Aaron

And as Aaron made the sacrifices then, and as Christ either in Himself or in us, makes the sacrifices in this age, it follows that at the beginning of the atonement day Aaron represented Jesus Himself; in the sacrifice of the goat he represented Christ in the saints, who follow the Lord in sacrifice; and in cleansing the sanctuary and laying his hands on the head of the scapegoat, he represented Christ and the saints, who execute judgments and deliver.

We thus see that Aaron robed and anointed represented the entire Christ (anointed one)-"The seed" in which God is about to bless all the families of the earth.

Aaron, the mouthpiece or agent of the Lord, we understand to represent the Royal Priesthood --those of the Lord's consecrated people still in the flesh, still sacrificing--those who have not yet passed beyond the veil into glory.

The great antitypical Priest was to be not only a sacrificing, but also a reigning Priest. He was to have a great work beyond the time of sacrificing. He was the antitype of Aaron, but His Priesthood was of an Order entirely different--much superior every way. This great Priest, when enthroned in glory, was designed to be after the Order of Melchizedek.

From the divine viewpoint there is but one great kingly priest, the Christ, Head and body. In the Jewish type Aaron represented the Head of this great antitypical priest. The type shows that the holy anointing oil was poured upon the head of the typical high priest and ran down to the hem of his garment. (Leviticus 8:12; Psalm 133:2) The sons of Aaron did not receive an individual anointing; for they belonged to Aaron, who was anointed.

In like manner Jesus Christ has committed the testimony to his faithful remnant on earth, whom Aaron pictured, and God has commanded that this testimony must be given, the giving of which testimony makes Satan the old Dragon very mad.

During their earthly career they are counted as members of the sacrificing priesthood, of which the Jewish priest Aaron was a type.

In this connection Moses was a type of Christ Jesus, while Aaron pictured the members of the body of Christ to whom is committed "the testimony of Jesus Christ” and who deliver the testimony.

Aaron was officially designated to that place. (Ex. 40:13) The anointing of Aaron foreshadowed the anointing of Jesus as The Christ. Jesus Christ was anointed to be the Head of the new creation. (Col. 1:18, 19; Luke 4:18) "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy [spirit] and with power." (Acts 10: 38) He anointed him above all others. (Heb. 1:9) He was thereby officially designated as the great High Priest.

Moses’ brother Aaron accompanied him and took part in the work of delivering the testimony, and in this Aaron pictured or foreshadowed the remnant of Christ’s spiritual brethren yet on earth who are made the witnesses of Jehovah at the present time.

Herein Aaron is pictorial of Jehovah’s great High Priest, Christ Jesus, presenting his life right as a human creature in the heavenly courts of Jehovah, as a sin-offering for imperfect men who are devoted to God.

Aaron typified Christ Jesus, God’s High Priest; and Aaron’s sons typified the footstep followers of Christ Jesus, the members of Christ’s body.

We keep in mind that Aaron the high priest typifies or foreshadows Christ Jesus as High Priest, and that the sons of Aaron picture the footstep followers of Christ who are underpriests of his royal priesthood.

So Aaron foreshadowed Jehovah’s great High Priest who would offer the real sacrifice that actually takes away the world’s sin, namely, the Promised Seed of God’s woman.

The high priest, having put off his golden garments, bathed, and put on his special linen garments, proceeded to the divinely ordained services of the day. Here, then, begins the picture of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself fulfills the parts of both sacrificing high priest and sacrificial victims. These victims for a sin offering consisted of a young bullock and a kid of the goats, both perfect animals, without blemish.

In other words, Aaron as sacrificing high priest foreshadowed Jesus the Son of God who sacrificed himself. That Jehovah God used the nation of Israel to provide many types or shadows is stated in these words respecting Israel: “Now these things became our examples [or, types], for us not to be persons desiring injurious things, . . . Now these things went on befalling them as examples [or, for a typical purpose] and they were written for a warning to us upon whom the accomplished ends of the systems of things have arrived.”

In chapters 7 to 10 of his letter to the Hebrews, Paul first draws the parallels between Aaron, the high priest of the old covenant, and Christ Jesus as the High Priest of the new covenant.

In offering himself up as a sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ served as God's High Priest who was foreshadowed by Israel's first high priest, namely, Aaron of the tribe of Levi.

Even Jesus Christ himself, when on earth, did not speak of himself as a priest, even though he was then serving as the antitype of Israel's first high priest, Aaron the brother of Moses.

This one became the antitype of the high priest Aaron and has also become a priest upon his heavenly throne, like Melchizedek.

Aaron represents Jesus Christ and Aaron’s sons represent Jesus’ anointed followers. So did the washing of Aaron represent a cleansing of Jesus? No, for Jesus was sinless and “without blemish,” thus having no need for cleansing.

a sharp contrast between Israel’s high priests and the great High Priest, Jesus Christ

Moses’ brother, Aaron, and his descendants were assigned to serve as priests. […] This arrangement provided a foretaste of what was to come.