The Day of Atonement: Leviticus 16

Sound Worship “…Everything is done under His scrutiny,

for “His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men. Yahweh trieth the righteous…(Psa 11:4-5). It also demonstrates that religious service, including offerings and sacrifice, are valueless unless performed in strict conformity to the requirements of Yahweh. He demands worship in “spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). In the absence of this, worship is an abomination to Him (Pro. 15:8-9). Nadab and Abihu “offered and died;” so also will any who fail to carry out the requirements of sound worship.”

The High Priest receives two goats for the

Congregation

Clad in his linen garments, the high priest receives on behalf of the congregation two kids, and a ram for a burnt offering.

“…Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering”The word “offer” is from the

Hebrew qarab signifying to bring near, to present, and not to kill. That took place later (vs 11). Aaron brought his offering near for inspection to demonstrate that it was without blemish. The Lord, likewise, submitted himself (as the bullock for sin offering, see Heb 13:10-13) to the inspection of his contemporaries (Jn 8:46). At his trial, his accusers could find no blemish by which they were able to convict him of sin (Matt 26:60).

“which is for himself” In the antitype, Christ “obtained eternal

redemption” for himself (Heb 9:12)-note that the words “for us” are incorrect, as the Greek is in the middle voice denoting something done for oneself (as opposed to a substitutionary or vicarious sacrifice) by which the hope of redemption was opened up for his house (But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Heb 3:6). Thus, in this prophetic foreshadowing of Christ’s work of redemption, that of the high priest was closely associated with that of his house. So it is with the antitype.

“and make an atonement for himself, and for his

house” Did Christ offer for himself? Paul

answers in the affirmative declaring, “For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer,” (Heb 8:3). How did he accomplish this? “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself,” (Heb 7:27).

“In the days of His flesh Jesus was in the holy place; the vail hung between Him and the Most Holy place of complete redemption. In that vail is the scarlet color of sinful flesh. That vail represents his flesh (Heb 10:20). The scarlet represents the blood of the flesh, and the only way for Jesus to pass into the Most Holy was through the rending of the vail “from top to bottom,” thereby “consecrating for us a new and living way through the vail, that is to say, his flesh.” The only way that He could pass through was the one way God had provided for Him in order that it might be for us. Therefore “by his own blood” (not by natural death) “he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption,” (Heb 9:12)…”The heavenly things themselves” must be purified by the blood of the antitypical sacrifice.

Cont: Was not Jesus part of these

“heavenly things?” What would purify Him from the impurity of mortality? Natural death, in which there would be no sacrifice, but a helpless submission to nature? No, no it required the blood of the “better sacrifices” to cleanse the antitypical altar, the victim, and the priest-Him (Jesus) who was the end-the object-of the law in all its types.” (Thomas Williams, Rectification, pgs 408-409).

The High Priest selects the Scapegoat

The term “scapegoat” is incorrect and should be amended to read “goat of departure or goat of removal.” (Bible margin; azazel). It is derived from ez, goat, from a root denoting strength and ezal meaning to go away, to disappear. It represents one who has the strength to take away sins that would figuratively be placed on it. This goat is not put to death but reserved for life, after the other goat has been put to death as a sin offering for the people.

Summarizing the significant points of the goat sin offering:1. After making atonement for himself and

his family the high priest went through the same ritual on behalf of the people. The atonement effected by Christ is likewise in three stages: first for himself; then, for his household, and afterwards at his return, for natural Israel and finally the world at large. The type clearly taught that Christ benefited from his own death and that his death was an important element in his own covering. He declared of Himself, “For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they may also be sanctified through the Truth,” (Jn 17:19).

“…the patterns of things in the Heavens”

“The common view which disconnects Christ from the operation of his own sacrifice would have required that Moses should have left the altar and the book of the law unsprinkled. These were parts of what Paul terms ‘the patterns of things in the Heavens,’ concerning which he remarks that it was necessary they should be purified with the sacrifices ordained. The application of this to Christ as the antitype he makes instantly; ‘but (it was necessary that) the heavenly things themselves (should be purified) with better sacrifices than these’ (Heb. 9:23).” Law of Moses, R.Roberts

The Law of Moses, Robert Roberts

“The phrase ‘the heavenly things,’ is an expression covering all the high, holy, and exalted things of which the Mosaic pattern was but a foreshadowing. They are all comprehended in Christ, who is the nucleus from which all will be developed, the foundation on which all will be built. The statement is therefore a declaration that it was necessary that Christ should first of all be purified with better sacrifices than the Mosaic: ‘Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place;’ ‘not into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us’ (Heb. 9:12, 23–24).”

Summarizing the significant points of the goat sin offering

continued:2. The live goat represented the

resurrected, living Christ who takes away the sins of his people. (Rom 4:25 & 5:10-11). “Yahweh hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all” (Isa 53:6).

3. Aaron was to lay both hands upon the head of the live goat (vs 21-22).

4. The scapegoat (goat of departure-azazel, which means “one with the strength to take away sin”) was then sent way by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness (vs 21).

Summarizing the significant points of the goat sin offering

continued:5. Continuing the type, Christ

explained to his disciples that it was necessary for their sakes that he should go away (Jn 16:7).

6. The sins figuratively placed on the goat were borne away that they could not be seen. In the antitype they were completely forgotten; “Cast all my sins behind Thy back” (Isa 38:17); “into the depth of the sea” (Mic 7:19); “as far as the east is from the west” (Psa 103:12).

The Golden censer full of burning coals

In the antitype, Christ, as the golden altar, was not used as a medium of prayer, until he had ascended into heaven. There was a change in the manner of approach to God by prayer consequent upon the death and resurrection of the Lord, as expressed by him, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (Jn 16:24-26). Prayer is now presented to the Father through him (Eph 2:18). He is our golden Altar of incense. His redemption means that “he ever liveth to make intercession for us.”

“before the mercy seat” “Having therefore brethren, boldness to

enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; 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” (Heb 10: 19-22).

Therefore, we have been drawn to a “new living way”. Literally, the expression is: “a freshly slain and living way”.

Eureka, vol 5, pg. 38 In this still dry heat of impending vengeance,

the Pentecostian proclamation of liberty and return is made; after which “the great trumpet is blown” by Yahweh Tz’vaoth (Isa. 18:3; 27:13; Zech. 9:14); the Jubilee Trumpet of the judgment of the great day. The angel-proclamation in midheaven is this Pentecostian proclamation briefly preceding the Jubilee Trumpet of “the Day of Atonement,” when the Eternal Spirit casts up accounts with the nations, and exacts from them the settlement that is due. The proclamation in midheaven is Pentecostian, not judicial and vengeful. It announces the approach of judgment as impending, not in actual manifestation; and therefore invites return to God as the condition of liberty, or escape from the wrath to come.”