Within the two rooms of the wilderness Tent of Meeting were carried out two distinct types of work. The work in the Holy Place occurred on a daily basis, and the work in the Most Holy Place occurred once a year on the Day of Atonement.
The specific work which was carried on had to do with the use of blood, which was circulated throughout the chambers of the Tent of Meeting as a symbolic conveyer, transferring specific things symbolically in and out of the wilderness sanctuary. It was circulated by the anointed ones who carried it to all of the places that it needed to be conveyed.
Under the four coverings of this wilderness sanctuary built by human hands, was a structure made of wood, overlaid with gold. The "life blood" naturally found flowing through wood itself is sap, or tree resin. But this was not the source of the flow found to be symbolically circulating within this building of wood. The natural life of the tree had been given, so it could be used for the "Tent of Meeting of God with us," and another life blood circulated within it. Animal blood was the type of blood that flowed through its chambers, giving life to the symbolism of this wilderness sanctuary. The blood of animals substituted in its chambers, typified the substituted Blood to Whom it pointed.
As for the life of all flesh, the blood of it represents the life of it: For the life is in the blood, and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life which it represents. Lev. 17:11 Amplified.
The daily vivid enactments taking place with the use of animal blood in the "Tent of Meeting of God with us," pointed forward to the secret of "God with us" in Messiah. Also, found in the living Tabernacle was a life blood not his own. The natural, human life of Jesus of Nazareth had been substituted, in order to become the living Tent of Meeting for Messiah, that the blood of Another life might be found circulating within it. The substituted "life blood" found within the wilderness sanctuary, typified the fullness of time, when into the living Tent of Meeting of Jesus of Nazareth would flow the divine Spirit or "life blood" of Messiah, circulating within Him as a substitute for the human life which would have naturally appeared there. Messiah's divine Spirit or "life blood" was to circulate in human flesh.
So, in this wilderness sanctuary, the substituted blood represented that another life had been given, substituted for the natural life occurring within its chambers because a death had occurred in order to release a new life blood.
The way in which the blood was actually used in the wilderness Tent of Meeting revealed that it had been given power to symbolically cleanse and consecrate, or set apart for God, whatever it was applied to. This is precisely the way in which Michael's consummation was consecrated. It was consecrated by a life other than his own. Moses was instructed to consecrate with sprinkled blood the Tent of Meeting, after it was assembled, and the high priest and his sons who were to officiate in it. "You shall take part of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments; and he and his garments and his sons and their garments shall be sanctified and made holy...During seven days shall you ordain them...And you shall cleanse the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it. Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it, set it apart for God; and the altar shall be most holy; whoever or whatever touches the altar must be holy, set apart for God's service." Ex. 29:21,35-37 Amplified.
The following inspired description gives a vivid picture of the response of the congregation and the response of God at the dedication of the Tent of Meeting. It also reveals the touching reciprocal communion of God with the high priest of this wilderness Tent of Meeting.
After the building of the tabernacle was completed, Moses examined all the work, comparing it with the pattern shown him in the mount and the directions he had received of God, and all the multitude of Israel pressed in crowds around the tabernacle, set upon an eminence, to view it with critical eye. They regarded it perfect. They saw the golden furniture carried in, the altar and laver put in position, and while they were contemplating the full effect with reverent satisfaction, suddenly their attention was attracted to the pillar of cloud which had conducted their travels through the wilderness. The cloud arose and floated over the tabernacle, then descended and embraced it. There was a revealing of divine majesty, and the dazzling splendor was overwhelming; even Moses was not able to enter the burning glory which enshrouded the tabernacle until the cloud had in a measure hid the exceeding brightness, for every human eye had been shaded. Thus the Lord signified that he accepted the tabernacle built for his presence...When the Lord signified his acceptance of their work in the manifestation of his glory, the hearts of the people were inspired with awe, and with gratitude. There were no noisy demonstrations of joy, but with softened hearts and flowing tears they murmured low, yet earnest, words of thankfulness that God had approved the work of their hands, and had condescended to dwell more directly with them than ever before.
The tabernacle was so constructed that it could be taken apart and borne with the Israelites in all their journeyings. Yet it was a structure of extraordinary magnificence. The walls consisted of upright boards heavily plated with purest gold. The sacred building was composed of two apartments, separated by a rich and beautiful curtain, or vail. A similar vail closed the entrance of the first apartment. These vails, with the curtain which formed the ceiling of the tabernacle, were of a variety of colors, most beautifully arranged; while inwrought with threads of gold and silver were cherubim, to represent the angelic host...who are ministering angels to the saints...
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In the inner apartment was the ark, which was the most sacred object connected with that system of worship. It was a chest of precious wood, overlaid within and without with pure gold, and having a crown of gold about the top. In the ark were placed the tables of stone upon which God had engraved with his own finger the ten commandments. It was made expressly for this purpose, and hence was called the ark of the covenant, and the ark of the testament, since the ten commandments were God's covenant, and the basis of the covenant made between God and Israel. The cover of this sacred chest was called the mercy-seat. This was a costly and magnificent piece of workmanship. It was beaten out of one solid piece of gold, and two cherubim were made, one standing on each end, beaten out of the same piece of gold. Their faces were turned toward each other, and were looking reverently downward toward the mercy-seat, which represents all the heavenly angels looking with interest and reverence to the law of God deposited in the ark in the heavenly sanctuary. One wing of each angel was stretched forth on high, while the other covered their forms.
The vail of the sanctuary did not reach to the top of the building. The glory of God, which was manifested above the mercy-seat, was partially visible from the first apartment. Directly before the ark, but separated by the curtain, was the golden altar of incense. The fire upon this altar was kindled by the Lord himself, and was sacredly cherished by feeding it with holy incense, which filled the sanctuary with its fragrant cloud, day and night. Its fragrance extended for miles around the tabernacle. When the priest offered the incense before the Lord, he looked toward the mercy-seat. Although he could not see it, he knew it was there; and as the incense arose like a cloud, the glory of the Lord descended upon the mercy-seat, and filled the most holy place, and often so filled both apartments that the priest was unable to officiate.
These sacred apartments had no windows to admit light. The candlestick, beaten out of one solid piece of gold, was kept burning day and night, and gave light to both apartments. The gold-plated walls, reflecting the light from the seven lamps of the golden candlestick, the richly embroidered curtains of blue and purple and scarlet, with their shining cherubim, the table of show-bread and the altar of incense, glittering like burnished gold, presented a scene of magnificence and glory. No language can describe the beauty and loveliness, and sacred glory, which these apartments presented. The gold in the sanctuary reflected the colors of the curtains, which appeared like the different colors of the rainbow.
No mortal eye but that of the high priest could look upon the sacred grandeur of the inner apartment, the especial dwelling-place of God's visible glory. Only once a year could the high priest enter there, after the most careful and solemn preparation. With trembling he went in before God, and the people in solemn silence waited his return, their hearts uplifted to God in earnest prayer for the divine blessing. Before the mercy-seat, God conversed with the high priest. If he remained an unusual time in the most holy, the people were terrified, fearing that because of their sins, or some sin of the priest, the glory of the Lord had slain him. But when the sound of the tinkling of the bells upon his garments was heard, they were greatly relieved. He then came forth and blessed the people. ST 6-24-80 (with details inserted from 4aSG 9).
After the new Tent of Meeting was "cleansed," set apart and anointed by blood, and filled with the visible presence of God Himself, it began functioning as the place where the people were to meet God. The blood appointed by God to circulate through the chambers of the tabernacle, on a daily basis in the Holy Place, and once a year in the Most Holy Place by the high priest, had an encrypted story to tell.
The members of the congregation did not enter into the sacred Tent of Meeting in person. Only the anointed priests, who had received special preparation, and who were following divine instructions, could enter its sacred precincts. This also reflects the way in which Michael was prepared for His purpose. Michael, alone, could enter into the sacred work of the consummation, yet, symbolically each individual entered in by the way provided.
In the ancient wilderness services, each person was instructed to bring an animal before the Lord, in front of the Tent of Meeting, as an offering provided in place of his own life. In the work of Michael, each individual symbolically entered His chamber through the blood (life of the Anointing) that was responding within their own hearts and minds. Through the consummation of the Atonement in Michael, they knew they were being consummated to God. The ministering angels, watching over the mercy seat, opened these things to their view. These were the Two Witnesses overshadowing the place of the covenant.
In the wilderness sanctuary, the individual would lay both of his hands on the head of his substitute and confess his own uncleanness onto it, transferring his uncleanness symbolically onto the substitute provided. Then he himself would take his substitute's life. The officiating priest would take the blood of the substitute, offered in place of the individual who brought it, and which was laden with his transferred uncleanness, and would enter into the Holy Place of the Tent of Meeting. In this way, the blood was not only representing the life of a substitute provided, but the blood would symbolically carry upon itself into the Tent of Meeting, the uncleanness put on it. Within the two chambers of the Tent, the uncleanness would be dealt with according to the divine solution provided for it.
And the anointed priest shall take some of the...blood and bring it into the Tent of Meeting; and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord before the veil of the sanctuary. And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord which is in the Tent of Meeting...So shall he do with this; and the priest shall make atonement for the people, and they shall be forgiven. Lev. 4:5-7,20 Amplified.
Symbolically, the individual would by this way be entering into the Tent of Meeting with God, through the life of the one provided to take his place, and at the hand of the anointed priest who was the facilitator of this symbolic transfer. The individual's uncleanness would be taken from him, to now reside in the Tent of Meeting until the time appointed for its complete removal.
In this way, God was saying, in effect, to the congregation: You yourselves cannot come into this Holy Tent of Meeting, and meet Me with your own life, for it is unclean. But a way has been provided for you to enter in with the Life of Another. You can come together with Me in here with a Life other than your own. "It is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life which it represents." Lev. 17:11 Amplified.
By every act within the wilderness sanctuary, God was typifying and foretelling of the true personal Atonement to dwell among us in His living Tent of Meeting, provided by God to Be the substituted Life. This was the Son, on Whom the Father was laying all the uncleanness of every man - uncleanness not His own - and Who had been anointed to bear it on His own Self for every individual until the time appointed for its complete removal, at His return. God was making it clear that He was providing the One Who was meeting a need which would never have been met in any other way.
The day by day work of the priests with the blood, transferred the uncleanness of the people from themselves into the Tent of Meeting, in the Holy Place, by the blood of a substitute. Then, once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the accumulated uncleanness in the Holy Place was atoned for in a special work which took place in the Most Holy Place. By the special atonement that occurred on this day, the uncleanness was removed symbolically from the Tent of Meeting altogether.
The ministration of the earthly sanctuary consisted of two divisions; the priests ministered daily in the holy place, while once a year the high priest performed a special work of atonement in the most holy, for the cleansing of the sanctuary. Day by day the repentant sinner brought his offering to the door of the tabernacle, and placing his hand upon the victim's head, confessed his sins, thus in figure transferring them from himself to the innocent sacrifice. The animal was then slain. "Without shedding of blood," says the apostle, "there is no remission of sin." "The life of the flesh is in the blood." The broken law of God demanded the life of the transgressor. The blood, representing the forfeited life of the sinner, whose guilt the victim bore, was carried by the priest into the holy place and sprinkled before the veil, behind which was the ark containing the law that the sinner had transgressed. By this ceremony the sin was, through the blood, transferred in figure to the sanctuary. In some cases the blood was not taken into the holy place; but the flesh was then to be eaten by the priest, as Moses directed the sons of Aaron, saying, "God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation." Both ceremonies alike symbolized the transfer of the sin from the penitent to the sanctuary.
Such was the work that went on, day by day, throughout the year. The sins of Israel were thus transferred to the sanctuary, and a special work became necessary for their removal. God commanded that an atonement be made for each of the sacred apartments.
...Once a year, on the great day of atonement, the priest entered the most holy place for the cleansing of the sanctuary...Important truths concerning the atonement are taught by the typical service. A substitute was accepted in the sinner's stead; but the sin was not canceled by the blood of the victim. A means was thus provided by which it was transferred to the sanctuary. By the offering of blood, the sinner acknowledged the authority of the law, confessed his guilt in transgression, and expressed his desire for pardon through faith in a Redeemer to come; but he was not yet entirely released from the condemnation of the law.
On the day of atonement the high priest, having taken an offering from the congregation, went into the most holy place with the blood of this offering, and sprinkled it upon the mercy-seat, directly over the law, to make satisfaction for its claims. Then in his character of mediator, (the high priest) took the sins upon himself, and bore them from the sanctuary. GC88 418.
Unreadiness of the high priest for such an intimate encounter with God, was death, if the protective instructions of God were not followed. The following instruction had been given, because two priests had died instantly when they became careless in following their instructions in the presence of God.
The Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron your brother he must not come at all times into the Holy of Holies within the veil before the mercy seat upon the ark, lest he die: for I will appear in the cloud at the mercy seat. But Aaron shall come into the holy enclosure in this way; with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering (an offering by consummation of fire). He shall put on the holy linen undergarment, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his body, and be girded with the linen girdle or sash, and with the linen turban or miter shall he be attired; these are the holy garments; he shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. Lev. 16:2 Amplified Bible.
