Jewish high
priest entered year by year through the earthly tabernacle into God's
presence with the blood of the sin-offering, that he might sprinkle it
before the mercy-seat. But Christ, our great High Priest, has entered
"by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands" into
heaven itself, to present his own blood before the throne of God as a
perfect propitiation for our sins. Heb 9:11, 12, 24.

The striking ceremonial connected with the scape-goat on the great day
of atonement (Lev. chap. 16) is never to be interpreted separately, but
always in connection with the other goat, which was slain as a
sin-offering, and its blood carried within the vail into the most holy
place. The inadequacy of the type made it necessary that _two_ goats
should be used in this _one_ service, one to represent the expiation of
the people's sin through the sprinkling of its blood; the other, the
vicarious bearing and taking away of their sin. Whatever difficulties
are connected with the interpretation of the Hebrew word rendered in our
version "for a scape-goat" (Hebrew, _la-azazel_), the typical meaning of
the transaction is clear, and it has its fulfilment only in Christ, who
has _expiated_, and so _taken away_, the sin of the world.

(4.) In the case of the more solemn sacrifices--the sin-offerings for
the high-priest and for the congregation (Lev. 4:1-21; chap. 16)--the
expiatory blood was carried into the sanctuary to be presented before
God. But the victim was in all cases slain without the sanctuary; and
when its blood was carried into the sanctuary, its body typically
bearing the curse of the violated law, was burned without the camp. In
correspondence with this, the writer to the Hebrews reminds us that
"Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood,
suffered without the gate." Heb. 13:11, 12. He suffered "without the
gate" in a two-fold sense. As a condemned malefactor, he was thrust out
of the holy city, which answered to the ancient Israelitish camp, and
there he expiated on the cross the sin of the world. He also suffered
"without the gate" of the true holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem, which
he left that he might tabernacle among men and die for their redemption;
and having accomplished this work, he went "by his own blood" into the
heavenly holy of holies, there to make intercession for us.

The dignity and sacredness of these solemn sin-offerings made it
necessary that a clean place should