EJC Honours Day 2013

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Courtyard The opening of the courtyard faced east. This

ensured that the worshipers and priests who stood at the door had their backs to the rising sun, instead of facing it like the pagan sun-worshiping religions of the day. God's people worship the Creator instead of the creation.

This was the part of the sinner in the sanctuary service. The priests, who represented the mediation of Christ between the guilty sinner and his God, did the rest.

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Courtyard Priests were only chosen from the tribe of Levi, as

that tribe had refused to bow down and worship the golden calf.

When a sinner became convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit and wanted to confess, he came to the door of the courtyard with a spotless animal (usually a lamb) to sacrifice, but a young bull, ram, heifer, goat, pigeon or dove could also be used. He laid his hands on the head of the innocent victim and confessed his sin. This symbolically transferred his sin and its penalty to the animal.

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Courtyard

Then with his own hand he had to slay the animal and shed its blood. This was to impress upon the repentant sinner that his sins would ultimately require the death of the spotless Lamb of God.

Its purpose was fulfilled by Jesus’ death (sacrifice) on the cross.

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Holy Place After some of the blood was caught by the priest, the rest

was poured out on the ground at the base of the altar and the animal was burnt on the altar. The altar symbolized the cross where Jesus was sacrificed for the sins of the world. His blood was spilt on the ground at the foot of the cross when the centurion pierced His side (John 19:34).

The blood of the lamb, symbolically bearing the guilt of the sinner, was then taken by the priest and then sprinkled before the veil by the Altar of Incense, symbolizing the fact that sin had been committed and then forgiven. However, the priest never went into the sanctuary without first cleansing himself at the laver.

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Holy Place

Here the smoke of the incense rising from the altar represented Jesus’ work of intercession, making our prayers of confession acceptable to the Father (Romans 8:26, 27). Each day the blood, bearing the guilt, was sprinkled before the veil, thus transferring the guilt from the sinner to the tabernacle. There the guilt of the repentant sinners accumulated throughout the year until the Day of Atonement.

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Most Holy Place

The Ark of the Covenant had a golden lid called the mercy seat which covered the Law. On it were two cherubim and between them was the Shekinah Glory, God's literal presence on earth.

Work in here was performed once a year on Day of Atonement.

Represents Jesus’ work of final judgment.

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The sanctuary was covered with four layers. Dark brown or black badgers’ skins were used to make the

outermost covering. The colours represented sin, but the covering represented Jesus, who covered His divinity with humanity.

Next were red rams’ skins represented the blood of Jesus, his life and death.

Third were white goats’ hair spun by the women. It represented purity, a sinless Saviour and the righteousness of Jesus.

Finally, blue, purple, scarlet (red) and fine twined linen were used to make the innermost covering (ceiling). Angels were skillfully embroidered into it with very finely beaten threads of gold. This represented heaven.

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Common Priests: Wore an outer robe of white linen. Aptly symbolic of the Spotless One of whom their

ministry was a type. It was 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. Linen breeches were worn as undergarments. These garments of white linen were made for glory

and for beauty (Ex. 28:40-42).

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High Priest Pure white garments worn on ordinary occasions.

On the Day of Atonement he wore 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 long white linen robe of the common priest was always worn, but over this was a robe of blue woven in one piece.

Beautifully ornamented around the skirt with golden bells and pomegranates of blue, purple and gold.

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High Priest 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).

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High Priest

Crowning feature in the dress of the high priest was the breastplate worn over his heart as he officiated in the holy of holies before the Lord. It was of the same material as the ephod, 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. Their sequence, from left to right and from top to bottom were: sardis (brownish red), topaz (yellow to yellowish red), carbuncle (red), emerald (clear green), sapphire (deep blue), diamond (sparkling clear), jacinth (bright yellow), agate (delicate blue), amethyst (violet), beryl (green-yellow), onyx (bright yellow), jasper (red, brown or yellow). 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).

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High Priest 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.

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High Priest

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, Holiness to Jehovah, was fastened by a blue lace to the front of the white bonnet, or turban, worn by the priests. No priest was allowed to wear the priestly garments except when officiating in the sanctuary or court (Eze 44:19).

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http://www.seventh-day.org/sanctuary.htm http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Adventist_Youth

_Honors_Answer_Book/Outreach/Sanctuary http://www.templestudy.com/2009/04/12/mo

saic-tabernacle-aaronic-temple/

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