Veils have a double function. The term Hebrews uses for veil (katepetasma) could refer to the screen of the court (Exodus 38:18), the screen at the entrance of the outer apartment of the sanctuary (Exodus 36:37), or the inner veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:31-35). These three veils were both entrances … Continue reading –>
Read Hebrews 12:18-21. What was the experience of Israel at Mount Sinai? When God called Israel from Egypt, His plan was to create a personal, intimate relationship with them. He said, “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself” (Exodus 19:3-4, NKJV). Thus, … Continue reading –>
Read Hebrews 9:24. According to this passage, what was the purpose of Jesus’ ascension to heaven? God instructed Israel that their males should go three times every year up to Jerusalem to “appear before the Lord” with an offering. The appointed times were the feast of Passover (Unleavened Bread), the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Hebrews 9:24; Exodus 19:3-4; Hebrews 12:18–21; Leviticus 16:1-2; Hebrews 10:19–22; Colossians 3:1. Memory Text: “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24, NKJV). When the disciples returned from the Mount of … Continue reading –>
Gospel Calling By Andrew McChesney Khamla, the bread winner of his family, fell ill in rural Laos. His legs became so heavy that he could not walk. He was confined to his house for three months. With no money to see a doctor, Khamla (not his real name) resorted to all sorts of herbal medicine … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Calvary,” Pages 741-757; “It Is Finished,” Pages 758-764, in The Desire of Ages. Professor Jiri Moskala has explained the nature of this pre-Advent judgment. God “is not there in order to display my sins like in a shop window. He will, on the contrary, point first of all to His amazing transforming … Continue reading –>
Read Romans 3:21-26; Romans 1:16-17; and Romans 5:8. What does Redemption in the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins reveal about God? The forgiveness of our sins implies two phases in Jesus’ mediation in the two apartments of the heavenly sanctuary. First, Jesus removed our sins and carried them Himself on the cross in order to … Continue reading –>
Read Hebrews 9:22-28. What does this passage say about the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary? The idea that the heavenly sanctuary needs cleansing makes sense in the context of the Old Testament sanctuary. The sanctuary is a symbol of God’s government (1 Samuel 4:4, 2 Samuel 6:2), and the way God deals with the sin of … Continue reading –>
Read Hebrews 7:27 and Hebrews 10:10. How is Jesus’ sacrifice described in these passages? The Levitical priests — who were “many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office” (Hebrews 7:23, ESV) — are contrasted with Jesus, who lives forever and has an eternal priesthood (Hebrews 7:24-25). Levitical priests “daily” (Hebrews 7:27) and “every year” (Hebrews 9:25) offered gifts and sacrifices … Continue reading –>
Jesus’ death provided forgiveness, or remission, for our sins. The remission of our sins, however, involves much more than the cancellation of the penalty for our transgression of the covenant. It involves other elements as important. That is why the Israelite sacrificial system had five different kinds of sacrifices. Each was necessary to express the … Continue reading –>
