Bible Study - Day of Atonement

The Day of Atonement

STUDY INDEX
Page 1 - Introduction; Rituals and Purpose; Typology
Page 2 - How Jesus is Symbolized; Conclusion

Thank you for joining us as we begin a new study on the Day of Atonement, the rituals and the symbolism, and how it points to the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose atoning sacrifice and resurrection we celebrate this Easter season. Get your Bibles and join us as we begin our study...

"For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:and he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses." (Leviticus 16:30-34 KJV).

The word "atonement" in the scripture above is translated from the Hebrew word "kippurim", a derivative of "kaphar", which means "to cover over, reconcile, appease, or forgive". It carries the idea of appeasing by making an equal payment in exchange, such as a ransom, or by making an adequate recompense for an offense.

The Rituals and Purpose

Chapter 16 of Leviticus describes the Day of Atonement as the most holy day of the Jewish year. The need for atonement arose from the fact that the sin of Israel, if not atoned for, would subject them to God's punishment and wrath. Therefore, the purpose of the Day of Atonement was to make a comprehensive sacrifice for all the sins of Israel which may not have been atoned for during the year. The people would be cleansed of their sin, thus avoiding God's wrath, and maintaining fellowship with Him. The writer of Hebrews declared, "For a tabernacle was prepared, the first, in which was both the lamp-stand, and the table, and the bread of the presence--which is called 'Holy;' and after the second vail a tabernacle that is called 'Holy of holies,' having a golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid all round about with gold, in which is the golden pot having the manna, and the rod of Aaron that budded, and the tables of the covenant, and over it cherubim of the glory, overshadowing the mercy-seat, concerning which we are not now to speak particularly. And these things having been thus prepared, into the first tabernacle, indeed, at all times the priests do go in, performing the services, and into the second, once in the year, only the chief priest, not apart from blood, which he doth offer for himself and the errors of the people." (Hebrews 9:2-7 YLT).

Because it has always been the desire of God to save Israel, to forgive them of their iniquities, and to reconcile them to Himself, He provided a way of salvation by accepting the death of an innocent life. Thus, the the goats used the ritual bore their penalty and guilty, and covered their sins with its blood.

On this day, the high priest would adorn himself in sacred garments, and prepare himself for service through washing and cleansing. First, he would offer a bullock for his own sins (Leviticus 16:3-4). Next, he would take two goats. After casting lots, one goat would become a sacrifice, and the other became a "scapegoat". In American culture, the term "scapegoat" is used as slang to describe a person who takes the blame for someone else's wrongdoing. If you have ever wondered where the term originated, it came from the rituals performed on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:8-10). The priest would kill the first goat, take its blood, and enter into the Holy of Holies behind the veil. He would then sprinkle the blood upon the mercy seat, thus placing the blood between the symbolic presence of God and the law, which was contained with the ark of the covenant. It is these laws which Israel had miserably failed to keep, but now they were covered by the blood of the sacrifice. Finally, the priest then took the other goat, laid his hands upon the goat's head, and confessed over it all the sins and iniquities of the people, and then sent it away into the wilderness, symbolizing that the sins of Israel were being carried out of the camp (Leviticus 16:18-22). David would pen in the Psalms, "(God) made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalms 103:7-12).

For Israel, the Day of Atonement was to be a solemn assembly, a day for the people to fast and humble themselves before the Lord. In verse 31 of Leviticus 16, God commanded the people, "It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute forever." The word "afflict" in the verse means to humble, to be downcast or bowed down, or to be preoccupied. By humbling themselves, and fasting, and carrying throughout the day a mood of solemness, it denoted the seriousness of sin, and that the atoning sacrifice was for those who had a repentant heart and perservering faith. In the law, God promised to cut off and destroy from among the people any person who worked on the Day of Atonement, or who disregarded the day by not fasting and humbling themselves (see Leviticus 23:27-32).

Christ and the Day of Atonement

The Day of Atonement is full of symbolism which points to the ministry and work of Jesus Christ. The purpose of the atoning sacrifice was to provide a covering for sin, but God wanted to take their sin away. The author of Hebrews states that the laws and rituals were "a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things." He further stated the rituals and sacrifices which had to be performed year after year could not make one perfect, nor could they take away sins. But concerning Christ, the writer said that "we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God." (read chapters 9 and 10 of Hebrews).

Typology

When we study the Old Testament, we find what are called "types" that are fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah. In these types, there is a correspondence between people, events or rituals of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ. For instance, the Passover was a foreshadow or type of the blood of the Lamb of God who would take away our sin and free us from bondage, who's covering would spare us from judgement, and who's mark separates and distinguishes us from the world. Paul taught us in his writings that the sacrifices and rituals were a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 10:1). Some types point directly to the Messiah, such as the prophecy that He would be born in Bethlehem. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah," Micah the prophet spoke, "yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2). Other types are shadows, such as the Passover and the killing of a spotless lamb. "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us," Paul told the believers at Corinth (1 Corinthians 5:7). Still others. however, were prophetic in nature, but the event or words spoken were unknown to be prophetic until revealed later in the New Testament. For instance, the Jewish exiles weeping as they marched past the tomb of Rachel in Ramah probably did not realize that their suffering was prophetic of the day that Herod commanded all children 2 years and under to be killed as he tried in vain to crush the Messiah. "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not." (Matthew 2:16-18; fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:15).

The stories and events of the Old Testament were given to us for examples and for our instruction. Paul said to the Corinthians concerning the stories of Israel's redemption from Egypt and their wanderings in the wilderness, "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.... Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them..... Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed..... Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted..... Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmered..... Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition." (1 Corinthians 10: 1-11). Then there is the great and beautiful "Faith Chapter" of the Book of Hebrews (Hebrews 11:4-12:2), which speaks of the great faith and works of the men and women of the Old Testament. If Heaven had a Hall of Fame, this would be it. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sara, Joseph, Moses, and Rahab. "These all died in the faith", Paul told us, "not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth..... They desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:13-16).

Paul continues..... "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed aboutwith so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

God has spoken to us today through His Son

The writer of Hebrews said, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews 1:1-3). Matthew Henry said in his classic commentary, "This epistle shows Christ as the end, foundation, body, and truth of the figures of the law, which of themselves were no virtue for the soul. The greattruth set forth in this epistle is that Jesus of Nazareth is the true God. The unconverted Jews used many arguments to draw their converted brethren from the Christian faith. They represented the law of Moses as superior to the Christian dispensation, and spoke against every thing connected with the Saviour. The apostle, therefore, shows the superiority of Jesus of Nazareth, as the Son of God, and the benefits from his sufferings and death as the sacrifice for sin, so that the Christian religion is much more excellent and perfect than that of Moses. And the principal design seems to be, to bring the converted Hebrews forward in the knowledge of the gospel, and thus to establish them in the Christian faith, and to prevent their turning from it, against which they are earnestly warned. But while it contains many things suitable to the Hebrews of early times, it also contains many which can never cease to interest the church of God; for the knowledge of Jesus Christ is the very marrow and kernel of all the Scriptures. The ceremonial law is full of Christ, and all the gospel is full of Christ; the blessed lines of both Testaments meet in Him; and how they both agree and sweetly unite in Jesus Christ, is the chief object of the epistle to the Hebrews to discover.

God spake to his ancient people at sundry times, through successive generations, and in divers manners, as he thought proper; sometimes by personal directions, sometimes by dreams, sometimes by visions, sometimes by Divine influences on the minds of the prophets. The gospel revelation is excellent above the former; in that it is a revelation which God has made by his Son. In beholding the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ, we behold the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Father; the fulness of the Godhead dwells, not typically, or in a figure, but really, in him. When, on the fall of man, the world was breaking to pieces under the wrath and curse of God, the Son of God, undertaking the work of redemption, sustained it by his almighty power and goodness. From the glory of the person and office of Christ, we proceed to the glory of his grace. The glory of His person and nature, gave to his sufferings such merit as was a full satisfaction to the honour of God, who suffered an infinite injury and affront by the sins of men. We never can be thankful enough that God has in so many ways, and with such increasing clearness, spoken to us fallen sinners concerning salvation. That he should by himself cleanse us from our sins is a wonder of love beyond our utmost powers of admiration, gratitude, and praise.