The Celebration of the Day of Atonement
PSALM 32: 1
1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.
2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile.
LEVITICUS 23:26-32
26. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
27. "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.
28. "And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.
29. "For any person who is not afflicted of soul on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people.
30. "And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.
31. "You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
32. `It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath.’’
I. Introduction.
During Biblical Times the Israelites celebrated a number of Feasts on a yearly basis. These are referred to as the Feasts of Israel. Within these feasts are the Feast of Passover, Feast of Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. This study focuses on only one of these Feasts, the Day of Atonement.
On the Day of Atonement, which took place but once a year, the High Priest entered into the Holiest of All, within the veil, with the blood of the Lord’s goat, the sin offering. Here he sprinkled the blood on the Mercy seat. The blood of the sin offering on the great Day of Atonement brought about the cleansing of all sin, all iniquity, and all trans¬gression. The sanctuary and Israel as a nation experienced blood atonement, thus being reconciled to their God.
II. The Day of Atonement – Leviticus 23:26-32; 16:1-34
In these two passages of scripture we have a detailed description of all that the Day of Atonement represented for the nation of Israel. As mentioned above the Day of Atonement was a day of cleansing for all sin and speaks to us of the atoning work of Christ and all that He accomp¬lished on the cross for us as God’s Holy nation. The symbolic significances all point to the work of Christ historically and then to His work prophetically in His church.
There are several things we will be looking at in this study as to how the church relates to the actual fulfillment of the Day of Atonement, but let us keep in mind first of all the following truths:
1. We have not appropriated any real measure of the atonement, meaning, even though Jesus has made complete provision for us, we have not yet experienced the completion of our salvation or the full measure of the atonement in our lives.
2. The Church must enter into the experimental appropriation of it just as it has with the other Feasts.
3. As there is a historical and an experimental fulfillment with Passover and Pentecost so there must be with the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles.
4. The Church through the ages has never appropriated the full measure of deliverance from sin, but has appropriated some.
5. The sin and carnality of the Church’s history must be taken away from her before she can enter into the fullness of the blessing and power of the Feast of Tabernacles.
III. Prophetic Passages Concerning the Day of Atonement.
There are many passages of scripture that actually refer to this great Day that is still yet ahead for the Church of Jesus Christ.
• The prophet Zechariah prophesied of this great Day when he said, "And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
Zechariah 3:9
9. For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua: upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’ says the Lord of hosts, `And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
Proverbs 4:18
18. But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
The saints are to gather together and much more as they see "the Day approaching." (See Zephaniah 2:1-3 also).
Hebrews 10:25
25. not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Ephesians 4:30
30. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
• The Church shall come into the perfection of the measure of the stature of the Fullness of Christ before He returns.
Ephesians 4:13
13. till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Consistency of interpretation will show that as each of the Feast days were literal 24 hour days in Israel’s history, so they are also in church history. But of course, once the initial day has been ushered in it remains open to all who will believe and enter into the Feast
Passover took place on a literal 24 hour day, yet this Feast has been open ever since to all who will believe. Pentecost took place on a literal 24 hour day and this Feast has been open ever since to all who will believe and enter into it. So It is the same with the Feast of Tabernacles, with the Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Tabernacles.
IV. Truths Related to the Day of Atonement
1. The Tenth Day of the Seventh Month
Leviticus 23:27
26. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
27. "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.
28. "And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.
Leviticus 16:29-30
29. "This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who sojourns among you.
30. "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.
The significance of numbers may be seen here in the fact that the Day of Atonement took place on the tenth day of the seventh month. This day brought the whole nation together at the Tabernacle door, at the Sanctuary of the Lord For the great cleansing and reconciliation.
• The Symbolic Significance of the Number Seven.
• Seven is the number of Fullness and completeness and perfection. Thus the seventh month completed the Feasts of the Lord and the Sacred year in Israel.
• Seven is also the number of rest, so this month brought Israel to the Fullness of rest through atonement.
• There are a number of incidents in scripture that show us the symbolic significance of the number seven
Joshua & the Battle of Jericho: When Joshua went in to the Promised Land to take the city of Jericho (7) seven priests with the Ark of God in their midst marched around the wall of Jericho for six days. On the (7) seventh day they marched around (7) seven times. At the close of the march the trumpets were blown, the people shouted and God caused the walls of Jericho to collapse. The victory was complete. Therefore we have seven priests, seven days, seven times thus 777 the number of perfection and completion.
The Book of Revelation: seven angels blow seven trumpets, while at the blast from the seventh trumpet the Ark of God is seen in the heavenly Sanctuary and the mystery of God is completed. Seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials thus 777 the number of perfection and completion.
• The Symbolic Significance of the Number Ten.
Ten is the number of testing, trial, law and order, and also respons¬ibility before the Lord. The 10 days between the day of blowing of Trumpets and the day of Atonement were days of preparation, and all were responsible to be ready for this great day.
Tribulation for 10 days
Revelation 2:10
10. "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Daniel & Friends to be tested for 10 days.
Daniel 1:12
12. "Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Parable of the 10 Virgins (End time parable) – 10 is used to symbolize preparation and testing – Matthew 25:1-10.
Matthew 25:1
1. "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
There is no doubt, therefore, that from now until the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement in the Church, God’s people are going to be subjected to great times of testing and trial -- with a view of perfecting them, and rewarding them as overcomers.
1 Peter 5:10
10. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
2. It Was a Day of Holy Convocation & Solemn Rest - Leviticus 23:27-32
Like every other Feast Day, the Day of Atonement was a holy convocation, and a Sabbath rest. No servile work was to be done on this day. Israel had to cease from their own works and rest in the work of the atonement, the work of the High Priest in Sanctuary service.
We have a High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, which enables us to receive mercy and help in time of trouble.
Hebrews 4:14-16
14. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
For the believer, there is a true rest in Christ’s finished work. It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but it is what Christ has done in His atoning work. In order for the believer to come into the fullness of His salvation he must come to complete rest in the Work of the faithful High Priest Jesus, whose blood atones for all of his sins.
Hebrews 2:17
17. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
At the Day of Atonement we will cease from all of our spiritual work and rest completely in the Full atoning work of Christ and He will super¬naturally perfect us through His atonement.
3. The Day of Atonement was a Day of Fasting and Affliction of the Soul – Leviticus 23:26-32
This day, although involved in the Feasts or Israel was really a fast day. In Acts 27:9 this day is called "The Fast". It was the only day of the Feasts of the Lord specifically set aside as a day of national fasting.
• Jesus said His Disciples would be called to times of fasting.
Matthew 9:15
15. And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
• The chosen fast of the Lord shall involve the affliction of the soul and cause the perfected ministry of the Bride to come forth.
Isaiah 58:5-9
5. Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?
6. "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?
7. Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
8. Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, `Here I am.’ "If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
As the Day of Atonement approaches for the Church, there will be greater times of affliction of the flesh and subduing the bodily appetites. The days are at hand when the disciples of the Lord will fast, because the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, is way.
The Day or Atonement was a day to afflict their souls. On this day the Israelites humbled themselves before the Lord in national repentance and humiliation as they sought the Lord.
This day was a time of "soul-affliction." Body and soul affliction were linked in this day of fasting and prayer.
• God uses soul affliction to draw us to Himself.
Psalms 119:67-71
67. Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.
68. You are good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes.
69. The proud have forged a lie against me, But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart.
70. Their heart is as fat as grease, But I delight in Your law.
71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.
• Soul affliction speaks of judging ourselves so that we be not judged of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 11:28-32
28. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.
29. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
30. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
31. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
32. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
Everyone needs to accept the dealings of God if they are to go into the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Church also may expect times or solemn assembly, when the Lord calls by the trumpet voice to affliction of soul to times and seasons of special prayer, intercession and fasting before Him so that His purposes may be fulfilled in and through the Church.
Joel 1:13-15
13. Gird yourselves and lament, you priests; wail, you who minister before the altar; come, lie all night in sackcloth, you who minister to my God; for the grain offering and the drink offering are withheld from the house of your God.
14. Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.
15. Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as destruction from the Almighty.
4. The Sprinkling of the Blood by the High Priest - Leviticus 16:14-16
The sprinkling of the blood seven times on the Mercy seat was prophetic of perfect atonement that Christ would bring to His people. Thus the "Seven Times" sprinkling of blood becomes symbolic and prophetic of the perfections that the blood of Jesus will bring to His church in the end times and at His coming.
In Passover the blood was sprinkled upon the door. In Pentecost the blood was sprinkled on the people and the Covenant Book. In Tabernacles the blood was sprinkled seven times on the Mercy Seat.
The Day of Atonement in the Church will be the fullest manifestation of the power of the blood or Jesus. It will bring the Church to the fullness of the stature of Christ, making an end of all sin, all iniquity, all transgressions and all sins or ignorance and all uncleanness.
Ephesians 4:13
13. till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Jesus is going to sanctify and cleanse His Church through the word of God so that it can be presented to Him at His coming as a Glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. It will be a church that is Holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:26-27
26. that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27. that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
• A Prophetic Picture of the Perfected Church.
Isaiah 4:1-6
1. And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, "We will eat our own food and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach.’’
2. In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped.
3. And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and he who remains in Jerusalem will be called holy everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem.
4. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning,
5. then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering.
6. And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.
V. Concluding Remarks.
If we are to enter into the Feast of Tabernacles we must have an ear to hear what the trumpets are blowing, and how they are calling the people to afflict their souls in preparation for the Great Day of Atonement.
1 Peter 1:3-8
3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4. to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5. who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
7. that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
8. whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
If the blood of Passover saved Israel from Egypt and the blood of our Passover, Jesus Christ has saved us from the world, what did the blood of atonement do for Israel that has not yet bee experienced by the Church. This day took away all sins, of ignorance and otherwise. The blood of Jesus can make us perfect.
The original study was written by Rev. Ken Birks. Rewritten and edited by Rev. Albert Corey, BA, MCC and presented at Oak Ridge Assembly of God Crestview, Florida on October 4, 2009 AM Service
Leviticus 16
1. Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the Lord, and died;
2. and the Lord said to Moses: "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at simply 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.
3. "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.
4. "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.
5. "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.
6. "Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.
7. "He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
8. "Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9. "And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering.
10. "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.
11. "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.
12. "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.
13. "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.
14. "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.
15. "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.
16. "So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
17. "There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.
18. "And he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord, and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.
19. "Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and sanctify it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
20. "And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat;
21. "and Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.
22. "The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
23. "Then Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting, shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there.
24. "And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.
25. "The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.
26. "And he who released the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.
27. "The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their offal.
28. "Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.
29. "This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who sojourns among you.
30. "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.
31. "It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.
32. "And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments;
33. "then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the congregation.
34. "This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.’’ And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.
