(Continued from p. 110.)

In considering a complex type like that of the day of atonement, the mind easily glides into subtle processes which mix the shadow with the substance. We may interpret many elements in terms of the Antitype, yet spoil the consistency of the whole by carrying one feature, uninterpreted, into the result. Is it not so with the mercy-seat in connection with Leviticus 16 ? Israel conceived of ark and mercy-seat as God's throne; of Aaron within the veil as appearing before God on His throne. In some of our interpretations, Aaron becomes Christ; the blood of bullock and goat, Christ's blood; while ark and mercy-seat remain only what Israel esteemed them -God's throne. Thus we have but a half-method. Do not all agree in the ark's interpretation elsewhere, that the beauteous union of acacia wood and gold are the human and the divine in Christ? Then the law-tables within, the golden pot of manna, the priestly rod that budded, is not all this Christ-God over all, incarnate ? This is simple enough; but attempt now to reconcile with it the idea of Christ entering heaven to make propitiation by some dealing with His blood, and see what a lame, ill-conceived thing follows. We have Christ the priest, entering with blood of Himself-the sacrifice; standing before Himself-the ark; and sprinkling His own blood before and upon Himself-the mercy-seat!

But let us seek absolute assurance in our interpretation. Is it certain that the mercy-seat figures Christ? The ark, of combined wood and gold, doubtless symbolizes our divine-human Lord. But was not the mercy-seat of pure gold (Ex. 25:17)- the glory of pure deity ? Even so. Nevertheless, that we may not go astray, the New Testament explicitly names Christ as mercy-seat, or propitiatory.

The Hebrew, kapporeth, rendered "mercy-seat" in our English version of Exodus and Leviticus, is throughout the Septuagint translated by ιλαστήριov "propitiatory." Twice this Greek substantive appears in the New Testament, designating the'' mercy-seat" in Heb. 9:5, and applied to Christ in Rom. 3:25-"Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth, a propitiatory, through faith, by His blood." The mercy-seat of Leviticus 16 is "the propitiatory" of Hebrews 9, and Christ Himself is that propitiatory.

Twice only in the New Testament, the closely related substantive, ιλασμός "a propitiation," appears (in i John 2:2 and 4:10-passages we have had before us). Combining these texts, we have the doctrine that Christ, in person, ascended and glorified, not merely is " a propitiation " for our sins, and for the whole world (cosmos), but also is "a propitiatory "-the mercy-seat.

What shall we say of a view of atonement which rests its startling peculiarity wholly or principally
on an alleged interpretation of Leviticus 16 in which such important features as ark and mercy-seat are left (necessarily, must we not think?) uninterpreted?

But let us gather our fruits. The ark is Christ; so is the mercy-seat. This being so, let us see what holy beams are shed by it upon the type.

God and man in one person-glorious truth! It is the ark of acacia wood and gold. But more. On the ark rests the mercy-seat of solid gold. So of Him who is "the image of God" (2 Cor. 4:4), "the effulgence of His glory and expression of His substance" (Heb. i:3), we read, "In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead "-Father, Son and Holy Spirit-"bodily" (Col. 2:9).

And now another glory:the mercy-seat receives the blood of atonement. Is the mercy-seat's pure gold interpreted in the mighty fact of Godhead-fulness finding its permanent abode in Christ ? A like doctrine illuminates the blood upon the solid gold propitiatory. "For in Him all the Fulness was pleased to dwell, [or "to take up its lasting abode," the verb expressing permanence], and through Him to reconcile all things unto itself, having made peace through the blood of His cross – through Him, whether the things upon the earth or the things in the heavens" (Col. i:19, 20).

Let it be noticed that this reconciliation of all things was effected not by blood of propitiation presented in heaven, but by "the blood of His cross" (Col. i:20). This bold figure carries us to Calvary, not to heaven, and to another striking contrast-the fact that the antitypical sprinkling took place without, and not within, the sanctuary.

If literal blood may at all intrude among these spiritualities, must we not indeed say that not in heaven, but on the cross, the mercy-seat was sprinkled, when, the Roman spear piercing that dead Body, it stained itself with its own crimson life? And when our risen Lord gloriously entered heaven, not alone did our Priest go in, not merely did He present the sacrifice for our sins, but in His own person He carried in the blood-sprinkled mercy-seat, and set it in its place forever in the midst of the throne of God!

Christ's entrance into heaven for us I would emphasize, because our divine commentary on Leviticus 16, the epistle to the Hebrews, emphasizes it. But our adorable Lord's great sacrifice awaited not His ascension for its presentation and acceptance. When, commending His spirit to the Father, He expired, I believe His wondrous, work of atonement, finished, divinely perfect, was in all its infinite, eternal, unfathomable value, sacrificially offered up to God in an instant of time, and as instantly accepted; the rending temple-veil bearing witness to this. In our Lord's resurrection, God issued the public proclamation of His acceptance. And even as thus Christ "was raised again for our justification," so likewise afterward did He publicly ascend through the heavens to appear before the face of God for us; and in His mighty person He carried all in with Him.

Mr. F. W. Grant somewhere has truly said that the tabernacle, in Exodus and Leviticus, figures not conditions before the cross, but heaven as we know it now, with Christ enthroned, exalted. Must not such vast differences, conditioning type and antitype, inevitably burst in upon interpretation, transfiguring allegorical likenesses in the vivid light of still more glorious contrasts ?

Before incarnation, the acacia wood was not, nor yet the tabernacle. But "the Word became flesh and tabernacled amongst us." His person comprehended all-beautiful curtains, veil, ark, mercy seat, censer, golden altar, table of showbread, lamp stand! But not yet were the ram skins dyed red, nor was the veil rent, nor were the mercy-seat and other furnishings sprinkled with His blood. His cross accomplished this, sprinkling the mercy-seat, as in Leviticus 16, and "both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry" (Heb. 9:21); and His ascension set all the blood-marked " heavenly things" eternally in place in the veil-rent holies. By His ascension He thus fulfilled His promise, " I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2). The place was "prepared" when, in His person, the glorious furnishings were all set at God's right hand.
How much we should lose by clinging to a literal posthumous presentation of Christ's blood! It compels us to conceive of sanctuary and tabernacle, in Leviticus 16, as a picture of the heavenlies before Christ's death, the precious " things in the heavens " thus necessarily remaining mere vague 'things" amid which the disembodied Christ appeared to present His precious blood!

But the "things in the heavens" of Heb. 9 are known. They are "the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him "-unseen, unheard, unimagined indeed by the heart of man, but revealed unto us by God's Spirit (i Cor. 2:9, 10); "the things above," which we are to "seek," on which we are to set our minds (Col. 3:i, 2).

For where, "above," are these things? "Where the Christ sitteth, at God's right hand" (Col. 3:1).
Jesus enthroned, He is "the things"-ark, propitiatory, sacrifice, priest, perpetual incense-censer, golden altar, presenting and perfuming my little praises; showbread-table bearing me up in communion with the Godhead; golden lamp stand, whence from His own face the light of the knowledge of the glory of God shines into my heart for ever!

One word in closing this part of our subject. We have cited Col. 2:9 and 1:19,20, because these scriptures beautifully interpret the solid gold of the mercy-seat, and the blood of atonement upon it, by linking the fulness of the Godhead with the person and work of Christ. We may add, however, that Hebrews 9, although approaching from a different standpoint, gives a closely analogous doctrine. In Colossians we see the Godhead-fulness "reconciling" all things unto itself by the sacrifice of Christ. In Hebrews 9 we see Christ purging the heavens by His sacrifice, which "puts sin away."

By the rendering, "heavenly things," in the last clause of Heb. 9:23, most translations conceal a delicate distinction-one of the lights and perfections which abound in Scripture. In contrast with the old covenant figures "of the things in the heavens" (τωv έv τoις oυραvoις τoύτoις), purged by blood of goats and bulls, the text does not say that "the things in the heavens themselves," or " the heavenly things themselves," needed purging by better sacrifices, but that "the heavenly places themselves" (αιτά δέ τά έπoυράvια-or, literally and better, "the heavenlies themselves " (epourania, with the article, precisely as in Eph. i:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12)- required such purification.

As we have seen, "the things in the heavens" of Hebrews 9, figuratively represented by the tabernacle furniture, are Christ Himself in glory, as identified with His people. In the shadow, the types of this needed purging; in the fulfilment, not their Antitype, Christ, but His dwelling place, "the heavenlies," require it.

In the universe, anywhere, does one unjudged sin abide? Then "the heavens are not clean in His sight" (Job 15:15)! And if, to-day, one evil yet abides, unatoned for, do not the heavens still remain polluted?

But into the heavens Christ entered, to appear before God's face for us (Heb. 9:24). Could He enter them thus, without first purging them? Immediately, therefore, we have what alone could effect such purgation-Christ's sacrifice of Himself to "put sin away" (Heb. 9:26). Mighty atonement! By it the heavenlies have been made pure as He whose glory fills them; and in suck heavenlies we sit "in Him!" F. Allaben

(To be continued.)