Leviticus 16:30-31; 23:27-28, 31-32
Introduction
On the tenth day of Tishrei the high priest would conduct a special ceremony to cleanse away any defilement from the Tabernacle / Temple and the people. A bull and two goats were brought before the Lord as an offering. The bull was for the cleansing the House of God from defilement caused by the misconduct of the priest or his family (Leviticus 16:6). The first of the two goats was sacrificed for the same reason, except that they were for the congregation of Israel (Leviticus 16:7-8). The second goat was sent away into the wilderness (Leviticus 16:10) after the high priest confesses the sins of the people over it (Leviticus 16:20-22). This goat was known as Azazel or the scapegoat. The two goats were seen as a single offering. The Jews know this festival as Yom Kippur.
The Scapegoat
The Hebrew word Azazel means scapegoat and was believed to be symbolic of Satan by some. The goat carried the sins of the people away from the camp into the wilderness. This is understood to be a picture of Satan being cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20).
During the ceremony a golden lot (token) was placed on each goat to indicate their fate. One lot was marked ‘For the Lord’, while the other was marked ‘For Azazel.’ It seems that the high priest cast the two lots before the goats, and so the way they fell determined which goat was to be sacrificed and which was to be the scapegoat. This eventually grew into superstition, for the Jews thought it would be a good year if the lot marked ‘For the Lord’ fell on the goat on the right, and a bad year if it fell on the left. A crimson sash was tied to this goat as a symbol of sin. It was led to the edge of a cliff in the wilderness and cast off (this latter act being a development of the ceremony). According to Jewish tradition, a portion of the crimson sash was tied to the door of the Temple, if it turned white the people knew that they had been forgiven. This probably results from a misapplication of Isaiah 1:18 … “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
The High Priest
The high priest had to bathe himself before performing this ritual. Also all of his clothing had to be absolutely spotless. He would purify the altar by sprinkling animal blood upon it (Leviticus 8:13-15; Numbers 19:1-4; 31:21-24). The apostle Paul reminds us that even the altar needed to be purified (Hebrews 9; 10:19-22; see also 1 Peter 1:2). The high priest was not to be touched before he ascended the altar. This should give us some light on why Jesus asked not to be touched until He had ascended to the Father (John 20:17-27). The priest wore a special linen robe (Leviticus 16:4) to symbolise his righteousness before God. Jesus is seen wearing such a robe in Revelation 1:13-15 (see also Daniel 10:5-6). It was the only time the high priest came before the Mercy Seat (Ark of the Covenant). The garments of the high priest would have been covered in blood after the sacrifice, so he had to wash away the stains (Leviticus 6:27) symbolising the removal of sin.
Face to Face
This ceremony took place once a year. Therefore it was the only time the high priest could go into the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16:2; Hebrews 9:6-7). Another term for The Day of Atonement is ‘Face to Face.’ No one could look upon God and live (Exodus 33:20), so the priest had to be certain of personal purity when coming into God’s presence. At all other times the Holy of Holies could only be viewed through a veil, thus the priest only saw vague outlines. Paul is referring to this in 1 Corinthians 13:9-13 where he says that we do not have full understanding yet, but one day we will see “face to face.” As the priest entered the Holy of Holies he expected to see the Shekinah Glory of God hovering over the Mercy Seat. The Hebrew for ‘Mercy Seat’ is ‘Kapporet,’ it is the root word for ‘atonement,’ the New Testament uses the word ‘ propitiation.’
The Day of Atonement
The Day of Atonement is the last day of ten days of national repentance which began at Rosh HaShanah (Feast of Trumpets). The entire day is spent fasting and praying (Leviticus 16:29; 23:27; Numbers 29:7). On this day the ‘Great Trumpet’ is sounded (Isaiah 27:13; Matthew 24:31).
Messianic Symbolism
In Matthew 25:31-46 we find the parable of the separation of the sheep and the goats. Those on the right will enter into the Kingdom (through the blood of Christ), while those on the left will be cast into the Lake of Fire.
At His first coming the Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life as the Lamb sacrificed for the sins of the world (Isaiah 53:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). No wonder He sits at the right-hand of the Father.
Whereas the high priest had to go into the Holy of Holies each year, the Great High Priest once for all time (Hebrews 9:7, 26). The high priest had to be purified before undertaking this ritual, this is why Jesus insisted on being baptised so that He might fulfil the symbolism (John 3:1-5), and be the spotless Lamb at the same time (1 Peter 1:19). This was the only time that the High Priest offered Himself as the sacrifice for sin and truly represented sinners. Just as the Day of Atonement was a new start for the Jews, so our Atonement in Christ is a new start (born again), but we await the new start of the earth (New Heaven and New Earth) at His Second Coming.
Living Word Bible Church 