The Day of Atonement

Q: What does the Bible say about the Day of Atonement?

The Day of Atonement, outlined in Leviticus 16, signifies a crucial moment for Israel's sin atonement through the high priest's sacrificial blood. The Day of Atonement, as described in Leviticus 16, was a vital event in Israel's worship, providing a prescribed means for the people to deal with sin. On this day, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies once a year, bringing the blood of sacrifices to atone for both himself and the people. This ritual highlighted the separation between God and man due to sin, as God’s presence was veiled and only accessible under specific conditions through sacrificial blood. The Day of Atonement serves not only as a historical observance but also as a foreshadowing of Christ's ultimate sacrifice, where He would once for all enter into the Holy of Holies in heaven with His own blood, securing eternal redemption.

Q: How do we know Christ is our High Priest?

Christ is recognized as our High Priest through His fulfilled role of offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. In Scripture, specifically in Hebrews, Christ is declared our great High Priest who surpasses the Old Testament priesthood, particularly through the example set by Aaron. Unlike Aaron, who had to offer sacrifices repeatedly, Christ entered the true Holy of Holies once with His own blood, securing a perfect atonement for all who believe. The New Testament explicitly identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of high priestly duties that were shadowed by Aaron, affirming that He was appointed, qualified, and anointed by God, demonstrating that only through Christ can believers approach God with confidence. This is supported by the teachings in Philippians, which explain Christ's humility and obedience as a servant, highlighting His unique position as our Mediator.

Q: Why is the blood of Christ important for atonement?

The blood of Christ is essential for atonement as it is the only means through which genuine forgiveness of sins can be obtained. The significance of the blood of Christ in the doctrine of atonement is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative surrounding sacrifice. Hebrews 9 emphasizes that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. The Old Testament sacrifices, including the Day of Atonement, serve as types and shadows pointing toward the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. His blood, unlike the blood of animals which could not take away sins, provides a permanent solution for humanity's estrangement from God. The blood of Christ not only propitiates for sins but also sanctifies and cleanses believers, allowing them direct access to God. This profound truth reveals the weight of sin and the necessity of a perfect Savior to reconcile us with our holy Creator.

Q: What are the effects of atonement according to the Bible?

The effects of atonement include forgiveness of sins, purification for worship, and the ability to approach God boldly. Atonement has several vital effects as presented in the biblical text, particularly in Hebrews and Leviticus. Firstly, through Christ's atonement, believers receive forgiveness of sins, which removes the guilt that separates them from God. This is not merely a temporary covering, as seen in the Old Testament, but a lasting removal of sin, as highlighted in Hebrews 10:17, where God declares that He will not remember their sins. Secondly, atonement results in the sanctification of worship; as Aaron sprinkled various items within the tabernacle with blood to purify them, so Christ's blood purifies our prayers and worship, enabling us to approach God. Lastly, believers are granted boldness to enter the Holy of Holies, a privilege made possible only by the oblation of Christ's sacrifice, signaling their acceptance and reconciliation with God.

before Adam sinned, he lived in communion with God. He had perfect fellowship with
the living God. He walked with God. He talked
with God. But after Adam broke the covenant,
after Adam took the forbidden fruit, after Adam sinned against
God's word, Adam could have no more familiar fellowship and
communion with the Father. And under the Mosaic dispensation,
and when we talk about the Mosaic dispensation, we're talking about
the days of the tabernacle, we're talking about the days of the
written law, we're talking about the days of the sacrifices, when
the high priest would offer the blood of atonement once a year
on the mercy seat, under this dispensation in which God was
pleased to dwell among his people. He dwelt among his people. He
manifested his presence to them. He led them out of Egypt to Canaan,
and his presence was always with them in the pillar of fire by
night and in the cloud which led them by day. and in the tabernacle,
which always was erected in the middle of the camp. But even
in this dispensation and during these days, the separation was
still there. And it was painfully revealed
that sin had still separated the people from God. And the
presence of God, though he was with them, was hidden away from
mortal eye and foot. God's presence was in the holy
of holies. God dwelt in the tabernacle,
but he dwelt in the holy of holies, and no person could come near
to his presence or into his presence except one way, and that once
a year. And that's what we've been reading
about in the 16th chapter of Leviticus, and that's what we
read about in Hebrews 10. I'd like for you to open your
Bibles to Hebrews chapter 10, or chapter 9. Hebrews 9, verse
7 and 8. Even in the wilderness, when
God's presence was with the people, and God dwelt with them, it was
painfully aware that sin still separated them from God. God
dwelt in the Holy of Holies, and it says in verse 7 of Hebrews
9, into the second, that is, the second compartment. The Holy
of Holies went to the high priest alone once every year, not without
blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people.
The Holy Ghost thus signifying that the way into the holiest
of all was not yet made manifest while as the first tabernacle
was yet standing. I want you to get that picture
because it's important to all of the God dwelt among the people,
but they still could not approach his presence. God's presence
was in the Holy of Holies, in the small compartment in the
tabernacle. And only once a year, once a
year, one man, the high priest, and not without a blood sacrifice,
would go into that Holy of Holies and put that blood on the mercy
seat and make an atonement for the people. Now our subject this
morning illustrates the appointed way to God, the way of access
to God. It shows that the way to God
is only by atonement, by the blood, by the way of sacrifice,
by the way of Calvary. In John 14, verse 6, our Lord
said, I am the way. Turn over there just a in John
14, verse 6. The Lord said, Where I go you
know, and the way you know. And Thomas saith unto him in
verse 5, Lord, we don't know where you're going, how can we
know the way? And Christ said, I am the way,
the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father but
by me. Now how can a sinner approach
God today? How can a sinner come before
God and be accepted and be forgiven? Well, we do know this. Just like
back under that dispensation, they could only come God's way. They could only come in God's
own appointed way. God divides the way, God reveals
the way, God provides the way. Now here they are back in the
wilderness. God dwelt in the holy of holies. He did not live out among the
people. He did not walk with them and
talk with them and fellowship with them. They could come into
the presence of God only one way, and that once a year by
one man as their representative. with the blood sacrifice. Now
this is one of the most important chapters in the Bible. And before
I proceed further, I want to make this thing, this one thing,
very clear. That in Leviticus 16, what we've
been reading about here, is only a type, it's only a picture,
it's only a shadow. This high priest could not atone
for sin, that I read about in Leviticus 16. He could not effectually
put away sin. These sacrifices of blood could
not take away guilt, not at all. I'll show you that in Hebrews
chapter 10. This is a picture, this is a
type, this is a means of instructing us. This is a shadow of good
things to come. Look at Hebrews 10, verse 1.
For the law, the ceremonial 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. Just can't do it. And it stands
to reason, verse 2, if they could make the comers perfect, they
would have ceased to be offered. In other words, when God dwelt
in the Holy of Holies, keep that place there just a moment, when
God dwelt in the Holy of Holies, and Aaron went under the veil,
took the blood, put it on the mercy seat, if that could actually,
effectually, put away sin, take away guilt, He wouldn't have
to do it anymore, because guilt, having been put away, is put
away. Sin, having been forgiven, is forgiven. Atonement, having
been made, is made. So that's what he's saying in
verse 2. For then would they not have ceased to be offered,
because that the worshipers, once purged, would have no more
conscience of sin. But in those sacrifices, there's
a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible
that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin. So what
I'm reading about here in Leviticus 16 is a picture. It's a type. It's a shadow. In other words,
what God is showing us here in Leviticus 16 He's showing us
a picture of the real and only way to approach God, the access
to God. Now here is the tabernacle, and
God dwelt in the Holy of Holies, His presence, His fellowship,
His forgiveness, His grace. And once a year that high priest
would go into the Holy of Holies and put the blood on the mercy
seat, and God would forgive the people, but looking to the coming
of another." Now, I want us to look at four things. And this
day of atonement, this day of atonement was once a year, the
seventh month, the tenth day. And these sacrifices continued
until Christ came. Now let's look at four things.
First of all, the person who made the atonement. And then
secondly, the sacrifice by which the atonement was made, and thirdly,
the effects of that atonement, and fourthly, the behavior of
those who participate. Now, first of all, Leviticus
16, verse 3. The person who made the atonement.
As I said a moment ago, this is one of the most important
chapters in the Bible. God's the same yesterday, today,
and forever. If we can find out how these
people approach God, if we can find the way of access to God,
if we can find out how God says that he may be approached in
an acceptable manner, how sin can be put away, how God can
walk with us, if we can find out that, then we can approach
it. But we can't otherwise. Now,
first of all, the person who made the atonement. Verse 3 says,
Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place with a young bullock
for a sin offering and for a ram for a burnt offering. And verse
17 says, And there shall be no man in the tabernacle when he
goes in. It's Aaron, the high priest. Now there are other priests back
then who ministered about the tabernacle and who served God,
there were a lot of priests. There were dozens and dozens
of priests who ministered about the tabernacle outside and served
God, just as there are other priests in the kingdom of God.
I'm a priest. You're a priest. Let's turn to
Revelation chapter 1. Listen to this. In Revelation
chapter 1, verse 6, Revelation 1, 6. Every person
who is redeemed by the blood of Christ is a priest. Every person who is saved is
a priest. It says in Revelation 1, 6, "...and
hath made us kings." Well, go back to verse 5, the latter part
of verse 5, "...unto him that loved us, and washed us from
our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests
unto God." and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen. Christ hath made us a priest. Now, Revelation chapter 5. Turn
over there just a moment. Revelation 5, verse 9, And they
sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book,
and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast and has redeemed
us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and
people and nation, and has made us unto our God kings and priests,
and we shall reign on the earth." And then Peter calls us a royal
priesthood. So there are other priests in
the kingdom of God. There were other priests here
when the atoning sacrifice was made. But it was only Aaron,
only Aaron the high priest, only Aaron the high priest who could
offer the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, only Aaron. He
killed every bullock, he killed every ram, he killed every sacrifice,
he made every offering. If I remember correctly there
was something like six 16 animals that were killed on the Day of
Atonement in the different sacrifices and the different offerings,
and Aaron killed every single one of them. Nobody else on that
day, no other priest, did anything. Nothing whatsoever. It was all
Aaron, the high priest. Everything was Aaron. He was
the only person who could approach the Holy of Holies and offer
the sacrifice. Now secondly, that's established.
The person who made the sacrifice was Aaron. Secondly, not only
was it Aaron the high priest, but it was Aaron the humble priest. Now in Leviticus 16 verse 4,
he shall put on the linen coat. He shall put on the linen coat.
and he shall have linen britches upon his flesh, and girded with
a linen girdle, with a linen mitre shall he be attired. These
are holy garments." You say, what significance does that have? Well, on all other days, Aaron,
the high priest, wore golden garments He wore a mitre of pure
gold about his brow. He wore a breastplate covered
with precious stones and gems. That breastplate was adorned
with pure gold. On other days, Aaron wore expensive,
magnificent, golden garments, but on the Day of Atonement he
was stripped of all those garments, the golden miter was taken off
his head, the golden breastplate studded with beautiful gems,
and the golden garments and girdle was taken off and laid aside,
and Aaron was dressed in simple plain linen clothing." That's
a picture of Christ our Lord. The only one who can make the
atonement for sinners is Christ, the High Priest. Nobody else
can have any part in it. It's only Christ. Not Christ
plus anyone or anything, but Christ alone. As Aaron went alone
into the holy place, he typified and shadowed Christ, foreshadowed
Christ who bore our sins alone. And then when Alan took off the
golden miser and the golden breastplate and the golden garments and laid
them aside and clothed himself in simple plain linen, he is
picturing Christ our Lord, who laid aside the glory and beauty
and magnificence of his divine station in heaven, and came down
here clothed in in the likeness of sinful flesh. Turn to Philippians,
chapter 2. In Philippians, the second chapter,
verse 5 through 8, we have that revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. In Philippians 2, verse 5, let
this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being
in the form of God with all the glory thereof, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God, for he was God. But he made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men. And being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. So it was Aaron alone who offered
the sacrifice. It was Aaron the humble priest. And then verse 4 says something
else in Leviticus 16. It tells us it was Aaron the
spotless priest who came into God's presence. Over and over
again, verse 4, I think it's five times, it is said that Aaron
had to wash wash, wash, wash, wash on that day. And therefore
shall he wash his flesh in water, and put on the linen garments. This is typical of the purity
and spotlessness and sinlessness of the Lord Jesus Christ, who
had no sin. This is my beloved Son, the Father
said, in whom I am well pleased. He did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth. So when Aaron the high priest
took off the golden garments and laid them aside and put on
the linen clothes, he is typifying Christ who left heaven's glories
and came down here clothed in simple human flesh. And when
Alan went through all of these washings, when he washed his
body again and again and again and again before he approached
into the presence of the Father, he is typifying the purity and
holiness and immaculate spotlessness of the Lord Jesus Christ who
did no sin. And then in the next place, verse
17, And there shall be no man in the tabernacle, nobody around
there. There better not be. No man in
the outer court, no man in the inner court, no man. There shall
no one be there. No one was present to assist
Aaron in this sacrifice, in this atonement, in this sin offering. No disciple was with Christ when
he walked the winepress of God's wrath, when he drank the bitter
cup. God's wrath against our sin.
He did it alone. Our Lord was in the garden alone,
in the soldier's hall alone, in Pilate's court alone, on the
cross alone. So when we see Aaron, the high
priest, selected by God, no man takes this honor upon himself,
but he who is chosen. and ordained and anointed. And
Aaron was the one God picked. God said, Moses, Aaron shall
come into the holy place. He's my elected one. And the Lord Jesus Christ is
the Father's chosen, ordained, elected Redeemer, our great high
priest. Aaron, the humble priest, had
to lay aside all the beautiful, priceless garments and take on
himself the simple plain linen clothes as Christ took our flesh. Aaron had to wash again and again
because Aaron had unclean flesh. When Aaron went into the holy
place he had to first of all make a sacrifice for himself.
That's the reason he took two kids, two bullocks. There were
three of them really, one for himself and one for the atonement
and one for the scapegoat. But he had to, first of all,
sanctify himself, purify himself. But Christ Jesus the Lord, our
Savior, our High Priest, had no sin. And then Aaron went in
there alone. That was a solemn day. God's
presence and glory hung about that place with awesome majesty. And the whole tabernacle was
empty. except for the presence of God. And here is this man Aaron, having
dressed himself just like God said, having washed himself over
and over again. No one around, no other person,
no other priest, no one. It was empty and silent and solitary
in that tabernacle as that man took the basin of blood and walked
into that holy place. into the presence of God all
alone, all alone. It was alone that my Savior prayed
in dark Gethsemane. Alone He drained the bitter cup
and suffered there for me. It was alone the Savior stood
in Pilate's judgment hall. Alone the crown of thorns He
wore, forsaken thus by all. Alone upon the cross he hung,
that others he might save. Forsaken there by God and man,
alone his life he gave. Alone, alone he bore it all,
alone. He gave himself to save his own,
and he suffered and he bled and he died alone. All right, in the second place
now, the sacrifice whereby the atonement was made. Turn to verse
15 of Leviticus 16. Then shall he kill the goat of
the sin offering that is for the people, and bring the blood
within the 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, and he shall make an atonement, an atonement for
the holy place." Now then, the priest stabbed the bullock. He took that lamb, perfect spotless
lamb without blemish, the firstling of the and he stabbed the knife
into the heart of that bullock, and as the blood gushes forth,
the bullock died. Jesus Christ, our sacrifice,
for Christ is not only the priest, but he's also the sacrifice. He died for our sins. The sword
of God's wrath, the sword of God's justice, the sword of God's
vengeance upon sin entered his heart. and his blood poured forth."
Now turn to Hebrews 9, verse 11. I want you to look at this
carefully. Hebrews 9, verse 11. Christ being come, and high-preached, Hebrews 9,
11, of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle,
not made with hands, that is to say, not of this neither by
the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood. He entered
in once, not once a year, but once into the holy place, having
obtained eternal redemption for us." Verse 24, "'For Christ is
not entered,' Christ is our high priest, but he's not entered
into the holy place made with hands, as Aaron did. which are the figures of the
true, but in the heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us." Hold it right there a minute. You see Aaron
the high priest, once a year, with the blood of an animal,
entering into the Holy of Holies and sprinkling the blood on the
mercy seat. Mercy seat means propitiation. Propitiation means mercy seat.
Under that mercy seat was the law, the Ten Commandments on
the tables of stone, right there in that ark covered by the mercy
seat. And when Aaron went in once a
year with that blood of that animal and put it seven times
on that mercy seat, then forgiveness, the forgiveness of God, the atonement
was made. But he had to do it every year
into that holy of holies, in that holy place with the blood
of an animal. Now Christ our Lord, that was the only access
to God. Without that, God's wrath was
upon the people. Without that, God's condemnation
was upon the people. Without that, people had no contact
with God, no fellowship with God, no access to God. But when
that was done, as God ordered and as He ordained every year,
There was peace with Israel and peace with God. Now Christ didn't
go in a tabernacle down here on this earth when he died and
shed his blood. He's our high priest. He is the
Lamb without spot or blemish. But he went, it says, not with
the blood of bulls and goats, verse 12 of Hebrews 9. He entered
into the holy place, and verse 24 says, Verse 24 says, "...not
made with hands, but into heaven itself." Christ took whose blood? His blood. Into heaven itself. I don't know why preachers today
are reluctant to talk about the blood, the blood offering, the
blood atonement, the blood sacrifice. There's no other access to God
except by the blood. There's no other way of forgiveness
except by the blood of Christ. It says here that he went into
the presence of God with his own blood to appear in the presence
of God for us, verse 25, nor yet that he should offer himself
often as the high priest entered into the holy place every year
with the blood of others. If that be true, must he often
have suffered since the foundation of the world? He's been our high
priest since before the world was created. And if he had to
make more than one sacrifice, more than one offering, more
than one atonement, he'd have had to die thousands and thousands
and thousands of times between the foundation of the world and
now. But now once, in the end of the world, and that's another
reason why I believe these are the latter days, This is the
sunset of creation. This is the end time. This is
the latter days. Once in the end of the world
has he appeared on this earth to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. That's how sin is put away, by
the sacrifice of himself. The law doesn't put it away.
Baptism doesn't put it away. Church membership doesn't put
it away. Religion doesn't put it away. Christ appeared one
time and put away sin with the sacrifice of Himself, as it is
appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment.
So Christ was offered to bear the sin of many, and unto them
that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto
salvation. So the sacrifice whereby the
atonement is made is the sacrifice of God's Son one time on the
cross of Calvary, and he took his precious blood and went not
into the temple, into the holy place made with hands, but into
heaven itself in the presence of the Father. And there with
his blood offered once in the end of this world, in the last
days, he sanctified forever them that are perfected." Now what
is the effects of this atonement? Turn back to Leviticus 16. This
is most important right here. The effects of this atonement.
Verse 15 says, He shall kill the goat of the sin offering
that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and
do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock,
sprinkle it on the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat, and
he shall make an atonement for the holy place. The holy place
make an atonement for the tabernacle, that's right, make an atonement
for the tabernacle. Everything had to be sprinkled
with blood, the book, the people, the priest, the tabernacle, everything
had to be sprinkled with blood because though it's a holy place
and though it's God's dwelling It's been made unholy by the
people. The holy things were made unholy
by the people. Where God dwells is holy, but
where man comes, it becomes unholy. The very presence of Aaron in
that holy of holies made it unholy. The very touch of Aaron about
that outer court made it unholy. The very touch of Avon upon the
mercy seat made it unholy, so it had to be made holy. He says
here in verse 16, he shall make an atonement for the holy place
because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel. Now brethren, the house of God,
this is a holy place. This is the house of God. But
the presence of you and me in here makes it unholy. makes it unholy, but the blood
of Christ hath made it holy." You see what I'm saying? That
tabernacle erected there according to specifications, according
to God's own appointment and direction. You say, well, that's
a holy place. It was holy. Laban came in there. It was holy until a man touched
it. It was holy until the people became associated with it. It's
unholy now. And so when Aaron put the blood
on the mercy seat, he had to put it there for the holy place.
He had to sanctify the holy place. And the house of God, this is
a holy place. But the presence of men make
it unholy. What are we going to do? Well,
there is no fear, for the blood of Christ makes it holy. Our
Lord Jesus Christ has sanctified the holy place. He has sanctified
the assembly of God's people. Now watch this. Take our prayer,
for example. Prayer is holy, for the Holy
Spirit dictates true prayer. But true prayer, even dictated
by the Holy Spirit, comes out of unholy lips. That makes it
unholy. And that makes it unholy. It's
been profaned by our own mouths and our lips, our tongues and
our mouths and our lips, and our very minds make prayer unholy. So that prayer has to be sanctified
and made holy by the blood of Christ. Take your singing. Your singing and your praying
and your assembly in God's presence, that's supposed to be holy. But
our very presence and our very nature and our very existence
makes it unholy. And it has to be sanctified by
Christ. My preaching is supposed to be
holy because I'm naming the name of God. I'm reading the book
of God. I'm dealing with the precious
things of God. But my preaching is unholy because
it comes from an unholy mouth. It comes out of an unholy body.
And so it has to be made holy by the blood of Jesus Christ.
That's what the high priest did. He came there into the holy of
holy. That's what makes this average
preaching we listen to an abomination. I understand why people can move
to other parts of the country and go and listen to a preacher
and just say, well, there's no use going to church. That's a
pack of foolishness. That's what it is. Talk about
serving God and talk about what we do for God. Some fellow said
on the radio I was listening to this morning, he said, well
I know we can't have angelic perfection, I know we can't have
divine perfection, but there is a perfection we have. The
only perfection Almighty God can be satisfied with is divine
perfection. You go to cataloging sins and
talk about Well, we're not real good, but we're pretty good.
Brother, you're either holy or you're unholy. You're either
God or you're a sinner. Christ said that. He said, Why
callest thou me good? There's none good but God. There's
no degrees of goodness. You're either good or you're
not good. You're either pure and holy or you're unholy. There's
no degrees. And God can only be satisfied
with perfection. So when the high priest went
into the holy of holies, And with the blood, the blood of
atonement, he sanctified the holy place. You say, sanctify
the holy place, that's right, sanctified the holy place, because
the holy place was an unholy place when man came in there.
And everything about us, no matter what we do, pray, sing, preach,
worship, give, whatever we do, it's supposed to be holy. but
it's made unholy by our very existence. And that's the reason
Christ, with his precious blood, sanctifies us. And then notice
this, verse 20. And I must deal with this quickly,
but there was another goat. It says in verse 20, And when
he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle
of the congregation, and the altar, Even the altar has to
be purified. He shall bring the live goat.
Remember I told you there were two. One was killed and its blood
put on the mercy seat. Then there was a live goat. And
Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat
and confess over that goat 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. 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." Now then, when Aaron
put the blood on the... and remember my point now is
the effects of the sacrifice. I dealt first of all with the
person who made it. and how Aaron is a type of Christ
in his humility, in his loneliness, in his spotlessness. Secondly,
I dealt with the sacrifice. The atonement was made by killing
the animal, killing the sacrifice, killing it, putting its blood
on the mercy seat. And God looked at that blood
and saw the death of Christ. Christ is our atonement. Christ
is our sacrifice. He died for our sins. Now I'm
showing you the effect of that sacrifice. That blood made holy
the holy place. It made holy the people. It made holy everything, even
the altar. And Christ, our high priest,
in his blood, makes us holy. We couldn't even call, we couldn't
even say, our father. That's got enough sin in it to
send you to hell right there. That's right, just saying, Our
Father who art in heaven. Because you can't say it with
the reverence with which it ought to be said. You can't say it
with the glory with which it ought to be said. You can't say
it with the majesty and honor with which it ought to be said.
You say it with unclean lips. And it comes out of a mind that
even when you're saying, Our Father which art in heaven, you're
thinking about something else. And so Christ's blood purifies
our presence, it purifies our existence, it purifies our prayers,
it purifies everything. Now the scapegoat shows the effects
of the atonement. That scapegoat is not Christ.
Now you study that a little bit. Christ didn't go off into a never-never
land, never to be heard from again. That goat never was heard
from again. It's not a good type of Christ.
You can take typology too far. The Old Testament has some beautiful
types, but don't make types of Christ that aren't types of Christ,
because you'll do a lot of damage. You have to be awful careful.
That scapegoat is a type and a picture of not the victim,
not the sacrifice, but simply what became of our sins. And
Abraham confessed those sins over the head of the scapegoat,
and a fit man would take him And the old belief is that he'd
take him 12 miles out of Jerusalem, out into the wilderness, and
watch him disappear. They said as the man left Jerusalem,
every mile there was a place for him to sit and rest and get
some water. He'd walk another mile. I'm talking
about desert now. I'm not talking about walking
down the street here in Ashton. I'm talking about walking through
deserted desert. So every mile there'd be a place
for this man to sit and rest. in shade and some water. The
last two miles, nothing. When he left the tenth mile and
went the last two miles, nothing. He was to go out there into nothingness,
into the wilderness, uninhabited. And watch that goat as that goat
walked away and as he left. Stand there and watch it clear
out of sight, clear out of sight. And then when that goat had wandered
out there clear away from everything, everybody, out of sight, nowhere,
that man was to turn around and go back to the camp. And the
people were there waiting on him when he came back. And he'd
say, they're gone. And the people would all clap
their hands and applaud and rejoice because the sins were no more. And that scapegoat is a picture
of what happens to sin when Christ puts it away. It's gone. It disappears. God says, their sins
will I remember no more. Your sins are separated from
you as far as the east is from the west, into never, never,
never land. They just don't exist anymore. Now that sacrifice, the third
effect of the sacrifice, turn to Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10, verse
19. Here's the third effect. Hebrews
10, 19. Now then, now then you can come into the
presence of God. You've been made a priest, you've
been washed with the blood of Christ, You've had the blood
of Christ to put away all your guilt, an effectual atonement's
been made, your sins are no more, you're spotless. Now God says
in verse 19 of Hebrews 10, having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus. I've got boldness to enter into
the holiest. Don't sit out there and send
somebody else into God's presence to represent you. Go yourself.
Don't sit out there and send the priest or a cardinal or a
bishop or a pope or somebody else into the presence of God.
You go there yourself. Having, therefore, brethren,
boldness, confidence, liberty to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he had consecrated
for us through the veil. What happened when Christ died
on that cross? You remember? Well, the sun refused
to shine, and the heavens grew black, and the rocks trembled,
and shook, and broke open, and some dead people arose, and the
centurion said, surely this man was the Son of God, But what
else happened when Christ died on that cross, when the Lamb
of God, the great atonement was made on Calvary once and for
all? What happened? Down there in the temple, that
old big veil that separated the holy of holies, into which Aaron
went once a year and put this blood on the mercy seat, where
the ark was, where the law was, where the mercy seat was, when
Christ said, That veil was torn in two from
the top clear to the bottom. Our Father take the message and
use it to enlighten the darkened understanding.

The Day of Atonement

What does the Bible say about the Day of Atonement?

How do we know Christ is our High Priest?

Why is the blood of Christ important for atonement?

What are the effects of atonement according to the Bible?

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About Henry Mahan

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The Day of Atonement

What does the Bible say about the Day of Atonement?

How do we know Christ is our High Priest?

Why is the blood of Christ important for atonement?

What are the effects of atonement according to the Bible?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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