“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. There shall be an opening at its top in the middle of it; around its opening there shall be a binding of woven work, like the opening of a coat of mail, so that it will not be torn. You shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe. It shall be on Aaron when he ministers; and its tinkling shall be heard when he enters and leaves the holy place before the Lord, so that he will not die.” (Exodus 28:31-35 NASB)
The ringing bells say four things about the ministering priest.
- Atonement is being made. In the case of Christ, there is a better cleansing (Hebrews 9).
- Intercession is occurring (Hebrews 9 and Romans 8).
- The priest is alive (The resurrection of the Atoning One, and His ascension into heaven is necessary for the final act of the Atonement).
- The priest is coming back to us (Hebrews 9:28). When the priest came out to the people, with his bells still ringing, his reappearance was a testimony to atonement.
In the book of Hebrews the Second Coming of Christ is seen as Christ returning to the worshippers from the heavenly tabernacle; He is returning to His people from the place of intercession.
Is your sin such that you can’t think He can deal with it? The atonement is more than enough for your sins. He has carried His own blood to sprinkle in the heavenly tabernacle to atone for our sins. Not the blood of an animal, but the blood of the sinless Son.
No matter how dark it gets, never forget that Jesus is praying for you. In every trial, every grief, every temptation, every storm, every disappointment, and every struggle He is pleading for you in prayer to the Father.
(From “The Self-Talk of God”, by H. Lamar Smith)
