Parallel Temple
Services
Lesson 36
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The Day of Atonement /
Reconciliation
The Day of Atonement occurred on
the 10th day of the 7th
month. This service was the most
solemn of the six annual
services. The Day of Atonement
service involves three vital
issues: The reconciliation of man
with man, the reconciliation of
man to God and the removal of sin
from the temple. The Day of
Atonement indicates there is a
terminus, a point in time when
God’s offer of mercy is
terminated. The Hebrew word for
atonement, Kaphar (Strong H3733)
means to placate, cancel,
reconcile, pacify. Atonement is
sometimes described as a state of
at-one-ment. The basic idea
behind the word atonement is
reconciliation, being restored to
a state of oneness. Notice the
requirements for reconciliation:
“The Lord said to Moses:
‘If anyone sins and is
unfaithful to the Lord by
deceiving his neighbor about
something entrusted to him or
left in his care or stolen, or if
he cheats him, or if he finds
lost property and lies about it,
or if he swears falsely, or if he
commits any such sin that people
may do- when he thus sins and
becomes guilty, he must return
what he has stolen or taken by
extortion, or what was entrusted
to him, or lost property he
found, or whatever it was he
swore falsely about. He must make
restitution in full, add a fifth
of the value to it and give it
all to the owner on the day he
presents his guilt offering. And
as a penalty he must bring to the
priest, that is, to the Lord, his
guilt offering, a ram from the
flock, one without defect and of
the proper value. In this way the
priest will make atonement for
him before the Lord, and he will
be forgiven for any of these
things he did that made him
guilty.’” (Leviticus
6:1-7) If a person sinned against
his neighbor, God required
atonement between the two parties
before He would allow the guilt
of that sin to be transferred to
the temple. Jesus understood the
necessity for atonement with a
brother when He said,
“Therefore, if you are
offering your gift at the alter
and there remember that your
brother has something against
you, leave your gift there in
front of the alter. First go and
be reconciled to your brother;
then come and offer your
gift.” (Matthew 5:23,24)
Even thought the topic of
judicial equilibrium has been
introduced, a few comments about
the topic are necessary at this
point. Atonement for a sin is
required in God’s universe
because the presence of sin is
not justifiable. If sin could be
justified, then God should he
held responsible for sin! Since
God has done nothing that would
make Him responsible for sin, the
presence of sin cannot be
justified. Therefore, God
requires atonement or appeasement
for the presence of sin.
God maintains a state of judicial
equilibrium throughout His vast
kingdom. God is Guardian, the
Executor and the Supreme Court of
the universe and He ensures that
judicial equilibrium is ever
present. There is no separation
of powers in God’s
government. Instead, there is a
separation of entities, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. These three are united in
purpose, plan and action.
Together, they uphold and honor a
rule of law based on judicial
equilibrium. Judicial equilibrium
is defined as the perfect balance
between the demands of God’s
law and His offer of grace.
(Remember the Ark of the Covenant
represents the balance between
justice and mercy.) Judicial
equilibrium does not lessen the
demands of God’s law nor
does judicial equilibrium elevate
the provisions of grace above the
demands of the law. The justice
side of judicial equilibrium is
illustrated by an eye for an eye,
a tooth for a tooth, a bruise for
a bruise and most of all, and a
life for a life. (Exodus 21) The
golden rule spoken from the
justice perspective is this:
“It will be done to you as
you did to others.”
(Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew
7:12) The other side of judicial
equilibrium is called mercy.
Mercy is extended through a
process called reconciliation or
atonement. The first step toward
atonement for wrongdoing is
restitution. God requires human
beings to make full restitution
for any sin committed against
another (Matthew 5:23,24), and He
also requires that we accept
atonement for any sin committed
against us. This requirement is
summed up in the Lord’s
Prayer, “Forgive us our
debts, as we also have forgiven
our debtors,” (Matthew 6:12)
We noticed earlier in Leviticus 6
that God requires two atonements
for sin committed against our
neighbor. First, God expects us
to voluntarily make atonement
with our offended neighbor by
offering suitable restitution,
then God required atonement at
the Alter of Burnt offering by
offering an acceptable sacrifice.
As far as the sinner was
concerned, this was the end of
the matter. Still, a wrong had
been committed and even though
atonement had been made, the
guilt of sin remained upon the
horns of the alter. The guilt was
removed from the temple on the
Day of Atonement and placed on
the head of a scapegoat.
God Has Set a Day to Judge the
World
If sins were not transferred to
the tabernacle before the Day of
Atonement began, those sins could
not be forgiven. It was forever
too late for any subsequent
atonement. The Day of Atonement
service illustrates the fact that
God has set a day when there will
be no further atonement for sin.
(During the Great Tribulation,
the offer of mercy ends with the
seventh trumpet.) If a person
neglected to transfer his sins to
the alter, the sinner received
the penalty of his sins upon his
own head. But, all who
transferred their sins to the
temple prior to the Day of
Atonement were set free of
sin’s penalty. With these
thoughts in mind, consider the
Day of Atonement service.
The Day of Atonement Process
Early in the morning on the tenth
day of the seventh month, the Day
of Atonement service began with a
close investigation of the life
of the high priest. Before the
high priest could officiate on
behalf of the nation of Israel,
God examined him to determine if
he was worthy to conduct the
service. Imagine how sobering it
must have been for the high
priest to realize that he must
stand in God’s presence and
be examined before he was allowed
to officiate for the children of
Israel as their intercessor. The
examination of the life of the
high priest foreshadowed the
investigation which Jesus
underwent before He could serve
as man’s judge. (See Daniel
7:9,10,13,14; Revelation 4 and
5.)
To illustrate how serious the
worthiness issue was, the high
priest had to slaughter a ram as
a sin offering for his family and
a bull for himself (representing,
the high priest is considered a
corporate officer, a
representative of Jesus). Then,
with a censer and some of the
atonement blood from the bull in
his hands, the trembling high
priest went behind the veil to
stand in the brilliant glory of
Almighty God. There, surrounded
by smoke and the sweet fragrance
of incense, the high priest
sprinkled some of the blood on
the lid of the Ark of the
Covenant. Then he communed with
God. If God considered the high
priest’s life and his
offering acceptable, the high
priest would be allowed to
continue with the higher service,
the cleansing of the temple. As
the high priest left the Most
Holy Place, he set the
bull’s blood aside for a
short period of time. (See
Leviticus 16,21 and 22.)
The Cleansing of the Temple
The second phase, the cleansing
of the temple from the guilt of
sin, involved several steps.
First, two perfect goats were
presented to the high priest in
the courtyard. Lots were cast to
determine which goat would die
the penalty of sin. Then, the
high priest killed the
Lord’s goat on the Alter of
Burnt Offering. With a censer and
some of the goat’s blood in
a cup, the high priest entered
behind the veil a second time to
stand in god’s presence. He
then sprinkled the goat’s
blood on the atonement cover of
the Ark and again communed with
God. If god was pleased with the
sincerity and faithfulness of the
people, the high priest was
permitted to continue with the
final phase of the cleansing the
temple. After leaving the Most
Holy Place, the high priest
retrieved the bull’s blood
from his personal sacrifice and
mixed it with the blood from the
Lord’s goat and put some of
the mixed blood on the Alter of
Incense. Then, he went out of the
temple into the courtyard to the
Alter of Burnt Offering and
cleansed that alter by sprinkling
mixed blood on it. After this was
done, the high priest approached
the remaining goat (the
scapegoat) and placed his hands
on the head of the scapegoat.
This final action of placing his
hands on the head of the
scapegoat transferred all of
Israel’s guilt that had
accumulated in the temple to the
scapegoat. Then, a very capable
man (“a fit man,”[KJV]
led the scapegoat far out into
the desert so that the goat would
die of starvation. The
scapegoat’s lengthy
starvation shadows the necessity
in God’s government for full
and complete restitution for sin
itself. Even though the penalty
for sin is death by execution
(Lord’s goat), sin is never
forgiven or justified. Someone
must make atonement for the
presence of sin. Since the
creator of sin is Lucifer,
Lucifer must bear the
responsibility for sin upon his
own head. As the father and
perpetrator of sin upon angels
and the human race, Lucifer has
to make restitution for his
actions. God’s vengeance
demands it. The scapegoat
received all of the guilt that
had been stored in the temple
because the scapegoat foreshadows
the one who is responsible for
the presence of sin in the
universe. Death for Lucifer, as
represented by the scapegoat,
will be slow and painful.
Notice how judicial equilibrium
functions. Justice demands the
following: The father of sin must
bear the penalty for creating
sin. Further, the creator of sin
must bear the guilt of sin that
was transferred away from sinners
to the temple. Grace offers the
following: Sinners under the
penalty for sin can have their
sins transferred to the temple by
presenting a perfect substitute.
Here we see the perfect balance
between justice and mercy. The
Lord’s goat represents the
mercy that God has extended to
sinners: Jesus, the Lamb of God.
The scapegoat represents the
justice that God demands of
sinners: restitution and death.
Confirmations of Truth
The Day of Atonement ceremony
confirms several important truths
that harmoniously coexist within
the Plan of Salvation. The Old
Testament tabernacle service
confirms that the demands of
God’s law do not eclipse the
offer of God’s grace nor
does the operation of God’s
grace make the law void. Clearly,
the law and grace work together
harmoniously with the tabernacle
parallels. The law condemns a
sinner to death, but grace
provides a way for the guilt of
the sinner to be transferred so
that the sinner may go free.
Jesus had to die to save man
because God’s law could not
be changed. God did not have the
option of just “forgetting
“that Adam and Eve had
sinned. Once Adam and Eve
committed sin, a series of
immutable events began. For
example, man became carnal by
nature. Also, death came upon all
men through Adam. Therefore,
Jesus was required to live a
perfect life before He could die
as our substitute. The guilt of
our sins could only be
transferred to the alter through
One who was above condemnation.
This may sound like a broken
record, but it is a critical
point. The tabernacle service
confirms that sin is neither
forgiven nor forgotten until the
scapegoat is led away to die. The
tabernacle service also confirms
that Jesus does not bear the
responsibility for sin. Sin
cannot be justified. Rather,
Jesus is our reconciliation with
God and through His perfect
blood; our guilt can be
transferred to the Alter of Burnt
Offering. We have also learned
that the temple is cleansed of
guilt at an appointed time and
the consequence of sin is
transferred to the one
responsible for sin. The
suffering of the scapegoat
provides restitution. Bottom
line: The life of every sinner
will be examined. Solomon wrote,
“For God will bring every
deed into judgment, including
every hidden thing, whether it is
good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes
12:14) If our sins are
transferred to the alter through
Christ’s blood, we are not
under condemnation! (Romans
8:1-10) If are sins are not
transferred to the alter, then
God’s vengeance requires the
wicked to provide restitution for
their sins and suffer the penalty
for sin.
Two Goats
Some Christians think that both
goats used on the Day of
Atonement represent Jesus since
both goats are used for the
purpose of atonement. Notice this
text about the scapegoat:
“But the goat chosen by lot
as the scapegoat shall be
presented alive before the Lord
to be used for making atonement
by sending it into the desert as
a scapegoat.” (Leviticus
16:10) The scapegoat is presented
before the Lord while it is
alive, whereas the Lord’s
goat was slain on that day.
Although both goats were used to
provide atonement, the atonement
they provide is not identical. If
the atonement they offer is
identical, one goat would have
sufficed. The Lord’s goat
provides atonement with its blood
because the penalty for sin is
death by execution; the other
goat provides atonement through
starvation and dehydration
because restitution for sin must
be made. Even though the Bible
does not explicitly say the
scapegoat dies after it is taken
into the desert, the implication
is that the scapegoat disappears
forever and it is never seen or
heard from again. This suggests
that once sin is removed from
God’s temple in Heaven, it
will never occur again because
the creator of sin will be no
more!
The Saints Review the Wicked
The scapegoat does not die on the
Day of Atonement, so the
atonement it offers does not
occur that day. The end-time
parallel reveals that Lucifer is
not destroyed until the end of
the 1,000 years. (Revelation 20)
In fact the scapegoat does not
provide atonement through its
death, it provides atonement (as
in restitution) through its
suffering. The restitution for
sin will be suffering. Suffering
will be inflicted upon the wicked
before the penalty for sin is
executed. During the 1,000 years,
the saints will reign with Jesus
and judge the wicked. “I saw
thrones on which were seated
those who had been given
authority to judge. And I saw the
souls of those who had been
beheaded because of their
testimony for Jesus and because
of the Word of God. They had not
worshipped the beast or his image
and not received his mark on
their foreheads or their hands.
They came to life and reigned
with Christ a thousand
years.” (Revelation 20:4)
During the 1,000 years the saints
will review the records of the
wicked and determine the
appropriate amount of suffering
that will be necessary for
restitution. Judicial equilibrium
requires full restitution. For
example, Hitler not only deserves
to die for his sins and
outrageous conduct, but he also
owes restitution to millions of
people for the suffering he
inflicted on them. After a
lengthy period of indescribable
suffering by fire, Hitler will
eventually be burned up in the
fire sent by God because the
penalty for sin is death by
execution. The saints, complying
with the requirements of
God’s law, will determine
the amount of suffering that
Hitler must endure-proportional
to the suffering he caused. If
more people understood God’s
requirement for restitution, the
world would be a much different
place in which to live! Paul
wrote, “It is a dreadful
thing to fall into the hands of
the living God.” (Hebrews
10:31)
Notice the golden rule at work:
“As you do unto others, it
will be done unto you-eye for an
eye, tooth for a tooth, bruise
for a bruise. Paul says the
saints will judge the wicked
saying, “Do you know that
the saints will judge the world?
And if you are to judge the
world, are you not competent to
judge trivial cases? Do you know
that we will judge [the evil]
angels? How much more the things
of this life!” (1
Corinthians 6:2,3, insertion
mine.) Keep in mind that the
saints do not determine whether a
person receives eternal life or
eternal death. Jesus alone is
Creator and Judge of mankind, and
by the time of the Second Coming,
He will have made an eternal
decision about every person.
However, the judgment that the
saints conduct concerns the issue
of restitution. The saints (in
many cases the victims of the
wicked) will review the actions
of the wicked and they will
sentence the wicked to a law-full
amount of suffering-full
restitution will be extracted
from the wicked for the suffering
they caused. God ensures this
process and He calls it His
vengeance. “The Lord is a
jealous and avenging God; the
Lord takes vengeance and is
filled with wrath. The Lord takes
vengeance on his foes and
maintains his wrath against his
enemies. The Lord is slow to
anger and great in power; the
Lord will not leave the guilty
unpunished. His way is in the
whirlwind and the storm, and
clouds are the dust of his
feet.” (Nahum 1:2,3) Paul
wrote, “Do not take revenge,
my friend, but leave room for
God’s wrath, for it is
written: ‘it is mine to
avenge; I will repay, ‘say
the Lord.”(Romans 12:19)
The Scapegoat is a “Fall
Guy”
Most people have heard or used
the term “scapegoat”
when pinning responsibility on
someone for something that went
dreadfully wrong. In sanctuary
terms, the same is true. The
scapegoat represents the one
responsible for sin! In other
words, the scapegoat represents
Lucifer because he is responsible
for sin. As the responsible party
for sin on Earth, Lucifer’s
guilt cannot be atoned for. He is
the father of sin and he must
suffer the torment he has caused
the saints. (The wicked will
suffer for their own sins, but
Lucifer must suffer restitution
for the sins of the saved.) A
protracted death through
starvation and dehydration is a
form of restitution just like a
life sentence is a form of
restitution in our penal code
today. Remember, the scapegoat
does not bear the consequences of
sin for the wicked. The guilt of
the wicked will be on their own
heads. Some students may wonder
why the scapegoat provides
restitution for the sins of the
righteous when the saints are
required to make restitution for
their sins before they go to the
alter. When full restitution for
sin is made between people, the
guilt for sin remains to be dealt
with. However, many sins go
beyond the possibility of
restitution. For example, what
restitution can be made for
malicious slander, adultery,
rape, sexual abuse, breaking up a
marriage, or driving under the
influence of alcohol and killing
twenty children? If a
person commits an evil deed and
makes a gallant effort to restore
whatever he or she can, truly
repenting of the sin and seeking
God’s mercy, God will make
Lucifer, the originator of sin,
provide the restitution for the
wrong that goes beyond what man
can offer.
Why Two Goats?
It may be that God used two goats
on the Day of Atonement instead
of two lambs because goats differ
from lambs in many ways. Perhaps
the most obvious difference is a
goat’s independence. Every
Shepard knows that sheep are
followers and goats are leaders.
This point illuminates some
interesting thoughts. First,
Michael (Christ) and Lucifer were
once the closest of friends.
Lucifer was the first angel that
Jesus created. In form, Lucifer
looked very similar to Michael.
Both were angels, but Michael was
the Archangel. Michael was God in
the form of an angel. Lucifer, on
the other hand, was the highest
of created beings. Michael and
Lucifer held the highest offices
in Heaven and had a great deal of
latitude in which to exercise
their prerogatives. Over time,
Lucifer became filled with envy
and jealousy and eventually
coveted Michael’s position.
When the Father rebuffed him, he
chose to rebel against God. He
became the self-appointed leader
of sympathetic angels who also
came to believe that God was
unfair. When open rebellion broke
out in Heaven, these two angels
became great foes. Perhaps God
used two goats on the Day of
Atonement because a wild goat can
lead an entire herd of sheep
astray. Casting lots to determine
which goat was the Lord’s
goat on the Day of Atonement
suggests that Michael was the
Chosen One to lead the angelic
host.
The Feast of Ingathering
(Tabernacles)
The last feast of the religious
year was the Feast of
Ingathering. The feast began on
the 15th day of the
seventh month and it lasted for
seven days. The Jews presented
their last and largest collection
of first fruits to the high
priest five days after the Day of
Atonement service had passed.
Their feast took place at the end
of the summer harvest and the
name reflects, it was a time for
rejoicing over the bountiful
harvest that had been
“gathered in.” This
feat was also called the Feast of
Tabernacles because every Jewish
male was required to go to
Jerusalem and participate in the
feast. Because there was a
shortage of housing in Jerusalem,
the Jews erected temporary tents
(or tabernacles) for this joyous
occasion.
The Feast of Tabernacles
parallels a very interesting
process that takes place at the
end of the world. The 144,000 are
taken to Heaven before the Second
Coming, about the time of the
seventh trumpet. (Revelation
11:12) At the Second Coming,
Jesus will approach Earth with
all His angels and the 144,000
attending, and He will call the
righteous dead to life. The
righteous living will join with
the resurrected dead to meet the
Lord in the air. (1 Thessalonians
4:16,17) A triumphant Jesus with
all His saints will return to the
holy city, New Jerusalem. There
will be a great feast as Jesus
celebrates and drinks the pure
wine of the grape with the
redeemed. (Matthew 26:29) The
saints will remain in the city
for 1,000 years as a temporary
residence. At the end of the
1,000 years, the holy city will
descend from Heaven. (Revelation
21:2) The wicked will be
resurrected and notified of their
sentence. Jesus will call fire
down out of Heaven and purify the
Earth. Then, He will create a new
Heaven and a new Earth, which
will become the primary home of
the saints.
Consider some of the Feast of
Ingathering parallels:
1. Feast: The Feast of
Ingathering was the last and
largest harvest of the year. It
began five days after the Day of
Atonement had passed.
ETP: (End-time parallel): The
last and largest ingathering of
saints will occur at the end of
the world. The harvest of souls
will be numberless. Just as the
Feast of Ingathering took place
after the Day of Atonement, so
the Second Coming occurs after
the close of mercy.
2. Feast: All Jewish males were
required to go to Jerusalem for
this feast.
ETP: All of the redeemed will be
taken to New Jerusalem for the
wedding banquet.
3. Feast: The feast and the time
spent in Jerusalem were temporary
(seven days).
ETP: The saints will temporarily
live in the New Jerusalem during
the Sabbatical Millennium.
4. Feast: The first
fruits of this were presented to
the high priest before thank
offerings from the harvest were
presented to the Lord.
ETP: The 144,000 are the first
fruits of the final harvest. The
144,000 are taken to To Heaven
and presented to Jesus a few days
before the Second Coming. Then,
at the Second Coming, the great
harvest of souls is gathered in.
The first fruits of the last
great harvest foreshadow the
144,000 prophets of God who are
selected for a special mission
just before the Great Tribulation
begins. (Revelation 14:4; 7:1-4)
Of course, without rain there is
no harvest or first fruits. In
the land of Canaan, there are two
essential rains each year. They
are called the early rain and the
latter rain. These terms
“early and latter” are
used with respect to the crops.
For crops to mature in the late
summer, the latter rain brings
them to maturity. For crops that
mature in early spring, the term
“latter rain” refers to
rains that bring these crops to
maturity. The latter rain
finishes the maturing process
that began with the early rain!
In a spiritual sense, there are
also two rains. Both rains are
shadows representing the work of
the Holy Spirit. The first work
of the Holy Spirit is to lead us
to acknowledge our need for a
Savior. This spiritual awakening
is caused by “the early
rain” work of the Holy
Spirit. The Feast of Tabernacles
shadows the concluding work of
the Holy Spirit on behalf of
mankind (a latter rain
illustration). A great outpouring
of Holy Spirit empowerment will
occur just before Jesus comes and
this latter rain will bring souls
to perfect maturity! (Joel
2:28-32; James 5:7; Revelation
11:3) The concluding work of the
Holy Spirit’s ministry will
be highly visible and God’s
truth will be presented in the
clearest terms to every person in
the world. (Revelation 14:6-12;
Zechariah 4:6) Everyone will hear
the terms and conditions of
salvation. Everyone will have an
informed opportunity to know
God’s will and make a
decision about salvation. People
who follow the spirit now will
rejoice to hear greater truth.
(John 16:13) Many people who are
currently indifferent, negligent
or perhaps not willing to listen
to the Holy Spirit will have a
change of heart when they see a
display of God’s wrath and
thoughtfully consider the curse
that rests upon their heads.
Unfortunately, many people who
are in rebellion against God
right now will remain in
rebellion. They will be deceived
and led to their destruction when
the Antichrist appears. (2
Thessalonians 2:9-10) Individuals
who love God’s ways and
truth will have their faith
severely tested. By remaining
faithful to God, they will
receive the most wonderful gift
that God can give to His people
while still on Earth. He will
give His children the
“gift” of a sinless
nature – a nature that will
have no propensity or attraction
to sin and is in complete harmony
with His laws. (Hebrews 8:10-13;
Romans 1:17; 1 John 3:2) The gift
of the Holy Spirit demonstrates
God’s compassion for the
human race and His deep desire to
save every person that is willing
to be redeemed. Man’s need
for a Savior does not become a
reality until the Holy Spirit
impresses us with the
condemnation and fate that faces
every sinner. When an individual
responds to the Spirit’s
prompting, he or she will
recognize a desperate need for
Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God.
When we are “born
again,” we are happy to
submit to the gospel of Christ.
There is an inner joy when we
walk with the Lord. (John 14:15;
1 John 2:5) At the present time,
when a person surrenders his or
her will to God’s will, that
person is reckoned as righteous
through the imputed righteousness
of Christ, even though the
sealing has not occurred. (Romans
8:1) during the time period of
the Great Tribulation,
circumstances will force everyone
to respond to the gospel. If a
person submits to the laws of
Babylon, his or her choice will
be considered an act of rebellion
against God. If a person submits
to the law of God, his or her
choice will be considered an act
of rebellion against the
authority of the world’s
governments. Either way, the
consequences will be deadly. The
firmness of each person’s
decision will be tested. If a
person passes the test of faith,
the righteousness of Christ will
be imparted to him or her! This
is the sealing. (Colossians 1:27;
Revelation 7:1-4; 10:7) When God
finishes sealing His people, the
need for an intercessor or
mediator in Heaven will be over.
Only then will God’s
children have a righteous
character “sealed”
within them. Jesus marks the end
of salvation’s offer in
Heaven declaring, “Let him
who does wrong continue to do
wrong; let him who is vile
continue to be vile; let him who
does right continue to do right;
and let him who is holy continue
to be holy.” (Revelation
22:11)
144,000 Will Belong to Jesus
When Passover and Pentecost (the
earlier harvests of the year)
arrived, the first fruits were
presented to the high priest and
they became his personal
property. The parallel is true of
the final harvest. The first
fruits of the final harvest will
be 144,000 men and women who will
be servants of God; special
prophets during the Great
Tribulation. (Revelation 7:1-4;
14:4) Since the first fruits of
the harvest become the exclusive
property of the high priest
(Numbers 18), the 144,000 will
become special administrative
assistants who accompany Jesus
throughout eternity and serve Him
wherever He goes. The 144,000
will be first to experience
God’s gift of a new nature.
They will receive the imparted
“gift” of a sinless
nature first because they are
sealed first. (Revelation 7:1-4)
The 144,000 will have the Spirit
of prophecy resting upon them.
They will prophesy just like the
prophets of old. Those who heed
their message and chose to live
by faith will be sealed in the
same way the 144,000 are sealed.
The Bible indicates the 144,000
will wear the name of the Father
and Jesus on their foreheads.
(Revelation 14:1; 22:4) This will
be a beautiful sign revealing
their rank and position in
God’s government. I am not
sure how this will be done, but
we can be certain it will be
beautiful and glorious. The names
of the Father and Jesus upon the
foreheads of the 144,000 stands
in stark contrast to the tattoo
that Satan puts on the foreheads
of his servants. (Revelation
13:16)
Conclusion
We have a friend in Jesus. Not
only does He understand our
needs, but He also understands
our limitations, weaknesses and
foolishness. He is willing to be
our High Priest and present us
before God without a blemish. He
is willing to save us and grant
us the power to overcome the
ravages of sin. He is willing to
release us from anxiety, doubts
and bad habits. He has the power
to do all of this and so much
more! He is willing – are
you? Why not surrender your life
to Him right now? Why not say,
“Lord, I am willing to go,
be and do all that you ask.”
If you are willing to say this to
Him, He will enable you to
succeed in all that He wants you
to do! The good news is that you
and I have a friend in
Heaven’s temple that loves
us so much that He was willing to
die the second death for us. We
cannot easily comprehend such
love. That is why we sometimes
find it difficult to call on Him
to help us with our problems. But
be sure of this: He is qualified
to deal with any problem we face.
We may not like all the answers
on every occasion, but what child
Loves every answer from his
parents? Jesus knows what is best
for us and He responds
accordingly. So, go ahead, ask
Him to help you. He is ready.
Give Him your life and He will
deliver you from your worries and
fill you with a peace that passes
understanding! He is the Alpha
and the Omega!
Jesus is righteous in everything
He does. “He is the Rock,
His works are perfect, and all
his ways are just. A faithful God
who does no wrong, upright and
just is he.” (Deuteronomy
32:4) The earthy and heavenly
temples confirm so many wonderful
truths about Jesus. His actions
are open, upright and just. His
works are perfect and His
righteousness is illustrated in
the services of His temple.
Quiz:
1. What
three feasts were associated with
three crop harvests?
2. From
this lesson, can you see Jesus
object lesson of the feasts of
old and the ETP that’s
coming soon to our world?
3. What
does it mean “First
Fruits” of the harvest?
4. The
Day of Atonement service involves
three vital issues. What are
they?
5. How
does judicial equilibrium work in
God’s government?
6. Who
is the scapegoat in this lesson?
And what is the final punishment?
7. Dear
friend, are you ready to be, go
and do what Jesus wants you to
today?
Notes:
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