As children of the heavenly Father, Michelle and I hold in our hearts most dear the fact that Jesus has bought and paid for us with His blood. In fact, all who have ever been conceived in a mother's womb can lay claim to eternal life because of Jesus perfectly giving Himself on the altar! When one contemplates this selfless act, could there be something in this event that first does not meet the eye? Can there be a hidden mystery that one must study to understand? This page is a human attempt to open your eyes to things you may have never thought of or realized in the purchase of your redemption. Our prayers are for the Holy Spirit to be your guide as you carefully and prayerfully study the "Mystery at the Cross"
Written by: Dennis Schelles
Research by: Jesslyn Johnson and Dennis Schelles
Some say it is in Ethiopia, some say it is in Egypt, some say it is in Mt. Nebo, some say it is in Heaven, some say it is under the temple mount, and one says it is in a cave. What or who is right?
Well, to say the earthly Ark of the Covenant is in Ethiopia, in a locked temple closely guarded by Monks, no visitors allowed inside; then you must believe the story that goes along with that. That story makes claim that when the queen of Sheba visited King Solomon she became pregnant with his child. She then went to Ethiopia to have his child in secret and when this child grew up he went to King Solomon and obtained the Ark of the Covenant. Several different stories on how. I do not buy any of them.
Some say when Moses died there were a group of Israelites that wanted to return to Egypt, so they stole the ark for a peace offering and returned with it to Egypt. The ark now most likely is buried with an Egyptian pharaoh. As for me, I do not buy that story.
Some say when Moses died, the children of Israel were afraid of the ark, so they hid the ark in a cave on Mt. Nebo close to where they buried Moses. I can tell you, I do not buy that story.
Some say that yes, the Ark was on Mt. Nebo, but now it is in heaven. When Moses died, the Ark was buried with him and when Jesus came and took Moses home, Jesus took the Ark to Heaven at that time also. As for me, I can find nothing in God's word that would make me buy that story either.
Some say simply that the Ark never actually really left the temple of King Solomon; it is buried beneath the old ruins of King Solomon’s temple, in the Temple Mount. I had to think on this one, but this story too, I do not buy.
One man says it was buried in a cave, about 450 yards from the Temple Mount, and around six hundred years before the time of Christ, right before the siege of the first temple. He claims that when Jesus hung on the cross, it was a bloody sight.
And at the time when Jesus cried out, “it is finished” Jesus bowed His head and died. The bible says there was a mighty quake at that point as the “rocks were rent” that means, the rocks were split or cracked. Today we would most likely call it an earthquake.
“Heaven viewed with grief and amazement Christ hanging upon the cross, blood flowing from His wounded temples, and sweat tinged with blood standing upon His brow. From His hands and feet the blood fell, drop by drop, upon the rock drilled for the foot of the cross.” {Desire of Ages pg. 760.2}
This mighty earth quake caused a crack or split in the rock that held the cross of Jesus. Looking north at the cross, the split runs just inches to the right of the cross hole. Being close to sundown that Friday, and out of whatever little respect the soldiers had for the Jews, the soldiers would make sure the crucified were dead so they could be removed and not be on the cross over the Sabbath. (God’s Holy day) To do this they broke the legs of the prisoners, but when the soldier came to Jesus to break his legs, Jesus had already died.
John 19:33
But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs…:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
So the soldier did something unusual, He took his spear and pierced the side of Jesus. Out poured water and blood. Water and blood poured out and flowed down the body of Jesus, spilling onto the rock, the rock that had been drilled to hold the cross, the rock which now had been split. This Holy blood flowed down through this split rock, spilling itself onto the west-most side of the mercy seat, the mercy seat still resting atop of the Ark of the Covenant that had been hidden there over 600 years earlier! Most radical story of all, but I tell you beloved, this story I can buy. This story I can believe. Here is why.
There was a time in history, a time in Heaven when if you had been there, you would have witnessed the angel Gabriel pacing. Gabriel was very concerned. He was concerned about several things, particularly two. First, he was concerned about Jesus. Something serious was going on between Jesus and the Father, as Jesus had been in to see the Father two times behind shut doors, and now Jesus again for the third time was secretly with Him.
This time Jesus had been with the Father for quite a while. The second thing was, Gabriel knew Jesus and the Father were deciding the fate of the garden pair. See, heaven just a short while earlier had received the news that Eve had been enticed by Lucifer into eating of the forbidden tree. She in turn had plucked some of the forbidden fruit and offered it to Adam. Adam out of love for his wife had also eaten.
Gabriel had fresh in his memory what Heaven had gone through when Lucifer fell from his position. Fresh in his memory was the pain of seeing and hearing false accusations against Jesus. Fresh in his memory was the pain of seeing his beloved fellow angels take the side of Lucifer, he had in vain pleaded with some of his closest angels to go to the Father and Jesus and plead forgiveness. And fresh in his memory was the war. Gabriel and his angels had had to brand a sword and physically remove some of his beloved friends from the glories of heaven and communion with the Father and His Son. Now Lucifer had caused the fall of man, the latest and special creation, the creation of a race that had the image of God.
Gabriel was pondering these thoughts and more I am sure, when Jesus came out from being with the Father. He shone like He had never before, and Jesus called for all that were present to come, He had something to tell them. The host of heaven gathered about Jesus and they gasped as Jesus told them the price of sin is death. They all loved the garden pair and first thought the garden pair was to be destroyed. But Jesus went on, and the hearts of the host leaped for joy when Jesus said a plan had been agreed upon that could save them.
The angelic host wanted to burst out in song and praise when Jesus held up his hand, by this they knew there was more. Jesus told them He was the one that would die in man's place. Again a gasp, more so than the first, disbelief that they had heard right pierced their hearts, and questions filled their imagination. One by one they offered their own lives to pay for the sins of man, but Jesus patiently explained to them how it could be only Him. He would take on humanity, live a perfect life, redeem the world and ratify man by His death and His blood, and the Father would in three days raise Him from this death. This being the only way to fill all requirements for man’s fall, and at the same time remove all claim to earth from Lucifer. In doing so, this would also reveal to all the true nature of Lucifer now called satan and being exciled from Heaven.
I love that story. And what a story of consequence. In this story of Jesus revealing to them the plan of redemption, none knew precisely how it would all fold out. In fact, we are told once we are in Heaven, we will go through eternity, forever learning new things pertaining to the redemption plan.
Not in this life shall we comprehend the mystery of God's love in giving His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. The work of our Redeemer on this earth is and ever will be a subject that will put to the stretch our highest imagination. Man may tax every mental power in the endeavor to fathom this mystery, but his mind will become faint and weary. The most diligent searcher will see before him a boundless, shoreless sea. {Christ object Lessons pg.129.001}
Let’s take a tiny, tiny look at this plan.
When you read the accounts of people’s life before the time of Christ, over and over you read about the people of that time offering a sacrifice unto the Lord. How did that get started and why?
The sacrificial offerings were ordained by God to be to man a perpetual reminder and a penitential acknowledgment of his sin and a confession of his faith in the promised Redeemer. They were intended to impress upon the fallen race the solemn truth that it was sin that caused death. To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony.
His hand must be raised to take life, which only God could give. It was the first time he had ever witnessed death, and he knew that had he been obedient to God, there would have been no death of man or beast. As he slew the innocent victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. {Patriarchs and Prophets, pg 68}
The universe was stunned that Jesus would go to such a length to save fallen Man. On pg 69 we can read:
It was the marvel of all the universe that Christ should humble Himself to save fallen man. That He who had passed from star to star, from world to world, superintending all, by His providence supplying the needs of every order of being in His vast creation that He should consent to leave His glory and take upon Himself human nature, was a mystery which the sinless intelligences of other worlds desired to understand.
1Corinthians 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Corinthians 2:8
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Let’s take a look at Genesis 22:7-13 and read a short account of Abraham and Isaac.
Genesis 22:7-8
And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Genesis 22:9
And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
Genesis 22:10
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
Ge 22:11
¶ And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
Genesis 22:12
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Ge 22:13
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
There are lessons to be learned in this story of Abraham and Isaac. Also, many questions come to mind when reading this story. For some it might be why would God ask Abraham to take the life of his only son, this son being the promised son, the son that would be his seed like the stars in the heavens. And most importantly, when God stopped Abraham’s hand in mid air, what is the importance of God providing a ram in the thicket for a burnt offering? Let’s look at Hebrews 9:22
Hebrews 9:22
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
And John 1:29 & 34-36
John 1:29
¶ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:34
And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
John 1:36
And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
In John 1:29 we can make note that John is calling Jesus “the lamb of God” and this lamb will take away all the sins of the world. We can also note that this man called Jesus in John 1: 34 is the Son of God. This is the one and the same Jesus that Gabriel saw talking to God the Father 3 times after the fall of man. And just to make sure you get the point, John tells us again in verse 36, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
What did Abraham say to Isaac when the lad asked his father,” Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Well Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering:” Abraham did not lie!
To recap we can say,
1:The penalty for sin is death.
2:God the Father and God the Son came up with a plan called the “Plan of Redemption.
3:Man was to offer a lamb as a burnt offering pointing to the day Jesus would offer himself for the atonement of sin.
4:Jesus is the lamb of God
5:Jesus is the Son of God
We can get a real good picture of this when we take a quick look at the sacrificial system that God put into action through Moses.
In the daily sacrifices, called the burnt offering, every morning and evening a perfect lamb would be killed, to be burnt whole on the Altar of Burnt Offerings, or Brazen Altar, after draining the blood into a basin and sprinkling it around about the Brazen Altar.
Now for personal sins, there was the sin offering, where the sinner would bring in his offering at the door of the tabernacle, with his own hands kill it, all the while confessing his sins over it, thus figuratively transferring the sins of the sinner to the slain. The priest would catch the blood of the sacrifice. Sometimes taking it into the Holy Place, and with his finger dipped in the blood, he would sprinkle it before the Lord, touching the horns of the Golden Altar which is the Altar of Incense. He then would go back into the court yard and pour out the remaining blood at the northern side of the Altar of burnt offering. If the blood of the sacrifice was offered unto the Lord in the sanctuary, then the body would be burned outside of the camp. Otherwise, the sin offering would be offered on the brazen altar, or the Altar of Sacrifice.
The Passover was on the 10th day, in the Jewish month Abib, which to us is in the last of March through the first of April, The Passover lamb or goat had to be one without blemish or spot, a perfect male. It was then kept in isolation for four days until it was slain. There was an appointed hour for the slaying, about the ninth hour of the day, which in our time would be three o’clock in the afternoon. The lamb was to be slaughtered without breaking any bones. Also, at the time of slaughter a sprig of hyssop was used to sprinkle the lamb’s blood on the family’s left and right side door post, and the lintel of the door. The family then roasted the lamb and partook of the feast.
On the day of Atonement, it was the time to cleanse the Temple. The people of Israel for a year now, had been transferring their sins into the Sanctuary and God required it to be cleansed. To do that the High Priest would choose two goats, one for the Lord and one for the scrape goat, or Azazel. The high priest then killed the Lord’s goat catching the blood. Then with his most official priestly robe on, bells on the bottom of his robe and a cord tied to his ankle, he went into the Most Holy. But, not without first filling his censor with coals from the Golden Altar and carrying Incense in his hands, He then would sprinkle the blood of the Lord’s goat onto the eastern side of the mercy seat. Upon leaving, he would touch some of the blood on the horns of the golden Altar, and going out into the court yard, he would kneel down, placing his hand on the head of the scape goat, he would transfer the sins of the people for the last year onto the goat. This goat then was led into the wilderness and left there to perish.
We have only covered a portion of the services and offerings. However, when one studies all these services offerings out, one finds all of the services and proceedings and dress, and times, and objects, and formalities are a type. They point to an Antitype! Many antitypes!
“Of Christ's life and death and intercession, which prophets had foretold, the apostles were to go forth as witnesses. Christ in His humiliation, in His purity and holiness, in His matchless love, was to be their theme. And in order to preach the gospel in its fullness, they must present the Savior not only as revealed in His life and teachings, but as foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament and as symbolized by the sacrificial service.”
{Christ’s Object Lessons pg.127.002}
“The typical service and the ceremonies connected with it were abolished at the cross. The great antitypical Lamb of God had become an offering for guilty man, and the shadow ceased in the substance.” (Review and Hearld.1888-05-29.011)
“Such was the service performed "unto the example and shadow of heavenly things." And what was done in type in the ministration of the earthly sanctuary is done in reality in the ministration of the heavenly sanctuary. After His ascension our Savior began His work as our high priest. Says Paul: "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." Hebrews 9:24. {Great Controversy 420.2}
I want to focus on three types. The three main ones in the shadows.
1:The lamb.
2:The blood
3:The ark of the covenant.
But before we go any further, let's make it clear what “type and antitype” represents. Type is the copy or anything that represents the real, and antitype is the original or the real. So what is the Antitype for the Lamb? We learned that earlier in 1 John, it is Jesus. So the Antitype for the blood of the lamb has to be the blood of Jesus, right? Ok, le'ts open our bibles and see if we can find some verses that might put some salve in our eyes on the blood of Jesus, the antitype.
Hebrews 7:24
But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Hebrews 7:25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:26
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Hebrews 7:27
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this He (Jesus) did once, when He offered up Himself.
Two key things I want you to catch here, Jesus is the High Priest and Jesus only needed to offer himself once for our sins. Now, read very carefully Lev. 17:11. Ponder each sentence.
Lev. 17: 11
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 atonement for the soul.
In the first sentence, the word “life'', who’s life? It must be yours and mine, but when we read “is in the blood” our first thought is our life is in our blood, BUT it is not our blood, but the blood of Jesus! Because who is giving the blood here and on what altar? Could it be possible that what the writer is saying here that Jesus has given us the blood of animals for our atonement? I don’t think so! More on this text later.
Hebrews 9:11
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;
Hebrews 9:12
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.
Hebrews 9:13
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:
Heb 9:14
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?
Revelation 5:8-9
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints.
Revelation 5:9
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
1Peter 1:18
… ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,…
1 Peter 1:19
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1 John 1: 7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Hebrews 10:19
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
Hebrews 10:29
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Hebrews 13:20
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant…
We say we live under the new Covenant. Do you know what bought you this new covenant? If not, maybe you should read all of Hebrews sometime. Here among many it says it is the blood, the blood of the everlasting covenant…
and it is the blood of Jesus!
John 19:34
But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
John 19:35
And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
The writer here wants you to understand, He saw what happened! He is telling the truth! He knows it’s the truth, so believe him! Let’s look at these interesting texts.
1 John 2: 2.
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.
1John 4:10
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Romans 3: 24, 25.
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 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.
This word propitiation is an interesting word. Found in these three places of the bible. What on earth could it mean? I did not know so I looked it up.
A couple of dictionary’s said “Atonement. (price paid) and (sins pardoned)”
A Greek dictionary said, “Mercy”.
A Jewish dictionary ,
“Mercy seat! The lid or cover of the Ark of the Covenant.
Propitiation is the payment placed on the mercy seat to appease the anger of our offended God! Propitiatorium is the only specified place for a propitiation payment, the mercy seat!”
What is the Mercy Seat, and what could be so special about this mercy seat that Jesus would want to put His blood there?
“The cover of the sacred chest (the chest that holds the Ten Commandments wrote by the finger of God on stone) was called the mercy seat. This was wrought of one solid piece of gold, and was surmounted by golden cherubim, one standing at each end. One wing of each angel was stretched forth on high, while the other was folded over the body (see Ezekiel 1:11) in token of reverence and humility. The position of the cherubim, with their faces turned toward each other, and looking reverently downward toward the ark, represented the reverence with which the heavenly host regard the law of God and their interest in the plan of redemption.” {Patriots Prophets pg. 348.3}
“Above the mercy seat was the Shekinah, the manifestation of the divine Presence; and from between the cherubim, God made known His will. Divine messages were sometimes communicated to the high priest by a voice from the cloud. Sometimes a light fell upon the angel at the right, to signify approval or acceptance, or a shadow or cloud rested upon the one at the left to reveal disapproval or rejection”. {Patriots and Prophets pg. 349.1}
The law of God, enshrined within the ark, was the great rule of righteousness and judgment. That law pronounced death upon the transgressor; but above the law was the mercy seat, upon which the presence of God was revealed, and from which, by virtue of the atonement, pardon was granted to the repentant sinner. Thus in the work of Christ for our redemption, symbolized by the sanctuary service, "mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." (Psalm 85:10.) {Patriots and Prophets pg. 349.2}
In the time of Moses right after the flight from Egypt, God instructed Moses to build Him a sanctuary that He could dwell with His people. The account is in Exodus. 25:8-9
Exodus 25:8
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 25:9
According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
I read this as saying, God is telling Moses to fashion a sanctuary after the pattern of another, including all the furnishings! The other sanctuary has to be in heaven, do you not agree? Many furnishings were the Israelite's to build for the sanctuary, but only two for the Most Holy. Yes, you heard me right. Two. The ark, to hold the testimony or ten commandments and the Mercy Seat.
Exodus 25:10
¶ And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
Ex odus25:11
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
Exodus 25:12
And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
Exodus 25:13
And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
Exodus 25:14
And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
Exodus 25:15
The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
Exodus 25:16
And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
The Ark, together with the Mercy Seat, came to be called the Ark of the Covenant. It had two main functions: one was made to hold the ten commandments, the other was the seat of God.
In Exodus 25:22
And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony….
And so it came to be, God resided between the angels and above the mercy seat of the Ark, which held the tables of stone.
Exodus 25:18
And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
Exodus 25:19
And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
Exodus 25:20
And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
Exodus 25:21
And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
The Ark became the earthly throne of God, patterned after the throne in Heaven. God was dwelling with His people. Some time passed and the people eventually left God to the point where He no longer dwelt with them. Up until the days of King Josiah and Jeremiah the Israelites had the ark. We read in Jeremiah 3:16:
And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
So what happened to it?
Because of Israel's transgression of the commandments of God, and their wicked acts, God suffered them to go into captivity to humble and punish them. Before the temple was destroyed, God made known to a few of his faithful servants the fate of the temple, which was the pride of Israel, and which they regarded with idolatry, while they were sinning against God. He also revealed to them the captivity of Israel.
“These righteous men, just before the destruction of the temple, removed the sacred ark containing the tables of stone, and with mourning and sadness, secreted it in a cave where it was to be hid from the people of Israel, because of their sins, and was to be no more restored to them. That sacred ark is yet hid.” {Spirit of Prophecy pg. 414.3}
There is a Jewish book called the Mishneh Torah. The Torah is the laws of the Jewish people. As a Jew these laws can guide you in everything. They are basically the Laws that Jesus was talking about to the Sanhedrin when He said, "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" as their laws are actually very burdensome. At least that is my view as a Christian. In any case, this book is #14, of a set of 14 and it is “the Laws of God's Chosen House”. Written by one of the important Jewish authorities (Rabbi pronounced "Rambam" in English). The Mishneh Torah was compiled between 1170 and 1180. on page 78 it says,
“When Solomon built the Temple, he was aware that it would ultimately be destroyed; therefore, he constructed a chamber in which the ark could be entombed below the Temple building in a deep maze like vaults.
King Josiah commanded that the Ark be entombed in the chamber built by Solomon. He said to the Levites who where enlightened above all Israel, “Place the Holy Ark in the chamber built by Solomon, the son of David, King of Israel. You will no longer carry it on your shoulders, Now, serve the Lord, your God”…
In fact, all the sacred, notice I said sacred, all the original sacred articles from the Wilderness Tabernacle where entombed with the Ark at this time and none of them were ever returned to, or were ever in, the second Temple.What was in the second temple during the time of Christ?
Ezekiel 41:22
The altar of wood was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD.
When Jesus cried out, “it is finished”, and a mighty earth quake began, well, Let;s read the account {Special Testimonies, August 28, 1879 par. 3}
“Nature sympathized with the sufferings of its Author. The heaving earth, the rent rocks, and the terrific darkness, proclaimed that it was the Son of God that died. There was a mighty earthquake. The veil of the temple was rent in twain. Terror seized the executioners and spectators as they beheld the sun veiled in darkness, and felt the earth shake beneath them, and saw and heard the rending of the rocks.
The mocking and jeering of the chief priests and elders was hushed as Christ commended his spirit into the hands of his Father. The astonished throng began to withdraw, and grope their way in the darkness to the city. They smote upon their breasts as they went, and in terror, speaking scarcely above a whisper, said among themselves, "It is an innocent person that has been murdered. What if, indeed, he is, as he asserted, the Son of God?"
When the curtain was ripped top to bottom, notice it was ripped top to bottom, so that no human hand could have cut the curtain, making it now two, revealing to the public eye what was inside the most holy place, no ark was found! Only a wood table. The Shekinah Glory, not there. Yes, the ark had been placed in a secret cave over 600 years ago!
1 John 5: 6-11
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. For there are three that bare record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bare witness IN earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
For there are three that bare record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bare witness IN earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. I repeated that because I want you to dwell on those words for a moment. Don't you find it interesting that scripture uses the word "in earth" and not "on earth"? To me the word "in" tells me that the witness is inside the earth, like in a cave? Also, dwell on what we have been talking about. Consider the sacrificial system, how it points to Jesus on the cross in all ways, some of the ways are:
1- The Passover lamb was killed by the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel. type
1- Jesus was killed by the sins of the whole world. antitype
2- The Passover lamb died in the evening of the 14th day of the first month. type
2- Christ, our Passover, died in the evening of the 14th day of the first month. antitype
3- The lambs had to be without blemish. . type
3- Jesus was without blemish. There was no fault in Him. antitype
4- The Passover lamb could be either a lamb or a goat. . type
4- Jesus represented both the lambs and the goats. antitype
5- The lamb or goat must be a male and be young. . type
5- Jesus was a male, He was young, and He represented all of the sanctuary animals and offerings. antitype
6- The lamb was selected and kept up for examination for four days before Passover. . type
6- Jesus was up for examination for four days before Persecution antitype
7- The Passover lamb must have no broken bone. . type
7- Jesus had no broken bone. antitype
8- The Passover lamb was to be roasted whole. . type
8- Jesus was left in one piece. antitype
9- No water was put on the lamb. . type
9- Jesus thirsted for water. antitype
10- The Passover and the bullocks must be flayed. . type
10- Jesus’ back was flayed twice. antitype
11- The Passover lamb was not to remain till morning. . type
11- Jesus was not on the cross till morning. antitype
12- The lamb’s blood was sprinkled on the altar. . type
12- Jesus’ blood was sprinkled on the altar. antitype
13- Lambs were placed on the altar morning and evening, as a continual sacrifice. type
13- Jesus, our continual sacrifice, was on the altar from morning until almost sundown. antitype
14- The burnt offering must be laid in order upon the wood. . type
14- Jesus was properly laid upon the cross of wood. antitype
Shall we go on?
15- The bullock for the sin offering was taken out of the camp. . type
15- Jesus, the sin offering, was crucified out of the camp. (the city) antitype
16- The bullock was killed by the door of the tabernacle. . type
16- Jesus was killed above the tabernacle. antitype
17- The bullock’s blood was poured beside the bottom of the altar. . type
17- Jesus’ blood poured down beside the bottom of the cross. antitype
From how many places on the body of Jesus, did Jesus bleed? His forehead, His back, His two hands, His side, His two feet. Count them, it is seven places.
18- The high priest cast the blood seven times in the direction of the holy place, reconciling man to God . . type
18- Jesus cast His offering, a crimson current, toward the holy place beneath Him through His own blood that fell upon the mercy seat. antitype
Now before you start throwing darts at me for saying here that the blood of Jesus fell on the Mercy Seat, let's carefully consider this written in Manuscript 101, 1897, pp. 11, 12. ("The True High Priest," September, 1897.) {4Manuscript Release 243 by Ellen White}.
“In the Temple service, when the animal brought as a sacrifice was slain, the high priest, clothed in white robes, caught in his hand the blood that gushed forth, and cast it in the direction of the tabernacle or Temple. This was done seven times, as an expression of perfection.
So Christ, the great antitype, Himself both high priest and victim, clothed with His own spotless robes of righteousness, after giving His life for the world, cast the virtue of His offering, a crimson current, in the direction of the Holy Place, reconciling man to God through the blood of the cross.
“He had bright beams coming out of his side; and there was the hiding of his power.” [Habakkuk 3:4 (MARGIN)] That pierced side whence flowed the crimson stream that reconciled man to God,—there is the Savior’s glory there “the hiding of his power.”…through the eternal ages the wounds of Calvary will show forth his praise, and declare his power. {Great Controversy 88 674}
“The hiding of his power” Wonder why that is in quotation marks? The hiding of his power. We are talking about the crimson stream. Any clue now what is being hidden? What is the "Mystery"?
“We also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” Romans 5:11.
Thank God that He who spilled His blood for us, lives to plead it, lives to make intercession for every soul who receives Him. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The blood of Jesus Christ (Not the death!) cleanses us from all sin. . . .
“We need to keep ever before us the efficacy of the blood of Jesus. That life-cleansing, life-sustaining blood, appropriated by living faith, is our hope. We need to grow in appreciation of its inestimable value, for it speaks for us only as we by faith claim its virtue, keeping the conscience clean and at peace with God. This is represented as the pardoning blood, inseparably connected with the resurrection and life of our Redeemer, illustrated by the ever-flowing stream that proceeds from the throne of God, the water of the river of life. {Sons and Daughters of God 226.2}
The wonderful symbol of the living bird dipped in the blood of the bird slain and then set free to its joyous life [Leviticus 14:4-8], is to us the symbol of the atonement. There were death and life blended, presenting to the searcher for truth and hidden treasure, the union of the pardoning blood with the resurrection and life of our Redeemer. The bird slain was over living water; that flowing stream was a symbol of the ever flowing, ever cleansing efficacy of the blood of Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. . . . {Sons and Daughters of God 226.3}
We are to have free access to the atoning blood of Christ. This we must regard as the most precious privilege, the greatest blessing, ever granted to sinful man. . . . How deep, how wide and continuous is this stream! To every soul thirsting after holiness there is repose, there is rest, there is the quickening influence of the Holy Spirit, and then the holy, happy, peaceful walk and precious communion with Christ. {Sons and Daughters of God. 226.4}
Now, if there is truth to what I am saying here you may question, why are we just now learning this? Why have I not heard of this before. Why has this been such a mystery? I find this to be a good question, and there are lots of reasons. Here may be a few.
“The scripture applies to those who live under the sound of the message, but who will not come to hear it. How do you know but that the Lord is giving fresh evidences of his truth, placing it in a new setting, that the way of the Lord may be prepared? What plans have you been laying that new light may be infused through the ranks of God's people? What evidence have you that God has not sent light to his children? All self-sufficiency, egotism, and pride of opinion must be put away. We must come to the feet of Jesus, and learn of him who is meek and lowly of heart.
We must not for a moment think that there is no more light, no more truth to be given us. We are in danger of becoming careless, by our indifference losing the sanctifying power of truth, and composing ourselves with the thought, "I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." [REV. 3:17.] While we must hold fast to the truths which we have already received, we must not look with suspicion upon any new light that God may send”. {Gospel Workers 92 389.3}
“In every age there is a new development of truth, a message of God to the people of that generation. The old truths are all essential; new truth is not independent of the old, but an unfolding of it. It is only as the old truths are understood that we can comprehend the new”. {Christ Object Lessons 127.4}
This earth is also in thick darkness, as Jesus says in 2 Chronicles 6:1
2Ch 6:1
¶ Then said Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
Ellen White says God hides his glory from human eyes!
“God hides His glory from human eyes. The Father, with His heavenly angels, was enclosed in that thick darkness. God was close beside His son, tho not manifesting Himself to Him or to any human being. Had one ray of His glory and power penetrated the thick darkness that enveloped Him, every human spectator would have been destroyed. And in that thick darkness God hid from prying eyes the human agony of His Son. He clothed nature with sackcloth, that she might not look upon her suffering, dying Author, in His last humiliation.” {Signs of the Times. 1898-12-08.008 }
There is a hidden mystery that was ordained before the world!
1Co 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Will we ever know this mystery? The answer is Jesus was saving it for the very end times!
Heb 9:5
And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.
Paul is saying here there is something shadowing the mercy seat that he cannot yet speak of? Can we now guess what?
1 Tim. 2: 5, 6
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1Pe 1:1
¶ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
1Pe 1:2
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
1Pe 1:3
¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
We have reached the period foretold in these scriptures. The time of the end is come, the visions of the prophets are unsealed, and their solemn warnings point us to our Lord's coming in glory as near at hand. {Desire of Ages 235.1}
“The Jews misinterpreted and misapplied the word of God, and they knew not the time of their visitation. Earthly ambitions absorbed them, and the offer of the spiritual kingdom came to them in vain. So today the kingdom of this world absorbs men's thoughts, and they take no note of the rapidly fulfilling prophecies and the tokens of the swift-coming kingdom of God.” {Desire of Ages 235.2}
"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." While we are not to know the hour of our Lord's return, we may know when it is near. "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." 1 Thess. 5:4-6. {Desire of Ages 235.3}
Daniel 9:24
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Daniel 12:4
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end:
Could this truth Revealed to Daniel be what caused him to faint and be sick for days? Think about it, Daniel was a seasoned prophet, he had been captive and made into a eunuch as a young man. He had seen a few wars, been thrown into a lions den, who knows what else, Do you really believe it was the time span of the captivity of the Israelites that caused him to faint? I think it was the crucifixion of Jesus. I think it was the blood. I think it was the beauty of prophecy, I think it was the realization that Jesus was the actual lamb. That the blood and the water from the side of Jesus actually was given to us upon the altar. Making an atonement here on earth for us by shedding His blood on the earthly throne of God, so that you and I can spend eternity with our creator at the heavenly throne.
“Through His chosen agencies God will graciously make known His purposes. Then the grand work of redemption will go forward. Men will learn of the reconciliation for iniquity and of the everlasting righteousness which the Messiah has brought in through His sacrifice. The cross of Calvary is the great center. This truth acted upon will make Christ's sacrifice effectual. This is that which Gabriel revealed to Daniel in answer to fervent prayer.” (Letter 201, 1899).
Lev. 17: 11
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 atonement for the soul.
The Creator destined Himself to be the world's lamb when He revealed the plan of redemption to Gabriel and all the angels after the fall of the garden pair. Yes, a good plan had been made. Jesus would give His blood for man. Jesus would have to give his life to accomplish this task, but again I want to point out, the death of Jesus is not what has atonened us! It is the blood and what the blood accomplished, this is our atonement.
Jesus would (did) spill His blood. Jesus would (did) put His blood on the altar. The blood of Jesus would be (is) the atonement. Jesus' blood would give (is) life to our soul. Jesus, is our Savior. Jesus is our Redeemer. I quote from 1Jon 3:16
Hereby perceive we the love of God,(Jesus) because He laid down His life for us….
Jesus, Thank you. Amen
The Discoveries of Ron Wyatt
Col 1:26
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Mystery at The Cross
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