Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD. -Leviticus 23:27
Today is the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Biblical Calendar. Ten days ago the trumpets were blasted to call God’s people to attention, repentance, and readiness for this day when God’s verdict regarding His people would be rendered for the year. No ordinary work is allowed. People are required to afflict themselves through fasting and humble themselves before God with a contrite heart. Anyone who refuses to humble themselves before God on this day is cut off from His people and destroyed.
According to the Law, this is the only day of the year that the High Priest was allowed to enter behind the veil into the Most Holy Place in the Temple, where the presence of God dwelt. Even then, the High Priest was required to bathe before dressing for service and wore more simple garments than his normal priestly attire. On this day, he would wear only the linen garments, sash, and turban, but not the priestly tunic, robe, ephod, decorative belt, or breast piece. If the High Priest were to attempt to go behind the veil on any other day, or in any other way, he would die instantly.
The High Priest would first have to offer a sacrifice for Himself to purify Himself for service. Then, two goats were brought to him from the congregation. One goat would be a sin offering for the Lord and the other goat would be the scapegoat who would carry the sins of the people far away from the community. He would cast lots for the goats (like tossing a coin) to see which goat would serve in each required role.
Leviticus 16:7-10 - 7 Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and use it as a sin offering, 10 but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.
Next, Aaron would present the first goat as a sin offering for the Lord. He, alone, would enter into the tabernacle and take the blood of this goat behind the veil inside the tabernacle into the Most Holy Place to make atonement for the people. Through this, the uncleanness, transgressions, and sins of the people were covered, purged, and cleansed so that they could be reconciled to God and remain in good standing with Him.
Leviticus 16:15-16 - 15 "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. 16 Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.
If the High Priest did not come out of the tabernacle, it was proof that he had died in the presence of God. This meant that his offering for the sins of the people had not been accepted by God and the people were doomed, cursed, and condemned. If he emerged successfully from the Tabernacle, he would proceed to the second goat.
Next, the High Priest would take the second goat as the scapegoat. He would lay his hands on the head of the goat while confessing all the sins of the people to transfer them to the scapegoat. Then, the goat would be led far away from the community into the wilderness and released to wander.
Leviticus 16:20-22 - 20 "And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22 The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.
The word Azazel, often translated as scapegoat, means either ruler of the goat demons or refers to the place he resides in the barren, waterless wilderness. This scapegoat, carrying all the iniquities, transgressions, and sins of the people, was not going to a pleasant place. He was banished from God's presence to wander in a wasteland forever.
In the New Covenant, Jesus is our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus is also the fulfillment of these Feasts of the Lord and serves as our eternal sin offering and scapegoat. His blood was shed so that we could enter into the presence of God, and He took upon Himself the punishment for sin that we deserve.
But how did He fulfill the requirements of the Day of Atonement?
As our High Priest, Jesus did not need to offer a sacrifice for Himself because He had no sin. Moreover, He was baptized or mikvehed, which is what a ritual cleansing is called in Hebrew, by John the Baptist to cleanse Him for service. He wore no kingly or priestly garments to make a spectacle but rather, dressed as a humble, common, and holy man.
Hebrews 7:26-27 - 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
As our sin offering, Jesus is the Son of God. He was without sin and therefore, is able to be an unblemished sin offering unto the Lord. On the cross, Jesus shed His blood to purify us from our sin. He entered into the Heavenly Temple and secured our eternal redemption.
Hebrews 9:11-14 - 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 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 serve the living God.
Hebrews 9:24-26 - 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Hebrews 10:12-14 - 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
As our scapegoat, Jesus took on flesh and blood as a son of Adam. It was the way He most commonly referred to Himself – Son of Man. On the cross, all the sins of mankind were laid upon Jesus. He took the blame and punishment that we deserve. When Jesus committed His spirit into the hands of God, His body was taken down and put into the grave while His soul descended into the waterless wasteland of Hell.
Hebrews 2:14-17 - 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
If Jesus did not emerge from the grave, it meant that His offering for the sins of the world had not been accepted by God and all of mankind was doomed to condemnation and eternal destruction.
But on the third day, God raised Jesus from the dead. His offering for sin was accepted by God! His spotless life and sacrifice was accepted as the propitiation (or atonement) for our sins! Hallelujah!!
Romans 3:23-25 - 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
1 John 2:2 - 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 4:10 - 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Now resurrected to eternal life, Jesus is our compassionate and merciful High Priest forever! He lives eternally to make intercession on behalf of transgressors.
Hebrews 7:15-16 - 15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.
The Day of Atonement is a day for deep reflection, repentance, and afflicting ourselves before God in humility and unworthiness. For us as New Covenant believers, it is also a day for us to be thankful for the atonement provided for us in Christ Jesus. Please, do not trample on the blood of the Son of God that was shed for you. Take some time to reflect with the Lord, to confess your sins to Him, to ask afresh for His mercy, and to walk in new gratitude for all that our savior and eternal scapegoat has done for us.
Scripture References: Leviticus 16, 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11; Psalm 110; Romans 3:21-31, 5:2; Isaiah 53:1-12, 58:6-7; Hebrews 7-10
Penitential Psalms: Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 130, 143
Confession of Sin: Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9; James 5:16, Romans 1:18-32, 3:9-20; 2 Timothy 3
Originally published as: "Day of Atonement" - Reprinted from The Obedience of Faith Blog - Copyright © 2013 (2022 Updated) Wendy Bowen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE