Page:Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah (Baron, David).djvu/136

 sprung up. So it will be with Israel. The fountain for sin and for uncleanness has been opened in the wounds of their Messiah nineteen centuries ago, but " in that day," when the Spirit of grace and of supplications is poured out upon them as a nation, " the eyes of the blind shall be opened"

(Isa. xxxv.), and the Spirit of God will apply to their hearts and consciences as a people the great redeeming work accomplished on Calvary, and the words used in con nection with the Day of Atonement shall receive a fulfil ment as never before: " For on this day He shall atone for you to cleanse you from all your sins; before Jehovah ye shall be clean" (Lev. xvi. 30, Heb.).

On that day the high priest, as I have fully described in another place, entered twice within the veil first, with the blood of the sin-offering for himself and his house, and then a second time with the blood of the goat of the people's sin-offering on which the lot fell " la-yehovali "; and it was not till he came forth a second time, and the remaining part of the ceremonial was gone through, that the people could rejoice in the knowledge that atonement was fully accomplished, the whole of which, in this sense also, may be regarded as a figure of the work of Christ in relation to the Church and to Israel. For Himself, the Holy One needed not as the Aaronic priests to offer sacrifice, but for those who in this interval, and in a special sense, constitute His redeemed family, atonement is fully accomplished, not only as an objective fact, but as a blessed subjective reality; and in proof that it is not only " finished," but accepted, the Great High Priest, after His Resurrection, showed Him self again, "but not to all the people" (Acts x. 41), but only to His own family of faith.

But in relation to Israel the High Priest may still be regarded as inside the veil, or in the Holy Place, and the people as " waiting without," marvelling that he tarries so long (Luke i. 10, 21). But soon He will come forth again, in the hour of their deepest sorrow and humiliation, to cleanse them before Jehovah, so that they shall be known (