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1998-02-28 - The Great Day of Atonement - Yom Kippur
The Comprehensive Study Series, Part 25
The Atomenment in the Old Testament, Part 4
Wow what a study! I hope you folks like this one. Anyway it's late I just
got back from the emergency room with the wife and so if I sound a little
frazzled in writing this - I am. I hope God increases your understanding
of His Word through this. Amen.
The offerings and rituals of the Great Day of Atonement were made for the
entire nation of Israel. The inherited or the Adamic sin as well as unknown
sins of the individual and nation were taken care of year by year through
this ritual. This is set forth in Leviticus, Chapter 16. Of all the days
of the year the day of Atonement was the most important. The ceremonies conducted
were not to be construed as being the same as the personal offerings (see
last week's devotional for added info) of individuals who were guilty of
sin - they applied only to Israel nationally.
The high priest bathed his flesh and put on holy linen clothes and wore a
linen miter. He alone officiated in this service. With proper clothing, he
brought a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering to
make atonement for himself and for his house. He also received at the hands
of the congregation of the children of Israel two he goats for a sin offering
and one ram for a burnt offering. Upon receiving the goats the high priest
would do this: Leviticus 16:18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is
before Jehovah, and make atonement for it, and shall take of the blood of
the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the
altar round about.
He presented the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah to sacrifice as
a sin offering but " for Azazal [removal ]" the goat on which the lot fell
he would do this:
Leviticus 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell for
Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to
send him away for Azazel into the wilderness.
The high priest then offered the bullock as a sin offering for himself and
his house. He did this before he killed the goat of the sin offering for
the people. Accomplishing this he then returned to the altar of burnt offerings
by which the second goat stood "alive before Jehovah" to be sent away "for
Azazel" into the wilderness.
Leviticus 16:20-22 And when he hath made an end of atoning
for the holy place, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, he shall present
the live goat: and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live
goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel,
and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them
upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a man that
is in readiness into the wilderness: and the goat shall bear upon him all
their iniquities unto a solitary land: and he shall let go the goat in the
wilderness.
All iniquities and transgressions carried by the goat into a solitary land
included both known and unknown sins of the entire nation. Those individuals
who did not come in genuine repentance and humiliation for their sins could
not enjoy forgiveness - but were to be cut off from the commonwealth of Israel.
Leviticus 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not
be afflicted in that same day; he shall be cut off from his people.
Lets look at some of these details a little closer. Who was Azazel ? We need
to remember the two animals made up one sin offering. By the slaying of the
goat which the lot for Jehovah fell, and the sprinkling of its blood upon
the mercy seat, expiation of the sins of all Israel was accomplished. By
the high priest laying his hands upon the goat which the lot had fallen -
and leading that goat into the wilderness - the complete removal of the sins
of the nation from the presence of God and from His people was symbolically
set forth. Viewing the lots that were cast upon the two goats, one for Jehovah
and one for Azazel. It is reasonable to consider the two persons Jehovah
and Azazel were deeply involved in the sacrifice. We all know Jehovah is
God, and we know that in the ritual on the great day of atonement Azazel
is none other than the evil spirit in the world who is the great adversary
of man and God -Satan. An examination of Zechariah 3:1-5 reveals a heavenly
court scene:
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And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah,
and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary.
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And Jehovah said unto Satan, Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan; yea, Jehovah that
hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the
fire?
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Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the
angel.
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And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take
the filthy garments from off him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused
thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with rich apparel.
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And I said, Let them set a clean mitre upon his head. So they set a clean
mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments; and the angel of Jehovah
was standing by.
In this court scene Israel as a nation is represented by Joshua the high
priest standing before the angel of Jehovah. Satan, always the deceiver,
is standing at the right hand of Joshua, posing as the defense attorney of
Joshua (Israel) and he is endeavoring to prosecute and condemn Joshua before
Jehovah. The Lord (Judge) most sternly rebukes Satan, telling him that He
has chosen Jerusalem and that Joshua, representing Israel, is as a brand
plucked out of the fire. Instead of rejecting Joshua, the Lord commands those
standing near to remove his filthy garments replace them with rich clothing
and place a clean miter on his head. The verdict rendered in the case is
expressed in the words the Lord used in addressing Joshua " Behold I have
caused thine iniquity to pass from thee and I will clothe thee with rich
apparel. " This clearly says that there will be a time when Israel will be
nationally cleansed forgiven and reinstated into the favor of God.
In the ritual on the Day of Atonement Azazel represented Satan. The slain
goat made atonement for sin, while the scapegoat ladened with the same sins
- transferred to it symbolically by the laying on of hands - went forth for
Azazel into the wilderness. By the scapegoat going for Azazel, announcement
was made to Satan that Israel's sins had been removed and that atonement had
been made for them by this act. The announcement was made to Satan that his
power and claim over Israel was broken, and she now stands approved in God's
s sight and fellowship is restored with Him.
The scapegoat - laden with the forgiven sins of all Israel - removed them
to the wilderness back to the very source of all sin - Satan. This, like
a bundle of canceled checks, shows shows the power of God to cancel sin by
atonement. We must bear in mind that only for one year at a time were the
sins of the nation rolled away because this ritual had to be observed annually.
In the special ritual on the day of Atonement, there were two goats - a dead
one and a live one - but both constituted one sin offering. Both death and
life are set forth symbolically in connection with the removal of Israel's
sins nationally. The full meaning of these facts is fully brought out in
the New Testament. In Hebrews 9:1-10 the sanctuary, its furnishings and the
typical significance of the service of the day of atonement are discussed.
The conclusion is found in verses 9 and 10
Hebrews 9:9-10 which is a figure for the time present;
according to which are offered both gifts and sacrifices that cannot, as
touching the conscience, make the worshipper perfect, being only (with meats
and drinks and divers washings) carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of
reformation.
Hebrews 9:11-14 But Christ having come a high priest of
the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation,
12 nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through
his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained
eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls,
and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify
unto the cleanness of the flesh: 14 how much more shall the
blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish
unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Christ's offering of himself as the spotless and sinless Lamb of God was
the fulfillment of all that was implied in the slaying of the goat upon
which the lot fell for Jehovah - in the ritual of the great day of atonement.
The blood of bulls and goats in the old economy could not take away sin nor
could it purge the conscience and give satisfaction and assurance. The blood
of Christ, however, does meet all the demands of God's holiness; it cleanses
and purges the conscience, giving the believer perfect assurance.
The writer of Hebrews does not call attention to the fulfillment of that
part of the ritual related to the sending away of the goat "for Azazel" which
bore the canceled sins of Israel.
I Peter 3:18-22 Because Christ also suffered for sins
once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being
put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
19 in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in
prison, 20 that aforetime were disobedient, when the
longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,
wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:
21 which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even
baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation
of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ;
22 who is one the right hand of God, having gone into heaven;
angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
The Apostle Peter ( in I Peter 3:18-22) tells us that after the Lord had
shed His blood for the remission of Israel's sins - being put to death in
the flesh but being made alive in the Spirit - He went in the Spirit and
preached (made an announcement) to the wicked spirits in prison (Hell) concerning
his finished work The power of sin had been canceled by Him. This meets all
the requirements of the goat that was laden with the canceled (forgiven)
sins carrying them " for Azazel" into the wilderness. This was not the end
of the ritual by any means, though. After sending the goat into the wilderness,
the high priest went into the holy place, still wearing the clothes he wore
when he made the sacrifices. He remained in the sanctuary of the tent of
meeting, bathed his flesh and attired himself in garments of beauty and holiness.
Later he appeared in all his glory to all those in the waiting congregation.
They joyfully hailed his appearance - Atonement was accomplished!
When we look at the record of our Lord Jesus Christ, we see that having been
put to death in the flesh and energized in the spirit, He went forth and
made the announcement to the evil spirits in prison. He then returned and
shortly ascended to glory (Heaven) entering into the sanctuary not made with
hands. He took His blood and cleansed the heavenly things therewith. This
happened nineteen hundred years ago. He has never - like the high priest
- reappeared to Israel. This is the position of the people of Israel and
the whole world today. We can rest assured that the Lord is going to completely
fulfill this ritual, reappear and be joyfully hailed by His chosen people
Israel.
This will be done when Israel sees the mistake that was made by their fathers
over nineteen hundred years ago. This mistake was the rejection of King Messiah.
When Israel in genuine repentance and absolute faith in Him, confesses its
national sin, He will reappear, coming out of the heavenly Sanctuary - just
as the high priest did after the atonement was made for Israel on the Day
of Atonement. Today there are more churches and organizations giving the
truth to Israel as best as they can. They realize that faith comes by hearing
the Word of God and that the message of reconciliation was given to man.
Perhaps praying for Israel's salvation is what the Psalmist meant when he
said to us to do the following:
Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: They shall
prosper that love thee.
In His Service,
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