Tishri 10
On Tishri 10, the two silver trumpets sounded. Whether the sun was shining or dark clouds were looming, the ceremony of the Day of Atonement had to be observed on this day. The ceremony was not lengthy, but it cast shadows of an event that would one day be fulfilled in another realm. And would be relevant to worshipers of every nation and every era.
The ritual that met the eye could only be fully understood after the Messiah completed it in the heavenlies on a day that was yet to come. The high priest conducted the ceremony as a perilous honor since his life was truly in danger if he approached the Lord in a way that was not prescribed. We'll follow him as he officiates the ceremony of this most holy Appointed Time. Once again, the details are recorded in the 16th chapter of Leviticus.
The Ceremony of the Day of Atonement
The first item of business for this day was a high priest's attire. He did not don his normal ornate priestly garb, which was designed for glory and beauty. Instead, he wore the plain white linen tunic. There's no place for personal pride or self-glorification when approaching the Lord.
In preparation for the ceremony, the high priest was to offer a bull as a sin offering to make atonement for him himself and his household. In addition to the bull, two male goats, preferably of similar color and stature and price were also part of the ceremony. One of the goats would be designated as a sin offering and the other would become the scapegoat. The next step in the ceremony was for the high Priest to cast lots, which is similar to rolling dice, to determine which goat would become the Lord's and which would become the scapegoat.
Atonement for the High Priest and His Household
Now the stage is set and the atoning ceremony continues. No one is allowed to be inside of the tent of meeting while the high Priest is performing the sacred duty. The next step is for the high Priest to slaughter the bull to make atonement for himself and for his household before he can make atonement for the nation of Israel.
To do this, he was to slaughter the bull and put some of the blood in the Golden Bowl. Before entering the Holy of Holies, he would take a fire pan full of glowing coals from the altar and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense and then bring them inside the veil. After he was inside the veil, the high priest would put the incense on the glowing coals from the altar and allow the cloud of smoke to rise and cover the mercy seat. Otherwise, he would die.
I Will Appear in the Cloud Above the Mercy Seat
Do you recall the words of the Lord in Leviticus 16:2? He said, “I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat,” referring to the cloud of smoke from the incense. So, we see a sinful man standing face to face with the living God protected only by the sacrificial blood.
At this point, the blood for the high priest's own atonement was to be applied. He would take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it seven times with his finger on the east side of the mercy seat and also on the front of the mercy seat. Picture it in your mind, 1, 2, 3, and so on up to seven times, and he would never dare to glance up into the cloud that is above the ark.
The Lord’s Goat Sacrificed for the People of Israel
Through these actions, he made atonement for himself and for his household, and it is now time to make atonement for the people of Israel by sacrificing the Lord's goat as a sin offering. The high priest would slaughter the Lord's goat and bring its blood inside the veil. He would then apply it in the same way that he applied the blood of the bull, sprinkling it in front of the mercy seed. It is this act that is analogous to the Messiah entering the more perfect tabernacle that was made without hands, that is not by humans, and going before God the Father to obtain eternal redemption.
Offering the Scapegoat
Now the time has come to offer the scapegoat. At this point, the high Priest was to lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over all the iniquities of the people of Israel and all their transgression regarding all their sins. I used to think it would've been an impossible task for the high priest to confess the sins of millions of people while standing with his hands on the head of the scapegoat, but the people simply took the Lord at his word. So the high priest recited the following words, believing that the Lord would be faithful. He said,
“I beseech thee for the sake of Jehovah, forgive the iniquities, transgressions and sins that they have committed transgressed and sin before thee thy people, the house of Israel, as it is written in the Torah of Moses thy servant.
Thus, for on that day, he shall make an atonement for you to cleanse you that you may be clean from all your sins before Jehovah.”
After conferring the sins of the people onto the head of the scapegoat in this way, a man who had been designated took the scapegoat outside of the camp and sent it away into the wilderness. The Lord said, the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land, and he shall release the goat into the wilderness.
Notice that the scapegoat did not have to die, it was set free. Do you see it? Think about the imagery that is portrayed in this ceremony. The scapegoat had all of the sin and transgressions of the nation of Israel conferred onto it. It was grossly unclean, but it was set free. The Lord's goat, on the other hand, had no sin, but it was killed and its blood made atonement for the people. The people were cleansed and forgiven by its blood in the sight of the Lord.
Do you see the Messiah and the Mosaic of this Appointed Time? Jesus, our high priest and sacrifice had no sin, yet he died and his blood made atonement for our sins while sinful people who believe him for their salvation are cleansed and set free by his atoning work.
Instructions About Washings
In the final part of the ceremony, it was necessary for the high priest to care for some final details. He bathed his entire body in water and put on his normal attire. He then offered the bull and the Lord's goat as burnt offerings on the altar, and the other participants in the ceremony also had to cleanse themselves.
You Will Be Clean From All Your Sins Before the Lord
Thus, the ceremony was finished. The Lord said, “…for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the Lord.”[1] So the people were clean because the Lord had spoken and cannot lie. But how long did the cleansing last? Surely every person in the assembly would've sinned at some point from the time of this cleansing until the next Day of Atonement, which is one year later. It is likely that some of the people sinned as they were returning to their tents after the ceremony, perhaps by coveting or lusting in their hearts. Full cleansing, eternal cleansing and forgiveness, could only be obtained through the perfect sacrifice of Messiah.
The Messiah in the Day of Atonement
Now, let's compare what we've just seen in this ceremony to the teaching of the Book of Hebrews regarding the Messiah. In the ninth chapter of the book of Hebrews, the writer provides a brief review of the tabernacle that we've just seen – he continues, explaining the ceremony of the Day of Atonement. In verses six and seven, he says, "Now, when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle, performing the divine worship, but into the second only the high priest enters once a year not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance."
That's the ceremony that we just saw. When the high priest entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of a calf and a goat, he stood face to face with the Lord in the cloud of smoke that rose above the mercy seat. In doing so, he cast a shadow of the Messiah who entered the real tabernacle in heaven and stood face to face with the Lord Almighty enthroned above the living, mighty cherubim, and with his own blood, the blood of the pure and spotless lamb of God, he obtained eternal redemption.
Christ as Our High Priest
The Book of Hebrews states it as follows. "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, he entered to the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is to say not of this creation, and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood. He entered the holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption.”[2] “For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us.”[3] It was absolutely essential that the Messiah should die in order to make atonement for sin because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Referring to the bulls and goats from the past days of atonement ceremonies.
About a thousand years before the birth of Jesus, King David spoke of the necessity of the sacrifice of the Messiah. He said, "Sacrifice and meal offering, you have not desired. My ears, you have opened. Burn offerings and sin offerings you have not required. Then I said, 'Behold, I come in the scroll of the book, it is written of me. I delight to do your will, oh my God, your law is within my heart.'" The writer of Hebrews quoted David's words and continued saying, "A body you have prepared for me." Since the sacrifice and the offerings of the law of Moses were merely shadows, they were unable to eternally forgive sin. After all, they were only intended to be shadows of something far greater.
Christ Obtained Eternal Redemption for Us
Thus, the Lord prepared a body for His Son, the Messiah so that He could offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice and thus do the will of the Lord, and it is by this one offering of the Messiah that he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. This is a covenant from the Lord himself, a promise that we can trust.
The Holy Spirit also confirms Messianic promises to us. "This is a covenant that I will make with them after those days," says the Lord. "I will put my laws upon their heart and on their mind, I will write them." He then says, "And their sins and their lawless deeds, I will remember no more."
I have no idea how long an age has passed the meeting between the Messiah and God, the father of his planned, but I would love to have beheld the joy of that reunion as it unfolded. I imagine Jesus, the Son, standing before His beloved Father on His throne bleeding and abused, but smiling triumphantly. They had accomplished the objective that was prophesied back in the garden. The offspring of the woman had been bruised on the heel, but He is now positioned to bruise the head of the serpent.
Truly, the job was finished. The Son of God, the Messiah, had accomplished the redemption of the world that God so loved. This good news, the gospel, is the means through which God can justly save everyone who believes. If the sacrifices of the ancient priests had been perfect, then they would not have been repeated every year. As the people intentionally or unintentionally stepped into sin after the ceremony, then they were once again in need of atonement. But the atonement that was completed by the Messiah was perfect, ongoing and eternal – it will never need to be repeated.
It Is Finished
Thus, the work of Jesus was finished even to the extent that He ceased his atoning work after offering one sacrifice, which perfected those who believed for all time. And then He sat down at the right hand of the Father. We are the beneficiaries of the atoning work of the Messiah. We are the scapegoat, the one who got away. His work was full and thorough and eternal. Truly, the Atonement of the Messiah was not just a significant event, it is the most event in all human history. Like the scapegoat, we are covered with sin, but we are cleansed and set free because the Lord's innocent one willingly died in our place and made atonement for us with His own blood.
The Offense of the Gospel
The gospel of Christ tends to offend because it claims that Jesus is the only way to God. But now that we have a clear understanding of Christ's atonement, we can better understand the reason that it is exclusive. Giving money to the poor and doing good deeds cannot and do not atone for our offenses. Praying, burning incense, and offering sacrifices cannot and do not atone for our offenses. There are no grand gestures that we can perform before God to earn his forgiveness. Forgiveness and cleansing come only through the blood of Christ. Popular wisdom teaches that all roads and all religions lead to heaven, but they do not. Does it make sense now? It is not a matter of arrogance or desire to exclude others.
The Gospel
When Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me,"[4] he was referring to the atonement that he would accomplish – it is the only way to the Father. When He said, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,"[5] He was revealing how that atonement is applied to a person's life. It's applied to every individual who simply believes in the son for the forgiveness of sin. The gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life and there are few who find it, but you have found it.
The only sacrifice that is acceptable for atonement is the blood of Christ that was offered 2000 years ago. It is an extraordinary gift from God that must be examined and assessed with great care by every person because the way to God is indeed narrow.
These are the shadows that are cast by the Day of Atonement.
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins.
And sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains.
And sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day.
And there have I, though vile as he washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away.
There is a Fountain
By William Cowper, 1772 – Public Domain
[1] Leviticus 16:30
[2] Hebrews 9:11-12
[3] Hebrews 9:24
[4] John 14:6
[5] John 3:16
