THE SANCTUARY -- A TRUTH LOST SIGHT OF
Chapter 2 - THE COURT - Part 1
The Altar of Sacrifice Before Mount Sinai
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Contents
- Introduction Part A
- Introduction Part B
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
So from the inception of sin, God showed man that He would meet with him when he built an altar of sacrifice, upon which burnt offerings and peace offerings were made of sheep, oxen and fowls, and we have evidences of both Abel and Cain bringing their offerings to God. Genesis 4:3, 4. God met with them and showed recognition to Abel's offering but not to Cain's. So the altar was and still is 'a meeting place for God and man'.
The term 'altar' simply means, 'meeting place'. More importantly, God revealed to man, He could only meet with him through the sacrifice of a victim, hence the sacrificial offering. Specific directions were given before the sanctuary was revealed to Moses, as to how the altar of sacrifice should be built. It could not be built according to the feelings of the individual. We find these instructions in Exodus 20:24-26; 24:4-6. The altar had to be made of earth, twelve stones or pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. The stones were not to be hewn stones. No tools could be used on the stones of the altar for that would pollute it.
God made a promise in connection herewith found in Exodus 20:24. He told Moses that the altar is a place where His name is recorded, and it is there that He would come to Israel and bless them. God's name exists in living and intelligent beings -- Exodus 3:13-15, 34:5-7; for His name is His character of love.
So very early, the people of God were taught to understand that the altar of sacrifice was a teaching symbol. A symbol represents some "other thing". It can teach us about that "other thing", but the "other thing" is the true and real. A symbol is only a representation of the true. So the altar of Sacrifice used by Abel, Noah, Abraham and Moses was only a symbol which taught important lessons of the true altar of Sacrifice.
What are these primary lessons to be learned?
- 1. The materials used for the altar was from earth (stone). Exodus 20:24.
- 2. The altar had to be built by the one offering the sacrifice. Genesis 12:8; 26:25; 33:20.
- 3. The animal for sacrifice had to be perfect, i.e. without blemish. Exodus 12:5.
The altar was subsequently used in connection with the sanctuary built by Moses for Israel at Mount Sinai. Let us now see if the same lessons brought out above are given.
At Mount Sinai and After
At Mount Sinai, the altar was made of Shittim wood, five cubits long, five cubits broad, three cubits high, with horns upon the four corners and completely overlaid with brass. Exodus 27:1-8. During Solomon's reign the altar was made of brass only. 2Chronicles 4:1. In both instances, the top of the altar was foursquare i.e. length was equal to breadth, signifying a perfect measure. The parts of the victim were laid on the foursquare. Leviticus 1:12.
Since we have established that the altar was built before the sacrifice was offered, it is reasonable to conclude that the place where the victim would lay was to be made a perfect measure. From above we learnt that God would place His name in the altar and now we are seeing that the top of the altar would be a perfect measure. In other words, the altar represented a being and that being must build a perfect character, for the sacrifice depended on that perfect character on which to lay.
Laws were set up by God through Moses as to the services surrounding the use of this altar, for there were to be numerous offerings, such that it was kept busy throughout the day. The animals placed on this altar had to meet the conditions of the sacrifices offered prior to Mt. Sinai, but there were also other lessons given of which we have the following:
- 4. The altar was built for the entire congregation and their worship. Exodus 25:8.
- 5. Where the victim lay on the altar, was a perfect square. Exodus 27:1; 2 Chronicles 4:1.
- 6. There were horns upon the four corners. Exodus 27:2.
- 7. The altar was to be made with a hollow inside. Exodus 27:1-8.
- 8. The altar was anointed by Moses with anointing oil and blood. Leviticus 8:10,11,14-16.
- 9. The fire on the altar was to be lighted by God, and not allowed to go out. Leviticus 9:24; 1Kings 18:38, 2Chronicles.7:1; Leviticus 6:8-13.
A careful check of the above verifies that the symbol “Altar of Sacrifice” is a person, and that person is Jesus, for only He meets all the conditions laid down above.
- 1. Jesus took on man's sinful flesh and blood, made from earthly material, being born of Mary. Roman 1:3: Hebrews 2:14.
- 2. The altar had to be made perfect so that the offering would be perfect, for Christ tells us in Matthew 23:18-20 that the altar precedes the gift(sacrificial offering), and in fact sanctifies that offering. The apostle Paul tells us in Hebrews 2:10 that Jesus was made perfect through sufferings. The entire life of Jesus was one of sufferings through temptation -- Hebrews 2:18. So Christ became our altar, for in Him Divinity and humanity met. 'The meeting place for God and man' was built in Christ before he could offer Himself as a sacrifice. The altar of Sacrifice therefore represents Christ. There is no other altar in the new covenant.
- 3. The lamb was slain for the world -- John 1:29. This lamb was innocent in character, but yet of blood which was in a fallen and sinful condition, so that it might be shed. Hence the burnt offerings morning and evening. Blood was sprinkled all around the altar. Leviticus 1:5. Blood was poured out at the bottom of the altar. Exodus 29:12. Blood was used to cleanse the altar and make an atonement for it. Exodus 29:36. Blood was a central feature and requisite of the atonement in the outer court. For without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Hebrews 9:22. But blood of animals meant nothing. Only the blood of an innocent being--Jesus, could avail. Innocent but yet one of us. Hebrews 10:4, 8-12. While this sacrificial altar was erected for the world, it would only serve as a benefit to spiritual Israel -- Acts 5:31. Only Israel would see the necessity of this sacrificial altar, and we know that Israel is made up of twelve tribes, not by geographical location as in the Middle-east, but those who accept the sacrifice of Jesus by faith.
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- 4. The altar had to be perfect, so that the sacrificial offering would be made perfect.(See No. 2 above)
- 5. The horns were for the recording of blood (sin)--Jeremiah 17:1, even though in many an instance the blood was sprinkled on the sides and poured out at the base of the altar. The horns were the means whereby the altar would be purified or cleansed from sin. Leviticus 8:15. The horns were the place where the sins were engraved or recorded.
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6. The altar was made in such a way that the ashes could
be collected, carried outside the camp, and poured out.
Leviticus 4:12. The ashes were the residue from the sin
offerings burnt on the altar. The altar was a bearer not
only of the weight of the victim's sin, but was also a
receptacle for the sin being burnt from the victim. Christ
took on our sin as if they were His very own. He became
a sin bearer without partaking of the sin. Matthew 23:18-20.
The sin had to be rendered non-operative by the altar in
daily living, but yet retained for proper disposal. This
is called by Paul the abolishing or the putting to death
of the enmity in the flesh, before He went to the cross.
Ephesians 2:15, 16. This already has its fulfillment in
Christ who bore the sin (the enmity) of the world to Calvary
and slew it.
“We know that this enmity--this mind of self and Satan--separated man from God; but God opened the way for man to return...For he is our peace, who hath made both one.”
Made both of who one? God and men, certainly.“And hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity,...for to make in himself of twain (of two) one new man, so making peace.”
What did he break down that middle wall of partition for? Why?“for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.”
Does Christ make a new man out of a Jew and a Gentile? No. Out of a heathen and somebody else? No. Out of one heathen and another heathen? No.“God makes one new man out of GOD and A MAN. And in Christ, God and man met so that they can be one.” 1895 Bulletin, A. T. Jones.
Christ, our sacrificial lamb-substitute, our atonement, perished for our sin outside Jerusalem, showing that He died for the entire world. In Him, our sins are all gone. - << back to top >>
- 8. In the consecration of the sanctuary by Moses, the altar was first anointed with anointing oil. Leviticus 8:10,11. Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit after being baptized by John. Matthew 3:16,17; Luke 3:21-23. The altar had to be set apart on earth by anointing, before the ministry (work) of the altar (i.e. meeting with God in His humanity while bearing the weight of sin) began. In other words, the anointing of Jesus also signaled that the trial of all trials, of the entire planet history was about to begin in humanity. Where? In the court. A trial where divinity combined with humanity was in a life or death battle. So by age thirty, Jesus the altar was ready for representative trial by the court, and in the court. What evidence do we have that Christ started His altar function at age thirty?
“With the terrible weight of the sins of the world
upon Him, Christ withstood the test upon appetite, upon
the love of the world, and upon that love of display which
leads to presumption.” DA 116
This comes from the chapter which deals with the temptations in the wilderness immediately after His baptism.
But the spirit of the Lord is even more clear in the chapter
dealing with the baptism of Jesus. “'This is My
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' These words of confirmation
were given to inspire faith in those who witnessed the scene,
and to strengthen the Saviour for His mission. Notwithstanding
that the sins of a guilty world were laid upon Christ, notwithstanding
the humiliation of taking upon Himself our fallen nature,
the voice from heaven declared Him to be the Son of the Eternal.” DA
112
The work of the altar commenced at the beginning
of Christ's public ministry, at age thirty.
Before the blood anointing was the oil anointing. The oil represents the Holy Spirit--Zechariah 4:6,12,14. Long before the death of Christ, He had to be publicly anointed by the Holy Spirit. In other words the fire of the altar of Sacrifice was lighted by God the Father through the Holy Spirit. So all through His life on earth the fire on that altar was kept burning, but the starting point, the dedication, the consecration of His sanctuary's ministry was the anointing at His baptism by John the Baptist.
- 9. The fire on the altar was lighted by God, thus showing God's approval and presence constantly. This fire on the altar was never to go out--Leviticus 6:9, 13; showing that God is ready to meet at anytime those who endeavor to come to Him. Fire is a symbol of the Holy spirit--Acts 2:3.4. The Holy Spirit was with Christ all through His earthly ministry, for He depended on Him. Consider the following the following quotation: "It was a sin in the ancient economy to offer a sacrifice upon the wrong altar, or to allow incense to be kindled from a strange fire. We are in danger of co-mingling the sacred and the common. The holy fire from God is to be used with our offerings. The true altar is Christ, and the true fire is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is to inspire, to teach, to lead, and to guide men, and make them safe counselors. If we turn aside from God's chosen ones, we are in danger of inquiring from strange gods, and of offering upon a strange altar..." Manuscript Releases Volume two; page 45.
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The Human Self-sacrificial Altar
The human spirit is the place where the Holy Spirit sets up the altar of Christ. In order to rebuild the soul temple of man, Christ started first with the building of the altar in the court. Leviticus 8:11. If the building of the altar should succeed, then man's eternal future is secured. Thank God, the altar was completely built in Jesus for us. Fallen man now has again a place where God can meet with him in Jesus.
"At the altar of self-sacrifice--the appointed place of meeting between God and the soul--we receive from the hand of God the celestial torch which searches the heart, revealing its great need of an abiding Christ." A Call to Medical Evangelism and Health Education; page 47.
Jesus is our example that we should follow His steps--1 Peter 2:21. It is not surprising then that the apostle Paul tells us that we present our bodies as a living sacrifice, and when that is done, it is our reasonable service. Romans 12:1. Are you, dear reader convinced that your service to God is reasonable? Kindly reflect and ponder the following:
"God does not accept the most splendid service unless self is laid upon the altar, a living, consuming sacrifice. The root must be holy, else there can be no sound, healthy fruit, which alone is acceptable to God. The heart must be converted and consecrated. The motives must be right. The inner lamp must be supplied with the oil that flows from the messengers of heaven through the golden tubes into the golden bowl. The lord's communication never comes to man in vain." 7T 248
"I saw that some hardly know yet what self-denial or sacrifice is, and what it is to suffer for the truth's sake. But I saw that none will enter Heaven without making a sacrifice. They should cherish a spirit of sacrifice and self-denial. Some have not sacrificed themselves, their own bodies, on the altar of God. They indulge in hasty, fitful temper, and gratify their appetites, and attend to their own self-interest, regardless of the cause of God. Those who are willing to make any sacrifice for eternal life, will have it. And it will be worth suffering for, worth crucifying self for, and sacrificing every idol for." 4B. SG 13
"Jesus is ready to do great things for us when we lay ourselves upon the altar, a living, consuming sacrifice. "I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir." How? Through the spirit of Christ. It is through the infinite sacrifice of Christ that this high estimate has been place upon man. When we have his spirit in our hearts, we shall be of one mind in Him.
We shall not then seek to cover up the defJanuary 20, 2007to overcome them. Our eyes will be fixed upon Jesus, and we shall learn from him to dwell in love and harmony with one another here, and shall finally be permitted to dwell with Christ and angels and all the redeemed throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity." Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, page 126
"Did we realize that we are not our own, but are bought with a price, even the precious blood of the Son of God, we would work from altogether a higher stand-point. God despises a dead offering; he requires a living sacrifice, with intellect, sensibilities, and will, fully enlisted in his service. Every distinctive faculty should be devoted to this work, --our feet swift to move at the call of duty, our hands ready to act when work is to be done, our lips prepared to speak the truth in love, and show forth the praise of Him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
We should continue this consecration, not taking anything from the altar; for this is sacrilege. When his people thus consecrate themselves in sincerity and humility, they are accepted of God; and they become to Him a sweet-smelling savor, diffusing a rich fragrance throughout all the earth." 1886-07-12 Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, page 10.
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