Topical Bible: Under the Law Atonement: Offered For: The Holy Place

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In the Old Testament, the concept of atonement is central to the relationship between God and His people, Israel. Atonement involves the reconciliation of humanity with God, often through sacrificial offerings. Under the Mosaic Law, specific instructions were given for the atonement of various aspects of the community's life, including the Holy Place itself.

Biblical Foundation

The primary scriptural basis for the atonement offered for the Holy Place is found in the Book of Leviticus, particularly in the instructions for the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Leviticus 16 provides a detailed account of the rituals that the high priest was to perform to atone for the sins of the people and to cleanse the sanctuary.

Leviticus 16:16 states: "In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the impurities and rebellious acts of the Israelites, whatever their sins may have been. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting, which is among them in the midst of their impurities."

Purpose and Significance

The atonement for the Holy Place was necessary because the sanctuary, being in the midst of a sinful people, was considered to be defiled by their transgressions. The Holy Place, as the dwelling of God's presence among His people, required purification to maintain the sanctity and holiness necessary for God to dwell there.

The high priest, acting as the mediator between God and Israel, would enter the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement. He would carry the blood of the sacrificial offerings, which symbolized the life given to atone for sin, and sprinkle it on the atonement cover of the Ark of the Covenant. This act was a profound representation of the need for cleansing and reconciliation.

Rituals and Procedures

The rituals for atonement involved several key elements:

1. Sacrificial Offerings: Two goats were selected, one for the Lord and the other as the scapegoat. The goat for the Lord was sacrificed, and its blood was used to purify the sanctuary. The scapegoat, symbolically bearing the sins of the people, was sent into the wilderness.

2. High Priest's Role: The high priest, after making atonement for himself and his household, would enter the Most Holy Place with the blood of the sacrifice. This was a solemn and sacred duty, emphasizing the gravity of sin and the need for divine forgiveness.

3. Cleansing of the Sanctuary: The blood was applied to the atonement cover and sprinkled before the Ark, signifying the cleansing of the Holy Place from the defilement caused by the sins of the people.

Theological Implications

The atonement for the Holy Place underscores the holiness of God and the seriousness of sin. It highlights the necessity of a mediator and the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins, prefiguring the ultimate atonement made by Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:11-12 reflects on this fulfillment: "But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He entered the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands, that is, not of this creation. He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption."

The atonement for the Holy Place serves as a profound reminder of the need for purity and the provision of God's grace through sacrificial means, ultimately pointing to the redemptive work of Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Leviticus 16:16,17
And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remains among them in the middle of their uncleanness.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Atonement.
... as a covenant of works, did not constitute the atonement. (1.) Christ owed obedience
to the moral law, both as ... He was under as much obligation to be perfectly ...
//christianbookshelf.org/finney/systematic theology/lecture xxv atonement.htm

Christ Our High Priest.
... to come, has entered the holy place on high, with His own blood, to make atonement
for the ... The offerings made by the priests under the law pertained only ...
/.../xi christ our high priest.htm

Fifth Sunday in Lent
... every year, was but a temporary and imperfect atonement; it did not eternally suffice,
as does the atonement of Christ. ... Under the old law, which provided ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/epistle sermons vol ii/fifth sunday in lent.htm

On the Atonement.
... How beautifully this was illustrated under the Mosaic system! ... ark which contained
the tables of the law and other ... once a year, on the great day, of atonement. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/finney/sermons on gospel themes/xii on the atonement.htm

The Great High-Priest.
... and will remain in higher forms under the Gospel ... alone entered within the veil on
the day of atonement. ... earthly priesthood belongs according to the Law.[64] But ...
/.../chapter iv the great high-priest.htm

"And for Sin Condemned Sin in the Flesh. "
... All those offerings of beasts, of fowls, and such like, under the law, held forth ...
to hold out unto us the perfection of our atonement and propitiation. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xiii and for sin.htm

The Only Atoning Priest
... He has finished his atonement and perfected those he means to save; and if you believe
not in him, there remaineth no more ... Under the law there was no ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/the only atoning priest.htm

The New Covenant.
... redeemed from the curse of the Law and delivered ... Under the old covenant the victim
must be "without spot ... power of an indissoluble life belongs to His atonement. ...
/.../chapter viii the new covenant.htm

Entire Sanctification Obtainable.
... condition for receiving the benefits of the atonement is faith ... Therefore, all are
under condemnation ... Therefore, again, "by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be ...
/.../clark/the theology of holiness/chapter ii entire sanctification obtainable.htm

Entire Sanctification in Type.
... In the ceremonial used under the law for the cleansing ... the bloody sacrifices of the
Jewish law, the daily ... the paschal lamb, the Day of Atonement, the offerings ...
/.../clark/the theology of holiness/chapter iv entire sanctification in.htm