The Temple's Inner Doors
The Doors • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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A new pastor was visiting the homes of some of the people in his congregation. He came to one house and he knocked but there was no answer. He could see the lights were on and it seemed very obvious that someone was home, so he knocked again. When there was no response, he took out a note card and simply wrote on it Revelation 3:20 and stuck it in the door.
The next Sunday after the offering was passed he found someone had put his note card in the plate. He looked at it to see that they had added to it a cryptic message saying simply: Genesis 3:10. The pastor grabbed his Bible and opened it to the verse cited and began to laugh.
Revelation 3:20 begins: "Behold I stand at the door and knock." Genesis 3:10 reads: "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid for I was naked."
For the last two weeks we have been in a series called the doors. It a series that looks at doors in the bible and how they relate to Jesus Christ. We have discussed the ark door and the passover door.
Today we will jump nearly 500 years ahead to Solomon’s Temple. Since the time of Moses till the time of King Solomon, God’s Temple was a tent structure. King Solomon did what his dad King David wanted to do and built a permanent structure structure for God to dwell here on earth.
Now I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God in order to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him, for displaying the rows of the Bread of the Presence continuously, and for sacrificing burnt offerings for the morning and the evening, the Sabbaths and the New Moons, and the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is ordained for Israel permanently. The temple that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than any of the gods.
Great is not the word for it. It was over the top extravagant.
The finest large stones were laid for the foundation of the temple. These stones were prepared and cut at the quarry so that all the cutting and hammering would be done away from the temple site to keep the utmost reverence at the building site.
The finest timbers of Lebanon were cut by expert tree cutters and floated in downstream. The temple required 34 tons of gold. The walls were overlaid with gold and the temple with precious stones. The nails were made of pure gold.
It consisted of three units; the ulam (porch), the heikal (sanctuary), and the debir (the Holy of Holies).
It took seven year to build
It’s no wonder the building of the temple is considered the outstanding achievement of the reign of King Solomon. The temple was and still is considered the finest building ever constructed: A great temple for a great God.
The Feast of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of the Harvest, the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Day of Atonement were all celebrated at the temple.
In all truthfulness, the Day of Atonement is not truly a feast.
“The Day of Atonement” is the English translation for the Hebrew, “Yom Kippur.” “Kippur” is the Hebrew word “kaphar” meaning “to cover.” Specifically, atonement refers to God covering our sin. Yom Kippur fell on the the seventh Hebrew month, and was observed between the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Lord again spoke to Moses: “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. You are to hold a sacred assembly and practice self-denial; you are to present a food offering to the Lord. On this particular day you are not to do any work, for it is a Day of Atonement to make atonement for yourselves before the Lord your God.
Why bring this up? Well it is on the Day of Atonement that the high priest would enter trough the temple’s inner doors into God’s Presence in the holy of holies.
Pastor, you have taught us before that it wasn’t a door but a veil. Yes I did, but in Solomon’s Temple it was two large doors. The veil was in the original tent structure and placed in the second temple. We will discuss that in another part to this series.
The Jewish day began at 6 PM, but the service for Yom Kippur started the next morning. It followed the morning service and went into the afternoon. On this day the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies through the inner doors and stand before God. So it was crucial he be ritually clean and qualified for his duties. To insure this, the high priest was required to leave his home one week before Yom Kippur to stay in the high priest’s quarters inside the Temple. During this week, he was twice sprinkled with the ashes of a red heifer just in case he’d become unclean.
There was also a special washing process. Any other day, the high priest washed his hands and feet before performing his duties. On Yom Kippur, he had to totally immerse himself in a special golden bathtub. His purple robe was hemmed with tiny golden bells, and over the top of his robe, he wore a golden breastplate, studded with twelve precious stones - as a reminder that he represented the twelve tribes of Israel before God. He would also wear white garments that were to never be worn again.
Once dressed, he washed his hands and feet for the morning service - the regular daily sacrifice. Then he returned to his chamber to change into his white linen garments. On this day he changed clothing 5 times, and each time, he washed his hands, his feet, removed his garments, and totally immersed his body, put on a change of clothing, and washed his hands and feet again.
Yom Kippur required an increase in animal sacrifices. Besides the regular daily offerings, other offerings were made. These included a bull, a ram, 7 lambs for the people, and a ram for the priesthood.
Remember I said that the priest wore a purple robe with bells. Well before entering the Holy of Holies, he had to go through all the rituals and slaughter an animal for his sins. Other priest would tie a robe to his ankle , and stand outside the Holy of Holies and listen for the bells on his robe. If the bells stopped ringing or they felt the priest collapse. They would pull him out by the rope.
The Yom Kippur service featured two goats - identical in size, color, and value. Two lots were placed in a golden vessel. One inscribed, “for Yahweh” and the other, “for Azazel.” The high priest shook the vessel, randomly took one in each hand, and held them to the goat’s foreheads to determine the outcome. He declared them “a sin offering to the Lord.” The two goats were viewed together as one singular offering.
Scholars say “Azazel” comes from the Hebrew “azel,” meaning “escape.” This has led to calling this goat the “scapegoat” for it escaped death and was driven into the wilderness. The high priest laid hands on its head, confessing the people’s sins. The scapegoat was then led through the Eastern Gate more than 10 miles into the wilderness. The goat determined “for Yahweh” was offered as a sin offering.
While the scapegoat was taken into the wilderness and the people awaited word it had been accomplished, the service continued. The high priest finished sacrificing the bull and the goat on the altar. Then he addressed the people, reading the Leviticus passages and quoting the Numbers passage by heart, verifying all commands had been carried out. Finally, the remaining offerings for Yom Kippur were offered. He then bathed for the 5th time and changed into his golden garments. He would perform the regular evening service and Yom Kippur ended.
Why explain all of this to you? Well it all points to Christ being our high priest and the once and for all sacrifice.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.
Despite all the preparation, the high priest still had to offer sacrifices for his own sin. But Jesus did not for He was sinless; and because He was sinless, He could offer Himself as a covering for our sin.
The Day of Atonement was for the previous year. But not so with our Savior’s sacrifice for sin. It was for all eternity.
Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins. But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.
Our Savior’s sacrifice serves as the ultimate redemption and deliverance of God’s people.
We’re saved from sin’s penalty, like the scapegoat. But also like the scapegoat, we still wander in the wilderness of this world. But something happens when you accept Christ into your life.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Back then, the Jewish people needed a priest to represent them, to be the intersession between them and God. Today, we do not need that. We have our intercessor, Jesus Christ. Through His death we have access to the inner most part of the temple. Through those inner doors. It is nothing we do. It is all Him. We don’t get right with God based on what we do; but on what Jesus has done. We accept Christ and experience our own Day of Atonement - being made at one with God through Jesus Christ.