Gospels Part 015
The Day of Atonement is impactful to all of us, as this day includes a commanded fast, where we do not eat or drink from sunset to sunset. This helps make it very memorable and significant to us now. This day includes multiple symbols to help us internalize the rich meaning of the day.
In Old Testament times, the Day of Atonement included an elaborate ritual described in Leviticus 16:15:
“Then he [the high priest] shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil [of the tabernacle or temple], do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.”
Here we see that the Israelite high priest was to present two male goats, the first of which was sacrificed for the nation’s sins as we see here. Then, after the sins of the nation were symbolically placed on the other goat, it was expelled into the desert, as we read in verse 21:
“Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.”
What does the Day of Atonement reveal about Jesus Christ’s roles? Is He also at the center of this Holy Day? Yes, He is. On this Holy Day we typically focus on the goat sent away into the wilderness, the goat that represents Satan the devil responsible for all the sins of mankind. But there are two goats, and the first one represents Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the role of the male goat slain for the sins of the people.
We read in Hebrews 13:11-12 about the Day of Atonement and Christ being symbolic of the male goat and other animals slain on that day as sin offerings.
“For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp” (verse 11).
This is a reference to the goat slain on the Day of Atonement described in Leviticus 16:27.
“Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate [of the city of Jerusalem]” (verse 12).
So, this passage directly links Jesus Christ with the goat that was slain on the Day of Atonement.
The Day of Atonement is about mankind becoming reconciled, or “atone” with God. Two things are necessary for that to happen. One is the death penalty has to be paid for our sins which have cut us off and separated us from God. And the other is that the source of sin and spiritual blindness and deception has to be removed.
Not only does the Day of Atonement depict Christ’s sacrifice for sin and spiritual reconciling of the people with God, but Jesus Christ is directly involved in the symbolism of the other male goat that was carried away into the desert.
The second goat, over which the sins of the Israelites were confessed, represented the instigator of those sins, Satan the devil. At Christ’s second coming, He will instruct a powerful angel to bind Satan and cast him into a place of restraint for 1,000 years, exiling him from mankind just as the live goat was exiled from the Israelite camp on the Day of Atonement. We read about this in Revelation 20:1-2:
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.”
So, Christ plays a dual role in the symbolism of the Day of Atonement. He is sacrificed as the first goat was for the sins of the people. And He will also be involved, as King of Kings, in banishing Satan at that time to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
If you’d like to learn more about this biblical Feast and its meaning, search ucg.org for “Day of Atonement.” There you can find dozens of articles and sermons explaining its meaning in depth. And to better understand the influence of Satan on our world and why he must be removed, download or request our free study aid, Is There Really a Devil?
© Scott Ashley, 2025. All rights reserved.
Course Content
Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
