OBJECTION 51. — THE HIGH PRIEST’S DRESS

In a description of events to occur at the end of the 2300 days in 1844, we read, in Spiritual Gifts 1:159: “Jesus then clothed himself with precious garments. Around the bottom of his robe was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. He had suspended from his shoulders a breastplate of curious work,” etc. Being thus attired, he went into the most holy place to cleanse the sanctuary. This, says the objector, was contrary to the type; for Aaron on the day of atonement, when he went in to the most holy place, was to lay off his gorgeous priestly robes, and array himself in plain linen garments. Leviticus 16:4. Hence he affirms that the representation of the vision on this point is not correct. We reply, Paul says that the law had only a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of things. We must not look for absolute identity in every respect. He points out a number of particulars in which the parallel between the earthly and heavenly priesthood does not hold, on account of the imperfection and mortality of the earthly priests. When we look at the point before us, we find this to be, in all probability, one of the same nature.VEGW 121.1

Dr. Clarke has the following note on Leviticus 16:4: “He [the high priest] was not to dress in his pontifical garments, but in the simple sacerdotal vestments, or those of the Levites, because it was a day of humiliation; and as he was to offer sacrifices for his own sins, it was necessary that he should appear in habits suited to the occasion. Hence he has neither the robe, the ephod, the breastplate, the mitre, etc.; these constituted his dress of dignity, as the high priest of God, ministering for others, and the representative of Christ; but now he appears before God, as a sinner, offering an atonement for his transgressions, and his garments are those of humiliation.”VEGW 121.2

How can this explanation be otherwise than satisfactory to any mind? The high priest in the earthly sanctuary being himself a sinner, and having to offer on the day of atonement for his own sins, could not appropriately appear in any other than robes of humility. But no such reason can exist in the case of Christ; hence there can be no occasion with him for such a change of garments. He could appropriately wear in the second apartment robes even more gorgeous and precious than those in which he ministered in the first apartment. And it is most derogatory to the character of Christ to claim that because the priest on earth put on plain linen robes, in token of his own sin and humiliation, therefore our immortal and sinless great High Priest, in the sanctuary in Heaven, must do the same! No one has any occasion to find fault with what has been shown on this point.VEGW 122.1