We all have burning questions we would love to ask God. The Day of Atonement reminds us to look forward to the time when all men and all women will have a face to face personal relationship with God.
I was thinking this morning that this is my 56th Atonement, and I have heard Atonement messages for nearly all of those years. And I was trying to prepare for this message, in fact, your pastor, our pastor, asked me if I wouldn't mind speaking on the Sabbath of the 22nd. And I said, "Well, sure, no problem. I'll be in town." And I guess I missed the meaning. I didn't realize until later it was the Day of Atonement. But anyway, (chuckle), in thinking about this sermon, I thought, "How can I present in a single message what the Day of Atonement symbolizes?"
It's really difficult; it's almost like the Feast of Trumpets, one of my favorite holy days, and Trumpets, of course, symbolizes so many things, it's hard to isolate one particular area of the day to talk about. Today, I would like to personalize the Day of Atonement for all of us.
When I was seventeen, my younger brother suddenly died. After a three-day illness that appeared like flu, he finally succumbed. He was only twelve. He died at home and the autopsy that was taken by the coroner following his death indicated that he died of a burst appendix.
I still remember the day of his death quite clearly. Other than the shock of it all, what I remember most was the questioning of my mother. She kept asking, "Why?" Why would God allow something like this to happen to our family? A mother never gets over the death of a child, but my mother eventually came to grips with my brother's death. My mother and my father are members of God's church, and they know the truth about God's plan and His resurrections. It gave them great comfort. In fact, valuable lessons were learned by all members of our family through that trial, but I know the burning question — Why? — still remains. I remember my mother once said, years later, "I look forward to the day when I will be able to ask God, 'Why?' And I know He will have a good answer."
I'm sure that everyone in this room has his or her own questions that you would like to have answered. Perhaps it's the death of a loved one, an untimely death, maybe the death of a child as occurred in our family. Or maybe it's a personal trial you are going through, or have gone through, and you wonder, "Why?" "Why is this trial happening to me?"
Sometimes these questions are answered in time; sometimes they're not. Maybe you have a more generic question, like, who really killed JFK? I don't know if it's a burning question in your mind; it is on some people's minds. Who wouldn't want the opportunity to sit down with God and have a personal Q & A with Him? Wouldn't you love that opportunity? Just to sit down with God, Almighty, not in His glory, of course, and to sit at a table with Him, one on One, mano a mano, en tête-à-tête, as the French say and have a discussion with God and ask Him some of these burning questions.
I'd like to begin our discussion about this part of Atonement by turning to Exodus 33 this afternoon. Exodus 33. My mouth is starting to get dry already. What's that trick, Mr. Antion, you do? You don't want me to sing; believe you/me. In Exodus 33:7, and this is following the event of the golden calf and the Israelites rebelling against God in the wilderness while Moses was up communing with God. And Moses establishes something that's rather unusual here; it's the beginning of a pattern that I want to talk about today.
Exodus 33:7 — Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp,. . . Now the commentators that I read said this is significant because he was basically taking himself out of the congregation who had sinned. . . . far from the camp, and he called it the tabernacle of meeting. Now, why did he call it the tabernacle of meeting? . . . (And) it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp.
Verse 8 — And so it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle.
Verse 9 — And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
Verse 10 — All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his own tent door.
Verse 11 — And so the Lord spoke to Moses face to face,. . . Moses had that opportunity that I approached a little while ago talking to God, face to face. He took people's questions; he took their concerns; he took their disputes to God. They knew when he went in the tent and the cloud appeared at the door that he was communing with God, the God of the Old Testament. It says — And so the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.. . . That's the kind of relationship we're talking about, isn't it, that we would like to have with God...as a man speaks with his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle. So Joshua stood outside the tabernacle of meeting that was outside the camp.
I'd like to share with you what Jamieson, Fausset and Brown say about this tabernacle of meeting: "Regarding this tabernacle of meeting, this is not the tabernacle of which a pattern had been given him for it was not yet erected, but a simpler one, perhaps his own tent." And if you've ever traveled to the Middle East and seen the Bedouins camping you know that these aren't just Coleman tents. This is not a pup tent, a two-man tent. These are big tents.
When we were traveling through Egypt last spring, a number of the Bedouin tribes set up their camps beside the highway there. And you could see tents, some of whom are half the size, almost three-quarters the size of this room that are set up along side the road, and they've got their camels outside; they've got their goats that are kind of grazing around the outside of the perimeter of these tents. Some of them have Humvees, Cadillacs, Mercedes Benz outside these tents; some of them do very well; I don't know how, but some of them do, but they're nomadic Bedouin. Some of them stay six, eight, even nine months in a location before they pick up their big tent and move it. So this is not just a little tent. This is a big tent, apparently, one that was probably suitable for the leader of this great nation.
Continue on in JFB, he says: "Not the tabernacle of which a pattern had been given him, for it was not yet erected, but a simpler one, perhaps his own tent, in a part of which he heard causes, questions and judgments and communed with God about the people's interests. In this provisional, or interim tabernacle, no sacrifices were offered. Moses discharged his mediatory functions consulting God on behalf of those who applied for divine counsel and receiving revelation of the divine will." Face to face with God; wow, what an opportunity, as it says in Verse 11 - . . .as a man speaks to his friend. . . .
Let's go over to Numbers 12. We read another place where this expression — face to face — is used. Numbers 12:4. Let's begin reading in Verse 3. This is the occasion when Miriam and Aaron were criticizing Moses, and it says -
Numbers 12:3 — (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)
Numbers 12:4 — And Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, and Aaron, and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!". . . And this is that tabernacle we were referring to back in Exodus 33.
Verse 5 - Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward.
Verse 6 - Then He said, "Hear now My words: if there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision, and I speak to Him in a dream.
Verse 7 - "Not so with My servant Moses;. . ." He says, "Look, I have not revealed Myself, even though the Jews think of Moses as the greatest prophet," He says, "I have not revealed Myself in a vision to him." He says, ". . . he is faithful in all My house.
Verse 8 - "I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord.". . . And you may recall, God had even revealed Himself and showed him His back parts when he went up on the mountain. "So, why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?" What I want to focus on again is this expression — face to face. I want to focus on that today because I think Atonement has a great deal to do with this expression — face to face, something we all desire, that the patriarchs and men and women down through the ages have desired. It's a relationship that we want with God, and I think at the end of this sermon, you will see it's a relationship we will attain with God in the future, and I find that to be a very encouraging and joyous message of the Day of Atonement. So if you like to put titles on your sermons, you can call this — Atonement — Face to Face with God.
Let's go to Leviticus 16. In Leviticus 16, we find instructions for the High Priest because after the tabernacle of meeting, the Israelites constructed at God's command a tabernacle that became known as the tabernacle of meeting, or the tabernacle in the wilderness, or later, the temple as it was reconstructed of God. And there were some roles that were given all the Levites, and in this case, it was the role of the High Priest. We find in Leviticus 16 some specific instructions that were given regarding the Day of Atonement.
Leviticus 16:2 — And the Lord said to Moses:"Tell Aaron your brother not to come in at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; (for) but I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.
Verse 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.
Verse 4 - "And 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) a linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on." In other words, this is a very special occasion, a very special day, and the High Priest needs to dress appropriately for this particular job because he was to enter into the Holy Place once in a year, and that was on this Day of Atonement.
Verse 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.
Verse 6 - "Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.
Verse 7 - "And He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting." And as I say, eventually the tabernacle of meeting that Moses had became the tabernacle in the wilderness that eventually became the temple.
That's really rather interesting regarding some of this instruction, I'd like to share with you what it said in a book entitled, The Seasons of our Joy, by Rabbi Arthur Waskow regarding this particular service.
He says, "The High Priest could only go into the Holy of Holies once a year." We just read that. "But because on the Day of Atonement, the Priest could be in God's presence, another term for the Day of Atonement is — face to face. By the time of the second temple, this ritual had been somewhat elaborated, and one crucial element had been added to it." So by the time we got to the second temple, this ritual had been expanded.
"That element was that on three separate occasions in grand crescendo, the High Priest appeared before the people, and three times he recited a formula of confession in their hearing. The first confession was on the account of his own sins and those of his household. The second was on the account of the priests of the tribe of Levi, and the third on the account of the whole people of Israel. The result of this triple entry into God's Holy of Holies, this triple recitation of God's most holy name, and this triple prostration of the entire people..." ...so they all fell on their face each of the three times he came out of the temple... "...was an utterly awesome sense of God's presence in making atonement for the people cleansing them of all their sins, permitting them to begin the year afresh, renewing their lives." And that's why, of course, this day is so holy, if you will, or more important than any other holy day to the Jews.
So total was the sense of transformation that after it, the mood of the people shifted from solemn awe to a joyful celebration." ...after these three presentations by the High Priest.
"In fact the young and married men and women went to dance in the fields and to choose spouses for themselves." ...after this event. "Yom Kippur, or face to face, as it's sometimes called, on the fifteenth day of Av, were the only days in the year when this kind of mass public espousal would take place.
"Therefore, when the High Priest stood before God on this day, he was said to be — face to face — with God. Because of this, Yom Kippur became known by the phrase — face to face." Reading on in Rabbi Waskow's book, "Face to face is an idiom for Yom Kippur. Why? Because it was on Yom Kippur that the High Priest had to go behind the veil in the temple. At that moment, the nation held its breath because the nation's fate depended upon God's accepting of the sacrifices.
"At that point, the High Priest was face to face with the mercy seat of God..." ...inside the Holy of Holies. "The mercy seat can also be translated as — the seat of atonement. This is the place where Moses met and spoke with God — face to face in the tabernacle of meeting."
Okay, let's go back to Leviticus 16:8:
Leviticus 16:8 — Then Aaron shall cast lots upon (for) the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Verse 9 - And Aaron would (shall) bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering.
Verse 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. And just like I've experienced probably as much as, or more than most of you, in the Day of Atonement, we've heard this explained many, many times. As I said, I don't want to get into a detailed explanation of the two goats and their meaning, only to say that we understand that one represents Christ, and the other represents Satan. We heard in Revelation 20 that Satan will be bound and will no longer be a detriment or an interface, or, if you will, an impediment for us to have a face to face relationship with God in the future.
Let's go to Hebrews 9 because I want to look at the explanation in the New Testament of this particular ceremony. It's explained in Hebrews 9:6 -
Hebrews 9:6 — And now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. Every day they went in, morning and evening sacrifices.
Verse 7 - But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year,. . . This was this face to face experience we've been reading about. . . . not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance; . . . And we know that he made three offerings; he offered for himself, for his family and for the people in general on that Day of Atonement.
Verse 8 - The holy spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. For these people, it was an atonement, an absolution of their past sins so they could have a better relationship with God, but even the Israelites didn't want a face to face relationship with God. They were quite happy, remember, to have Moses stand between them and God? They were very happy to have the priest go into that Holy of Holies and threaten his life, as we read, they waited there with baited breath — is he going to come out alive? And when he did, there was great rejoicing, when he presented those sacrifices and he was accepted before the mercy seat and then reappeared before the congregation.
Verse 9 - It was symbolic. . . . . .those experiences in the Old Testament. . . . . .for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience - It didn't make the High Priest any better in the long run, as we know, in some cases. It didn't make the people any better in the long run.
Verse 10 - concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. And we know when that time came; it came when Christ arrived on the scene, and He paid the ultimate price with His life, and at the time of His death, you may recall, the very significant miracle that occurred in the temple; that veil that covered the Holy of Holies was torn in half, ripped open which now allowed men and women that God would call to have access to the Holy of Holies without an intercessory, without a priest, if you will.
Verse 11 - But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, . . . What are some of the good things to come? Under that Old Covenant, there were very few who had a face to face like relationship with God, very few. In the future, all men and women who God calls and who receives God's spirit will have a face to face relationship with Him. That's what this day pictures. Nothing will stand between us and God. Satan will be removed and put out of the picture. The world will be entirely at one with God. The marriage supper is completed and God's bride becomes His wife. Again, but let's look at the more personal, not just the more general side, but the more personal side of this story of atonement.
Verse 12 - Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
Verse 13 - For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
Verse 14 - how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And that's the purpose of atonement. We are atoned to God so that we may serve the living God. It's the window through which we gain service to God.
Verse 15 - And for this reason, He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. And that, of course is one of the better promises as well, eternal life which the Israelites and the priest family never gained is what we look forward to.
Now as I said, this process of atonement is explained, now in the New Testament; we see it was symbols what happened in the Old Testament for what happens under the New Covenant, but why? Why did all this happen?
Let's go to Psalms 65. I'd like to begin reading in Verse 2. All of this sacrificing; all of the entering and exiting of the Holy of Holies by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, the two goats, the symbolism that was there; what was it all for? David seemed to understand this, Psalm of David:
Psalm 65:2 — O You who hear prayer,. . . . . .which is God; God, the Father. . . . . . to You all flesh will come.
Verse 3 — Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them. Isaiah tells us that our sins separate us from God. So in order to gain a one to one, a face to face relationship with God, we have to have our past sins atoned for; we read about how that happens with the sacrifice of Christ, of course, preceding that has to be repentance, you know the process that takes place, but the psalmist here is singing the song about how he can gain access to God through the atonement that takes place, and then Verse 4:
Verse 4 — Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.
Verse 5 — By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, . . . Atonement precedes a relationship with God. This Day of Atonement, when we understand the symbolism, pictures our sins being taken away in a universal way for the whole world. We talk around Passover how it's done individually; a lot of the symbolism indicates that this opens the door now for all men and women to come to God and have a very close relationship with Him. So historically, this personal face to face relationship is very important down through the ages with God's servants.
I'd like to go back and take a closer look at a couple of patriarchal examples. In Genesis 32, you will no doubt remember this particular instance, when the patriarchs had close relationships with God. I would like particularly for us to read how these relationships developed and what kind of relationships they were because I think it gives us insight into the kind of relationship that we will have in the future with God, the Father.
Genesis 32:24 — is where I'd like to start reading. Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.
Verse 25 — Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And of course, this not only shows the determination of Jacob, but I think it makes to us a little more real how God can personify Himself in a human form and interact very personally with human beings, which He did here. And He said —
Verse 26 — And he said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!"
Verse 27 — So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Yahakobe; the name is Jacob."
Verse 28 — And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; . . .
prevailer with God or prince of God . . . . . . for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."
Verse 29 — Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you should ask about My name?". . . I don't know how they got into this wrestling match. It doesn't tell us that. But of course one of the first things that you have with somebody that you meet and want to become friends with is a general discussion, isn't it? "What's your name? This is my name. What's your name?" This is the beginning of a very personal relationship that's taking place here. This is how it happens. This is the kind of relationship that all of us like as friends with each other that we want with God, but right now, and we'll get into this in just a moment, our relationship with God at times feels close when we're praying with God, when we're praising Him, or we're going through a particular trial and we have to lean upon God for particular help, but largely I would doubt that anybody in this room feels like they have the relationship with God that Jacob had in the Old Testament. That's the kind of relationship we seek. That's the kind of relationship that is pictured, I believe, by the Day of Atonement. . . . And so He blessed him there.
Verse 30 — So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, . . . There's that expression again. " . . .I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
Jacob had a very personal relationship with God, but he wasn't the only one. When I read examples of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, all three of the patriarchs that so many of the chapters of Genesis are dedicated to, I must tell you that I'm a little envious of the relationship that I see that they had with God. It's quite obvious that God personified Himself, the God of the Old Testament, in human form and was able to interact directly with them.
We have speculated that this may have actually been in some cases Melchizedek with whom Abraham interacted and talked, discussed, counseled, had questions for, wanted clarifications about certain issues, came to Him for advice. Drop back to Genesis 25, there's a very interesting expression here in one of these experiences, in this case, that Rebekah had. It says —
Genesis 25:20 — Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, . . . So if any of you old bachelors are still out there, there's hope at forty, see? . . .he took his wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.
Verse 21 — Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, . . . . . .and you read a few verses later that it took twenty years (chuckle) for God to answer that plea because Isaac was sixty when his first child was born. . . .God granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
Verse 22 — But the children struggled together (within) inside of her; . . . She was pregnant with twins, and there was all this commotion in her womb as we all know about. . . . . . and she said, "If all is well, why am I like this?" . . . Like many of us, she had, . . . it's a pretty mundane question. Have I got indigestion or is there trouble in here?You know, what's going on inside my body? Now some of you ladies who have been pregnant, I know, sometimes you like to sit down with your mother, or maybe a friend, and you say, "Something's going on in here. Do you have any clues? What's happening?" You're sitting down face to face with somebody, and you have this little discussion; you want to find out what's happening in a rather mundane situation. The next phrase is what I want to focus on. . . . So she went to inquire of the Lord. It makes it sound here like she went over to the neighbor's house to check things out, sit down over a cup of coffee and say, "Hey, what's going on here?"
These patriarchs and their wives appear to have a personal, face to face relationship with the God of the Old Testament, and they can talk with God; they can interact with Him; they can ask Him mundane questions. And so God then explains to her in a prophecy, if you will, about the two sons, what's going to happen to them over the next couple of verses. And so she left and —
Verse 24 — So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. So she had these two boys. Again, I don't know if you focused on that, but it looks like Rebekah, like I said, the patriarchs and the patriarchs' wives, they had a face to face, close relationship with God.
I was thinking about this over the last couple of days, and this morning, I was thinking, wouldn't it be good if you could just sit down with God over a cold beer? Or maybe a glass of wine, or a cup of tea, or coffee, or whatever you like, you know, the kind of cold beer where you take the glass out of the freezer and put it on the table, and when you pour the beer in, you get this little ice crystals, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking about that today, (chuckling because everyone is fasting on that day), and you sit down with a friend across the table, and you just have a talk. How many of us wouldn't give all that we have to able to do that with God? Ask Him questions about personal issues that we might have, some little and mundane like Rebekah's, some big ones — I know I'd like to ask God why some people get cancer and others don't because I've had cancer. I hear about prayer requests all the time, and I wonder — young, old, it doesn't seem to matter, does it? It's very indiscriminate. I'd like to ask God why do some people get cancer and others don't? Is it a chemical thing? What is it? You may want to ask God why you didn't get that job you interviewed two or three times for? What's God got in mind for you? Again, we all have these personal questions, don't we?
I remember at camp up in the Tetons one year during a Q and A sessions, one of the campers asked — Why did God create dinosaurs? I don't know if that's a burning question in your mind, but I'd like God's answer on that; I'd like to hear it; wouldn't you? Sit down across from the table with God with a glass of wine and let God explain why He made dinosaurs, how it happened; what was the purpose. I mean, we could speculate; we could talk about a number of things; we could use scientific evidence to try to support our speculation, but there are these questions that are outstanding.
I remember one young lady; she was about twelve or thirteen, a young camper; she asked a question one night of the ministers, and sometimes we get these kind of questions — why did God create mosquitoes? Now you probably have an answer for that, especially if you're a scientist, but it's still to me a burning question. I'd like to ask God. Sometimes something pretty mundane; there are big questions, and there are little questions, but those are the kind of things you discuss with a friend, isn't it? Big questions, big issues, little issues, little questions. Wouldn't we all like to have that kind of relationship with God — face to face — friend to friend. Let's go to Hebrews again, this time, Hebrews 4. Hebrews is great for explaining the symbolism of a lot of the temple sacraments and worship that occurred in the Old Covenant in the Old Testament to ancient Israel.
Hebrews 4:14 - 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. Let us hold fast our faith. Our relationship with God is now based on faith, isn't it?
Verse 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.
Verse 16 — Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,. . . God has given us the opportunity by opening up that Holy of Holies now for us to have a personal relationship with God. You and I can talk to God in prayer. We can ask Him the most mundane question; we can ask Him questions about big, serious, important issues in this world. We can pray directly to God. That's one of the great things about understanding the symbolism of the Old Testament, and now understanding what it means under the New Covenant. We can have access to God; we have that kind of relationship to God. Our sins have been atoned for, and this day tells us that the temple veil has been torn, and we have access to the throne of God. We can talk to God.
But, again, like you, I haven't always gotten an immediate answer; I haven't always gotten immediate feedback, and there's some questions lingering unanswered.
Verse 16 - Let us therefore come boldly to the throng of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace (to) and help in time of need. Whenever we have a need, we have access to God. The veil of the temple and the Holy of Holies has been torn open for us. We can talk directly to God, and He listens. Satan has been put out of the way in the future. God will answer our prayers, and often gives us some answers to our questions, but today we're still human, and God is divine.
This Day of Atonement pictures a time when we will have a personal face to face relationship with God. In fact, all mankind will have that kind of relationship with Him in the future. Let's go to I Corinthians 13. And let's read, beginning in Verse 9.
I Corinthians 13:9 — I think the apostle Paul says what I'm talking about very well. There's a very personal side to the Day of Atonement. It pictures a time when we will be face to face with God and have that kind of face to face relationship with Him. I think all of us deep down inside long for it because all the barriers between us and God will be removed, trying to make all the symbolisms fade away with a simple formula. All those barriers will be removed that keep us from God including our physical being. We heard about that on Trumpets. Notice what Paul writes here. I Corinthians 13:9 - For we know in part and we prophesy . . .or preach from the inspired word of God in part, . . .We have to have a certain element of faith now in this life, of course . . .
Verse 10 — But when that which is perfect has come, . . . When the Day of Atonement is finally fulfilled, then . . .that which is in part will be done away.
Verse 11 — When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Verse 12 — For now we see in a mirror, dimly,. . . Our relationship with God, we know, is there, but it's not exactly right yet, is it? It's not perfect yet, is it? Because we're still human, and God is divine. And God has not seen fit to reveal Himself in a human form like He did to the patriarchs to us. But He still desires, as we desire, that face to face personal relationship with Him. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
Brethren, the Day of Atonement reminds us to look forward to the time when all men and all women will have a face to face personal relationship with God.
