In just a few days, the Jewish holiday known as Yom Kippurāthe Day of Atonementāwill begin.
It is the sixth of the seven feasts of Israel described in the book of Leviticus and was the most solemn day on Israelās calendar.
Leviticus 23:27 (NASB 1995)
āOn exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD.ā
The Day of Atonement occurred on the tenth day of the seventh month, Tishri, ten days after the Feast of Trumpets.
For Israel, this was not a day of celebration.
It was a day of repentance.
A day of fasting.
A day of soul-searching.
A day when the people reflected on the reality of sin and their fractured relationship with a holy God.
š A Day to Humble the Soul
The Lord repeatedly emphasized two requirements for the people:
Humble yourselves
Do no work
Leviticus 23:28 (NASB 1995)
āNeither shall you do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God.ā
The word atonement carries the idea of a covering.
On this day, God provided a covering for Israelās sins through the sacrifice of innocent blood.
Was blood really necessary?
God says yes.
Not tears.
Not sweat.
Not good intentions.
Not religious effort.
Only blood.
Leviticus 17:11 (NASB 1995)
āFor the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.ā
The seriousness of the day cannot be overstated.
Leviticus 23:29-31 (NASB 1995)
āIf there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.ā
And again:
Leviticus 23:32 (NASB 1995)
āIt is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls...ā
š The High Priestās Most Important Day
Seven days before Yom Kippur, the high priest left his home and entered a period of preparation.
Every detail mattered.
Every step had to be performed exactly as God prescribed.
On the night before the ceremony, the elders of the priesthood stayed awake with him.
They read Scripture.
They questioned him.
They walked him through the procedures.
They even prevented him from sleeping.
The high priest had to be alert, focused, ceremonially clean, and fully prepared.
By sunrise, Jerusalem was buzzing with anticipation.
The Temple courts filled with worshipers.
Roman soldiers stood nearby in case unrest broke out.
Everyone knew this was the most important day of the year.
š©ø Blood Before the Mercy Seat
Throughout the day, the high priest repeatedly changed garments, immersed himself in water, and washed his hands and feet.
He first offered sacrifices for himself and his household because he was a sinner too.
Then came one of the most dramatic moments of the day.
Two goats were brought before him.
Lots were cast.
One goat was designated:
āFor the LORD.ā
The other became:
The Scapegoat.
A scarlet cord was tied to the scapegoat to distinguish it from the other animal.
The bull was sacrificed.
Its blood was collected.
The goat for the LORD was sacrificed.
Its blood was collected.
Then the high priest entered the Holy of Holiesāthe most sacred place on earth.
Carrying incense and sacrificial blood, he stood before the Mercy Seat and sprinkled the blood before God.
Everything had to be cleansed.
Everything had to be atoned for.
Everything had been touched by sin.
š The Scapegoat
After the sacrifices were completed, the high priest turned to the scapegoat.
Placing both hands upon its head, he confessed the sins of the nation.
Symbolically, the guilt of Israel was transferred to the animal.
Then the goat was led into the wilderness.
Far from the city.
Far from the people.
Far from the Temple.
Eventually it was taken to a remote ravine and cast over the edge, ensuring it would never return.
The message was unmistakable:
The peopleās sins had been carried away.
How fitting are the words of the psalmist:
Psalm 103:12 (NASB 1995)
āAs far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.ā
The people rejoiced because their sins were symbolically removed from them.
ā What Were the People Doing?
Surprisingly, not much.
In fact, God specifically commanded them not to work.
Notice the repeated emphasis:
āNeither shall you do any work.ā (v. 28)
āThat person I will destroy.ā (v. 30)
āYou shall do no work at all.ā (v. 31)
āA sabbath of complete rest.ā (v. 32)
On the Day of Atonement, Israel was simply commanded to:
ā Stop working
ā Humble themselves
ā Trust Godās provision
The people did nothing to secure atonement.
The high priest did all the work.
āļø A Better High Priest
Do we have a high priest like that today?
No.
We have a far better one.
The earthly high priest was imperfect.
He had to offer sacrifices for his own sins.
He entered Godās presence with fear.
He hoped the sacrifice would be accepted.
But our High Priest is different.
Our High Priest is Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 7:26-27 (NASB 1995)
āFor it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.ā
Jesus was both:
š The Perfect High Priest
š©ø The Perfect Sacrifice
Unlike the priests of old, He never sinned.
Unlike the sacrifices of old, His sacrifice never needs to be repeated.
š„ From Covering Sin to Taking It Away
The Day of Atonement provided only a temporary covering for sin.
Every year the same sacrifices had to be offered again.
Every year the same ceremony had to be repeated.
Every year another Yom Kippur arrived.
Why?
Because animal sacrifices could never permanently solve humanityās sin problem.
But then came Jesus.
When John the Baptist saw Him approaching, he declared:
John 1:29 (NASB 1995)
āBehold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!ā
Notice the difference.
The sacrifices of Yom Kippur covered sin.
Jesus takes away sin.
What the blood of bulls and goats could never accomplish, Christ accomplished forever at Calvary.
š The Gospel Hidden in Yom Kippur
The Day of Atonement was never merely about ancient rituals.
It was a prophetic picture.
A shadow.
A preview.
A divine illustration pointing forward to Jesus Christ.
The high priest pointed to Christ.
The sacrifice pointed to Christ.
The Mercy Seat pointed to Christ.
Even the scapegoat pointed to Christ.
As the scapegoat carried away the sins of Israel, so Jesus bore our sins and removed our guilt forever.
And just as Israel was commanded to cease from its works and trust Godās provision, salvation today is not earned through religious effort.
We stop striving.
We humble ourselves.
We trust in the finished work of Christ.
The people rested while the high priest worked.
Today, believers rest in the completed work of the Great High Priest who declared:
āIt is finished.ā
As Yom Kippur approaches, may we remember that what was once symbolized in shadows has now been fulfilled in substance.
The Lamb has come.
The sacrifice has been made.
The sin-bearer has carried our guilt away.
And our Great High Priest lives forever. āļø
āStuart
Thank you, Stuart, for this article and all you do! I just studied Genesis 2:1-3 when God finished His work and rested. Remembering the admonition to rest and do no work during Yom Kipper meant so much more to me than it has in the past. The fact that Israel could do nothing to cover their sin, and that God enforced it, is such a great reminder to me that thereās nothing I couldāve done to cover my sin. But itās such a marvelous gift of God that my faith in the Lord Jesus atones for my sin and everyone elseās sin.
Thank you, Stuart, for sharing your knowledge and wisdom on this subject!!