The Day of Atonement
📖 Leviticus 16:29-34 (KJV) And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. 32 And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: 33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.
✅ 1: Introduction:
The Day of Atonement was Israel’s most solemn day a day of confession, repentance, and sacrifice.
It happened once a year on the 10th day of the 7th month.
It was God’s way of covering Israel’s sins until the perfect sacrifice would come Jesus Christ.
Today we will look at what it meant then and what it means now.
✅ 2: What It Was For (Old Testament Purpose)
The Day of Atonement was Israel’s most solemn and sacred day, designed for:
National Cleansing from Sin — Once a year, the High Priest entered the Holy of Holiesto make atonement for the sins of the whole nation (Leviticus 16:29–34).
Covering (Atonement) of Sin — “Atonement” in Hebrew (kippur) means “to cover.” It did not remove sin permanently, but covered it until Christ came.
📖 Hebrews 10:1-4 KJV For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. (2) For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. (3) But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. (4) For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Restoration of Fellowship — It was about reconciliation between God and His covenant people.
Key actions included:
Sacrificing a bull for the priest’s sins.
Sacrificing one goat for the sins of the people.
Releasing the scapegoat into the wilderness, symbolically carrying away the people’s sins (Leviticus 16:21–22).
Sprinkling blood on the mercy seat inside the Holy of Holies.
✅ 3: The 2 Goats
🐐 First Goat - Sacrifice
📖 Leviticus 16:15-16 (KJV) Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: 16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
🐐 Second Goat - Scape goat
📖 Leviticus 16:20-22 (KJV) And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place,and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: 21 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 in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
📌 It’s interesting how Jesus fulfills the picture of the two goats in the Old Testament. In this scene, Jesus represents the first goat the one chosen to be sacrificed while Barabbas reflects the second goat, the one released. The crowd, given a choice, called for Jesus to be put to death and Barabbas to go free, perfectly mirroring this prophetic image.
📖 John 18:39-40 KJV But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? (40) Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
🐐 The Scapegoat also Pictures Christ Bearing Our Sin — Just as the goat carried away Israel’s sins, Jesus “bore our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:6)
📖 1 Peter 2:24 KJV Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
📌 After Jesus took our sins upon Himself, He removed them completely carrying them far away, never to be held against us again, just as the scapegoat in the wilderness bore away the sins of Israel.
📖 Psalms 103:10-12 KJV He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. (11) For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. (12) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
✅ 4: What It Symbolizes (Christ Fulfillment)
The Day of Atonement was a prophetic picture of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross:
🔥Jesus is the Great High Priest — Unlike the Old Testament priests, Jesus offered Himself once for all (Hebrews 9:11–12).
📖 Hebrews 9:11-12 KJV But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; (12) Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
🔥 Jesus is the Perfect Sacrifice — He didn’t bring the blood of animals but His own blood, securing eternal redemption
📖 Hebrews 9:25-26 KJV Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; (26) For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
🔥Permanent Forgiveness — Unlike yearly atonement, Jesus’ sacrifice was final and complete (Hebrews 10:10–14).
📖 Hebrews 10:10-14 KJV By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (11) And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: (12) But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; (13) From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. (14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
🔥 Access to God’s Presence — The temple veil was torn when Christ died, showing that we no longer need a human high priest to enter God’s presence.
📖 Luke 23:44-49 KJV And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. (45) And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. (46) And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. (47) Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. (48) And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. (49) And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
