Beginning of the End - Ellen G. White

No human eye except that of the high priest was to see the
inner apartment of the sanctuary, and he could enter there only once
a year. In reverent silence the people awaited his return, their hearts
uplifted in prayer for the divine blessing. The high priest made the
atonement for Israel at the mercy seat, and God, in the cloud of
glory, met with him. If the high priest stayed longer than the
accustomed time, the people were filled with fear that because of
their sins or his own he had been killed by the glory of the Lord.
The Daily Service
Every morning and evening a year-old lamb was burned on the
altar, symbolizing the daily consecration of the nation and their
constant dependence on the atoning blood of Christ. Only an
offering "without blemish" could be a symbol of the perfect purity
of Jesus, who was to offer Himself as "a lamb without blemish and
without spot" (1 Peter 1:19). The apostle Paul says, "I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). Those who love Him with all
the heart will give Him the best service of their life and will
constantly look for ways to bring every power of their being into
harmony with His will.
When the priest offered incense, he came more directly into the
presence of God than in any other act of the daily ministry. The
glory of God that appeared above the mercy seat was partially
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