This blog will review how Jesus’ work on the Cross provides believers with access to God. Additionally, I will summarize the progression of God’s Spirit as one moves through the Bible.
We start back in the days of Moses. After the Sinai Covenant, the Lord gives instructions for building the tabernacle, a mobile temple. In time, the tabernacle will be placed in the middle of the Israelite camp. In other words, the 12 tribes of Israel will surround the tabernacle when they set up camp. Why? God says in Exodus 25:8, “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” This verse is very significant. The presence of God which descended onto Mount Sinai, the mountain that the people of Israel were not allowed to touch, will now move into the middle of the area where his people are camped. The awesome presence that manifested itself on Mount Sinai accompanied by smoke, fire, thunder, lightning, and earthquakes is moving into the neighborhood.
The tabernacle was divided into two areas. The larger area was the Holy Place. One progresses from the tabernacle’s outer courtyard into the enclosed Holy Place. The second area was the Holy of Holies, an inner sanctuary where God would make his presence manifest. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest moved from the Holy Place into the presence of God in the Holy of Holies through a curtain that separated the two areas.
Under the Covenant with the people of Israel, the high priest, and only the high priest, entered into God’s presence in the Holy of Holies. Leviticus 16:2. Under the New Covenant, the curtain is the flesh of Christ. Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life, is the new and living way that enables a believer to enter into “the holy places,” into the presence of God.
More context. We also have the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people. God’s people lived under the Law. The Covenant Code Moses read to the people in Exodus 24.
As the Lord said to Moses in Exodus 19:5-6,
5 “‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
Surprise, the chosen people broke the Law — more than once. Breaking the Law damaged the relationship between God and his chosen people, so God provided the Priesthood.
The high priest for the people of Israel was from the tribe of Levi. God appointed Aaron, the older brother of Moses, to be the first high priest. Later high priests would be descended from Aaron. The role of the high priest was vital. His purpose was to bridge the spiritual chasm between the sinful people of Israel and a Holy God, which came as a result of the Law being broken.
Let’s return to the Day of Atonement, which occurs once every Hebrew calendar year. The Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, is the holiest day of the Hebrew year. For the people of Israel, it is a day when all their past sins would be forgiven. On this day, a comprehensive act of atonement was made for the entire nation.
Preparations for Yom Kippur were made by both the people of Israel and the high priest. In preparation for the ceremony, the people were instructed to do no work and to afflict themselves. Seriously, the text in Leviticus 16 says to ‘afflict themselves.’ Likely, affliction meant that this was a day of penitence and reflection. A day of humility and bowing down. A day of fasting. Work would also be avoided.
The high priest prepared by changing out of his high priestly garments into the more ordinary attire of a priest. This act was a sign of humility. A bullock was sacrificed to provide atonement for the high priest and his household. The first goat was sacrificed to offer reparation for the sins of the nation of Israel. Recall, without the shedding of blood, there could be no forgiveness of sins. Again, this is because the life of the flesh is in the blood. Leviticus 17:11. During the ceremony, the high priest, with the blood collected from the animal sacrifices, entered first into the Holy Place of the tabernacle and then passed through the inner curtain, into the Holies of Holies, into the very presence of God. As part of the ceremony, the sacrificial blood was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat (the gold lid on the Ark of the Covenant) and before the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. The blood would also be sprinkled in other tabernacle locations, in effect, purifying or cleansing the tabernacle.
Under the Covenant with the people of Israel, the blood of animals was sprinkled to cleanse the tabernacle. Under the New Covenant, the blood of Jesus symbolically sprinkles our hearts clean. We are spiritually cleansed. Because we are forgiven, we may enter into the presence of God.
This is very good.
Back to the Day of Atonement, aka Yom Kippur. Later in the ceremony, outside of the tabernacle, the high priest confesses the nation’s sins onto a second goat in front of the people of Israel. This second goat is the scapegoat. The second goat is then taken outside the camp, into the wilderness, never to be seen again. This portion of the ceremony provided a visual reminder to the people that their sins were removed.
In the New Covenant, Jesus also takes on the role of the second goat as he was crucified outside of the walls of Jerusalem (the camp) taking our sins away.
The problem was that the people of Israel continued to sin. The Levitical sacrifices made reparations for the people’s sins, but the sacrifices did not take away the tendency to sin. As a result, the Day of Atonement took place year after year, high priest after high priest down Aaron’s line.
God continued to dwell among his people in the tabernacle and later in the first temple. However, God did not permanently indwell his people under the Old Covenant.
Now we turn to Jesus. With Jesus, we have the Spirit of God present in a human rather than a structure. Once again, we have the Spirit of God dwelling among his people.
Now let’s take a look at the work of Christ; it parallels the Day of Atonement.
The argument made in the Book of Hebrews is that Jesus is a new high priest. He is a high priest on the order of Melchizedek – a priesthood that is greater than the Levitical Priesthood.
Because Jesus was sinless, he did not require a blood sacrifice. For the people’s sins, all people, he willingly gave his life as a blood sacrifice in payment for human sin. Jesus also takes on the scapegoat’s role, taking on the people’s sins.
Jesus is then both a superior high priest and a superior blood sacrifice. Jesus’ work achieves a superior result. It is finished. The Law is fulfilled, and we enter into a new era of grace.
I believe in Jesus accepting the work he has done on my behalf. As a result, I am forgiven, cleansed of my sins – past, present, and future. I become a clean place from God’s perspective. The Holy Spirit may now take up residence in me, giving me access to God.
The Spirit of God has moved from Eden to the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, to the First Temple, to Jesus, and finally to believers.
The beauty of the work of Christ is that his sacrifice enables the believer to become more Christ-like. The tendency to sin is lessened over time as the Holy Spirit works with the believer, and you become a more Christ-like individual over time.
In the next blog, I’ll detail what changes an individual can expect when the Spirit indwells them.