| The Christian Life | April 1945 |
Lessons from the Past
Christlikeness Foreshadowed
THE robes of glory and beauty worn by the high priest of Israel, as well as other things connected with the ancient tabernacle and its services, foreshadowed the glorious characteristics of the world’s future High Priest, Head and body. The development of a Christlike character of love, and activity in furthering the interest of God’s Kingdom, are prerequisites to becoming members of that glorious antitypical High Priest who will minister restitution blessings to a needy and astonished world of mankind during the Millennium. One who does not become rounded out in Christlikeness will fail to attain to the position of membership in the glorified body of Christ, as shown by the ordinance of the law which barred one who was blemished from serving as a priest in the typical tabernacle arrangement.
Romans 8:29 reads, “For whom He did foreknew, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” To be conformed to the image of Christ means character development. We also note II Peter 1:5-11, where the apostle itemizes and urges us to add to our characters the graces of the Spirit, telling us that if we do these things an entrance shall be ministered unto us abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In the annual atonement day sacrifices, described in Leviticus 16, the high priest wore sacrificial robes when sacrificing the sin-offerings. Afterward he wore garments of glory and beauty. This typified that during the Gospel Age, Jesus the Head, and the church, His body, are called to sacrifice and are not to expect any special honor and glory. But when the age of sacrifice is over and the church has been raised to the divine nature, then the honor and glory of the great High Priest will be manifest to all.
The glorious robes are referred to in Exodus 28:4, as follows: “And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto Me in the priest’s office.”
When Aaron was consecrated to the office of high priest, he was first clothed with these garments and then anointed by Moses who poured the anointing oil on his head. Each article of this glorious apparel was typical of qualities and powers of the Great Deliverer—Head and body—as Jehovah foresaw them, looking down into the future when the Millennial Kingdom would be set up.—Exodus 28:41; Leviticus 8
Lesson of the Colors
In considering the various colors of the garments, we find that the white represents purity, righteousness; purple, royalty; blue, faithfulness: scarlet the ransom sacrifice; and gold, the divine nature. There were five colors in all. (Exodus 28:6) The white shows that the antitypical High Priest in the Millennium will be absolutely pure and righteous, not only in His motives but also in all of His dealings with mankind. The great High Priest (Christ and the church) will rule justly with loving understanding and sympathy. No wonder the Father will “joy” over them “with singing.”—Zeph. 3:17
The blue shows that these priestly ones not only have been proven faithful in the past, but also will be found faithful in the future, fully loyal to their God and His Kingdom arrangements. The purple pictures the fact that this High Priest will have kingly authority and power in the work of overthrowing evil and of helping the willing and obedient to walk up the highway of holiness. (Isaiah 35:8) The scarlet indicates that the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the sacrificial course of all the members of His body, prepares them to be kings and priests for mankind. The gold pictures the fact that this class will have the divine nature. Endowed with its power they will be fully qualified for their office and work.
The colors in the typical glorious garments of the great High Priest also help to illustrate His work on behalf of mankind. The mediatorial restitution work for the human race will enable those of the world who put forth their best efforts to walk up the highway of holiness to attain pure, righteous characters (white); to keep their consecration vows faithfully (blue); and to enjoy the full benefits of the removal of the Adamic curse and its effects. This mediatorial work will be based upon the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ (scarlet). The powers of the divine nature (gold) and the kingly authority (purple) of The Christ will help mankind in overcoming all opposing obstacles.
Meaning of the Garments
The white linen coat with its beautiful embroidery pictures a wholehearted character of righteousness adorned with works of grace and kindness. The white linen mitre, to which a gold plate was fastened by a blue lacer, pictured that this class will have the crown of rulership because of their faithfulness and righteousness. (II Tim. 4:8; I Cor. 9:25; Rev. 2:10) The words, “Holiness to the Lord” beautifully showed that the antitypical High Priest would be wholly devoted to the service of God.
The linen girdle foreshadowed that the future High Priest will be the servant of righteousness. The robe of blue, with its fringe of golden bells and pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet, seems to tell us that the precious fruit (restitution for mankind) of the faithfulness of this High Priest will be proclaimed to all during the Millennium.
The ephod was made of cloth of purple, blue, scarlet, white and gold threads. This could very well represent the two great covenants whose fulfillment rests upon the shoulders of the heavenly High Priest. The front part of the ephod pictures the Abrahamic Covenant which promised a seed which would bless all the world of mankind with restitution. This includes the selection, and development and preparation by God of such a seed. In Galatians 3:29, we are told, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
The back part of the ephod may well represent the New Covenant referred to in Hebrews 8:8,10: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: … For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people.” This covenant will enable the willing and obedient of the world of mankind in the Millennium to gain human perfection here on earth. Then they will become free in the fullest sense from sickness, pain, sorrow and dying.—Rev. 21:4
The girdle of the ephod shows that this antitypical High Priest will put forth every effort to serve these covenants in the work of blessing all the families of the earth with restitution blessings. On the front part of the ephod was the breastplate. It was made of the same materials and colors as the ephod. It was doubled with the back part fastened to the ephod, and the two upper ends of the front part were suspended by gold chains from the gold clasps on the shoulders of the high priest. The fact that this breastplate when doubled was one span long and one span wide symbolized that keeping the law of God was the full extent of a perfect man’s ability. The back part pictured the letter of the law. The Jews were unable fully to obey the requirements of the Mosaic Law, either in letter or in spirit.
The forepart of the breastplate represented the spirit of the law. The intent and motive of the Christian in this Gospel Age, must be to keep the law of love, but he has the robe of Christ’s righteousness to cover his unwilling failures in the performance of his intentions. Paul refers to this in Romans 8:4, saying, “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Jewels are scarce and precious. So the Lord’s people of this Gospel Age, pictured by the jewels in the breastplate on the front part of the ephod, are few in number but are precious in the Lord’s sight. “And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” (Malachi 3:17) There were no jewels on the back part of the ephod because no one except Jesus Christ could keep the letter of that law.
At the beginning of the Millennium, this great High Priest will stand forth as the living representative of Jehovah God and will be the embodiment of God’s four great attributes of character. The mercy seat on the ark in the Most Holy pictured God’s Justice. On the mercy seat were two cherubim with outstretched wings, their faces looking toward each other and upon the Mercy Seat. These pictured God’s Love and Power harmoniously ready to wing their flight to man’s relief and blessing. They must wait, however, for the blood to be applied on the mercy seat. Jesus provided the ransom sacrifice at His first advent. He comes the second time to set up His Kingdom, and then the blood is applied for the world. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.” (Isaiah 35:5) God’s wisdom was represented in the ark itself.—Col. 2:2,3
An Unblemished Priesthood
In Leviticus 21:21 we read, “No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.” These blemishes do not typify the unavoidable weaknesses of the flesh of the Christian. The robe of Christ’s righteousness covers all such Adamic imperfections. The blemishes referred to in this text, picture defective heart qualities of the Christian which must be overcome in order to have in our hearts that fullness of love and zeal for the Lord’s Kingdom which make up Christ likeness.
Let us consider carefully the account in Leviticus 21:17-23. No one who was blind could be a high priest. And so in the antitype, one must be begotten of the Holy Spirit in order to understand and appreciate spiritual things. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (I Cor. 2:14) Likewise one who loses his spiritual eyesight through yielding to the spirit of the devil, or by allowing himself to be come overcharged with the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches, would lose his position of membership in the body of Christ.
Another disqualifying blemish was that of being lame. This could picture indecision and wavering in our course of loyalty to God and His service. A good example of definiteness is recorded in I Kings 18:21: “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him.” Let us take a definite, determined and well thought-out stand on all things pertaining to our service of the truth. For example, what is our stand on the position that Brother Russell is “that servant,” whom the Lord has used to give us the meat in due season? (Matt. 24:45,46) Is it our conviction that we are in the harvest of the Gospel Age and that the little flock class should still be active in the public witness work? On points like these, let us follow a definite, straight and steady course and not be undecided or wobbly like a man who is lame.
Another blemish mentioned is that of having a flat nose. This would imply a lack of the power to smell. It could illustrate a failure to appreciate the love and self-sacrificing spirit of the brethren. Note, in Philippians 4: 18, how Paul appreciated the spirit of sacrifice in the brethren: “But I have all and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.”
Being broken footed is next mentioned as a blemish. It means a fractured foot. Let us suppose that the right foot would represent public witness work and the left foot character development. If a person would hop around on his right foot because his left foot is fractured, he would illustrate a person who thinks that all one should do is witness work. But, if he should hop around on his left foot because his right foot is fractured, he would illustrate a person who thinks that all one should do is to develop character. How much better it is to give time, attention and support both to public witness work and character development. Such a course keeps one properly balanced.
The priest who is broken-handed pictures one who is unable to do good without mixing in some harmful remark or act. Let us always seek to follow II Timothy 2:24: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all, apt to teach, patient.”
Being “crookbackt” (hunch-backed) might well represent being stubborn. Being a dwarf could represent those who are always small (selfish) in all that they say or do. While the hunchback has a spinal column it is so deformed as to give him the appearance of a small, immature person. The word here rendered “dwarf” should more properly be rendered, as the marginal reference shows, “too slender.” Its basic or primary meaning is “crushed” as something made small, thin or insignificant. This could well picture a characteristic of puniness, weakness and lack of faith. If our faith doesn’t measure up to the Lord’s requirements, we cannot have its full assurance of being “more than conquerors” in the “good fight of faith.”—Rom. 8:39; I Tim. 6:12; II Tim. 4:7
A high priest must not have a blemish in his eye. The story is told about a man who saw spots before his eyes. He bought a pair of glasses and when asked if the glasses had helped him, he replied that they did and that now he could see the spots bigger and better than before. This could represent how one can imagine that he sees prophecies fulfilled before they are, actually. For instance, he can imagine he sees that the four winds have been let loose and the sealing of the servants of God in their foreheads has all been completed. (Revelation 7:1-3) He may think he can also see that we have already reached “the night when no man can work.” (John 9:4) These are really only spots because if any one wants to work in the Lord’s vineyard, he can still find plenty to do.
Being afflicted with scurvy means having an itching skin. This might illustrate being always discontented and always finding fault. Having one’s stones broken represents a lack of loving zeal to make disciples or to bring others into Christ. Paul had such a zeal. He wrote: “For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” (I Cor. 4:15) He did not mean that one or two elders are “fatherly” while all other elders are not much interested in the brethren they serve. He meant that while there were many who could assist the brethren in their Christian walk after they had been spirit-begotten, he had the privilege of helping to bring them to Christ and thus starting them on the Christian way.
Let us seek to free ourselves from all blemishes of the heart. With the Lord’s help and guidance may we be transformed into the likeness of Christ in love and unselfish devotion to the Lord, that in the resurrection we may find ourselves members of the great antitypical High Priest.