The Great Controversy The Great Controversy | Page 420

sacred apartments. “He shall make an atonement for the holy place,
because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their
transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle
of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their
uncleanness.” An atonement was also to be made for the altar, to
“cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.”
Leviticus 16:16, 19.
Once a year, on the great Day of Atonement, the priest entered the
most holy place for the cleansing of the sanctuary. The work there
performed completed the yearly round of ministration. On the Day
of Atonement two kids of the goats were brought to the door of the
tabernacle, and lots were cast upon them, “one lot for the Lord, and the
other lot for the scapegoat.” Verse 8. The goat upon which fell the lot for
the Lord was to be slain as a sin offering for the people. And the priest
was to bring his blood within the veil and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat
and before the mercy seat. The blood was also to be sprinkled upon the
altar of incense that was before the veil.
“And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat,
and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and
all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of
the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the
wilderness: and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a
land not inhabited.” Verses 21, 22. The scapegoat came no more into
the camp of Israel, and the man who led him away was required to wash
himself and his clothing with water before returning to the camp.
The whole ceremony was designed to impress the Israelites with the
holiness of God and His abhorrence of sin; and, further, to show them
that they could not come in contact with sin without becoming polluted.
Every man was required to afflict his soul while this work of atonement
was going forward. All business was to be laid aside, and the

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