Why did the priests sprinkle blood before the veil?

Author: BibleAsk Team


The Blood Before the Veil

Moses wrote, “And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock’s blood to the tabernacle of the congregation: And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, even before the veil” (Leviticus 4:16, 17).

When a sacrifice was offered for the sins of the entire congregation, the blood was taken by the priest, who represented Jesus (Hebrews 3:1), into the sanctuary and sprinkled before the veil which separated the “holy” and “most holy” rooms. The presence of God dwelt on the other side of the veil. Thus, the sins of the people were removed and symbolically transferred to the sanctuary.

Jesus Our High Priest in Heaven

This ministry of the blood by the priest foreshadowed Jesus’ present blood-ministry for us in heaven. After Jesus died on the cross as our sacrifice for sin, He arose and went to heaven as our Priest to minister His blood in the heavenly sanctuary.

But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:11, 12).

Earthly high priests functioned in handmade temples. But Christ, the great High Priest, functions in a vastly superior tabernacle “pitched” by the Lord (Hebrews 8:2). For the earthly temple was “a copy of the true one” (Hebrews 9:24).

The blood ministered by the earthly priest represents Jesus applying His blood to our record of sins in the sanctuary above, showing that they are forgiven when we confess them in His name. The Lord promised, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

The Lord accepts the repentant sinner, the confessed sin is removed away from him, and the sinner stands before God covered with the perfect life of Jesus (Colossians 3:3, 9, 10). The Lord not only forgives the sinner but gives him power to overcome every sin in his life. This day-by-day cleansing from sin and growth in grace is termed sanctification (Romans 6:19).

In His service,
BibleAsk Team

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