Back to Basics
The Day of Atonement 17/02/2021
Derrick Harrison 17/02/2021
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
“And he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the Testimony lest he die. He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat” (Lev.16:13, 14).
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Introducing the Day The “Day of Atonement” is the most important event in the religious calendar of the orthodox Jews. The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is annually packed with devout Jews who come to pray during the two days of Yom Kippur. The Jews have no High-Priest, no priesthood, no temple, and no sacrificial system and for the Orthodox Jews they have no Messiah. In the second picture, behind the Wailing Wall and visible above the wall is the mosque of Omar. The mosque of Omar, there is also a mosque of Omar in Bethlehem, the two places associated with Christ’s birth and crucifixion. On the inner dome of the mosque are written these words: “God is but one God; utterly remote is He in His glory from having a son.” This site was originally occupied by the temple of Solomon and later in the time of Christ by Herod’s temple. Of course, the devout Jew considers the presence of this Islamic mosque on the temple site is a physical blasphemy against their God. We know that our God will come in His time and set up His kingdom rule on earth.
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The Yom Kippur War (1973) the six days war took place over 50 years ago, when the Arab nations conspired together to attack and destroy the nation of Israel, – they attacked Israel on the Day of Yom Kippur on Oct. th 6 1973, knowing that the devout worshippers of Jehovah God would be engaged in prayer. We recall how that the Lord came to the aid of their army, working miracles of deliverance for the nation of Israel and changed the map of the Middle East. It is the objective of many Arab nations to destroy the nation of Israel. The Twin Towers in America destroyed on September 11th 2001 by Islamic extremists is said to have altered the course of modern history; how much more therefore has the death of Jesus Christ changed the destiny of the nations and made possible a future Day of Judgment. The Day of Atonement anticipated the spilling of Jesus’ blood at Calvary in Jerusalem. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sin of the world has opened up the possibility of eternal salvation for all nations and people groups. The death of Jesus not only affects the course of world history but also the eternal destiny of all men and women, – it determines the course of eternity. Choosing Jesus affects your future location, either in eternity with Jesus and His saints or in hell with the devil and his fallen angels. Surely, you would not choose damnation instead of salvation! Respond New Life Radio – Talk No 19
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to the truth, you know the truth about God and His Son Jesus Christ, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (Jn.17:3).
Consider the Day of Atonement The “Day of Atonement” 1 was the most important event in the religious calendar of the Israelites. “For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord” (Lev.16:30) The Lord had prepared everything that led up to this day. It could not have taken place before this time and it is a reminder that God works always to accomplish His great purposes in His time-plan. The course of Leviticus traces that preparation following the erection of the Tabernacle at the end of Exodus. Moses facilitated the Day of Atonement by executing the instructions given him by the LORD for the building of the Tabernacle and the various items of the furniture: two altars, laver, curtains, table, ark, lid and cherubim, utensils and bowls, all items necessary for the operation of the sacrificial system. We must also include the garments worn by the High-Priest and his attention to the comprehensive instructions for fulfilling this day’s operations with regard to the various sacrifices. On this Day of Atonement, each of these items will be utilised for this one purpose of 1
There are 43 references to atonement in Leviticus (12 in ch.16) Atonement: reparation/payment for an offence against God’s law. Satisfaction must be paid by sacrifice
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facilitating the offerings for making atonement for the sin of Aaron and his family (immediately prior to this event his two eldest sons had been killed, by the LORD) and the congregation of Israel. Chapter 16 now takes place, following the previous chapters of preparation. Each of the sacrifices in ch.1-5, gave clear insight about sin and about Christ’s offering for sin. These sacrifices are called “types” and they find their fulfilment in the “antitype” who is Jesus Christ in His sacrificial death. The Hebrews writer says nothing about the scape goat of Leviticus ch.16, although he has a lot to say about the Day of Atonement and the High Priest. This sacred Day took place in September-October, six months after the Passover. According to the Jewish calendar, it came on the tenth day of the seventh month (Lev.16:29; 23:26-32; Num.29:7-11), and occurred, “year by year.” The Day of Atonement was instituted by Moses as part of a comprehensive system of sacrifice which centred on Israel’s faith in one God whose name was LORD/Jehovah/Yahweh (Deut.6:4) and provided complete atonement for all, including the High Priest and his family and every person and family in Israel. The chapter commences (v1) with a grim reminder to Aaron that two of his priestly sons had been killed instantly by the LORD for entering the Holy of Holies with “strange fire” and now Aaron is about to enter and pass through that same heavy vail into the presence of the LORD with holy fire. They had offered strange fire before the mercy seat where God dwells. Read these chapters carefully and you will see that God determines to have a separated people for Himself and He will bring judgment on those especially who sin wearing holy garments,
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“Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat, which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat” (Lev.16:2-3) These words of the LORD precede the events of the Day. They contain a warning, but they also focus on the central feature of the Day, turning our attention from the sacrifice to the LORD Himself who is the One who will accept the token of the sprinkled blood as evidence that the sacrificial offering has been made for sin. It is the presence of the LORD which must engage our attention. Jesus died in the presence of His Father. The cross was a transaction between Father and Son. No other sacrifice in Leviticus more clearly anticipates the future and greater salvation of Israel’s Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. And no other sacrifice provides a better backdrop against which to see the vast superiority of our Lord’s reconciliation (atonement) over that of Aaron (Rom.5:11). For the orthodox Jew, this is still the most important day in their religious calendar, - Yom Kippur2 remains pivotal to their faith, marking the nations atonement for sin. We will identify these events as they occur and refer to their spiritual significance. However, the meaning of them has been determined, in large measure, by the Writer to the Hebrews who reveals the meaning of the Mosaic system of sacrifices 2
The Day of Atonement is referred to in contemporary Judaism as “Yom Kippur.” Yom means "day" in Hebrew and Kippur comes from a root that means "to atone", which is related to the biblical name of the covering lid of the Ark (in Hebrew it is called the kapporet). In the Greek translation of the O.T. (the Septuagint) the lid of the ark is called ἱλαστήριον. The lid is therefore called “the propitiatory,” the word from which we get “propitiation,” a key word related to salvation. The AV translated this word as the “mercy seat.”
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and the office of the High Priest, in the light of Christ’s coming and His sacrificial death on the cross. The High-Priest pre-figures Christ and the sacrifices prefigure the one sacrifice of Christ. This Day was not a celebration; it was a time of recalling the sins of the past year and seeking atonement, – the covering for sin before God by means of sacrifice which was undertaken by the High-Priest (Rom.3:25). The Writer to the Hebrew3 is our authoritative commentary on HighPriesthood and Mosaic sacrifices. His understanding and insights define the meaning of the High-Priesthood and the significance of Christ’s shed blood and therefore our understanding of the Day of Atonement. An outline of the events in Lev.ch.16 1. The High-Priest Aaron had to take off his high-priestly garments, wash, and put on the plain garments of an ordinary priest (v4; cf. Ex.28:39) 2. Aaron secured a bull for his own sin offering and two male goats for the people’s sin offering: two rams, one for Aaron’s and the other for the people’s burnt offering (vv3, 5) 3. Aaron slaughtered the bull for his own sin offering (vv6, 11). He fills a bowl with this blood 4. Aaron enters the Holy of Holies with a bowl of burning coals and spices (for incense) and in the other bowl he has the blood from the bullock which he sprinkles on the altar 5. Lots are then cast for the two goats, to determine which one would be slaughtered, and which one would be driven away into the wilderness to die 33
See my pamphlet, The letter to the Hebrews: The Offeror and the Offering
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6. The goat for the people’s sin offering, was sacrificed, and its blood was taken into the Holy of Holies and applied to the mercy seat, as the bull’s blood had been (v. 15) 7. Cleansing was then made for the holy place (v.16), by the sprinkling of the blood of both the bull and the goat. The atonement of the holy place is done alone, without anyone present to help, or to watch (v.17) 8. Next, outside the tent, Aaron was to make atonement for the altar of burnt offering, using, it would seem, the blood of both the bull and the goat (vv. 18-19) 9. Now the second goat, the one which was kept alive, had the sins of the nation symbolically laid on its head, and was driven from the camp to a desolate place, from which it must never return (vv. 20-22) 10. Aaron then entered the tent of meeting, removed his linen garments, washed thoroughly – hands, feet, and body, and put on his High Priestly garments 11. The burnt offerings of rams, one for Aaron and his family and the other for the people, was now offered (v.24) 12. The earlier sacrifices of the bull and the goat were completed. The fat of the sin offering was burned on the altar (v.25), and the remains of the bull and the goat were taken outside the camp, where they were burned (v.27) 13. Those who had been rendered unclean by handling the animals on which the sins of Aaron or the people were laid, had to wash themselves and then return to the camp (vv. 26, 28)
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Only on this Day of Atonement was the blood of the sacrifices carried into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled on and before the mercy-seat. The High Priest4 went to the sanctuary one week before the Day of Atonement and when the Day arrived, he went to the tabernacle, bathed in the laver, and put on the white linen “holy garments” and the linen mitre (Lev.16:4, 23), these pure garments point to the holiness of God, “Thus, Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering. He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore, he shall wash his body in water, and put them on” (Lev.16:3-4) The offerings made on this day provided for: 1. The High-Priest and his family: he offered a young bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering (v3,v6, v11, v25, v27) 2. The congregation of Israel: he offered two kid goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering (v5, v24) 3. The holy place, the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar: he offered sacrifices (Lev.16:16-20, 27) In his white linen holy garments, the High Priest approaches the Holy Place, he has with him a bullock for his sin offering and a ram for his burnt offering, these provide atonement for himself and his household. These plain and simple clothes are a reminder of Jesus’ humility in the days of His flesh, when He was “emptied” due to His 4
See my pamphlet entitled: “The Letter to the Hebrews: the Offeror and the Offering”
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holy conception, His humble parentage, and His manner of living, but especially in His death when even His humanity was marred beyond recognition. Death is the ultimate emptying of even life itself. Jesus was so ordinary that people failed to see His deity. The simplicity of the High Priest’s linen tunic and trousers diverts attention from himself in order to focus on the sacrifice he is offering.
Consider the Scape Goat “And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house (16:5) Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.5 And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord’s lot fell and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness” (vv8-10) Following the sacrifice of Aaron’s bullock, he then takes the two kid goats brought to him by the people, one is sacrificed as a sin offering and the other, which is called the “scape goat” is released into the wilderness. He gives lots over them before the LORD, the one lot for Jehovah was to be a sin offering and the other for Azazel (Keil and Delitzsch’s commentary, identify this person Azazel as satan, p586). 5
First mention in the Bible.
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Jesus, following His baptism was sent directly by the Holy Spirit to confront satan in the wilderness (Mat.4:1), this took place at the beginning of His ministry and at the end He again confronted satan when He was nailed to the cross and dying. The third temptation of satan in the wilderness, as described by Matthew, relates to the offer of the kingdoms of this world by satan if Jesus will worship him. Of course, the kingdoms of this world can only be won by the death of Jesus Christ, the “Lamb of God” – “but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb.9:26). Only the shed blood of Jesus Christ can redeem humankind and legitimately deliver humanity from satan’s hold. When Jesus died on the cross, He stripped satan of his power and routed his kingdom! In His weakness He prevailed over satan’s armies. The “scape goat” comes to us as a completely new element with regards to sacrifice. In the Scriptures we view all sacrifices in the light of Gen.ch.22 – the sacrifice of Isaac. We have already discussed meal offerings in the context of the sacrificial system (ch.1-5), but this is a completely new phenomena, a live goat which is set free instead of being killed! Therefore, the appearance of the scape goat must have a particularly important teaching in relation to our understanding of Christ’s sacrificial death. Aaron will make atonement upon the head of the scape goat, by putting Israel’s transgressions and guilt upon its head before he sends it away into the wilderness. Both goats are sin offerings and therefore the second must be viewed equally as bearing sin as truly as the one which was slaughtered. I encountered a scape goat when I was in Africa, I was confronted by a sheep that had been released by a priest into the wilderness as a sin offering, it was confused and stood fearfully before me, it was covered
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with lots of crushed and crumpled Coke and Pepsi cans, attached by string to the wool of the sheep. When the animal moved, the cans rattled against one another announcing its fearful presence. Soon it would die for the sins of the tribe, but its isolation in such a barren and desolate landscape reminded me of a painting by Holman Hunt. William Holman Hunt (1827-1910), “The Scapegoat.” He was one of the three founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Movement of painters. He chose a subject derived from the Torah as part of a project to convert Jews to Christianity.6 He believed that Judaic views of the scapegoat were consistent with the Christian conception of the Messiah as a suffering figure. He wrote to his friend Millais, "I am sanguine that [the Scapegoat] may be a means of leading any reflecting Jew to see a reference to the Messiah as he was, and not as they understand, a temporal King.” Look at the painting (1854) and you see a goat that is dying, in a biblical wilderness, against a sky which looks apocalyptic with its bright yellows and oranges against the silhouetted purple mountains. This a glorious and dramatic sunset which will very soon fade and die, replaced by the black of night. It is late evening as Holman Hunt completes his sketches and notes, takes up his easel and returns to his lodgings before he returns from his first trip to the Holy Land to Britain 6
See my module: Revival in the Context of Scripture and Church History, see reference to the exploratory mission to Palestine by Andrew Bonar and Robert Murray M’Cheyne, p129
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to complete his painting. Take a close look and you will see a splash of red wool across the goat's brow which is surely an allusion to the blood, or perhaps the crown of thorns on the brow of Jesus? Thus, Holman Hunt is pointing us from the scape goat to the death of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for sin. Interestingly, in my module on “Revival in the context of Scripture and Christian history” I refer to a visit (1839) to Palestine by the godly young pastor, Robert Murray M’Cheyne (age 26), Andrew Bonar and two other pastors from Scotland – their objective was to establish work amongst Jews and the result was that a Mission was set-up and the first fruits of that mission was the conversion of two Jewish academics from Budapest, Hungary who have had an important place in Christian writing, their names are Alfred Edersheim7 and Aaron Adolf Sapir (I have their books in my library). The scape goat was driven away into the desert to carry away the sins of the nation. We read in Hebrews, “For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb.13:11-13) The writer to the Hebrews understands the spiritual significance of the scapegoat as a sin offering, bearing away the sin of the people into a 7
Edersheim was a prolific writer and his books are still in print, http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/The%20Life%20and%20Times%20of%20Je sus%20the%20Messiah.pdf
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waste place, a wilderness of reproachfulness, - “a land not inhabited.” He went there, to bear away our sin and there He died alone.
Consider the Blood Having sacrificed the bullock as a sin offering for himself, the High Priest fills his censor/bowl with its blood and he enters through the vail into the Holy of Holies, “And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself. Then he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil. And he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the Testimony, lest he die. He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times” (vv11-14) The full radiant light of God’s glory continually illuminates the Most Holy Place, shining forth from the golden lid of the ark, where God dwells between the two gold cherubims with their beautiful arching wings which almost touch above the mercy seat (both the lid of the ark (the mercy seat) and the two cherubim are pure gold). The ark, which is an oblong box which contains the tablets of stone on which are engraved the Ten Commandments, written with God’s finger. The box itself is made of wood which is veneered/covered with gold. The wood
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speaks of the humanity of Christ and the gold His eternal nature as the Son of God. Both combine in the one Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. Aaron’s hands are filled with the finely ground spices which he now throws onto the burning fire in his censor/bowl which he had taken from the brazen altar where the bullock was sacrificed, - suddenly the fire from his censor flames into life, the ignited herbs instantly creating a dense, fragrant, swirling cloud of incense which fills the sanctuary and wraps itself around Aaron, veiling the Shekinah Glory of the LORD’S outshining light, so that He cannot behold the glory of God and so his life is spared. Now he dips his finger into the second censor/bowl which is full of blood from the sacrificed bullock and he sprinkles blood from his dripping fingers onto the mirror surface of the pure gold lid of the ark. This act takes place amidst the swirling cloud of incense through which the glorious light of God is filtering through. This is the decisive moment in time when all of God’s attention, power and will are focused like a laser beam on the drops of red blood which falls on the smooth gold table of the ark. The lid covers the ark, and it this shedding of blood which speaks of God’s “covering” sin by atonement which spells forgiveness. Now has come remission of their sin, but for the guilt of it still remains until the second ram is released into the wilderness, speaking loudly and convincingly to them, that their guilt, due to the consequences of their sin has been removed and taken by the scape goat into the land of God’s forgetfulness, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Ps.103:12)
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Resulting from Christ’s shed/sprinkled blood we have forgiveness of our sins and thus all guilt has been removed from our conscience, “For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins” (Heb.10:2) “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (102:2) Also, resulting from the shedding of Christ’s blood, sin’s power is broken - once and for ever, Christ’s shed blood has paid in full, the debt we owed to God. There is not a more significant moment in the entire sacrificial system as this when the High Priest sprinkles the blood on the mercy seat. The death of Jesus has made this blood accessible to us for our continuous cleansing. Truly this sacrificial blood of atonement anticipates the sprinkling of Jesus’ own blood, but it is unable to convey the extent and power it effects. Having entered through the vail into the holy presence of God, the “cloud of incense” hides the clear sight of God’s face, “which vail is done away in Christ (2Cor.3:14). The verse we have just read (16:13), says specifically that the purpose of the cloud of incense was to cover the mercy seat (propitiatory), which was the lid of the ark where the blood was to be sprinkled. During the period of Jesus’ most intense suffering we read that “when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour” (Mk.15:33). Mercifully, Father hid, or “covered” from Jesus’ loved disciples the sufferings of His Beloved Son by veiling Him in darkness.
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Consider the Spices and Fragrances Exodus ch.30 begins with instructions for constructing the altar of incense. Burning coals from the brazen altar of sacrifice were placed here and then chosen spices were sprinkled on the flames producing a fragrant aroma which permeated through-out the tabernacle. The fragrance was the odour of God and must have awakened desire for His companionship – He was so close, just beyond the vail. Thus, we see that these spices, were an integral part of the ambiance of the tabernacle. In ch.30 we are in the priest’s pharmacy and we are fascinated by the various labels on the jars of spices. Three times Moses refers to “the art of the apothecary” (Exod.30:25, 35; 37:29). This skill was gained in Egypt as were all their other skills and they are now employed in the service of the tabernacle. Their skills are employed to produce holy anointing oil for the priests, perfume, and incense for the altar. This chapter is a unique and fascinating chapter in the Bible and important if you reflect on the phenomenal significance of spices in the ancient world and the spice routes which trafficked them. We read about the perfume, “the sweet incense” which was tempered together, pure, and holy, the perfume of God - the fragrance of His nature. The incense employed in the service of the tabernacle was compounded of the perfumes: stacte, onycha, galbanum and pure frankincense. All incense which was not made of these ingredients was forbidden to be offered (Ex.30:9). In 30:36, Moses writes: “And you shall beat some of it very small and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation where I will meet with you: it shall be unto you most holy.” New Life Radio – Talk No 19
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These finely grounded spices were kept exclusively for the Day of Atonement. The “sweet incense beaten fine” pointed to the holy and loving character of Jesus who under the indescribable sufferings of the cross, manifested the depths of God’s inner nature of suffering love. What a priceless gift and love offering this was to Father. The odour of God was uniquely fragranced from the Person of Jesus in His suffering and death but from birth His nature was fragrant to Father. In Lev.ch.30 Moses writes about the art of the apothecary who grinds the spices with his mortar and pestle; thus, Jesus was ground down to exceptionally fine powder when He suffered on the cross and thus from His beautiful nature was emitted the sweetest and most intense fragrance. When Isaiah speaks of the pleasure of the LORD in bruising Him, he is surely referring to the manifestation of Jesus’ nature in suffering the agonies of the cross. The analogy of the finely grounded spices points to the way in which He suffered and endured. Instead of curses, resentment and anger, there came from Him the sweet odour of His nature in the crucible of suffering. Jesus said that when He was lifted up on to the cross that He would draw all men to Himself. How does He draw by personal attraction? This is the enigma of the cross. How, can a “crucified God” draw men and women to Himself, through the spectacle of such human cruelty and Christ’s agonized suffering? Perhaps, the cross only begins to yield up to us its attractiveness when we truly begin to love Jesus in our deepest heart and when we have
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tasted a measure of that suffering in our own lives. Isaiah ch.53 is a place where we behold Him in His painful crucifixion and death. Mary of Bethany discerned the heart and mind of Jesus as He prepared himself and His disciples for His “going away” from them to be lifted up on the cross. In her supreme public act of devotion to Jesus, she breaks open a jar of costly nard and proceeds to pour it on Jesus, her beloved Saviour. Mary’s anointing oil was upon the garments of Jesus (as with the priests), but she poured it also on His body, so that when He was crucified and when His life-less body lay in the tomb, the fragrance of the spices on his body filled the most holy place of the tomb. When the disciples of Jesus criticised Mary for her extravagant act of anointing, Jesus rebuked them by saying, “For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial” (Mat.26:12). He was also saying to Mary that He understood her thinking behind her action.
Consider the Meaning of Atonement & Propitiation Significantly, the vocabulary and the phrases, the imagery, and the theology of sacrifice for sin has been woven into subsequent scriptures as part of the unfolding theme of salvation. The sacrifices are irrelevant to us except for their typological significance and their dramatic and dynamic fulfilment in Christ who is the complete fulfilment, the antitype in His sacrificial death for us. The sacrifices of Israel speak loudly to us today and they give to us crucial insights into the death of Jesus and they speak vital truths regarding salvation. If, as with most of us, the whole thing about sacrifices seems irrelevant, then we have failed to take account of the content of Hebrews and the confident way in which the writer handles the chapters we have New Life Radio – Talk No 19
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devoted so much time to, revealing Christ as the antitype of the types we identified in Leviticus. Having already looked carefully at the sacrifices and their spiritual meaning, we have focused in this talk on the events which take place of the Day of Atonement and their meaning. There are two unique happenings - the release of the scape goat into the wilderness and the entry of the High Priest into the Holy of Holies. The only indication that the vast crowd of worshippers would have had of the day’s proceedings would have been the entry of the High Priest into the Holy Place, having sacrificed one of the two rams on the brazen altar. The crowds would have been tense as the news of the death of Aaron’s two sons had swept through the camp only a few days before. Supposing Aaron was carried out of the Holy Place as a dead man? – and with what trepidation Aaron must have stepped through the Vail into the Holy of Holies. His return would have been welcomed, not only with relief but with the knowledge that atonement had been accepted by God for the sins of the past year - forgiveness for all their sins and thankfulness for Aaron’s deliverance. I am convinced that the key words for this uniquely important Day are atonement and propitiation. We know the outcome of sacrifice is both forgiveness of all sin and freedom from all guilt. The day is called “atonement” and the lid of the ark is called “propitiation.” Paul writes, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might New Life Radio – Talk No 19
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be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” (Rom.5:23-26) Christ Jesus has been set forth by God to be our propitiation by the shedding of His blood and thus He justifies the ungodly by faith and at the same time maintains the righteous justice of God because He has paid the full price for our sin, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom.4:5) The KJV, NKJV, NASB, and the ESV translates "propitiation" from the Greek word hilasterion. This is the word used for the lid of The Ark of The Covenant – the propitiatory, which is translated in the KJV as “mercy seat.” The only other occurrence of hilasterion in the NT is in Hebrews 9:5, where it is translated as "mercy seat" in all of the Bible translations named above as well as the RSV, and NRSV, “And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly” (Heb.9:5). 1 John 2:2 (KJV) reads: "And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." There is frequent and similar use of hilasterion in the Septuagint, Exodus 25:1722 ff. The mercy seat was sprinkled with blood, (Lev.16:14), representing that the righteous sentence/judgment of the Law had been executed, and thus the judgment seat has become a mercy seat, “But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, thus obtaining eternal
New Life Radio – Talk No 19
22 Derrick Harrison
17/02/2021
redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! (Hebrews 9:11–15). Another Greek word, hilasmos, is used for Jesus Christ as our propitiation, “And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1Jn.2:2) “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1Jn.4:10) Also, hilasmos is used in the Septuagint (Leviticus 25:9; Numbers 5:8; Amos 8:14). In the Old Testament sacrifices and in their New Testament fulfilment, Jesus Christ completely satisfied the just demands of the Holy Father for judgment on sin, by His death on the cross (Hebrews 7:26-28). He suffered the judgement of God against sin, hence the fact that he is spoke of as the propitiation for our sin. God, in view of Christ’s paying the price for our sin, is declared righteous in being able to forgive sins in the context of the sacrificial system of the Old Testament period, as well as in being able to forgive sinners under the New Covenant (Romans 3:25,26; cf. Exodus 29:33). Tis finished! The Messiah dies cut off for sins, but not His own; accomplished is the sacrifice the great redeeming work is done.
New Life Radio – Talk No 19
23 Derrick Harrison
17/02/2021
The veil is rent; in Christ alone the living way to heav'n is seen; the middle wall is broken down, and all mankind may enter in. 'Tis finished! All my guilt and pain, I want no sacrifice beside; for me, for me the Lamb is slain, 'tis finished! I am justified. The reign of sin and death is o'er; all grace is now to sinners giv'n; and lo! I plead th'atoning blood, and in Thy right I claim my heav'n. The types and figures are fulfilled; Exacted is the legal pain; The precious promises are sealed; The spotless Lamb of God is slain. Wesley’s (1762)
Charles
We noticed how the blood of the bullock was sprinkled before the vail in the Holy Place as a sin offering for Aaron and his family, this took place year upon year. Certainly, the blood cries out to God to rip open the vail and make a way for the multitudes of hungry souls who cry out to God for communion and fellowship. This is the full gospel message proclaimed on this amazing Day of Atonement. Go back and watch everything the High Priest does, - every detail and explain the gospel from this chapter sixteen of Leviticus.
New Life Radio – Talk No 19
24 Derrick Harrison
17/02/2021
