Hebrews 9 Commentary

Hebrews 9 Commentary

(1) “THEN VERILY THE FIRST COV­ENANT HAD ALSO ORDINANCES OF DIVINE SERVICE, AND A WORLDLY SANCTUARY.”
The exegesis is:
1.
Paul is contrasting the First Covenant with the Second or New Covenant.

2.
The First Covenant had Ordinances of Divine Service, which means that it was of God, although meant to be temporary only.

3.
The phrase “worldly sanctuary” does not have an evil connotation as used here, but rather means that it was of the Earth, while the Sanctuary of the New Covenant is in Heaven.


THE FIRST COVENANT

The phrase, “Then verily the First Cov­enant,” is meant to describe the Tabernacle in which the Service of God was celebrated under the former dispensation, and to show that it had a reference to what was future, and was, therefore, only an imperfect represen­tation of the coming reality.
It is important to show this, as the Jews regarded the Ordinances of the Tabernacle and of the whole Levitical service as of Divine ap­pointment, and of perpetual obligation. The object of Paul is to prove that they were to give place to a more perfect system, and hence it was necessary to discuss their real nature.
The word “Covenant” is not in the origi­nal Text, but is rightly placed, because that is what Paul is actually talking about. It means, that while the First Covenant was definitely of God, meaning that it was given by God, and was to be held as sacred, still, it was to only have a temporary existence.
The two Covenants having been introduced and contrasted, the imperfection of the Atone­ment under the First Covenant is in Hebrews Chapters 9 and 10 contrasted with the per­fection of the Atonement under the Second Covenant, and the unrelieved conscience of the worshiper under the one set over against the perfected conscience of the worshiper under the other — that is, a conscience per­fectly relieved from a sense of guilt in the Presence of God.

The Scriptures proving these contrasts are quoted by Paul, and a warning (Heb. 10:26­31) added as to the judgment certain to fall upon those Jewish Christians who rejected this Second Covenant and the Atoning Sac­rifice that ratified it.
God is a God of order. This is verified by the details to which He has gone in man’s Redemption. From the very beginning God has prescribed ways for man to enter into His Presence. When man fell in the Garden of Eden an animal was slain to provide a cov­ering for Adam and Eve as they went from the Garden into the world. This act illus­trated the seriousness of their sin, and showed that the shedding of innocent blood in Sacrifice (of clean animals) was the only means of access into the presence of God. Without the Blood there will be no remis­sion of sins.
When God instituted the Mosaic economy, He ordained the order for service and wor­ship. He gave Moses detailed instructions, carefully outlining the Priestly functions, the Sacrificial system, and the construction of the Tabernacle.
GOD’S ORDER

It is interesting to note the time God spent in giving plans for the building of the Taber­nacle and in giving instructions for worship. He had taken only six days to re-create the world, but when He began to design His house, He took 40 days (Ex. 24:18). This compari­son tells us that God is concerned deeply about His house, whether the Tabernacle and Temple of old, or our present hearts and lives (I Cor. 3:16).
He is concerned that the service be in or­der, that the house of the Lord be fitting in His sight. Consequently, it is perfectly in or­der to begin a worship service with singing, hence the Book of Psalms being the largest Book in the Bible, following that with pray­ing and giving, and concluding with preach­ing and more praying. God has an order (Fjordbak).
ORDINANCES

The phrase, “Had also Ordinances of Di­vine Service,” means “ordinances adapted for Divine Service.”
The Greek word for “Ordinances” means “laws, precepts, ordinances.” The idea is, that there were laws regulating the worship of God.
Has the Reader noticed the number of times that the Holy Spirit through Paul uses the word “Law,” as it refers to the great Plan of God? Please note the following:
In the creation which includes everything from man, to Angels, to the planets, etc., God has done all of this by a system of Laws, Laws incidentally, which He has formulated Himself.
The following are some of these Laws, all of which pertain to the moral and the spiri­tual. However, the world of science is gov­erned in the same manner, but of that we will not attempt to address ourselves:
1.
The Law of Moses: This was the Law which was given to Moses and the Children of Israel on Mount Sinai. Except for the moral part of that Law listed in Exodus Chap­ter 20, this Law is no more in force, actually meaning by God to have been temporary.

(Nine of the Ten Commandments were brought over into the New Covenant, exclud­ing only the fourth Commandment, “Re­member the Sabbath,” etc., which we have addressed in previous commentary.)

2.
The Law of Faith (Rom. 3:27): The Law of Faith pertains to the Finished Work of Christ, in other words, what Christ did for us on the Cross. Everything that humanity needs to be saved and to live victoriously comes by the means of what Jesus did at the Cross and in His Resurrection on our behalf. Our Faith is supposed to be within those pa­rameters, in other words, believing in what Christ has done for us. This means that all Faith, in one form or the other, is to refer to the Cross. If it’s Faith in something else, while it might truly be Faith, it’s not Faith that God will recognize.

3.
The Law of the Sin Nature (Rom. 7:21): The sin nature is the evil impulse which fills the heart of man as a result of the Fall, and propels man toward that which is wicked and wrong. When the believing sinner comes to Christ, the sin nature although remaining, is throttled so to speak. In other words, it be­comes dormant; however, it can spring to life very quick, if the Believer attempts to trust in other than the Cross.

4.
The Law of God (Rom. 7:22): This is the Divine Nature which comes into the Be­liever at conversion. It is the opposite, as would be obvious, of the sin nature, and is now to control the Believer, and does so by the Power of the Holy Spirit. This is actu­ally what takes place at Regeneration.

5. The law of self-will (Rom. 7:23).


6.
The Law of my mind (Rom. 7:23): This is actually the law of the inward man, which has been renewed by the Power of the Holy Spirit. It is supposed to be very similar to “the Law of God.”

7.
The law of sin (Rom. 7:23): This is the same as “the law of sin and death” as given in Romans 8:2. It is the Law which will kick in, and without fail, if the Believer attempts to walk holy and live holy by other than the means of the Cross. In other words, if the Believer places his faith in things other than the Cross, he will sin, which will then kick in the sin nature.

8.
The Law of the Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2): This is the Law by which the Holy Spirit func­tions, which pertains to the Finished Work of Christ. In other words, all that Jesus did on the Cross was done for sinful humanity. Whatever those parameters consist of, in that the Holy Spirit works. This is a Law that He will not break, meaning that He will not work outside of those parameters.

9.
The Law of Righteousness (Rom. 9:31). This Law pertains to the moral part of the Law given to Moses, and described in Exo­dus Chapter 20. It is referred to as the “Ten Commandments.” The only One Who ever fully kept this Law was Christ; however, all who place their trust in Christ and what He did at the Cross on our behalf, are instantly imputed this Righteousness.


LAW

The Holy Spirit used the word “Law” for a reason. Law means “a statement of an order or relation of phenomena that so far as is known is invariable under the given conditions.” It is “a rule of construction or procedure.”
As we’ve already stated, every single law in the universe whether it be scientific or moral, was created by God, and to be sure, will hold true. Science struggles to find these laws and then to understand how they work.
Fortunately, science cannot change these laws, and are thereby forced to abide by the ramification of those which they presently understand.
The Bible contains the moral laws and to be sure, they are just as exact as the laws of true science. Actually, that’s what we are studying here — the moral Laws of God.
To explain how they work, the following must be noted and understood:
THE WORKING OF GOD’S MORAL LAWS
Every moral Law made by God is of course, of extreme significance. Because they are Laws made by God, they cannot be bent, bro­ken, or ignored. Whether one believes in them or not, they are very similar to the laws of science, they invariably function. As stated, that’s the reason the Holy Spirit referred to them as “laws.”
The Believer has to contend with the fol­lowing:
1.
The law of the sin nature.

2.
The law of self-will.

3.
The law of sin and death.


Again we emphasize, these are laws, and they will definitely kick in if the Believer doesn’t address them correctly.
First of all, “the law of the sin nature” should not cause any Believer a problem, as it has been rendered powerless by the Divine Nature — that is, if we address it correctly. However, if we do not address it correctly, it can cause the Christian untold problems (Rom. 7:18).
The “law of self-will” is an ever-present factor in the life of every Believer, and actu­ally our greatest problem. “Self-will” refers to the Believer encountering one of two prob­lems, or both. The first problem pertains to attempting to force our will into the mix in­stead of God’s Will. And this speaks of any­thing as it pertains to life and living. The second factor pertains to the Believer at­tempting to walk in Righteousness and Ho­liness by his own self-efforts, instead of God’s prescribed order.
The secret of the victorious, overcoming, Christian life, is “the Law of the Spirit of Life.” This is a greater law than the law of sin and death, or the law of self-will. However, if we as Believers attempt to push forward the law of self-will, the Holy Spirit Who operates the Law of Life, will simply refuse to function. In other words, if the individual demands to have his or her way, instead of God’s Way, the Holy Spirit will allow the Believer to do just that; however, the results, and to be sure, will be bitter!

HOW DOES THE CHRISTIAN GET
THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE
TO WORK FOR HIM?

This is the secret of all victory in Christ.

If one is to notice, the Holy Spirit through Paul tells us, that this “Law of the Spirit of Life” is “in Christ Jesus.” This refers to what Jesus did at the Cross and in His Resurrec­tion, all on our behalf. In other words, this Law which is the Source of our victory, func­tions totally and completely within the pa­rameters of the Atonement, i.e., “the Sacri­fice of Christ.” The account of that is found in Romans 6:3-5.
All the Believer has to do, is what we’ve been saying in this Commentary and in fact in several Commentaries, over and over again; the Believer must exhibit Faith in the great Sacrifice of Christ, and must do so on a continuing basis. That’s what the Holy Spirit demands of us (Rom. 8:1-2, 11).
FAITH

It must always be remembered, that God works exclusively with us on the basis of Faith. And that means it is never of works or merit of any nature, but always, and exclusively, on the principle of Faith. In fact, and as we’ve already stated, it is called “the Law of Faith” (Rom. 3:27). This pertains totally and com­pletely to what Jesus did at the Cross in or­der to redeem humanity, and our Faith in that Finished Work.
When one exhibits Faith in the Sacrifice of Christ, such effort and direction says that the one exhibiting Faith knows and under­stands, that Jesus did all that we need, and which we could not do for ourselves, at the Cross. At the same time, it also states that the Believer knows and understands that he cannot do any of these things which needs to be done, but they can only be done by Christ, and in fact have already been done by Christ at the Cross. Faith in that Finished Work proclaims that which God demands on behalf of all who come to Him.
When the Believer does this, and contin­ues to exhibit Faith in the Finished Work of Christ, the Holy Spirit will then work might­ily on the Believer’s behalf, which is the “Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus.” This is secret of all victory and all overcom­ing strength. In fact, it is the only way that the Believer can live the life he ought to live (Rom. 8:1-2, 11).
The biggest problem in the Church pres­ently, and in fact which has always been the biggest problem, is the Christian attempt­ing to be what he ought to be in the Lord by efforts and means of his own ability and machinations outside of the Cross of Christ, which God will never honor. It doesn’t mat­ter how spiritual or how religious these ef­forts might be, the Holy Spirit simply will not honor them, which guarantees defeat on the part of the Believer. Sadly and regretta­bly, and because of not knowing the Victory of the Cross, i.e., “the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus,” the majority of Christendom presently, walks in defeat. That’s the reason that I’ve tried in every way that I know how, asking the Lord to help me to explain the vic­tory of the Cross, and even to explain it over and over again, even in different ways, pray­ing that the Reader will grasp the Truth that is given here. In fact, there is no Truth more important than this of which I say. Without the Believer understanding this which has been provided by our Heavenly Father, and at such great price, it is impossible for the Believer to “walk in victory,” or to experi­ence the “more abundant life” promised by Christ, or to live and experience this “rest” also promised by the Saviour (Rom. 8:2; Jn. 10:10; Mat. 11:28-30).
SANCTUARY
The phrase, “And a worldly Sanctuary,” is not meant to imply by the word “worldly” that something here is amiss. The word “worldly” is used as contrasted to the Heavenly world. The Tabernacle as constructed by Moses was on Earth, while the Heavenly Sanctuary, as would be obvious, is in Heaven.
Paul is contrasting here two whole ways of approach to God. He is talking about the Old Covenant that has been superseded now that Jesus has set up the new one. But the old one, Paul points out, had been set up with a full set of regulations for worship and the like. In other words, the method of worship was not left haphazard, but was Divinely pre­scribed. This means that the old way must be seen as originating in the Divine initia­tive, which it most definitely was. Then the new is its fulfillment, not its contradiction.
The old way not only had regulations, but also a Sanctuary described as “earthly.” The meaning is not that the Sanctuary as described here, is worldly in the bad sense, but simply that it belonged to this world in contrast to the Heavenly Sanctuary where Jesus now Min­isters. The First Covenant, then, was estab­lished with its due regulations for worship and its holy place of this Earth where worship could be carried on. We will find that Paul will go on to stress the “earthly” nature of it all, in contrast to the Heavenly Sanctuary.

(2) “FOR THERE WAS A TABERNACLE MADE; THE FIRST, WHEREIN WAS THE CANDLESTICK, AND THE TABLE, AND THE SHEWBREAD; WHICH IS CALLED THE SANCTUARY.”
The composite is:

1.
Paul is speaking here of the Tabernacle which design was given to Moses by the Lord.

2.
The first part of the Tabernacle was the “Holy Place,” which contained the sa­cred vessels mentioned. Immediately behind the “Holy Place” was the “Holy of Holies” which contained the Ark of the Covenant.

3.
The word “Sanctuary” usually refers to the whole edifice; however, if the word is used in its most strict sense, it refers only to this first room.


TABERNACLE

The phrase, “For there was a Tabernacle made,” refers to that which Moses had made in the wilderness, which specifications were given to him by God. If we use 18 inches to the cubit, which seems to be the measure­ment most agreed upon, the entire frame of the Tabernacle was 45 feet long and 15 feet wide. As well, it was 15 feet high.
The first room or the “Holy Place,” in which the Priests attended their duties con­stantly, was 30 feet long. The “Holy of Holies” which made up the second room or tent as it was referred to, was 15 feet long. This room contained the Ark of the Covenant, on which there were two Cherubim, one on either end, looking down upon the Mercy Seat. God dwelt between the Mercy Seat and the Cherubim. No one went into this room except the High Priest, and that only once a year on the Great Day of Atonement, when the blood of the Sac­rifice was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat. Actu­ally, he went into this room twice, the first time for himself, and because, even though he was the High Priest of Israel and a type of Christ, still, he was a sinful man. He went in the second time for Israel, both times on the same day.
(Actually, the exact size of the two rooms in the Tabernacle is not specified in the Scrip­tures, but it is commonly supposed that the Tabernacle was divided in the same manner as the Temple was afterwards; that is, two-thirds of the interior constituted the “Holy Place,” and one-third the “Holy of Holies.”)
WHY THE TABERNACLE
AND NOT THE TEMPLE?


It will be noted throughout that Paul has the Tabernacle in view rather than the Temple. This is not, as some have supposed, because the construction of the Temple was any less Divinely ordered than that of the Tabernacle. David plainly declared to Solomon, and giv­ing him the plan of the more permanent Sanc­tuary, “All this the Lord made me understand in writing by His Hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern” (I Chron. 28:19).
However, the Temple types evidently pre­figure Millennial Glory and Blessing and will be fully entered into and understood in that day of Jehovah’s power.
The Tabernacle, on the other hand, which was a temporary dwelling place, picturing truth for a pilgrim people, has its application to the present times when the Holy Spirit, typi­fied by the cloudy pillar of old, is leading the new dispensation company through the wil­derness of this world, on to the rest that re­mains for the people of God (Ironside). So, while the Tabernacle pictures the Church on Earth before the Resurrection, hence the Holy Spirit using this example, the Temple represents the coming Millennial Reign.


TYPES

A study of the Tabernacle and its furnish­ings would show how Christ is portrayed in this structure with all its rituals, ceremonies, and ordinances. This study is called “typol­ogy.” A study of the types will bring addi­tional light to many Passages of Scripture.
This is very important, because it continu­ally focuses our attention on the Blessed Lord Jesus, His life and work. Over and over in the Types He is lifted high; He is exalted and magnified. By studying these “types” we will see the meticulous care with which God planned Redemption and, in so doing, gave to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the pre­eminence throughout all Scripture.
A “type” as found in the Bible is a person or thing which God has designed to repre­sent or prefigure some person, thing, or event that would appear in the future. Usually, if not always, the type appears in the Old Testa­ment and the person, thing, or event to which it refers appears in the New Testament. In a way, types were a sort of prophecy, giving an advance view in symbolic picture form, of what was to come.
In fact, “types” and “symbols” are so closely related, sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between them. In fact, the dictionary uses these two words as synonyms for each other. There is a slight difference, however, though their purpose and intent are much the same.
A “type” is a sort of model of the thing to which it refers, containing some of the quali­ties and characteristics of the real thing.
In comparison, a “symbol” is an object that reminds us of something else, not by resembling it exactly but by having certain features or characteristics that remind us of it (Fjordbak).
THE SACRED VESSELS

The phrase, “The first, wherein was the Candlestick and the Table and Shewbread,” refers to the Holy Place where these sacred vessels were situated. It was, as stated, the “First Room.”
Into this area, the Priests went constantly as they attended their duties; but, as stated, it was only the High Priest who could go far­ther which was past the Veil into the Holy of Holies, and that only once a year, and not without blood.
THE CANDLESTICK
The “candlestick” would have been better translated “Lampstand.” It was much more than a mere “Candlestick.”
There was no window in the Tabernacle, for the light of nature cannot reveal spiritual things. It was, therefore, illuminated from this Holy Vessel, which was placed on the south side, or left side, as one walked in.
The “Lampstand” is a type of Christ who provides illumination for the world.
Jesus Christ came into a world that was darkened by sin and despair. He came as a Light, so that “The people which sat in dark­ness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up” (Mat. 4:16).
The Gospel was meant to dispel the dark­ness. Though men may reject the Light and refuse it, they can never extinguish it. The Light still shines today in and through the lives of Believers.
LIGHT
But men loved darkness rather than light. They rejected the Light, and so far as they were concerned, extinguished it. Since Christ was put to death by wicked hands, the world has never again gazed upon the Light. He is now hidden from their eyes. But He Who was slain by the world rose again, and then as­cended on high; it is there in the Holy Place in God’s Presence, in which that Presence is the Holy Place, that the Light now dwells. And while there — Oh marvelous privilege
— the Saints have access to Him.
As a result of Israel’s rejection of Christ, black shadows rest upon the world which has cast out the Light of Life: “The way of the wicked is as darkness” (Prov. 4:19).
Regarding the Crucifixion, even though Israel was the chief instigator, still, Rome participated in this event, thereby, symboli­cally speaking, Christ was rejected by the entirety of mankind.
It is now night, for the “Dayspring from on high” is absent. The Lampstand tells of the gracious provision which God has made for His Own beloved people during the interval of darkness, ere the Sun of Righteousness shall rise once more, and usher in for this Earth that morning without clouds.
Its seven branches and lamps constantly fed by oil, represented the fullness of Light that is in Christ Jesus, and which by Him is com­municated to His whole Church.
The “oil,” representing the Holy Spirit, was poured into its lamps and then shed forth light from them. Such was and is the economical relation of the Spirit unto the Mediator.
First, Christ was “anointed” with the Spirit “above his fellows” (Ps. 45:7; Jn. 3:34), and then He sent forth the Spirit (Acts 2:33). Objectively, the Spirit conveys light to us through the Word; subjectively, by inward and supernatural illumination (Pink).
LIGHT AND OIL

In studying the candlestick, two symbols are of great interest: Light and Oil. These two symbols are used throughout the Scrip­tures. As we have seen, Jesus Himself is called “the Light.” God dwells in light “which no man can approach unto,” and God is called the “Father of lights,” from Whom is “every good gift and every perfect gift” (I Tim. 6:16; James 1:17).
The two figures of light and oil are very beautiful and interesting, even in their natu­ral symbolism. Light was the first restored object of the natural world, and it is its chief glory. It is essential, in a great measure, to the existence of life. It is that which clothes everything with beauty and color. It is that which gives the glory to the rainbow and the ruby. It is that which makes the diamond anything but a little bit of charcoal. It is that which makes the human face so full of love­liness; and it is that which gives us everything that is beautiful in our human relationships, and in all the wonders of the natural world.
Nor have we only the light which comes from without, but the light which comes from within; the sense of sight, the power of wis­dom which brings into our consciousness and perception the objects of nature around us.
The Holy Spirit is also the Source of light. And the vision of Revelation closes with the light that is brighter than the sun, and a Rainbow gathering up all of its beautiful effulgence around the Throne forever.
As well, the figure of oil expresses many interesting thoughts. It is the source of arti­ficial light. It contains in itself the elements of life and healing and, in contact with fire, the elements of light. We find it employed for many other purposes than light.
It was used in connection with the conse­cration of the Priesthood, and in healing, but it was especially set apart for the lighting of God’s Sanctuary. And it was specifically pre­scribed by God Himself, and by the most awful sanctions, guarded from being coun­terfeited. If anyone should endeavor to imi­tate or counterfeit it, he was to be cut off from among the people. Its ingredients were com­pounded together in some mysterious way for its sacred use to light God’s Holy Sanctu­ary (Simpson).
GOLD

The substance of the material for the fur­niture of the Tabernacle was different in the Holy Place. In the outer court, copper was the prevailing material. Copper had to do with the judgment of sin. In the Holy Place, gold was the material that predominated. This was no accident or chance occurrence.
The gold speaks of the Deity of Christ. It was the only object that set forth in such a visible way its Deity.
Two objects of furniture, the Lampstand and the Mercy Seat, were made entirely of gold. The Lampstand was the perfect sym­bol of Christ as the Son of God — “That was the True Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (Jn. 1:9). He was a “Light of the Gentiles” (Isa. 42:6).
Had He been philanthropic and had He not come out from God, He would have been merely another teacher who “darkened coun­sel by words.” He would have only added another ethical system to the already multi­tudinous and multifarious systems, and He would have been but the harbinger of dark­ness “through philosophy and vain deceit.” But as the Son of God, “He is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
A TYPE OF CHRIST

The Lampstand was handmade, of beaten work, and was highly ornamented. Although gold, this beaten work speaks of His humanity.


There was a central shaft with three branches on the side, making seven branches in all. The central shaft spoke of Christ, with the three branches to the side speaking of the Church. The six branches are short of perfection, made perfect by the central shaft, hence the number “seven,” which de perfection and completion.
It is said that the Lampstand was one piece of pure gold. In other words, the six branches were not fused to the central shaft, but rather the entirety of the piece was made of one slab of gold, beaten into its design. This signi­fies, as Jesus said of Himself and the Church, i.e., each individual Believer, “I am in My Fa­ther, and ye in Me, and I in you” (Jn. 14:20).
Each branch contained three sections, each section being beaten into the shape of an almond blossom, a blossom, and a knop. On top of each shaft was an open almond blossom. This speaks of the Fruit of the Spirit, which should be predominant in the lives of all Believers.
On each of these almond blossoms at the top, were placed the Olive Oil Lamps. Even though the Almond Blossoms looked like wood, they in fact were gold, reminding us of Aaron’s rod that budded.
This represents the Incarnate Christ as the Light of the world, and filled with the Spirit without measure.
As well, we must remember even as stated, that the branches represent Believers, but Believers in Christ, which are but reflections of His Light. We have no light within our­selves per se, all Light being of Christ.
HUMANITY AND DEITY

There were no measurements given for the Lampstand of pure gold. That which speaks of His Deity alone cannot be measured, for Deity is beyond the computation of man, nei­ther can a tape be placed along that which speaks of God.
Again, the Priesthood of Christ, which is conditioned on the fact that He became a man, is made to rest on His Deity.
There is not recorded any incident in the Life of Christ in the Gospels which does not instantly record His Deity with every men­tion of His humanity, yet never confusing or fusing the two. In the shortest verse of the Bible, “Jesus wept” (Jn. 11:35), there is re­corded a perfectly human incident in His life. It is a characteristic of humanity to weep; it is perfectly natural. But the tears were not dry upon His cheeks before He commanded, “Lazarus, come forth.” And Lazarus came forth. That was perfectly Divine — only De­ity has the power over death.
THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT
One technical point about the Lampstand is of interest — it was a light-holder. The ol­ive oil lamps were placed upon the Lampstand. The Lampstand supported the flame, but the flame revealed the beauties of the golden Lampstand. The olive oil lamp is a scrip­tural symbol of the Holy Spirit. The analogy is striking.
Christ sent the Holy Spirit into the world and He supports the Spirit in His work. But the Spirit takes the things of Christ and re­veals them unto Believers. As the olive oil lamps were supported by the Lampstand and they in turn revealed its beauty, thus Christ is the foundation and support for the work of the Spirit, but the Spirit in turn reveals the things of Christ (Jn. 16:12-15).
IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH
The Lampstand gave light in the Holy Place — it not being possible for natural light to percolate or penetrate there. The Priest inside walked by Divine Light, but he had to go outside for natural light.
True worship today is in spirit and truth; it is where the Spirit takes the things of Christ and reveals Him unto the Believer. Walking by the light of reason, intellect, sci­ence, or the Golden Rule may be fine and proper for the natural man, but these never lead the soul into the place of fellowship with God. Natural light is the extent of these, and by virtue of the appeal to the natural man, they are indeed dazzling. The moths are at­tracted, and the light that draws them is their destruction.
But true worshipers behold only Christ, and this is never discerned by the natural man, but only with the aid of the Holy Spirit. The beauties of Christ are never beheld by the natural man, but are revealed only by the Holy Spirit.



Divine light was only found in the Holy Place. Only as worshipers in the present age pass by the Cross and Laver (Word of God) and come to Christ for light are they truly worshiping God. Christ is the Lamp unto our feet and the Holy Spirit is the Light unto our path. Christ said, “I am the light of the world.” True Believers alone know that to be true.
Going back to the open almond blossom on top of the branch where was placed the olive oil lamps, the following sheds light on that:
Believers today have been sent into the world as lights: “Ye are the light of the world.” However, and as stated, this means that we are merely reflectors, to reflect His light. Only as we walk in Him can we be lights in the world. A reflector must be where light is in order to reflect it. “Come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord” (Isa. 2:5) (McGee).
THE ONE PURPOSE OF THE LAMPSTAND
The one purpose of the Lampstand was to shine. To do this there had to be oil in the cups which were part of the Lampstand. One of the Ministries of the Priests was to make sure there was oil in the Lampstand. If the oil became used up, the light would go out. The oil was a type, as stated, of the Holy Spirit.
Without the presence of the Holy Spirit, we cannot shine as lights in the world. We can be thankful for the New Testament ar­rangement. The oil for the Old Testament Lampstand had to be replenished continually. But in the New Testament era, the Holy Spirit dwells within Believers and is available with His help whenever needed; however, that help is forthcoming only as we maintain our Faith in the Cross of Christ which must never be forgotten (Rom. 8:1-2, 11).
It must not be forgotten, that of all the sa­cred pieces of furniture and vessels of the Tab­ernacle, the Brazen Altar was first and fore­most, and was a type of the offering up of Christ on the Altar of the Crucifixion. With­out that, everything else in the Tabernacle, even the Ark of the Covenant, were moot.
MINISTRY

Each branch of the Lampstand was equal in height to the others. None was consid­ered better than another. There are various ways we can shine for Christ. There are dif­ferent kinds of ministries, because talents and abilities vary, along with the Call of God. But to God all Ministries are of equal value. As the children’s chorus of long ago said:
“Each one should shine,
“You in your small corner,
“And I in mine.”
In order for the Lampstand to be effective, it required constant care. The oil had to be replenished. The wicks had to be trimmed. The wicks were the means by which the light was shed, as they were soaked with the oil.
Remember this, our abilities and talents are like the wick of the candlestick. We are not to serve in such a way that people say, “Oh, what a beautiful wick!” Rather, they should admire the Lampstand — Christ. The only time the wick calls attention to itself is when it’s not burning properly. If people notice us, that means they’re not noticing Christ, and it means we are not properly presenting Christ, i.e., “Not burning properly.”
The tongs and the snuff dishes (Ex. 25:38) were used in caring for the Lampstand. When the Priest checked the Lampstand each morn­ing to see how it was doing, he would also trim the wick if necessary. Sometimes the Lord has to deal with us in similar fashion, so that we can shine for Him more brightly.
Many Christians need trimming so-to­speak, in order that they might burn prop­erly, and not merely cast forth a dirty soot, which a dirty wick does (Harris).
DIVINE

The Light which God gives to us is all Di­vine, and in no sense human. The oil . . . was made from materials Divinely specified. And so it teaches us that the Light we need does not come from man, not from the rea­sonings of the wise, not from our own sound­est judgment even; but it comes to us from the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ and His precious Word. And all the light that God gives a soul in its Heavenly journey must be Divine.
SOLE ILLUMINATION

The Candlestick was the sole illumination of God’s Sanctuary. And so it teaches us that


we have no other light but God. When we trust Him, we must wholly trust Him. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding.”
Have you this light? Have you taken all of your ideas of things from the Bible and from the Spirit, and from God? Is your Tabernacle partly lighted by the golden lights, and partly by the murky light of the world? I do not wonder that it gets dark sometimes. Let us look and see if we have the Light after the pat­tern of Christ. A great many Christians go astray here. They are not careful to have all their light from above.
THE SEVENFOLD LIGHT

Again, we learn from the ancient Lampstand that the Light which God gives us is a perfect light. It was a “sevenfold light,” and seven . . . stands for completeness. There was not one only, but there were seven, and they afforded all the Light that was required. And so God gives you Light that has no dark­ness in it. When He leads you . . . it is always in the right path . . . When He teaches, you can lean your whole weight on Him, for He cannot fail. “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”
So the Holy Spirit is called “the seven Spir­its before the throne.” Isaiah tells us what that is:
“And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and under­standing, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD” (Isa. 11:2).
1.
The Spirit of the Lord.

2.
The Spirit of Wisdom.

3.
The Spirit of understanding.

4.
The Spirit of counsel.

5.
The Spirit of might.

6.
The Spirit of knowledge.



7. The Spirit of fear of the Lord. These are all different forms of Light, but they are all the same Divine Light.
So God has a great many kinds of Light. He has the light by day, and the light by night. He is the Light that guides, and the Light that glorifies. He is the Light that shines in with awful power upon your sins and makes you weep. And then He is the Light that shines upon His Own sweet face, His Own precious Cross, and Blood, and lifts you out of your sin, and makes your heart happy in His joy. Sometimes the Light shines from His Truth, then sometimes from the Spirit’s pres­ence in the inner life. And sometimes we cannot keep it in, but it shines out and sheds its glory on others — the sevenfold Light of God in the heart.
THE BREAD OF LIFE
This Light revealed the other objects in the Tabernacle. It showed the Priests the beauti­ful and precious things in the Holy Place. It revealed to them the Table, covered with the Bread, and the Frankincense.
The best thing in the Light was that it showed, not the Light, but the Bread. And so when this Light comes, it is not that you have such a light that you gaze until your eyes are dazzled; but the Light comes to show you the Bread of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ, to show how the promises are for you, how you are to understand, how you are to take, how you are to hold fast and be strong.
The main business of the Spirit is to glo­rify Christ (Jn. 16:14-15). This means that if what is happening in our lives as it regards what we think is the Spirit, which is to make Christ greater and greater, then it’s really not the Spirit of God, but another spirit alto­gether. And furthermore, the Spirit will also portray to the Believer, and in a way that is paramount, not only Christ as the Son of God, but “Christ crucified” (I Cor. 1:23).
While He does many glorious things within our lives, even as we’ve already portrayed, it is the glorification of Christ and more par­ticularly, what Jesus did at the Cross on our behalf, which are always paramount. Again I state the following:
If we are dazzled by displays of sensation­alism or emotionalism, which causes us to get our eyes on other things, this is not the Spirit of God, not the True Light, but rather “an angel of light,” i.e., “Satan” (II Cor. 11:14).
THE WORK OF THE LIGHT
As stated, the Light was portrayed not to dazzle the beholder, but rather to portray the “Bread,” i.e., “Bread of Life.”
So that we will not be bedazzled by other things, how can we as Believers assure



ourselves, that the light we have is not dark­ness? (Mat. 6:23).
If the Believer will understand and follow three particular things, the Light will always shine properly. These things are:
1.
Understand that the Cross is the Source of all things from God (Rom. 6:3-5).

2.
Understand that your Faith at all times must have the Cross as its object. This must never change! (I Cor. 1:18, 23; 2:2).

3.
With Faith properly placed in the Cross, which means that we properly understand that the Cross is the Source of all Blessings and all help, the Holy Spirit will then be able to function properly within our hearts and lives (Rom. 8:1-2, 11).


To be sure, I have already given several times these three simple steps in this Com­mentary, and have done so with purpose. There is nothing more important for the Christian than that which we’ve just stated. I want to make certain that you understand exactly what is being said, and if so, I know that your path will be that of victory. Other­wise, it will be anything but victory!
BELIEVERS AND THE LIGHT

The Lampstand did not have inherent light; it was only the bearer of the light; it only held the Light, but the oil gave the light. We must remember, that the branches on either side represent Believers. So this means, that we aren’t the light, but only a bearer of the light.
In fact, Jesus Christ and Jesus Alone is our Light, and we simply receive and reflect Him.
While it is true that the oil represents the Holy Spirit, still, the Holy Spirit does all things by and through what Jesus did at the Cross. Hence, Paul saying the following:
“The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).
If the Believer is to notice, this great and wonderful promise of all Life and Victory is brought about by the Spirit, but all that is done is “in Christ Jesus,” which means what He did at the Cross on our behalf.
THE TABLE AND THE SHOWBREAD
As the Priests entered the Holy Place, the Table with its twelve loaves of bread sat on the right or north side of the Sanctuary. The Table was small, and of course we’re speaking of the Tabernacle and not the Temple, mea­suring some three feet long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. It was made of acacia wood, covered with gold. A golden border surrounded the table with a crown of gold.
Though intimately connected, yet these two objects (the bread and the Temple) may be distinguished in their typical significance. The natural relation of the one to the other helps us to perceive their spiritual meaning: The Bread was placed upon and thus was sup­ported by the Table. The Table speaks of “communion” (I Cor. 10:20-21).
The “Showbread,” or twelve loaves on the Table, also spoke of Christ. “My Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven” (Jn. 6:32).
The word “Showbread” in the Hebrew is literally “bread of faces,” faces being put by a figure for its “presence” — pointing to the Divine Presence in which the Bread stood, “Showbread before Me always” (Ex. 25:30) (Pink).
TO PARTAKE OF THE BREAD

The Golden Showbread Table contained an array of twelve loaves of fine flour, sprinkled with sweet-smelling frankincense, and eaten only by the Priests, and were re­placed on the seventh day by a fresh supply.
Here again . . . is that mysterious blending of Christ and His people. Christ is the True Bread of Presence. He is the Bread of God.
Jehovah finds in His obedience, life, and death, perfect satisfaction; and we too feed on Him. His flesh is meat indeed. We eat His flesh and live by Him.
The Table was portable, so as to be carried in the journeyings of the people; now we can never thrive without taking Him with us wherever we go. This is the Heavenly Manna, our daily Bread, our Priestly prerequisite.
HOW CAN ONE EAT OF THE
FLESH OF CHRIST?


Actually, the Showbread eaten by the Priests was meant to represent Christ and our partaking of Him.
This is what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood, ye have no life in you.


“Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My Blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
“For My flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed.
“He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in Me and I in him” (Jn. 6:53-56).
What did Jesus mean by this?

First of all, He wasn’t speaking of literally eating His flesh and drinking His Blood. He was referring to the Cross, and the Faith that one must have in that Finished Work.
When Jesus died on the Cross, it was His physical body which died, hence the “flesh!” As well, He shed His Blood at that time.
When one exhibits Faith in this great Sac­rifice of Christ, one is literally partaking of what Jesus did at the Cross on His behalf. In fact, this is what Paul was talking about when He said:
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His Death?” (Rom. 6:3).
By the use of the word “baptize,” Paul was not speaking of Water Baptism, but rather, the Death of Christ on the Cross. When the be­lieving sinner exercises faith in what Jesus did there, in the Mind of God, the sinner is placed in Christ, and more particularly, in His Death. Jesus, serving as our Substitute (Last Adam) and our Representative Man (Second Man) (I Cor. 15:45-47), did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Faith in Him and what He has done, establishes such a union with the Price that He paid, that the Holy Spirit through Paul used the word “baptize,” which explains this union more than any other word.
THE CHRISTIAN AND THE CROSS

As we’ve said over and over again, almost all Christians understand the Cross as it re­fers to our initial Salvation experience; how­ever, almost none have understanding as it regards the part the Cross plays in our ongo­ing experience. In fact, the Cross is just as important in our everyday living for God, and will be until the Lord calls us home, as it was in our initial Salvation experience.
Jesus said, “As the Living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me” (Jn. 6:57).
The words “even he shall live by Me,” refer to our everyday lives. As well, the words, even as we’ve already explained, “so he that eateth Me,” refers totally and completely to the Cross, and one’s Faith in that Finished Work. So, Jesus is plainly saying here, that our “living,” i.e., “victory and overcoming power,” will come from what He did at the Cross, and is made available to us by Faith in that great Sacrifice.
When the Believer understands this, and evidences faith in the Finished Work of Christ, knowing that this is the Source of all Bless­ings and all help, then the Holy Spirit per­forms mighty things in our hearts and lives (Rom. 8:1-2, 11). In fact, I don’t know how much clearer all of this could be.
THE CROSS, A REQUIREMENT
The Table was not merely to be admired for its beauty. The Bread on the Table was not a decoration. Before the Priests could derive nourishment from it, they must actu­ally eat.
This means that it is not enough to ad­mire and appreciate Christ; we must partake of Him and do so in the manner mentioned, which refers to believing in what He did at the Cross on our behalf, and thus make His death and life a part of our lives.
The purpose of the Table was to exhibit the Bread. This is the purpose and ministry of the Church and the Christian; this is what we have been appointed to do.
The Table was not made to show itself, nor have we been made to show ourselves. Our Ministry today is to show forth Christ, and by that, we mean to preach and teach “Christ Crucified,” as the answer for dying, hurting humanity (I Cor. 1:23).
If we present Christ in any other way other than “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified,” we are, in fact, presenting “another Jesus” (I Cor. 2:2; II Cor. 11:4).
CHRIST, THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE
Jesus said: “The thief (the Pharisees and religious leaders of Israel — Satan) cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10).



He also said: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
“Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
“For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Mat. 11:28-30).
When Jesus said that He had come that we might have “life,” and that He would give us “rest,” He was as well, speaking of the means by which this would be brought about, which would be the Cross.
Millions of Christians, although they have this “Life,” do not really at all enjoy it, and as well have this “Rest,” but do not experi­ence it. Any person who is in Christ, by vir­tue of being in Christ, has these things of which we speak. But if the Believer doesn’t know and understand the veracity of the Cross, the Believer will not enjoy “Life,” even though he has it, and neither will he experi­ence “Rest,” even though he has that as well. In fact, most Christians presently live in Ro­mans Chapter 7, and if the truth were known, they would have to say with Paul before he learned God’s prescribed order of victory, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24). To be sure, very few will admit to this; nevertheless, that is the actual fact.
What’s wrong?
VICTORY AND THE CROSS

What is wrong with modern Christendom, is the same thing that was wrong with Paul in Romans Chapter 7, before he learned the secret of the victorious, Christian experience, which he gave to us in Romans Chapter 6. They are trying to live the Christian life 180 degrees from the manner in which they be­came Christians.
Every single person who’s ever been saved did so by having simple Faith in Christ. In fact, if they attempted to find Salvation in any other manner, they were unsuccessful!
But after coming to Christ, most Chris­tians, simply because few know any better, then try to “live” for God, through a regi­men of works, in one way or the other. They do so, because they have little or no under­standing whatsoever of the victory that’s found in the Cross. In fact, victory can only be found in the Cross. Now let us state again the following:
Every single person in this world who truly knows Christ has the victory and is an over­comer. The problem is, they’re not walking in victory, and not living as an overcomer, even though they do have these attributes, exactly as they have “life” and “rest.”
Every single thing that Christ did at the Cross, and to be sure, He covered everything that man lost in the Fall, is given automati­cally to every individual immediately upon their coming to Christ — at least all that we can have this side of the Resurrection.
That means there’s really nothing else that Christ can do for us, meaning that He has already done it all.
Despite that fact, millions of Christians are seeking deliverance in one way or the other, when the truth is, their deliverance was ef­fected at the Cross nearly 2,000 years ago. In other words, it’s already done, and done in totality!
So, most Christians would then ask, “If it’s already done, why am I having prob­lems?”
We’re having problems simply because we’re trying to appropriate these things all in the wrong way. In this mode, in which the vast majority of Christendom finds itself, the Holy Spirit simply will not help. In fact, for Him to do so would actually mean that He would be breaking the Law (Rom. 8:2).
REVIVAL OR REFORMATION?

Many Christians are talking about the need for Revival, when the actual need is Refor­mation. And what do we mean by that?
First of all, Revival cannot actually come until there is a Reformation.
By Reformation, we’re speaking of the fact that Christians need to change the way they believe. This means that the thinking pro­cess of the Church must be reformed.
Reformed in what way?
Our Faith must be anchored squarely in the Cross of Christ; however, for that to be successfully done, most Christians are going to have to change their thinking.
We must realize, first of all, that every single Blessing, every single help that we need,


comes exclusively from, by, of, and through the Cross of Christ. Jesus said:
“You shall know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free” (Jn. 8:32).
The Believer must understand that the Cross of Christ is the centrality of the Gos­pel, not your Church, not your works, not anything else, rather the Cross and the Cross alone! That’s where Jesus paid it all, which means the price was paid, and which means that He paid for all that we need. In fact, if we attempt to win victory by our works, or anything we might do other than Faith in the Cross, we will find ourselves having the very opposite of victory.
When the Believer understands what we’re saying (Rom. Chpt. 6), and begins to act upon that, he will find that the “more abundant life” which Jesus spoke about, along with the “Rest,” and as well a victory and overcom­ing power, will begin to be realized within his heart and life, which will then translate into his everyday walk. It may not come in­stantly, and in fact, seldom does; however, if one is on the right road, and the Cross is the right road, the desired destination will ulti­mately be reached (Rom. Chpt. 8).
Now the Reader should consider very care­fully these things we have said. Considering that we are speaking of the issues of life and death, we should realize the utter signifi­cance of what is being taught here.
And please believe me, the moment that one begins to make the Cross of Christ the object of his faith, which then secures the help of the Holy Spirit, one will instantly know that he’s on the right road. No one will have to tell him, no one will have to ex­plain it to him, he will know!
Of course, Satan will do everything within his power to discourage any and every Be­liever who begins this “good fight of Faith,” but the Believer is to keep his eyes on the Cross, never deviating from that great Sac­rifice. If he does happen to suffer a setback, he is to simply ask the Lord to forgive him (I Jn. 1:9), and as well, ask the Lord to show him the discrepancy in his faith, which the Lord will always do. To be sure, every prob­lem we have is because our Faith is deficient in some way. It’s either totally misplaced, as it is with most Christians, or else it’s not as strong as we think it is, which is true of most also!
Faith must ever have as its correct object the Cross of Christ. The Believer must ever understand and act upon that.
SANCTUARY
The phrase, “Which is called the Sanctuary,” should have been translated, “which is called the Holy Place.” The name “Sanctuary” was commonly given to the whole edifice.
The Tabernacle pictured Israel under the First Covenant, having no assurance as to the forgiveness of sins and no access to God, ex­cept on a very limited basis.
Only the Priests had the right of entrance into the “Holy Place,” and the High Priest alone once a year for a few moments into the “Holy of Holies.” Such was the relationship of the nation with God.
They could not draw near to Him, or stand in His Presence. The First Covenant in its high­est and nearest access to God placed a Priest­hood between God and the people, and the “Holy of Holies,” the holiest of all, character­ized the inadequacy of that access (Williams).
(3) “AND AFTER THE SECOND VEIL, THE TABERNACLE WHICH IS CALLED THE HOLIEST OF ALL;”
The exposition is:
1.
There were two Veils in the Tabernacle. The first separated the Holy Place from the Tabernacle court and prevented the people from looking into the Holy Place (Ex. 26:31­38). The second Veil was placed between the first room, which was the Holy Place, and the second room which contained the Ark of the Covenant, which was the Holy of Holies.

2.
The “Holiest of all,” was actually the sec­ond room, or the “Holy of Holies,” as stated, where the Ark of the Covenant was located.

3.
Access was extremely limited to this particular room, with only the High Priest allowed in, and that only once a year, and then only for a few moments.


THE SECOND VEIL
The phrase, “And after the second Veil,” pertains to that which hid the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. The Holy of Holies was a small room 15 feet square — a perfect cube. Inside the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the



Covenant, overshadowed by the Cherubim on the Mercy Seat of gold.
Inside the Ark, were the rod of Aaron, a golden pot of Manna, and the Tables of Stone on which were written the Ten Command­ments given to Moses.
The Holy of Holies was the Throne Room of God, a place where He manifested His Pres­ence by the Shekinah. From this place the pillar of fire and cloud arose. As such, it was a picture of Heaven.
Comparing Christ with the High Priest who entered into the Holy of Holies just once a year, Paul said:
“For Christ is not entered into the Holy Place made with hands, which are the fig­ures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the Presence of God for us” (Heb. 9:24). As God, i.e., “the Holy Spirit” once dwelt in the Holy of Holies, so now He dwells in another temple, who is in fact, the Believer (I Cor. 3:16).

WHY THE VEIL?
Why was there this barrier?

It shut God in. He is Holy, and because the people were sinful, they could not fellowship with Him. Sin is always a barrier between man and God.
An encouraging feature of this barrier was that it was a curtain and not a wall. This sug­gested that though God was hiding Himself from man and there was no direct access to Him, a time was coming when the Veil would be eliminated. Also, this barrier was not en­tirely closed, for once a year, as stated, a rep­resentative of the people, the High Priest, could enter with the blood of Sacrifice.
The Veil was made of fine twined linen embroidered like the roof of the Tabernacle with Cherubim in blue, purple, and scarlet colors. Hebrew historians tells us it was about four inches thick and very strong, at least the one which hung in the Temple, and that it would have taken four yoke of oxen to tear it apart. Exactly how thick the one was which hung in the Tabernacle, if not the same, we aren’t told.
THE COLORS OF THE VEIL

First of all, we know and understand, that everything in the Tabernacle spoke of Christ, and when we say everything, we mean “ev­erything!”
First of all, the Veil was of fine linen. As well, linen is white.
The word “fine” speaks of Christ’s spot­less innocence and faultlessness. Peter says of Him that He “did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth” (I Pet. 2:22).
The linen, as is all linen, unless it’s dyed, was white, which speaks of the purity of Christ.
The word “twined” as in “fine twined linen,” pictures the perfect unity of the hu­man and the Divine in Jesus. He was perfectly human, with feelings and desires like any other man. But He was also perfectly Di­vine. As one Greek scholar said, “When God became man, i.e., ‘incarnate,’ He never lost the possession of His Deity, but did lose the expression of His Deity.”
The white linen was embroidered in blue, which spoke of the Heavenly origin of all Salvation, i.e., “Christ.”
It also had purple and scarlet colors in it, with the purple speaking of the Kingship of Christ, and the scarlet speaking of His Blood, which would be shed for the sins of man. Both colors, the purple and the scarlet, out­lined the figures of Cherubim on the Veil.
JESUS AS THE DOOR

The entirety of the Veil represents the Per­son of Christ, and as some have said, it repre­sents His Body. To enter the Holy of Holies where God resided between the Mercy Seat and the Cherubim, one would have to pass through the “Veil.”
Jesus said of Himself, “No man cometh unto the Father but by Me” (Jn. 14:6).
As well, He said, “I am the door of the sheep” (Jn. 10:7).
It must also be remembered, that the “door” is a “bloody door” (Ex. 12:3-7), sig­nifying the Crucifixion, the price which Christ would have to pay in order for man to have access to God.
When the Veil in the Temple was torn (Mat. 27:51), at the time that Jesus died on the Cross, it was done supernaturally. It was torn from the top to the bottom: from the top to show that God did it; to the bottom to show how complete a Sacrifice Jesus’ death actu­ally was.


The torn Veil represented His torn body, i.e., “the Crucifixion,” which opened up the way to God.
As we’ve stated over and over again, it is impossible for the Believer to fully under­stand the New Testament unless he under­stands the Old. In symbolic and picture form, the Old Testament pictures Christ totally and completely, in His atoning work, regarding Who He is, and what He did, i.e., “the Cross.”
THE HOLY OF HOLIES

The phrase, “The Tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all,” is in fact the Holy of Holies, which contained the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat, overlooked by Cherubim on either end, who looked down upon the Mercy Seat. As we’ve already stated, no one could enter this room except the High Priest, only once a year, and then only for a few moments. As well, he had to enter with blood from the Sacrifice, which would rep­resent the Blood that would be shed by Christ on the Cross. He actually entered in twice, the first time for himself, because he was a mere human and, therefore, sinful, and the second time on behalf of Israel. He sprinkled the blood on the Mercy Seat, and as well part of the blood was sprinkled on the horns of the Altar of Incense. It was done so seven times on the horns, signifying that the Re­demption which would be afforded by the coming Redeemer would be a perfect Re­demption (Lev. Chpt. 16).
(4) “WHICH HAD THE GOLDEN CEN­SER, AND THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OVERLAID ROUND ABOUT WITH GOLD, WHEREIN WAS THE GOLDEN POT THAT HAD MANNA, AND AARON’S ROD THAT BUDDED, AND THE TABLES OF THE COVENANT;”
The composite is:

1.
The “Golden Censer” was actually the “Altar of Incense,” and was looked at as be­ing a part of the “Holy of Holies,” even though it actually sat in front of the Veil in the “Holy Place.”

2.
The Ark of the Covenant was in the Holy of Holies proper, and was where God dwelt between the Mercy Seat and the Cherubim.


3.
A golden pot of Manna was kept in the Ark and of course was a type of Christ as the Bread from Heaven.

4.
“Aaron’s Rod that budded,” speaks of the Resurrection of Christ.

5.
“The Tables of the Covenant,” refer to the two stones containing the Ten Command­ments, i.e., “five Commandments each.”


THE ALTAR OF INCENSE
The phrase, “Which had the Golden Cen­ser,” should have been translated “the Golden Incense Altar.” The Greek word here used for “Censer,” is “thumiasterion,” and is the ordinary word for an “Incense Altar,” and should have been translated accordingly. It is not at all the same as the word used in Rev­elation 8:3, 5 for a censer which is “libanotos.” Any ordinary reader of English can see how utterly different the two words are. There can be no question then, but that “Censer” means the Incense Altar.
But why does Paul plainly connect it with the Holy of Holies, when matter of fact it clearly stood in the Holy Place?
First of all, the Apostle does not say it was in the Holiest, but he does declare it belonged to the Holiest. It belonged to the Holiest because it typified Christ’s Person and inter­cessory work in the Holiest of all.
But during all the Old Testament Dispen­sation it must stand outside the Veil where it could be approached by the Priests, and yet so near the Veil that the moment this cur­tain was parted for the High Priest to enter once a year, the fragrant smoke of the In­cense entered the Holiest.
However, the High Priest did take a “Cen­ser” full of burning coals of fire from off the Altar (Brazen Altar) before the Lord. He then took Incense and put it upon the fire, “that the cloud of the Incense may cover the Mercy Seat that is upon the Ark” (Lev. 16:12-13).
But as well, we must note that this was not a Golden Censer, neither was it kept in the Holy of Holies. And as we’ve already stated, the Greek word which Paul used, actually meant “Golden Altar,” and not “Censer.”
THE LAW
At any rate, the ritual carried out by the High Priest on this Great Day of Atonement,



as it regarded the Mercy Seat, the Censer, and the Golden Altar, presents the acceptability of Christ’s Person to God and the efficacy of His intercession. The beautiful type of this entire procession as denoted in Leviticus Chapter 16, presents the satisfaction that Christ made unto God, and completed at the Cross. His mediatory intercession is a sweet savor unto the Father, and effective unto the Salvation of His Church.
The fact that the smoke of this Incense covered the Ark and the Mercy Seat wherein was the Law, and over which the symbol of the Divine Presence abode, denoted that Christ has magnified the Law, met its every requirement, and is the end of the Law for Righteousness unto everyone who believes.
The Ministry of the Altar of Incense and the yearly Ministry before the Mercy Seat were very similar. A Veil stood behind the Altar of Incense and before the Ark so that the interceding Priest was separated from the Presence of God. The High Priest could not make direct intercession, at least as it re­garded his own person.
God’s Holiness demanded such a barrier because of man’s sinfulness, yet there were Divine provisions made for access through the shed Blood of the Sacrifice. At that time, the barrier remained, reminding them that the way into the very Presence of God had not yet been provided. Perfect access would come only through the shedding of the Blood of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. By His Death, He removed all bar­riers that stood between God and man. The Veil is now rent.
F. B. Meyer says, “. . . The way into the Holiest lies open. It is new and living and blood-marked; we may, therefore, tread it without fear or mistake, and pass in with holy boldness to stand where angels veil their faces with their wings in ceaseless adoration.”
THE MANNER OF THE
ALTAR OF INCENSE


Along with the Golden Lampstand and the Table of Showbread in the Holy Place, stood the third article which was the “Altar of In­cense.” It stood at the west end of the Sanc­tuary before the Veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies.
It was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. It had a golden crown around the top with four horns on the corners. It stood three feet high, 18 inches wide, and 18 inches long. As obvious, it was small.
Incense was to be offered on the Altar to the Lord each morning and each evening. The sweet Incense smoke ascending and filling the Holy Place represented the priestly interces­sion of Christ on our behalf. His very Person is a sweet fragrance unto the Lord. We must always remember that! For that means, that if we try to come to the Father in any other way except through and by the Name of Jesus, access will not be granted (Jn. 16:23).
As well, Incense was to be burned upon this Altar both morning and evening. The idea is according to the following:
Coals of fire were to be taken from the Bra­zen Altar, which represented the Crucifixion of Christ on our behalf, where in effect, He took the judgment of God upon Himself which we should have taken, all represented by fire. These coals then laid upon the Altar of Incense, signified that God will accept no worship, no petition, in fact no access what­soever, unless it comes through Christ and the Cross.
The Incense which burned on the Golden Altar had a special significance. It had cer­tain prescribed ingredients which were to be used only for this purpose. In fact, every item in the Incense spoke of Christ in some man­ner, whether in His Life or Death. There were four spices. They are as follows:
1.
Statce: This was a type of gum that came from a tree that had been cut. It typi­fies the shedding of the Blood of Christ.

2.
Onycha: This comes from a shell found on the shores of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, and signifies the Baptism of death that Christ underwent on our behalf.

3.
Galbanum: This was the juice or “bleeding” of a shrub, which spoke of being crushed, and again, which signified what Christ underwent on the Cross.

4.
Pure Frankincense: This seems to be the most important of the aromatic gums and is regarded by itself as a precious perfume. It comes from a tree that grows abundantly in India. The word “pure” used here refers to the free-flowing and liberal giving forth




of its odors. It speaks of what the death of Christ would produce, which was and is Eter­nal Life.
Nothing else was offered on this Golden Altar except the Blood of Atonement, which as stated was administered once a year. Blood was placed on the four horns at either end of the Altar, signifying several things:
1.
Access into the Presence of God was provided only by what Jesus did at the Cross, and our faith in that Finished Work.

2.
All that God does for us as Believers can only come through what Christ did at the Cross.

3.
The Blood on the horns of the Golden Altar signifies the absolute necessity of the Believer continuing to have Faith in the Fin­ished Work of Christ, understanding, as nec­essary as it was to have Faith in the Cross to be saved, as necessary it is to continue to have faith in the Cross in order to walk in victory.


The Reader must understand, that it was God the Holy Spirit Who resided in the Holy of Holies, between the Mercy Seat and the Cherubim. This tells us, along with the Blood being applied to the horns of the Golden Al­tar, that the Spirit will not work within our lives, unless our Faith remains steadfast in the Cross of Christ (Rom. 8:1-2, 11; I Cor. 3:16).
DISTURBED CHRISTIANS!

The Scriptural Truth we have just given regarding the manner and way in which the Holy Spirit works, is the very reason that many Christians live less than victorious lives, and despite all of their efforts other­wise. Most Christians do not know or real­ize, the part the Cross plays in their contin­ued living for God. In fact, most Christians only think of the Cross as it relates to their initial Salvation experience. They little know the part that the Finished Work of Christ plays in their ongoing living for God, there­fore, placing their faith in other things. As a result of this, the Holy Spirit, Who always demands that we have Faith in the Cross, as typified by the Blood on the horns of the Golden Altar, simply will not work within our lives. And to be sure, without His help, it is literally impossible for the Believer to live as he ought to live, and be what he ought to be in Christ (Jn. 14:16).
THE ALTAR OF GOLD AND SACRIFICE
The Altar of gold was the place where In­cense was burned. Sacrifice of any kind was forbidden, only Incense could be offered; how­ever, the Blood which was applied to the four horns once a year definitely was symbolic of Sacrifice, but rather a Sacrifice already offered. Even though this was an Altar, no Sacrifice was to be offered on it, as it generally is on Altars, for the simple reason, that the one Sacrifice of Christ would be forever sufficient; however, the very fact that it was referred to as an Altar, tells us, that our Faith is to ever be in that one completed work. Whereas no more Sacrifice will ever be needed, yet, we are to ever have Faith in that one Sacrifice.
This Altar was made of shittim wood over­laid with gold. This type of wood was inde­structible in the sense that it would never rot, nor due to its fragrance, could it be in­fested with worms, etc. It speaks of the hu­manity of Christ which was a perfect human­ity. The gold of course, speaks of His Deity.
OUR GREAT INTERCESSOR
The Altar of gold is first of all a figure of Christ as our great Intercessor. It was where the Priests ministered both morning and evening, and above all, where the High Priest ministered once a year on the Great Day of Atonement, when the blood was applied. All of this was a figure of Christ, our High Priest in Heaven. “We have such an High Priest, Who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Heb. 8:1).
What type of Intercession does Christ make for us, and how is it made?
As it regards Intercession, and irrespec­tive of the type, Christ in effect, does such by His very Presence at the Throne of God. That means that He really doesn’t do anything, simply because it has already been done at the Cross and in His Resurrection. The Scripture plainly says, “For Christ has not entered into the Holy Place made with hands (the Tabernacle and Temple of old), which are the figures (symbols) of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the Presence of God for us” (Heb. 9:24).
In other words, His very appearance “in the Presence of God for us” guarantees



Intercession of all types. He doesn’t really have to say or do anything, His Presence alone, sig­nifies that it has already been done and ac­cepted by God.
THE TWO ALTARS

The Brazen Altar sat outside the Taber­nacle, and was actually the first thing seen when approaching the Tabernacle. At this Altar, God deals with the sinner. The Altar of Gold inside the Tabernacle is where God deals with the Saint. The Altar of Brass speaks of Earth while the Altar of Gold speaks of Heaven. The Altar of Brass has to do with sin, while the Altar of Gold has to do with Holiness. The Altar of Brass, is a figure, rep­resenting what Christ did for us on Earth in the giving of Himself on the Cross; the Altar of Gold, is a figure, representing what Christ does for us in Heaven; however, what He does for us in Heaven, is made possible by what He did for us on Earth.
THE CROWN

The Golden Altar had a golden crown on its outside edges. It refers to Christ as our High Priest, but yet a crowned Priest. In other words, He is both King and Priest. Conse­quently, He combined both offices in Israel of King and Priest. In fact, He combined the Offices of King, Priest, and Prophet.
These three offices provided the titular leadership of Israel. The King was the head; the Priest was the Intercessor; the Prophet was the Spiritual Leader. These were all types of Christ, and in fact, Christ was and is all of these offices. This means that He is the True Israel, just exactly as He is the True Church, and as well, the True Man.
THE HORNS

On all four corners of this Altar were four horns. They pointed outward, north, south, east, and west.
This signifies the fact, that this is not a “Western Gospel,” or an “Eastern Gospel,” but rather, Salvation for the entirety of the world.
As well, it signifies that Christ died for the whole of humanity (Jn. 3:16), and that His sacrificial, atoning work, suffices for all.
Also, these horns signify, and by the blood being applied to them once a year, even as we’ve already stated, that the way to everything that Christ has done for us, is through the Cross, and our Faith in that great Sacrifice.
I have before me a Commentary written by a famous name in Christendom, who with­out a doubt was a great man of God; how­ever, the things he said about this Altar and the Intercession of Christ, tells me that he didn’t quite understand the mode of Inter­cession or how it is brought about.
He said, “He (Christ) is pointing this very moment to your need, saying, ‘Father, de­liver; Father, give the victory’.”
Now most of the Church would applaud that statement, but it is wrong!
In the first place, all deliverance and all victory were purchased totally and com­pletely by Christ at the Cross. It is not a matter of Him or the Father, or even the Holy Spirit having to do anything else in order for anyone to have victory over anything within their hearts and lives.
When Jesus died on the Cross, He died for the entirety of mankind. That means, that every single person can be saved if they will only accept.
At the same time, His Death and Resur­rection guaranteed total and complete victory for every single, solitary Believer. In other words, it’s already done. As we’ve already stated in this Volume, this means that every single Christian has victory, even though most Christians are not walking in victory. Every Christian is an overcomer, even though most Christians are not living an overcoming life.
This refers to what Christ did for us at the Cross, and our faith in Him, literally placing us in His life and victory (Rom. 6:3-5, 11, 14). If Christ, or the Father, or the Divine Spirit, have to do anything else in order for us to have anything that we need, this means that the Work of Christ is not actually a Finished Work.
But it definitely is a Finished Work! So, that being the case, why is it that all Believ­ers do not walk in victory, especially consid­ering, that all Believers are “in Christ,” which means, that we have everything that Christ did for us at the Cross?
IT IS A MATTER OF FAITH

Christians do not walk in victory and do not live an overcoming life for one reason


— their lack of Faith in the Cross of Christ. As we’ve stated over and over again, most Christians know and understand the part the Cross plays in their initial Salvation experi­ence, but they have little or no knowledge at all, as it regards what the Cross means to their everyday living. Consequently, they place their Faith in other things, which God will never honor.
It is not a question of Christians having Faith, but rather a question of their Faith being misplaced. Now please read the fol­lowing thought very carefully:
It is only Faith in the Cross of Christ, which refers to His Finished Work, which God will recognize (Gal. 2:20). If it’s Faith in anything else, we have actually turned this great commodity into a “work.” And what did the Holy Spirit say about that?
“And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace” (Rom. 11:6).
Paul also said, “For by Grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the Gift of God;
“Not of works, lest any man should boast”

(Eph. 2:8-9).
So, while faith continues to be faith irre­spective as to what is its object, still God classifies it as “works” if it’s not Faith in the Finished Work of Christ, which is speci­fied by the word “Grace.” Grace is simply the goodness of God extended to undeserv­ing man. However, it is the Cross of Christ, and our Faith in that Sacrifice, which makes it possible for God to extend Grace to unde­serving souls.
Inasmuch as the four horns on the Golden Altar signify Kingship and, therefore, victory, this means that it is for all; however, it must come by the way of the Cross, signified by the Blood applied to those horns once a year on the Great Day of Atonement, which means that our Faith must ever rest within the Fin­ished Work of Christ. Then, and as stated, the Holy Spirit Who then resided between the Mercy Seat and the Cherubim, will guarantee to us all that Christ carried out on our behalf in His Finished Work. It is the Divine and Eternal Spirit, Who guarantees all that Christ did, and does so on our behalf (Jn. 16:7-15).
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT
The phrase, “And the Ark of the Covenant overlaid round about with gold,” presents the most glorious and mysterious Vessel of the Tabernacle. Actually, it was the first thing made (Ex. 25:10-11). In fact, in a sense one might say, the whole Sanctuary was built for no other purpose but that it may house the Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 26:33).
The Ark was the outstanding symbol that God Himself was present among His people and that His Covenant-Blessing was resting upon them. It was the coffer in which the Tables of the Law were preserved. Its preemi­nence above all the other Vessels was shown in the days of Solomon, for the Ark alone was transferred from the Tabernacle to the Temple. But yet we must not forget that it was the Brazen Altar alone which made ac­cess possible to the Ark of the Covenant.
Once again, the Ark was an outstanding figure of the Son of God. It too was made of Shittim wood, overlaid with gold. The wood which was incorruptible was a type of His sinless humanity. Of course, the gold, as stated, was a type of His Deity.
The two materials of which the Ark was made symbolized the “union” of the two na­tures in the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Scripture says, “God was manifest in the flesh” (I Tim. 3:16).
The Ark formed God’s Throne in Israel:
“Thou that dwellest between the Cherubim”
(Ps. 80:1).
Christ is the only One Who perfectly en­throned God, honoring His Government in all things.
A TYPE OF CHRIST
As everything else in the Tabernacle is a type of Christ, the Ark of the Covenant falls into the same category. Some of the ways are as follows:
1.
From it God communed with Moses, the leader of His people. Christ is the man­ner in which we reach the Father. In fact, no man can come to the Father except by and through Christ (Jn. 14:6).

2.
It symbolized guidance. “And they departed from the Mount of the LORD three days’ journey: and the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD went before them in the three





days’ journey to search out a resting place for them” (Num. 10:33).
3.
While it is the Holy Spirit Who leads and guides us presently (Jn. 16:13), He does so strictly and solely through the Finished Work of Christ. The Holy Spirit resides in all Believers, but He is able to do that only because of what Jesus did at the Cross.

4.
As the Ark of the Covenant symbolized guidance, it also represented Divine Leader­ship, which refers to Christ as the “Head” of the Church (Eph. 1:22).


When Israel was about to pass over Jor­dan into Canaan, the Priests carrying the Ark went first. And it was when their feet touched the water that Jordan was rolled back and the people of Israel could march over on dry ground (Josh. 3:14-17).
To say this in New Testament terminol­ogy, “When He putteth forth His Own sheep, He goeth before them” (Jn. 10:4). As we’ve already stated, He not only brings victory, He is our Victory.
GOD’S PORTRAIT OF CHRIST

As we come in closer to the dwelling place of God, the emphasis is removed from the “Work of Christ,” as represented all the other Sacred Vessels, to the “Person of Christ,” represented by the Ark. There were actually two articles of furniture in the Holy of Ho­lies, the Ark and the Mercy Seat; however, they were so joined as to be one. We will direct our attention first to the Ark.
Israel was a theocracy, meaning that Jeho­vah Alone was their king. At least this held true until they demanded a king, with the first one being Saul, who was not the choice of God but rather the people. David was God’s choice, and was meant to be the first king of Israel; however, Satan used the people of Israel to attempt to thwart the Plan of God, which he so often does. Let me say it a little clearer:
God has a Plan for His Church, and more particularly, He has a plan for every indi­vidual member of His Church. Unfortu­nately, unspiritual men too often usurp au­thority over the Headship of Christ, and in­sert their own plans instead, which always brings great hindrance to the Work of God.
Even when David became king of Israel, and even with the members of his family who followed him, this more than anything else was to represent the Kingship of Christ. Jehovah was still King or at least was meant to be!
In this they were unlike the nations around them. The Ark was God’s Throne; however, in no way do we mean to insinuate that there was some type of physical presence in the Holy of Holies, for there wasn’t. But yet, He dwelt, as far as His presence was concerned, between the Cherubim (Ps. 99:1). Actually, and as we’ve already stated, as far as the Godhead was concerned, it was the Holy Spirit Who actu­ally resided in the Holy of Holies (I Cor. 3:16).
Of all the articles of furniture that made up the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant was the most important. The instructions for it were the first given of any part of the Tabernacle. The fact that it was God’s Throne lent importance to it. And yet, no Israelite ever saw it, so sacred was it. Only the High Priests were permitted to behold it.
On the wilderness march it was carefully wrapped, first in the Veil and then with badger’s skins . . . it was thus a True Symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ setting forth both His Deity, represented by the gold, and His humanity, represented by the wood; for the Ark was made of wood (incorruptible wood) and overlaid with gold. In this it spoke of Him as “Very God of Very God and Very Man of Very Man.”
The Ark could not be spoken of as merely a wooden box, for it contained gold; and it could not be called a golden chest, for it con­tained wood. It required both to maintain the symbolism pointing to Christ as the God-Man. As we’ve stated over and over again, every single thing in the Tabernacle and the Temple as well pointed to Christ and sym­bolized Him in some way.
To overlook this duality is to entertain a monstrous notion of His Person. There is no doctrine of Scripture so filled with infinite mystery, so far removed from the pattern of man’s thinking, so foreign to the realm of explanation, than this union of God and Man in Christ. Yet, there is no symbol so simple as the Ark — merely a box made of wood and gold — yet it speaks of things unfathomable.
Truly, God chooses the simple things to confound the wise. That simple box tells the


whole story, so far as man can take it in, of the unsearchable mysteries of the Blessed Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
GOLD AND WOOD

The gold was both inside and out. “For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead Bodily” (Col. 2:9). This means that He was not merely an emanation of God, “He was God.” He spoke as God. He put Himself on the same plane with God: “Ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” And again, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.”
Likewise, He was Perfect Man. He grew tired and sat down at a well in Samaria. He slept, He ate, He drank, and He laughed and wept. And beyond all that, He suffered. All these are human characteristics.
The gold and the wood in the Ark were both required; yet neither was mingled with the other, nor was the identity of one lost in the other. Christ was both God and man, but these two natures never were fused or merged, one might say! In other words, He never func­tioned at the same time as both God and man. Actually, I think one could say without fear of contradiction, that He never functioned as God in His earthly Life and Ministry, although He never ceased to be God. As one Scholar said, “As the God-Man Jesus Christ, He never lost His possession of Deity, but in fact He did lay aside freely His expression of Deity.”
Some confuse His performing of miracles with Deity; however, He did all of this as a Man filled with the Spirit, in fact as no other man had ever been filled, thereby perform­ing miracles by the Spirit (Lk. 4:18-19).
ISRAEL AND THE ARK

Containing the Law, and being the place where the Symbol of the Divine Presence was manifested, the Ark was regarded as pecu­liarly holy; and in the various wars and revo­lutions in the Hebrew commonwealth, it was guarded with peculiar care.
After the passage over the Jordan it re­mained for some time at Gilgal (Josh. 4:19), with it then being removed to Shiloh (I Sam. 1:3). From hence the Israelites took it to their war camp, apparently to animate them in battle, but it was taken by the Philistines (I Sam. Chpt. 4).
The Philistines, however, oppressed by the hand of God because of their taking the Ark, resolved to return it, and sent it to Kirjath­jearim (I Sam. 7:1).
In the reign of Saul, it was at Nob. David, attempting to bring it to Jerusalem, but do­ing so incorrectly, brought death to at least one member of the entourage, and instead conveyed it to the house of Obed-edom, and ultimately to his palace on Mount Zion (II Sam. Chpt. 6).
At the dedication of the Temple it was placed in the Holy of Holies by Solomon, where it remained for many years. Subse­quently, it is said, the wicked kings of Judah, abandoning themselves to idolatry, estab­lished idols in the Most Holy Place itself; and the Priests removed the Ark, and bore it from place to place to secure it from profanation.
When Josiah ascended the Throne he com­manded the Priests to restore the Ark to its place in the Sanctuary, and forbade them to carry it about from one place to another as they had done before (II Chron. 35:3).
It is supposed that the Ark remained in the Temple of Solomon until immediately before its (the Temple’s) destruction. There is no record that it was taken by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon, along with some of the other ves­sels (II Chron. 36:18-19).
Some think that Nebuchadnezzar may have destroyed it upon his invasion and de­struction of Jerusalem and the Temple; how­ever, that is unlikely! The Babylonians were prone to take the “gods” of vanquished na­tions to Babylon, where they were put on display in the temple of the god Bel. In ef­fect, this stated, at least in their minds, that Bel was stronger than the other gods of other nations. Of course, the Ark was not an idol, but Nebuchadnezzar no doubt would have taken it as symbolic of the God of Israel, had it been present in the Holy of Holies when his soldiers overran that sacred place.
Legend says that Jeremiah hid the Ark, with its hiding place remaining a secret. This much is certain, there is no evidence that it was ever placed in the second Temple built by Zerubbabel, after the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. As well, when the soldiers of Titus broke into the Holy of Ho­lies in the destruction of the third Temple



built by Herod in A.D. 70, Jewish history tells us that the room was empty. In other words, there was no Ark there.
Some claim that it is in a subterranean room under the Temple Mount, with some claiming it is presently in Ethiopia. I think one can say with certitude, that these claims are false!
MANNA

The phrase, “Wherein was the Golden Pot that had manna,” presents that which was a type of Christ as the Bread of Life (Jn. 6:32-33, 35).
This tells us that a small quantity of Manna was preserved as a perpetual remembrance of the food which they had eaten in their long journey in the wilderness, and of the Good­ness of God in miraculously supplying their wants. As the Manna, also, would not of it­self keep (Ex. 16:20), the fact that this was to be laid up to be preserved from age to age was a perpetual miracle and proof of the pres­ence and faithfulness of God. Again we state, the Manna was a type of Christ as the Bread of Life.
At some point in time, this item seems to have been removed from the Ark (I Ki. 8:9); however, I think the evidence is clear, that it definitely was kept in the Ark during the wil­derness journeyings, and possibly even some time after they came into the Promised Land. It was of this time, of which Paul speaks. It is for sure, that at some particular time, the “Golden Pot” as well as “Aaron’s rod that budded,” were lost.
AARON’S ROD

The phrase, “And Aaron’s Rod that bud­ded,” represents Christ Alone as Savior, and to prove that, God raised Him from the dead.
Aaron’s rod budded as a proof that God had chosen him to minister as High Priest. The princes of some of the Tribes of Israel while in the wilderness, were disposed to rebel, and to call into question the authority of Aaron. To settle the matter, each one was required to take a rod or staff of office, and to bring it to Moses with the name of the Tribe to which it appertained written on it. These were laid up by Moses in the Taber­nacle; and it was found, on the next day, that the rod marked with the name of Levi had budded and blossomed, and produced al­monds, all done overnight. In perpetual re­membrance of this miracle, the rod was pre­served in the Ark (Num. Chpt. 17).
In effect, these rebels in Israel were deny­ing Christ. Aaron being a type of Christ, they were in effect saying, that they could come before God without a mediator, claiming they were worthy. Their judgment was severe (Num. Chpt. 16).
Let it be understood presently, that any and all who attempt to place anything ahead of Christ, be it Church, Denominations, Or­dinances, so-called Sacraments, Mary, the Mother of our Lord, good works, etc., will be judged accordingly.
CHRIST AS PRIEST

Aaron’s Rod in the Ark in the strict sense of the word, speaks of the Work of Christ as Priest. The Prophet spoke for God before man; the Priest spoke for man before God. As a Priest, Christ offered Himself. As a Priest, He passed into Heaven and even now sits on God’s right hand.
We have spoken previously of the Work of Christ as Priest. Suffice to say here that there is a Man in Glory at this very moment for us, i.e., “representing us.” As Aaron’s Rod which budded (the authority of His Priesthood) was in the Holy of Holies, thus today there is in Heaven at God’s right hand the Man Christ Jesus, Who was raised from the dead. He is the unique example of Resurrection up to the present hour. He is there for us.
Going back to the Golden Pot of Manna, this as stated represents Christ as the Bread from Heaven. This means that He was the consummate Prophet. Christ not only spoke for God, He was also God’s Message to man. He was the Logos, the Word of God, the very Alphabet of God, and the Alpha and Omega.
Christ was God’s final Message to man . . . God has no addendum to place after Christ. There can be no postscript to the letter where Christ is the embodiment of that letter. God has told His heart in Christ.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

The phrase, “And the Tables of the Cov­enant,” proclaims two Tables, with each Table


containing five of the Ten Commandments. It is said that the first five pertain to man’s obligations toward God, with the second five pertaining to his obligations toward his fellowman.
As the Golden Pot of Manna spoke of Christ as Prophet, and the Rod that budded spoke of Him as Priest, the Tables of the Cov­enant speak of the Kingship of Christ. This Earth needs a ruler; a man needs a king; and someday He is coming as “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
The phrase, “And the Tables of the Cov­enant,” is drawn from Deuteronomy 10:1-5. The preservation of the two Tables of stone (on which were inscribed the Ten Command­ments) in the Ark, foreshadowed Christ mag­nifying the Law and making it honorable (Isa. 42:21). The fulfillment of this type is stated in Psalms 40:7-8 where we hear the Mediator saying, “Lo, I come: in the volume of the Book it is written of Me; I delight to do Thy Will O My God; yea, Thy Law is within My heart.”
The Representative of God’s people was “made under the Law” (Gal. 4:4), and per­fectly did He “fulfill it” (Mat. 5:17).
Therefore, it is written, “By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). Thus may each Believer exclaim, “In the Lord have I Righteousness and strength” (Isa. 45:24).
We learn as stated, that while the Golden Pot of Manna and Aaron’s Rod that budded, were ultimately lost from the Ark, meaning that Christ had totally fulfilled these types, the two Tables remained. In fact, the Law, and we speak of the Moral Law of God, can never be done away with. It is holy, just, and good. Not one jot or tittle can pass away from it. It is at the heart of all things.
Beneath all surfaces, below all the cover­lets, deeper than the foam, tumult, and revo­lution of the world, rests the righteous, in­exorable Law. We must all yield to its impe­rial sway. Even the atheist must build his walls according to the dictates of this plumb line, or they will inevitably crumble to ruin, as history has proven over and over again.
While Christ definitely fulfilled all the Law, meaning that He kept it perfectly, and even satisfied its just demands by His righteous death on the Cross, still, the world in general continues to be answerable to the Law, whether they realize it or not! In other words, one day when all the unredeemed stand at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15), it will be according to that Law that they will answer. Regrettably, they will all be found wanting.
The only way that one can escape the “found wanting,” is to place one’s faith and trust totally and completely in Jesus Christ and what He did at the Cross on our behalf. As stated, He satisfied the Law regarding all of its demands, and the only way that the Law can have no claim on anyone, is for that per­son to express Faith in Christ and nothing or no one but Christ. That being the case, all the ordinances that were against us, are blotted out. In fact, Jesus “nailed all of these to His Cross” (Col. 2:14-15).
As well, the Law is kept in Christ, and our being In Christ, makes us “Law-keepers,” instead of “Lawbreakers.” But the Reader must remember, that all of this is predicated on our Faith in Christ, and more particularly, what Christ did at the Cross for us, in other words, on our behalf (Jn. 3:16).
Every single person in the world will an­swer to the Law of God, whether in Christ, or whether on their own, in which the latter no one wants to do, at least if they are in their right mind.
(5) “AND OVER IT THE CHERUBIMS OF GLORY SHADOWING THE MERCYSEAT; OF WHICH WE CANNOT NOW SPEAK PAR­TICULARLY.”
The exegesis is:
1.
There were two Cherubims attached to the Ark of the Covenant, one at either end facing each other, and looking down upon the Mercyseat.

2.
The Mercyseat was the lid of the box called “the Ark of the Covenant.”

3.
All of this typifies the Throne of God, of which Paul now says that he will not take the time to go into detail.


CHERUBIMS
The phrase, “And over it the Cherubims of Glory,” presents these strange beings. “Cherubims” is a transliteration of the He­brew word meaning “Living Creatures.”



The Cherubims, as stated, were two in number, made of gold, actually of one piece with the Mercy Seat, the golden cover of the Ark. They are described as the Cherubims of Glory because they are closely attached to and attended upon, the place of the manifes­tation of the Divine Glory representing the Throne of God.
These Cherubims had outstretched wings, meeting in the center, thus overshadowing and, as it were, proclaiming the Holiness of the thrice holy God.
There is profound significance connected with their figures, which is made clear from the prominent place which they occupy in connection with the description of the Mercy Seat given in Exodus 25:17-22. Mention is there made of the Cherubim, in either the singular or plural number, no less than seven times. As well, the mention of them in Gen­esis 3:24 suggests that they are associated with the administration of God’s Judicial authority. In Revelation 4:6-8 and Ezekiel 1:5-10, they are related to God’s Throne.
Notice that the Cherubim look down upon the Mercy Seat of the Ark which it covered. They symbolize, it seems, the Righteousness and Justice of God. A broken Law demanded judgment, but God made a provision.
Once a year the Mercy Seat was sprinkled with Blood. This meant that God, repre­sented by the Cherubim, saw not the broken Law but the Blood of Atonement. His grace covers all our sin (Harris).
When the Temple was built, the Cheru­bim placed in the Holy of Holies at that time, were of huge size. They were made of olive wood, and were 15 feet high. They were over­laid with gold, with each having two sets of wings. One set touched the wall on one side of the Holy of Holies, with the other Cherubim touching the other wall. The other set of wings met together over the Ark (I Ki. 6:23-28).
It is almost certain, that their design in the Tabernacle was somewhat different, with their second set of wings folded down by their sides, that is if such wings were shown.
Also, there is evidence that the smaller Cherubim attached to the Ark of the Cov­enant remained in their position as it regards the Temple, but with the giant Cherubim towering above them, actually filling up the entirety of the room. Incidentally, the Holy of Holies in the Temple was 30 feet square and 30 feet high. The two giant Cherubim were 15 feet high, with all four sets of wings spanning the entirety of the length of the room. As stated, one set touched the walls behind, with the second set of wings of each Cherubim stretching out in front, meeting in the middle over the Ark.
Whereas the Cherubim attached to the Mercy Seat, and made of the same mass of gold, looked downward upon the sprinkled blood, the Cherubim made of olive wood looked outward. God’s perfect judgments will, in the Millennium, which these Cheru­bim in the Temple represent, be enabled to look out from Calvary upon a Kingdom wherein shall dwell Righteousness. This is not now possible, for Righteousness retreated to Heaven when Christ went to the Father (Jn. 16:10); however, in the coming Millen­nium, Christ will Personally reign from Jerusalem, hence Righteousness then filling the Earth (I Ki. Chpt. 6).
We find the Cherubim connected with Eden at the beginning (Gen. 3:24), and we see them again at the Throne of the Lamb at the close of Bible History (Rev. 4:6-9).
STRANGE BEINGS

In Ezekiel Chapter 10 we find the chariot-throne of God being borne up by Cherubim, and actually going from place to place. Rep­resentations of these winged creatures were also embroidered on the Curtains and the Veil of the Tabernacle, and even on the walls of the Temple (Ex. 26:31; II Chron. 3:7).
These Beings were also carved in the form of a frieze around the wall of Solomon’s Temple, and they appeared together with ani­mal representations on decorative panels forming part of the base of the huge brass basin (Molten Sea or the Brazen Laver) which contained water for ritual ablutions.
The Old Testament does not describe the appearance and general nature of these Cheru­bim clearly. They were generally represented as winged creatures having feet and hands. In Ezekiel’s vision of the restored Jerusalem, the carved likenesses of Cherubim had two faces, one of a man and the other of a young


lion (Ezek. 41:18-19), whereas in those seen in his vision of the Divine Glory, each of the Cherubim had four faces and four wings, each with the face of a man and the face of a lion on the right side, and the face of an ox and of an eagle on the left side (Ezek. 1:6-11).
In Revelation, John described them a little differently. He said they were “full of eyes before and behind.” As well, each of these Living Creatures had only one face, one with the face of a lion, the other of a calf, the third of a man, and the fourth like an eagle. As well, whereas the ones Ezekiel saw had four wings, those observed by John each had six wings (Rev. 4:6-8).
I think it is obvious from the Scriptures, that there are different types of these crea­tures. Actually, in Isaiah’s vision, he told of seeing creatures which the Holy Spirit told him were “Seraphims.” These as well had six wings, but like the Cherubim seen by John, only had one face. As well, those seen by Isaiah cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His Glory” (Isa. 6:3), while those seen by John also say, “Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Rev. 4:8). Ezekiel mentioned, it seems, that they said something, but he doesn’t say exactly what (Ezek. 1:24-25).
It seems from what little description we are given, that these strange creatures have many duties, and as well, are greatly connected with the Glory and Holiness of God. They as well seem to be attached to the Throne, but be­yond that we have little knowledge. To specu­late further, would be only speculation, and of little value.
THE MERCY SEAT

The phrase, “Shadowing the Mercy Seat,” of which we cannot now speak particularly, refers to the golden lid which covered the Ark, and down upon which the Cherubim gazed.
The words “Mercy Seat” are the transla­tion of the Greek “hilasterion,” and means “propitiation”; however, the manner in which this Greek word is used, does not suggest as it normally does “something offered to pla­cate or appease anger,” but rather refers to Atonement or Reconciliation through cov­ering, and in that way getting rid of the sin which stands between God and sinful man. The chief idea in the word is not that which is related to an offended party, but to sin or uncleanness (Wuest).
Vincent says, “As here used of the Mercy Seat, it is not that of appeasing one who is angry with a personal feeling against an of­fender, but of altering the character of that which, from without, occasions, a necessary alienation, and interposes an inevitable ob­stacle of fellowship.” The idea is, that ob­stacle between God and man, namely sin, was removed by our Lord’s atoning death on the Cross. The Sacrificial Blood sprinkled on the cover of the Ark fully satisfies the demands of the broken Law, and comes between the tablets of the Law reposing in the Ark and the High Priest who represents the people and in whom the people stand. Thus, did the Blood of Jesus interpose itself between the Law of God and the guilty sinner.
This is where mercy is offered on the ba­sis of justice satisfied. It is the place where a Holy God will meet sinful man and save him (Wuest).
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MERCY SEAT
There were two articles in the Holy of Ho­lies. The appearance of them seemed as one, but careful examination revealed two, for the Mercy Seat furnished a top for the Ark. They would appear to be the same thing, but they were separate and distinct. However, the in­structions for both are given together. The blueprint of the Mercy Seat is contained in Exodus 25:17-22, following the blueprint for the Ark.
The Mercy Seat was the top for the Ark, but it was actually a separate piece of furni­ture. It was made of pure gold. It was about 3 ¾ feet long, and about 2 ¼ feet wide. As stated, the Cherubims were actually a part of the Mercy Seat, all of it made out of one piece of gold, and was probably the special work of Bezaleel.
Perhaps we could say, that the Mercy Seat was the most important article of furniture, and where all were God-appointed, it was supreme.
In the instructions, God interjects this revealing declaration, “And there will I meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from



above the Mercy Seat.” On the Great Day of Atonement God issued a warning to Aaron not to come within the Veil, except at the ap­pointed time, “For I will appear in the cloud upon the Mercy Seat.”
On the wilderness march it was from above the Mercy Seat between the Cherubim that God directed Israel.
The fact that the Mercy Seat was gold de­clares the Deity of Christ again. There is a resurrected Christ upon the Throne of the universe today. The Man in Glory is sitting at the Father’s right hand, waiting until the time when His enemies shall be made His footstool and when He will receive the Throne of David, which will take place at the Second Coming (Rev. Chpt. 19).
THE BLOOD

As we approach the teaching of the Mercy Seat in its primary import, it is essential to see what made it a Mercy Seat. In order to ascertain this, a consideration must be made of the Great Day of Atonement, for only on this day did the High Priest approach the Mercy Seat.
Aaron, after casting lots for the scapegoat, which was a type of Christ bearing away the sin of man, offered the other goat on the Burnt Altar. After offering a bullock for him­self, an analogy which finds no parallel in Christ, and because there was no sin in Christ, Aaron brought the basin of blood within the Veil and sprinkled it upon the Mercy Seat. In fact, the Blood made it a Mercy Seat. God did not look down upon the merit of Aaron, or upon the goodness of the people, but rather He looked down upon the blood.
This means that the sinning nation was made nigh by the blood. Christ is the Mercy Seat today, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in His Blood, to declare His Righteousness for the remis­sion of sins that are past, through the for­bearance of God” (Rom. 3:25) (McGee).
COVERING

Even though the Greek word used for the Mercy Seat means “propitiation,” the He­brew word actually means “covering.” They are very close in meaning, but the word “covering” probably says it best.
The Mercy Seat covered the Tables of the Law which were in the Ark, and which Commandments had been broken by all people. Consequently, the people needed a covering to shield them from the condemnation for their sins. The Mercy Seat was this covering.
The idea is, that the Blood of Jesus covers all sin, actually cleansing it (I Jn. 1:7, 9; 2:1­2). He brings atonement through His Own Blood, not that of bulls or of goats. Every human being on the face of the Earth has sinned, but when the Blood of Christ is applied, our being in Christ, which we are, means that God sees the Blood of His Son, which He has shed for us, which also means we have no more sin.
A NECESSITY FOR ALL

I get sadly amused at times at the manner in which many Christians speak of sin.
One Brother wrote just the other day, and his letter is indicative of many, mentioning that he had “had a problem,” which I suppose he was speaking of a “moral problem.” Many Christians use these terms as if they only apply to a few. The truth is the following:
While many definitely will not commit certain sins, the Truth is, the entirety of the human race, and without exceptions, “have a problem,” and that problem is sin. And to be sure, it is all a “moral problem” in one shape, form, fashion, or the other. That’s why Jesus had to come down here and die on a Cross. As well, I think it would be proper to say two or three other things:
Also, some Christians are rather fond of referring to certain people as “fallen,” when the Truth is, the only Christians who are fallen are those who have discontinued their faith and trust in Christ. No one is fallen because of sin of any nature, and I speak of having dutifully confessed it before the Lord, thereby receiving forgiveness and cleansing (I Jn. 1:9). If in fact, “sin” of any nature, other than rebellion against God’s Way which is the Cross, constitutes one as “fallen,” this would then mean that the entirety of Christendom is fallen. No! The only ones who are judged by God as “fallen” are those who no longer trust Christ (Heb. 6:4-6).
As well, any Christian who attempts to hang a sin around the neck of a Christian who has
long since repented of the thing and forsaken such error, is doing a terrible despite to the Spirit of Grace. This is an insult to Christ of the greatest proportions. There is no such thing as a 50 percent justification by faith, or 75 percent justification by faith, or a partial justification by faith in any sense. One is either totally justified by Faith, which is the only thing that can be done, or is not justified at all!
And last of all, there is only one way that sin can be handled, and that is by taking it to the Cross. Whenever men demand that some­thing else be done, such as entering into some type of “works” regimen in order to attempt to atone for sin, one has just negated the Grace of God. Unfortunately, many Religious Denominations fall into that category. They are not willing to accept God’s provision, but rather manufacture provisions of their own, which change with the political climate. Such efforts and ways are an abomination to God, and as well, do terrible despite to the Spirit of Grace (Heb. 10:29).
And it should be quickly said that any Preacher or person, who subscribes to such a regimen, is cutting off the Grace of God unto themselves. One cannot trust God for Mercy and Grace, and at the same time trust man as it regards a regimen of “works.” There is one atonement, and that’s the Blood of Jesus. Whenever we try to enter something else into the mix, we sin greatly against God. And that goes for the ones demanding such works, and the one agreeing to abide by such works. This is the same thing as a sinner trying to be saved by trusting in Christ and Mary, the Mother of our Lord, at the same time.
Again I emphasize, there is only one an­swer for sin, one solution for this dread mon­ster, and that is the Cross of Christ, and one’s Faith in that Finished Work. To add any­thing else is abominable before God.
It must always be understood, that there is no such thing as a probationary time with God, no partial forgiveness of sins, no partial justi­fication; there is nothing of that sort in the Word of God. And if such is insinuated or suggested, it is always of man and never of God, and must never be heeded at any cost.
(6) “NOW WHEN THESE THINGS WERE THUS ORDAINED, THE PRIESTS WENT ALWAYS INTO THE FIRST TABERNACLE, ACCOMPLISHING THE SERVICE OF GOD.”
The structure is:
1.
The word “ordained,” means they were designed by God, and speak of the Tabernacle Service.

2.
The “Priests” were mediators between God and Israel, and as such, served as types of Christ.

3.
The words “first Tabernacle” actually mean the first part of the Tabernacle, or that referred to as the “Holy Place.”

4.
What they were instructed to do, was “the service of God,” all designed by God that He could commune with His people.

5.
It was all temporary, in fact, pointing to something better which was to come.


ORDAIN
The phrase, “Now when these things were thus ordained,” refers to the fact that all of this was of God, and that every part and par­cel of the Tabernacle in some way pointed to Christ. In fact, Paul plainly intimates that every part of it had a specific significance as typical of the Lord Jesus and His Ministry.
TABERNACLE MINISTRY
The phrase, “The Priests went always into the First Tabernacle,” refers as stated, to the first room of the Tabernacle called the “Holy Place,” which the Priests went into daily and which, with the exception of the High Priest, they could go no further.
In fact, as long as the old dispensation lasted, the Priests had no access into the Ho­liest. They went only into the First Taber­nacle and accomplished the liturgical service. Once a year the High Priest alone was per­mitted to enter the Sacred Inner Chamber where the Shekinah hovered over the Mercy Seat. Nor could he approach without aton­ing blood, which he offered first of all for him­self as being but a sinful man, and also for the failures of the people.
The Tabernacle was actually a place of com­munion, a place of fellowship, a place of wor­ship, and a place for forgiveness of sins. The people could come freely to the gate of the Outer Court; it was always open as an invita­tion to any who needed to come. They could come into the Outer Court where Sacrifices



were made on behalf of their trespasses and sins. However, the people did not enter the Tabernacle itself, but the Priests entered on their behalf.
THE SERVICE OF GOD

The phrase, “Accomplishing the Service of God,” refers to what was done there. From the Sanctuary Paul moves to the ritual. He is particularly interested in what was done on the Day of Atonement, and he uses the limi­tations attached to the High Priest’s entry into the Holy of Holies to bring home the inferi­ority of the whole Levitical system. But he begins with the Ministry of the lower Priests.
When the Tabernacle system was estab­lished, the Priests did their work in the first room of the Tabernacle. This included such things as burning incense (Ex. 30:7-8), set­ting out the holy loaves (Lev. 24:8-9), and trimming the lamps (Ex. 27:20-21; Lev. 24:3­4). There was a sharp distinction between the duties and place of service of the Priests and those of the Levites (Num. 18:1-7).
The Levites, who of course were also of the tribe of Levi, were to be under Aaron and the succeeding High Priests in any service they were allowed by Law to perform in the Taber­nacle service. They were limited to certain duties in the Tabernacle Court and around the Brazen Altar, to transporting and erecting the Tabernacle, and to some other services.
They were not to come near the vessels of the Sanctuary and the Golden Altar inside the Tabernacle itself. In fact, breaking the Law on this point carried the death penalty.
The Priests were to have charge of all Sac­rifices of the Brazen Altar and all services inside the Holy and Most Holy Places.
(7) “BUT INTO THE SECOND WENT THE HIGH PRIEST ALONE ONCE EVERY YEAR, NOT WITHOUT BLOOD, WHICH HE OFFERED FOR HIMSELF, AND FOR THE ERRORS OF THE PEOPLE:”
The construction is:

1. The word “second” refers to the sec­ond room in the Tabernacle, which was the “Holy of Holies.”
2.
Only the High Priest was allowed in this particular room.

3.
He was allowed to go in only once a year, and that on the Great Day of Atonement.


4. When he went inside this room, he had to take with him the blood of the Sacrifice, “which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.”
THE HOLY OF HOLIES

The phrase, “But into the second went the High Priest alone,” refers as stated, to the “Holy of Holies,” and has great significance as it regards Christ.
ALONE

As we look at this, and I speak of the Tab­ernacle Ministry being a type of Christ, let’s first of all look at the word “alone.”
When Jesus came to Earth, He came alone. He walked among men, but He walked alone. He went into the Garden with His three cho­sen Disciples, but He was really alone. The work He came to accomplish could be done only by Himself alone; the Redemptive Work of Jesus was done alone. “. . . He had by Himself purged our sins . . .” (Heb. 1:3).
No angel or any man could do what Jesus did. Nor could any assist Him. He alone bore the sin of the whole world; He alone made reconciliation.
Around the Cross was a multitude — but He was alone. That day when He hung on a Cross on Calvary’s hill, drops of blood flowed from His wounded hands and feet; His brow and back were bloodstained from thorns and from scourging. He cried out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Mat. 27:46). He felt the separation that sin brings, and He cried out in agony under sin’s bur­den (Mat. 27:50-51).
Alone, Jesus died for the sins of the world. Alone, He carried the sins of men. Alone, He purged, He reconciled. He became the Cap­tain of our Salvation and “the Author of Eter­nal Salvation unto all them who obey Him” (Heb. 5:9).
As we’ve already stated, the “Veil” signi­fied separation, emphasizing the sinfulness of man and the holiness of God; however, when Jesus died on the Cross, that Veil was rent; it was torn apart. This means that the way into the Holiest was made open; access through the Blood of Christ was now provided. No longer did anyone need to stand outside, but whoever would, could enter. The rent Veil is


God’s way of saying, “Enter into My Pres­ence; walk with Me into the Holy of Holies.”
HE ALONE IS WORTHY

As He alone paid the great price, this means that He alone is worthy! He alone has been exalted as Lord over all things, and simply because He alone paid the price. This also means, that He alone is the faithful, merci­ful, sympathetic High Priest.
YEARLY

The phrase, “Once every year,” pertain­ing to the Great Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:14; 23:27), tells us several things. They are as follows:
1.
As is obvious, the way was not open for all to enter. Not even the Priests could en­ter, save only the High Priest.

2.
He could only enter on one particular day each year, the Great Day of Atonement.

3.
The very fact that he had to keep enter­ing each year, testifies that whatever sacrifices had been previously offered, did not suffice, and because they could not suffice. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin.

4.
The very fact that this arrangement was made, which as is obvious was imperfect, tells us that it was only temporary.


BLOOD

The phrase, “Not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people,” presents him going in twice on this one day.
Some say he actually entered three times on this day, the first time with Incense, then with the Blood of the bullock which atoned for his own sins and those of his house, and finally with the blood of the goat for the sins of the people.
The word “errors” is the translation of “agnoema,” and means “a sin committed through ignorance or thoughtlessness.”
Whenever a known sin was committed, each Israelite was to journey to the Tabernacle, or Temple for that matter, and offer up the proper sacrifice, according to the sin com­mitted. Actually, there were five different types of Sacrifices, “the Whole Burnt-Offer­ing, the Sin-Offering, the Trespass-Offering, the Peace-Offering, and the Thank-Offering.”
Of course, Jesus fulfilled by His one offering of Himself, all five Sacrifices.
However, even for the few who tried to be diligent in their service to the Lord, still there were sins of ignorance or thoughtlessness committed, which required this one great Sacrifice each year.
“For” in the Greek is “huper,” and speaks of “substitution.” It means “for the sake of, in behalf of.” It speaks of the substitutionary character of the Atonement. Here the blood is offered as a type pointing to the coming Atonement of our Lord.
THE HIGH PRIEST WITHIN
THE HOLY OF HOLIES

Having made a brief reference to the struc­ture of the Tabernacle and its two compart­ments, and the furniture belonging to each of them respectively, the Apostle now turns to consider the uses for which they were de­signed in the Service of God.
When the things mentioned in Verses 2-5 had been made and duly ordered, they stood not for a magnificent show, but were designed for constant use in the Service of God. Hereby, we are taught that for any service to be ac­ceptable to God, it must be in strict accord with the pattern He has given us in His Word.
Actually, everything was fully prepared for Divine service before that service was per­formed. So in modern public services and Divine worship, there must be fit persons who, under the Spirit, are to lead it — “able Ministers of the New Testament” (II Cor. 3:6); fit arrangements and order (I Cor. 14:40), not mere human tradition (Mat. 15:9); a fit mes­sage unto edification (I Cor. 14:26) (Pink).
However, of all the priestly duties carried on by the many Priests in the first room of the Tabernacle, they could not at all enter the Holy of Holies, which was the second room, that being reserved for the High Priest, who alone could enter only on one particular day of the year, the Great Day of Atonement.
PREPARATION
Even though all the Priests of the Mosaic Order were types of Christ, the High Priest held a special position in this regard.
First of all, all High Priests were afforded very special garments. They were called “holy



garments for glory and for beauty” (Ex. 28:2). These garments were made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen (Ex. 28:5). Actually, they were designed by the Holy Spirit. All of these colors spoke of Christ in a special way: gold for deity, blue for Heaven, purple for royalty, scarlet for His Blood, and fine linen for His Perfect Righteousness.
However, when he went into the Holy of Holies, he was to divest himself of these beau­tiful garments, leaving only the coat made of fine linen which was worn next to the body. The fine linen as stated, speaks of the Righ­teousness and spotless purity of Christ. As well, him divesting himself of his “garments of glory and beauty,” tells us that He did not purchase our Redemption through His De­ity, but rather through His humanity, and that by dying on a Cross.
THE MINISTRY OF THE HIGH PRIEST
On this very special day of the year, the Great Day of Atonement, after the usual morning Sacrifice, the High Priest as stated, removed the beautiful robes he usually wore, and dressed himself in pure white linen gar­ments, the symbol of purity. Here is a pic­ture, also as stated, of Christ laying aside His Divine prerogatives and coming down to Earth that He might work Atonement for us.
First of all, the High Priest offered a bul­lock for a Sin-Offering for himself and his family. Usually this blood was poured out entirely at the base of the Brazen Altar. But on this occasion it was placed in a basin which he carried into the Holy Place. From the Brazen Altar he took coals and he ob­tained some Incense which he placed in a Censer. As he pulled aside the Veil that hung between the Holy Place and the Holy of Ho­lies, the smoke from the Incense upon the coals billowed up, hiding the Mercy Seat from view. If he had failed to do this, he would have died (Lev. 16:13).
With his finger, he took of the blood of the bullock and sprinkled it upon the Mercy Seat and in front of it seven times. It was only because he had blood for Atonement to present that he dared to come into the Holy of Holies.
After the High Priest had made Atone­ment for himself, he returned to the door of the Tabernacle. Here two goats were led be­fore him. They represented two parts of one offering, picturing the means and the results of Atonement. By casting lots, one was cho­sen to be offered upon the Altar. It was called the Lord’s goat. The other one was called the goat of the people.
Taking the Lord’s goat, the High Priest killed it and offered it upon the Brazen Al­tar. Then taking some of its blood, he en­tered the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of sacrifice there seven times. He also put part of that blood and the blood of the offering he had made for himself upon the Altar of Incense. Then the body of the bul­lock which had been offered for a Sin-Offer­ing was burned outside the camp.
A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF ATONEMENT
On the Cross of Calvary, Jesus became our Sin-Offering. The pouring out of His Blood on the Cross, and then Him presenting Him­self before the Father, means that He was accepted there on our behalf.
The Blood on the Altar of Incense, which represents intercession and worship, means that because of Jesus’ Death, we have access into the very Presence of God. Fulfilling the type perfectly, Jesus died outside the Holy City, Jerusalem, just as the animal was burned outside the camp.
SCAPEGOAT

The goat for the people was called the scapegoat, and represented Christ taking our sins away.
At the door of the Tabernacle the High Priest laid his hands upon it and confessed the sins of the people over it. Then the scape­goat was sent away into the wilderness never to return.
Jesus not only died for our sins and cleansed us from them; He also sends them away, not to be remembered against us anymore. They have been put away forever. Like the Israel­ite who watched the scapegoat disappear from view, we can say, “There go my sins!”
In the time of all of this, when the High Priest entered into the Holy of Holies, the people knew that if he were to disobey any of the provisions of God about coming into His Presence, he would die. But as they listened,


finally they would hear the tinkling of the bells on the skirts of the garments of the High Priest, of which he had once again clothed himself, and by that they knew he was alive. The entire procession had been accepted by God, and that means that Atonement had been made.
After Jesus died on the Cross for our sins, He ascended on high and presented Himself to the Father. He had shed His Own Blood on our behalf. God accepted that, which means that Atonement was now made for all time and for every human being, at least those who would believe (Jn. 3:16).
As the people waiting anxiously outside of the Tabernacle heard the sound of the bells, likewise on the Day of Pentecost, there was heard a sound from Heaven. The com­ing of the Holy Spirit not only brought Di­vine power and joy, but also indisputable proof that Jesus was alive, and that His great Sacrifice had been accepted as full Atone­ment for man’s sins (Harris).
(8) “THE HOLY GHOST THIS SIGNIFY­ING, THAT THE WAY INTO THE HOLIEST OF ALL WAS NOT YET MADE MANIFEST, WHILE AS THE FIRST TABERNACLE WAS YET STANDING:”
The exegesis is:

1.
Paul states that the Holy Spirit is both the Divine Author of the Levitical system of worship and its Interpreter.

2.
The first Tabernacle or the first room is the “Holy Place.”

3.
As long as that part of the Levitical in­stitution was still in effect, Israel was to un­derstand that the way into the Presence of God had not yet been opened.

4.
The division of the Tabernacle into the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies showed the limitations of the Levitical system, and kept the people from coming directly to God.


THE HOLY SPIRIT

The phrase, “The Holy Spirit this signify­ing,” proclaims several things:
1. Every single thing done on this Earth by the Godhead, with the exception of the Birth, Life, Ministry, Death, Burial, Resur­rection, and Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, was done and is done exclusively by the Holy Spirit.
2.
That being the case, the Holy Spirit was both the Divine Author of the Levitical system of worship and its Interpreter.

3.
The Holy Spirit is actually the Member of the Godhead Who dwelt between the Mercy Seat and the Cherubim in the Holy of Holies.

4.
The very manner in which the Spirit designed the Levitical system portrays the fact that it was only temporary.

5.
As long as the Veil stood between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, access to God was cut off.

6.
Until the Cross, the Holy Spirit could not be approached, as is here painfully obvi­ous, but since the Cross, He now literally abides permanently within the hearts and lives of all Believers (Jn. 14:17).


As John recorded it, Jesus said, “For He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” And that’s exactly the way it was!
As we are studying here, He dwelt with Israel, but definitely not in Israel, i.e., “abid­ing permanently within their hearts and lives.” The Cross changed all of this, in that Jesus there paid the terrible sin debt, which made it possible for Believers to be justified in fact as well as theory.
7. The Holy Spirit is a Person, actually a Member of the Godhead, and not merely an emanation from God. In other words, the Holy Spirit is God, just as the Father is God and the Son is God (Mat. 28:19).
THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Paul is demonstrating one aspect of the Holy Spirit’s Ministry in the Old Testament. It is the Ministry of the Spirit to testify of Christ; the Spirit glorifies Christ. Even in the Old Testament the Spirit used the Mo­saic system to point to the Redemptive Work of Christ.
Paul is showing the Reader the privilege that is now his to come boldly into the Pres­ence of God. The Saints of the Old Covenant never knew such a blessed privilege. The Believer may now draw near to God in confi­dence because of the Atonement made by Christ. We are accepted by the Father on the basis of the Finished Work of Christ.
Now we begin to understand the words of Jesus: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me”



(Jn. 14:6). There is no other sacrifice for sin but the sacrifice of Jesus Himself; there is no other name in which we find Salvation. The way into the Most Holy Place is by the Blood of Jesus, God’s only begotten Son.
THE CROSS

So, the Holy Spirit ever points to the Cross. He did so in every Sacrifice offered. He did so in all the blood that was spilled from the Sacrifices, with it being poured out at the base of the Brazen Altar. He did so in the doctrine of the Sabbath and the Feast Days. He did so in the Rite of Circumcision. He did so in the very work of all the Priests, and especially the ministry of the High Priest. He did so in all of the apparatus of the Taber­nacle, including its furniture and sacred ves­sels, even down to the tent pegs. Everything and without exception pointed to Christ, but more particularly Who He was, and what He would do in order to redeem mankind, which was to go to the Cross.
That’s at least one of the reasons that many Christians come up with all type of false doctrines. They do not know the Old Testa­ment, which in effect, actually lays the foun­dation of the New Covenant, and in fact is the foundation of the New Covenant. In types and shadows and in symbolism, over and over again, the portrait of Christ is painted in the sense of Paul’s statement, “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (I Cor. 2:2).
It is the Cross and the Cross alone, which tore down the Veil that separated man from God. It was the Cross alone, which gave ac­cess into the very Holy of Holies. It was the Cross alone, which made it possible for the Holy Spirit to come in and abide permanently within the hearts and lives of all Believers. It was the Cross alone, which made it pos­sible for men and women to life victorious over the world, the flesh, and the Devil. That is God’s Way, and His Way alone!
When Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Fa­ther, but by Me” (Jn. 14:6), He was in effect saying, that His Way was the Cross; His Truth is the Cross; the Cross is that which provides the Life. As well, when men come to God, they must come by the way of the Cross. There is no other way.
Millions presently attempt to portray Jesus other than the Cross. In other words, they completely ignore Paul’s statement which said, “We preach Christ crucified” (I Cor. 1:23), thereby, presenting and preaching “an­other Jesus” (II Cor. 11:4).
Let the Reader understand, if it is not the Jesus of the Cross, it is pure and simple, an­other Jesus, which is the ruination of the Church.
Every single person in this world who has ever been saved, has been saved by the virtue of Faith expressed in Christ and what He did at the Cross on their behalf. Of course, as a believing sinner, their knowledge of Christ was very scanty. In fact, all unbelievers are spiritually dead, meaning they have no con­cept of God whatsoever, at least a concept that is Scripturally correct; consequently, the Holy Spirit has to provide Faith to them in order that they may believe, which He readily does upon presentation of the Word. But the Faith He provides is that which anchors in the Cross.
As well, every single victory and blessing had by any Believer after coming to Christ, is altogether obtained by and through what Jesus did at the Cross on our behalf. Faith in the Cross of Christ is the secret of all vic­tory, all overcoming strength, all power, and all blessings. It is the secret of all Spiritual Growth, all growing in grace and the knowl­edge of the Lord.
DECEPTION

It is August, 2000, as I dictate these . And what I’m about to say is not said with any joy, but rather with a broken heart.
Due to the fact that the Church has had so little teaching on the Cross in the last sev­eral decades, any more it hardly knows where it’s been, where it is, or where it’s going. In fact, there are less people being saved at this hour, than at any time since the Reformation. Also, there are less people being Baptized with the Holy Spirit than any time since the out­pouring of the Latter Rain at the turn of the 20th Century. In fact, there are fewer people actually being healed, and that despite all the hype otherwise. As well, there is less true vic­tory within hearts and lives than ever before.
Why?


It is because of a departure from the Cross, which is the foundation of the Faith (Rom., Chpts. 6, 8; Eph. Chpt. 1).
The Church is presently being scammed by hucksters as never before. Under the guise of “faith,” people are being separated from their money, claiming that for every dollar they give, they’re going to get many dollars back, etc. It would be ludicrous if it weren’t so sad!
Just two nights ago, I watched a scam art­ist over Television telling the people, God had told him that for every single dollar they give, they would get two back. The place was filled with slack-jawed gullibles waiting to be fleeced. Unfortunately, there seems to be enough greed in all of us to keep these scams going. The tragedy is, great segments of the Church think this blasphemy is actually of the Lord.
Then the other day I saw another Preacher over Television delivering people, and giv­ing them a word of knowledge, while the band behind him played “rap.” To cut straight through to the chase, the whole scene was one of sorcery, which means that it was ac­tually being promoted by demon spirits. But yet, the auditorium which belonged to a so-called Christian TV Network was filled with people thinking it was all of God. That’s the tragedy!
In such a situation, the people definitely do not leave as they came. They leave with Satan having a greater hold on them than ever. One cannot subject oneself to the operation of the spirits of darkness, even though they come under the guise of “angels of light,” and not be adversely affected (II Cor. 11:13-15).
On the other side of the spectrum, audi­toriums are filling up with multiple thou­sands of people, who watch the Evangelist as he produces one “trick” after the other, with various manifestations, all claiming to be of the Holy Spirit. To be sure, it is a spirit in­volved, but it’s not “the Spirit.” If it’s not Biblical, then it’s not right.
The Church is so easily deceived, simply because it has been lured away from its True Foundation, which is the great Sacrifice of Christ. Other things have been substituted, and these other things are destroying untold millions of souls.
The Holy Spirit will never deviate from the Word, and will always anchor everything He does in the Finished Work of Christ (Rom. 8:1-2). But the problem is, the Church, little knowing the true way, falls for any way that’s presented, with money being the fuel that drives this whole sordid mess. And a sordid mess it is!
THE WAY INTO THE HOLIEST
The phrase, “That the way into the holi­est of all was not yet made manifest,” pro­claims the fact, and by the Holy Spirit at that, that while the Law was in force, which in­cluded the Priesthood, Tabernacle or Temple worship, Feast Days, Sabbaths, Circumcision, etc., access to God was blocked, except in the most limited way.
As we’ve said repeatedly, the very means by which all of this was carried on, provided a constant, glaring reminder, that all of this was at best, a stopgap measure, meaning that it was temporary. It was merely pointing to the One Who was to come, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul sees the Holy Spirit as using the pat­tern of the Tabernacle to teach important truths. The limited access into the Holy of Holies was meant to bring home the fact that ordinary men had no direct access to the Presence of God. Paul is actually saying that people get direct access to God through the Finished Work of Christ and that alone, and that before such work was accomplished there was no such access.
Actually the words, “the way into the ho­liest of all,” although definitely referring to the Presence of God, in the final analysis, refers to Heaven, where the true Throne of God actually is. To show you how correct this is, before the Cross, when Believers died, they didn’t go to Heaven. They were actu­ally taken down into Paradise which was ac­tually very near the burning side of Hell. Jesus said there was a great gulf that sepa­rated the two compartments (Lk. 16:26).
The reason that before the Cross Believ­ers could not be taken into Heaven when they died, but rather taken to the heart of the Earth, is because the sin debt still remained. In other words, due to the fact that the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin,



even though they had exhibited Faith in the coming Redeemer, and were, therefore, saved, still, they could not be taken into the Pres­ence of God, until the sin debt was removed.
When Jesus died on the Cross, thereby say­ing, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30), Matthew re­corded “the Veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” (Mat. 27:51). This meant that due to what Christ had done at the Cross, which was to bear the sin penalty of mankind which was death, the sin debt to God was then paid, with God im­mediately opening up access to Himself by man. As well, Jesus then went down into Hell itself, at least into the Paradise side, and Paul said, “He led captivity captive” (Eph. 4:8).
This means that before the Cross all the Saints were actually held captive by Satan in Paradise. To be sure, they were comforted in this state, but nevertheless captives of the Evil One. Jesus upon His Death liberated all of those righteous souls from Paradise, ac­tually making them His captives, taking them to Heaven with Him. This means the sin debt had been paid, with Satan having no more claim. The Cross did it all.
Now when Believers die, all instantly go to be with Christ in Heaven (Phil. 1:23).
So, when Paul spoke of “the way into the holiest of all not yet being made manifest,” which spoke of the time before the Cross, it had a far deeper meaning than is at first realized.
The Cross of Christ was a monumental thing. In fact, it addressed every single prob­lem which man had incurred upon himself as a result of the Fall. While it is true, that we do not yet have all the benefits of what Jesus did at the Cross, and will not have un­til the coming Resurrection, still, what we do have is enough to walk totally and com­pletely in victory with sin not at all having dominion over us (Rom. 6:14).
THE FIRST TABERNACLE

The phrase, “While as the first Tabernacle was yet standing,” shows the limitations of the Levitical system.
When God rent the Veil, as stated, this was God’s object lesson to the Aaronic Priesthood that its ministry was now over, that the Temple was to be closed, that a new Priest had arisen after the order of Melchisedec. But, Israel in its apostasy, repaired the Veil and kept on of­fering sacrifices, until God in His wrath, sent Rome to destroy the City of Jerusalem and scatter His chosen people to the ends of the Roman Empire, and ultimately the Earth (Wuest).
The way into the Holiest of all, into Heaven itself and the Presence of God, had been opened at the Cross. As long as the old dispensation lasted, the Priests had no ac­cess into the Holiest. They went only into the first Tabernacle (Holy Place) and accom­plished the liturgical service.
Once a year the High Priest alone was per­mitted to enter the Sacred inner chamber where the Shekinah hovered over the Mercy Seat. Nor could he approach without aton­ing blood, which he offered first of all for him­self as being but a sinful man, and also for the failures of the people.
YET STANDING

By this arrangement, the Holy Spirit was declaring the solemn fact that the way into the immediate Presence of God had not yet been made known, nor could be, so long as that first Tabernacle had any standing be­fore Him.
The expression “was yet standing” is mis­leading. It would suggest the way into the Holiest was not made known until the de­struction of the Temple in A.D. 70, and thus many have understood it.
But it clearly means that the way into the Holiest was not opened up so long as God recognized the first Tabernacle. The truth is according to the following:
The moment Christ Jesus died upon the Cross, the entire typical system ceased to have any standing before God. It was but a figure for a time then present, and the gifts and sacrifices offered in connection with it were simply picturing the offering up of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the Cross. In themselves, they were of no real value. They could not settle the sin question and, therefore, could not perfect the consciences of those who brought them, even as we will study in the next Verse.
(9) “WHICH WAS A FIGURE FOR THE TIME THEN PRESENT, IN WHICH WERE OFFERED BOTH GIFTS AND SACRIFICES,


THAT COULD NOT MAKE HIM THAT DID THE SERVICE PERFECT, AS PERTAINING TO THE CONSCIENCE;”
The exegesis is:

1.
The word “which” refers back to the “Tabernacle” of the previous Verse.

2.
“Figure” refers to a parable or symbol, which refers to the Tabernacle as an object lesson used to explain spiritual truth. As long as it remained an object lesson, thus a rec­ognized institution, it was clear that the ac­tual Tabernacle to which it pointed was not yet in use.

3.
The words “in which” refer to the pre­scribed details of the Levitical ritual which included all the Sacrifices, etc.

4.
These rituals could not affect the heart of man, as no ritual within itself ever does.


A FIGURE

The phrase, “Which was a figure for the time then present,” refers to the Tabernacle being a representation of important realities, and of things which were more fully to be revealed at a future period. All of this should have been extremely obvious; but at the same time, it is admittedly much easier to look at something after the fact, than to do so from a future perspective. However, there was no excuse for Israel not knowing and under­standing all of this after Jesus had come and began His Ministry. They didn’t accept Him as the Messiah, because they didn’t want to accept Him as the Messiah. They were look­ing for someone to satisfy their own sinful lusts, instead of the One Whom the Bible had predicted. Had they bothered to investigate His Life and Ministry according to the Scrip­tures, the evidence would have been irrefut­able. But like so many, they saw only what they wanted to see and heard only what they wanted to hear.
In fact, by the time of Christ, the religious leadership of Israel had so perverted the Law and even the rudiments of the Temple, that it now held little resemblance to that which was originally given to Moses by God. The reli­gious leadership of the nation now used the great Law to enrich themselves, to put forth their own agenda, in other words, to use it for their purposes. Its true meaning had long since been forgotten.
GIFTS AND SACRIFICES
The phrase, “In which were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience,” portrays the weakness of the First Covenant. These Gifts and Sacrifices could not make the worshipper perfect so far as his conscience was concerned. The word “perfect” in the Greek is “teleios” which does not mean sinless, but rather complete, finished. The word described that which needed noth­ing to make it what it should be — complete.
The Levitical ritual as such did not touch the conscience. In fact, no ritual in itself ever does. There was nothing in it that should deal with conscience. Only the working of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God and the efficacy of the Blood of the Messiah could do that.
The Holy Spirit did in Old Testament Times deal as He does today with the consciences of men, but the Salvation which He applied under the Levitical system found its source in the New Testament Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus. In other words, there was no salva­tion in the Sacrifices, as there could be no Salvation in such. Salvation was found in the Believer having Faith in What and Whom the Sacrifices represented, namely the Lord Jesus Christ, and what He would do at the Cross, of which the Sacrifices were typical.
Therefore, while operating under the ju­risdiction of the First Testament, God was giving Salvation to the First Testament Be­liever by virtue of that which would be ac­complished through the New Testament. Since the First Testament could not do that which the New Testament did, it was set aside in favor of the New Testament, even as it had to be! And this is actually the argument of the Book of Hebrews (Wuest).
The old system could not bring Israel, or anyone else for that matter, to the Heavenly purpose God had for them.
THE LAW
The Old Covenant — the Tabernacle, the Sacrifices, the Priesthood — was “imposed upon Israel until the time of Reformation.” The Mosaic order was placed upon them un­til the New Covenant could be established in



Christ, and until all that which had been sym­bolized in the Old could be fulfilled in Christ.
Of necessity, the Law was a burden and a weight to them with its many commands, its gifts, sacrifices, meats, drinks, diverse washings, and carnal ordinances. No person was ever justified before God by doing any of the things required by the Law, for the simple reason, that rituals and ceremonies cannot cleanse the heart of the sinner. How won­derful it is presently that we may worship Him, not under the bondage and weight of legalism, but in spirit and in truth.
We need no longer worship in shadows. We no longer serve in examples, but we have moved from the realm of symbols into the reality of the freedom of Christ, the Minister of the Heavenly Sanctuary of which the earthly was only a figure.
A TABERNACLE IN HEAVEN?

We do know there is a literal Temple in Heaven (Rev. 3:12; 7:15; 11:19; 14:15, 17; 15:1-8; 16:1, 17).
John did say regarding his vision on the Isle of Patmos, “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it” (Rev. 21:22).
But what John was actually saying per­tained to the fact of going to a temple to wor­ship, as in the earthly Temple at Jerusalem. God and the Lamb, i.e., “the Lord Jesus Christ,” will be visibly present among men forever, with worship continuing forever (Rev. 22:3-5).
But yet, according to John’s statement, there is a sense in which Christ is all of these things. In other words, He is the Brazen Al­tar, the Brazen Laver, the Table of Showbread, the Golden Lampstand, the Altar of Incense, the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat, etc.
We do know that John also saw in his vi­sion regarding Heaven, “the Ark of His Tes­tament,” which is in the Temple in Heaven
— the Ark incidentally, after which Moses patterned his Ark of the Covenant (Heb. 8:5; 9:23; Rev. 11:19).
As a part of this vision, John also men­tioned that he saw Christ standing “in the midst of the seven candlesticks” (Rev. 1:12­13). Whether that exactly means that there is a literal Golden Lampstand in Heaven, we aren’t exactly told. We do know that John also said that the Golden Candlesticks or Lampstands, represented the seven Churches which Jesus would address; however, that within itself doesn’t negate the idea of a lit­eral Lampstand in Heaven. He does give us another clue by saying, “And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the Throne, which are the seven Spirits of God” (Rev. 4:5). There is some evidence that this is the same Golden Lampstand of Revelation 1:13.
As well, the “Golden Vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the Saints,” in some way resembled the Altar of Incense, which John also saw (Rev. 5:8). This in a sense is seen again in Revelation 8:3, but this time held in the hands of an Angel.
Consequently, I think at least in some crude way, that one could say that the wilderness Tabernacle was a pattern of the one in Heaven. There is a Sanctuary in Heaven that corresponds to the earthly Tabernacle. The earthly Tabernacle furnishes us with some of the geography of Heaven.
The Reader must understand, that sin has not only entered the human family on this Earth, but considering that one-third of the angels fell with Lucifer in his great revolu­tion against God, it extends to the whole cre­ation of God, even to Heaven itself. No, this doesn’t mean there is sin in Heaven; but it does mean that Heaven has been greatly af­fected by that which happened in the date­less past.
It seems from what little at least we can understand, that God evidently abides in a Heavenly Tabernacle in order to protect the creation from His Holiness. If God dealt only in Righteousness and Justice, He would be forced to destroy in judgment His universe and creatures touched by sin. This Heav­enly Tabernacle sets forth His Redemption by the Blood of Christ.
Paul said, “And, having made peace through the Blood of His Cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself, by Him I say, whether they be things in Earth, or things in Heaven” (Col. 1:20).
If God dealt only in Righteousness, He would destroy in judgment His universe and


creatures touched by sin, but the Heavenly Tabernacle makes it possible for God in Righ­teousness to salvage His creation. In this Tab­ernacle, Jesus is the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. When He died on the Cross, He ascended by the virtue of His shed Blood into the Heavenly Tabernacle.
THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM

The whole system of the Mosaic Covenant was to provide a means by which sinful man might approach a holy God. This was to be done by means of a sacrificial system, through various types of offerings. By this means men learned the proper way to approach God, and they also found Atonement for their sins.
Looking at all of this from a naturalistic viewpoint, the Sacrifices are a glory spectacle; however, a Spirit-guided inspection of these Offerings will unveil some of the great prin­ciples of God’s dealings with men and will lead us into the Holy of Holies of Scriptural truth.
The principle in back of the offerings is this: man is doomed as a sinner, and yet God has planned to save him. The Law of God is that sin brings death, yet God has provided a way of escape.
There is one life that has not been forfeited, because it belongs to Christ, Who never sinned. Therefore, His life is accepted by God in place of the sinner’s life, at least upon Faith evidenced by the sinner in Christ and what He did at the Cross on the sinner’s behalf.
THE BLOOD

Moses said, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the Altar to make an Atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that maketh an Atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17:11).
Paul said, “And without shedding of blood is no remission,” (Heb. 9:22).
The Blood, as is obvious, assumes a very important part in all of this. The Hebrew word “kaphar,” translated “Atonement,” shows its significance. It literally means, “to cover.” The Blood of Christ acts as a screen which hides sin from God’s eyes, so He does not visit judgment on the soul that has been covered by the Blood. Of course, the Blood of Jesus does even more, cleansing the heart from sin. In the Old Testament economy, the Blood only covered, while under the New Testament economy, which is all in Christ, the Blood not only covers but also cleanses, in effect, doing away with the sin as though it never existed.
Though the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament covered sin, they could not take it away. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). An animal, incapable of inde­pendent thought and moral feeling, was not a perfect sacrifice for man. Furthermore, the work of Atonement in which the animal was involved was not a voluntary and personal act of the animal, which would be obvious.
The value of the animal sacrifices as or­dained by God was the fact that they pointed forward to the coming of a Perfect Sacrifice, One foreordained before the foundation of the world. They all foreshadowed the com­ing of Christ, Who would give Himself for the sins of mankind.
(10) “WHICH STOOD ONLY IN MEATS AND DRINKS, AND DIVERS WASHINGS, AND CARNAL ORDINANCES, IMPOSED ON THEM UNTIL THE TIME OF REFORMATION.”
The exposition is:
1.
The Old Covenant sacrifices were car­nal, temporary, and powerless to cleanse from sin.

2.
However, these rites and Ceremonies were commanded by Divine authority, as proper representations of the Gospel system, which would come and rectify all things.

3.
“The time of reformation,” refers to the New Covenant which was to come, and which did come, and which is Christ.


RITUALS AND CEREMONIES
The phrase, “Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances,” refers to the entirety of the Lev­itical system.
To go into detail as to the meaning of these things would be pointless. Even though they were then necessary to accomplish, the truth was, all of these rituals could not forgive one single sin or save one single soul, and nei­ther were they meant to do so. In themselves, they were of no real value.
They could not settle the sin question and, therefore, could not perfect the consciences of those who brought them. The idea is this:



The many ordinances in connection with meats and drinks and different washings, whether of persons or things, in fact all the fleshly observances which were connected with the First Covenant, were only intended to serve a temporary purpose and to be in force until the time of reformation; that is, until Christ by His Death and Resurrection fulfilled them all and brought in the present new and glorious dispensation of the Grace of God.
The moment Christ died upon the Cross, the entire typical system ceased to have any standing before God. It was but a figure for a time then present, and the gifts and sacri­fices offered in connection with it, were sim­ply picturing the offering up of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the Cross. In other words, all of these things were only meant to portray in symbolic form that which was to come. It was faith in what they represented that caused one to be saved, and not the ac­tual carrying out of the rituals or ceremonies.
Paul uses the phrase, “carnal ordinances,” which refers to religious ceremonies that touched man’s body, but went no further. They were as powerless as modern “sacraments.”
MODERN RELIGIOUS RITUALS

Unfortunately, the problem of dependence on rituals and ceremonies did not die with the old Mosaic Law. It is just as prevalent pres­ently as then.
Millions of people have joined Churches, in effect going through a ritual, which within itself is no harm, but dependence on that for Salvation in fact is great harm. And that’s the whole idea! It really doesn’t matter what it is.
If the Israelites of old placed their faith solely and completely in these “divers washings” and “carnal ordinances,” the simple fact was, they couldn’t be saved. As already stated, it was only by understanding what these things represented, and having proper faith in that symbolism, which was Christ, which afforded Salvation. It is the same presently.
To attempt to enumerate all of the many things in which men presently place their faith would be too cumbersome. Suffice to say, if we place our Faith in anything other than Jesus Christ and what He did for us at the Cross, we will not find that for which we seek. Salvation is only in Christ and His Fin­ished Work. One can say the same for a vic­torious walk in Christ after Salvation.
The only way that one can walk in vic­tory, meaning that sin will not have domin­ion over him, is to place his Faith exclusively in the Cross of Christ, understanding it was there that provision was made for all things. When the Believer does this, and in fact, con­tinues to do this even on a daily basis (Lk. 9:23), then the Holy Spirit will mightily help the Believer, Whose help incidentally we must have (Rom. 8:1-2, 11).
Our difficulty is, we think the doing of spiri­tual things automatically constitutes “walk­ing after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1). It isn’t and it doesn’t!
Doing spiritual things, as good and noble as that might be, does not constitute Faith in Christ and Him Crucified, which is an ab­solute requirement if we are to have what we must have from the Lord. But regretta­bly, that’s where most of the modern Church presently finds itself.
Satan doesn’t care how many Preachers lay hands on you, or how much you are “slain in the Spirit,” etc. He knows if your faith is in those things, that even though those things within themselves are Scriptural and real and will afford Blessings, still, you’re not going to find victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil, by these methods.
The Reader is not to think that we’re de­meaning manifestations or anything that pertains to the Lord, just as Paul was not demeaning the rituals and ceremonies re­quired in the Law of Moses. In fact, and as stated, all of these things were given by God, even as many modern things are of the Lord; however, the idea is, if Christians place their Faith in these things, which most do, not really understanding that all they receive from the Lord comes by and through what Jesus did at the Cross, then they will not re­ally receive that for which they seek.
To be sure, Satan is very subtle! He doesn’t really care how religious you actually are. He doesn’t really mind your involvement in all type of religious or even spiritual things, just so long as you do not exhibit proper faith in the Finished Work of Christ. Much of the


modern Church, ignorant of God’s prescribed order of victory and life, look to other means, which always brings disappointment.
This is one of the reasons that when Chris­tians hear about something which is supposed to be happening in a certain place followed by particular manifestations, thousands flock to the site. While that which is happening may truly be of God, that doesn’t mean that vic­tory will be achieved by one involving them­selves in what is actually taking place.
If a Christian doesn’t understand the Cross and how it involves itself in our daily walk before God (Lk. 9:23), then spiritual prob­lems of one nature or the other will plague that particular Christian. In fact, that is the case with almost all of Christendom pres­ently! Then to find relief in respect to these situations, which pertain to victory in one capacity or the other, they resort to things which, although Scriptural within them­selves, do not turn out to be the victory for which they had hoped.
VICTORY

Victory is not something we get by doing, but rather we do by getting. No, that’s not a mere play on words.
Victory is ours by getting it from Christ. And we get it simply by exhibiting Faith in His great Sacrifice. It’s not earned or mer­ited, it is rather all in Christ.
When convicted by the Spirit, the human heart cries out to God; however, that cry is not satisfied by being religious or doing reli­gion, it is only satisfied in Christ.
I watch Christians stumble from one sce­nario to the other, and to be sure, it is pain­ful to observe. And I think the reason that it’s so painful, is because I’ve been there. Conse­quently, I know the frustration which always leads to fear. I know what it is to work and labor, and then to think, maybe if I’ll just do more, this will bring that for which I seek.
Many may think that Christians don’t fol­low this path. But the truth is, almost all of Christendom is doing exactly that. We think the more we do, that somehow it earns something with God. We should understand the following:
God has nothing for sale. So that means we cannot earn anything as it regards the Lord, and neither can we merit anything. It doesn’t really matter what we do or how hard we work at it, it doesn’t buy us anything with God.
God works strictly on the principle of Faith. And by that, we mean Faith placed exclu­sively in Christ and Him Crucified. If the Believer thinks of Christ in any other man­ner or way other than what Christ did at the Cross, then the Believer is misunderstand­ing Christ. While Christ is many things, we must never forget that it was the Cross that set us free.
That’s the reason that Jesus is referred to in the Book of Revelation some 28 times as “the Lamb.” In fact, He is referred to accord­ingly some seven times in the last two Chap­ters of Revelation, which speak of the per­fect age to come.
Upon the arrival of that time, there will be no more sin, no more Satan, no more failure, and no more disobedience or rebellion toward God. All of those things are now past, with nothing remaining except Righteousness. And yet, Christ is referred to even in this at­mosphere some seven times as a “Lamb.”
Why?
The reasons should be obvious. The Holy Spirit wants us to understand that this great Salvation which every Saint has and will have, and will enjoy forever, and in a glory and splendor which absolutely defies description, was all purchased by such a great price. We must never forget that, and the Holy Spirit refers to Christ as the “Lamb” in order that we not forget that.
And if the Holy Spirit wants the entirety of eternity future to understand that all was acquired by what Jesus did at the Cross, doesn’t it stand to reason that it is to be the centrality of the Gospel presently? The Mes­sage is, “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” (I Cor. 1:23). We must never forget that, un­derstanding that this is the source of all things that comes from God to us.
THE TIME OF REFORMATION
The phrase, “Imposed on them until the time of Reformation,” refers to the entirety of the Law being fulfilled by Christ, and thereby set aside, with the New Covenant taking its place, which is perfect in every re­spect (Heb. 13:20).



To be sure, these ordinances were of value in order to introduce the better system; how­ever, they were not adapted to purify the con­science and remove the stains of guilt from the soul, simply because they could not do so. The fact of sin was too terrible and the damage was too great for these things to an­swer that problem. It took the Blood of Christ to do that!
The idea is, the First Testament never was satisfactory, so far as offering a sacrifice that could pay for sin was concerned. It could not actually in itself save the Believer. It only pointed to the One Who could save, and that was the One to Whom all the Sacrifices and rituals pointed, namely Christ.
The idea is not that these things were bad. In fact, they were all given by God and for specific reasons. They presented a stopgap measure which would suffice until Christ came. Actually, the Law was intended to do many things, but it was never intended to save, but merely point to the One Who could save. When Christ came, the Law had served its purpose, and was now laid aside.
The problem was never with the Law, but rather with Israel who tried to make Salva­tion out of its rituals and ceremonies. And now during Paul’s day, Christian Jews were still trying to hang onto the Law, along with Christ, with some even repudiating Christ altogether and going back totally into Law and ritual worship, which of course, would spell doom to the soul. In fact, this is the reason for the writing of the entirety of the Epistle to the Hebrews.
(11) “BUT CHRIST BEING COME AN HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS TO COME, BY A GREATER AND MORE PER­FECT TABERNACLE, NOT MADE WITH HANDS, THAT IS TO SAY, NOT OF THIS BUILDING;”
The composition is:

1.
Christ has now come, to Whom the Law had pointed.

2.
He was not a mere human being born in the midst of humanity. He came from outside of humanity and incorporated Him­self with humankind through the Virgin Birth. He came from another world. (Wuest)

3.
“Good things to come,” should have been translated “of the good things realized.”


4.
Christ was the True High Priest, to which the Levitical order had always pointed.

5.
The more perfect Tabernacle was His Personal Body; however, it represented the heavenlies, that is, the Throne of God.

6.
The Tabernacle of which He speaks is not of this Earth. It is all Heavenly.


CHRIST HAS COME

The phrase, “But Christ being come,” speaks of an advent.
The little word “but” is the pivot upon which all the argument swings. Paul speaks of Messiah “being come.” The Greek word is “paraginomai,” which means, “to become alongside,” thus, “to arrive upon the scene,” here the human scene. As stated, it speaks here of an advent.
Christ was not a mere human being born in the midst of humanity. He came from out­side of humanity and incorporated Himself with humankind through the Virgin Birth. He came from another world. He in total was the prediction of the Prophets, actually the One promised by God at the very outset of the Fall in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15). Of course, when we speak of Christ coming, we’re speak­ing of the Incarnation, God becoming man.
HIGH PRIEST

The phrase, “An High Priest,” is now pre­sented by the Apostle to show how marvel­ously the One offering of our Lord Jesus Christ transcends all the types and shadows of old. He is both High Priest and Victim.
As High Priest “of the good things real­ized,” Whose Ministry is linked with a greater and more perfect Tabernacle, that is, with the eternal dwelling place of God, He has by the presentation of His Blood (by it being shed at the Cross) entered in once for all into the Ho­liest on the basis of an accomplished Redemp­tion. His work abides eternally before God.
Because of the infinite value of His pre­cious Blood, He has fully met all the claims of Divine Justice and thus secured eternal Redemption.
THE GOOD THINGS REALIZED

The phrase, “Of good things to come,” as stated, should have been translated, “of the good things realized.”


Even though some of the things that Jesus accomplished by His Death and Res­urrection await the coming general Resur­rection, still, as it regards the Blessings al­ready attained, these are grand and many. Because of Christ, we now have free approach to God, a better Covenant, personal commun­ion with God, along with the purging of the conscience. Actually, there is no limit to what Christ has done for us at the Cross, and as well, which is realized presently within our hearts and lives.
Above all of this one might say, the advent of the Holy Spirit, Who abides permanently within our hearts and lives, is of such bless­ing as to defy all description (Jn. 14:16-17).
The multitude of carnal ordinances that had been placed upon Israel were only tem­porary. All the blessings of the Old Testa­ment rested upon obedience to the Law, yet no one could keep the Law perfectly. All sinned; all came short of the Glory of God.
The Old Covenant was ineffective; it could not produce an inward change that would enable man to obey the commandments set down by God.
The Old Economy produced despair. But Paul showed his readers hope: “Christ . . . High Priest of good things now realized.” The New Covenant brought new and eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and the indwelling Presence of God. It is a New Covenant in which God places His Laws in men’s hearts; He writes them on our hearts and minds.
It was the tragedy of all tragedies, that Is­rael did not recognize Him when He came. There was no reason for this, considering that the Prophets of old had perfectly pro­claimed Who He would be, and how and what He would be. What Israel wanted was not what Israel needed! They wanted money, place, position, and, oh yes, to be the great­est nation in the world once again. A Mes­siah of that stripe, which the Word of God did not proclaim concerning the First Ad­vent, they would have accepted. In fact, they will accept the Antichrist when he makes his debut, all in the same spirit. It will prove to be the worst mistake they’ve ever made, other than the Crucifixion of Christ.
Unfortunately, much of the modern Church follows down the same path. It doesn’t want Christ Who makes one holy and righteous, but rather a Christ who will give them money.
God help us!
A GREATER TABERNACLE
The phrase, “By a greater and more per­fect tabernacle,” presents the contrast of Christ with the Tabernacle of old.
As the Apostle has already said, the first Tabernacle could not cleanse from sin and thereby assuage the guilt, but the new Tab­ernacle could.
The new Tabernacle is Christ, as proven by the statements of Verse 12. While as well it definitely does pertain to the Throne of God; nevertheless, it is Christ Who had made it possible for all Believers to enter that Holy of Holies. To picture only the Throne with­out Christ does great violence to the entirety of the Finished Work of the Savior. In effect, Christ is all in all, i.e., “everything.”
NOT OF THIS BUILDING
The phrase, “Not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building,” refers to the fact that the great Plan of God is entirely of God and not at all of man.
While man did have a part in the building and erection of the first Tabernacle, man has no part in this one whatsoever. The idea is, by the means of the shedding of His Own Blood (not the blood of animals), has Christ entered the holiest of all, into the Presence of God. This is an emphatic way of saying that He has won for His people an effective Salva­tion in that it has nothing to do with earthly sacrifices.
HANDS
The problem that the Lord has with all of us is the problem of “hands!” What do we mean by that?
We’re speaking of man putting his hands into the great Plan of God and thereby chang­ing it, which makes it ineffective. That’s the great problem of the Church, as it has always been the great problem of the Church.
Preachers claim that one has to be bap­tized in water to be saved. They seem not to realize that this negates faith in the Fin­ished Work of Christ. This is man putting



his meddlesome hands into the great Work of God.
When this is done, it has the “trickle down effect,” on everything that pertains to the Lord. For instance, if there is failure of any kind on the part of a Preacher, most Denomi­nations, if not all, instead of continuing to trust Christ, once again put their “hands” into the mix. Almost without exception, a dog and pony show of some nature is prescribed, which must be ridiculous in the eyes of God. Oh yes, I must quickly add that these rules are changed quite often. That demands a question: If in fact such rules are Scriptural to begin with, how can they be changed? The truth is, men love to make rules and force other men to obey them, and religious men love to do so most of all!
PERSONAL HANDS

The biggest problem for the Child of God, at least as it regards walking in victory, is not knowing God’s prescribed order of vic­tory, which is Faith in the Cross of Christ, which guarantees the help of the Holy Spirit. Not knowing this, we resort to the efforts of our “own hands,” so to speak! As I’ve already said several times, we do spiritual things, and we think that this is what brings whatever it is that we need.
The Truth is, we turn these things into the efforts and labors of our own hands, which God can never honor. In fact, trying to bring about victory other than by trusting in what Christ has already done on our behalf, is sin! I realize that’s a blunt statement, but it is true.
I had a young Preacher say to me some time ago, “When I have trouble with the world, the flesh, or the Devil, I go on a three-day fast, and that solves my problem.”
While fasting is definitely Scriptural, it is not Scriptural in this fashion. If that’s what it took to walk in victory, then Jesus didn’t pay it all at the Cross, and there are other things which need to be added.
No! This young man was turning a per­fectly Scriptural principle into “works,” i.e., “hands,” which is always wrong in the sight of God.
Not knowing the victory of the Cross — this is a world that I lived in for years, which brought untold sorrow to this Evangelist.
But Grace upon Grace, the Lord showed me that this great life lived in Christ, is “not made with hands,” but is totally and com­pletely of Christ. The day the Holy Spirit revealed this to me, and then as well told me that all victory was in the Cross, was the greatest day of my life other than the day I was saved and the day I was baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Having walked the path made by the hands of men, and having lived in a building made by the hands of men, I want no more of that direction. Therefore, I say with the Psalm­ist, “Through Thy precepts I get understand­ing: therefore I hate every false way” (Ps. 119:104).
(12) “NEITHER BY THE BLOOD OF GOATS AND CALVES, BUT BY HIS OWN BLOOD HE ENTERED IN ONCE INTO THE HOLY PLACE, HAVING OBTAINED ETER­NAL REDEMPTION FOR US.”
The exegesis is:
1.
The blood of bulls and goats under the First Covenant could never take away sin.

2.
By His Own Blood, which was blood of a unique kind, He purchased our Redemption.


3. His One Sacrifice is sufficient for all time.
4.
His Sacrifice opened up the way to the Holy of Holies, i.e., “the Throne of God,” to which all can come, who will place their faith and trust in Christ and His Cross.

5.
This which He did, “obtained eternal Redemption for us.”


THE BLOOD OF GOATS AND CALVES
The phrase, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves,” proclaims by the fact of the con­tinued need of more sacrifices, that such were not effective. It is estimated that approxi­mately one billion sacrifices were offered up during the approximately 1,600 years of the Law. Josephus, the Jewish Historian, says that as many as 250,000 lambs were offered up during the Passover week when Jesus was cru­cified. As well, that was typical of most Pass­overs. Also, there was a constant stream of individual sacrifices carried on perpetually.
The Reader, however, is not to think that these particular sacrifices were of no value. While it is true they couldn’t take away sins, still, they were symbols of the One Who was to come. Also, they served to atone or cover


the sins of men, even though they could not take them away. This fact alone is extremely important; therefore, we must not minimize the blessing of the covering of sin which then existed. This made it possible for God to commune with His people, at least in a lim­ited fashion, and as well was a portend of that which was to come.
THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

The phrase, “But by His Own Blood,” pre­sents the price that was paid.
The moment the Blood of Christ was shed upon the Cross, its efficacy was recognized in Heaven, thus answering to the sprinkling of the blood upon the Mercy Seat. But, spiri­tually speaking, it is not only seen as sprinkled upon the Throne of God, but also upon the Believer, who is thus purged from all un­cleanness.
There is a great distinction set forth in these Verses, which is exactly what Paul in­tends. Not only was the Ministry of the New Covenant carried out in a different Taber­nacle, but also the Blood that had been of­fered was different.
In the case of Aaron’s Priests, it was the blood of goats and calves. In the case of Christ, it was His Own Blood. Now the ef­fectiveness of our Lord’s Blood rested not in the mere fact that it was human blood, but in that it was the Holy Blood of God’s Son. It was Blood that had flowed in the veins of One Who was, as to His humanity, sinless. But He was also Divine; He was God mani­fested in the flesh; therefore, the Blood of the New Covenant was more efficacious than that of the Old.
This was the only Blood that the High Court of Heaven would accept as valid Atone­ment or payment for sin one might say. It was the Sacrificial Blood of the Son of God. And by the word “Sacrificial,” or “Sacrifice,” we are referring to that which was offered freely. In other words, Jesus was not executed and in effect, no one killed Him. He pur­posely and freely breathed out His Own life in Sacrifice for dying humanity.
THE BLOOD ON THE MERCY SEAT

When we speak of the Blood of Christ be­ing applied to the Mercy Seat of Heaven, we are not to understand that our Lord took His physical Blood into Heaven. That didn’t happen! The Precious Blood of Christ was poured out at the Cross and dripped onto the Earth. But because He shed His Blood, He was able to enter into the very Throne Room of Heaven itself, having accomplished Salvation by the giving of Himself. Now He sits at the right hand of the Father. His is the exalted, bloodless, glorified body which is an eternal testimony that all sin, past, present, and future, has been atoned, at least for all who will believe (Jn. 3:16).
Some translations import the idea of Christ as taking His Blood into Heaven itself. They claim this from one translation that says, “taking not the blood of goats and calves but His Own Blood”; however, this is quite un­warranted. The Greek does not say this.
The translation is objectionable because it implies that Christ’s atoning work was not completed on the Cross, but that He still had to do some atoning act in Heaven like the earthly High Priest who took the blood into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement.
However, the manner in which Paul makes these statements tells us, that what Christ did on the Cross was final. It needed no supple­ment. Jesus fully, totally, and completely paid the price at the Cross, which means there was nothing else to be done.
In fact, the price was so complete at the Cross, that God immediately ripped the Veil in the Temple from top to bottom, com­pletely opening up the way to the Holy of Holies, which meant the work is now done (Mat. 27:51).
This completely shoots down the falla­cious doctrine, claiming that Jesus died spiri­tually on the Cross, actually taking upon Himself the nature of Satan, and then went to Hell as a sinner. This doctrine also claims that after being in Hell for a period of time, He then threw off the shackles, and was “born again” as any sinner is Born-Again, etc. And by having faith in that, people are saved.
That particular doctrine is an abomina­tion. There is not one single shred of Scrip­tural proof regarding this erroneous subject. Jesus did not pay for your Redemption in Hell. He paid for it at the Cross, and did so by the shedding of His Own Precious Blood.



In fact, the Resurrection of Christ after the Cross was a given. Jesus had atoned for all sin. Inasmuch as the wages of sin is death, and all sin had been atoned, Satan, death, and Hell had no claim whatsoever on Christ. In fact, if there had been one single sin unatoned, Christ could not have risen from the dead. But God raised Him from the dead, because in fact, all sin had been atoned, and had been done so by the Blood of Christ.
THE RESURRECTION

Many Christians are fond of talking about themselves as “Resurrection people.” In a sense, that is so; however, most of the time when they say this, they are ignoring the Cross, or even demeaning the Cross. I would remind the Reader of the following:
Paul said, “But God forbid that I should glory (boast), save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by Whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14).
I remind the Reader that Paul didn’t say, “But God forbid that I should glory (boast), save in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,” etc. While of course, the Resurrec­tion of Christ was of extreme significance, that goes without saying; however, everything that we have today in the realm of Salvation and Blessings, comes entirely by and through what Jesus did at the Cross, and by no other means.
As well, it must be understood, that when Jesus shed His Life’s Blood, it was not for Him­self — for He had no sin — but it was for others, in fact the entirety of humanity, who definitely was polluted with sin. But faith in the atoning work of Christ on the Cross, re­moves the sin and the guilt, and in truth, is the only thing that can remove the sin and the guilt (I Jn. 1:7).
ONCE

The phrase, “He entered in once into the Holy Place,” proclaims Christ doing what no other Priest had done. He offered a Sacri­fice that was complete; thereby the Heavenly Tabernacle was opened to Him.
Actually, He might have entered Heaven at any moment during His Perfect Life; He could have gone back to His Father, for He was always pleasing to Him. Yet, had He done so, not one single soul would have been redeemed. He had to willingly offer Himself as a Lamb without spot or blemish. Though He was the sinless One, our sins were laid on Him; He was made to be sin for us, which means to take the penalty of sin, which He did. Only after He had accomplished Eter­nal Redemption did He return to His Father.
When He did return, He went into God’s Presence for us with only one claim on our behalf: His shed Blood. His Blood was the witness that, in the Person of our Substi­tute, Divine wrath and judgment had been endured on our behalf. Now, according to our Faith in His Finished Work, we might come near to God, having been brought nigh by the Blood of Christ. There is now Rec­onciliation and Peace because of our great High Priest.
The very word, “once” states that what He did, will never have to be done again. His One Sacrifice was sufficient for all people, for all time, in essence for all eternity. There can be no repetition, simply because there doesn’t need to be a repetition. The work is final; the work is done!
THE HOLY PLACE

Once again we emphasize, that Christ didn’t go into Heaven with His Blood in a basin or a container of sorts and apply it to the original Mercy Seat. Actually, the “Holy Place,” as Paul here describes it, is the Throne of God.
The idea is, that He entered Heaven after His Resurrection and appeared at the Throne, where He is now seated by the right hand of Majesty (Heb. 1:3). His Blood having been shed for sin is now the ground of His plead­ing and intercession for the pardon of sin. It is not something that He must continue to do, but the fact of His very appearance there guarantees all that we have said.
While there is an Ark of the Covenant in Heaven (Rev. 11:19), there is nothing in Scripture that says that He literally applied literal Blood to the Mercy Seat. In a sense, He is the Mercy Seat, exactly as He is the Ark. As such, He serves as our Mercy, or the means by which we have mercy extended to us, and as well He is the satisfier of the Law, which pertained to the Ark of the Covenant, i.e., “the Law.”


ETERNAL REDEMPTION

The phrase, “Having obtained Eternal Re­demption for us,” proclaims what was accom­plished by the giving of Himself on the Cross.
“Redemption” in the Greek is “lutrosis,” and is from the Greek “lutroo,” which means “a ransoming, or a ransom price of redemp­tion; an atonement; a release on receipt of a ransom price.”
Let the Reader understand, that the ran­som was paid to God and not Satan. It was to God that the terrible sin debt was owed. It was God Whom man had offended. Man owes Satan nothing, and for sure, God owes Satan nothing.
The ransom was a price that man could not pay due to the fact of it being so high; therefore, God paid the ransom Himself, in the giving of His Only Son, Who suffered on the Cross, which thereby paid the price.
As well, the Greek word “lutroo,” means that such a price was paid, that no creature in eternity future, be he demon, devil, An­gel, or man will ever be able to say that the price was insufficient. The word “eternal” guarantees that the price stands good forever. It is eternal in its merit and efficacy.
UNCONDITIONAL ETERNAL SECURITY

Some would attempt to take the word “eternal” as it refers to Redemption and force it into a meaning that Paul did not proclaim here.
Redemption, as afforded by Christ, pre­sents a perfect Redemption, and thereby will never need amendment. This means that it will stand forever; however, man’s possession of it is eternal only upon continued faith. So, the word “eternal” refers to Redemption as here plainly stated, and as well to posses­sion of Redemption.
There are certain conditions one must meet to get this Eternal Redemption, and cer­tain conditions that one must meet in order to keep this Eternal Redemption (Jn. 6:27).
To cut through all the theology, and to go to the very reason for which this Epistle to the Hebrews was written, the key ingredient is Faith. The Lord doesn’t overthrow His chil­dren because of sin. Calvary addressed that; however, in no way does that mean that sin is to be looked at with impudence. The facts are, no true Christian wants to sin, and in fact, every true Christian hates sin (Rom. 7:15). Any so-called Christian who sins with impunity, and continues to claim Christ, is simply fooling himself. In other words, that person is not saved, despite their claims.
It is true, that there are many Christians who are in fact bound by sin, and because they do not know God’s prescribed order of victory, which is the Cross. But still, those people whomever they might be, and to be frank, they number the vast majority of Christendom, hate the sin that dominates them, and actually continue to try to break out of its grip, although attempting to do so in the wrong way. These people are saved, even though not walking in victory, and for the reasons given.
As should be obvious, I’m not speaking of those particular Christians, but rather those who profess Christ, but with whom there’s never been a change within their lives. In other words, it’s business as usual. These people number into the millions, and as stated, aren’t saved, and in fact have never been saved.
As long as a Christian continues to evi­dence Faith in Christ, that person is saved. But if they lose their Faith in Christ, even as some of these Hebrews were doing, hence the writing of this Epistle, then one can lose their way and lose their soul.
The Lord never throws a person over for any cause or reason, who continues to have Faith in Him. But when an individual ceases to have Faith in Christ and His Finished Work, there is no basis on which God can continue to deal with that person (Heb. 6:4-6).
Some would attempt to claim that no true Christian would do such a thing; however, once again we go to the Book of Hebrews. The entirety of this Epistle was written by Paul addressing this very problem. These particular Jews definitely were Christians. Paul, as previously stated, refers to them as “Brethren.” In fact, he refers to them as “Holy Brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” (Heb. 3:1).
Knowing that the Holy Spirit is the One Who inspires the Scriptures, we must come to the conclusion, that being the case, that



either the Holy Spirit lied, or else these Jews were in fact “Holy Brethren,” which means they had accepted Christ. Of course, we know the latter to be the correct conclusion. These were Christians who were seriously consider­ing, at least some of them, turning their backs on Christ.
In fact, for these Jews to do this, they would actually have to renounce Christ, actually con­fessing and saying that He was an imposter and, therefore, a blasphemer, and was wor­thy of Crucifixion. Paul said if they did this thing, and remained in that state, that it would be “impossible . . . to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame” (Heb. 6:4-6).
It’s bad enough to believe the unscriptural doctrine of unconditional eternity security, but it’s worse yet to believe this particular doctrine, thinking you can live any way you so desire and still make Heaven your home. Such thinking presents a fool’s hope. And in fact, there are millions in this very state presently, and part of the blame can be laid to this unscriptural doctrine.
THE ECONOMY OF REDEMPTION
A Bible Scholar once said: “What is un­folded in Scripture is one great economy of Salvation, an organism of Divine acts and testimonies, which, with the beginning of Genesis with creation, advances progres­sively to its completion in the Person and Work of Christ, and is to find its close in the new heaven and earth predicted in the Book of Revelation; and it is only in connection with this whole that the details can be prop­erly estimated . . . He who has not learned to understand the Old Testament and its historical connection . . . lacks the key to its meaning.”
Some modern theologians have a tendency to divorce Old Testament teaching and expe­rience from any direct connection with the New Testament. To this school of thought Jehovah of the Old Testament is a dim and distant Figure Who has gone into retirement.
Of course, such thinking is without fact or foundation. Quite to the contrary, the relationship of the New Testament to the Old is of such nature that they both stand or fall together. The New Testament assumes the existence of Old Testament Law and Proph­ecy as its positive presupposition.
We cannot have the redeeming God of the New Covenant without the Creator and Cov­enant God preached in the Old; we cannot dis­count the Redeemer from the Old Testament predictions which He came to fulfill. The gen­esis of all the ideas of the New Testament relat­ing to Salvation lies in the Old Testament.
A famous divine says, “There is not a flower of truth blooming in the New Testa­ment whose seed was not sown in the soil of the Old; and there was not a seed of truth planted in the Old Testament which does not come to full fruitage in the New . . . the very breath of the Old Testament is the same breath that prayed, dying, on Calvary.”
THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION

The Scripture teaches us that the Heav­enly Council met in an extraordinary session on behalf of man’s Redemption long before the catastrophe of the Fall took place. God the Father, with the Son, and the Holy Spirit, constituting the Trinity, had the bridge of Salvation built before man actually came to it (I Pet. 1:18-20).
While the details of the Plan of Redemp­tion were not known from the beginning, there was no uncertainty as to the facts. The Christ promised in Eden, from that moment was the Savior of the world; making it pos­sible that the first woman who yielded to the temptation of disobedience, might through faith in the Promised Redeemer, become a subject of His Redemptive Grace.
A noted Bible Scholar captures the sig­nificance of this truth in these words: “Be­fore the first man sinned, God provided a way by which he (man) might escape the death penalty and be made perfect again. That was through the atoning work of Christ on the Cross, Who in the reckoning of God was slain from the foundation of the world.”
With regard to Christ’s eternal relation­ship to Salvation, another noted Bible Scholar says, “Before the foundation of the world God had appointed His Son to be the Mediator of the predetermined counsel of Salvation. The Son is the Lamb, without blemish or fault, before known prior to the


foundation of the world being laid” (I Pet. 1:20). This means that Christ is the Media­tor of world Redemption, for it was the good pleasure of the whole fullness to dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile all things unto Himself (Eph. 1:4; 3:11; Col. 1:19-20; Heb. 1:2; I Pet. 1:20). From eternity the Son was willing to carry out the work of Redemption. His Death on the Cross was an offering of Himself to God “through the eternal Spirit” (Heb. 9:14), that is through His eternal Spirit, through which Christ performed all His other works also, and in which finally He pre­sented Himself to the Father, in obedience unto death, which death, although carried out in time, is nevertheless an act above time.
ONE GOD

The Bible, from Genesis through Revela­tion, reveals one God, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. The God of creation is presented in the New Testament as a God of love and mercy, and it was this God Whom Jesus came to reveal.
The fact that God is holy and eternally the same, makes it impossible for Him to change. His hatred for sin and His love of Holiness have always been the same; with Him “is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). The Psalmist had this in mind when he said: “Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end” (Ps. 102:27).
Malachi, as a spokesman for the Lord says, “For I am the LORD, I change not” (Mal. 3:6). Parallel to this plain teaching of Scripture is the fact that God does not have two redemp­tive plans — one for the people in the Old Testament and one for those in the New. Af­ter Adam and Eve sinned, God made a re­demptive provision for them, and this initial provision was made for all people of every age and dispensation (Rom. 4:13; 9:6-8).
THE BLOOD

After their transgression, Adam and Eve suddenly realized that they were sinful and naked, and immediately they made aprons from fig leaves for temporary covering. Shortly thereafter “the LORD God made coats of skins, and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21).
A well-known Scholar says, “By this we are informed, that the price of the covering for man’s nakedness and sin, was the life of the animal . . . thus it would appear, that the Lord permitted those who had been victims of the Fall, and upon whom death had been pronounced, as a sign or pledge of their de­liverance, to take the first life, and shed the first blood, as a type of Him Who was Him­self the seed of the woman; but who should conquer Satan, destroy His power over hu­manity, deliver from the curse and prepare man for eternal blessedness and a youthful immortality.” What a wonderful Message of Salvation in the early shedding of blood.
CONSCIOUSNESS OF SIN
Fairbairn, in his Typology of the Scrip­tures makes a striking statement at this point: “It is the fact noticed at the close of God’s interview with our first parents after the Fall: ‘Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them’ (Gen. 3:21).
“The painful sense of nakedness that op­pressed them after their transgression, was the natural offspring of a consciousness of sin — an instinctive fear lest the unveiled body should give indication of the evil thoughts and dispositions which now lodged within. Hence, to get relief to this uneasy feeling, they made coverings for themselves of such things as seemed best adapted to the purpose, out of the vegetable world which had been freely granted for their use. They girded themselves about with fig leaves.
“But they soon found that this covering proved of little avail to hide their shame, where most of all they needed to have it hid­den; it left them miserably exposed to the just condemnation of their offended God. If a real and valid covering should be obtained, sufficient to relieve them of all uneasiness, God Himself must provide it.”
THE COVERING
And so He actually did. As soon as the promise of mercy had been disclosed to the offenders, and the constitution of mingled goodness and severity brought in, He made coats to clothe them with, and these were coats of skin. But clothing so obtained ar­gued the sacrifice of life in the animal that furnished them; and thus, through the death



of an inferior, yet innocent living creature, was the needed relief brought to their dis­quieted and fearful bosoms. One might say, that the outward had respect to the inward and spiritual. The covering of their naked­ness was a gracious token from the Hand of God, that the sin which had alienated them from Him, and made them conscious of un­easiness, was henceforth to be in His sight as if it were not; so that in covering their flesh, He at the same time covered their con­science — at least as much as it could be done with such a covering.
All of this was done purposely by God to denote the covering of the guilt from the eye of Heaven — an act which God Alone could have done. But He did it, as we have seen, by a medium of death, by a sacrifice of life in those creatures which men were not yet per­mitted to kill for purposes of food, and in connection with a constitution of Grace which laid open the prospect of recovered life and blessing to the Fallen.
ADAM

It might be possible to say that Adam and Eve at the beginning, appropriated God’s re­demptive provision for their fallen condition. It is obvious that Adam at the first believed in the original good news of the coming seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15). This is proven by the name “Eve,” which means “Life,” which he gave to his wife (Gen. 2:23). This was directly after the original promise, and im­mediately before the expulsion from Para­dise. Sunken in death he nevertheless gave his wife so proud a name, and thereby ex­pressed his faith in the conquest of death by life, and from that time the new name of his wife was for man the reminder of the prom­ise of God’s Grace.
That Eve also in faith took her stand on the ground of the word of promise as shown by her statement in Genesis 4:1. The re­demptive acceptance is most strongly re­flected in Abel, whose Righteousness cannot be doubted (Mat. 23:35; Heb. 11:4; I Jn. 3:12). On the other hand, Cain is presented as one who rejected the redemptive plan, and this rejection is evidenced by the fact that he murdered his brother (Gen. 4:5-15). Abel accepted God’s redemptive plan by faith; Cain rejected it by doubt. Abel’s faith was evi­denced by Righteousness; Cain’s sinful re­bellion is evidenced by his crime. “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Mat. 7:20).
However, at a point in time, the evidence is that Adam and Eve had lost faith. When Cain was born, the first lady said, “I have gotten a man from the LORD” (Gen. 4:1).
By her using the name “Lord,” which means “Covenant God,” it shows that she had faith in the Covenant that God would send a Redeemer. Possibly she even thought that this baby would be that Redeemer. In­stead, he turned out to be a murderer, which shows that she did not know or realize just how bad sin actually was and the terrible toll it had taken.
When Seth was born, she said, “For God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew” (Gen. 4:25).
She now no longer addresses Jehovah as “Lord,” signifying faith in the Covenant, but rather as “God,” meaning she had lost faith. This we do know, Adam and Eve are not listed in the great roster of Faith outlined in He­brews Chapter 11. Every evidence is, that they lost their way with God, because of los­ing Faith.
THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD

Cain must have been in a position to have the same knowledge of sin and mercy, but the offering which he brought was rejected. In what way did the two offerings differ?
One offering, that of Abel, was of such a nature that it required the shedding of blood. The other was bloodless. Evidently the prin­ciple of truth suggested in Hebrews 9:22, “without shedding of blood is no remission,” was in force even at this early date.
Here it can be seen that the blood sacri­fice, typifying the Blood of “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8) was sufficient ground for the Faith of Abel.
It is quite evident, that we have an inti­mation, at least in the sacred records, that the sacrifice and its earliest history was in­stituted by God Himself, either by example or immediate command . . . The shedding of the blood of the sacrifice, and the yielding up of its life, must repeat continuously to stupid, fallen humanity of every generation,


the message of man’s guilt, of Divine justice and God’s mercy, until the Promise made in Eden should be fulfilled.
The loss of life is the penalty of sin, and its typical vicarious surrender was necessary to remission (Heb. 9:22) . . . the blood of ani­mals was used in all offerings for sin in Old Testament times (Lev. 17:11).
As well, the “Blood of Jesus,” the “Blood of Christ,” the “Blood of Jesus Christ,” or the “Blood of the Lamb,” are figurative expres­sions for His atoning death (I Cor. 10:16; Eph. 2:13; Heb. 9:14; 10:19; I Pet. 1:2, 19; I Jn. 1:7; Rev. 7:14; 12:11).
Scripture tells us that Noah took clean sacrificial animals into the Ark (Gen. 7:2). Evidently for sacrificial purposes, and after the flood “Noah built Jehovah an Altar and offered Burnt-Offerings” . . . To Him must the hearts of the pious lift themselves, to Heaven the height must their offerings and prayers ascend, if they are to reach His Throne.
So as to give this “upward direction” to the sacrifice, from now on there were erected on Earth high places and Altars from whence they should ascend Heavenwards in the fire. The Presence of God is indeed everywhere and is not restricted by the boundaries of an above or beneath (Ps. 139) . . . the clean ani­mals offered, as well as the sacrifices from the beginning of the world, themselves point to the Sacrifice of Golgotha, the Lamb with­out blemish and without spot (I Pet. 1:19­20) Who is in truth the foundation of all pres­ervation and Salvation of the world.
It is also evident that this blood symbol­ism is reflected in the Old Testament rite of Circumcision. This act was a covenant signed between Abraham and Jehovah.
In order that Abraham might become the “friend of God,” it was commanded that he should be circumcised as a token of the Cov­enant between him and God (Gen. 17:10-11). The blood exuding from the operation was a testimony of Faith in God’s Blood Atonement.
The use of blood in the Old Testament is everywhere vested with cleansing, expiatory, and reverently symbolic qualities . . . from the Old Testament to the New Testament we see an exaltation of the conception of blood and ceremonies. In Abraham’s Covenant, his own blood had to be shed . . . There must always be a shedding of blood. “Apart from shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb. 9:22). The exaltation and dignifying of this idea finds its highest development then in the vicarious shedding of Blood by Christ Himself (I Jn. 1:7).
SACRIFICE
Noah was a faithful follower of Christ (Je­hovah), and of him it was said that he “found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” He was a “just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” (Gen. 6:8-9).
He was not only righteous in his conduct, but he was pious and had continual commun­ion with God. In his devotion to God, Noah observed carefully the redemptive pattern given by God to the Adamic generation.
Adam Clark says, “The old world began with sacrifice, so also did the new. The proper mode of worshipping the Divine Be­ing is the invention or institution of God Himself; and Sacrifice, in the act and design, is the essence of Salvation.”
Without Sacrifice, actually offered or im­plied, there never was, and there never can be any Salvation. Even in the heavens, a Lamb is represented before the Throne of God as newly slain (Rev. 5:6, 12).
The design of Sacrifice is two-faced: the slaying and the burning of the victim first point out that the life of the sinner is for­feited to Divine justice; second, that his soul deserves the fire of perdition.
The Jews have a tradition that the place where Noah built his Altar was the same in which the Altar stood that was built by Adam. It was by the offering of this blood sacrifice that Noah linked his profession of faith with those who preceded him. By this offering he acknowledged himself a sinner and pro­fessed faith in the promised Christ (Jehovah) Messiah. To this faith the writer of Hebrews refers (Heb. 11:7).
FAITH
Abraham was a child of faith. At a point in time, Abraham “believed God, Who spoke to him.” He did not oppose the light of faith which, through God’s doing, was born in him as a superior wisdom . . . by this capacity to welcome within him a new life, by this heroic



faith, was he justified . . . Abraham believed; he had faith in Jehovah, and Jehovah reck­oned it to him as Justice, i.e., “Righteousness.” In fact, this is one of the peaks of Scripture. It is higher than Sinai. It joins together the two Testaments.
Already it reflects the light of Christ . . . Abraham, now at peace, lived on in faith.
The most significant event in Abraham’s life was the Revelation he received on a starry night when God concluded with the Patri­arch the Covenant of Faith (Gen. 15:5, 18). That was the time when Abraham received the Divine declaration of justification, and it is there that in the annals of Salvation the very first plain and express mention is made of the “justification” of a sinner (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:2-4).
It is evident, however, that all redemptive responses required an act of faith, and it was by faith in God’s redemptive provision that people of all ages have been justified.
Let us hurriedly state, that when we speak of Faith, it is plainly obvious, that always and without exception, it is speaking of Faith in Christ and what He would do at the Cross on behalf of lost humanity. Faith in Christ that leaves out the Cross, is no faith at all, at least that which God will recognize; consequently, every Believer must understand this about Christ, and understand this about Faith. Ev­ery thought of Faith, every sinew of Faith, every ligament of Faith, all understanding of Faith, must always be concluded, and with­out exception, in the parameters of the Cross of Christ. To think of Faith other than the Cross, is again as stated, Faith that God will not recognize. To prove the point, please note the following:
When was faith reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness? Was it before or after his circumcision? (Rom. 4:10).
The answer runs: not less than 13 years before he was circumcised. Because the cov­enant of circumcision was first introduced when Abraham was already 99 years old (Gen. 17:1-14); but the Covenant of Faith and the Justification took place before even the birth of Ishmael, and, therefore, before his 86th year (Gen., Chpt. 16; 17:1).
Consequently, Abraham had been justified already 13 years before he was circumcised, proving that circumcision had absolutely nothing to do with his Justification, and as well, proving that his Justification was based strictly on the Sacrifice of Christ.
It is significant that Paul builds his case for Justification by Faith upon the Old Tes­tament. In Romans, he draws liberally upon the Hebrew Scriptures to prove that Justifi­cation is through faith and faith alone, and again, by that, we refer to Faith in the Cross (Rom. 3:21; 4:1).
Paul graphically points out, that Abraham’s justification prior to circumcision is pro­phetically significant in that through it Abraham was to become father of all such as were without circumcision, but through faith alone should become justified. Through this very fact it became evident that circumcision cannot be a condition precedent to, but only a “seal” of the Righteousness that Faith has already provided (Rom. 4:11).
THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
AND THE LAW


One Scholar points out, and rightly so, that to attain the temple of Salvation, the Gentiles must not first pass through the anteroom of the Jews — that is through the Law — but the Jew must first pass through the anteroom of that faith which Abraham already had while being, so to say, a “heathen.” Thus, it is set forth that Salvation is without human merit and that Redemption is of Grace, a free gift purely to faith, and proof is given that the Gospel of the Church Age was foreshad­owed in the Covenant with Abraham, thus the “New Covenant” is the continuation and glo­rious perfection of the Covenant already given to Abraham (Rom. Chpt. 4; Gal. 3:9, 14).
Exactly what Abraham knew about the coming Christ we are not told; however, we do know that death and resurrection were explained to him, and was made even more pertinent by the object lesson of God’s de­mand that Abraham offer Isaac up to Him in sacrifice.
In this, the Patriarch knew that God would redeem humanity by the death of His Son. As well, the Patriarch also knew that the Redeemer would be resurrected.
His faith in God’s resurrection power is manifested in his willingness to sacrifice his


son Isaac, upon whom so much depended. And this very act he reckoned “that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead”
(Heb. 11:19).
Special attention should be directed to the words of Abraham to his servants: “. . . I and the lad will . . . worship, and come again to you” (Gen. 22:5). Thus, Abraham be­comes the type of the New Testament Faith in Resurrection.
All of this is proclaimed by Christ when He said of the Patriarch, and speaking to the Jews, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad” (Jn. 8:56).
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses were men of faith (Heb. 11:20). They knew about the Promise and rejoiced “concerning things to come” (Heb. 11:20).
THE LEVITICAL SYSTEM

The sacrifice which represented, in the fullest measure, Christ and His work of ex­piation and Atonement, was the particularly great offering of the Levitical system. Whether from the herd of cattle, the flock of sheep or goats, or the clean fowl, it was one without blemish. This represents Christ, the choice One of Heaven, the unblemished One, Whose whole life was sacrificed, and con­sumed as it were upon the Altar of Divine justice, on behalf of sinful men.
As previously stated, from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8), offering the Sacri­fice was a testimony to saving faith in God’s Redemptive Promise. Of these men of faith it is said:
“These all died in faith, not having received the Promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strang­ers and pilgrims on the Earth” (Heb. 11:13).
ALWAYS BY FAITH

Faith has always been the basic fundamen­tal in the sinner’s Redemption. Only by faith and faith alone can a sinner be reconciled to God. Faith was the key to Salvation for Abel, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as for Paul and Silas, and in fact, every person who has ever come to Christ. Paul said:
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe
that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). How­ever, and as we’ve already stated, when the Bible mentions faith, and in any capacity, it is always and without exception, speaking of faith expressed in the atoning merits of the Blood of “the Lamb slain from the founda­tion of the world” (Rev. 13:8).
In the last several decades, the Church has been inundated with teaching on Faith. But virtually all of the teaching has been faith in self or faith in faith, or as they like to put it, “faith in the Word,” but the latter is a mis­nomer, because if it’s not Faith in the Cross of Christ, in other words, if Faith doesn’t have the Cross as its sole object, then it’s not Faith that’s taught in the Word of God. Faith, as it’s been taught since the middle of the 20th Century, has for the most part been Faith in the Word pulled out of context. In other words, instead of allowing the Word which always addresses itself to the Cross, to mold our lives, these teachers attempted to take the Word and make it serve them. Theirs was the sin of the wilderness temptation.
Satan attempted to get Jesus to do the same identical thing. He wanted Him to use His power for His Own benefit, i.e., “turn the stones to bread”; however, Jesus would not at all yield to such, placing the emphasis on the Word instead of the bread by saying, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God” (Mat. 4:1-4). This is so important that I want to state it again:
In the last several decades, false teachers have attempted to make the Word produce for them whatever their lustful desires claimed. In other words, to use it for their own gratification, which of course found a ready audience. Unfortunately, there seems to be enough greed in all of us to keep such false doctrine alive.
The Word of God is meant to mold us into the image of Christ, which the Holy Spirit sets out to do. It is never to be used merely as a provider of “things.” And the only prin­ciple which can throttle such unholy desires within our hearts, is to understand that the Word of God is actually the Cross, as the Cross is actually the Word of God. That means that Faith must be anchored at all times in



the Cross, which will then bring about the veracity of the Word within our lives. To do otherwise, is to invite sure disaster! Let’s say it this way:
If “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8), His relation­ship to the redemptive program is the same “yesterday, and today and forever.”
THE HOLY SPIRIT

It must be understood that God the Cre­ator and Jehovah the Savior are eternally the same. The Spirit of God in the Old Testa­ment is the Holy Spirit in the New; He re­veals Divine truth in both Testaments.
It must be noted, however, that the com­ing of the Holy Spirit upon persons in the Old Testament was limited in the manner in which He could work. Due to the fact that the sin debt was not yet paid, and because the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin, the Holy Spirit could only abide “with” individuals instead of His present ca­pacity as being “in” Believers (Jn. 14:17).
While it is definitely true that He did come into certain individuals in Old Testament times for short periods of time, He could not there abide permanently, as He does presently.
As it regards the Word of God, Peter defi­nitely attributes the inspiration of the Old Testament to the Holy Spirit when he says: “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (II Pet. 1:21).
In fact, it is only through the Divine self-witness of the Spirit that Divine Revelation penetrates the heart and mind of man. The Spirit is represented as proceeding from Christ, but it must be understood, that a per­son can also lose the Spirit even as Saul did (I Sam. 16:14). The Scripture also says in Isaiah, “they rebelled, and vexed His Holy Spirit” (Isa. 63:10).
The point I’m attempting to make in all of this is, the Holy Spirit superintended ev­ery single thing that was written in the Old Testament, and as well, superintended every single thing given by God in that period of time. Consequently, when we observe care­fully what He did, we see the Cross of Christ as prominent in the entirety of the great Plan of God in olden times. In fact, the Law por­trays the Sacrifices as the centerpiece of that great work, which portrayed the Cross as nothing else.
Peter in speaking to the people of Israel about Christ said, “This is the Stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the Head of the corner. Neither is there Salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:11­12). Here again is the language of eternity which projected this truth into every age. It is evident that Salvation has never been avail­able through any other name. Only by Faith in God’s Christ, and what He did at the Cross on our behalf, can anyone be saved. This means, that every single person who has ever gone to Heaven, or who will go to Heaven, will be there because of exercising saving Faith in Him.
It is clearly revealed that the God of cre­ation is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as of Peter, James, and John. God has a standing offer of pardon to all men who turn from their evil ways and do that which is right (Ezek. 33:11-14). The “Song of Redemp­tion” is the keynote of all Christian hymns.
As stated, the Holy Spirit superintended all of this in the Old Testament, which pro­vides the foundation for the New, and cen­ters it all up in Christ, and more particularly, in His Cross (Isa. Chpt. 53).
THE NATURE OF THE ATONEMENT
In the Gospels, Christ Himself related His anticipated “death on the Cross” to the cul­minating phase of the Atonement that was provisionally and foundationally made in the death of “the Lamb slain from the founda­tion of the world” (Rev. 13:8). In effect, the death of Christ was as Anselm said, “a satis­faction paid to God for the sins of mankind.” Luther and other Reformers attested that the suffering of Christ was the Divine punish­ment for the sins of the world. The death of Christ presents the fact of the Doctrine of the Atonement predicated upon the assump­tion that man had sinned and that he could regain favor with God only by becoming jus­tified, i.e., “restored to a condition as though he had never committed sin.”


Justification in turn was possible only by Faith, and we speak of Faith in Christ and His Cross, a concept stated in the Old Testament and reaffirmed in the New (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Heb. 10:38; 11:6).
The Old Testament Church had a pro­phetic look at the Cross, while the New Tes­tament Church has a historical look at the Cross; however, it is the one and same Cross to which God committed His Son “from the foundation of the world.”
A pledge from God has always been cur­rent legal tender in the Kingdom. The Be­liever could transact Faith upon this provi­sion and gain personal justification.
Sauer says, “When the Mediator of Salva­tion is described as Christ-Messiah, that is, Anointed, this means that the highest offices and dignities (Prophet, Priest, and King) of the whole of the Old Covenant are united in His Person, and that in Him all prophecies have reached eternal fulfillment.”
FULFILLED IN CHRIST

David attested the Lordship of the Christ-Messiah when he said: “Thou hast crowned Him with glory and honor. Thou madest Him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under His feet” (Ps. 8:5-6; Heb. 2:6-9).
Here David is addressing God the Father (Elohim) with regard to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Jehovah) and states in the “eter­nal tense” a truth that was acknowledged by Paul in his writing the Epistle to the Hebrews.
As well, the fact of the personal, conscious, real preexistence of Christ is taught plainly in John 8:58; 17:5; Phil. 2:6-8, where voluntary action is ascribed to the Son of God as before the world was. This excludes a merely “ideal” preexistence (Mic. 5:2; Jn. 1:14; Heb. 10:5-7).
All of this means, and makes itself very evident, that all the symbols, doctrines, and examples of Atonement in the Old Testament find their counterpart fulfillment and com­plete explanation in the New Covenant in the Blood of Jesus Christ (Mat. 26:28; Heb. 12:24).
By interpreting the inner spirit of the sac­rificial system, by insisting on the unity and holiness of God, by passionate pleas for pu­rity in the people, and especially by teaching the principle of vicarious sufferings for sin, the Prophets laid the foundation in thought-forms and in spiritual atmosphere for such a Doctrine of Atonement as is presented in the life and teachings of Jesus, and especially His death and Resurrection, and as is unfolded in the teaching of His Apostles as well. Jesus Christ came to elucidate, exemplify, and clarify the eternal truth of the Atonement, and in fact Jesus Christ is the Atonement.
CHRISTIANITY
It is an accepted fact that, “Christianity” named as such, had its beginning with the In­carnation of Christ, but provisionally and func­tionally the principle of “Christianity” was a reality from the day God gave the redemptive plan. In fact, one might say, that all Believers of the Old Testament were actually “Chris­tians,” and they were “Christians,” because they exercised saving faith in Christ (Jehovah) the Messiah. They were Christians before they were so called at Antioch (Acts 11:26).
By assuming the name “Christian” the Believers in the Early Church did not sub­scribe to a new faith, they merely accepted a new name. The foundation for Salvation has always been rooted in the Atonement made for man. As Jesus Christ was in the Divine purpose appointed from the foundation of the world to redeem man by His Blood He, there­fore, is in a very imminent sense, “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,” i.e., “from creation” (Rev. 13:8).
Every student of the Bible is aware of the fact that of Christ “all the Prophets witness, that through His Name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:43). Christ is the theme of the Old Testa­ment: He said so Himself (Lk. 24:25-27, 46; Jn. 5:39). Jesus Christ is the King of all Scrip­ture, and it is in this light that the testimony of His preceding heralds can be properly un­derstood: it is only from the New Testament that the question of the Atonement so plainly stated in the Old Testament solves itself.
ONE ATONEMENT
Any intelligent interpretation concerning the Atonement must take into consideration the fact that there is only one Atonement — both in the Old and New Testaments, and that the Blood of animals in the Old Testament



was symbolical of that Blood which was shed by the Lamb of God, which was provision­ally, and prophetically, appropriated during the Old Testament.
In all Atonement in the Old Testament and the New Testament, the initiative is solely of God Who not only devises and reveals the way of Reconciliation, but by means of An­gels, Prophets, Priests, and ultimately His only Begotten Son applies the means of Atone­ment and persuades men to accept the prof­fered reconciliation. It follows that Atone­ment is fundamental in the nature of God in His relations to men, and that Redemption is in the heart of God’s dealing in history. In Jesus Alone we “behold the Lamb of God tak­ing away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).
DAY OF ATONEMENT

The “Day of Atonement,” as such, did not make its appearance until the era of Taber­nacle worship, but its functional principle was patent in the worship system current in ear­lier days. A progressive element of refinement is to be recognized in redemptive history.
Early worship had as its center the Altar without benefit of a particular building or temple, etc. Later came the Tabernacle, which was followed by the Temple. During the ex­ile, the Synagogue came into being, and it is out of the Synagogue, that the Church arises.
All of these places of worship were differ­ent in design but were, for purpose and func­tion, the same. In each of these places of worship there is the idea of God meeting man
— a place of meeting where sinful man meets the conditions of Salvation, made possible through the Atonement.
Abraham built an Altar, which of course represented Christ and the death He would die on the Cross, thereby appropriating the benefits of the Atonement through Faith which, in effect, made him a Believer in Christ. In fact, the way in which Abraham responded to the Goodness of God makes him a type of the Christian Believer, and one might even turn it around and say that the Christian evi­dencing Faith in the Redeemer, makes him a type or child of Abraham. Both have come the same way, which is by Faith in Christ — with Abraham it was Faith in the Christ Who was to come, and with Christians it is Faith in Christ Who has come. In fact, it was the Faith of Abraham in the Divine Promise, which in effect, was in the Atonement, which was not supported at all by the evidence of the senses and, therefore, becomes the type of Faith that leads to Justification (Rom. 4:3). It is in this sense that he is the “Father” of Christians, as Believers (Rom. 4:11).
For that Promise to Abraham was, after all, a “preaching beforehand” of the Chris­tian Gospel, in that it embraced “all nations” (Gal. 3:8). By Faith Abraham appropriated personal Salvation, and he is one with all Believers in God’s Christ. Even though the formal “Day of Atonement” had not been in­stituted, Abraham was indeed a kind of spiri­tual child made possible through the Blood Atonement, laid down in principle even in the Adamic generation (Gen. Chpt. 4).
The Atonement is again symbolized in the Passover. It was instituted in Egypt to com­memorate the culminating event in the Re­demption of the Israelites (Ex. 12:1, 14, 42; 23:15; Deut. 16:1-3). Sprinkling the blood of the Paschal Lamb symbolized Faith in the blood of the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).
Actually, all of this comes down to us in the Christian era in our taking of that referred to as “the Lord’s Supper.” It should be pointed out that the words used in the narratives of the New Testament institution of this Ordi­nance, are similar to those in connection with the Passover, i.e., “body,” “blood,” “cov­enant,” “given,” “poured out,” “for you,” “for many,” “unto remission of sins,” “memo­rial” (Ex. 24:6-8; Lev. 2:2; 4:5-7, 16-34; 17:11­14; 24:7; Num. 10:10; Heb. 9:11-28; 10:4-10, 19-20). In fact, the immediate background of the Lord’s Supper is the Passover, which Jesus Himself instituted (Lk. 22:7-18).
THE NATURE OF THE NEW BIRTH
A very important question revolves around the question of personal Salvation in the Old Testament. Professor Oehler states the ques­tion thus: “Are we to say that the just man not only walked in the faith of a future ful­fillment of the Promise and a future Redemp­tion, but also rejoiced in the present posses­sion of Salvation and had an assurance that His sins were forgiven?”


From the evidence gathered in the Old Testament comes the conclusion that per­sonal Salvation was definitely enjoyed by people before the Advent of Christ. It is as­sumed that the Disciples and others were saved men before the Crucifixion.
Both the Old and New Testaments teach by precept and example that all individuals expe­rience Divine Forgiveness who have repented of their sins and turned to God in saving faith, and that these Believers constitute the Old Testament Church (Ezek. 43:27; Acts 10:34­36). David, as an individual, testified to per­sonal forgiveness and Salvation when he said, “blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Ps. 32:1). It is assumed that this Testimony closely followed his con­fession and repentance after his sin with Bathsheba. On another occasion the Psalm­ist said: “There is forgiveness with Thee” (Ps. 130:4; II Chron. 7:14; Isa. 55:7; Ezek. 18:21; Acts 2:38). Many other instances are given in the Old Testament of individuals repenting and being restored to God’s favor (II Kings 22:19; Job 42:1, 6; Jonah 3:6-9). The sin of Israel is recognized as the sin of the individual, which can be removed only by individual re­pentance and cleansing. This is best seen from the stirring appeals of the Prophets of the Exile . . . this cannot be understood otherwise than as a turning of the individual to the Lord.
There was no merit in the animal sacri­fice brought by the individual worshipper, for “the blood of bulls and of goats” cannot take away sins (Heb. 10:4). It was only as the Sac­rifice symbolized and testified to faith in the blood of God’s redemptive “Lamb” that sins were remitted.
In the teachings of our Lord, based upon the Old Testament, the “new birth” or re­generation is assumed. The Old Testament teaching is clear at this point and graphically brought to the surface by Christ in His con­versation with Nicodemus (Jn. 3:1-21).
Nicodemus “was a man of the Pharisees . . . a ruler of the Jews” (Jn. 3:1). As such, he was well versed in the Law. And yet, despite this fact, Nicodemus was apparently ignorant of the Old Testament teachings on “the new birth.” He is somewhat typical of the church member, although religious, but who hasn’t been “born again.”
Jesus takes this occasion to rebuke Nicodemus for his ignorance. In fact, Jesus chides him with these words: “Art thou a mas­ter of Israel, and knowest not these things?” (Jn. 3:10).
Here it is seen that Christ is speaking about a Divine necessity existing before the Cruci­fixion was actually carried out. Nicodemus could not become a member in the “King­dom” until he had experienced Salvation, i.e., the “new birth.” The Incarnation did not in any way change the conditions by which Be­lievers entered the “congregation of the Righteous” (Ps. 1:5; 40:3; 51:7; Ezek. 11:19; 36:26; II Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15).
BACK TO FAITH
Throughout centuries God spoke the word “Faith” into the history of Salvation — this is the meaning of the Covenant with Abraham. Through 2,000 years it was an education in faith. Throughout centuries God also spoke the word “repent” into the history of Salva­tion — this is the meaning of the Law of Moses. Therefore, throughout approximately 1,500 years, it was an education in repen­tance. “Repent and believe the Gospel” (Mk. 1:15) says Christ and thereby pulls together both repentance and faith in redeeming one­ness. This is the New Testament purpose of the Old Testament.
THE NEW BIRTH
The teaching on the “New Birth” in the New Testament reiterates a truth that is, was, and always will be, effective to the end of time. It is written in the language of eternity and is not subject to change. It is anchored totally and completely in the great Sacrifice of Christ, which is found in both Testaments (II Tim. 3:16; I Pet. 1:10-11).
Paul distinctly reaffirms the basic Old Tes­tament concept that a new life is in store for those who have been spiritually dead; that at conversion a spiritual resurrection has taken place. This regeneration causes a complete revolution in man. He has thereby passed from under the law of sin and death and has come under “the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2). The change is so radical that it is possible now to speak of a “new creation,” of a “new man, that after



God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness” (Eph. 4:24) and of “the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him Who created him” (Col. 3:10; II Cor. 5:17); and the Image to which the sin­ner in the New Testament is renewed is the Image of the Old Testament God.
The idea of all of this is, God has only had one way of Salvation, whether in Old Testa­ment times, or New Testament times. That way has been Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. Every Sacrifice pointed to this. In fact, every single Revelation of God given to men has always centered in this foundation Doctrine, the Gospel of Christ, and more particularly, what Christ did for us that we might be saved.
(13) “FOR IF THE BLOOD OF BULLS AND OF GOATS, AND THE ASHES OF AN HEIFER SPRINKLING THE UNCLEAN, SANCTIFIETH TO THE PURIFYING OF THE FLESH:”
The exegesis is:

1.
This Verse speaks of ceremonial defile­ment.

2.
Ceremonial defilement was not in it­self sin, but a type of sin.

3.
The defilement and cleansing as here enjoined were both symbolic.


THE BLOOD OF BULLS AND GOATS
The phrase, “For if the blood of bulls and of goats,” presents Paul turning again to the Levitical Sacrifices. In them he finds the power to effect an external purification, a cleansing from ritual defilement. He refers to the blood of “bulls and goats,” which means much the same as that of “goats and calves” in Verse 12.
What do we mean by ceremonial defile­ment?
There were many rules and regulations in the Mosaic Law, which if violated defiled the individual, which necessitated them going through a cleansing ritual. There were no moral connotations involved in these rules, except obedience or disobedience to the Word of God. The idea was, that these rules repre­sented something concerning Christ Who was to come.
Even when sin was committed, and espe­cially when sin was committed, the sacrificial process had to be engaged, of which Paul speaks here; however, the ritual of the ani­mal sacrifices as well did not take away sin, because such sacrifices cannot take away sin. But it did serve as a covering for the sin, and Faith in what the Sacrifices represented, and more particularly, Who they represented, did bring forgiveness of sins.
Now that Christ has come, all of these things which pointed to Him, are now of no necessity. The shadow is no longer a neces­sity once the reality has appeared.
THE LAW OF THE RED HEIFER

The phrase, “And the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the pu­rifying of the flesh,” once again refers to ritual defilement, and as well, the method of cleans­ing. As we’ve stated, ceremonial defilement was not in itself sin, but a type of sin. In the case of the red heifer, it was only the flesh of the person which was defiled by contact with the dead. It was likewise only the flesh that was cleansed. Thus, defilement and cleans­ing were both symbolic. But let’s look at it more closely:
The “Law of the red heifer” may be some­what strange to modern thinking; however, it was given to Israel by the Holy Spirit for a specific reason.
If a person touched a dead body, he was ceremonially unclean, and could only be pu­rified by applying the “water of separation” to his physical body.
The red heifer was killed and its body was burned. Its ashes were to be taken up, placed in a clean place, and then when needed, a certain amount was to be mixed with water, with it then being called the “water of sepa­ration.” This water was to be sprinkled upon him on the third day after touching the dead body and on the seventh day. As well, any place where an individual died, anyone who walked into the room, would also be consid­ered unclean, and would have to be cleansed by the application of the “water of separa­tion” (Num. Chpt. 19).
The reason for all of this had to do with death which is brought about by original sin. It was to be an object lesson as to the horror of this awful malady, and we continue to speak of sin, which has gripped the human race, and brought death to everything.


The “heifer” symbolized Christ. It was spotless externally and without blemish in­ternally. It was to be a female, and it was to be red. Christ in His humanity was spotless within and without; he was gentle as a woman; he was never in bondage to any sin; the Law had no claim upon Him as a debtor; and He robed Himself with the red Earth of manhood, with “red” also symbolizing His Blood.
The heifer was to be led by the High Priest without the camp; and there was she slain. So was Christ led of the Spirit to Calvary, where He offered up Himself.
The body of the heifer was then to be burned, which signified the Judgment of God which came upon Christ, instead of the hu­man race. While the heifer was being burned, cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet were to be thrown into the fire. The cedar wood repre­sented the Cross of Christ, the hyssop repre­sented His humanity, and scarlet represented His shed Blood.
The blood of the heifer is only once men­tioned in the Chapter. So Christ was once offered. As well, it needed not be that a heifer should be killed every time purification was needed, which was constant. Its ashes would suffice.
PURIFICATION

Purification from the defilements un­avoidable during pilgrimage was effected by an application of the ashes of the burnt heifer with running, i.e., living water. Christ’s death need not be repeated, in order to the forgive­ness of the daily sins of the celestial pilgrim. It only needs that the meaning and perfec­tion of His death, typified by the burnt ashes, should be effectively applied to the con­science by the Living Spirit, symbolized by the running water, and the sense of forgive­ness and cleansing is enjoyed.
The last twelve Verses of Numbers Chap­ter 19, reveal the malignity of sin, and its en­during contagion and defilement. Acciden­tally touching a bone, even though it were a thousand years old, defiled and procured ex­clusion from the camp. Restoration was only possible after an application of the ashes of the heifer on the third day and on the seventh day.
The three days prior to the first purging fastened on the conscience, the hatefulness of sin to God; the four days prior to the sec­ond and final application of the ashes and run­ning water, instructed the conscience as to the perfection of the purge and the wonders of the grace that provided it.
Possibly the third day pointed to the Res­urrection of Christ; the seventh day as to the perfection and totality of Redemption af­forded by His Death and Resurrection.
“At even” the defiled person was pro­nounced clean. The preciousness of Christ’s Atoning Blood, and its sufficiency to cleanse from all sin, speak with special sweetness to the heart and conscience at evening, when life is closing and the shadows of death are about to fall.
The presence of death in a house defiled everything in the house, except a covered ves­sel. The Christian pilgrim necessarily comes in contact with “death” every day, i.e., with that which defiles, but he escapes defilement if he is a “covered vessel,” that is, if he lives under the covering of the Blood and the Holy Spirit.
The warning duplicated in Verses 13 and 20 of the 19th Chapter of Numbers, predicts the doom of those who deny the need of Christ’s Atoning Death (Williams).
(14) “HOW MUCH MORE SHALL THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, WHO THROUGH THE ETERNAL SPIRIT OFFERED HIMSELF WITHOUT SPOT TO GOD, PURGE YOUR CONSCIENCE FROM DEAD WORKS TO SERVE THE LIVING GOD?”
This structure is:
1.
Paul now makes a comparison between the effectiveness of the blood of animals and that of the Blood of Christ.

2.
The former could cleanse from ceremo­nial defilement, but only the latter could cleanse from actual sin.

3.
The “Blood of Christ” was perfect, therefore, acceptable to God, as payment for all sin.

4.
The application of that of the animal had to be done constantly, with many ani­mals having to die down through the centu­ries, while the one Sacrifice of Christ sufficed for all time.

5.
The ceremonial cleansing gave no power to live right, while the application of the Blood of Christ, and faith in that Finished





Work provides the power to “serve the Liv­ing God.”
THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

The beginning of the question, “How much more shall the Blood of Christ . . . ?”, proclaims beyond question, the price paid for man’s Redemption, a price so great, that in fact, it beggars description.
The efficacy (effectiveness) of our Lord’s Blood rested, not in the fact that it was hu­man blood, but that it was human blood of a unique kind. It flowed in the veins of One Who was as to His humanity, sinless, and as to His Person, Deity. And the combination of these two, sinless humanity, and Deity, made it unique, efficacious. It was the only sacrificial blood that could be sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in the Heavenly Holy of Ho­lies, so to speak, the only Blood which the High Court of Heaven would accept as pay­ment or Atonement for human sin. It was this blood poured out on Calvary’s Cross that gave Christ access as High Priest into the Holy of Holies of Heaven.
However, and as we’ve already stated, we are not to understand that our Lord took His Blood into Heaven, for that didn’t happen. That precious Blood was poured out on the Cross, and dripped into the Earth. But it was by virtue of that fact that He entered Heaven, having accomplished Salvation by the Sacri­fice of Himself. It was in that bloodless, glo­rified human body which is an eternal testi­mony that the debt of sin has been satisfied, that our Blessed Lord entered Heaven.
DEATH

The words “how much more” stress the in­comparable greatness of Christ and His Work for us. “The Blood of Christ” means Christ’s Death regarded as a sacrifice for sin. Though some have suggested that we should see in references to “the Blood” allusions to life rather than death, this does not seem soundly based. The word “Blood” points to death.
In this context “Blood” is not death in general but death seen as a sacrifice. Christ offered Himself in Sacrifice to God.
As well, the Sacrifice offered here, which was the spotless, pure, Perfect Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which means that He poured out His Life, in order that we might have life, was so effective, so grand, so total, so complete, that it will never have to be done again.
When Paul mentioned the red heifer in the previous Verse, and more specifically “the ashes of the heifer,” this cried aloud as did the expiring Savior, “It is finished!” For ashes tell of fire burned out never to burn again. It was done!
This is what makes it so bad for religious men to attempt to add something to the Fin­ished Work of Christ, or to take from that Work. Some of the Christian Jews attempted to add to that Finished Work by attempting to add the Law, which Paul adamantly re­fused to accept. In fact, this problem con­tinues unto this hour, with men attempting to add the Church to that Finished Work or Water Baptism, or good works of any na­ture, etc.
Others attempt to take from that Finished Work, by claiming that it is so effective, that we need not worry about sin, in other words, claiming that the Cross gives them license to sin. Paul addressed that by saying, “shall we sin that Grace may abound?” His an­swer was to the point:
“God forbid! How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom. 6:1-2).
THE ETERNAL SPIRIT

The phrase, “Who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God,” refers to the Holy Spirit. It speaks of the Ministry of the Holy Spirit at Calvary. Twice in this Chapter Paul has pointed out the Min­istry of the Holy Spirit as it relates to the Ministry of Christ.
In Verse 8, the Spirit used the Old Covenant as a means to point to the Redemptive Work of Christ that would make perfect access pos­sible into the Presence of God. Now, in Verse 14, the role that the Holy Spirit played in the offering of Jesus upon the Cross is un­folded. Jesus offered Himself through the Spirit. Consequently, I think one could say without fear of contradiction, that the Holy Spirit Personally had to grant permission before the Son of God could give His Life on the Cross.


The Blood of Jesus was spilled through the Eternal Spirit, in effect with the Spirit superintending every moment of this mo­ment of all moments. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one God; They are the Trinity, the Three in One. In the counsels of Heaven it was agreed by Al­mighty God — Father, Son, and Spirit — that Christ should become the Sacrifice for man’s sin. This means that all felt the pain of Cal­vary; all fully knew and understood the cost of redeeming mankind from sin. So again we will make the statement, “The Blood of Jesus was spilled through the Eternal Spirit.”
THE MANNER IN WHICH THE
HOLY SPIRIT WORKS


As a result of the Sacrifice of Christ, we find the Spirit not speaking of Himself, but pointing to Him Who died on Calvary’s Cross. The Spirit is ever glorifying, magnifying, and uplifting the Son of God. It is through the Spirit that we worship the Lord. In fact, the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit as we worship Him in truth and in spirit (Jn. 4:24; Rom. 8:16).
Not only are we told here that the Eternal Spirit superintended the great Sacrifice of Christ, but as well, the Scripture also says, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself” (II Cor. 5:19). As well, it was the Father Who gave His Son because of His love for mankind (Jn. 3:16); it was Christ Who offered Himself freely on the Cross; it was through the Spirit that He offered Himself without blemish. Thus, all three Persons of the Trinity were involved in our eternal Redemption.
When Christ came into this world, He came to do the Will of His Father. Christ’s Will was subject to the Will of God the Fa­ther and to the Will of the Holy Spirit, with there never being a conflicting spirit.
The Holy Spirit rested upon Him in power and anointing to carry out the Will of God. When Christ humbled Himself and took the form of a servant, when He became a man, He was filled, led, and motivated by the Spirit.
Christ was obedient even unto death. He subjected Himself to the Spirit’s leading in every detail, even to being driven into the wilderness of temptation by the Spirit. It was the Spirit Who led a willing Messiah to the Cross, that lost mankind might find Re­demption (Fjordbak).
THE REVELATION OF THE CROSS
When the Lord began to open up to me the Revelation of the Cross, He showed me as well, the manner and the way in which the Holy Spirit works.
First of all, He portrayed to me the true purpose and mission of Christ to this Earth, which was to die upon the Cross. That was His destination, His Purpose, actually, the very reason for the Incarnation, i.e., “God be­coming man.” While every aspect of Christ’s Person, Life, and Ministry was of extreme significance, everything and without excep­tion, pointed directly to the Cross. In other words, the Cross was His eternal destina­tion, with everything pushing toward that. In fact, all of this had been decided by the Godhead before the foundation of the world (I Pet. 1:18-20).
Consequently, He portrayed to me that ev­ery thought of Christ must in some way, be in connection with the Cross. To divorce Jesus from the Cross in any manner, is to present “another Jesus” which of course, cannot be acceptable to the Divine Spirit (II Cor. 11:4).
All of the prophecies of the past, all the predictions by the Seers of old, portrayed the Redeemer as giving Himself for the sins of man (Isa. Chpt. 53). The whole of the Sacri­ficial system of the Mosaic Law, ever pointed toward the eternal Sacrifice.
Consequently, the Lord told me that all Salvation has as its Source, the Cross of Christ. As well, from the Cross flows all Blessings, all Healing, all Prosperity, in fact, everything we receive from God. The Cross is the means by which the Grace of God is extended to undeserving man. This means as well, that to divorce Grace from the Cross, is to completely misunderstand Grace (Gal. 2:20-21).
The basis for my understanding of the Cross is Romans, Chapter 6. In fact, that’s where this Revelation began. The Lord began to open up to me the meaning of this tremen­dous Chapter, which explains what the Cross is all about, and how that it pertains to the



believing sinner upon coming to Christ. (Please see our Commentary on Romans.)
FAITH

As the Revelation continued, the Lord took me to the experience of Abraham as it regards Faith (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6).
He showed me that Abraham believed God, but more particularly, he believed what God would do as it regards the Redemption of humanity. God would send a Redeemer into this world, and Abraham was to have Faith in that exclusively. In fact, the Cov­enant that God made with Abraham is the foundation of the entirety of the Plan of Sal­vation for the human race.
As a result of this, the Holy Spirit showed me that my Faith must be the same as that of Abraham, meaning that it must be an­chored totally and completely in the Cross. The Cross must ever be the object of my Faith, understanding, as stated, that the Cross is the Source or the Means of all Bless­ings from God.
He also portrayed to me the error of much of the teaching on faith in the last several decades, and the reason for the error!
The faith which has been proclaimed and taught for the last several decades, has not been Faith in the Finished Work of Christ, not at all! It has been faith in other things, with the greatest claim being that it’s faith in the Word; however, let it ever be understood, if it’s not Faith squarely in the Cross of Christ, then it’s actually not faith in the Word, but something else altogether, despite the claims.
It is impossible to divorce the Word from the Cross, or the Cross from the Word. The Scripture plainly portrays Christ as the “Liv­ing Word” (Jn. 1:1).
It also tells us, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:14).
Now let it ever be understood, that the Word was made flesh for one reason, and that was to go to the Cross. This is proven by the next statement:
John said of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).
The Holy Spirit had John to use the appellative “Lamb” for one purpose, and that was to portray the Cross.
So, if we do not think of the Cross as in a sense being the Word, and the Word as in a sense being the Cross, we misunderstand the Word of God altogether. It can all be summed up in Jesus, but it must ever be understood that it is “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” (I Cor. 2:2).
To have Faith properly in the Word, one is at the same time having Faith in the Cross. And one might even say, that to have Faith in the Cross is to have Faith in the Word. As stated, the two cannot be divorced!
When one begins to understand the Cross, and as well, understanding that this is where our Faith is to ever be, the entirety of the Bible takes on a brand-new complexion. One sees the Cross on every page and in every act. The reason is, one now sees the Bible in the light of the Cross. The Word of God is that which tells us what was done, and the Cross is that which was done. In other words, the Word ever points to the Cross, as the Cross ever points to the Word. So, Faith must be under­stood in that capacity. It must ever be in Christ and what He did at the Cross on our behalf.
THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Lord then showed me that this is the manner in which the Holy Spirit works. In other words, He demands that we exhibit Faith at all times, in the great Finished Work of Christ. He actually doesn’t require much of us, but He definitely does require that. In fact, the Word emphatically states this:
Paul said, “The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2). Now let us briefly analyze that Scripture:
1.
The Law: The Word “Law” refers to that which is designed by God, which refers to the manner and means by which the Spirit works, and as well, means that He will not deviate from this way. Laws made by God will always function exactly in the manner in which they are designed. They have the power of Deity behind them, and will never be bro­ken by God. While man may break them, God never shall. And to be sure, if man breaks them, which he constantly does, he must suffer the consequences.

2.
The Spirit: Of course, this speaks of the Holy Spirit. This refers to the fact that




the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Godhead, works exclusively within the bound­aries, i.e., “the parameters,” of this particu­lar Law, which we will define momentarily.
3. Of Life: This “Life” comes through and is superintended by the Holy Spirit. It is ac­tually the Life of God in an uninterrupted flow coming to the Believer. This is what Jesus was speaking about when He said, “If any man thirsts, let him come unto Me, and drink.
“He that believeth on Me, as the Scrip­ture hath said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.”
John then quickly added, “But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive” (Jn. 7:37-39). This “Life,” which Jesus likened to “Living Water,” referring to its uninterrupted flow, is what makes this Christian experience different than anything else in the world. This is the “more abundant Life” promised by Christ (Jn. 10:10).
4. In Christ Jesus: This means that this “Law” is centered up in Christ, and more par­ticularly, what He did at the Cross on our behalf. The idea is, what Jesus did at the Cross makes everything possible that we re­ceive from God. This actually means that the Holy Spirit works entirely within the pa­rameters of the Finished Work of Christ, and that He will not work outside of those pa­rameters. That’s why He demands that we exhibit Faith totally and completely in the Cross of Christ. When this is done, He will do great and mighty things for us and with us. But without such Faith being registered at all times, His work will be very limited within our lives, for the simple reason that He will not break the Law.
REASONS FOR FAILURE

I want the Reader to read very carefully these next few paragraphs, because if properly un­derstood, many questions will be answered.
At this very moment, there are good Chris­tians who in their love for the Lord are wit­nessing daily in their efforts to win souls to Christ, and in fact, are winning souls to Christ. But yet, sin is dominating them in some fashion, and they do not understand how or why, especially considering that they love the Lord as much as they do, and are working tirelessly for Him!
As well, there are untold thousands of Preachers who are truly called of God, and are anointed by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel, which sees wonderful things done for the Lord in the realm of people being saved, etc. But yet, sin is dominating these Preach­ers in some way. In fact, such a scenario is almost endless.
There are untold thousands of Christians who eagerly seek Preachers who are being used of God, that they may lay hands on them, that God may move upon their hearts and lives. In fact, this is done constantly, with at times great manifestations following such as “healings,” etc.
But then these people find themselves continuing to fail spiritually, in other words, with sin dominating them, and they are left very confused.
Most of the modern Church not under­standing this, is very quick to claim, that is if the problems of these Preachers or people are found out, that they are not of God, etc. What they don’t seem to realize is, that if these people are not of God, then they aren’t either. Because if the truth is known, sin is dominating these faultfinders just as much as the others, if not more.
So how do we explain Christians truly be­ing used of God, and truly loving God with all their hearts, but at the same time failing in some way, as it regards some particular sin. In fact, these people, and their number is the vast majority of the modern Church, are living a life of sinning and repenting! Sinning and repenting! Sinning and repent­ing! Etc.
Many of them mistake forgiveness for de­liverance, when such is not the case at all.
FORGIVENESS IS NOT DELIVERANCE
While forgiveness is always available to ev­ery Child of God, with the Lord putting no limitation on that whatsoever, we are to never mistake forgiveness for deliverance (I Jn. 1:9).
Forgiveness is merely a restoration of fel­lowship which has been broken because of sin of some nature. And the Lord has always promised to do this if we will always confess our sin to Him. To be sure, He, exactly as He has stated, will always be faithful to forgive and cleanse.



Even though this is available to all Believ­ers, and thank God it is; still, “sinning and repenting” on a constant basis are not the Will of God, as should be obvious.
While the Bible does not teach sinless per­fection, it definitely does teach that “sin shall not have dominion over us” (Rom. 6:14). But the truth is, sin is dominating the hearts and lives of most Christians.
THE SIN NATURE

And when we say “sin,” we are actually speaking of “the sin.”
In Romans, Chapter 6, Paul explains all of this. In the original Greek, most of the time before the word “sin” it has what is re­ferred to as “the definite article.” In this case, it is “the,” as in “the sin” (Rom. 5:20-21; 6:1­2, 6-7, 10-14, 17-18, 20, 22-23, etc).
It’s amazing that some Preachers claim that Believers no longer have a sin nature, when it could hardly be clearer and plainer in Scrip­ture! However, the power of the sin nature is totally and completely broken within the heart and life of the Believer. In other words, it should cause no problem whatsoever; however, if the Believer doesn’t understand the veracity of the Cross, in other words, what Jesus did there for him, then it is certainly possible for the Christian to once again be controlled by the sin nature, which in fact millions are.
The sin nature dwells and reigns (rules) in all unbelievers. It definitely does dwell in Believers, but it’s not supposed to reign (rule).
Paul said, “Let not the sin therefore reign in your mortal body” (Rom. 6:12). Again, I want the Reader to understand that he is speaking here of “the sin.” This means, he’s not actually speaking of acts of sin, so much as he is speaking of the nature of sin. And if all of this weren’t possible, why would the Apostle say, “Let not the sin therefore reign . . .” He said it, because it definitely is pos­sible, and in fact, is happening right now in the majority of Christian’s lives.
THE REASON FOR THE
SIN NATURE RULING


A person coming to Christ doesn’t mean at all that Satan is not going to bother them again. In fact, every Christian is a target for Satan.
As well, just because God has called Be­lievers for certain particular things, even to Preach the Gospel, with them being used mightily, doesn’t mean that Satan will stop his efforts. Peter said:
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (I Pet. 4:12).
There is absolutely nothing that a Christian can do that will stop the attacks of Satan, but there is much that the Christian can do which will guarantee Satan’s defeat. In other words, you as a Believer do not have to yield to his advances, his temptations, his efforts, or any­thing that he does. The Scripture also says:
“Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I Jn. 4:4).
I DON’T UNDERSTAND!

Millions of Christians at this very moment, and I speak of those who truly love the Lord and are even being used of God, and some of them in a great way, in their hearts are say­ing, “I don’t understand!”
They’re saying this simply because they can­not seem to find victory in their own personal hearts and lives, which means, as stated, that sin is dominating them in some way. They have fought this thing, whatever it might be, in many and varied ways. They’ve tried to over­come by praying more, giving more money to the Work of God, getting more involved in the Work of God, fasting, or many other things that one might name. However, their prob­lem is not getting better, but rather worse.
Paul addressed this by saying:
“For that which I do I understand not”
(Rom. 7:15).
While the word “allow” is used by the King James translators, the actual Greek word which Paul used should have been translated “understand.”
Romans Chapter 7 proclaims Paul’s experi­ence not long after he was saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit. At that time, he didn’t understand the Victory of the Cross, so he tried to live for God in the same manner that most Christians try to live for God, which translates into one’s own strength and power, etc. In other words, to try to live this life without the help of the Holy Spirit, which is impossible.


Despite all of Paul’s efforts to the contrary, he found himself failing, and failing over and over again; hence him saying, “I don’t un­derstand.” And that’s the very condition of the majority of Christendom presently.
And once again, please understand, that I’m speaking of good Christians. These are people who love God, and in fact, are being used of God. They are trying so hard, but despite all of their efforts, they continue to fail in some way.
It doesn’t really make any difference that no one may know about their problem, God knows about the problem, and so do they. It is in fact, hurting them to no end, as sin al­ways does! And please understand, that it’s sin which we are talking about.
THE LAW

The Holy Spirit will definitely help any Believer do anything, providing He’s not called upon to break the Law. Now what do we mean by that?
Every one of these Christians of whom I speak are attempting to overcome their prob­lem, whatever it might be, in one of many ways. Millions have gone to their Pastor, con­fided in him, asking what they should do. Almost invariably, most Pastors, not actu­ally knowing the answer, will tell them one of several things:
“You must get more involved in the Church!” “You must get in the Altars!” “You must increase your Faith!” Or many at this present time, are referring them to a Psy­chologist. Actually, some large Churches have a Psychologist on their staff, or else there is a “Christian Psychologist” with whom they are acquainted, etc.
While the former advice will help a little, the latter will help not at all!
The tragedy is, most Preachers to whom the people go for help, are not walking in vic­tory themselves. And please understand that I do not say that sarcastically or unkindly. It just happens to be the truth!
What is wrong?
THE CROSS

God’s way is the Cross, and it is for every­one. That means that the same solution which He has for the Laity, He as well has for Preachers. There’s only one solution! And the Truth is, most Preachers do not have the slightest idea as to the part the Cross plays in our everyday living for God. Most of them know and understand that the Cross is im­portant as it involves our initial Salvation experience, but beyond that they have little or no knowledge.
Every single failure on the part of a Be­liever, and it doesn’t matter who that person is, or what type of failure it is, is brought about because of not understanding the victory found only in the Cross. As I’ve repeatedly stated, in the last half century, the Church has had almost no teaching on the Cross; conse­quently, one might say, and with saddened regret, the modern Church is Cross illiterate.
And then there’s the other problem of un­belief! Many in the modern Church simply do not believe the Cross holds the answer for the ills of man. They look to other things, mostly humanistic psychology. In fact, I think I can say almost without fear of con­tradiction, that any Preacher who recom­mends psychology, has simply lost faith in the Cross of Christ. While there certainly may be some few who have fallen into this trap because of ignorance of the Cross, I feel the vast majority are traveling that road of humanistic religion because of unbelief.
If the Believer will read carefully the pre­vious pages concerning the Cross, and be­lieve what he reads, asking the Lord to prop­erly reveal it to his heart, he will start down a road that will lead to the greatest life and living he’s ever known in all of his experi­ence in following Christ. This doesn’t mean that Satan will quit; however, it definitely does mean that sin will no longer have do­minion over you. It definitely does mean that you now will begin to enjoy this “more abun­dant life.”
The Scripture tells us, “The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits” (II Tim. 2:6).
That simply means, that I cannot tell you how to have victory in your life, if I haven’t first gained victory in my own personal life.
VICTORY
If there is anyone in this world that’s a perfect example, this Evangelist is. I know



what it is to be greatly used of God. I know what it is to love the Lord with all of your heart, and at the same time be failing Him, and not really knowing and understanding why, especially considering, that you’re try­ing so hard to do otherwise!
I also know what it is to be laughed at, ridiculed, with your name becoming a joke, and no one there to help. In fact, not only did most not try to help, but they even tried to hurt. So when I bring these things to you, I bring them from experience.
I’m sure the Believer understands, that the Christian doesn’t have a choice as to how Satan attacks him. Those things are decided by God (Job, Chpts. 1-2). Satan is allowed a certain amount of latitude, but thank God it is the Lord Who decides the degree of that latitude and not Satan himself.
As a Believer, and again, being mightily used of God to win untold thousands to Christ, I understood the Cross as it regarded our initial experience of Salvation, but I had no knowledge whatsoever as to the part the Cross plays in our everyday living for God. I didn’t know that the Cross was our source of victory. And regrettably, I didn’t know a single Preacher in those days who did, and don’t know many now who do. As I’ve stated, Satan has been very successful in pushing the Church away from its True Foundation. He’s been very subtle in his approach, mak­ing us think it was great faith that we needed, when in reality, what we were being taught about faith wasn’t even Scriptural. Of course, it should be obvious by now, I speak of the modern faith message.
And let the Reader understand, even as we’ve been attempting to explain in the last few pages, it really doesn’t matter how much you’re being used of God, if you don’t know God’s prescribed order of victory, you will suf­fer defeat. That means at this very moment, that most Preachers, even those who are pastoring the largest Churches, even those who are truly being used of God, for the most part, are not living victoriously themselves. Again, I state:
If the Believer, Preachers included, does not understand the Cross as it regards what Jesus there did on our behalf, and how it alone is the source of all things we receive from God, and how our Faith in the Cross gives latitude to the Holy Spirit to do His mighty work within our lives, that indi­vidual, irrespective as to whom he is, will live a life of spiritual failure. In other words, and as stated, sin will dominate him or her in some way.
And, considering that precious few pres­ently know and understand the “Word of the Cross,” this means that the vast majority of the Church is presently living far beneath what Christ has actually afforded for them. And to be sure, living beneath our spiritual privileges in Christ, does not merely fall out to us having to drive a Neon instead of a Cadillac, but it rather falls out to Satan domi­nating us with sin in some manner.
Regarding my own personal life, living for the Lord is now the most pleasant, the most wonderful, the most glorious life that one could ever lead, live, or have. Now, I person­ally know what Jesus was talking about when He said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abun­dantly” (Jn. 10:10). I now know what He meant when He said, “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest” (Mat. 11:28).
Having experienced both sides of this fence so to speak, and knowing the sorrow and heartache that an improper understand­ing of the Cross can mean in the life of a Christian, and as well, knowing exactly what it means as it regards all that Jesus did there, and our appropriating His great Life and Vic­tory unto us, and doing so by our Faith in His Finished Work, which gives one the con­stant help of the Holy Spirit, can I be blamed for doing everything within my power to re­veal to you what the Lord has revealed to me, and which is so obvious in His Word!
The Scripture plainly says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17).
The reason that the majority of the Church knows next to nothing about the Cross of Christ, is simply because, as stated, it has been little preached in these last several decades. And if a great truth is not preached, it’s im­possible for the people to have faith in that of which they do not know.
If this Commentary that you now hold in your hands could be read by the entirety of


the Church all over the world, and if it would be read with Faith, there isn’t a single Chris­tian who could not start down a road of total and complete victory. It remains only for them to know and believe.
That’s also the reason that I plead with you the Reader, to get as many copies of these Commentaries into the hands of other Be­lievers as possible, and especially Preachers. Please remember this:
The Cross is the answer to the ills of man­kind, and in fact, the only answer. That’s the reason that Paul said:
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14).
DEAD WORKS

The phrase, “Purge your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God,” is ex­actly what I’ve been trying to say in these last few pages. This fourteenth Verse, as the Holy Spirit gives it through Paul, plainly tells us that it is only the “Blood of Christ,” which will “purge the conscience,” which refers to taking away the guilt of sin, and then help us to “serve the Living God.” Clear and plain, this is exactly what I’ve been telling you in paragraph after paragraph.
Guilt comes about because of sin, of course, which is failure on our part. This puts the individual under condemnation. And regrettably, that’s where most Christians presently are, and because they have tried to bring about Salvation and victory through “dead works.”
Let the Reader understand, that Paul is speaking here to Believers. While this defi­nitely applies to the unsaved, still, he is ad­dressing himself to those who are already saved, but have drifted back into “dead works,” which is the problem that presently grips the modern Church.
What are “dead works”?

It is anything other than simple Faith in the Cross of Christ, i.e., “the Blood of Christ.” And when I say “anything,” I mean “anything.”
Do you the Reader understand, that it’s possible for the Believer to turn something as holy as prayer into “dead works”? or church attendance? or fasting? or the giving of money to the Work of the Lord? or manifestations of the Spirit?
All of these things I’ve mentioned, plus many we haven’t mentioned, are righteous and good within themselves, and will be a tremendous blessing to any Believer, and are things in which all true Christians will defi­nitely engage themselves; however, if we try to use these things to overcome sin, we turn them into “dead works,” which God can never recognize.
Now I ask the Reader, please don’t misun­derstand what I say. I’m not telling the Be­liever not to pray. If anything, I’m telling you to pray more. But it must be done in the right way.
Satan wants to drag every Believer down. And when I mention dragging the Believer down, I’m speaking of sin. He does everything within his power to get the Believer to fail God in some way. And if he can do that, he will then try to place the Believer in bondage to that thing, with the sin nature once again run­ning riot in the Believer’s life. In other words, and as previously stated, the sin nature will not only then dwell within the Believer, which it does in all, but it will also rule and reign in the Believer, which is a tragedy, but which is the case with most modern Believers.
If that is in fact the case, and it is with most, the Christian is then miserable. In fact, it cannot be any other way.
If you are to notice, some particular Preacher or person in whom great confidence is placed will fail the Lord, and many will say, “I don’t understand!” Or, “How could they have done that?” And please remember, for every one whose sin comes to light, there are scores of others in which the sin doesn’t come to light.
Or else, Satan may not choose to attack some Believers with one of the vices, but rather with sins such as “unforgiveness,” or “apathy,” etc. With others it is “fear” or “un­belief,” etc. Irrespective, that most Chris­tians don’t pay much attention to the latter, they are still sins in the Eyes of God, and will cause tremendous trouble and difficulty in the heart and life of the Believer.
The Cross answers to all sin, irrespective as to what it might be, and in fact, is the only answer for sin.



PRIDE AND HUMILITY

The one sin that is the most prevalent of all, is the sin of pride. Of course, this is the opposite of humility. But it is probably the sin that keeps more Believers from trusting in the Cross than anything else.
It’s difficult for Preachers to admit that what they’re doing is wrong, and I speak of a particular belief system. All Preachers, and I include myself, are like Abraham, who when told by the Lord that he had to give up Ishmael, wasn’t so very happy about doing so (Gen. 21:9-12).
Isaac and Ishmael symbolized the new and the old nature in the Believer. Sarah and Hagar typified the two covenants of grace and works, of liberty and bondage (Gal. Chpt. 4).
The birth of the new nature demands the expulsion of the old. It is impossible to im­prove the old nature. The Divine Way of Ho­liness is to “put off the old man” just as Abraham “put off” Ishmael. Man’s way of Holiness is to improve the “old man,” that is, to improve Ishmael. The effort is both foolish and hopeless.
Of course, the casting out of Ishmael was “very grievous in Abraham’s sight,” because it is always a struggle to cast out this ele­ment of bondage, that is, Salvation and vic­tory by works. For legalism is dear to the heart. Ishmael was the fruit, and to Abraham the fair fruit of his own energy and planning.
But the Epistle to the Galatians states that Hagar, the bondwoman, represents the cov­enant of the Law, and that her son represents all who are of “works of Law,” that is, of all who seek Righteousness on the principle of works of Righteousness.
But the bondwoman cannot bring forth a free man! The Son Alone makes free, and He makes free indeed. Sarah, the freewoman, symbolizes the covenant of grace and liberty.
WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Please allow me to say again that which I’ve just stated:
All who seek Righteousness on the prin­ciple of “works of righteousness,” will never achieve that for which they seek, but actu­ally the very opposite. While “works of righ­teousness” are very desirable in the hearts and lives of all Believers, those things in no way make us Righteous. Righteousness, i.e., Holiness, i.e., Victory, etc., can only be achieved by simple Faith in what Christ did on the Cross on our behalf. Simple Faith expressed in Him, and more particularly, in what He did for us, will guarantee all that the Saint needs, and more besides. But if we try to attain these things, as stated, by “works of righteousness,” we will fail every time.
And in the failing, we will be very con­fused. In the doing of spiritual things, we automatically think that we are “walking after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1); however, that is not the case at all.
“Walking after the Spirit,” as Paul de­scribed, is simply ordering our behavior in the manner of the Spirit, which is the manner of the Cross. Then we will walk in perpetual victory, enjoying all that Jesus has purchased for us at great price.
Don’t you the Reader understand and know, considering what Jesus did for us, and the tremendous price that He had to pay, that He certainly wants us to have all that He has done for us! Surely, you realize that!
And as well, don’t you think it saddens His heart, when we fall so far short of all this He has done for us! To be sure, it’s ours, but only by Faith, and only by Faith in what He did on the Tree nearly 2,000 years ago.
No! We’re not trying to put Jesus back on a Cross. In fact, at this moment, He is seated by the right Hand of the Father (Heb. 1:3), and in fact, spiritually speaking, we are seated with Him (Eph. 2:6).
Actually, the Cross is something which happened in the distant past, and which will never have to be repeated, and which has ben­efits that continue unto this hour, and in fact, will never be discontinued. It’s those ben­efits which we are to have, and that of which I speak!
TAKING UP THE CROSS DAILY

Jesus said, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Lk. 9:23).
Besides all the teaching of Paul, which incidentally the Holy Spirit gave to him, this one Verse quoted by Christ, proclaims the absolute necessity of the Cross as it involves


our daily living before the Lord. Unfortu­nately, most Christians completely misunder­stand this Verse. They don’t deny it, simply because it is undeniable. Jesus said it, and besides that, it is so clear and plain as to its intent, that it cannot be explained away. But as stated, most completely misunderstand what He has said here.
The understanding of the Cross as it re­gards the modern Church, is that of suffer­ing. In other words, they are thinking that Jesus is saying here that we must suffer, and do so, I suppose, on a daily basis. Of course, that’s not a very inviting prospect!
Whenever some Christian has to go through a terrible problem, other Christians will look at the situation and their response generally is, “That’s the cross they have to bear, and I pray the Lord never asks me to do that!”; or words to that effect.
While the Cross definitely did speak of suf­fering on the part of Christ, and suffering of such magnitude that it defies all description; however, where the Cross spoke death to Him, as it was intended to do, it speaks life to us. In fact, taking up the Cross daily is the most glo­rious, the most wonderful, the most life-giv­ing, the most fulfilling thing that one could ever do. Such is the source of all blessing, all help, all Grace, all Peace, all riches, all things which are good, etc. Christians should be running to take up the Cross, should be endeavoring to find out exactly how it is to be done, should be clamoring to engage themselves in this process, but because of er­roneous understanding, Christians want no part of the Cross. But, notice what Jesus said:
DENY OURSELVES

First of all, He tells us that if anyone is to follow Him, and that means “anyone,” they have to first of all “deny themselves.” What does that mean?
Jesus is not speaking of asceticism. As you know, asceticism is the denial of anything that is good, all pleasure, etc. So, the first misunderstanding occurs with the first com­mand of denying oneself.
Jesus is speaking instead of denying our­selves, as it regards denying our own strength and ability, our own power and personal ef­fort, concerning living this Christian life. In other words, He is telling us that it’s impos­sible for us to live as we ought to live, do as we ought to do, and be as we ought to be, within our own strength. We have to have the help of the Holy Spirit. That’s what He is saying! And now He will tell us exactly how we can have that help.
“Taking up the Cross,” merely refers to taking upon oneself all the benefits of what Jesus did there on our behalf, and understand­ing that the Cross is the source of all Salva­tion and Blessing. That’s the reason that I said that bearing the Cross is the greatest, most wonderful life that one could ever be­gin to live. Jesus paid a terrible price in order that we might have all the things which God desires to give us. This means that we can have nothing from God, but that Jesus made it possible through the Cross. Considering the great price that He paid, it stands to rea­son, as we’ve already stated some pages back, that He would want us to have these great benefits. And to be sure, we can only have them by understanding what the Cross actu­ally is, and what it actually means to us, even as Paul proclaims in Romans Chapter 6.
Again, we emphasize that the Cross made everything possible, and I speak of all the good things that God has given us through Christ Jesus. That’s the reason that Paul keeps say­ing “in Christ,” or “in Him,” etc. So, instead of running from the Cross, every Believer ought to run toward the Cross, for it is there that the fountain of all blessings flow.
DAILY
Now notice that He said to us, that the Cross must be taken up “daily!” Why did He say that?
Man has such a problem with pride, even the most ardent Believers, that we have to have constant reminders that all the Bless­ings we possess, are not at all of our own mak­ing, but rather come totally and completely from Christ, and more particularly, what He did at the Cross on our behalf. At the slight­est pretext, we are prone to look to ourselves, thinking that it’s our ability, our talent, our mental gymnastics, or whatever, that have brought upon us these Blessings. Or else we’ll begin to think that it’s “our Faith,” “our consecration,” “our dedication,” etc.



Satan doesn’t really too much care as to what we do or think, just so long as we take our eyes off of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.
So, the Lord desires that we begin each day with the understanding that our Faith must be freshened and renewed for that par­ticular day, which means that we put yester­day in the past, and not concern ourselves about tomorrow. Remember, that He told us to do just that:
“But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
“Take no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Mat. 6:33-34).
It’s like the Manna of old. The Israelites were given instructions to gather each day only enough for that particular day, because there would be a fresh supply the next day. This taught them trust and dependence on the Lord.
It is the same identical thing as to what Jesus says here. We are to take up the Cross daily.
In fact, this is where many Christians have problems. Many will come into the knowl­edge of the Cross, just as I pray that you the Reader are now beginning to do, with great joy filling your heart, and because of this foun­dational Truth of all truths, and then you’ll stub your toe, and wonder what went wrong?
What goes wrong is one of two things, or perhaps both:
1.
We do not take the admonition of Christ seriously enough about taking up the Cross daily; consequently, we little by little begin to trust in ourselves, instead of this which Jesus has done for us.

2.
All failure in any capacity is in some way a failure of Faith. And, I’m sure that the Reader can see how these two points are tied together as it regards Faith. Taking up the Cross daily refreshes our Faith, and above all, it secures it in the correct object, which is the Cross, and which is the most important part of our Faith.


SAVING OUR LIVES

To help us more fully understand this of which the Master is saying, He further adds:
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it” (Lk. 9:24).
In this Passage, Christ is merely saying, that all life is found in Him, and Him Alone, and more particularly, in what He did at the Cross on our behalf.
When He spoke about us saving our life, and thereby losing it, He is merely saying that if we try to find life in any way other than through and by His Cross, that no matter what we find, it will conclude by us losing life.
If instead, we give our life over to Him totally and completely, actually understand­ing that we were baptized into His Death when He died, were buried with Him, and raised with Him in newness of life (Rom. 6:3­5), we will in turn save our life.
The idea of all of this is, that all life is found exclusively in Christ, and more particularly, what He did at the Cross, all on our behalf. Jesus has always been God, but that fact alone could not save us. It is the Cross which made pos­sible the life of God being manifested in us. This is what Paul was talking about when he said:
“The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).
Once again, I emphasize the fact, that Christ is not speaking about suffering as He speaks here of the Cross, except in an indi­rect way. He is actually saying, that out of His great suffering, we can have life and have it more abundantly (Jn. 10:10).
ACTIVITY OR POSITION?

If one is to notice, all of this which Jesus says is not arrived at by activity on our part, but rather by position. And what do we mean by that?
Every Believer has a “position” in Christ. It is a position of relationship, which the Holy Spirit through Paul referred to as “sons.” Of course, “sons” is used for both men and women, as there is no gender in Christ, no male or female, all are one in Him.
We gain this position not at all by activity, and in fact, it cannot be gained by activity, but only by Faith.
Most Believers understand what I’ve just said, as it regards the initial Salvation expe­rience, knowing they were saved by Faith and


not by works (Eph. 2:8-9). However, when it comes to our daily living, which is what we are here discussing, most Christians resort to activity, thinking the activity will bring about a victorious life. It doesn’t! In fact, it has the very opposite effect!
What do I mean by activity?

We attempt to gain Righteousness or vic­tory, whatever term we would like to use, by “works of Righteousness.” In other words, by doing things for the Lord, we somehow think this will bring us out to a victorious life. It doesn’t!
While every Christian as previously stated, should definitely be engaged in “works of Righteousness,” we should ever understand, that this should be a result of our experience with Christ, and never a “cause.” In other words, no Christian can gain victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil, by engaging in “works of Righteousness,” as important as those works may actually be. Our victory is gained totally and completely by simple Faith in Jesus Christ, and what He did for us at the Cross, and exhibiting that Faith even on a daily basis, which we’ve already discussed. When we do this, and do it in this fashion, the Holy Spirit then helps us, which is the secret of all overcoming strength (Rom. 8:1-2, 11).
Concerning the Holy Spirit, Paul said:

“But if the Spirit (Holy Spirit) of Him (God the Father) that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He (God the Father) that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies (your present life) by His Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Rom. 8:11).
Most Christians read this Verse and think that Paul is speaking here of the coming Resurrection. No, he isn’t!
He is speaking of our living and our lives now. He is speaking of us walking in victory before the Lord, being daily overcomers, and telling us that the Spirit will do this thing in us, and do this thing for us, “quicken your mortal bodies,” etc.
But the Spirit will not do this if we attempt to bring it about by “works of Righteousness.” When we attempt to live our lives in this fash­ion, we have turned these works of Righ­teousness into efforts of the flesh. And, Paul also said, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8).
As Christians, we have the mistaken idea that our doing spiritual things means that it’s after the Spirit. It might be; however, if we’re doing these things in an attempt to be what we ought to be in Christ, then it ceases to be spiritual, and becomes “works,” and which we might quickly add, works in the wrong way, which constitute the flesh, which God can never bless.
We must go back to Romans 8:2, under­standing that our victory over the “law of sin and death,” is brought about entirely by our Faith in what Jesus did for us at the Cross. Again, I state, it’s called, “The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.”
So, our victory is not found in “activity,” but rather in “position,” and by that, I mean our position in Christ, which refers to what He did for us at the Cross.
SONS OR SERVANTS?
Paul said, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit (Holy Spirit) of His Son (made possible by what Jesus did at the Cross) into your hearts, crying Abba, Father.
“Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Gal. 4:6-7).
First of all, we know and understand, that every single Believer in the world, and no matter how weak or strong that Believer might be, is a “son in Christ.” This is made possible by what Christ did at the Cross and our Faith in Him.
However, the facts are, that even though every single Believer is a “Son,” with all of the inherent rights and privileges, still, most Believers are living instead like “servants.” And as should be readily obvious, there is a vast difference in a “servant” and a “Son.” And for emphasis, please allow me to add this:
We do not get to be a “Son” by earning the position, or as we have just discussed, by some sort of activity. We have this “position” sim­ply by Faith in what Christ has already done for us. So, why is it, that most Christians are living like servants instead?
If the Believer doesn’t know and under­stand the Cross of Christ, and that the Cross is the Source of all blessings, in other words, that the Cross made everything possible, then of necessity that particular Believer is going



to exist as a “servant,” even though he is a “Son.” And because most of the modern Church has little or no understanding at all about the Cross of Christ, most are living like servants. Consequently, they keep trying to earn their place and position, which is im­possible anyway, and beyond that, Christ has already done everything that is needed.
To live as a “Son,” which refers to having all the benefits and privileges for which Jesus paid such a price, we don’t have to do one single thing except simply trust in what He did at the Cross for us. And as stated, we must do this on a daily basis! Now why is that so hard?
It’s hard, even though it doesn’t have to be, simply because of unbelief.
For nearly 50 years (or longer), the Church has been taught “Salvation by faith” and “Vic­tory by works.” In fact, that’s the reason that Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galatians.
The Galatians had been saved under Paul, which means they had the benefit of the greatest teaching on the face of the Earth of that particular time. But after Paul founded these Churches, and then went on to other fields of labor, false teachers came in from Jerusalem, Christian Jews incidentally, who professed Christ, but as well taught that the Law must be kept, etc. This is what occa­sioned the Epistle to the Galatians, and one might quickly add, the most strident Epistle written by Paul. In other words, the Apostle was angry when he wrote the Epistle, simply because he knew if the Galatians believed this false doctrine, it would fall out to their ruin.
FALSE DOCTRINE

First of all, how in the world could any­one get people like the Galatians who had been brought in under such sound teach­ing, to forsake that teaching, and thereby believe error?
All false doctrine is instigated by demon spirits (II Cor. 11:13-15; Rev. 16:13-15). Consequently, this means there is power be­hind false doctrine. As well, all false doc­trine, will always appeal to some base inter­est within the heart and life of the individual. I speak of self-will, greed, love of position, etc. However, the appeal is made in a spiri­tual way, which makes it seem right.
Also, as it regards abandoning Faith in the Cross, and instead placing it in other things, there is something in the heart of every single Believer, which likes to “do religion.” It’s an evil thing, but strangely enough, it makes us feel holy.
Consequently, many Preachers will say, “Oh yes, I believe in the Cross, but I also be­lieve that we have to do. . . .” What they’re actually saying is, that they don’t believe in the Cross, but rather in their own “works,” whatever those works might be.
For instance, one Preacher speaking a few days ago with one of my associates said, “Yes, I believe in the Cross, but I also believe that every person has to be accountable.”
He was actually saying that he didn’t be­lieve in the Cross, but rather believed in some regimen cooked up by men, in whom the party in question must engage, and if he does such to their satisfaction, whatever it might be, then he is being “accountable,” and thereby accepted!
ACCOUNTABILITY

What is accountability?
That’s a good question, and would be an­swered in any number of ways by as many people. In fact, almost all Preachers would claim that accountability is doing what they tell you to do, which is seldom Scriptural, but some regimen, which we’ve already men­tioned, devised by themselves. And as well, the regimen changes with each Preacher, etc. As I’ve said before, men love to make rules and make other men obey them, and reli­gious men love to make rules most of all.
While such foolishness might be account­ability in their eyes, it is definitely not ac­countability in God’s eyes. And whom do we want to please? God or men?
Accountability is being accountable to the Word of God. Let me direct you to David.
The sweet singer of Israel in the one of the last Psalms he wrote, if not the last one, said: “For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from My God” (II Sam. 22:22). In fact, this is the 18th Psalm.
In reading a Commentary the other day, the writer commenting on this particular Verse as given by David said, “How could


David have said such a thing, considering the great sin he committed with Bathsheba?”
In the first place, David wasn’t merely giv­ing us his thoughts in the Psalms, but was rather writing as the Holy Spirit moved upon him to do so. This means that every single thing he said was absolutely right, and in fact, perfect. So, what did he mean?
In the first place, there is no human be­ing who has never sinned. However, it seems that some Christians conduct themselves as if some have sinned and some haven’t. No! “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God,” which means, that all are totally dependent upon the Grace of God, that is, if they are to be saved.
David wasn’t claiming that he had never sinned or anything of that nature. He was saying, that whatever had happened in his heart and life, with some of the things being very wicked and very negative, he had not failed to take them to the Lord. In other words, he had not wickedly departed from God in seeking solutions elsewhere. He took his terrible failures to the Lord, which is the only place they can be taken. That is ac­countability!
When you the Believer hear Preachers talk­ing about accountability, you should ask your­self the question as to what type of account­ability it is of which they are speaking. Are they speaking about accountability to God, or to rules and regulations made up out of their own minds?
We as Believers must always remember the following:
In all things, we must go God’s way. It may cost us something, but any other way will bring death. Dog and pony shows are for car­nivals. Christians shouldn’t engage in such.
THE COUNTERFEIT CHURCH

“I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the syna­gogue of Satan” (Rev. 2:9).
The conflict between the forces of good and evil in the world is evident on every hand. Every means and method are used by Satan, along with his angels and demon spirits, to frustrate and destroy God’s redemptive pro­gram (Job 1:7; Lk. 4:6; Acts 26:18; II Cor. 4:3-4; Eph. 6:12; II Thess. 2:9).
Satan’s most effective efforts have been made through imitation, half-truths, and counterfeits. Satan has counterfeits for all the good things of God. This means that there is in the world today a Counterfeit Church made up of people who are motivated by Satan. Sadly, this makes up the largest of that which we commonly refer to as “Church.”
Directing the Counterfeit Church are the false prophets and ministers who perpetuate a counterfeit religious program, with its se­ductively beautiful allurements — its ritual­istic appeal — its religion made up of works, without repentance or abandonment of sin, of which Jesus said, “Many there be which go in thereat” (Mat. 7:13; II Cor. 11:13-15).
It is a well-know fact that counterfeits and adulterations are difficult at times to detect, and many are deceived thereby. The Coun­terfeit Church propounds a kind of human­istic, rationalistic salvation, or at times even a Salvation of signs and wonders, which in effect, is a dependence on man himself for the attainment of the good life . . . etc. What­ever satisfaction he is to enjoy he must achieve by his ability to control the physical world about him, or through his manipula­tion of social forces which can thus be made to serve him, or an effort to force God into some so-called mode by a supposed, supe­rior faith, or by claiming God through signs and wonders, etc., all outside of the Cross.
Despite all the claims, despite the great re­ligiosity, despite the claims of faith, the Coun­terfeit Church is made up of people who serve and worship Satan. They do it very religiously, but we must remember, that Satan is a reli­gious being. So this means, that of all his ef­forts in the world to steal, kill, and to destroy, his greatest efforts are from inside the Church.
These people use the forms and terminol­ogy of the Church, and of course I speak of the True Church, but at the same time they “deny the power thereof” (II Tim. 3:5), which means to deny the power of the Cross, or else they claim great power, but once again it’s power outside of the Cross.
To be very frank, much, if not most, of the institutionalized Church is controlled by this group.
In fact, we can see these two lines, the True Church and the Counterfeit Church, running



through all the Ages. Actually, the two are so closely related, that it takes one thoroughly versed in the Word and led by the Spirit, to tell the difference at times. Jesus spoke of it as “wheat and tares” (Mat. 13:30).
CAIN AND ABEL

When Cain and Abel had their conflict, the Church came into full view for the first time. God’s Redemptive Plan implored the shed­ding of animal blood, which was typical of the “Lamb that was slain from the founda­tion of the world” (Rev. 13:8). By offering Blood Sacrifices as God had commanded, early Believers, and we speak of all those from Abel on, at least until Jesus came, testified and gave evidence of their Faith in God’s Redemptive provision. They expressed faith in Christ (Jehovah) and were thus saved. Favor with God has always hinged upon the sinner’s acceptance of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
That’s what the Text means regarding Jesus’ Baptism, when God said of Him, “Thou art My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased” (Mk. 1:11).
At the same time, this means that God is not pleased with any man, not one single solitary person, and that goes for all time. All were born in sin, and it is the sin that greatly displeases God. The only way the sin can be handled, is by one accepting Christ, and when this is done, because God is pleased with His Son, He is at the same time pleased with those who accept Him, but only then!
At the same time, that means that God has no satisfaction in our Church, Denomi­nations, good works, or anything of that na­ture, at least if we are engaging in these things, and in whatever capacity, thinking they are helping us to be drawn closer to God, etc. While these things in their own way are very important, and even very important with God, we as Believers must always keep first things first. It is Jesus Who is everything, and more particularly, what He did at the Cross on our behalf. At the same time, that means that nothing must be added to Him or taken from Him. To say it in a clearer way, it’s not Jesus and the Church, or Jesus and Water Baptism, or Jesus and speaking in other tongues, etc. It’s Jesus and Jesus Alone Who provides Salvation, and does so in every capacity.
When the Savior said, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me,” (Jn. 14:6), He clearly revealed that He had always been the channel through which sinners obtained fa­vor with the Father. Here the language of eternity is clearly revealed.
ABEL AND THE CHURCH

Here Abel represents the Church one might say. He brought an acceptable Blood Sacri­fice. Cain represents the Counterfeit Church. “Cain offered no firstling Sacrifice, but the first thing that came to hand, something or other that he had just found, or had raised such as vegetables, etc.”
Cain offered merely an expression of his dependence and thanksgiving, and this indeed a self-wrought production of his own strength. Thereby he became the prototype of all who dared to approach the Sanctuary of God with­out the shedding of Blood (Heb. 9:22).
CAIN AND RELIGION

It is evident that Cain was religious — he had a religion of the flesh, a self-willed wor­ship, a self-justified justification by works, and the insubordinate self-redemption which relies on itself and rejects substitution — this idealizing of one’s own power, this theology of the first murderer, this “faith” of the serpent’s seed (James 2:10); but on the other hand, note the “way of Abel” — the humble acknowledgement that sin demands death, the reliance of the guilty on the Sacrifice appointed by God Himself, the enduring of persecution for the sake of the eternal goal, the expectation of the triumphs of the Di­vine Redemption through the woman’s seed.
The highest perfecting of “Abel” is Christ . . . but the highest development of Cain is Antichrist and in him the self-deification of the curse-laden sinner (I Thess. 2:4).
MEMBERSHIP IN THE BODY OF CHRIST
Membership in the Church, i.e., “The Body of Christ,” has always been restricted to those who have appropriated the “Blood of Christ” by faith; whereas membership in the “Syna­gogue of Satan” (Rev. 2:9; Ex. 15:6; Isa. 30:1; Acts 13:10; Rom. 1:18; 9:22, etc.); i.e., the


Counterfeit Church, has been reserved for those who reject Christ (Jesus) as Lord and Savior, which means to reject the Cross. Many attempt to accept Christ without the Cross, but such is not to be. Paul referred to such as
“another Jesus, another spirit, another gos­pel” (II Cor. 11:4).
Man is automatically a member of the Counterfeit Church who defaults regarding Christ, even as did some of the Christian Jews of Paul’s day, necessitating him writing the Epistle to the Hebrews, and of course many others as well down through the ages, and/ or rejecting the redemptive provision made by God “from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8; Acts 2:23, 25; I Pet. 1:18-20).
THE COUNTERFEIT CHURCH

The Counterfeit Church goes under quite a number of names in the Bible. It is referred to as the “Synagogue of Satan” (Rev. 2:9), “an angel of light” (II Cor. 11:14-15), “those who have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof” (II Tim. 3:5), “the fallen from Grace” (Gal. 5:4), “those who depart from the Faith” (I Tim. 4:1), “the rejecters of sound doctrine” (II Tim. 4:3), “the evil congrega­tion” (Num. 14:27-37), “the assembly of the wicked” (Ps. 22:16).
If it is to be noticed, all of these people claim to know God, with many even claim­ing to follow Jesus, with all claiming to be saved, whatever is the definition they put upon that word.
PARALLEL COURSES

The True Church and the Counterfeit Church have always held parallel courses, and at times the Counterfeit Church is found within the Church, but never of it. Repre­senting these two institutions in history, even up to this present hour, are the witnesses — the true and the false.
For instance, in Jesus’ day, the Church was no longer represented by the Temple lead­ers, the formal administrators of the reli­gious affairs, the Priests, etc., even though they possessed the key to the Temple pre­cincts, despite all of this, they were imposters and counterfeits. They were “of the Syna­gogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie” (Rev. 3:9). Of course, as is perfectly known, they crucified the Lord of Glory.
It is evident that God has never been de­pendent upon any visible ecclesiastical orga­nization for preserving the Redemptive Plan. At times down through history, the Church has been temporarily forced underground while the Counterfeit Church took over, but irrespective of that, God has always had His witnesses in every Age and dispensation.
CHARACTER AND REPUTATION
As someone has well said, “Reputation is what people think you are, while character is what God knows you are.”
If one is to notice, the religious leader­ship of Jesus’ day, had impeccable reputations over Israel, but yet, their characters were evil and wicked, so evil and wicked in fact, that they would crucify their own Messiah, the Lord of Glory. So how is such to be judged? To be frank, untold millions have died with­out God and gone to Hell, simply because they judged wrongly. In other words, they put their faith in a particular Church, a Preacher, a Denomination, etc. Or most of all, they listened to what so-called religious leaders told them, believed it, and died lost.
Knowing that Satan does his greatest work from inside the Church, and knowing that he is a master at making people believe some­thing which isn’t really true, Jesus gave us the example that must be followed as it re­gards True Apostles and false apostles. Lis­ten to what He said:
“Beware of false Prophets (Apostles), which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” In other words, these people look the part and even sound the part, but inwardly they are any­thing but that which they claim.
The Master then said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Mat. 7:15-16).
First of all, let’s notice what He didn’t say:
He didn’t say that we would know because they were elected to some official office in some religious Denomination. He didn’t say we would know them because they pastor a big Church, or draw large crowds. He didn’t say that we would know them because they are talented or have great ability. He didn’t say we would know them because they perform



signs and wonders. But rather, He said we would know them by their “fruits.”
FRUIT

When Jesus used the word “fruit,” He was using it as a metaphor, which refers to an ob­ject or happening that explains something else.
In the New Testament, as in the Old, meta­phorical uses predominate. This is particu­larly true in the Gospels, where human ac­tions and words are viewed as fruit growing out of a person’s essential being or character.
One example of this is found in the preach­ing of John the Baptist (summarized in Mat. Chpt. 3 and Lk. Chpt. 3). John called for re­pentance and insisted that any inner change produce fruit as evidence of its reality.
Matthew Chapter 7 and Luke Chapter 6, even as we are here addressing, report Jesus’ explanation to His followers that true char­acter is recognized in a person’s acts. “The good man brings forth things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart” (Lk. 6:45; repeated almost identi­cally in Mat. 12:35). A parallel passage, Mat. 12:33-37, expands on this theme.
It is in the Gospel of John, and the Epistles of Paul that the concept of fruitfulness shifts from that of the product of character to the product of God’s work within us.
In John 15:1-16, Jesus takes the image of the vine, with God as Gardener, from Isaiah. We Believers are carefully tended by the Fa­ther, pruned, and cared for that we may “bear much fruit.” Fruitfulness is possible, He said, if we remain in Him and His words remain in us.
The point Jesus makes is that fruitfulness is rooted in our personal relationship with Him, and our personal relationship with Him is maintained by living His words: “If you obey My commands you will remain in My love” (Jn. 15:10).
God has chosen us. It is His intention that we be fruitful. It is for this reason that He has given us the most intimate of relation­ships and Jesus’ Own words to guide us, and it is our responsibility to walk in close fel­lowship with our Lord, which we can only do by expressing constant faith in the Cross of Christ and what Jesus did there, which has a constant bearing upon our everyday living (Rom. 6:3-5; 8:1-2, 11).
The Seventh Chapter of Romans which describes Paul’s personal experience after coming to Christ, explains that human ac­tions are energized from one of two sources. We can, on the one hand, be energized by our sinful nature; but when we are, we produce “fruit for death.” Or we can be energized by the Holy Spirit. When we are controlled by the Spirit, we bear “fruit to God.”
But we must ever remember, that the Holy Spirit works within our hearts and lives on one premise, and one premise alone! He demands that we exhibit Faith in the Cross of Christ at all times, understanding that all blessings, all good things, all power, strength, grace, glory, and peace, come exclusively from God by this source. When we exhibit faith in this man­ner, the Holy Spirit then works on our behalf, producing the fruit within our lives which only He can produce (Rom. 8:1-2; Gal. 5:22-23).
In fact, we can only be controlled by the Holy Spirit in this fashion. If we try to get close to God, or maintain our walk with God, through any other manner, and no matter how serious or dedicated we might be, we will fail, simply because the Holy Spirit will not help us in those endeavors. Remember what we said sometime back:
God is pleased only with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and of course what Christ did, which refers to the Cross. If we are in Him, which every Christian is, maintaining our Faith and confidence in His Finished Work, then the Holy Spirit will grandly help us. If we step outside of the Finished Work of Christ, although continuing to be Christians, we will then find ourselves “walking after the flesh,” which will bring forth sin and death, because we’re depending on ourselves. And because we are in fact depending on ourselves, the Holy Spirit at that stage will not help us. Always remember the following:
Every Christian must understand, that everything comes to Him through the Cross of Christ.
Understanding that, every Christian must maintain his Faith in the great Sacrifice of Christ at all times, never allowing his Faith to be removed to any other object, no matter how good that other object may seem to be.


When we do this, and continue to do this, with Faith as our essential ingredient, and the Cross of Christ as its ultimate destina­tion, the Holy Spirit, Whom we must have within our lives in order to live what we ought to live and be what we ought to be, then will work mightily upon our behalf, but if we step outside of these parameters, which is where most of the Church is presently, the Holy Spirit, although remaining, simply will not help, because if He did in such a circum­stance, He would be breaking the Law, and that He will not do (Rom. 8:2).
THE FRUIT OF THE SIN NATURE AND
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT


Galatians 5:16-26 defines the fruit of sin­ful human nature and the fruit of the Spirit energized nature. It is striking that the fruit God seeks, as defined here, is exactly the fruit sought in His Old Testament Believers! Bad fruit, the acts of the sinful nature, are “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idola­try and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like” (Gal. 5:19-21).
As we’ve already said, let the Reader un­derstand, that Paul is speaking here of Chris­tians. In other words, if the Christian doesn’t follow the Word of God as he ought to as it regards the Cross of Christ, the works of the flesh will begin to manifest themselves in his heart and life, just as they did before he came to Christ. In fact, it cannot be any other way. And due to the fact that this is so very seri­ous, please allow us to state the case again:
The only way that the “Fruit of the Spirit” can be born out in the heart and life of the Believer, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23), is that the Believer understand at all times, that these things come exclusively by the Spirit. In other words, there is no way that you as a human being, and no matter how conse­crated to God you might be, can bring about these things within your own heart and life by your own machinations. It simply can­not be done.
And how does the Holy Spirit do these things in our lives?
He only requires one thing of us, and that is that we exhibit Faith in the Cross of Christ at all times. This is explained to us in Ro­mans 6:3-5, where we are informed as to what happened to us when we got saved. We were literally baptized into the death of Christ, referring to His Crucifixion; we were buried with Him, meaning that the whole sordid mess of our past life before Christ was good for nothing, except to be buried, and then we rose with Him in newness of life.
Now this is what happened to us in the Mind of God, when we exhibited Faith in Christ and His Finished Work, when we were initially saved.
We will then continue to live this resur­rection life, which is the most glorious life in the world, providing that we continue to understand that “we have been planted to­gether in the likeness of His death” (Rom. 6:5). Let’s say it again:
We cannot have and walk in “the likeness of His Resurrection,” which means to enjoy all the victory that He there purchased for us, unless at all times, we understand and realize, that all of this has come to pass be­cause “we have been planted together in the likeness of His death.” We are Resurrection people with all its attendant blessings, only if we continue to understand that we are as well “Crucifixion people.” The Resurrection must never be placed ahead of the Cross, and the Cross must never be forgotten in the least, as we survey the wondrous blessings which He affords us at all times. We must remem­ber, that all of these wonderful things didn’t come about because of the Resurrection, but because of the Crucifixion, and our being in that Crucifixion by Faith. That’s why Paul strongly said, “But God forbid that I should glory (boast) save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14).
Understanding our death, burial, and res­urrection in Him, and always in Him, we must at all times “reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin (dead unto the sin na­ture), but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:11).
Understanding this, and continuing our Faith in this direction, and I speak of the di­rection of the Cross, the sin nature will never



dominate us any more, and the fruit of the Spirit will always be developed within our hearts and lives.
The fruit of that is, “sin shall not have do­minion over you: for you are not under the law (the law has no more claim on you), but under Grace (due to what Jesus did for you at the Cross, which is the source of all Grace)” (Rom. 6:14).
Once our Faith is properly placed in the Cross, and it remains in the Cross, under­standing that the Cross is the Source of all blessings, then it is guaranteed that proper fruit will result. Otherwise, it will be “works of the flesh.”
THE TRUE CHURCH

To shorten these theological statements down to simple terms where we all can un­derstand it, it simply means that the Cross of Christ is the dividing line between the True Church and the Apostate Church, i.e., “Coun­terfeit Church.”
In fact, it has always been that way, but is going to be and is more prominent now than ever. As one views the Cross, whether posi­tive or negative, accordingly will one be a part of whichever Church.
THE LAMB OF GOD

When John introduced our Lord as “The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29), he introduced “The Lamb” Who had been “taking away the sin of the world” from the beginning of time. In certain historical periods “the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints” (Jude vs. 3) has been hard pressed, but God has never been without a witness. At times “The Faith” has made tactical retreats and has taken its abode with small groups and sects, but it has always revived and flowered into revival movements in many localities.
In the religious world, the ideal has at times been lost as far as the visible outline was con­cerned, even as the Church more and more apostatized, but it continued to “glow” in the hearts and minds of the common people. So it has been with “The Faith” throughout the history of Redemption.
The entire ecclesiastical hierarchy of Pharisee-Sadducee Judaism of our Savior’s day stands condemned before God. Profess­ing themselves to be servants of God, they were instead the disciples of death. Instead of accepting Christ (Jehovah), now in the Person of Jesus, they rejected Him — the “Chief Corner Stone” (Acts 4:10-12). Instead of being truly in “the Church,” which is achieved by making Christ one’s Lord and Savior, these counterfeits served the “Syna­gogue of Satan” (Rev. 2:9).
A further inquiry might be made relative to the identity of these apostles of evil. Did Christ call them by name? The Gospels bear witness to the fact that the servants of Satan were none other than the Scribes (Pastors), the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Chief Priests, the Elders, and the Rulers who were in charge of the religious program of Israel. In other parts of the Scriptures they are re­ferred to as the “congregation of evildoers” (Ps. 26:5), “congregation of hypocrites,” “assembly of the wicked” (Ps. 22:16). Jesus said of them, “Ye are of your father the Devil” (Jn. 8:44; Jer. 15:17; Ezek. 2:3; 5:6, etc.).
Their interest in the Work of God was lim­ited to the extent to which they could use it as a cloak behind which to hide their wicked and corrupt activities. Sin, to them, became a lucrative business. The poor were oppressed and driven into slavery; dishonest trading and exacting bribes were the order of the day; public and private virtue were almost un­known; the courts of justice were notorious; immoralities were practiced without shame or compunction. The appetites of the greedy Temple authorities were such that they made the House of God “a den of thieves” (Mat. 21:13; Chpt. 23).
This is why Jesus said of Israel, “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Mat. 9:36).
Through faith the “congregation of the Saints” (Ps. 89:5), i.e., “The Church,” stood up under every form of persecution and abuse at the hands of these “children of the Devil” (I Jn. 3:10), i.e., the Counterfeit Church. The faithful Believers were subjected to every dis­grace and indignity known to man (Heb. 11:37-40). These accusations were further established by the witness of Christ.


CONDEMNATION

In addressing the Scribes and Pharisees in Jerusalem, Jesus calls to mind the fact that Isaiah had pronounced condemnation upon the religious leaders of his day. Our Lord then applies this condemnation to their de­scendants: “this people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doc­trines the commandments of men” (Mat. 15:8-9).
Isaiah referred to this group as an “abomi­nable branch” (Isa. 14:19); “rebellious chil­dren” (Isa. 30:1, 9). Teaching humanistic theories instead of Divine Truth has always been characteristic of the Counterfeit Church.
One need only look at much of the modern Church to perceive the counterpart of that which Isaiah spoke. The modern Church pro­claims humanistic psychology as the answer to the ills of man, which is a vote of no con­fidence as it regards the Cross of Christ. It can be concluded as nothing else other than “humanistic theories instead of Divine Truth.”
THE SPIRITUALLY BLIND

Jesus advised the people to ignore the Temple authorities because they did not pos­sess spiritual faculties with which to discern spiritual issues, that’s why they hated Him so readily.
Jesus said: “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Mat. 15:14).
Certainly no blind man wants another blind man to lead him across the street, or any­where for that matter, nor does a sinner care to have another sinner lead him into the way of Salvation, which of course is impossible.
And let me quickly say, any Preacher pres­ently, who attempts to lead people to Christ other than by the Way of the Cross, or at­tempts to lead them into victory after they are saved, other than by the Way of the Cross, is none other than spiritually blind. He cannot lead anyone anywhere, because he doesn’t know the way. He doesn’t know the way, be­cause he hasn’t found the way himself. So how can he lead others?
HYPOCRITES
On another occasion, the Pharisees and Sadducees came to tempt Jesus with their fool­ish questions, whereupon Jesus called them “hypocrites” (Mat. 16:1-3). This is also a fit­ting appellative for members of the Counter­feit Church presently.
The “hypocrisy” of which Jesus men­tioned here, was not so much the putting on of one face while being another, even though it did include that, but rather spoke of these so-called religious leaders leading people in a wrong direction. In other words, they claimed to know the Way of God, while all the time pointing in another direction.
How similar that is with the modern Church. In fact, all Churches claim to know the way; however, it should be obvious, that with so many pointing in different directions, that all of these directions cannot be correct. In fact, there is only one right direction, and that is “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” (I Cor. 2:2). That’s why Paul said, “we preach Christ crucified” (I Cor. 1:23).
That means “Christ Crucified” for all people, all situations, and all circumstances. What is your Pastor preaching?
WARNINGS
Jesus warned the people then about the religious leaders: “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Mat. 16:6). By leaven, Christ meant the poisonous humanistic command­ments of men as against the Doctrines of God. As leaven has a tendency to permeate the dough, so this poison was in danger of spread­ing completely among the people.
Any error believed by any Christian, if not ultimately removed, will ultimately take over the whole, until that’s all that is left. And that’s the shape of most of the modern Church.
Jesus warned the Israelites of his day against listening to these religious leaders, and I am doing the same here.
Why are you associated with your present Church?
If it’s for any other reason than the Word being preached without fear or compromise behind the pulpit, accompanied by a moving and operation of the Holy Spirit, then you are attending for all the wrong reasons.



There aren’t many good Churches, which means there aren’t many Godly Preachers. There are a few, but not many! And where you go to Church is of extreme importance. If you’re hearing wrong doctrine, it will ulti­mately take effect within your heart and life, bringing forth negative results.
The great problem with this is, false doc­trine carries with it deception, which carries with it a spirit of darkness, which is some­what like placing a person in prison, mentally and spiritually. Only the Power of God can get them out of such a situation, hence the reason that many never make it out of that darkness, even as they didn’t in Jesus’ day.
THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST

As evidence of corruption and perversion within the ranks of the Priests and Elders of Jesus’ day, attention is called to the way in which they challenged the authority of Christ (Mat. 21:23). The fact that they did not rec­ognize the Savior as the Son of God evidences their ignorance of the Father (Jn. 8:19).
At the present time, it’s not so much a di­rect challenging of the authority of Christ, as it is the authority of the Cross as the means by which all things come to us from God. This is the great problem presently!
The modern Church has drifted so far away from the Cross, that it anymore little knows its place and position in Christ. For one can only know that place and position according to the Cross of Christ, and our Faith in that Finished Work (Rom. 6:3-5, 11, 14).
DEMON POWERS

The demon-possessed nature of these leaders in Israel is further evidenced in the effort of the Chief Priests and Pharisees to lay hands on the Savior in order to harm Him.
Let the Reader understand, that all false doctrine is instigated by demon spirits. That’s the reason that deception has such a power be­hind it, even as we’ve already briefly mentioned.
To whatever degree false doctrine perme­ates the heart and life of a Believer, to that degree will demon spirits have some control. No, that doesn’t mean the Believer is demon-possessed, for a Believer cannot be demon-possessed; however, they can definitely be de­mon controlled to a certain extent.
All of this comes about in works of the flesh, even as we’ve already discussed (Gal. 5:19-21).
In facing this problem, and incidentally a problem which definitely exists, and exists abundantly so, many Preachers have advo­cated that hands be laid on individuals with these particular demons “cast out” or “re­buked,” etc. As stated, while demon spirits are definitely involved in the hearts and lives of many Believers, the laying on of hands under those circumstances is not the answer.
Even if the spirit is rebuked, due to the fact that the person does not know the Truth, the spirit will be back very shortly with the roller coaster ride spiritually speaking, continuing.

The answer is telling the individual the reason for their problem, which allows evil spirits to operate within their lives, which is faith and dependence in something else other than the Cross of Christ. Whenever the Be­liever begins to trust and believe in what Jesus did for him at the Cross, continuing to believe that on a daily basis, even which Jesus demanded (Lk. 9:23-24), the Holy Spirit will then begin to work mightily within the Believer’s life, and victory will be his. That’s what Paul was talking about when he men­tioned, “walking after the Spirit.”
To be sure, if one “walks after the flesh,” one is going to suffer the penalty of “the law of sin and death,” which always falls out to works of the flesh (Rom. 8:1-2).
SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS

In order to further evaluate the status of the Temple authorities, the following facts must be considered:
Jesus called the Scribes and Pharisees a stumbling block to the Kingdom of Heaven; they refused to go in, and they prevented oth­ers from doing so as well (Mat. 23:13).
The Scribes and Pharisees devoured wid­ows’ houses (literally robbed the widow of her home and living) and then hid behind long sanctimonious prayers in public places (Mat. 23:14).
Their modern counterparts do the same identical thing under the guise of “faith,” in other words, if you’ll give so much money, all of your bills will be paid at the end of six months, or some such foolishness. Others


claim, that “money” is that which brings glory to God. There seems to be enough greed in all of us to fall for this bait, and bait it is!
The only ones who get rich in this mod­ern scheme are the Preachers, and their gains are obtained in the most perfidious way pos­sible. In other words, they do the same iden­tical thing as the Pharisees of old, by rob­bing the poor under the guise of faith.
While God definitely does bless people and bless abundantly, and while all Believers should give generously to Him, and while the poorest should most definitely give as well, for that is the secret of their Blessing, still it must always be done with a right motive. To give only to get, is unscriptural, and will not bring any rewards of any nature, but will only seek to separate the person from their money, and as well push them further away from God, by causing them to place their hopes in money instead of the Lord. Paul said that we must give to “prove the sincerity of our love” (II Cor. 8:8).
The Pharisees took great pains to convert the heathen to their way of life and then “to make him twofold more the child of Hell” than they already were (Mat. 23:15). And this is exactly what happens to most people who join modern Churches.
The Pharisees were referred to by Christ as fools who pervert God’s Word by their false teachings regarding the Temple and the Altar, and many other such things (Mat. 23:16-18).
The Pharisees, intoxicated with their own self-righteousness, boasted: “If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets” (Mat. 23:30). But Jesus counters their claim: “Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the Prophets” (Mat. 23:31). By their acts, their deeds, and attitudes, they wit­nessed to their true nature. Jesus then called them “serpents and vipers,” the key symbol of sin, and asked the question that cannot be answered: “How can ye escape the damna­tion of Hell?” (Mat. 23:33).
Jesus next described prophetically the per­secution and murder to which they would give themselves in their conflict with God’s righteous forces (Mat. 23:34). In fact, the
Master gave the Scribes and Pharisees a pre­view of their future wickedness: “Behold, I send unto you Prophets, and wise men, and Scribes: and some of them ye have killed and crucified: and some of them ye shall scourge in your Synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the Earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the Temple and the Altar” (Mat. 23:34-35).
Paul gives a vivid description of the hor­rible treatment received by the Saints at the hand of the Counterfeit Church apostles: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wan­dered about in sheep skins and goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) (Acts 4:1­3; 15:18, 21; Heb. 11:37-38).
Finally the Chief Priests, Scribes, and El­ders mocked him as He died on the Cross (Mat. 27:42).
In a final consideration of the religious lead­ers of Israel, it can be pointed out that their rejection of Christ evidenced the fact that they did not know the Father and that the love of God was not in their hearts (Jn. 8:19).
While the leaders made much over their faith in Moses, still our Lord told them that they stood condemned in the presence of Moses (Jn. 5:45-46). If they had been the true spiritual descendants of Moses, they would have accepted Christ as the Messiah. He said to them: “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me for he wrote of Me” (Jn. 5:46).
These Religious Leaders continued to boast that they had “one Father, even God” (Jn. 8:41), but the Master said to them: “If God were your Father, ye would love Me; for I proceeded forth and came from God, nei­ther came I of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Even because you cannot hear My Word” (Jn. 8:42­43; Mat. 11:27).
MODERN COUNTERPARTS
In a final address, Jesus drove His indict­ment home. Says He: “You are of your fa­ther the Devil, and the lust of your father you



will do. He was a murderer from the begin­ning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him” (Jn. 8:44).
As well, it must be remembered, that these people were very, very religious. They could quote much of the Law by memory. In fact, they were hair splitters on the letter of the Law. Yet they stood slamming Heaven’s doors in sinner’s faces.
Jesus said, “Ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men. Woe unto you. . . .”
While their adornings were likewise at­tractive as “shining brightly” even while their hearts were full of dead men’s bones — gos­siping, killing with a dagger-tongue dipped in slime of slander, and writing the death warrant. Jesus called it “hypocrisy and in­iquity” even though practiced by the chief religionist of that day.
This certainly is a very serious indictment of those who were clad in ecclesiastical garb, and it is well to note that Jesus does not once recognize or identify the fleshly descendants of Abraham as the “Israel of God” (Rom. 2:28-29; Gal. 6:16).
Their modern counterparts flourish pretty much in the same manner. While most people do not presently know this of which I say, even as the people of Jesus’ day did not know or realize how wicked their religious leaders were as well. As stated, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, had impeccable reputa­tions over Israel, but their characters were as evil as evil could be. Please allow me to state this fact again: “Reputation is what people think you are, while character is what God knows you are.”
The great wickedness of this hour, and I speak of the present day in which we live, is not the dope-dealers and liquor distillers, or even the gambling interests, as wicked and vile as those things might be. The greatest wickedness of all is “spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). I speak of many of the religious leaders of this nation, and around the world, who are leading people astray by their man-devised rules which have no Scriptural foundation. In other words, whichever way it is looked at, and by what­ever degree it is judged, the conclusion is an abrogation of the Cross of Christ. And let me hurriedly state the following as well:
The same murderous spirit that was in the Pharisees and Sadducees of old is in their modern counterparts. The only difference is, those of Jesus’ day, had more latitude un­der the Law to do physical harm than at the present. Still, those of the present day, even though not allowed to murder one physically, still do all within their power to steal, kill, and destroy, with gossip, innuendo, slander, anything to destroy the reputation of those whom they do not like.
Even though most of the laity would not be aware of these things, even as they were not aware in the time of Christ, still the fact remains that this situation is grossly prevalent.
These religious leaders, and I speak of the leaders of most modern Denominations, have little regard for souls, little regard for lives being changed, their one interest being place, position, and money. I realize that’s strong, but it’s not nearly as strong as that which Jesus said, as he referred to these as “snakes, vipers, hypocrites,” etc. (Mat. Chpt. 23). Paul referred to them as well as “dogs” (Phil. 3:2).
It’s also a known fact, if the so-called reli­gious leaders advocate a certain way, most of the people will follow, no matter how wrong it might be. Again, it was the same in Jesus’ day. Despite the miracles and healings which He performed, and which make any modern ministry seem to be small by com­parison, that particular rule held. And why did it hold?
In Jesus’ day, if the people followed Him, they were threatened with excommunication from the Synagogue (Jn. 9:22), which threat­ened every part of their livelihood. In other words, most put in this position, lost their employment, plus they were evicted from the places where they were living, and forsaken by their family. Their modern counterparts do the same!
If modern Preachers, at least in most Pen­tecostal Denominations, violate the man-de­vised rules of the Denomination, they will not only be drummed out of that particular Denomination, but every effort will be made to hinder and hurt the person even though they are no longer associated with that group. The law of the land prevents physical harm, but were that not the case, and to be sure,


many modern religious leaders, would actu­ally murder those with whom they do not agree. Let me take it a step farther:
If the law of the land allowed, and that’s what makes the separation of Church and State a God-given blessing, many modern religious leaders, would shut the doors of every single Church in the nation with whom they did not agree, stop every single Preach­ers from preaching over Television or Radio, or anywhere for that matter, with whom they did not agree or approve. Let me say it again:
The spirit of false doctrine incorporates itself in the spirit of the person, which falls out to the spirit of murder. And let the Reader understand, that the Commandment which says “Thou shalt not kill,” carries with it the meaning not only of the taking of one’s life, but the destroying of one’s reputation by gossip and slander as well! This is always a characteristic of the Counterfeit Church.
TRUE DOCTRINE AND FALSE DOCTRINE
While it’s perfectly proper for the Preacher of the Gospel, and even demanded of him, that he point out false doctrine, at the same time, he is not to denigrate the person preach­ing the false doctrine. Some people confuse the two. They think opposition to false doc­trine is opposition to the person. It isn’t!
Every true Preacher of the Word is com­manded by the Lord to be a “watchman” (Isa. 21:11; Ezek. 3:17). This means that false doc­trine must be pointed out; however, there must not be any animosity against the one who holds to false doctrine. In fact, every effort must be made to get these individuals, whomever they might be, back to that which is right. And speaking disparagingly of their person will not render too very much help regarding that.
However, as well, if it is to be noticed, those who are engaged in false doctrine, will very seldom attack the Message, but instead, the Messenger. They will do everything they can to denigrate him, his way, his person, and anything about him that they can.
In fact, that’s one of the ways a person can tell what is being preached and who is preach­ing it. If they attack his Message, what they’re saying may be right or it may not be right. But if they attack the Messenger, much of the time, if not all of the time, what they’re saying is wrong, or else their spirit is wrong.
FALSE RELIGIONS AND THE
COUNTERFEIT CHURCH

It is sometimes assumed that heathen re­ligions are false, and because they are false, there is no factual foundation for their exist­ence; however, this interpretation must be viewed with caution.
The Biblical record clearly shows that good and evil, both, are present in the world, and evidenced in every area of life, including religion. In fact, heathen religions are sa­tanic realities, which must not be minimized. Satan’s counterfeit religious system includes the use of all non-Biblical religions, which are designed to “steal, kill, and destroy” (Jn. 10:10). Actually, no evangelistic program is more pronounced and evident than the one which is and has been promoted by the “prince of this world” (Jn. 14:30).
And of course, the most dangerous of all is Satan as “an angel of light,” designed to “deceive the very elect” (Mat. 24:24; II Cor. 11:13-15). These, as stated, “preach another Jesus, another spirit, and another gospel” (II Cor. 11:4).
This is all done through “principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).
Satan has control of a mighty region, even after his fall, and this suggests that the Earth and its surrounding atmosphere, was his place of dominion before the Fall. This finds its definite confirmation in the Word of God. Our Lord Himself recognized Satan as the “prince of the world” (Jn. 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Paul terms him the “prince over the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2).
When at the time of the temptation Satan offered to the Lord all the kingdoms of the Earth, and said, “All this power will I give Thee and the glory of them: for that is deliv­ered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it” (Lk. 4:6), the Lord acknowledged this authority. Thus, the Lord did in no way mini­mize or discount the power of Satan and evil spirits. The governmental position of Satan over his world-region has continued through the ages. John testifies that “the whole world



lieth in wickedness” (I Jn. 5:19). And Paul speaks often of the authority of Satan (Acts 26:18; Eph. 2:2; Col. 1:13).
From the time Satan renounced his alle­giance to the Most High a mighty breach runs through the cosmos, and an organized, op­posing kingdom of evil, i.e., the Counterfeit Church, confronts the universal Kingdom of God (Mat. 12:26). Satan as a ruler has in turn princes and authorities under himself (Dan. 10:13-20; Eph. 6:12), and the opposition be­tween him and the Kingdom of God is hence­forth the theme and the essential subject of the universal superhistory outlined in the Holy Scripture.
THE VICTORY IS IN THE CROSS

Christ, instead of denying the existence of evil spirits, recognized them, and by His power overcame them. However, when we mention Him overcoming Satan, his fallen angels, and spirits of darkness, that must be qualified.
Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things; however, even though He did create Lucifer in the beginning, along with all Angels, He definitely did not create them in their fallen condition. They were created beautiful, righ­teous, holy, and true (Isa. Chpt. 14; Ezek. Chpt. 28).
At some time in eternity past, Lucifer, pos­sibly the most beautiful and powerful of all of God’s Angels, led a revolution against God, which drew away one-third of the Angels to his side. We do know that this revolution must have been powerful for that many An­gels to defect (Rev. 12:4). As well, we also know that demon spirits were not created by God in this fashion. They became this way at a point in time.
Some Bible Scholars believe that they were a form of creation on this Earth before the Fall, and when Lucifer ruled this Earth under God in Righteousness and Holiness (Isa. 14:12-15). Throwing in their lot with Lucifer, now known as Satan, they became spirits without bodies, actually seeking a body to inhabit, and all of them evil, hence “evil spirits.”
Satan then dragged man down in the Gar­den of Eden, no doubt extremely jealous that God had given Adam dominion over the Earth and in fact, it seems all of God’s creation, at least that part of the heavens which affected this Earth, and possibly even the entirety of the creation (Ps. 8).
Consequently, the Lord Jesus Christ be­ing the Creator (Jn. 1:1), and Satan plus all of his fallen Angels being but mere creatures, it should be obvious as to Who is the Head over all things. So, when we speak of Jesus overcoming Satan, we are not speaking of supremacy. Christ already has that, and in fact, has always had that and it is a supremacy which will never change.
That of which we speak is the dominion that Satan had over humanity as a result of the Fall. Adam was given this dominion, and then forfeited it to Satan by disobedience to God.
As we’ve already stated in previous Com­mentary, God works entirely from the posi­tion of Laws — Laws incidentally which He has instituted Himself. Satan as well works within those Laws, and so does all of human­ity. Of course, Satan broke those Laws when he led a revolution against God, and will ul­timately be condemned to the Lake of Fire forever because of this disobedience. As well, much of humanity has broken the Laws of God, and will have the same end.
DOMINION

So, for the dominion that man forfeited to be regained, God would have to do it law­fully, and even at great price. The price was the Cross.
But let it be understood, that the ransom paid by Christ was not to Satan at all, but al­together to God. Man had sinned against God, had committed a gross crime against God, and it was to God that the debt was owed. That’s the debt that Jesus paid, the debt owed by man by pouring out His Own Life’s Blood.
When He did this, He atoned for all sin, which means the debt was paid totally and completely. With all sin being atoned, past, present, and future, at least for those who will believe (Jn. 3:16), Satan lost his legal hold upon humanity; in other words, his do­minion over man was broken.
The Scripture plainly says regarding man and Satan, respecting what Jesus did, that He “blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us (satisfied the demands


of the Law), which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross;
“And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, tri­umphing over them in it” (Col. 2:14-15).
This is the manner in which Jesus con­quered Satan. By dying on the Cross and paying the debt that man owed to God, Sa­tan was then deprived of his legal right to hold man in captivity. So, this defeated not only Satan, but also every power and princi­pality, all the rulers of the darkness of this world, and all spiritual wickedness in high places. It was all done at the Cross, and in His Resurrection.
ISRAEL

But due to what Israel did in rejecting Christ when He came, the world has been submitted to nearly 2,000 more years of evil and wickedness, which Jesus referred to as “the times of the Gentiles.” He said:
“And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations (speaking of the Jews, which they were): and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gen­tiles be fulfilled” (Lk. 21:24).
As stated, this time has now lasted for nearly 2,000 years. The Jews while in control of Jerusalem presently, still do not control the Temple Mount. They will get control of that for a short period of time in the coming Great Tribulation, when they will have accepted the Antichrist, thinking that he is the Messiah.
But they will find to their dismay, that they have just made the biggest mistake of their existence, other than when they crucified Christ. They will come very close to being exterminated by this false Messiah, and in fact would be exterminated, were it not for the Second Coming of the Lord (Rev. Chpt. 19), which will then rescue them, and as well to­tally defeat the Antichrist and his armies.
Then, Israel will accept Christ not only as their Messiah, but also as their Lord and Sav­ior. In fact, the Scripture plainly tells us that they will then know and realize what they did in the past, and how awful and wrong that it actually was. The Scripture says:
“In that day there shall be a great mourn­ing in Jerusalem . . . and the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart . . . (and) all the fami­lies that remain” (Zech. 12:11-14).
At that time they will say, “What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall an­swer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends” (Zech. 13:6).
They will then accept Him Whom they have so long rejected!
COUNTERFEIT AND IMITATION
But until then, the Counterfeit Church is a present reality in the world today. How could Satan better promote his objectives then through a religion, remarkably genu­ine on the surface, but inwardly false? Even the conception of idols has its basis in the idea of God. With all its disfigurement, the false god is a caricature of the One True God . . . in heathenism truth and untruth, worth and worthlessness, lie, not only beside each other, but at times, in each other.
Viewed as a whole, this is the false way of myriads of men. Through the centuries it has ruled mankind. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Rom. 1:22).
Counterfeit and imitation have always been the most difficult deception to detect. The Counterfeit Church has many formal representations in the world — all dominated and directed by Satan and his demon spirits. Paul warned the Corinthian Church of “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ . . . for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the minis­ters of righteousness: whose end shall be according to their works” (II Cor. 11:13-15).
As the Spirit of God is incarnate in Christ, so the spirit of Satan is incarnate in the many Antichrists in the world today (I Jn. 2:18), many of them, who deny the Father and the Son (I Jn. 2:22). John presents these two forces thus: “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of anti christ, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world” (I Jn. 4:2-3).



The final goal of the Church always must be “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified”; the end of nominal Christendom, as such, is An­tichrist. Contrary to the belief of some, the Bible unmistakably teaches that “history is not the product of history, that the Kingdom of God does not reach sovereignty through growth and ascent, but only after world­wide collapse and catastrophe.” What am I saying?
I’m saying, that all of this will not con­clude by the world being Christianized as some presently teach, but rather, an increas­ing enmity in the world unto the expulsion of Christianity from civilization, which will take place under the Antichrist. This is the path foretold by Biblical prophecy.
This means that the “kingdom now” mes­sage being proclaimed by many in the mod­ern Church is grossly unscriptural. The world will not be won to Christ by electing better men and better women to public, po­litical office. The Bible doesn’t even remotely teach such a thing.
As well, it is not because the world is not Christian enough that Christ has not yet come, but He has not yet come because the world is not unbelieving enough (I Tim. 4:1­3; II Tim. 3:1-4; 4:3-4; II Pet. 3:3). It is a basic principle of the Divine Government of the world that all things, the good as well as the evil, must reach ripeness (Mat. 13:29-30; Rev. 14:15, 18).
This not at all means that we shouldn’t evangelize, but rather the very opposite. The only way that people are going to be saved, with lives being changed, is through World Evangelism; however, this will not stop the progress of evil, but with this progress steadily increasing, even until the rise of the Antichrist. In fact, the Church has already entered the last day apostasy, which will grow increasingly worse.
Actually, the Bible teaches two thrusts in the spirit world, which will take place in the last days. It teaches a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which will usher millions into the Kingdom of God (Acts 2:17-21), and as well, it teaches a great “falling away from truth” (I Tim. 4:1-2; II Tim. 3:1-7; 4:3-4), both streams running at the same time, but one might say in opposite directions.
The forces of Satan fight persistently against God’s redemptive objectives through the Satan-endowed religions and humanis­tic-rationalistic, Christ-denying systems of the world.
In Satan’s religion, the heathen expresses his godliness. In fact, “religion” is the sin, namely, the sin against the First Command­ment, the replacing of God by the gods; the most powerful expression of the opposition of man against God and contradiction within himself.
Religion is that which is made up by man, and wholly by man, instituted by Satan, as a way to reach God, or be god, or to better one­self in some way. Because it’s not of God, it cannot be condoned in any way by God.
And anything that is not “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” is “religion.”
THE REVELATION OF CHRIST

The whole history of Salvation is self-rev­elation of Christ, the Creator of the universe and the Redeemer of mankind. Besides Him there is no other, and consequently all other claims to Deity are in the category of Satanic direction.
As the Church is represented by many De­nominations, so the Counterfeit Church is represented by many systems, and each sys­tem offers some kind of opiate and/or substi­tute for “Salvation by Faith.” All of the false systems follow a single design, that of deny­ing Christ as Lord and Savior. They bypass the “Way of the Cross” in favor of some hu­manly conceived substitute.
Satan is very intent upon promoting “re­ligions,” and it makes no difference which one it is so long as it does not demand faith in Christ.
The Counterfeit Church is not disturbed as long as Christ is interpreted only as “a good man,” “a great prophet,” “a fine teacher,” “a miracle worker,” or “a god among many.”
Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying, “All religions are equally true and equally false, and every man should remain in the one in which he was born.”
This notwithstanding, there is a move­ment among the leaders of the non-Chris­tian religions, in the direction of a mission-ary-evangelistic nature. Satan, disguised in


the agents of these other religions, is mak­ing a desperate bid for the souls of men. The “tempter” (Mat. 4:3) assumes various roles and titles, but he is substantially the same, irrespective of the name by which he pre­sents himself.
Some well-intentioned people tell us that the various religions of the world are good, provided the adherents are sincere and fol­low the precepts laid down, but this view­point cannot be valid if Jesus Christ, and only He, is the Savior of the world (Acts 4:12; I Cor. 3:11).
Many people have been sincere in think­ing they were right, but later found they were wrong. The best example of this is Saul of Tarsus or Paul (Acts Chpt. 9).
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12).
THE MODERN APOSTASY

I personally feel that the greatest thrust of the Evil One is the present effort to destroy the Spirit-filled church. And Satan has gone a long way toward accomplishing this task.
As I dictate these in mid-August of 2000, the non-Pentecostal world has for all practical purposes denied the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, which means there is little or nothing going on in these ranks for the Cause of Christ. While there is much reli­gious machinery, which means there is much activity, it is all, at least for all practical pur­poses, man-devised, and therefore, not Spirit directed. As a result, nothing can be accom­plished for Christ.
In the Pentecostal world, the situation is as bad or possibly even worse. Most of the Pentecostal Denominations at the present time, cannot even boast of 50 percent of their people professing the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Actually, according to my information, less than one-third of the people who consider themselves to be members of Assemblies of God and Church of God Churches, the two largest Pentecostal Denominations in the world, even consider themselves to be Bap­tized with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking with other tongues; conse­quently, in all honesty, these particular De­nominations cannot even rightly refer to themselves anymore as “Pentecostal!” Re­grettably, most of the other Pentecostal De­nominations fall into the same category.
It is bad enough to have the light of the Holy Spirit offered and then rejected, but to reject the Light after it has been received is worse still! And that is what most of the Pentecostal Denominations, at the least in the United States and Canada, are doing.
I had the occasion in 1987 (if I remember the year correctly), to preach to the General Council of the Assemblies of God for the coun­try of Mexico.
I preached that night on the subject “There Is A River,” actually ministering on the Holy Spirit. The Lord moved mightily that evening. Actually, I didn’t even get to finish the Message, with the Spirit of God falling in the place to such an extent, that Preachers by the hundreds started getting out of their seats, running down the aisles, and falling in the Altars, asking the Lord to refill them with the Spirit.
I didn’t know that this particular Denomi­nation in Mexico had been on the verge of denouncing the Baptism with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking with other tongues. Actually, a debate had been going on for quite some time regarding this very issue. The Spirit of God brought forth this Message at the right time, and not a minute too early.
I do not know what the situation is in Mexico since then. I do know that what I’ve heard has not been good, at least as it re­gards that particular Denomination.
In fact, the two major Denominations of which I have just spoken have opted totally and completely for humanistic psychology; however, there is no way that one can accept psychology and the Gospel at the same time. One or the other must go, considering that they are opposites.
In fact, to opt for psychology, means that one has registered a vote of no confidence as it regards the Cross of Christ. One cannot have it both ways, especially considering that humanistic psychology is the very opposite of the Word of God. Either Jesus addressed every single problem that man has at the Cross, or He didn’t, and we need to turn to the likes of Freud, Maslow, Rodgers, etc.



However, I happen to know that the Gos­pel works, and so does any and every right-thinking Believer. There are hundreds of millions down through time who have seen their lives gloriously and wondrously changed by the power of the Cross. Beside that, not one single individual has ever been helped by humanistic psychology, but rather made worse, because it draws them away from the true help they can get only in the Lord.
So I’ll say again, you probably now know why Denominational Leaders do not like Jimmy Swaggart too much. But the truth is the truth, and somebody needs to stand up and say it.
On the other side of the coin, and I con­tinue to speak of the Pentecostals and Charismatics (I am Pentecostal), far too of­ten the Ministry is represented on Television by hucksters and flimflam men, who go un­der the guise of Preachers of the Gospel. They are “selling” miracles and promising all type of financial returns for the people’s money. In fact, for much of the Charismatic world, the message today is “money.” And that is an abomination in the Sight of God. As we’ve already stated, God readily blesses and blesses abundantly; however, He doesn’t have any­thing for sale, and as well, faith is not bar­gained out on a dollar sign. Jesus didn’t die on a Cross for us to trade in our Ford for a Cadillac. He died to set men free from their sin, but that has ceased to be the Message in most Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches.
Don’t misunderstand, there are some Pen­tecostal and Charismatic Preachers who are definitely preaching the Gospel, and who love the Lord with all their hearts. But sad to say, that number is small, and one might say, few and far between, at least as one looks at the whole. And how do I know that?
I do have some experience; and as well, how many Preachers in those particular ranks are rising up and saying the things I’ve just said? There are a few, but not many!
The great Message of the Cross is, that He, the Sinless One, offered Himself to take the sinner’s place, and this is the power of the Eternal Spirit; and through the shedding of His Blood, our consciences are purged from works of death and we are set free to serve the Living God.
The best the Israelites of old had, who were defiled by coming in contact with the dead, was recourse to the “water of separation.” That was the best that the Law had to offer.
But since Christ, even though we were defiled by the fact that we ourselves in our unsaved state were dead in trespasses and in sins, now, with all the past completely settled, we can go to Christ, and because of what He did for us at the Cross, we can have the past completely washed clean, not merely the ex­ternal, but the very recesses of the heart, which gives us a freedom to serve the Living God in Faith and in Power which gives a new life which those under the Old Covenant never had.
They were saved one might say, on credit, while we are saved in fact. All because of Jesus!
That and that alone, “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified,” is the answer to a hurting, human race. The world today without God, sees only a besotted yesterday, a hurting present, and a darkened tomorrow. Only in Christ can one have the past completely blotted out, and the present made anew, which guarantees to­morrow. Only in Jesus! And through only what He did at the Cross! And only by our Faith in that Finished Work!
(15) “AND FOR THIS CAUSE HE IS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, THAT BY MEANS OF DEATH, FOR THE REDEMPTION OF THE TRANSGRES­SIONS THAT WERE UNDER THE FIRST TESTAMENT, THEY WHICH ARE CALLED MIGHT RECEIVE THE PROMISE OF ETERNAL INHERITANCE.”
The structure is:
1.
Christ is the Mediator of a Better Cov­enant.

2.
“Mediator” is one who intervenes be­tween two, either to make or restore peace and friendship, to form a compact, or to ratify a Covenant.

3.
Here Christ acts as a go-between or Mediator between a Holy God and sinful man.

4.
By His Death on the Cross, He paid the debt, thereby removing the obstacle which is sin, which had caused an estrangement between man and God.

5.
When the sinner accepts the merits of the Sacrifice of Christ, the guilt and penalty of his sin is his no more; the power of sin in




his life is broken; he becomes the recipient of the Divine nature, and the estrangement between himself and God, both legal and per­sonal, disappears.
6. Jesus became the Mediator not only in order that He might pay the penalty of sin­ners who live since the Cross, but also that He might do so for those who lived before the Cross. Sinners who were saved under the First Testament were actually saved, not by it or by any sacrifice offered under its jurisdiction, but through faith in the coming, atoning work of Christ under the New Testament (Wuest).
MEDIATOR

The phrase, “And for this cause He is the Mediator of the New Testament,” refers to the reason that Christ died on the Cross. He did so that through His Death, the Eternal Spirit on the basis of a work completed, a debt paid, could purge the conscience of the sinner from dead works, in order that we might serve the Living God.
It is important to be clear that Christ’s sav­ing work operates on quite a different level from that of the Levitical Sacrifices. These were but external and material, and neither could cleanse or effect anything within them­selves, even as Paul repeatedly emphasizes. They were only meant to symbolize the One Who was coming, Who in fact could cleanse and effect eternal Salvation within the heart and life of the Believer, irrespective as to how defiled the Believer had previously been. Christ was concerned with sins which trouble and defile the consciences of men. So His Sacrifice was directed to the cleansing of the conscience, which takes away the guilt of man, something the sacrifices under the Old Law could never do (Heb. 10:2). This is a work that cleanses “from acts that lead to death,” where the Greek is more literally “from dead works.”
Paul now having introduced the thought of the death of Christ, proceeds to develop it. This death is the means of redeeming people from the plight they found themselves in as the result of their sin. This Death, at least if accepted by the believing sinner, brings the believing sinner an eternal inheritance, which is absolutely incomprehensible as it regards its eternal consequences.
Paul will go on to bring out the necessity for the Death of Christ, just as the death of the testator is required if a will is to come into force.
However, Christ is the only One Who has ever died and left a will, and then come back to life, in order to see that the will be adhered to in totality. He mediated a New Covenant so that we might receive the inheritance.
CHRIST THE ONLY ONE
There was no mere mortal who could stand in-between God and man as a Mediator, sim­ply because all men were sinners and needed mediation themselves. In other words, Mary herself, even though being the Mother of our Lord, needed a Savior just like all others do. She said so herself (Lk. 1:47). So, the idea that Mary is a co-redemptress, as proposed by John Paul II is preposterous indeed! The only way that such a mediatorship could be arrived at was for God to become man, which He did as it regards the Incarnation. Isaiah prophesied this some 800 years before Christ (Isa. 7:14).
And then to do so, Christ even though vir­gin born, would have to live a life perfect and free from all sin. In other words, He must be, even as Paul said, “made under the Law,” which means that He had to abide by the Law in every respect, which no human being had ever done, that is if He was to be our Substi­tute and Representative Man (Gal. 4:4). This He did, and then died on the Cross as well, in order to take the curse of the broken Law, which penalty was death, the curse inciden­tally, we should have taken.
As our Substitute, He did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves, and as our Repre­sentative Man He gave to us all the victory that He purchased by the shedding of His Own Precious Blood.
Inasmuch as He atoned for all sin, the legal rights of Satan were broken. Consequently, Christ can stand as the Mediator, and a Per­fect Mediator at that, between man and God.
NEW TESTAMENT
There has been much controversy as to whether the change from Covenant to Tes­tament, in the sense of a will, is intended in the Verses that follow. But the two are so



intimately connected that there would seem to be no reason for difficulty in understand­ing the truth presented.
The Old Covenant was God’s will for His people prior to the coming of Christ and was sealed by the blood of calves and goats, which Moses sprinkled upon the Book and all the people saying, “This is the blood of the Tes­tament which God hath enjoined unto you.”
The New Covenant is the will of our blessed Lord, whereby He decrees that all who put their trust in Him should receive part in that eternal inheritance, which He gladly shares with all Believers. By His Death this Testa­ment came into force. Apart from His death, there could be no such blessing for guilty sinners. A Testament is in effect after men are dead. His death on the Cross puts this New Covenant, or Testament, or Will, into operation, and inasmuch as it is a Covenant of pure Grace, all who believe enter into the good of it even before the day when it is to be openly confirmed with Israel and Judah, as we saw in the previous Chapter.
The blood of the Covenant having already been shed, there is nothing to hinder the out­flow of blessing. The sprinkling of the blood under the Old Dispensation confirmed that Covenant, and was a warning to the people that death would result for its violation; while at the same time it typified the shedding of the blood of the New Covenant Victim, which we will study in the succeeding Verses (Ironside).
THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE
OF THE OLD COVENANT


The Old Covenant was between God and man. Unfortunately, due to man’s fallen con­dition, man has broken every single covenant that he’s ever made with God. So, due to man’s inability, that Covenant was terribly broken, meaning that every single human being who lived broke the Law of God, and we speak of the Ten Commandments (Ex. Chpt. 20).
However, the New Covenant is altogether different. While it is true, that it is a Cov­enant made between God and man, exactly as the Old Covenant, still there is a major difference.
To guarantee this New Covenant, God be­came man in the form of the Lord Jesus Christ. As well, He died on the Cross to seal the Covenant, and to do so with His Own Blood, and then was resurrected from the dead.
Consequently, His Blood is the seal of the Covenant, meaning that it will be kept for­ever, and as well, He is both God and man, so the Covenant is dependent totally upon Him and Him Alone. It cannot fail, because He is both God and Man.
As long as the Believer is “in Christ,” he is a beneficiary of the Covenant, and it can­not be broken. The only thing that will take him out of the Covenant is a lack of Faith in the Covenant, which is why Paul wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews. And to be sure, it applied not only to the Christian Jews of Paul’s day, some of them who were abrogating their place and position in Christ by faithlessness, but as well to all who have lived since then, and even at the present. It is not so much a question of Christ leaving man, but man leav­ing Christ. The Lord doesn’t demand much of us, only Faith, but He does demand that! If the Believer ceases to believe, he is no longer in Christ and, therefore, the Covenant is broken, but not by God, only by unbeliev­ing man (Heb. 6:4-9; 10:26-31).
Man needs a mediator because of the Fall. Man lost his standing before God and has no ground on which to approach God. Jesus now becomes the means of approach; He is the Mediator between God and man. With sin removed, which Christ did at the Cross, man may have perfect communion with God. Man may enjoy the Love of God and be the recipi­ent of God’s Grace and forgiveness; he may now walk in the Spirit and know freedom from condemnation (Rom. 8:1).
Paul is showing here the necessity of Christ’s death. The Promises of God made to man and the eternal purpose God had for man could not be realized until Jesus died. In this respect, Jesus was a Testator, whose will or testament was of no effect until He died. We are the beneficiaries. We are the recipients of “the promise of eternal inheritance.”
It is well understood that the New Testa­ment provided benefits to man; the greatest benefit is the disposition of eternal life on the basis of the acceptance of the atoning merits of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Moses, as stated, sealed the Old Covenant with animal blood. If the New Covenant is


better and more effective, then it must, of ne­cessity, be sealed with something of greater quality. The New Covenant has been sealed by the Blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper by saying of the cup, “This is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mat. 26:28).
Jesus settled the sin problem and did so forever. He made it possible for God legally to remit all that we have ever done, to give us eternal life and to make us new creatures, all in Christ Jesus, and all in what He did at the Cross on our behalf.
DEATH

The phrase, “That by means of death,” speaks of the Crucifixion of Christ, and the only means by which man could be saved, for death was the penalty for sin (Mat. 26:28; Rom. 5:6-11; 6:10; 14:9; I Cor. 15:3; II Cor. 5:14-21; Col. 1:14-22; Heb. 2:9-15; I Pet. 2:24).
If it is to be noticed, it didn’t say “by means of Resurrection,” but “by means of death.”
In no way do we mean to belittle the Res­urrection; however, when Jesus died on the Cross thereby atoning for all sin, the Resur­rection was a given. In other words, there was no doubt that Jesus would come from the grave on the third day. If all sin is atoned, and it definitely was atoned at the Cross, past, present, and future, Satan then had no legal right to hold Christ in the death world; con­sequently, Resurrection was guaranteed.
In fact, it was so very much guaranteed, that God rent the Veil in the Temple imme­diately upon the Death of Christ, signifying, that the way was now open (Mat. 27:51). Had there been a single doubt that Jesus wouldn’t come from the dead, God would have never rent the Veil at that time.
Some may read these words and claim that His Resurrection was inevitable, simply be­cause He is God. While the latter is certainly true, the former is true only as it regards all sin being atoned.
The Reader must understand, that when God became man, He reduced the entire economy of Heaven down, way down, to the far lower spectrum of flesh and blood. “God is a Spirit” (Jn. 4:24). But when God be­came Man, i.e., “Jesus,” as it regards the Incarnation, all of Heaven was reduced to that lowest denominator. In other words, if Jesus had failed, Satan would have won, and that means that he would have been the king of all things, including Heaven, even as he as­pired to be (Isa. 14:13-14).
And then again, many claim that Christ could not have failed inasmuch as He was God. While it is definitely true that He was God, and never for a moment ceased to be God, still, to be the Last Adam (I Cor. 15:45), which He was, He had to function in the same capacity. In other words, even as it was pos­sible for the original Adam to fail, it was also possible for the Last Adam to fail. If not, He could not have been our Substitute and our Second Man (I Cor. 15:45-50).
But not one time did He fail, in word, thought, or deed. He was Perfect in His Life in every capacity. When He came to the end of His life, He could say without reservation, “For the prince of the world cometh, and hath nothing in Me” (Jn. 14:30).
If it wasn’t possible for Satan to have some place in Him, Jesus would not have made such a statement.
But considering that His life was perfect, He could then be offered up as a Perfect Sacrifice, which God could perfectly accept, which He did, thereby that life in death aton­ing for all sin.
THE CROSS
His death was not an execution or an in­cident.
In other words, He did not run afoul of Roman or Jewish Law, and was thereby ex­ecuted. That may have been what they thought they were doing, but He gave His life freely, even as a Sacrifice. In fact, His life and His death, both were a Sacrifice.
Not having been born in sin, and not hav­ing ever sinned, death had no claim on Him whatsoever. In other words, had He not vol­untarily laid down His Life, He would not, and in fact, could not have died. This means that no one could have killed Him, nor would He have grown aged and ultimately died, as do all other human beings. Sin is the ruin­ation of the human race, and the cause of all death. He had no sin!
Concerning His life, He said, “No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.



I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This Commandment have I received of My Father” (Jn. 10:18).
So, He voluntarily laid down His life as a Sacrifice, and above all, a Sacrifice for sin, which atoned for all sin. The Cross was the reason that He came to this world, and the only reason. While everything about Him was of vast significance, and because He was God manifest in the flesh, the Cross must ever be understood as His destination.
While the Healings and Miracles were of vast significance, still, they would not have saved anyone. While His Words were such as no man had ever spoken, still, that alone would not have saved anyone. He had to go to the Cross, and the Cross was the reason He came.
Peter said, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold . . . but with the Precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb with­out blemish and without spot:
“Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (I Pet. 1:18-20).
This plainly tells us, that the Cross was a planned destination by God for Christ, and was planned by the Godhead even before the disruption or overthrow of the pre-Adamite world. Consequently, we should realize and understand the vast significance of this of which we speak.
Neither was the Cross an incident. By that we mean just one of the many incidents in the Life and Ministry of Christ.
Why would we bring out such a point?
We do so simply because many in the Charismatic community, place little or no significance at all in the Cross of Christ, claiming it as just another incident in His Life, Ministry, Death, and Resurrection.
They claim that Jesus took upon Himself the nature of Satan on the Cross, actually becoming a sinner and thereby, dying as a sinner and going to Hell. And when they say “Hell,” they are speaking of the burning side of the pit.
They claim that Jesus went to Hell as a lost sinner, and while Satan gloated over Him, after a period of time, He (Jesus) threw off the shackles of death, and was Born-Again
— and of all places, Born-Again, they claim, in Hell itself. He was then resurrected, and it’s faith in Him as a “born again man” which constitutes Salvation.
Nothing could be farther from the Truth! There is nothing in the Bible that even re­motely substantiates such a tall tale, and a tall tale it is!
The Bible repeatedly states, that it was His Death, and the shedding of His Precious Blood, which affected Salvation for human­ity, and nothing else (Mat. 26:28; Mk. 14:24; 22:20; 6:53-56; Acts 20:28; Rom. 3:25; 5:9; I Cor. 10:16; 11:25, 27; Eph. 1:7; 2:13; Col. 1:14, 20; Heb. 9:12, 14, 22; 10:29; 13:12, 20; I Pet. 1:2, 19; I Jn. 1:7; 5:6, 8; Rev. 1:5; 5:9; 7:14).
It is by the means of His Death, that we have Salvation, and that we walk in victory as well (Rom. 8:1-2). In fact, it is the Cross alone which stands between man and eter­nal Hell. We must never forget that!
REDEMPTION

The phrase, “For the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Tes­tament,” proclaims the fact that the Death of Christ pertained just as much for those before the Cross, as those after the Cross. Sinners, who were saved under the Old Cov­enant, were actually saved, not by it or by any Sacrifice offered under its jurisdiction, but through the atoning work of Christ un­der the New Testament (Wuest).
This proves as should be obvious, that there has always been only one way of Salvation, and that has been and is and ever shall be, “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” (I Cor. 2:2).
It is because of Christ’s Sacrifice having been such as has been described, that He is the Mediator of that new and better Covenant; it qualified Him for being so. A Sacrifice, a Death, was required for giving it validity, and the character of His Sacrifice implies a Bet­ter Covenant than the Old, even such a one as Jeremiah foretold.
Further, the purpose of His Death is said to be “for the Redemption of the transgres­sions that were under the First Covenant.” For in the passage of Jeremiah the defect of the First Covenant was based on the trans­gression of its conditions by man, while un­der the new one, such transgressions were to be no more remembered. But this could


not be without Atonement for them; the whole ceremony of the Law signified this; and also that such Atonement could not be ex­cept by Death. The Death of Christ satisfied this requirement; and so the New Covenant could come in.
The idea of this is, the First Covenant had been broken by “transgressions”; conse­quently, unless there be redemption from these — that is, from the bondage of penalty which has resulted from these — there can be no promise and no New Covenant. In re­spect of this bondage, this penalty, the Death of Christ was a ransom — an offering to God looked at in the light of a payment in the place of debt, service, or penalty due.
When debt and payment are changed into the corresponding ideas of sin and punish­ment, the “ransom” gives place to the Sin-Offering, of which the principle was the acknowledgement of death deserved, and the vicarious suffering of death.
So far our thought has rested on the re­moval of the results of the past. The Covenant and the Promise relate to the establishment of a better Covenant, i.e., “a better future.” Death was necessary alike for both. The of­fering of Christ’s life (Mat. 20:28) was a ran­som or an offering for sin; it was also a sacri­fice inaugurating a New Covenant, which con­tained the promise of the eternal inheritance.
THE SIN-OFFERING

This is what Paul was talking about when he said, “For He (God) hath made Him (Christ) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him” (II Cor. 5:21).
Some have taken the passage, “For He hath made Him to be sin for us,” and tried to turn it into something it doesn’t mean. In other words, they claim that Jesus literally became a sinner on the Cross, taking upon Himself the nature of Satan, and died lost like any other sinner. He then went to Hell as stated, they claim, and was Born-Again in Hell, etc. However, such a thing is not given in Scrip­ture, simply because it didn’t happen.
As stated, when debt and payment are changed into the corresponding ideas of sin and punishment, for sin demands punish­ment, the word “ransom” comes into play, and gives place to the Sin-Offering, which is what Jesus actually became.
To properly understand the term “For He hath made Him to be sin for us,” one must correlate that with, “That we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him.”
You and I within ourselves had no righ­teousness, and neither has any other human being who has ever lived. We had to be given the righteousness of Christ, which we ob­tained by Faith in His Finished Work. With that Righteousness comes “Life” (Jn. 10:10).
To get this Righteousness, we did not do anything, obtain anything, perfect anything, or commit anything, with the exception of simply having Faith in Christ. So the Righ­teousness is all of Him and none of us.
Likewise with the sin! Christ did not sin, did not do anything that pertained to sin, did not commit any act that was sin, but in fact received our sin, which effect is death. The fruit of righteousness is life, which we re­ceive freely from Christ, while the wages of sin is death, which Christ received from us. He was made to be a Sin-Offering which He received from us, while we were made to be a Life-Offering, which we received from Him. The life I now have, I have only because He paid my penalty, which is death.
THE OLD COVENANT AND
THE NEW COVENANT

Sinners who were under the First Cov­enant actually were saved by Faith, looking forward to the atoning work of the Messiah upon the Cross. The types of the Old Cov­enant pointed to this act. All men, Old and New Testament, will meet together at the Cross. Only the Name and the Blood of Christ can cleanse and purify from all sin. This was the purpose of God in the New Covenant.
Justification and Sanctification can never be separated. When God imputes the Righ­teousness of Christ, He also imparts the prin­ciple of His Holiness; both are necessary be­fore we can enter His Presence in Heaven. Because the Blood of Jesus Christ has fully met every righteous claim of a Holy God against His people, this Blood, by its virtue and purifying effects, when applied by the Holy Spirit, has opened the new and living way to God.



The offering of the Old Testament Saints had looked forward to this event. Jesus’ death was the fulfillment of all their hopes and ex­pectations. Each time they offered a sacri­fice, it was an act of faith. They were acknowl­edging the coming Messiah by every symbolic act of the Old Covenant. Each year their sins were set aside until Jesus could come and remove them, which He did!
It is easy to see that the Hebrew Chris­tians would have many questions concern­ing the Old Testament Saints, very probing and provoking questions. Were their fathers, who had died under the old Levitical system, lost? Was the Plan of Redemption as revealed in the Old Testament sufficient to meet the need of that time? Or could it be that the rewards and blessings of the Old Testament were only earthly blessings?
It became necessary for Paul to remove any doubts these Hebrews might have. He affirms that Old Testament Believers, too, were redeemed by the Blood of Jesus. His Blood covered both the old and the new. It made good the old, and made possible the new. To know their fathers and loved ones had Sal­vation through Christ must have brought great peace to their hearts and minds. Christ also restored the originally intended nature of their fathers which had been lost in the Fall. He restored their sonship and inherit­ance — their hope!
THE HOLY SPIRIT

It is amazing how the Holy Spirit under­stands the needs of man. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to reassure the Readers con­cerning the efficacy of Christ’s Sacrifice for Old Testament Times. The Saints who had lived under the First Testament were also called, that they too might receive the prom­ise of the eternal inheritance.
THE ETERNAL INHERITANCE

The phrase, “They which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance,” refers to those before the Cross who had died in the faith, who were referred to as “the called.” These statements proclaim the fact that all the Old Testament Saints were just as saved as those since the Cross. However, there was a difference:
Even though the sins of Old Testament Saints were atoned or covered by means of the animal sacrifices, those sins were not ac­tually taken away. That could not be until Christ came and paid the sin debt, which He did at the Cross. That’s why John the Bap­tist said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).
By His Death on the Cross, Jesus Christ, not only covered our sins, but washed them away as if they never existed, which means that in the sight of God, it is as if we had never sinned. It is called “Justification by Faith.” And it harks back to the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. Chpt. 15), which portrayed in simple but yet graphic detail, how that an unjust man could be justified, how that a sinful man, could be brought to the place as if he never sinned, how the guilty could be declared “not guilty!” As stated, it is all by Faith, but to be more particular, it is always and without ex­ception, Faith in what Christ did at the Cross, which is what Paul is carefully outlining in this great Epistle to the Hebrews.
WHAT IS THE ETERNAL INHERITANCE?
Does the Reader really know and under­stand the portend of this which he is reading in the Epistle to the Hebrews? Do you actu­ally realize what is being said?
To answer that question, it is actually im­possible for any of us to know in the entirety as to what this eternal inheritance pro­claims, simply due to the magnitude of that of which we speak. But first of all, allow me to say this:
Whatever this eternal inheritance is, and to what degree or magnitude it might be, it is the Holy Spirit Who gives us all of these things, making real to our hearts and lives, that which Jesus did at the Cross (Gal. 3:14).
Of course, the moment the believing sin­ner comes to Christ, the Holy Spirit definitely comes within His heart; however, as we’ve said quite a number of times, there is a vast difference in being “born of the Spirit” than being “Baptized with the Spirit” (Jn. 3:3-8; Acts 2:4). While Salvation prepares us for Heaven, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit prepares us for a life of service to the Lord Jesus Christ in this present world. And to be frank, without the Spirit Baptism, which is


always accompanied by the speaking with other tongues (Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:1-7), the Believer is going to receive very little from the Lord. He will find that his efforts are almost totally in the flesh and merely ac­cording to human ingenuity. For the Spirit of God to truly work within one’s heart and life, there must be a Spirit Baptism, which, incidentally, Jesus demanded (Acts 1:4).
I’m not saying that the Holy Spirit doesn’t work at all in those who are not Baptized with the Spirit, but I am saying, that His activity is greatly curtailed. Among other things, the Spirit Baptism portrays a surrender on the part of the individual to the Spirit, which then allows the Spirit to function and work as He desires, at least, if we keep our faith anchored in the Cross of Christ (Rom. 8:2).
ETERNAL

As well, whatever this inheritance is, it is “eternal!” This means it will never be lost, stolen, dissipated, or taken from us. And the Reader must understand, that the word “eter­nal” means never ending, and, therefore, time without end, which is actually beyond our comprehension.
Let the Reader also understand, that this one word proclaims volumes to us, as it re­gards God’s dealings with His children. Sa­tan will tell you, “three strikes and you’re out,” or whatever lie he can get you to be­lieve. But the Reader must understand, that God will never throw over one of His children, as long as faith is maintained in the Finished Work of Christ.
It took a long time for Jacob the supplanter, to be changed to Israel the prince of God (Gen. 32:28). It took a long time for Abraham and Sarah to see the fruition of their Faith as it regards the birth of Isaac (Gen. 12:1-3; Chpt. 21). It took a long time for David to ulti­mately gain the Throne of Israel (II Sam. 5:1­5). It took some time for the original Dis­ciples to come to the place of victory within their lives (Lk. 22:32). It took a long time for the Apostle Paul to come to the knowledge of Faith in the Cross (Rom. 7:24). But through Faith, they all arrived at the place of victory, even though the time was long. As stated, God will not throw you over. The only thing that can stop you is for you to quit. If you don’t quit, you can rest assured that the Holy Spirit won’t quit. So what am I saying?
I believe the Holy Spirit through these words is telling me to relate to you, how much that God loves you; how much that He has invested in your Salvation; how determined He is to bring you to the place of victory, which He can do, and definitely will do, if you will only heed His clarion call.
To be frank, this very Commentary which you hold in your hands, is a part of your solu­tion and answer. No, I’m not speaking of the book itself, but rather the teaching contained therein. It shows you that God’s way of vic­tory, is the way of the Cross, and as such, is God’s answer to your prayers and to your pe­titions regarding many things within your life.
INHERITANCE
Through our acceptance of Christ, we have been made “heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). Due to being “in Christ” everything which belongs to Him, now belongs to us as well. In fact, there is such a close relationship, that Paul said, “And hath raised us up together (Christ and all Believers), and made us sit together in heav­enly places in Christ Jesus (meaning, that all of this is in Christ and what He did at the Cross on our behalf)” (Eph. 2:6).
As our Substitute, Christ took the pun­ishment which we should have taken (Isa. Chpt. 53), and as our Representative Man, He gave us the victory which He purchased at such a price (I Cor. 15:45-50).
This means that whatever Christ is, we are!
THE CROSS
It should be overly obvious throughout this Epistle to the Hebrews, and in fact, in all of Paul’s writings, that the Cross is the Source of all these things of which we speak. In other words, the Cross made it possible for God to give believing man all of these great blessings. I speak of Eternal Life, Grace, Peace, Power, Justification, Sanctification, Reconciliation, Gifts of the Spirit, Fruit of the Spirit, leading and guidance, etc., as stated, all brought about through the Per­son and Office of the Holy Spirit. But it is the Cross that made it possible for God to do all of these things.



As we’ve said over and over again, the Cross of Christ is the centrality of the Gos­pel. This means that everything in the Word of God strains irrevocably toward the Cross. Every prediction, promise, and prophecy, in some way, are pointing toward the Cross, or else something is promised because of the Cross.
Consequently, every Believer should always look at the Cross as ground zero, so to speak. In fact, if every doctrine which we believe is not anchored fully in the Cross, then some­thing is wrong with that doctrine. If the Cross is minimized in any way in the think­ing of any Believer, then the Believer is think­ing wrong.
The reason I’m so adamant as it regards these things, is because I know how that Sa­tan fights the Cross. In fact, he’s not so very much interested in what you believe, or how you believe it, and no matter how religious or even spiritual it might be, providing it’s not Faith in the Cross. He knows that your source of all victory, all power, all prosper­ity, in fact, everything that comes from the Lord, is all made possible, by what Jesus did at the Cross; therefore, he fights the Cross, opposes the Cross, as he does nothing else.
And to be sure, he does such from inside the Church, instead of outside. In other words, he uses Preachers and so-called religious leaders more so than he does anything else.
With you knowing and understanding what the Cross actually means, and how this great eternal inheritance is ours because of what Jesus did there, then your Faith must be anchored supremely within this Finished Work. Even at the risk of being overly re­petitive, the Cross of Christ must ever be the object of your Faith. As we’ve already stated, this gives the Holy Spirit, Who is indispens­able to your spiritual success, latitude to work in your heart and life.
Please allow me to ask this question:

Is the Cross central in the Church pres­ently? I think the answer to that is obvious. No, it isn’t! In truth, much of the modern Church anymore little knows what it actu­ally does believe. The reason for the confu­sion, the reason for being led astray, is be­cause the Cross is not central in the doctrine of the Church.
In most Churches, if the Cross is mentioned at all, it’s relegated simply to the initial Salva­tion experience. Thereafter, it is abandoned as being of little or no consequence. In fact, in many Charismatic circles, the Cross is openly repudiated.
To be frank, it’s bad enough for the Cross to be ignored, but when it’s openly opposed, this spells catastrophe for those who are un­fortunate enough to sit under such errone­ous teaching.
The modern Church little knows and un­derstands the part the Cross plays in our ongo­ing, everyday living before God. And actually, for me to state that the Cross plays an impor­tant part is really a misnomer. In fact, the Cross is everything. One can only find Christ through the Cross. One can only be Baptized with the Holy Spirit, according to what Jesus did at the Cross. Paul graphically spells this out in Romans, Chapters 6, 7, and 8. In fact, every­thing that Paul says is attached to the Cross.
The very meaning of the New Covenant is the Cross of Christ. To turn it around and say it another way, the meaning of the Cross, is the meaning of the New Covenant (I Cor. 11:23-30).
PROMISE

Old Testament Saints only had the Prom­ise of the inheritance, while New Testament Saints have the foundation of the Promise; however, the entirety of the Promise of this inheritance, will not take place until the com­ing Rapture of the Church, i.e., “the Resur­rection.” Then we will be Glorified, as we are now Sanctified and Justified.
As well, with God, a “Promise” is iron clad. In other words, it is inviolable, i.e., “unbreakable.”
(16) “FOR WHERE A TESTAMENT IS, THERE MUST ALSO OF NECESSITY BE THE DEATH OF THE TESTATOR.”
The composite is:
1.
Due to what Christ did at the Cross, the word “Testament” and “Covenant” here mean the same.

2.
God has made a Covenant with the hu­man race through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and with the Death of His Son, the word “Covenant” is merged into the word “Tes­tament,” with all of its inherent meaning.




3. The Death of Christ is the guarantee of this Covenant, i.e., “Testament.”
A TESTAMENT

The phrase, “For where a Testament is,” presents this which Christ has accomplished through His Death.
The Scholars say that Paul’s argument is not easy to follow in English, because we have no single word that is the precise equivalent of the Greek “diatheke,” which is translated “Testament.” The Greek word de some­thing like an authoritative laying down of what is to be done, and is the normal word for a last will and testament. But it is also suited to Covenants God makes with people. How­ever, as we use the word “Covenant” we must understand that this Covenant is not the re­sult of a process of negotiation, which God talks things over with people and they come to a mutually acceptable arrangement. God Alone lays down the terms. The result is a Covenant characterized by the same kind of finality as we see in a Testament. And to which we have already briefly alluded, the Death of Christ merged the Covenant into a Testa­ment, which is basically the same as a “Will.”
DEATH

The phrase, “There must also of neces­sity be the death of the Testator,” refers, as is obvious, to the death of Christ. His death guaranteed the veracity of the Redemption process. He paid the price that was de­manded by God, which was done at the Cross, thereby carried out through His Death. Upon this being done, the Righteousness of God was completely satisfied, making it possible for Christ to be our Substitute, because He was the Perfect Sacrifice. Consequently, our identification with Him guarantees us all that for which He died. For such a Covenant to be valid, the death of the Testator had to take place. And that it did in Christ!
In Verse 15 we have seen the two-fold ref­erence of the Death of Jesus, to the past and to the future. As High Priest He has offered Himself as a Sin-Offering to cleanse the con­science from dead works; the same Offering is also looked on as a ransom redeeming from the penalty of past transgressions, as it re­gards the Old Testament Saints. And, still by means of His Death, He has, as Mediator, established a New Covenant. We are re­minded at once of the words of Jesus Him­self, “This cup is the New Covenant ‘in My Blood’” (I Cor. 11:25). It is this very thought which Paul proceeds to develop: a Covenant cannot be established without death — can­not exist at all. That among Jews, Greeks, and Romans alike, covenants were confirmed by sacrifice we need not pause to prove; of this usage we have the earliest example in Genesis Chapter 15. The material point here is, that a Covenant must be established over sacrifices, and that in such a sacrifice “the death of Him that made the Covenant” must in some manner be “brought in” or assumed. There remains only the application to the particular Covenant spoken of here. If this be taken as made between God and man, even as stated, the Sacrificial Death of Jesus in man’s stead ratified the Covenant forever.
What makes this so peculiar as it regards Christ, He is set forth as High Priest and Sac­rifice, so He is both the Author of the Cov­enant and the Sacrifice which gives it validity.
THE FORCE OF THIS COVENANT
As would be understood, a Covenant has to be between two or more parties. In this case, it is between God and man; however, it is be­tween God and man in a very peculiar sense. Jesus being both God and Man, in other words, “very God” and “very man,” serves as both.
To put the Covenant into force, which al­ways requires a sacrifice in some manner, He literally became the Sacrifice, dying as Man. However, His Death even though a Sacrifice, was more than a sacrifice. It was as well a payment, which satisfied the terrible sin debt which man owed to God. The shedding of His Life’s Blood, also served as a cleansing agent, which cleanses the stains made by the sin committed. So, not only was the sin re­moved, as well the effects of sin were removed also. Sin had been the legal right by which Satan kept men in bondage, which is now removed, and the cleansing agent brought about by the Blood, serves as the Sanctifica­tion of the former sinner, which refers to being “set apart” unto God, which makes Justification possible.
The death of the “Testator,” in this case



Christ, put the Covenant into motion; how­ever, Christ did something which had not heretofore been done. Due to the fact that He atoned for all sin, which voided death, He was raised from the dead, thereby coming back to guarantee the force of the Covenant. This makes this Covenant or Testament different than any such legal action that has ever been previously performed, and to be sure, it defi­nitely was a legal action.
Due to the fact that the Covenant is all in Christ, it is a Covenant which cannot fail; there­fore, the Covenant is inexhaustible, incontest­able, inviolable, guaranteed, backed up by the Promise of God, and the act of Sacrifice re­garding Christ, and is, therefore, eternal.
(17) “FOR A TESTAMENT IS OF FORCE AFTER MEN ARE DEAD: OTHERWISE IT IS OF NO STRENGTH AT ALL WHILE THE TESTATOR LIVETH.”
The argument is:

1.
There has to be a death for a will or testament to become operative.

2.
While the party is alive, a will or testa­ment carries no power or validity.

3.
In the case of God bequeathing Salva­tion to the lost sinner, the bequest is only operative by reason of the Death of Christ.


THE FORCE OF THE TESTAMENT
The phrase, “For a Testament is of force after men are dead,” presents a legal action. This tells us in no uncertain terms, that the Death of Christ on the Cross was a legal mat­ter. Satan held a legal claim upon man be­cause of sin. That legal claim was captivity.
God as well had a legal claim on man be­cause of sin. The sin of man is a crime against God, meaning that God’s claim comes first. When Jesus died on the Cross, He died as a Substitute Man, meaning that He was the Substitute for all of humanity, which thereby, paid the debt incurred by sin, which was owed to God. As stated, it was all a legal work. As well, by the debt being paid, Satan also lost His legal hold upon man, at least for those who will believe (Jn. 3:16).
Due to the fact that Jesus died, which is not open to question, the Covenant is in force. That’s why we’re told at the conclusion of the New Covenant these words:
“And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come.
And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whoso­ever will, let him take the water of life freely”
(Rev. 22:17).
THE DEATH OF THE TESTATOR
The phrase, “Otherwise it is of no strength at all while the Testator liveth,” simply means, as in the case of any testament or will, it is not valid until the individual dies to whom the will belongs.
As stated, and as is obvious, Jesus died on the Cross. Whereas the New Covenant was not in force until the Cross, even though it was predicted in the Old Testament, it defi­nitely was put in force after the Death of Christ. The “strength” of this New Covenant, is in fact, the Death of Christ, which Paul reiterates over and over in these Passages. That’s what makes everything valid!
That’s why I keep repeating that the Cross is the centrality of the Gospel. It was not the Resurrection that made valid the Covenant, as important as the Resurrection was, but rather the Death of Christ on the Cross. We must never forget this, which means that we are to never allow the Cross to be anything but paramount in our thinking and our faith.
(18) “WHEREUPON NEITHER THE FIRST TESTAMENT WAS DEDICATED WITHOUT BLOOD.”
The exegesis is:
1.
Even the Old Covenant, which was tem­porary, was dedicated with blood, which is required, if it is to be a Covenant.

2.
There are many sacrifices, but if it’s not a sacrifice with blood, it is that which God cannot accept. The Cross was a sacri­fice with Blood.

3.
This is the great dividing line in the Church presently, and in fact has been from the very dawn of time, as evidenced in Gen­esis Chapter 4. What kind of sacrifice will God accept?


THE OLD COVENANT

In Verse 18 we’re told several things. They are as follows:
1.
The “First Testament” or “Old Cov­enant,” was made between God and man.

2.
Man could not perform his part; there­fore, the Covenant was broken by every single




human being who was in its agreement.
3.
The First Covenant, due to its insuffi­ciencies, was temporary. To be frank, any­thing dependent on man is deficient.

4.
Even though it was temporary, it was ratified with Blood, even though it was ani­mal blood, which was absolutely necessary, if it was in fact to be a Covenant.

5.
The First Covenant was a mirror of the Second or New Covenant, but with all the deficiencies addressed in the New.


(19) “FOR WHEN MOSES HAD SPOKEN EVERY PRECEPT TO ALL THE PEOPLE ACCORDING TO THE LAW, HE TOOK THE BLOOD OF CALVES AND OF GOATS, WITH WATER, AND SCARLET WOOL, AND HYS­SOP, AND SPRINKLED BOTH THE BOOK, AND ALL THE PEOPLE,”
The structure is:

1.
Moses explained the Covenant to the people.

2.
The Covenant was sealed with the blood of calves and of goats.


3. The “water” represented the Holy Spirit.

4.
The “scarlet wool” represented the Shed Blood of Christ.

5.
The “hyssop” represented the human­ity of Christ.

6.
For the Covenant to be valid, the blood of calves and goats mixed with the water, was sprinkled upon both the Book, containing the Covenant, and as well, upon the people. This had to be done, for the Covenant to be valid.


MOSES

The phrase, “For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the Law,” presents the Old Covenant, which in­cluded the Law and all of its precepts. It was commonly referred to as “the Law of Moses.”
The Book of which is here spoken, is the Book of Leviticus in our Old Testament. It would have been broken down as follows:
1. Laws concerning sacrifices (Lev. 1:1

— 7:38).
2.
The Tabernacle service put into opera­tion (Lev. 8:1 — 10:20).

3.
Laws concerning purity and impurity (Lev. 11:1 — 15:33).

4.
The Great Day of Atonement (Lev. Chpt. 16).


5.
Various Laws (Lev. 17:1 — 25:55).

6.
Promises and warnings (Lev., Chpt. 26).


7. Valuation and Redemption (Lev., Chpt. 27).
THE BLOOD OF CALVES AND GOATS
The phrase, “He took the blood of calves and goats,” proclaims the seal of the Cov­enant, which was “shed blood.” Even though the blood of calves and goats could not re­move sin, it did serve as a stopgap measure, thereby performing the work of Atonement. However, the Atonement was only in part one might say, in that the sin was covered and not cleansed. Nevertheless, the blood that would be shed here in the inauguration of the Law, presented the binding of its precepts, which had to be, that is if it was to be a Covenant.
This Passage has been one of perplexity regarding Commentators from the fact that Moses, in his account of the transactions con­nected with the ratification of the Covenant with the people (Ex. Chpt. 24), mentions only a part of the circumstances referred to here. He says nothing of the blood of calves and of goats; nothing of water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop; nothing of sprinkling the book, the Tabernacle, or the vessels of the ministry. The question has been ventured, therefore, as to where Paul obtained the knowledge of these circumstances. Since the account is not con­tained in the Old Testament, it must have been either by tradition or by direct inspiration.
The latter is hardly probable, since the information here given is hardly of suffi­cient importance to have required an origi­nal revelation.
He may have derived this information from the Jewish Targums, which in effect, were a commentary on the Old Testament. While there were things in the Targums which were incorrect, no doubt, there was much information which was correct. To be sure, the Holy Spirit would have guided the Apostle in his selection of material regarding these statements; therefore, one can be certain that what Paul said here actually happened.
WATER
The short phrase, “With water,” was no doubt done for several reasons. How many calves and goats were slaughtered we aren’t told;



however, it is very doubtful that the entirety of several millions of people were sprinkled for that was the number of Israel at that time.
More than likely, it only concerned those of the Tribe of Levi, and even then only those who were involved directly in Tabernacle ser­vice. Even this would have numbered sev­eral hundreds of people, necessitating the mixing of water with the blood.
Second, knowing that everything that per­tained to the Tabernacle and the entirety of the Old Covenant for that matter, pointed to Christ, and actually symbolized Him in some way regarding His Person, Life, Ministry, Death, and Resurrection, the water here also carried a much higher spiritual meaning than the mere necessity of mixing it with the blood of the animals in order to be sprinkled.
Water is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 7:37-39). As well, very soon after Jesus died, His side was pierced with a spear by one of the Roman soldiers, and the Scrip­ture says, “And forthwith came there out blood and water” (Jn. 19:34).
The Scripture also says, “This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, be­cause the Spirit is Truth” (I Jn. 5:6).
The water witnessed to His full and proper humanity (Jn. 19:34), and the blood witnessed to the nature of His atoning Death (Jn. 19:34), and the Spirit witnessed to the Deity of His Person (Mat. 27:54; Lk. 23:42-44).
This refers to the fact that the Believer’s sins are, therefore, fully expiated and He en­joys a perfect purification before God. That which was impure no longer exists, for the old man is crucified with and is dead with Christ; that which is raised with Christ in the spiritual sense, as born of God is perfectly pure. Only death could provide this expia­tion and purification; and the outflow of wa­ter and blood from the Redeemer’s side dem­onstrated the actuality of death. So, the “wa­ter” represented both the Holy Spirit and the Finished Work of Christ.
SCARLET WOOL

The phrase, “And scarlet wool,” is symbolic of the blood which thoroughly cleanses. The brilliant whiteness of wool after thorough washing is used to illustrate purity. The Prophet Isaiah said:
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scar­let, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:18).
HYSSOP

The phrase, “And hyssop,” presents a bushy plant, which grew between large stones, and has hairy stems and leaves, which would eas­ily soak up water or blood, and could be used to sprinkle.
Concerning the first Passover, directions were given by God to Moses, to take a bunch of hyssop and dip it into the blood of the lamb that was in the basin, in order to be able to apply it to the lintel and the two side posts of the front door of each house in Egypt, at least those lived in by Israelites (Ex. 12:22).
David in Psalms 51:7 said, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean.” This was a figure of speech used by David in his intercessory prayer concerning his sin, which obviously re­ferred to the application of the blood of the lamb, for it is only, Scripture says, with the shedding of blood that there can be remission of sin.
So, the type represented here, would be that of the humanity of Christ, which of course, was necessary, in order to serve as a Sacrifice.
THE APPLICATION OF THE BLOOD
The phrase, “And sprinkled both the Book and all the people” would pertain as stated, to the Book of Leviticus, and those of the tribe of Levi ordained for Tabernacle Service.
The sprinkling of the blood was the ratifi­cation of the Covenant, and symbolized the Blood of Christ which would be shed, and ap­plied by Faith to the hearts and lives of be­lieving sinners.
(The blood mixed with enough water would have made it possible, for the entirety of the approximate three million people to have been sprinkled; however, it is highly unlikely that this was done, inasmuch as water was scarce in the desert as well.)
(20) “SAYING, THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE TESTAMENT WHICH GOD HATH EN­JOINED UNTO YOU.”


The structure is:
1. The blood ratified the Old Covenant.

2.
God was the One Who drew the design of the Old Covenant as well as the New.

3.
Because it was of God, the ritual had to be carried out with exact precision.

4.
Not only was the design entirely by God, each part of the design represented the com­ing Christ, which gives it a significance of vast proportions.


THIS IS THE BLOOD

The phrase, “Saying, ‘This is the Blood of the Testament’,” presents that which made the Old Covenant valid. As we have stated, all of this represents Christ in some way.
When Moses said, “This is the Blood,” even though it was only at that time the blood of animals, it represented the Son of God, and made the statement that this is the only way that man can be saved.
The Sacrifice of Christ, which was the of­fering of Himself by the pouring out of His Blood, and the sacrifices of other things, have always been the dividing line between the True and the false. “This is the Blood,” pro­claims totally and completely that which it would take in order for man to be redeemed. It would have to be the precious, shed Blood of the Lamb, i.e., “Christ” (I Pet. 1:18-20).
Of course, when we speak of “The Blood,” we are at the same time speaking of “The Cross,” and at the same time speaking of “The Gospel,” and at the same time, speaking of “The Faith.” They basically all mean the same thing! When we preach the Cross, we are preaching the Blood, and when we preach the Blood, we are preaching the Cross! Surely the Reader can see the vast signifi­cance in all of this, and how important it is that our Faith be properly placed.
When man fell in the Garden of Eden, life was forfeited, which speaks of Life from God. In other words, the life force that came con­stantly from God to Adam, and was intended to continue to come to all who would be born thereafter, was suddenly cut off. Due to Adam’s Fall, it was cut off not only to the first man, but as well to all who would follow thereafter, because in effect, all were in Adam’s loins. So when he sinned, he sinned for all, and, likewise, when Christ purchased back this “Life” with His Own Blood, He did so for all — at least for those who will be­lieve (Jn. 3:16; I Cor. 15:45-50).
DESIGNED BY GOD
The phrase continuing, “Which God hath enjoined unto you,” presents the fact, that everything in the First Covenant, exactly as in the New Covenant, is all of God, and not at all of man. In fact, if man adds anything or subtracts anything, he has destroyed this which “God hath enjoined unto you.” This phrase is derived from Exodus 24:8.
Once again, Paul uses the word “enjoined,” which means that he did not regard this as strictly of the nature of a Covenant, or com­pact. While it definitely was a Covenant, it was not strictly of the nature of a Covenant. When a compact or covenant is made between two parties, one does not enjoin or command the other, it is a mutual agreement.
In the transactions between God and man, though called a Covenant or Testament, it is definitely not a transaction between equals, or an agreement in this capacity. It is in fact, a solemn arrangement on the part of God which He proposes to men, and which He enjoins them to embrace; which they are not indeed at liberty to disregard, but which, when embraced, is appropriately ratified by some solemn act on their part, in this case, the shedding of blood.
The Testator of the First Covenant was God, for it was God Who was the Source of Salvation for Believers in Old Testament Times. But God was not yet ready to come in the Person of His Son and die on the Cross for man. Therefore, He provided a substi­tute that would typically represent Him in death, a death that would make the First Tes­tament effective. This substitute was an ani­mal. The emphasis in these Verses is that everything connected with the Testament bears the mark of blood, therefore, death.
(21) “MOREOVER HE SPRINKLED WITH BLOOD BOTH THE TABERNACLE, AND ALL THE VESSELS OF THE MINISTRY.”
The structure is:
1. Moses sprinkled not only the Book and the people, but as well, the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of the Ministry.
2. God told him to do this.



3. This shows us the absolute necessity of the Blood of Christ as it regards Salvation.
THE BLOOD

This particular Verse portrays the fact of the awfulness of sin, in that it has contami­nated everything on this Earth. This of course, is not to leave the impression that some par­ticular type of ritual must be engaged now as it regards cleansing, but that which God en­joined (commanded) under the Old Covenant was typical of the severity of the problem.
As well, in sprinkling both the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of the Ministry, we are told that every single thing that pertains to God as it regards our present Salvation has come to us, and in its entirety, by and through the Shed Blood of Jesus Christ. As well, every­thing we do for Him, once again, typified by the Tabernacle and the Vessels, must also be anchored in the “Blood of the Lamb.”
All of this is meant to portray theology in the sense of the significance of what is being presented here. The idea is this:
Not only does Salvation come through the Cross, but as well, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, all Grace, Peace, Divine Healing, finan­cial prosperity, Justification, Sanctification, Reconciliation, etc. This one Verse, plus scores of others which could be added, pro­claims the fact that the Cross is the Source of all things, at least all things that are from God.
Once again, the Reader must understand, that every single thing demanded by the Lord in the Old Covenant, pointed to Christ and His sacrificial work. This is the reason that it is very difficult for one to understand the New Testament, if one doesn’t understand the Old. In picture form, and symbolic form, the Old Testament portrays the entirety of the Work of Christ, in order that there be no misun­derstanding.
This is what made it so awful that the Jews, who were so intimately acquainted with the Old Testament, did not recognize Christ when He came, especially considering, that the entirety of the Old Covenant pointed di­rectly to Him.
(22) “AND ALMOST ALL THINGS ARE BY THE LAW PURGED WITH BLOOD; AND WITHOUT SHEDDING OF BLOOD IS NO REMISSION.”
The exegesis is:
1.
“Almost all things” refers to some things in Tabernacle worship, which were ceremo­nially purged with water and fire (Num. 31:23). An example is the ashes of the red heifer, to which we have already addressed (Num. 19:2-10).

2.
“Purged with blood” presents the fact that these things were ceremonially purged, which means, that the blood of calves and goats couldn’t take away sin.

3.
The shedding of the blood of animals in sacrifice was symbolic of the Blood which would be shed by Christ, and which would cleanse from sin.


ALMOST ALL THINGS

The phrase, “And almost all things,” per­tains as we have stated, to some things which were cleansed with water.
Concerning some things cleansed only with water, if the Holy Spirit had anything in mind here in the giving of these instruc­tions more than practical application, it would have pertained to the fact that He (the Holy Spirit), cannot properly do His work, in fact, cannot do any work at all, unless the blood has been applied to the principal ob­jects. To say it another way, the Holy Spirit, typified by the water, works exclusively from the premise of the Shed Blood of the Lamb. Therefore, the leaving of some things to be cleansed only by water could have been a portrayal of the work of the Spirit. Due to the vast significance of this, please allow us to make the following statements:
As we’ve said several times, every single thing done on Earth by and through the Godhead, is done exclusively by and through the Person, Office, Ministry, and Power of the Holy Spirit. However, He works on one premise alone, and that is by and through the great Sacrifice of Christ, which of course portrays the Shed Blood of the Son of God poured out on behalf of lost humanity. This means that the Sacrifice of Christ is the only means by which the sinner can be saved, and the Christian can walk in victory on a daily basis.
In regard to this, I think I can say without any fear of exaggeration, that the Holy Spirit demands that we as Believers exhibit faith


at all times in the Finished Work of Christ, always understanding, that it is from this Source that everything flows from God to humanity (Rom. 8:2).
If in fact this is the case, and it definitely is, then where does that leave the modern Church which knows and understands this little or not at all? For me as a Believer to be what I ought to be in Christ, I have to have the work and operation of the Holy Spirit within my heart and life. That is absolutely imperative! However, just because I am bap­tized with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking with other Tongues, by no means guarantees this work. The potential is there, but it definitely isn’t automatic, as many Christians seem to believe.
There are millions of Christians speaking in tongues quite often, which is Scriptural and right, but are still living lives of spiri­tual failure. There are even many Christians with the Gifts of the Spirit working within their lives, and rightly so, which includes Preachers whom God is using, and because they are called of God, and they are allowing the Holy Spirit to flow through them and function according to that call. But irrespec­tive of that, untold numbers of these that we have just mentioned are living lives of spiri­tual failure. In other words, sin is dominat­ing them in some way, in some fashion!
Now we’ve already addressed that in pre­vious Commentary, but due to the fact that it is so important, I have felt led to mention it again. The Church doesn’t understand this, and thereby casts about trying to find a solution to the problem. And to be frank, the proposed solutions much of the time, is worthy of a Roman Circus.
No! It doesn’t matter who the individual might be. Preacher or otherwise, God has only one prescribed order of victory, and that is the victory of the Cross (Rom. 6:3-5, 11, 14; 8:1­2, 11). And if the individual doesn’t know that prescribed order, it makes no difference that he might be pastoring the largest Church in the land, or drawing the largest crowds, etc., he is still going to walk in failure.
The reason is, while the Holy Spirit will help the individual regarding certain things, and because it is within the boundaries of the way He works, as it regards our personal lives, if we step outside of the boundaries of the Cross, the Holy Spirit just simply will not help us and that means that we are left on our own. We’re then guaranteed to fail, and regrettably, that’s the condition of most of the modern Church world.
As I keep saying over and over again, the Holy Spirit works according to “The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2). In simple terms, that Law pertains to what Christ did at the Cross on behalf of human­ity. In other words, Jesus did certain things for us through His Sacrifice of the Cross, and the Holy Spirit works within the bound­aries and the parameters of that which Christ has done. He demands that we do the same thing. And how do we do that?
It is all a matter of Faith, which means that we believe in what Jesus did there, un­derstanding that this is the means by which the Lord works with humanity. Faith an­chored in the Finished Work of Christ, and continued in the Finished Work of Christ, will guarantee victory for any Saint, no matter who the person might be, etc. And as stated, this is God’s only prescribed order of victory. He has no other, and simply because no other is needed.
PURGED WITH BLOOD
The phrase, “Are by the Law purged with blood,” speaks of a ceremonial purging, which is the most that the blood of bulls and goats could do. These particular sacrifices under the Old Covenant, couldn’t take away sins (Heb. 10:4).
However, even though the shed blood of the Old Covenant couldn’t take away sins, it definitely served as a pattern for the One Who was coming, Who definitely could take away sins, even as Paul mentions in Verse 23.
In looking at all of this, some may inwardly flinch at the rivers of blood which were shed, necessitating the slaughter of untold millions of animals down through the centuries. Ev­ery single day, there was a Sacrifice offered at 9 o’clock in the morning and at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. On the Sabbath, two ani­mals were offered at each Sacrifice.
As stated, this was done on a daily basis, actually never ending, and was in addition to the untold numbers of Sacrifices constantly



offered by the people of Israel, who came to the Tabernacle or Temple. In fact, it was a never ending work.
On top of all of that, tremendous num­bers of Sacrifices were offered on the Feast Days of the year, with as many as a quarter of a million Sacrifices being offered during Passover week, according to Josephus.
While the carnal mind may wonder at the necessity of all of this, the spiritual mind knows and understands why it was necessary. This tells us, this river of blood, how awful and bad that sin really is, how destructive it is, and at the same time how difficult it is to roll back its terrible effect of stealing, kill­ing, and destroying (Jn. 10:10).
If one wants to know exactly how awful, how horrible, how terrible that sin actually is, one need only look at the Sacrifice of Christ. The agony, the horror, the terrible price He had to pay, gives us the answer to our question. When we look at His Crucifix­ion, when we think of His Crucifixion, when we contemplate His Crucifixion, realizing the utter, absolute horror of it all, we can only say, “sin did this!” And we might quickly add, that this alone is the remedy for sin.
THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD

The phrase, “And without shedding of blood is no remission,” proclaims the Apostle as portraying the Old Law as being symbolic of that which Christ would do, in the shed­ding of His Blood, which in fact, did cleanse from all sin (Jn. 1:29).
To be more specific, Paul shows here that there can be no Redemption but through the Blood of Christ; and to prefigure this, the Law could not grant any remission of sin without the blood of a victim.
More particular here, Paul is talking about the Shed Blood of Christ, which was an ab­solute necessity, that is if sin was to be re­mitted, i.e., “cleansed and taken away.” This means, as is overly obvious, that one cannot be saved unless one trusts in Christ and what He did at the Cross for us. While the believ­ing sinner may not understand much about this, and what little he does know has been imparted to him by the Spirit, still, it requires faith on his part in the Finished Work, in order to be saved (Jn. 3:16).
Satan has been very successful in pushing other things into the mix, attempting to di­lute the one way of Salvation, which is the Blood. He is very successful in this, with many Christians and even Preachers doing this, and deceived into thinking otherwise. It is never Christ plus, but always Christ and Him Crucified, as the order of Salvation.
SIN

Sin is the major problem of humanity, even as it is the major problem of the Church. Unfortunately, such a statement is denied by most of the world and most of the Church. The world doesn’t recognize sin for what it is, and many in the modern Church refuse to believe that sin is their prob­lem. However, the type of sin of which is actually the problem is very subtle.
It’s not so much acts of sin, as it is rebel­lion against the Finished Work of Christ. In other words, Satan tries to get the Believer to shift his Faith from the Cross to other things. This is the great sin; it is rebellion against God’s Way of Salvation and victory, and in fact, God’s only way of Salvation and Victory. Of course, Satan knows when this is done, that acts of sin will then begin to appear, with the sin nature ultimately beginning to once again rule in the heart and life of the Believer.
But when we Believers think of sin, al­most all the time we think of acts of sin. That’s not what Paul is speaking about in his explanation of this in Romans, Chapters 6, 7, and 8. When we get to acts of sin, we have already traveled down this road of defeat quite a ways. And then when we attempt to start opposing the acts of sin, by making up our own rules and regulations, etc., we get very confused because our efforts do not bring forth any proper fruit. The trouble is we are opposing symptoms instead of the real cause.
The real cause is a shifting of our Faith from the Finished Work of Christ, to something else, and it doesn’t really matter what else it is.
Millions have their faith in a particular Preacher. Paul addressed this in I Corinthians Chapter 1. Satan doesn’t mind this at all, be­cause he knows that faith so placed will never bring about any victory. Millions of other Christians place their faith in a Denomina­tion. Satan is not bothered by that either,


knowing that the Christian will find no help there. In fact, this list is very long, and the Evil One is very content for you to believe in these things until the day you die. He knows that you will find no victory there, and as well, that your spiritual situation will con­tinue to deteriorate.
When Jesus came to this world, He came to address sin. That was His purpose for com­ing. His purpose for coming was not that you may trade your Neon for a Cadillac, or you may get an increase in pay, etc. Such think­ing does tremendous violence to the Word of God.
Man’s problem is not physical, or else God would have sent a doctor. Man’s problem is not economic, or the Lord would have sent an economist. Man’s problem is not scien­tific, or else the Lord would have sent a scien­tist. Man’s problem is sin, so God sent a Sav­ior. All of this is so important that we must be allowed to say it again:
ONE WAY OF SALVATION

It is universally true that sin never has been, never will be forgiven, except in con­nection with and in virtue of the shedding of blood, the Blood of Christ. It is on this prin­ciple that the Plan of Salvation by the Atone­ment is based, and on this that God in fact bestows pardon on men. There is not the slightest evidence that any man has ever been pardoned except through the Blood shed by Christ for the remission of sins.
In light of this, it remains to be demon­strated that not one single member of the human family has ever had the slightest evi­dence of pardoned sin, except through the blood of expiation. In the Divine arrange­ment there is no principle better established than this, that all sin which is forgiven is re­mitted through the Blood of the Atonement; a principle which has never been departed from hitherto, and which never will be. Con­sequently, it follows, therefore:
1.
No sinner can hope for forgiveness ex­cept through the Blood of Christ.

2.
That if men are ever saved they must be willing to rely on the merits of that Blood.

3.
That all men are on a level in regard to Salvation, since all are to be saved in the same way.


4. There will be one and the same song in Heaven — the song of redeeming love.
(23) “IT WAS THEREFORE NECESSARY THAT THE PATTERNS OF THINGS IN THE HEAVENS SHOULD BE PURIFIED WITH THESE; BUT THE HEAVENLY THINGS THEMSELVES WITH BETTER SACRIFICES THAN THESE.”
The composite is:
1.
“The patterns of things in the Heav­ens” refers to the real which is in Heaven.

2.
The Tabernacle, although designed by God, and of God, needed cleansing from the defilement it incurred by reason of its pres­ence in the midst of a sinful people.

3.
This Rite was observed on the Great Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:16).

4.
“These” referred to animal sacrifices. Thus, the sacrificial blood of animals was used to cleanse the Tabernacle in Israel from the defilement it contracted by reason of its position in the camp of Israel.

5.
We learn from this Verse that sin is so widespread, and has had such an effect, that even the Heaven of heavens had to be cleansed, which was done by the Death of Christ.


PURIFICATION
The phrase, “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these,” pertains to several things:
1.
The Tabernacle and all of its sacred ves­sels, were a copy of that which was in Heaven.

2.
Consequently, every single thing about the Tabernacle and its Vessels, plus the man­ner that everything was to be used, were all, and without exception, designed by God, with the understanding, that man must not, un­der any consideration, insert his thoughts or activity into the process.

3.
Everything in the Tabernacle and as it pertained to the Sacred Vessels, plus the man­ner in which all of it was to be used, portrayed Christ in some manner, as it regarded His Life, Ministry, Death, Resurrection, and Exaltation.

4.
All of this was a part of the Law of Moses, intended to portray to Israel the fact that Sal­vation was in the One Whom all of this rep­resented, namely Christ, and not at all in the rituals, ceremonies, or even the Sacrifices themselves.





5.
Due to the fact, that man had touched these things, even though they were designed and given by God, they all were defiled and, therefore, needed purification, i.e., “cleansing.”

6.
The cleansing process, could only be done in the manner prescribed by the Lord, which was by the blood of a clean animal, an animal incidentally offered in sacrifice, was to represent the Blood of Christ which would ultimately be shed.

7.
In reality, the blood of the sacrificed animals did not really cleanse or purify any­thing, simply because they were insufficient to do so (Heb. 10:4), but the symbolism pointed to One Who ultimately would cleanse from all sin.


A BETTER SACRIFICE

The phrase, “But the heavenly things themselves with better Sacrifices than these,” refers to the fact that the Shed Blood of Christ addressed itself, not only to the sins of man, but to the entirety of the revolution of Luci­fer, which began long before man was cre­ated (Isa. 14; Ezek. Chpt. 28).
Paul alluded to this when he said, “That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven and which are on Earth; even in Him” (Eph. 1:10).
This passage as well, tells us that what Christ did on the Cross, addressed itself to Heaven, as well as it did the Earth. In other words, what Jesus did on the Cross, addressed the entirety of this problem of sin and rebel­lion, as invented, nurtured, and fostered by Satan himself.
The question at once arises as to why Heaven itself needed to be cleansed?
This revolution against God instituted by Lucifer, which drew away a third of the An­gels (Rev. 12:4), is of far greater magnitude than meets the eye. We only know and un­derstand, at least somewhat, the part of this revolution that affects man, with only an in­kling of that which pertained to Heaven it­self. But we do know that a revolution which would draw away a third of the angels, which instituted this war between good and evil, between God and Satan, has to be of immense magnitude. Many Bible Scholars believe that Lucifer actually ruled this Earth before man was ever created, and did so in righteousness, purity, and holiness, subject to God. But at a point in time, lifted up in himself because of his great wisdom and beauty, he led this revo­lution against God, which extended all the way to Heaven itself, as would be obvious. Some believe, and it possibly is true, that de­mon spirits, which we know that God didn’t create in this fashion, actually were subjects of Lucifer in the pre-Adamite Earth, and who threw in their lot with the Evil One, with the result being that of which we presently know and understand as “demon spirits.”
When God created Adam and Eve, as well, his helpmate, giving Adam dominion over God’s creation (Ps. 8), and more particularly this refurbished Earth, this must have angered Lucifer greatly so. Consequently, he sets out to wreak havoc almost immediately, which resulted in the Fall of Adam and Eve, which as well, corrupted the entirety of the human race which was to come.
Therefore, when God became man, and came to this Earth to die on a Cross, which was His destination, His Death definitely was carried out in order to redeem mankind, but as well, it addressed itself to the entirety of the world of darkness, which included the to­tality of the revolution of Lucifer against God. So, the Blood of Jesus not only cleansed man from sin, but also cleansed the heavens them­selves, even the very Throne of God, which means that His Death and Resurrection, is of such magnitude as to defy all description.
THE WAYS OF GOD

Even though we have already alluded to the following in previous Commentary, due to its complexity, and vast significance, please allow us to state the case of the legalities of God once again.
As a child, I wondered in my mind, as to why God didn’t simply kill the Devil or do with him whatever is necessary, in order to stop all of this problem! Perhaps that ques­tion might be in your mind as well.
In the first place, spirit beings cannot die, and Satan as well as all Angels are spirit be­ings. But of course, that begs the issue. God surely could have just simply locked Satan away, as He will ultimately do in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:10-15).


There is a reason that God has not yet locked away Satan, etc. God in His creative processes has fashioned all things according to Laws, which He has devised Himself. In other words, the entirety of this universe, and all that is therein, operates totally and com­pletely according to these Laws laid down by God at the outset of creation (Gen. 1:1). The reason for the great problems on Earth at present is because of the fact that man has broken these Laws, which has brought about untold death, suffering, and destruction (Jn. 10:10).
God not only made these Laws, but He as well, abides by these Laws. Consequently, the situation with Satan would have to be resolved in a legal manner, or else God would be no different than Satan himself.
It is somewhat the same as man presently taking the law into his own hands, thereby ignoring civil authority. If this is done, an­archy soon prevails, and the entire fabric of society is destroyed. Even as nations have to abide by laws, which they do more or less, God does the same thing, as should be obvious.
Without going into further detail, God would have to put down this revolution by legal means, and those legal means were and are, God becoming man, in effect, becoming the “Last Adam,” Who would purchase back what the original Adam forfeited in the Fall. He did this, by going to the Cross, which sat­isfied the righteousness of God, and thereby atoned for all sin. This did away with the legal claims of Satan upon man, simply be­cause sin is Satan’s legal right to hold man in captivity; however, when Jesus atoned for all sin, Satan has no more legal right. How­ever, there is a problem inherent in all of this.
OBEDIENCE TO GOD

Looking at the situation, and understand­ing that the world, at least for the most part, is still held captive by Satan, we might ask the question as to whether the Sacrifice of Christ was effective?
Most definitely it was effective, and in such a way as to defy all description; however, for man to accrue to himself the benefits of all that Christ did for us on the Cross, man must believe that Jesus Christ is the answer, and in fact the only answer, and thereby accept Him as Lord and Savior. In other words, man has to shift his allegiance from Satan to Christ. Satan is the god of this present world, which means that most of humanity serves him (II Cor. 4:4). Until man avails himself of what Christ has done on the Cross, and does so by Faith, which is the only way it can be done (Eph. 2:8-9), he will remain un­der the domain of Satan. It remains for man to accept Christ to be liberated from the bondages of eternal darkness.
Of course, Satan fights the Cross in every way possible as it regards the world, shroud­ing man in unbelief and deception, which keeps most of humanity from accepting Christ (Mat. 7:13-14). However, the Church basically has the same problem as the world, and I speak of total and complete trust in the Cross of Christ.
THE CROSS OF CHRIST
As Satan tries to deceive the world, and I speak of the unredeemed, as it regards the Cross of Christ, he by no means stops his ef­forts of deception as it regards the Church. As he tries to get man to think he can save himself, he tries to get the Christian to think he can sanctify himself. And in one sentence, there is the great problem of mankind, both as it pertains to the unsaved and the saved.
As the sinner can no more save himself by his own efforts, likewise the Christian can no more sanctify himself by his personal ef­forts. Both present a hopeless task. So how does Satan go about attempting to accom­plish this task of getting the Christian into the realm of self-sanctification?
The Evil One first of all attacks the Cross. He does this in many ways, many of these ways are very subtle, and some very blatant.
His first effort is to get the Preacher to di­rect his attention to things other than the Cross. Of course, Satan doesn’t want the Gos­pel preached in any capacity, but above all, he doesn’t want the Cross preached. If he can stop the preaching of the Cross, He can pretty well dissipate everything else, for the simple reason, that the Cross is the founda­tion of the Gospel, in effect, it is the Gospel (I Cor. 1:18, 23; 2:2). And that’s what’s hap­pened the last half-century as it regards the Church. There has been so little preaching



and teaching on the Cross of Christ, until the modern Church is for all practical pur­poses, Cross illiterate, which means at the same time, it is for the most part, blind to the true things of God. And of course when the blind lead the blind, even as the Master said, both fall into the ditch.
So at the present, we have a Church that has set the Cross aside, opting for other things, not the least of them being humanistic psy­chology. However, in other circles, the Cross is not merely being politely ignored, it is be­ing blatantly attacked. I speak of great parts of the Charismatic Church, especially those, or at least most of those, who go under the heading of “Word of Faith,” etc.
Almost on a daily basis, we get e-mail from individuals all over the world, pointing out the errors of the “Faith Message.” However, every single one of these descriptions I’ve seen, basically address themselves to symp­toms. In other words, they show the wrong way that the Faith Ministry has gone, but they don’t show why it has gone in that direction. Consequently, as stated, they are merely ad­dressing themselves to symptoms.
The reason that the faith world, which in reality, is no faith at all, at least that which God will recognize, has gone in these erro­neous directions, which has probably caused more damage to the Church than anything else in the last 50 years, is because its teach­ing is not based on the Cross. It has ignored the Cross, making other things the object of Faith, which God will never recognize, and because it insults the great Sacrifice of Christ. Any doctrine must have as its firm founda­tion the Cross of Christ. If not, such doc­trine will become more and more off base. And that’s exactly what the so-called Faith Ministry has done.
While the error should be pointed out, the cause of the error above all should be pointed out. To show the error, and not show the cause or the solution, leaves the soul hang­ing in spiritual limbo.
Getting back to the original thought, the Believer must place his Faith in the Cross one hundred percent, as it regards anything and everything that comes from God. The Lord does not deal with the human race in any capacity, except through the Cross, and by that we speak of the Shed Blood of Christ. As well, He doesn’t deal with the Church except through the same method. It is al­ways the Cross! The Cross! The Cross!
The Holy Spirit lives within our hearts and lives as a Born-Again Believer, strictly because of what Christ did at the Cross on our behalf. There the great sin debt was paid, meaning that all sin was washed and cleansed, mak­ing it possible for the Holy Spirit to come in and abide permanently. However, even as we have said it in every way we know how, He, and we speak of the Spirit, will not work within our lives, unless our Faith is anchored totally and completely in the Cross of Christ. And when I say, “work within our lives,” I am speaking of Sanctification, i.e., “the Fruit of the Spirit,” etc.
There is no victory for the Saint outside of the Cross. There is no consecration, at least true consecration for the Saint, outside of the Cross. There is no Spiritual Growth outside of the Cross. Over and over again, this is what Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews tells us.
DECEPTION

Satan’s efforts of deception are just as pow­erful within the Church as outside of the Church. It’s the age-old problem of self-de­pendency, or the dependence on anything other than the Cross of Christ. One would think that every Christian would know and understand the veracity of the Cross, but due to the fact that it’s been so little preached and taught in the last several decades, most Christians have no understanding at all as to the part the Cross plays in their everyday liv­ing before God; consequently, most Christians walk in spiritual defeat in one way or the other.
Even though the statement I’m about to make is strong, and to be sure, I pray that I’m wrong, but I fear that I’m right.
The Church is probably in worse spiritual condition presently than it has ever been since the Reformation. It’s like a blind giant that doesn’t know where it’s been, where it is, or where it’s going. In other words, it is vastly deceived.
But this deception of which I speak, has a greater power than just merely an erroneous direction. It is deception that goes down into the very recesses of the soul. Let me explain:


Since the Lord began to open up to me the Revelation of the Cross in 1996, and has continued to expand that Revelation from then until now, and I trust will ever continue, I have had occasion to observe many things as it regards people who are living for God.
For instance, I watch Christians who are in deep trouble spiritually, with their lives about to become unraveled, with everything which they love and hold dear about to dis­integrate before their eyes, and because of sin, and they still will not avail themselves of the great Victory of the Cross.
One man called one of my associates the other day, a man incidentally who was and is a stranger to us, pouring out his soul to him, asking for help. He was in a “Word of Faith” Church, actually one of its Elders, if I remem­ber correctly what I was told.
He blurted out to my associate, “I’m a ho­mosexual, and no one knows about this but myself, and I’m seriously considering sui­cide.” He went on to say, “I’ve tried every­thing I know, but nothing helps.” He then told us how that he had begun hearing our daily program, actually aired seven days a week, over SonLife Radio. He said, “For the first time, I sense that there is something that can help me.”
My associate, as he spoke with him over the phone, pleaded with him to come to Fam­ily Worship Center, where he could sit under teaching that would set him free.
The man said, “I want to do that, but I’m afraid that I can’t.” When asked why? His answer was most revealing, and yet indica­tive of so many:
“My family won’t come with me!” he said.

One would think that one in such a situa­tion of such desperation would pay any price to find help. But as stated, deception is a powerful weapon in the hands of Satan.
While we have many in our own Church, Family Worship Center, who have availed themselves of what the Lord has given to us as it regards the Cross, still, there are some in the Church who haven’t. Think of that!
There is absolutely nothing in the world more important to the Child of God than knowing God’s prescribed order of victory, which is the Cross. To have the opportunity to learn this, to know this, and understanding that it is the Holy Spirit Who is revealing this, and then not take advantage of such an op­portunity, is a tragedy of unprecedented pro­portions. No wonder that Jesus said, “For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the Children of Light” (Lk. 16:8).
If there were several ways of victory and abundant life, that would be different. But there is only one way, and that is the Cross, and if we miss that way, we’ve missed every­thing, for there is victory in no other!
THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE
Jesus addresses this very succinctly when He said “The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”
He then said, “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man seek­ing goodly pearls:
“Who, when he hath found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it” (Mat. 13:44-46).
Is the “pearl of great price, which is the Cross” worth having?
In fact, it is of such value, that Jesus told us that everything else must fall by the way­side, with us doing whatever is necessary to obtain this “treasure,” i.e., “this pearl.”
The tragedy is, most Christians don’t rec­ognize the “treasure” or the “pearl” when they see it! And then others do recognize it, but don’t want to pay the price demanded in order for such to be obtained.
(24) “FOR CHRIST IS NOT ENTERED INTO THE HOLY PLACES MADE WITH HANDS, WHICH ARE THE FIGURES OF THE TRUE; BUT INTO HEAVEN ITSELF, NOW TO APPEAR IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD FOR US:”
The exegesis is:
1.
Christ did not go into the Holy of Ho­lies of the earthly Tabernacle or Temple, which would have been useless anyway. He went into the Heavenly Holy of Holies.

2.
That on the Earth, and we continue to speak of the Tabernacle or the Temple, were only figures of the True.

3.
It was not earthly Priests to whom He must answer, but to God Himself, which He





did! It is God who had been grossly offended, and not man; consequently, it was His Righteousness which must be satisfied, and which was.
THE HOLY PLACES MADE WITH HANDS
The phrase, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,” presents the Apostle telling these Christian Jews, of the true worth of the earthly Tabernacle by comparison to that which was Heavenly. In this explanation, Paul as well gives us the function of the earthly Tabernacle, which was meant to serve as a symbol of the “True.” Inasmuch as the “True” has come, why do we now need the symbol?
Verse 24 is an explanation of the statement in the previous Verse to the effect that the Heavenly things had to be purified by blood superior to animal blood, and that the Mes­siah did not enter the Holy of Holies on Earth as High Priest, for that would have done no good, but the Holy of Holies of Heaven itself. As we have stated, it was God Who had been offended, and it was, therefore, the Righ­teousness of God which must be satisfied.
Christ did not enter into a Holy Place made with hands, which of course was the Tabernacle, to offer repeated sacrifices, as the Priests had been doing for nearly 1,600 years, but to present Himself in the perfection of His One Great Sacrifice — so sufficing and effectual that it needs no repetition.
The “better sacrifices” of Verse 23, repre­sent the One Sacrifice of Christ, which is the greater Sacrifice, and which suffices for all.
The ground has now been laid which en­ables the Apostle to open up for us the spe­cial truth of the New Dispensation, and to show how fully Christ has superceded all the types of old.
We have already been presented the idea by the Apostle that Christ’s Ministry was not in a Sanctuary that is “man-made,” and here we come back to it. Not in such Sanctuaries, and we continue to speak of that made by man, even though God did design it, can the Atonement be made that really deals with sin.
COPIES

The phrase, “Which are the figures of the true,” presents the fact that the earthly holy places and things are mere representations of the true and the Heavenly, which they were intended to be. The earthly antitype points to the Heavenly reality, “the true one.”
Unfortunately, as the Christian Jews of Paul’s day lost sight of the true meaning of the Tabernacle, likewise, many in the mod­ern Church follow down that erroneous path. As Israel attempted to make Salvation out of the Tabernacle, likewise, many modern Chris­tians attempt to make Salvation out of the Church, along with some of its ordinances, such as Water Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, etc.
As there was no Salvation in any of the ceremonies and rituals of the Old Testament Tabernacle and Temple, likewise, there is no Salvation in anything which pertains to the Church. Salvation has always only been in Christ, even as it is in Christ presently, and more particularly, in what Christ did for us in the offering of Himself on the Cross.
Cannot the Reader see here, that it is not merely Jesus, but rather what Jesus did for us in His Great Sacrifice. This sets the Cross ever before us, even as it must set the Cross ever before us.
That’s the reason I keep saying, that if we think of Jesus apart from the Cross, we are not thinking of Him correctly. If we think of the Gospel apart from the Cross, we are not actually thinking of the Gospel correctly. If we think of victory apart from the Cross, then we are going to be sadly mistaken. It is not only Who He was, but as well, what He did! That is the “true,” and everything else is a mere “figure.” We must not under any con­sideration, get the “figure” mixed up with the “true.” And that’s our problem!
THE APPEARANCE IN THE
PRESENCE OF GOD


The phrase, “But into heaven itself, now to appear in the Presence of God for us,” pre­sents the purpose and reason for the Cross.
The word “now” speaks of Christ’s present Ministry in the New Testament dispensation as contrasted with the Old typical economy, and also refers to a continually present mani­festation of Himself in the Heavenly Holy of Holies.
The word “to appear” deserves careful treatment.


Vincent translates, “to be manifested.” He says this word “exhibits the manifestation of Christ as something brought about as the result of a new and better economy, and dis­tinctly contemplated in the institution of that economy. Christ is made openly manifest before the Face of God.
“The Levitical Priests were compelled to shroud the Ark and the Shekinah with in-cense-smoke, that he might not look upon God face to face.”
In fact, the darkness and clouds of incense in the old Sanctuary were meant as much to veil the unworthiness of the Priest from God as the Glory of God from the Priest. Now Christ appears before God face to face with no intervening cloud. Perfect fellowship is attained by His perfect and stainless offering of Himself. All is now clear between God and man, and because of what Jesus did for us at the Cross.
It is “for us” that He enters into this Pres­ence and Fellowship; not that He Alone may enjoy it, but that we may enter into the rest and blessedness that He purchased for us, by the shedding of His Own Precious Blood.
THE THREE APPEARINGS OF CHRIST

In Verses 24-28 of this Ninth Chapter, we have what someone has very aptly designed, “the three appearings of our Lord Jesus Christ”: He hath appeared, He doth appear, He shall appear.
The order, however, is somewhat differ­ent, for the Holy Spirit dwells first on His present appearing as our Intercessor, as out­lined in Verse 24, then turns our minds back to the time when He appeared to settle the sin question, as given in Verse 26, and in Verse 28, carries us forward to the glad hour when He shall appear the second time for our complete and glorious Redemption, which refers to His Second Coming.
To say it another way, Christ appeared to put away sin (vs. 26); He appeared to silence sin (vs. 24); and He will appear without sin (vs. 28).
He saves from the penalty, the power, and the presence of sin. His One Offering of Him­self once offered has made an eternal settle­ment of the question of sin, and abolished it forever.
Because of the fact of sin no Covenant could be made between God and men who ignored sin. Hence both Covenants were based upon Atonement — the one typically (a type), the other actually. But whereas the Blood that ratified the First Covenant was only the blood of calves and of goats, that which rati­fied the Second and gave to it its validity, was the Precious Blood of Christ. Apart from the death of a sacrificial victim, a Covenant proposing the establishment of relations be­tween God and men has no real value.
THE GLORIOUS THEME
The extent and value of Christ’s Atoning Sacrifice of Himself is, therefore, the glori­ous theme of these Chapters. Three results appear:
1.
Access to God.

2.
Purification of the conscience.

3.
Eternal Redemption.


These provide fellowship with God in a Righteousness in which no flaw can be found, and in a Redemption possessing eternal value. All is eternal because all is Divine.
The worshipper has a perfected conscience. This is much more than an innocent con­science. That is unconsciousness of evil and of God’s Holiness. A perfected conscience knows God and dwells in His Presence with joy because of a consciousness of the value of the Precious Blood that cleanses from all sin.
FOR US
As Christ didn’t go to the Cross to die for Himself, for He needed no Redemption, like­wise, He did not appear in the Presence of God for Himself. He did it totally and com­pletely “for us.”
This means, that He has already appeared before God for me. And what did He do there?
His very appearance tells us that God had accepted His Sacrifice of Himself; therefore, every individual who places their trust in Christ and what He did at the Cross for us, is granted a perfect, pure, spotless righteous­ness, i.e., “the Righteousness of Christ,” which alone, God can accept. He went to the Cross “for us,” was resurrected “for us” (Rom. 4:25), and appeared in the Presence of God “for us.”
Let it be understood, that “His appearance in the Presence of God for us,” signified a



“Finished Work!” It was all done, meaning that there was nothing remaining. Every­thing had been accomplished. And again I emphasize, He did it all “for us,” which means that He did it for sinners.
Our Salvation is registered in “Heaven it­self.” And if it’s not registered in Heaven itself, but rather some particular Church, then you aren’t saved! So the question must be asked:
“Is your name written there, or is it merely written here?”
(25) “NOR YET THAT HE SHOULD OF­FER HIMSELF OFTEN, AS THE HIGH PRIEST ENTERETH INTO THE HOLY PLACE EVERY YEAR WITH BLOOD OF OTHERS;”
The structure is:
1. His one Sacrifice was sufficient.

2.
The High Priests of old, having to en­ter year by year into the Holy of Holies, sig­nified that their work was insufficient.

3.
It was insufficient, because it was “with blood of others,” i.e., “animal sacrifices.”


HE OFFERED HIMSELF ONCE

The phrase, “Nor yet that He should offer Himself often,” refers to the fact that the One Sacrifice of Christ, which was the Offering of Himself on the Cross, was eternally suffi­cient for the cleansing from all sin, past, present, and future. Even as the Apostle has stated, the Death of Christ on the Cross, suf­ficed as well, for all those who were under the First Covenant. Inasmuch, as the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins, and above all couldn’t address the fact of sin, it remained that the Sacrifice of Christ would perform this great act, which it did!
The very fact that the High Priests of old, had to go in year by year was within itself a testimony to its ineffectiveness. This Israel should have seen, but regrettably, they be­came enamored with the Ritual, just like many today are enamored with the Church.
The Cross work of Christ so to speak, can never be repeated, and because no repetition is required, in that it itself was totally suffi­cient. He settled the sin question perfectly when He took our place in judgment. And in this we have the great distinction between the legal sacrifices and His One Offering of Himself, when He put away sin by His Mighty Sacrifice. The Offerings of old had to be re­peated again and again because they did not possess value sufficient to settle the sin ques­tion. But His Precious Blood poured out for our Redemption was of such infinite value that it is sacrilegious even to think of adding to it in any way.
Having officiated at the Altar, which re­fers to the Cross, which answered the type of the Great Day of Atonement, He has now gone into the Sanctuary in Heaven in the value of His Own Blood, and by and by He will come out to bless His people as did the Priests of old, which we now refer to as the Second Coming, and which is referred to in Verse 28 of this Chapter.
HIS OFFERING

The word “offer” does not refer here to Christ offering Himself on the Cross, but rather to His entrance into the Holy of Ho­lies, as well, on our behalf. He offered Him­self there in the Presence of God for us, which was a once-for-all offering, which will never again have to be repeated. The point is, be­ing once in the Heavenly Sanctuary, Christ is not compelled to renew again His presen­tation of Himself there, since, to do so, would state, that the Sacrifice of Himself was in­sufficient. His was a once-for-all entrance, based upon and given efficacy and merit by virtue of His Precious Blood, as against the annual entrance of the High Priest in Israel who came into the earthly Tabernacle by vir­tue of the blood of sacrificial animals.
So, what all of this means is that God ac­cepted Him. That’s a simple statement, but it carries far greater meaning than mere sur­face attention.
It was not so much that God accepted the Person of Christ, because that was a foregone conclusion. He had stated and rightly so, “This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased” (Mat. 3:17).
The offering of Himself this one time, re­ferred to the offering of His completed Work which had taken place at the Cross. Was it sufficient? Considering what that work had to do, would this one Sacrifice of Himself be sufficient?
We can understand the magnitude of the moment, when we understand the horror of


sin, and how it had polluted the very cre­ation of God, and above all, had wrecked God’s choice creation, which was and is man. In fact, the task was gargantuan, of such mag­nitude in fact, that it is impossible for us to fully comprehend and understand all that was done. That’s the reason it’s impossible to over magnify the Cross and it’s efficacious Work. That’s also the reason, that the Holy Spirit through John the Beloved, referred to Christ some seven times as the “Lamb” in the last two Chapters of the Book of Revelation. In those two Chapters, all is light, with every stain of sin having been purged and cleansed in the entirety of the universe, and for all time. But yet, the Holy Spirit refers to Christ as the “Lamb,” that we may know and understand, that all of this was brought about, the cleans­ing of man and the cleansing of the Heavenly Tabernacle by what Christ did at the Cross.
As well, considering that He referred to Christ as the “Lamb” seven times, and un­derstanding that the number seven is God’s number of perfection and completion, we realize, that what Jesus did was perfect, hence it is referred to as well by the Holy Spirit, as “the everlasting Covenant” (Heb. 13:20; Rev. 21:9, 14, 22-23, 27; 22:1, 3).
THE BLOOD OF OTHERS

The phrase, “As the High Priest entereth into the Holy Place every year with blood of others,” refers to the Great Day of Atonement, which took place once a year, every year. The “blood of others” refers to the blood of ani­mal sacrifices, which refers to the fact, that it was not the Blood of Christ, therefore, could not really cleanse from sin. This is a great point in which the Work of Christ differs from that of the Jewish High Priest. Christ entered there with His Own Blood. Paul is showing these Christian Jews, the tremendous differ­ence between the old Levitical order and that of Christ, and how superior was that of Christ.
The idea of all of this is, Christ did not enter a man-made Sanctuary . . . nor did He . . . offer Himself again and again. Paul is here concerned in this Verse to repudiate the idea that Christ might have made an offer­ing from time to time in the manner of the High Priests. It was basic to their ministry, as we’ve already stated, to offer sacrifices repeatedly, just as it was basic to Christ’s Min­istry that He did not do so.
THE ONE OFFERING
Two things call for comment:
1.
The first is the clear implication that only Christ’s Offering can put away sin. The sins of those who lived in old times were also dealt with by Christ’s One Offering. The rea­soning is if that Offering had not been suffi­cient, Christ would have had to offer Him­self “again and again.” That is to say, no other offering is in view when it is a matter of really putting sin away.

2.
The other point is that when the High Priest entered the Most Holy Place, he did so “with blood that is not his own.” The superi­ority of Christ’s Offering is seen in that He does not press into service some external means, like the blood of some noncooperating, noncomprehending animal. He uses His Own Blood and with it makes the one suffi­cient Offering (Morris).


(26) “FOR THEN MUST HE OFTEN HAVE SUFFERED SINCE THE FOUNDA­TION OF THE WORLD: BUT NOW ONCE IN THE END OF THE WORLD HATH HE APPEARED TO PUT AWAY SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF.”
The composite is:
1.
If the One Offering of Christ had not been sufficient, He would have been forced to continue to offer Himself for each gen­eration of humanity.

2.
He only offered Himself once, so that shows that this Sacrifice was sufficient for all time.

3.
This one Offering of Himself, “put away sin,” past, present, and future, at least for all who will believe.


THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD
The phrase, “For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world,” presents the fact that He wasn’t functioning as did the High Priests of Israel, who yearly had to offer sacrifice.
Expositors say: “If His Offering of Him­self were not independent of time and valid as a single act, if it were valid only for the generation for whom it was immediately made, then in order to benefit men in the



past, He must have suffered often, indeed in each generation of the past.” But of course that didn’t happen!
Vincent says: “For, from the foundation of the world, sin required Atonement by Sac­rifice; and, therefore, if Christ had been a vic­tim like others, which must be offered re­peatedly, He would have had to suffer repeat­edly from the foundation of the world. If His Sacrifice, like the animal atonements, had availed for a time only, He would have been obliged to repeat His Offering whenever that time expired; and, since His Atonement was designed to be universal, it would have been necessary for Him to appear repeatedly upon Earth, and to die repeatedly from the foun­dation of the world.”
Inasmuch as this never happened, in that He offered Himself only once, this shows that His Sacrifice was sufficient for all time, as stated, past, present, and future, which made it vastly superior to the offering of animal sacrifices by the High Priests of Israel on a yearly basis.
BUT NOW ONCE

The phrase, “But now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of Himself,” presents the One Sacrifice of Christ as sufficient for all time.
The phrase, “In the end of the world,” should have been translated “in the consum­mation of the ages.” Jesus appeared on Earth to put away sin by the Sacrifice of Himself “when the former ages had reached their moral consummation under the old Leviti­cal economy.”
Expositors say: “If there was to be One Sacrifice for all generations, the occurrence of that Sacrifice itself marked the period of the consummation. It closes the periods of symbolism, expectation, and doubt.”
“Appeared” in the Greek is “phaneroo,” and means, “He has been manifested.” The appearance of Christ at the Cross corresponds to the appearance of the High Priest at the Brazen Altar on the Day of Atonement where the animal for sacrifice was slain. This is Christ’s first appearance. He puts away sin. His second appearance, recorded in Verse 24, is in the Holy of Holies of Heaven, where He is presently. He took care of sin at the Cross, and now He appears in the Presence of God for us who are saved, His appearance bringing Believers into the very Presence of God, which could only be done by the Sacrifice of Him­self, and our Faith in that great Sacrifice.
THE FINISHED WORK

God allowed the ages to pass, and thus fully demonstrated that man is corrupt in nature and hostile in will. It was true of the world and it was true of Israel!
This demonstration of man’s hopeless cor­ruption magnifies, as a black background, the Grace and efficacy of Christ’s Sacrifice of Himself. He appeared to load Himself with the fullness of that corruption; to suffer its doom, which He did by becoming a Sin-Of­fering, thereby removing the corruption; this redeemed the slaves of sin from sin, as this alone could redeem the slaves of sin from sin.
So effectual was His Atonement that He blotted sin out of the heavens and the Earth, making so complete an end of it as to cause as if it never had existed.
THE CATHOLIC MASS

This is at least one of the reasons, that the Catholic Mass is so wrong. It claims that the wine becomes the literal Blood of our Lord, and the Bread His literal Body, therefore, sac­rificing Him all over again, and doing so re­peatedly. I would hope that the Reader can see how that this is an abomination!
The Scriptural admonition is, “but now once,” meaning that this was sufficient for all time, and nothing must ever be done that would cast reflection on this “once-for-all Offering.” That’s the reason, that the single most important thing in the world is how we look at the Atonement of Christ. If we take from it in any way, which refers to look­ing elsewhere for Salvation and Victory, or we add to it in any manner, which refers to perverting it, then we do great injustice to the Finished Work of Christ.
While it’s easily understood as to how one can easily take from the Atonement, what ex­actly do we mean by perverting the Atonement?
One manner in which the latter is done is by Christians thinking that the Atonement is such that they can sin all they desire with no repercussions. Paul addressed that when


he said, “shall we sin that Grace may abound?” His answer was cryptic and to the point, “God forbid!” (Rom. 6:1-2).
In the right and correct sense, it’s impos­sible to make more of the Atonement than we should; however, by perverting it, which many have done and continue to do, it is pos­sible to add to the Atonement that which God never intended. As stated, there is nothing more important than how we address the Atonement. In that lies all our Salvation, all our victory, and all that God has given to us. Therefore, nothing could be more important!
That’s the reason I shrink back when I hear some of our Charismatic friends belittle and demean the Cross, claiming that it was the greatest moment of weakness and defeat that the world ever knew. While it definitely was weakness, it was a contrived weakness, meaning that Christ would not save Himself, even though He well could have done so and easily. However, the word “defeat,” comes close to blasphemy.
To claim that the Cross was a defeat shows a total misunderstanding of the Atonement, which refers to a total misunderstanding of the Word of God in general. Nothing could be more serious! And to be sure, people who attend such type Churches, will not come away unaffected. In fact, many will be seriously weakened in the spiritual sense, if not in fact, losing their souls!
PUT AWAY SIN

At the beginning of the Ministry of Christ, John the Baptist addressed the sin question concerning Christ, by saying of Him, “Be­hold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).
Please notice, that the forerunner of Christ referred to the Lord as “the Lamb of God,” insinuating the manner and the way in which the sin question would be handled. It would have to be by the Cross, which in fact had been predicted from the very beginning (Gen. 3:15).
Why the exact words “taketh away sin,” or as Paul used it, “to put away sin”?
As we’ve said quite a number of times al­ready in this Commentary, and which Paul will also address in Hebrews 10:4, the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin. The best the animal sacrifices could do, which were symbolic of the great Sacrifice to come, was to merely cover sin, meaning that in fact, the sin was still there. And it was only by the Goodness and Grace of God that this was allowed, because the payment which God demanded, and which He would pay Him­self, was staggering, even beyond belief. This portrays to us the Love of God, but it also portrays to us exactly how bad, how awful, how terrible the sin problem actually is.
This is the reason that all Faith must be totally and completely in Christ, which trans­lates into what He did for us at the Cross. That’s the reason the Cross is the centrality of the Gospel, and in fact, is the Gospel. That’s the reason when we say Faith, we al­ways must understand that it is Faith in what Jesus did at the Cross. If we’re talking about any other Jesus other than the Christ of the Cross, or any type of Faith that’s not anchored squarely in the Cross of Christ, then what we’re actually speaking of is “another Jesus” and “another gospel” (II Cor. 11:4), which avails nothing with God.
God doesn’t demand much of the human race; however, in order to be saved, He does demand that the sinner place his trust exclu­sively in Christ, and more particularly what Christ did for him at the Cross (Jn. 3:16). When it comes to the Believer, He demands that we continue to trust in what Christ has done at the Cross, understanding that every­thing we receive from God, and ever will re­ceive from God, comes exclusively through what Christ did for us by His great Sacrifice. If the Believer moves his faith to other things, and no matter how good or wonderful the other things might be, the Holy Spirit will cease all operations regarding help, and to be sure, there is no way that any Believer can make it, without the help of the Holy Spirit (Rom., Chpt. 7; 8:1-2, 11). And this is the major sin of the modern Church.
For several decades now, the Church has been taught to put its faith in this and that and the other, with the Cross being ignored. As a consequence, the Church is presently filled with people who aren’t saved, and for those who are saved, nevertheless, for the most part, are walking in spiritual defeat. As I would trust that all of Paul’s writings proclaim, and especially his Epistle to the Hebrews, there



is no way that the Believer can walk in vic­tory, which refers to victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil, without understand­ing these things of which I say. The Cross of Christ is the central focus of all that God has done for the human race. And by that we mean this:
We’re not advocating putting Christ back on a Cross, or for you the Believer to strap yourself to some type of Cross. To be frank, that’s silly!
The true meaning of all this of which we speak, is that the Cross is a Finished Work, accomplished in the past, but with continued results, and I might quickly add, results which will never be discontinued. To use an earthly analogy, one may explain it in this fashion:
A WORK ACCOMPLISHED IN THE PAST WITH CONTINUED RESULTS
The Constitution of the United States was framed by its designers regarding this coun­try over 200 years ago. In fact, a war was fought with much blood spilled, in order to validate this Constitution. And yet, every single freedom that we Americans presently have, all prosperity, stems back, at least in a legal sense, to the Constitution of the United States. Those are our rights, and that which guarantees all of our freedoms under our form of government. It is the same identical way with the Cross.
The Cross of Christ is the “New Cov­enant,” in other words, that which makes the New Covenant valid. Consequently, every freedom I now own in Christ, all victory, all prosperity, all Spiritual Growth, all the work of the Holy Spirit, in fact everything, comes totally and completely, through the valida­tion of that New Covenant which is the Cross of Christ. That’s why Jesus said the follow­ing at what we refer to as the “Last Supper”:
“Take, eat: this is My Body, which is bro­ken for you: this do in remembrance of Me.
“This cup is the New Testament (New Cov­enant) in My Blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me” (I Cor. 11:24-25).
THE LORD’S SUPPER

This is the one ordinance in the Church, which we are commanded to keep on a continuing basis. The Lord didn’t tell us how often we should take “the Supper.” He merely told us, it was to be a continuing pro­cess, however often it would be done. But in this we are told several things:
1.
We are to ever remember, that He gave His Body in Sacrifice, which was broken for us, and done so on the Cross.

2.
He then specified His Shed Blood, sym­bolized by the “cup,” which in effect ratified the Covenant.

3.
He told us that this, and we speak of the Cross, “is the New Testament,” i.e., “The New Covenant.” It is ratified, as stated, “in My Blood.”

4.
He used the words as it regarded the continued taking of the Supper, “as oft as ye drink it,” with Paul including the same thing as it regards the “eating of the bread” (I Cor. 11:25-26). This tells us that this is to be a continued process, and for reason:

5.
Or taking of the Lord’s Supper, contin­ues to “show the Lord’s Death til He come.” This refers to the fact, that this is to be ever before us, and if we make less of the Lord’s Death than we should, we do ourselves great harm, even as the next verses in I Corinthians Chapter 11 proclaim.


As well, we should notice, that He didn’t tell us to “Show the Lord’s Resurrection til He come,” but rather “the Lord’s Death.” While of course, the Resurrection is of su­preme significance, as should be overly ob­vious; however, we are to ever understand, that it was the Cross which paid the price, and not the Resurrection.
6. We’re told that we must not “eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, un­worthily.” If we do so, Paul continues, “we shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of our Lord” (I Cor. 11:27).
What does that mean?
It means as He stated in I Corinthians 11:29, that we are not “properly discerning the Lord’s Body.”
What did He mean by that?
In fact, what He meant by that is the single most important thing that any Christian could ever know and understand.
The Holy Spirit through Paul is telling us, “to properly discern the Lord’s Body, which means to properly discern His Death on the


Cross, we must understand that every single thing we have from God, comes exclusively to us through Christ, and what He did for us on the Cross.”
Whenever we were told to “examine our­selves,” as it regards the eating and drinking of the “bread” and the “cup” (I Cor. 11:28), it is referring to Faith that must be placed exclusively in the Cross of Christ. It is not telling us that there has to be sinless perfec­tion in our lives in order for us to take the Lord’s Supper as Believers. He is saying to us, that we must understand that all Mercy, Grace, Forgiveness, Compassion, and cleans­ing for all sin, come totally and exclusively, through what Jesus did for us at the Cross, and our faith in that. In “examining our­selves” we must make doubly certain, that our Faith is properly placed in the Cross. That is properly “discerning the Lord’s Body.”
7.
If we do not properly discern the Lord’s Body, which simply refers to having Faith in that Finished Work, we literally “eat and drink damnation to ourselves.” As should be obvious, this is an extremely serious thing.

It simply means, that if we do not prop­erly discern the Cross, for that’s what it means, then we’ve cut off ourselves from God, because it is through the Cross that God gives us all things. Now you can understand why I’m so adamant as it regards continued Faith in the Cross of Christ, and why I constantly warn you not to listen to false teachers who would pull your faith away to other things. To do such, is to literally wreck yourself, of which Paul will here have more to say.

8.
Because of not properly discerning the Lord’s Body, i.e., not maintaining Faith in the Finished Work of Christ for all things, the Apostle said “For this cause (not maintaining faith in the Finished Work) many (many Christians) are weak and sickly among you (bring upon themselves unnecessary ill­nesses), and many sleep (meaning, that many Christians die prematurely)” (I Cor. 11:30).


I would hope the Reader understands the implications of these things which Paul has just given us:
SICKNESS AND PREMATURE DEATH

The Believer is not to misunderstand this of which the Apostle says, as to think that there are some type of magic qualities in the Lord’s Supper, etc. He is merely telling us, although with very serious consequences, that every single thing we receive from God comes exclusively through the Sacrifice of Christ, which demands our Faith in that Finished Work. If our Faith is moved to other things, then we’re not properly discerning the Lord’s Body, i.e., “His Death on the Cross.” All heal­ing comes to us by and through the Cross. Isaiah said, “and with His stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). Peter said the same thing, but added more information:
“Who His Own Self bear our sins in His Own Body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto Righteousness: by Whose stripes ye were healed” (I Pet. 2:24).
The Apostle links here all that Christ suf­fered, including the “stripes,” i.e., “the beat­ing He experienced,” as a part of the Cross experience. But what have we heard in the last few years?
Regarding Healing, the Child of God has been told by the faith teachers, that they must increase their faith more and more, continue to confess particular Scriptures in the Word of God as it regards healing, and then they can walk in perfect health, etc. Thankfully, we don’t hear much of that anymore, for the simple reason that it doesn’t work, because it’s not Scriptural. And why isn’t it Scriptural?
It’s not Scriptural, simply because the faith that was spoken of and most of the teaching that’s been given in the past several decades, has not been Faith in the Cross of Christ, but rather other things. And those other things, are as varied as the mind of man can con­template; however, it doesn’t really matter what the “other things” are, if it’s not the Cross of Christ in which our Faith is an­chored, it’s not Faith that God will recognize.
And then Paul said, “And many sleep,” meaning, that many Christians die prema­turely, because of not properly discerning the Lord’s Body (I Cor. 11:30).
Notice, that he used the word “many,” which in fact, is chilling indeed!
The doctor may call it something else, but the Holy Spirit here through Paul, is telling us, that if we do not properly understand the Cross of Christ, realizing and recognizing the fact, that everything we receive from God



comes exclusively from, through, and by that great Sacrifice, then the truth is, we can die prematurely. That’s how serious that this is, and to be more particular, that’s how serious the Holy Spirit is about the Cross of Christ.
Considering all of this, do you think that I am being overly repetitive, by addressing the Cross from every angle, and in every way that I know how? Considering how serious that it is, I think not!
When one considers that the modern Church knows almost nothing about the Cross of Christ, which means it’s not prop­erly discerning the Lord’s Body, which falls out to disastrous consequences, do you now realize how important these Commentaries actually are? Can you now understand why the Lord has instructed me to write them, and to do so, with a heavy emphasis on the Finished Work of Christ!
Considering the fact, that the modern Church is almost Cross illiterate, we must come to the conclusion that this is the rea­son for most sickness among Christians. As well, at the same time, we must come to the conclusion, that not properly discerning the Lord’s Body is the reason that many Chris­tians die prematurely. They don’t lose their souls, but their lives are cut short, and sim­ply because they do not avail themselves of all the things of which the Cross guarantees.
Again I emphasize, that we’re not speak­ing of some magic situation here, but rather, that everything we receive from God as Be­lievers, comes exclusively to us through the Cross of Christ, and our Faith in that great Sacrifice. If we don’t know that, and thereby place our Faith in other things, the benefits of the Cross cannot then be ours.
It is somewhat like an individual being physically sick, and there being a particular medicine which can bring relief and help, but yet the person will not take the medicine, whether through lack of knowledge, or un­belief, resulting in the individual getting sicker, and possibly even dying. Perhaps that’s a crude analogy, but I think it some­what explains this of which we speak.
THE CORRECT OBJECT OF FAITH
Even the most newly converted Believer, knows and understands at least somewhat, that God deals with the human race on the basis of Faith. Due to the fact that the Be­liever is now in Christ, there is a Divine na­ture within us, that helps us to understand this. I speak of this new nature within us made possible by “Regeneration,” which of course, is supplied by the Holy Spirit (Jn. 3:3-8).
Faith simply means that we believe some­thing, and in this case, we believe God, and more particularly, what the Lord did for us at the Cross.
Whenever the Lord began to reveal this to me, and I speak of the correct object of Faith, He took me, as I have previously stated, to Romans, Chapter 4.
The Holy Spirit through Paul used Abraham as the great example, and because he was the great example. It was to this Patriarch, that the Lord gave the great Doctrine of “Justifica­tion by Faith.” It is explained in simple terms:
“Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for Righteousness” (Rom. 4:3). Paul derived this from Genesis 15:6.
But when it says that, “Abraham believed God,” what did it mean by that?
It didn’t mean, that Abraham merely be­lieved that there was a God. Millions do that and aren’t saved. It rather had reference, to what God would do in order to save human­ity. Paul gave us that in the Third Chapter of Galatians.
He again used the same phrase, “Even as Abraham believed God (had Faith in God), and it was accounted to him for Righteous­ness” (Gal. 3:6). He then told us what all of this meant:
Abraham believed that God would send a Redeemer into the world, and that Redeemer would be Christ. He said:
“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy Seed, which is Christ” (Gal. 3:16).
In this particular Scripture which is some­what complicated, the Apostle is merely say­ing, that there is one Redeemer, one Savior, “which is Christ.” And then he told us how that Christ would carry forth this great task:
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree” (Gal. 3:13).


We are here told, that Christ would redeem humanity by and through the Cross, i.e., “on a tree.”
He then said, “That the Blessing of Abraham (that which God promised Abraham as it regarded Justification by Faith) might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ (what Jesus did at the Cross); that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith” (Gal. 3:14).
So, I think it is clearly obvious here, that the object of our Faith must always be the Cross of Christ. And that’s how Satan has been so successful in these last few decades:
He has steered the faith of the Church to other things, and as previously stated, he doesn’t really care what those other things might be, just so it isn’t the Cross.
As a Christian, the most important thing I think that you could ever learn is that the Cross affords you all blessings, and that your Faith must ever be anchored there. Then and only then, will the Holy Spirit work on your behalf, guaranteeing you all that Jesus has done for you (Rom. 8:1-2, 11).
(27) “AND AS IT IS APPOINTED UNTO MEN ONCE TO DIE, BUT AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT:”
The exegesis is:

1.
The idea of this Verse is, that if men do not accept Christ as their Savior, they will face Him as their Judge.

2.
Due to the Fall, it is appointed or laid up by Divine Decree: “Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return” (Gen. 3:19).

3.
As it is appointed that all men must die, with the exception of those who will go in the Rapture, it is also appointed, that all will be judged.


THE APPOINTMENT OF DEATH

The phrase, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die,” in effect, gives us the reason for the great Sacrifice of Christ. Due to the Fall, man brought upon himself the sentence of death. He separated himself from God, Who is man’s Life Source, and that separation be­ing effected, death was and is inevitable.
In fact, before the Fall, man was destined to live forever, and this speaks of physical life as well as Spiritual Life; however, with Spiri­tual Life forfeited, physical life was doomed, hence all the sickness, disease, afflictions, inevitably leading to death.
All of this was brought on by sin, hence, necessitating the Remedy offered by Christ, in the giving of Himself in Sacrifice. Sin had doomed man, providing no way of escape, which means that he was to be separated from God forever and forever. The implications are chilling to say the least!
Man’s life and works on Earth end with death: what remains is the result of this life and these works, as determined by God’s “judg­ment.” Man does not return to die a second time. That some few have twice passed through death does not affect the general law. The emphatic word “once” and the special design of the Verse are explained by the words that follow in the next Verse, which we will address momentarily.
As well, we should note from this Verse, that death ends probation. After death is the Judgment, not a second chance to live on Earth and be saved, as some teach as it re­gards the unscriptural idea of reincarnation. As well, praying for the souls of individuals after they have died is a wasted effort. All opportunities of Salvation are on this side of the grave. There remains no more opportu­nity after death.
First, second, and third opportunities, etc., to accept Christ are all on this side of the grave. In other words, death ends it all as far as the possibility of accepting Christ is con­cerned, that is if He has not already been accepted. This means there is no such thing as purgatory, as our Catholic friends teach. It simply does not exist.
When the Believer dies, his soul and spirit instantly go to Heaven, there to await the coming Resurrection of the body (II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:21-24; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 6:9-11).
When the unredeemed person dies, in­stantly their soul and spirit go to Hell, where they will remain until the Resurrection of damnation, which will take place a thousand years after the Resurrection of Life (Isa. 14:9; Lk. 16:19-31; Rev. 20:11-15).
THE JUDGMENT
The phrase, “But after this the Judgment,” refers to that which is inevitable, even as death is inevitable!



Looking about us, and understanding that all men must die, and because all have died (with the exception of those who will be alive at the time of the Rapture), man should un­derstand, that a judgment is coming as well.
Paul is speaking here of the “Great White Throne Judgment,” outlined in Revelation 20:11-15.
This Judgment will include all the wicked from the time of Adam to the end of the Mil­lennium. In fact, this Judgment will take place at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:7-15).
The place will be as stated, “The Great White Throne” (Ps. 9:7-8). The Throne is literal and the “white” indicates absolute Righteousness and Justice of the Judgment (Ps. 45:6-7; 96:10-13; Jn. 7:24; Acts 17:31; II Tim. 4:8).
The Judges will be “God the Father” (Rom. 2:12-16; Heb. 12:23-24; 13:4; Rev. 6:10).
It will also be “God the Son” (Jn. 5:19-27; Acts 10:42; II Tim. 4:8; Rev. 19:11).
God will judge by Jesus Christ. The Fa­ther will decree, the Son will execute (Acts 10:42; 17:31; Rom. 2:16).
This Judgment will not be a spiritual, in­visible, endless process, but rather a definite, literal, visible, and personal trial in God’s Court similar to a trial on Earth (Ps. 9:8; Mat. 7:2, 21; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:12-16; Heb. 9:27; Rev. 20:11-15).
At that time, the sea will give up the dead in it. This could only refer to bodies, or at least to the form of such, for souls and spir­its of the wicked dead do not remain in the sea, if in fact, that’s where the person dies. They go to Hell and await the resurrection of their bodies, where uncounted millions are at present (Isa. 14:9; Lk. 16:19-31).
At the time of the Judgment, Hell will dis­gorge all of the uncounted millions who are there presently. This is referred to as the “Resurrection of Damnation” (Rev. 20:11­15). At that time, the physical bodies, or at least the form thereof, will be reunited with the soul and the spirit of the unsaved. Every last one who appears at this Judgment, and we continue to speak of the “Great White Throne Judgment” will be eternally lost, and placed in the Lake of Fire forever and forever (Rev. 20:10-15).
We are not given the length of time in judging all the wicked, but we do know that the length of the sentence for all will be eter­nal. In other words, there will be no Purga­tory or probation or second chance after death (Isa. 66:22-24; Mat. 5:29-30; 10:28; 13:42-50; 18:9; 23:15, 33; 24:51; 25:41, 46; Mk. 9:42­48; Lk. 12:5; Heb. 6:2; 10:26-31; Rev. 2:11; 14:9-11; 19:20; 20:10-15; 21:8; 22:15.
THE BIBLICAL TEACHING
REGARDING JUDGMENT


Man today rejects out of hand the idea that he must one day render account for his life and its decisions. His loss of conviction con­cerning an afterlife, combined with the ero­sion of the notion of moral responsibility on the basis of popular belief of psychological and psychoanalytical theories, has contributed to the moral indifference and pragmatism of our times. In other words, the world has been so psychologized, which teaching is the very op­posite of the Word of God, that man no longer believes in a coming judgment. This is at least one of the reasons that the foray of the Church into humanistic psychology is so de­structive. It is impossible for it to be other­wise. The idea, that the Church can accept the “good points of psychology” while reject­ing the rest, or else meld psychology with the Bible, could not be more erroneous. In fact, if anyone knows the Word of God at all, one instantly knows that the two teachings and directions are totally opposite, meaning that they cannot be joined. Also, psychology has no “good points,” it entirely being from the diseased minds of men, which can produce nothing good.
According to psychological teaching, moral issues, insofar as they matter at all, relate only to the present moment and to the consider­ations of personal happiness. The thought that they might relate to some Divine Dimen­sion, or that all men must one day be ines­capably summoned to accept responsibility for these very moral decisions in the all-see­ing Presence of their Creator, is denied by the teaching of psychology.
Unfortunately for modern man it happens to be true, that man will one day answer. Judgment is inevitable and awaits us all.
In face of this modern tendency to dis­miss future judgment, there is the greater


and more urgent responsibility placed upon the Church to tenaciously maintain the Bib­lical perspective. And the Biblical perspec­tive tells us, that man’s sins will be judged in Jesus Christ, by man accepting Christ and what He did for us at the Cross, or His sins will be judged by Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment, with the inevitable loss of the soul. As stated, man accepts Christ as Savior, or faces Him as Judge — whichever, man will inevitably face Christ!
(28) “SO CHRIST WAS ONCE OFFERED TO BEAR THE SINS OF MANY; AND UNTO THEM THAT LOOK FOR HIM SHALL HE APPEAR THE SECOND TIME WITHOUT SIN UNTO SALVATION.”
The structure is:

1.
Christ came first to suffer on man’s behalf, which He did at the Cross.

2.
His suffering on the Cross was done in order to pay the penalty for man’s sins.

3.
As He came the first time to “bear the sins of many,” He will come the second time “without sin unto Salvation.” This refers to the Second Coming, and to the fact, that the sin question has already been addressed. He will come the second time to rule and reign!


ONE SACRIFICE

The phrase, “So Christ was once offered,” refers to His Crucifixion, which refers to the One Sacrifice of Himself, which sufficed for all time.
This argument is rounded off with a ref­erence to the one death men die and the one death Christ died. There is a finality about both but very different consequences. In ef­fect, Jesus died that men might live, which refers to “Life Eternal,” but which man must accept before his death. While death is the complete and final end to life on Earth, it is not, as so many in the ancient world thought, the complete and final end. Death is more serious than that because it is followed by judgment, even as we’ve already stated. Men are accountable, and after death they will ren­der account to God.
This is the very purpose and reason for the Death of Christ. Man could not save himself. There was absolutely nothing he could do that would avoid the horror of eternal separation from God, which means the Lake of Fire forever and forever (Rev. 20:10-15). So, if man was to be saved, God would have to become man, and then pay the price for man’s re­demption, which was demanded by God.
While it is true that the price was high, so high in fact that man could not hope to pay; still, man has no argument or com­plaint, considering that God paid the price Himself. To be sure, it was paid in full, with the Apostle using the Greek adverb “hapax,” which means “once-for-all.” This means that what Christ did at the Cross will never have to be repeated, and because it atoned for all sin, past, present, and future (Jn. 1:29; I Jn. 2:2).
So we won’t lose sight of what the Holy Spirit is actually saying here through Paul, we must understand, that the Apostle intro­duces the finality of men dying without God and a coming judgment, as that which is in­evitable. However, this terrible “appoint­ment” was broken into by Christ, Who “was once offered to bear the sins of many.” In other words, the only thing that can thwart this terrible appointment that Paul addresses in Verse 27, is the Sacrifice of Christ, and man accepting that which Christ has done on his behalf. That’s the reason I constantly say, that the only thing that stands in-be­tween man and eternal Hell, is the Cross of Christ. That’s how important all of this is!
As well, it is not only that, but also, the only Source of all Blessings and Victory for the Child of God after the acceptance of Christ. In other words, the Cross of Christ is everything, which I would think would be overly obvious as the Scriptures proclaim.
TO BEAR THE PENALTY OF SIN
The phrase, “To bear the sins of many,” presents as is obvious, what Christ did at the Cross. The Cross was God’s answer to man’s sin, and in fact, is the only answer.
Sin-bearing is a concept found in the New Testament only here and in I Peter 2:24, but it is quite frequent in the Old Testament, where it plainly means, “bear the penalty of sin.” For example, the Israelites were con­demned to wander in the wilderness for 40 years as the penalty for their failure to go up into the land of Canaan: “For 40 years — one year for each of the 40 days you explored



the land — you will suffer for your sins” (Num. 14:34; Ezek. 18:20). Isaiah alluded to what Christ would do by saying, “He will bear their iniquities” (Isa. 53:11); “He bore the sin of many” (Isa. 53:12). So Paul is saying here that Christ took upon Himself the conse­quences of the sins of many (Mk. 10:45).
The idea is not that He only suffered the penalty for the sins of some in the world and not for others, but that in fact, He did suffer the penalty for the sin of the entirety of man­kind and for all time, but that only some will take advantage of this great Sacrifice. Unfortunately, even though all of humanity can be saved, at least those who are alive pres­ently and those who will be born, at least until the coming Judgment, the fact is, that most spurn the Gospel Call (Mat. 7:13-14).
The phrase “To bear the sins of many,” does not mean that Christ was a sinner — for that was in no sense true. The phrase here means simply, that Christ endured sufferings in His Own Person which, if they had been inflicted on us, would have been the proper punish­ment of sin. He Who was innocent inter­posed, and received on Himself what was de­scending to meet us, and consented to be treated as He would have deserved if He had been a sinner. Thus, He bore what was due to us; and this in Scripture phrase is what is meant by “bearing our iniquities.” However, that which He did bear, pertains only to death, and not going into the burning side of Hell, as some teach. The reason is this:
When a sinner dies, he goes to Hell, be­cause he in fact is a sinner. But the truth is, he has been a sinner all along, and refusing to accept Christ, upon physical death, he must be placed in eternal quarantine.
But Christ was not a sinner and, there­fore, the punishment that He bore on our behalf, was that of physical death. That paid the price. He did not go to Hell, because He was not a sinner, had never been a sinner, and would never be a sinner; therefore, to put Him in Hell as some teach, would be a breaking of the Law of God. The Law says, “the soul that sinneth it shall die,” and this means to be eternally separated from God, unless Christ is accepted. The soul of Christ never sinned; therefore, did not experience spiritual death in any fashion. This is so important, that I wish to emphasize it again:
“The soul that sinneth it shall die” (Ezek. 18:4, 20), but Christ never sinned, so He never experienced spiritual death. He could experience the penalty for man’s sin, which was physical death, but He at no time ever experienced spiritual death, which means separation from God.
Some may contend that His cry on the Cross, which was predicted in the Psalms, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Ps. 22:1; Mat. 27:46), is an indication that He was separated from God; however, that’s not true at all. The following proves my point:
THE EXPERIENCE OF CHRIST
ON THE CROSS


1.
Jesus being born without original sin, in fact could not have died, without God for­saking Him for a short period of time. This was the only way that He could expire, and in that, He literally breathed out His life.

2.
Just before He died, He said to the thief hanging by Him on another cross, and who had accepted Him as Savior, “Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise” (Lk. 23:43). This plainly tells us, that when Jesus died, that He went to “Para­dise,” instead of the burning side of Hell, as some claim. In fact, all the righteous souls who had passed away before the Cross, due to the fact that the sin debt could not be re­moved by the blood of bulls and goats, were taken captive by Satan down into Paradise, which in fact, was next door to the burning side of Hell. Due to their faith, they were in comfort, but still were held captive by the Evil One. Jesus rescued them from this place, due to the fact, that He had cleansed them from all sin as a result of His Death on the Cross (Eph. 4:8-9). There is nothing in the Bible that says that Jesus went to the burn­ing side of Hell; but yet, the part called “Para­dise” was actually referred to as a part of Hell (Lk. 16:19-31).

3.
Just before Jesus died, He said, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30).


This referred to the great Sacrifice that brought about Redemption for mankind, be­ing finished. This means there remains noth­ing else to be done, which completely debunks the theory that Jesus went to Hell as a sinner,


and was actually “born again” in Hell, etc. In fact, the Holy Spirit, functioning on the premise of the words “It is finished,” ripped apart the “Veil of the Temple in twain from the top to the bottom,” signifying that the way was now open, all brought about by the Cross (Mat. 27:51). Actually, the Holy Spirit did this even before the Resurrection of Christ, simply because it was the Cross which atoned for all sin, which guaranteed the Resurrec­tion of Christ. Had there been one sin left unatoned, Christ could not have risen from the dead, because the “wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). But due to the fact that all sin was atoned, the Resurrection, as we have pre­viously stated, was a given; therefore, the Holy Spirit could rip the Veil down, signifying that Atonement was complete and finished.
4. The very last words that Jesus said be­fore His Death were, “Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit” (Lk. 23:46). In fact, the order of events at those closing moments no doubt were:
“It is finished: Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit.”
If Jesus had been separated from the Father because of sin, He could not have commended His Spirit to the Father upon His Death. One cannot have it both ways. The truth is:
He was forsaken by God only for a few moments of time, in order that He could die. The moment He died, all sin was atoned, and He was instantly reinstated with the Father. Had He been forsaken by the Father any more than a few moments in order that He could die, He could not have stated that His Spirit would immediately go into the Father’s hands. To be sure, the spirit of the unsaved at death, definitely does not go into the hands of the Heavenly Father.
THE JESUS DIED SPIRITUALLY
DOCTRINE


The Reader may wonder as to why the de­tail as it regards the manner of Jesus’ Death? The reason is because of the erroneous “Jesus died spiritually doctrine.”
To which we have already alluded, this doctrine which is very prominent presently, claims that the Cross had nothing to do with Redemption, that being accomplished by Christ being Born-Again in Hell. They claim that the Cross was a mere incident, or one of the incidents on the road to the main event. They claim that Jesus died as a sinner, and as a sinner went to Hell, and we speak of the burning side of Hell. They also teach that demons and fallen Angels rejoiced in triumph at this time, claiming that He was defeated.
But after suffering the agonies of the damned for a period of time, God then said “it’s enough,” with Jesus then throwing off the shackles of sin and death, and being “born again,” just like any sinner is Born-Again. He then came out of Hell, they claim, in His Resurrection. They then claim, that people are saved by trusting in what Christ did in Hell by being “born again.”
Of course, there is not a shred of Scriptural evidence for such foolishness, which is actually a complete denial of the Atonement of Christ.
They use the Scripture, “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He (meaning Jesus) might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29).
This is where they get the idea that Jesus was “born again,” but with Him bein0g Born-Again in Hell, being strictly of their own imagination.
“Firstborn” in the Greek is “prototokos,” and means “priority to all creation and sov­ereignty over all creation.”
In the Passage in Romans, it simply means that Christ, due to His Death on the Cross, has made it possible for sinners to be “born again.” He is the institutor or originator of such! He is shown here, and acknowledged to be, and glorified as, “The Son of God,” preeminent among those who are by adop­tion through Him sons of God.
Any time the word “firstborn” is used as it regards Christ, it is always referring to Him being the Creator or Founder of such, what­ever it is.
The “Jesus died spiritually doctrine” claims that Jesus became a sinner on the Cross, thereby taking upon Himself the nature of Satan, and thereby died and went to Hell, even as any other sinner goes to Hell. This pre­sents a complete misunderstanding of the Atonement, and is a most serious thing. The tragedy is, millions of people, in following these so-called Faith teachers, believe this lie, and a lie it is, which can have a very serious



effect on their Salvation. In other words, such direction is a serious lack of the proper dis­cernment of our Lord’s Body. The conse­quences are dire indeed! The whole of Salva­tion depends totally and completely upon one’s viewpoint of the Cross, and as well, the victory of the Child of God after being saved, is also totally dependent on one’s viewpoint of the Cross. That’s how important all of this actually is.
THE SECOND APPEARANCE OF CHRIST
The phrase, “And unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto Salvation,” refers to the Second Coming.
The Rapture is not in view here, neither the Church. This is Jewish, inasmuch as Paul is writing to Christian Jews.
The latter part of Verse 28, refers to the Second Advent of the Messiah to Israel which will begin the Millennium.
THE HIGH PRIEST AND CHRIST

1.
The first appearance of the High Priest on the Day of Atonement was at the Brazen Altar where the sacrifice was slain. This cor­responds to the first appearance of Christ on Earth to die on the Cross.

2.
The second appearance of the High Priest was in the Holy of Holies. This corre­sponds to the Messiah’s present appearance before God in Heaven now, making interces­sion for the Saints.

3.
The third appearance of the High Priest was out the gate of the court surrounding the Tabernacle, to Israel, having in a sym­bolic way accomplished Salvation. This cor­responds to the appearance of Christ on Earth in the Second Advent to Israel, having actually accomplished Redemption. His re­turn will be apart from sin in that He settled the sin question the first time He came. Now He comes with Salvation for the one who puts his Faith in Him (Wuest).


The Second Coming will herald Christ not only as High Priest, but as well, as King, in­asmuch as He will then rule and reign over a restored Israel, and thereby the world. Ezekiel portrays how that Israel along with Jerusalem and the Temple will literally be built anew (Ezek., Chpts. 40-48).
“Lamb of God! Our souls adore Thee, while upon Thy face we gaze;
“There the Father’s love and glory
shine in all their brightest rays;

“Thine almighty power and wisdom all creation’s works proclaim;
“Heaven and Earth alike confess Thee as the ever great ‘I Am’.”
“Lamb of God! Thy Father’s bosom ever was Thy dwelling place;
“His delight, in Him rejoicing, One with Him in power and grace;
“Oh, what wondrous love and mercy! Thou didst lay Thy glory by;
“And for us didst come from Heaven as the Lamb of God to die.”
“Lamb of God! When we behold Thee lowly in the manger laid,
“Wandering as a homeless stranger in the world Thy hands had made,
“When we see Thee in the garden in Thine agony and blood
“At Thy Grace we are confounded,
Holy, Spotless Lamb of God!”

“When we see Thee, as the victim,
bound to the accursed Tree,

“For our guilt and folly stricken, all our judgment borne by Thee,
“Lord, we own, with hearts adoring, Thy great love, vast, like a flood,
“Glory, glory everlasting be to Thee, Thou Lamb of God.”
“Lamb of God, Thou soon in glory will to this sad Earth return;
“All Thy foes shall quake before Thee, all that now despise Thee, mourn;
“Then Thy Saints all gathered to Thee,
with Thee in Thine kingdom reign;

“Thine the praise and Thine the glory, Lamb of God, for sinners slain!”