the earth. (Isa. 24:5,6) There is only one thing
in all the universe of god that can remove this curse. Since it is the sins of mankind that defile the earth, in every sin-offering, after the offering had been made for the sinner, the remainder of the blood was poured out on the ground at the base of the brazen altar in the court as a type of the precious blood of Christ, which would remove every taint of sin from this earth, and clothe it in Eden beauty. (Rev. 21:1)
Chapter 18 The Burnt-OfferingTHE whole burnt-offering had its origin at the gate of the garden of Eden, (Gen. 4:4; 8:20) and extended to the cross; and it will never lose its significance as long as mankind is subject to temptation and sin. The entire sacrifice was laid upon the altar and burned, (Lev. 1:2-9) typifying not only a surrender of sin, but a consecration of the entire life to the service of God. Wherever the people of God sojourned during the patriarchal age, rude altars of stone were erected, upon which to offer their whole burnt-offerings, Gen. 12:7,8; 13:4; 35:3) After the long period of Egyptian bondage, Israel was so prone to idolatry that the Lord had the brazen altar built in the court of the tabernacle, and instead of burnt- offerings being offered anywhere by the father of the household, they were brought to the sanctuary and offered by the priests of divine appointment. (Duet. 12:5,6) There were special occasions when burnt-offerings were offered in other places than the sanctuary, as the sacrifice offered by David on the threshing-floor of Ornan, (2 Sam. 24:18-25) and the memorable sacrifice offered by Elijah upon Mount Carmel. (1 Kings 18:31-38) The accounts of the burnt-offerings in the Bible are a history of wonderful victories when individuals drew near to God by putting away their sins and surrendering their lives and all they possessed to the service of the Lord. Abraham's great test of faith was a burnt-offering upon Mount Moriah. (Gen. 22:2-13) Gideon's wonderful victories dated from the whole burnt-offerings offered before the Lord when he, by those offerings, showed he surrendered all to the Lord to be consumed on the altar as the Lord directed. (Judges 6:21-28) The whole burnt-offering was a type of the full consecration that must come into every life that
God can use to His glory. Paul urged the fulfilling of the antitype in the following words: This principle was beautifully illustrated in the Saviour's passing by as of little value the
large gifts of the rich who offered only for display, and stating that in the valuation of heaven the two mites
which the poor widow gave with a heart full of love, were of more value than all the wealth given for vain
display. (Mark 12:41-44) The Lord regards the gifts and offerings made by His people to carry forward His work
on the earth, as The whole burnt-offering was offered as an atonement for sin. (Lev. 9:7) The individual making the offering laid his hands on the head of the animal, confessing his sins; (Lev. 1:4; Num. 8:12) and then, if it was from the flock or the herd, with his own hands he took its life. If the burnt-offering was a bird, the priest killed the offering. The blood was sprinkled round about upon the brazen altar, in type of the cleansing blood of Christ, and then the offering was burned upon the altar. Every morning and evening a lamb was offered at the sanctuary as a whole burnt-offering. (Ex. 29:38-42) Each Sabbath day four lambs were offered, two in the morning and two in the evening. (Num. 28:9,10) These sacrifices typified a reconsecration of the whole congregation each morning and evening to the service of God. Since the shadow has met the substance, it would be hollow mockery to offer burnt-offerings
morning and evening now; but the type has lost none of its significance, and contains lessons for us; for The heart filled with love to God and our fellow-men is an offering always acceptable to God. In
order to keep the heart in this condition, it must be filled with the life-giving Word of God. (Ps. 119:11) The
Lord regards a
Chapter 19The Drink-OfferingTHE drink-offering was celebrated long before the sanctuary
service was instituted at Sinai. After the Lord appeared to Jacob at Bethel and said, The drink-offering, like the meat-offering, was offered with burnt-offerings, for The pouring out of the drink-offering was no doubt an emblem of the pouring out of the Holy
Spirit. (Joel 2:28; Isa. 44:3) Paul used the beautiful type of pouring the drink-offering upon the
burnt-offering, and the consuming of all upon the altar, as an illustration of his life fully surrendered to
God's service. When the three mighty warriors for the love they bore David risked their lives to bring him a
drink from the well of Bethlehem, David considered the water too sacred to drink, for they had The drink-offering was a type of Christ's life poured out for us, and the antitype can be repeated in the life of every one who, like Paul, rejoices in being poured forth upon the sacrifice and consumed upon the altar. The drink-offering is no doubt referred to in Judges 9:13 where wine is said to The wine of the drink-offering truly gladdened the heart of God and man; for like the water of Bethlehem poured out by David, it represented, when offered in sincerity, the pouring out of the heart or life of the sinner before God. When Hannah gave Samuel to the sanctuary, she brought a bottle of wine with the animal for a burnt-offering. It was after she had expressed the full surrender of her only son to the Lord by her burnt-offering and the wine of the drink-offering, that she could fill the temple court with her voice of praise and thanksgiving. (1 Sam. 1:24; 2:1-10)
Chapter 20The Meat-OfferingDANIEL prophesied that Christ would No leaven or honey was allowed in any of the meat-offerings; for leaven indicated The qualities of salt are directly opposite. Salt removes and prevents corruption; it is also an
emblem of friendship. A portion of the meat-offering was burned on the brazen altar, whether it was flour or unleavened cakes; also a portion of the oil, and all the frankincense; (Lev. 6:15) and the remainder was eaten by the priest in the court. (Lev. 6:16,17) If a priest offered a meat-offering, no portion was eaten, but the entire offering was burned on the brazen altar. (Lev. 6:20-22) The high priest offered a meat-offering every day. Wherever flour or cakes were offered in connection with any other offering, it was called a
meat-offering. The offering for the sinner too poor to bring even a wild turtle-dove was a meat-offering or
trespass-offering. There was no oil or frankincense in this offering. (Lev. 5:11) In the offering for jealousy,
the oil and frankincense were also left out. No frankincense was ever added to the meat-offerings that brought
The meat-offering was a very common offering and was united with all burnt-offerings. (Num. 15:3-12) It was offered every morning and evening on the brazen altar, in connection with the morning and evening burnt-offering. (Ex. 29:39-42) The meat-offering of first-fruits was
The meat-offering typified the full surrender of all we have, and all we are, to the Lord. This offering was always presented along with some animal sacrifice, thus showing the connection between pardon of sin and consecration to the Lord. It is after an individual's sins are forgiven that he lays all upon the altar to be consumed in God's service. In the meat-offering, like the sin-offering, provision was made for the poor. The wealthy class
baked their meat-offerings in an oven; the individual in moderate circumstances, on the
Continued Next Month
Text: Let not your heart be
troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not
so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go, and prepare a place for you, I
will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. John
14:1-3
JESUS was soon to leave his disciples, and ascend to the
Father. And in his words of instruction and consolation, he was preparing their minds for that event which
would prove a great grief to them. His presence constituted their joy. His absence would be their sorrow. "Can
the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the
bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." Matt.9:15.
The real friends of our Lord will ever desire his tangible
presence. A worldly church, whose affections are placed upon the things of this life, will enjoy his absence
quite as well. Those who truly love their divine Lord will receive the word relative to his return with all
gladness.
Our Lord was tenderly introducing to his disciples the subject
of his ascent to Heaven. "Little children yet a little while I am with you." John 13:33. "Whither I go, thou
canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards." Verse 36. This statement caused distress and
consternation in the minds of the disciples, and led Peter to say to his Lord, "Why cannot I follow thee now? I
will lay down my life for thy sake." Verse 37. Then follow the comforting words of the text, assuring the
sorrowing disciples that their Lord would come again, and receive them to himself.
Jesus also assured them that the Father would give them
"another comforter, " even the Spirit of truth, which should dwell with them, and be in them. Chap.14:16, 17.
The words, "another comforter, " suppose two, at least. The one was the person of our divine Lord. The other is
the Spirit of truth. Both were comforters of the church. Christ was such in a special sense while with his
disciples. The other was to abide with the church, to administer the blessings and gifts of the Holy Spirit to
the church, until her absent Lord should return in glory to take her to himself. Then the days of her mourning,
and fasting, and griefs, will be over forever. With such a faith and hope, the waiting church of Jesus Christ
may well sing:
"How bright the vision! Oh, how long
Shall this glad hour delay? Fly swifter round, ye wheels of time, And bring the welcome day."
And while the church waits in joyous expectation of speedy
deliverance, her Lord "saith, Surely I come quickly, " to which the church responds, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord
Jesus." Rev.22:20, 21.
The certainty of the second advent of Christ, and the manner and object of his coming, are points of thrilling interest to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. He will appear the second time. Paul speaks directly upon this point, "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. Again he says, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13. Another apostle testifies to this point thus: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:2.
And at the ascension of Christ, two angels declared to the anxious witnesses: "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven." Acts 1:2. The apostle testifies to the personal and visible appearing of Christ in language not to be misunderstood. He says: "For the Lord himself shall 26 descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." 1 Thess.4:16. See also Titus 2:13; 1 John 3:2. When the Lord shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire, sinners then living will be destroyed, and the earth will be desolated. "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." 2 Thess.1:7-9; 2:7, 8 See also Matt.13:26-30, 37-43; 3:12; Luke 17:26-30; Isa.13:9; 6:8-11; 24:1-3; 34:1- 15; 28:21, 22; Jer.4:20, 27; 25:32-38; Zeph.1:2, 3, 7-18; 3:6-8.
Again the apostle testifies to this point: "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. The church will then be no more separated from her adorable Redeemer; but, with all the endowments of immortality, will "ever be with the Lord." The apostle states that they will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Will they return to the earth immediately? Or will the Lord lead them up to the eternal city of the saved? Jesus had plainly told his disciples that he would leave them. "Simon Peter said unto him, Lord whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me afterward." John 13:36. Jesus was soon to go up to the Father. The disciples could not follow their Lord then; but afterward, at the time of his second advent and the resurrection of the just, they should follow him up to Heaven, as he should return to his Father. The disciples were pained to learn that their Lord would leave them. And he would comfort their troubled hearts by saying to them, "In my Father's house are many mansions." "I go to prepare a place for you." "I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:1-3.
It is true that the earth made new, Rev.21:5, when the holy city shall come down from Heaven upon it, verse 2, will be the final inheritance of the righteous. But Peter, with faith and hope inspired anew by the resurrection of Christ, points to Heaven as the place where the inheritance is reserved, and says: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which, according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Pet.1:3-5. In this case the apostle refers only to the holy city, the metropolis of the inheritance complete. The redeemed will remain in the city above, and reign with their Lord in judgment, Rev.20:4, during the seventh millennium. The doctrine of the second appearing of Christ has been held by the church ever since her Lord ascended to the Father to prepare mansions for her reception. It is the event that consummates her hopes, terminates the period of her toils and sorrows, and introduces her eternal repose. What sublime scenes will then open before the waiting children of God! The blazing heavens will reveal the Son of God in his glory, surrounded by all the holy angels. The trumpet will sound, and the just will come forth from the grave, immortal. And all - Redeemer and redeemed, attended by the heavenly host - will move upward to the mansions prepared for them in the Father's house. To those who really love their absent Lord, the theme of his soon return to bestow immortality upon the dead and living righteous, is fraught with unspeakable blessedness. This event, with all its grand results, has always been the hope of the church. Paul could look over eighteen long centuries, and speak of it thus: "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13. And Peter exhorts: "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God." 2 Pet.3:12. And Paul again, after speaking of the descent of the Lord from Heaven, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, and their ascent with the living righteous to meet the Lord in the air, says, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thess.4:18.
The second coming of Christ is a subject of great importance to the church. We conclude thus from the amount of testimony relative to it, in connection with the resurrection of the just, and the judgment, found both in the Old and New Testaments. Popular orthodoxy may cast it aside as not essential to the Christian faith, yet it may be traced through the sacred Scriptures, as made prominent by prophets, Jesus, and apostles. The Bible dwells upon essentials. It does not deal in non-essentials. When the Lord in his word gave his people a rule of faith and practice, he was careful to leave the non-essentials all out. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable, " says Paul; "and let all the people say, Amen!" The doctrine of the second appearing of Christ, made so very prominent in the Scriptures, is lost sight of by those who receive theories not found in the Scriptures. Thus the fulfillment of all the threatenings of God's word, relative to the swift-approaching day of wrath, and the revelation of the Son of God in flaming fire, to destroy the inhabitants of the earth, as they were once destroyed by water, are put far into the distant future, if not completely lost sight of, by the unscriptural doctrine of the world's conversion and the temporal millennium. The second personal appearing of Jesus Christ is most absurdly applied to several different things. Some teach that death is the second coming of Christ. This is not only a violation of plain Scripture declarations, but of the laws of language. There can be but a single second advent of Christ, while this misty sentiment has as many appearings of Jesus as there are deaths. The early disciples did not receive the idea that death was the second coming of Christ. Peter, seeing the beloved John, "saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die; yet Jesus said not unto him, he shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" John 21:21-23. So far were the disciples from holding that death was the second coming of Christ, that when they understood their Lord to intimate that John might remain until his return, they at once concluded that he would not die; and from them went this saying abroad. No; instead of receiving the idea that the second advent of Christ, in any sense whatever, took place at death, they regarded it as an event that would forever put an end to the power of death over the righteous. And what foggy theology is this that makes death the second appearing of Christ! He is coming as the Lifegiver, and the believer's best friend. Death is the life-taker, and man's last enemy. 1 Cor.15:26. Christ is coming to give life to the just, and to destroy him that hath the power of death, that is, the devil. Heb.2:14. Mark this: The devil has the power of death, and, in the providence of God, is permitted to send the barbed arrow even to the heart of the just, lay him low in death, and lock him in the tomb. But the Lifegiver, having passed under the dominion of death, and having been gloriously raised from the embrace of the grave, triumphantly says, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of the grave [hades] and of death." Rev.1:18. The devil holds the power of death. Christ holds the keys of death and the grave, and at his second appearing he will unlock the tombs of the just, break the power of death, their last enemy, and lead them forth to immortal and eternal scenes of glory. Astonishing, that modern theologians should assert that death is the second coming of Christ! Again, conversion is said to be the second coming of Christ. Then there are as many second comings of Christ as there are conversions. There can be but one second appearing of Jesus Christ. And, again, the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are said to be the second advent of Christ. Hence, men talk of the spiritual coming of Christ, and his spiritual reign for one thousand years. But here, also, they are involved in the difficulty of a plurality of second comings of Christ; for in this case they would have Christ appear at each gracious manifestation of the Holy Spirit. There can be but a single second advent of Christ. But more than this, those who talk of a spiritual coming and reign of Christ have things badly confused. May the Lord help them to see the difference between the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, and the personal presence of Christ at his second appearing, while we appeal to the Scriptures. "I will pray the Father, " says Jesus, "and he shall give you another Comforter." John 14:16 This language implies more than one comforter. When Christ was with his people, he was their comforter. In his absence, the Father was to send another comforter, even the Spirit of truth. During the absence of the Son, the Holy Spirit was to be his representative, and the comforter of his dear, sorrowing people. The facts in the case are distinctly stated in the following impressive words: "But now I go my way to Him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." John 16:5-8. And yet again, the Shakers see the second appearing of Christ in the person of Ann Lee. And the Mormons see the fulfillment of the prophecies relative to the coming and kingdom of Christ in the gathering of "the latter-day saints, " at Salt Lake. And the Spiritualists generally agree in saying, Lo, here is the second advent of Christ in the manifestations of Spiritualism. In the prophetic discourse of Matt.24 and 25, covering the entire Christian age, our Lord, after speaking of the tribulation of the church under Papal persecutions, says of our time: "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not. For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matt.24:23, 24. The word then in this passage points to a specific period of time when "Lo, here is Christ, and lo, he is there, " would be heard. Our Lord here describes the spiritual deceptions of the present age. False christs arose not far from the first advent to deceive the Jews in regard to that event (Matt.24:5); likewise false christs and false prophets have arisen at this day to deceive the people on the subject of the second advent. The "Time of the End, " a work of no small ability and importance, properly calls the doctrine of the temporal millennium a modern novelty. From this popular error of a temporal millennium and spiritual reign of Christ, have grown the mystical applications of the plainest declarations of Scripture relative to the second appearing of the Lifegiver, to death, to conversion, to the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, to Shakerism, to Mormonism, and to Spiritualism. How forcible are the words of our Lord when applied to the subject before us: "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not." Matt.24:23. No one need fail to see who the men are who are crying, "Lo, here is Christ, and lo, he is there!" The Lord continues, in verses 25 and 26: "Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth; behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not." Our Lord is here dwelling upon what he has just before told them. His subject is still the teachings of those who cry, "Lo, here is Christ!" "Lo, he is there!" If the Mormons say, "Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth." Or, if you hear proclaimed from the popular pulpits of our time, "Behold, he is in the secret chambers, " Christ's second coming is spiritual, at death, or at conversion, "believe it not." And why not receive such mystical teachings? The reason is given in the next verse: "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." We are very happy that our Lord has not only pointed out false christs and false prophets, and has warned us against their mystical teachings, but he has in contrast set before us the manner of his second coming in the plainest terms. The vivid lightning flashing out of the distant east, and shining even to the west, lights up the whole heavens. What, then, when the Lord comes in flaming glory, and all the holy angels with him? The presence of only one holy angel at the new sepulcher where Christ lay in death, caused the Roman guard to shake and become as dead men. The light and glory of one angel completely overpowered those strong sentinels. The Son of Man is coming in his own kingly glory, and in the glory of his Father, attended by all the holy angels. Then the whole heavens will blaze with glory, and the whole earth will tremble before him.
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