Atonement

As most of us, I'm sure, are aware, God has developed His plan of salvation on how He is going to harvest many people, all that will, into His family as His children, sons and daughters in His great family. And He has built His plan and how He plans to accomplish it, included in the Holy Days. And we have a book, God's Holy Day Plan, The Promise of Hope for All of Mankind. Even on the front cover, it shows a field of wheat and depicting the wheat being a type of the harvest of human beings into God's great family. There are actually two overall periods in which God is harvesting into His family. One we have called the spring harvest, which is smaller. And then the other one being the fall harvest, which is the really big one. Let's notice that there is biblical basis for the two harvest seasons. Notice over in Exodus 23. Exodus 23, and beginning in verse 14.

And so this would be the spring harvest, the smaller early harvest, the feast of harvest that is represented by the Feast of Pentecost, the first fruits of your labors. And then the Feast of End Gathering, which is at the end of the year when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field. The Feast of End Gathering would be the huge harvest that comes at the end of the year. And this pictures the harvest of human beings into God's family after Jesus Christ returns. Why, during the 1,000 years, the millennium, pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles. And during the last great day, just billions and billions of people will come back to life and will have their opportunity to be gathered into God's family, to be in that huge fall harvest. So yes, the Bible does support the idea of harvesting many people into God's family, and that there is a smaller first fruit, a spring harvest, and then a huge second fruit in the fall of the year.

We are right now in the fall Holy Days, as we know. We just saw, in fact, we just saw a Beyond Today program before this sermon on God's road map, showing how step by step God is bringing human beings into His family. The fall Holy Days show how all human beings are going to have that opportunity.

Jesus Christ returns as picture by the Feast of Trumpets, which we observed last Monday. Next Holy Day, the Day of Atonement, this coming Wednesday. And then after that, the Feast of Tabernacles, and then the last great day. You know, it's interesting that the Day of Atonement is nine days after the Feast of Trumpets. Is there significance in that? There may be some have speculated, some have pondered, that there is a time period between the Second Coming of Christ and the time when the world comes to be at one with God. If there's a day for a year, it would be nine years, but we don't know for sure that it will be that length of time. But certainly every indication is that it will take a little while after Christ returns before all nations and people will be brought into harmony with God and His way of life, and will be at one with God. It's going to take a little bit of time. Indications are that some nations will not want to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, so they get no rain. Also, we read that after Israel has returned out of captivity, and that they are just prospering, but they have no military, they have no army. But then Gog and Magog, to the north and to the east, are going to say, well, we're going to go down and take a spoil away from Israel, the twelve tribes of Israel. We read that in Ezekiel 38 and 39. This would appear to be a number of years after Jesus Christ has returned. So there certainly is a time period there before all nations come into atonement with God. Then we move on forward. After the Day of Atonement, we notice that there are four days between the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. Is there significance? There could be that after the nations do begin to get in step with God's way, and at one with God, that then it will be just a short time before they begin to really realize the abundant prosperity and blessings pictured by the Millennium.

So there may be significance that there are time periods between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, and the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. There may be some significance to that. Anyway, certainly the fall of Holy Days picture that huge fall harvest, the Feast of End-Gathering, that we read about here in Exodus 23 and verse 16.

When billions and billions of human beings will be brought into God's family, that huge fall harvest season, pictured by the fall Holy Days, beginning with the return of Jesus Christ, and then after the Day of Atonement, when the world is brought to be at one with God, many, many people will then come into God's family. And all during the Millennium, millions and millions harvested into God's Kingdom, and then maybe even billions during that thousand years. And then the last great day, certainly there will be the billions of deceived people of this age who will come back to life, and they will be brought into God's family. That's part of the huge Feast of End-Gathering also at the end of the year. Today, brethren, I would like for us to especially focus on the Day of Atonement. I don't think I will, if there's some overlap with what might be given on Wednesday, that's no problem. But, you know, every sermon is different, and I think right now that we do not, as we prepare for the Feast of Tabernacles and our trip, we do not want to overlook our preparation for keeping the fifth Holy Day of the year the Day of Atonement. So I'd like for us to focus on that and also encourage us to be getting ready for the next festival, the Day of Atonement. First of all, let's notice some verses in Leviticus 23 that God does want us to have this day of fasting. He does want us to not work on this day. It is a day that we should not report for work. It's a day that we should not eat or drink. And we have felt, though, that there's a medical problem, and some do have medical or blood sugar problems, that we have each individual has to decide for himself just how to handle that. And we're glad to give further recommendation if anyone has a question concerning a health issue.

In Leviticus 23, we find all seven of the annual Holy Days. This is the only chapter in the Bible where we have all seven. No other chapter gives all seven. And this chapter also gives the weekly Sabbath in verse 3. But then it gives the instructions about Passover, about the Feast of Unleavened Bread, about Pentecost and the Feast of Trumpets. And then we come to the Day of Atonement, verse 27. Also on the tenth day of this seventh month, well, that will be this coming Wednesday, beginning Tuesday night at sunset, on the tenth day of this seventh month, shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you. You shall afflict your souls. And back at that time, they offered an offering made by fire to the Lord. You shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement to make Atonement for you before the Lord your God. Any one that will not be afflicted, and we'll see later that that means to fast on this day, then he would be cut off. Any person that works, verse 30, would be also destroyed.

You shall do no manner of work as a statute forever throughout your generations and all your dwellings. It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls. On the ninth day of the month at even, this is one of the proofs in the Bible that days do begin at evening. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall observe your Sabbath.

So yes, God does command a day of solemn fasting. It is a holy convocation. We should have a meeting on this day. But should we be keeping the holy days today? Yes, we should. Jesus Christ kept the holy days. Many, many verses show him keeping holy days. The early New Testament church also observed the holy days. We find quite a number of references to that.

And even in secular history, I have books and encyclopedias, some encyclopedia articles. It brings out that the early church continued to keep the Sabbath and the holy days. They did not keep Christmas and Easter and the holidays that people today keep. But instead, they kept the Sabbath and they kept the annual holy days as well. Well, let's notice one reference to the day of atonement in Acts 27 and verse 9. Acts chapter 27 and verse 9.

Paul was on his journey to Rome where he would be in house arrest for about two years. And in Acts 27 and verse 9, here's what we read. And much time had been spent and sailing was now dangerous because the fast was already over. Paul advised them, saying, men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss. Not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives. So in verse 9, the fast, here, my New King James translation has fast, capitalized. And then there's a marginal reference that says the day of atonement, late September or early October.

So in the Greek, the definite article is there. So this is commonly recognized as referring to what we read in Leviticus 23 concerning the day of atonement. So yes, we should be observing the day of atonement. We should be observing the other holy days. Brethren, the day of atonement is rich in meaning for the future, just not all that far ahead. It is rich in meaning for the world, I mean for the nations of the world.

But it's also rich in meaning for us in the Church of God who keep the holy days today. I would like for us to consider four words that encompass the meaning of this day. And the first word is reconciliation. The day of atonement is a day of reconciliation. Well, who needs reconciliation? You need it, and I need it. We all know that we fall short. We sin in word, in attitude and thought, and indeed we fall short. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

So we all need reconciliation. We all need forgiveness. Why do we need reconciliation? Because it says in Isaiah 59.1 that sin separates us from God. Your sins have separated you from God. So when we sin, we are separated from God. There comes to be a wall between us and Him. And so we need forgiveness. We need reconciliation. We need atonement. When we sin, we're no longer walking with God at one with Him. We're walking in different directions.

There's a separation between us and God. And so we need that forgiveness. We need reconciliation. I'm not going to turn to it today because I have an idea that it will be turned to on Wednesday. But in Leviticus 16, I hope that's a chapter that you are well aware of. If you are not well acquainted with Leviticus 16, please read and study it between now and the Day of Atonement.

In our chapter on the Day of Atonement, there is a section devoted to the symbolism in Leviticus 16. Animals are sacrificed. This is something that happened on the Day of Atonement. It only happened once a year that the high priest would take blood and go into the Holy Place. The very mercy seat of God just once a year, he went to that mercy seat and it was on the Day of Atonement.

And in this chapter, there are two goats, and the high priest would cast lots to see which goat would be used for being the goat to be sacrificed. And which one would then be the other goat, which actually was not put to death. So these two goats, the first goat was then sacrificed as a sin offering for the sins of the people. And Aaron or whoever the high priest was would take the blood from this goat into the mercy seat as a way of obtaining Atonement for the people.

That is reconciliation, what we're talking about here. So that first goat represented reconciliation through the blood of Jesus Christ. The first goat represented this goat was slain, and the blood of this goat represented the way by which we're able to be reconciled. We can get that wall of separation out of the way. We don't need a wall of separation between us and God.

And so through the sacrifice of Christ, then we can have that Atonement. Let's read just a bit in the New Testament about reconciliation. Let's go to Romans chapter 5 and how we are reconciled. Our sins are completely forgiven, and we then have an Atonement with God.

We have reconciliation. The word reconciliation and Atonement are actually the same thing. In the Greek, the word is katolaje, and it means to compound a difference. It means to remove a difference. When we sin, there is a difference. There is a separation between us and God. The word Atonement or reconciliation means to restore to favor.

In this case, restore to divine favor with God. Let's notice in Romans chapter 5 and verse 8, God demonstrates His own love toward us, that while we were still sinners, still going our own way, still breaking God's laws, Christ died for us. Much more than having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. It does take a living Savior to actually save us, but we are indeed justified of our guilt of our sins by His sacrifice. In verse 11, not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Any of you have the King James translation? I think it has Atonement. But you know the word in the Greek means the same. Well, the reconciliation or Atonement, it means that there was a separation between us and God, created by our sins. There was a difference then. And then now that difference has been compounded. We have been forgiven. That separation has been, because of the separation, has been removed. We are now reconciled. You know, it's just like a husband and wife, when they are having differences, and they sit down and talk with each other. We say, well, they, and now they're walking together again. We say that they have reconciled their differences. There's been reconciliation. They're walking together again. So, the same thing is true with us toward God. We have a reconciliation. Nothing now separates us from Him. We're walking with Him. We're at one with God. So the Day of Atonement is a day of reconciliation. Let's go to Hebrews, Chapter 9. It explains a little bit more about it. Hebrews, Chapter 9. Let's pick it up in verse 6. Hebrews, Chapter 9 and verse 6. Now, when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle. There was this outer portion, this outer court, that they went every day, performing the sacrifices, the services. But, verse 7, into the second part, which is the mercy seat, called the Holy of Holies, well, in the second part, the high priest went alone once a year, and it was on the Day of Atonement, as you'll read in Leviticus 16. Not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins, committed in ignorance. And so, it was then once a year, on the Day of Atonement, that the high priest would go in with blood to offer for Atonement for the sins of the people. He first of all had to offer for his own sins, and then he would offer for the sins of the people. Verse 8, the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices were offered. Well, let's go on down to verse 11.

But Christ, these Old Testament sacrifices never really reconciled anyone to God. But verse 11, When Christ came as high priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is not of this creation, 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. For if the blood of bulls and goats and ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, rectifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

I mean, there's real forgiveness. There's real reconciliation, then, through the blood of Christ. In verse 15, 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 eternal inheritance. And so the blood of that goat that was slain on the Day of Atonement, representing the sins of the people, pictured the reconciliation that is possible through the sacrifice of Christ.

Now, you say, how does this differ from the Passover? The Passover certainly shows the sacrifice of Christ, the Passover Lamb. It shows how we may be forgiven by the blood of Christ, and how we can be reconciled and be at one with God. But the Day of Atonement is a separate festival coming after the Feast of Trumpets, picturing the Second Coming of Christ.

And the Day of Atonement shows when the sacrifice of Christ is going to become universal to everyone. Today, it is not universal for everyone, but it will be available. Reconciliation and Atonement will be available to every nation and to every individual. So the Day of Atonement is different in that it has that universal application of the way to reconciliation. And having that wall of separation removed shows how that will be applied to all of mankind. This day is a day of reconciliation. It's a day of forgiveness, of our sins, a day of Atonement.

Let's read one more passage on this in 1 John 1, beginning in verse 7. 1 John 1, verse 7. If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

We do all sin. We all do fall short. And He's applying this to Christians who have God's Spirit, but they're still human, and they still do sin in word or attitude or thought or deed. But He goes on to say in verse 9 that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

In chapter 2 in verse 1, My little children, these things I write to you that you may not sin. We should strive to put sin out, pictured by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

But He goes on to say if anyone sins, and He has just brought out that we all do, if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous. In verse 2, He Himself is the propitiation for our sins. I believe some translations will have reconciliation or atonement. He is the reconciliation. He's the atonement for our sins, and not ours only, but also for the whole world. But you see, the application of His sacrifice is not yet universal, but it will be when we come to what? The Day of Atonement pictures. It is a day of forgiveness, a day of reconciliation for all of mankind that is going to be then offered to everyone after Jesus Christ returns.

But you know, coming again, a time period after the Feast of Trumpets shows that it will take a while to bring all nations into line. It's not easy to change. We've got to change the way habits and customs and, you know, people have to be convinced about the Sabbath instead of Sunday. They'll have to be taught and convicted about the Holy Days. And if they don't want to keep the Feast of Tabernacles pressured, no rain.

They'll even get a bit hungry. They'll be pressured to get in line with God's way, to come to reconciliation with God. And if nations do not want to disarm, then they'll have to be corrected. And so it's going to take a little while before atonement and reconciliation is realized by everyone. And it will take no doubt a number of years. It won't just happen instantaneously. The Day of Atonement is certainly a day of reconciliation, then, for all the world.

Now let's apply that to us today. We have our opportunity to be reconciled now. The first fruits, you might say, their Day of Atonement is now because they understand and they are to get that wall of separation out of the way and to be at one with God. This is our Day of Reconciliation and Atonement. But this Feast pictures especially the time when there will be atonement on a universal basis all around the world.

So the Day of Atonement is a Day of Atonement, a Day of Reconciliation, universally applied to all of mankind around the world. Number two, there are four words. Again, the first one is reconciliation. The second one is also an R word, retribution. Retribution. The Day of Atonement is a Day of Retribution. What do we mean by that?

Well, as our booklet very well points out, there is an arch-enemy of mankind, Satan the Devil, and he has been very masterfully deceiving mankind ever since, well, first of all, with Adam and Eve. And we have in Leviticus 16 that live goat that we mentioned earlier, the one that was not slain. On this goat, the high priest would lay his hands on the head of the goat and confess on him the sins of Israel.

And then a person, a capable person, would lead the live goat off into the wilderness, a desolate wilderness area, and just turn him loose. We notice, again, this happened on the Day of Atonement. It is perfect symbolism for who bears a lot of responsibility for the sins of humanity, Satan the Devil. And guess what is going to happen after Jesus Christ returns? Satan is going to be bound. He's going to be removed so he can no longer deceive the nations. Let's read about that in Revelation chapter 20, verses 1-3.

He should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years were finished. But after these things, he must be released for a little while. So the live goat that was led into the wilderness and turned loose was a type of Satan being bound during the 1000 years and he will no longer be able to deceive the nations. Let me read from our booklet, God's Holy Day Plan, from the chapter on the Day of Atonement, from the section explaining Leviticus 16. It explains about this live goat. The priest chose by lot the scapegoat, which is not a good translation, or the azzazel, a-z-a-z-e-l, as it appears in the original Hebrew. Many scholars identify azzazel as the name of a demon inhabiting the wilderness.

You can check the Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Volume 1, page 326. The azzazel goat represents Satan, who bears the responsibility for the sins of humanity because of the deception he has foisted upon mankind. The high priest laid hands on this goat and confessed over it the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people. Why did he do that?

As President Ruler of the world, the devil bears responsibility for his perversity in beguiling and coercing humanity to sin. I don't think we realize just how much even events we read about it in the news. Things that just don't seem humane that any sane person could do something like that. Well, Satan is at work. Continuing here from the one-volume Bible commentary, there's a quote, The sending of the sin-laden goat signified the complete removal of the sins of the people and handing them over, as it were, to the evil spirit to whom they belonged. That's exactly what that live goat picture is putting those sins that Satan has been a part of upon his own head. Retribution, you might say, for the evil he has foisted on mankind.

The symbolism of the live goat parallels the faith of Satan and his demons, who will be removed at the outset of Jesus' reign over the nations. The book of Revelation describes his removal, which we just read. Thus the devil and his demons, who for thousands of years have led mankind into every evil deed imaginable, will be moved to a place of restraint. The complete global reconciliation to God cannot occur until the source of so much sin and suffering is out of the picture.

So Satan will be taken out of the way. That's one of the significant meanings of the Day of Atonement. Retribution will be then finally brought to Satan and his demons. You know, they actually were the first ones to violate and disobey God. Let's read about that in Isaiah chapter 14 and also Ezekiel 28. First of all, Isaiah 14.

Satan and his demons were at one time obedient, beautiful angels of God. Until sin was found in them. Isaiah 14 and verse 12. How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How are you cut down to the ground? You who weakened the nations, you deceived the nations. For you have set in your heart. Here's what Lucifer began to think.

That's what when he became Satan here, that's who he was speaking about. He began to think of himself. You have set in your heart. I will ascend to heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. And that stars may mean the angels of God. I also will sit on the Mount of the Congregation on the farthest sides of the north.

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High. Look at the big eye here. This angel began to get the big head about himself. He began to think he could push God aside and become God. I will be like the Most High. And yet you'll be brought down, it goes on to say. So this angel sinned and became Satan the devil.

Apparently he drew one-third of the angels with him, who became then fallen angels, or the angels that sinned, demons. Let's turn over to Ezekiel 28, and we'll read more about what happened. Ezekiel 28, verse 11, verse 12, Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God.

Now this, as we see, now gets into the king of Tyre being an angelic being. Actually, the one that backs up the temporal power is a great spirit being. You were the seal of perfection. Now we're going to see this as talking about an angel, not a human being. You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God.

Every precious stone was your covering. It goes under the name of quite a few of them. The workmanship of your temples and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. So this is a created spirit being, an angel. Verse 14, You were the anointed carob. A carob is an angel who covers.

I established you. God created this angel and put it in his position of responsibility. You were on the holy mountain of God. You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created until iniquity was found in you. We just read that big I, the big self, in Isaiah 14. Verse 16, By the abundance of your trading, you have become filled with violence within, and you sin. Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God. And I destroyed you.

But destroyed can also mean removed from position of responsibility. I destroyed you from that position. God cast down this evil spirit being. Even Jesus said he saw Satan fall as lightning. You know, this angel grossly underestimated God. He thought he could just push God aside, take over God's position. Well, God just thrust him down. Jesus said he saw Satan fall as lightning. He grossly underestimated the boss. So God thrust Satan and the demons down. But notice the real problem in verse 17. It was pride and vanity.

Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. We don't want to ever begin to fall into the pride and vanity of Satan the devil. We want to instead keep a lowly, humble state of mind. But Satan was once a very powerful archangel, perfect, he rebelled against God. The interesting thing is that God did not put him away. He thrust him back down here to the earth, where apparently he had responsibility over a former creation to human life, more the age of the dinosaurs before human life was later created. And so God thrust him back down to the earth, and when Adam and Eve were created, the devil was around. And you know when Jesus was on the earth, the devil was still here. He's still here today. And much of what we see in the world today, Satan is deceiving the nations. He's the God of this world. 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 4. And let's notice some verses in 2 Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians 11, beginning in verse 3.

2 Corinthians 11 and verse 3. I fear lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness. So your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus that we've not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it. I tell you, Satan can make his way look so appealing, so right. Notice in verse 13, he goes on to talk about false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. Jesus warned about religious deception, false religion. In verse 14, no wonder, he says, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Satan can make his way look so right. People that believe it's okay for things like gay marriage, like abortion, the killing of unborn fetuses in the womb, it can be made to look so right. But it's wrong. It's violation of God's laws. But that's how Satan is able to deceive. He's able to get people thinking that it's right. Who's got the world looking at many, many things that are evil, and transgressions of God's laws, and thinking that they're okay? He's working, and we better, of course, as members of God's church, we must be alert to his working. Let us in Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2, verse 1, You, he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience. Let us at the prince of the power of the air. We believe that Satan is able to transmit, just like radio signals are transmitted, Satan is able to transmit his attitudes, his moods, his accusations, his negative thoughts, his lust, and greed, his pride. He's able to transmit, are we going to be a receiver? You know, a radio signal is a... it's not going to get anywhere unless there's a receiver at the other end. Are we going to be a receiver of Satan's broadcasting? Well, let's read a couple of verses on that. In James 4, we've got to resist Satan's signals that he sends out.

In James 4 and in verse 7, Therefore submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you and draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. So there's the key, is to draw near to God and resist Satan's broadcasting of evil. He's got the world, though, tuned in. They're tuned into his signals that he's sending out. Also, 1 Peter 5 are some good verses that we must be alert, then. This is our day of atonement. Satan is not bound, but we can certainly then draw close to God and resist his signals that he is sending out.

1 Peter 5 and in verse 8, Be sober, be vigilant, be alert, then, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him steadfast in the faith. So, brethren, we have got to do that and keep resisting Satan's moods and attitudes and his negative thoughts. He is a master manipulator of human nature. The devil made me do it? No. But he is a master manipulator.

He has a lot of experience at it, of getting people to give in to their lust of the flesh or their lust of the eyes or their pride of life. Satan is a master, and so we need to stay close to God, don't we? He certainly is the unseen hand behind the evils we see in the world today. But this day of atonement is a day of retribution. Finally, God will put him away.

He will put him away when he was thrust back down. There are restraints, apparently, but still he is able to be free to deceive this world and has done so. But the day of atonement will be a day of retribution on Satan. He will be bound for a thousand years. Then he will be able to lose to a short time. Then he will have a final retribution and judgment after that. So it certainly is a day of imprisonment, though. As far as during the one thousand years, he will be able to deceive the nations no more during that time.

So the day of atonement is a day of reconciliation. Through that first goat, the blood of Jesus Christ, it is a day of retribution. The live goat was led off into the wilderness. The third thing, the day of atonement is a day of liberty. A day of liberty. Let's turn over to Leviticus chapter 25. Something happened on the day of atonement that only happened every fifty years. Every fiftieth day of atonement. Let's read about it. Leviticus chapter 25. And beginning in verse 8. As we know, the Israelites were to plant their crops for six years, right?

And then they would have a year of land rest, a sabbatical year, the seventh year. Okay, we read about that in verse 8. You shall count seven sabbaths of years to yourself, seven times seven years. And the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. So that forty-ninth year would be a year of land rest, the seventh one in this forty-nine year period.

But notice in verse 9. Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound when? On the tenth day of the seventh month, on the day of atonement, you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. Oh, this is something special that happened on the day of atonement once every fifty years. The blowing of this trumpet of the Jubilee, the trumpet of the Jubilee was a silver trumpet.

You can read about it in the book of Numbers. And they would use this trumpet to proclaim this year as a special kind of year. Notice in verse 10. You shall consecrate the fiftieth year. So that fiftieth year was set aside, specially consecrated, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land. And to all its inhabitants, it shall be a Jubilee for you. The Jubilee actually has to do with the blasting sound of the trumpets. But it also gives name to this year itself, the year that is consecrated, the fiftieth year.

What happens that this is a year that liberty is proclaimed? Well, each of you shall return to his possession. Each of you shall return to his family. That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you. In it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. It is the Jubilee. It shall be holy to you. It's a year that then has holy purposes, is consecrated. You shall eat its produce from the field. In this year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession.

If you sell anything to your neighbor, then you shall not... or buy it from your neighbor, saying, you shall not oppress. There's to be no corruption or taking advantage of one another in business dealings. According to the number of the years after the Jubilee, you can buy from your neighbor.

They could lease out their land according to the number of crops that could be grown. And they pay more money for many years. They pay less money for less years in verse 16. In verse 17, therefore you shall not oppress one another.

You shall fear your God, for I am the Lord. And it goes on to bring out... Well, we can read on down in verse 23, The land shall not be sold permanently. The land is mine. And in all the land of your possession, you shall grant redemption. If one of your brethren becomes poor in his soul dispossession, if his kin's redeemer comes along, he can redeem it and buy it back and count the number of years. But verse 28, if he's not able to have it restored to himself, then what the soul shall remain in the hand of him that bought it until the year of Jubilee.

You know, also there's... you can read on down in verse 39 that if a person became so poor, he could sell himself to become a servant to someone. But this year of Jubilee, he would be set free.

It was a year of being released from then all debts. All the land would go back to the original owners. A year of release. A year of liberty. Every 50th year. It was a year of release from all debts. Those sold into slavery were set free. Land lost through poverty was restored to the family that owned it. And the poor had a new start in life.

You can read and study about this more. It tended to reward everyone having something. Everyone, well, a more even distribution of wealth without anyone being able to monopolize and become much richer and at the expense of many others as we really have in our economy today.

Why was this done on the Day of Atonement? Why is the Day of Atonement a day of liberty? This one day every 50 years that liberty was proclaimed. Because it connects this Holy Day with release from bondage. When reconciliation with God and coming free from Satan's influence does release us from the bondage of sin and the bondage to Satan's way, it's typical of man's coming Atonement with God and release from spiritual bondage. It's a type of mankind as a whole coming to be at one with God and being released from spiritual slavery and bondage to Satan the devil and to his ways.

It pictures release from spiritual debts and sins, release from Satan's enslavement. Let's notice the word liberty is used in a prophecy about Jesus Christ in Isaiah 61.

Isaiah 61. The liberty that will be realized by mankind as a whole after Christ returns. So this liberty proclaimed on the Day of Atonement is certainly a type of that liberty that will be granted to all the world when the world is reconciled to God and walking at one with God. In Isaiah 61, verse 1, the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty.

It would be that same liberty that the Jubilee year proclaims to the captives and the opening of the present to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance to our God and to the Lord for those who mourn and console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

So Jesus Christ will bring liberty to the earth, to all of mankind. He will set mankind free from bondage and slavery. There will be a release of all the heavy burdens in today's world. There will be a new start in life.

So certainly you can see why God chose it to be proclaimed on the day of atonement. The day of atonement certainly is the day of setting free, a day of liberty and of release. So the day of atonement is a day of reconciliation. It's a day of retribution, and it's a day of liberty. And number four, the day of atonement is a day of repentance. You could possibly use the word, it's a day of humility. We fast on this day, and fasting knocks us down.

It helps us to have a contrite and humble attitude and spirit. I'd like to read again from our Holy Day booklet. There's a section that explains about fasting. How do you afflict your soul on this day? Afflict comes from the Hebrew, anah, a-n-a-h, which means to be afflicted. Be bowed down. Be humble. Be meek. You know, we are to be afflicted this coming Wednesday. We are to be bowed down.

We are to be humble, to be meek. Vine's a complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words is to be humbled, to be afflicted. The same word is used in connection with fasting in Psalm 35, 13. In Isaiah 58, 3, and 5, and Ezra 8, 21. Fasting means abstaining from food and drink. So why does God tell us to fast during this specific 24 hours? Fasting expresses our humble desire to draw closer to God. The Day of Atonement represents a coming time of reconciliation, during which, with Satan banished and the world having been devastated by the horrific events leading up to this time, a humbled and repentant humanity will at last be reconciled to God.

Few understand the proper reasons for fasting. Fasting is not to bend God to our will. Quite the opposite. We don't fast to receive anything from God except His abundant mercy and forgiveness for our human weaknesses. Fasting helps us remember how temporary our physical existence is. Without water, food and water, we would soon perish. Fasting helps us realize just how much we need God as the giver and sustainer of life. We are totally dependent upon Him. It helps us to realize that. We should always fast on the Day of Atonement in a repentant frame of mind. So the Day of Atonement, then, is a day of repentance.

And the Day of Atonement, in real repentance, then does release us and it does set us free and it is the way to blessings. Think about it. When the world really repents and is at one with God, that opens the way for the blessings of the millennium. And before too long, God will grant those blessings to everyone as the world repents and draws close to God. Let's turn back to Isaiah 58 and read just a few verses on fasting. This is one of the best passages in the Bible about what fasting, the kind of fast that God wants and what it accomplishes.

In Isaiah 58 and verse 6, Is this not the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor that are cast out? When you see the naked that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh, then your light will break forth like the morning, and your healing shall spring forth speedily.

And verse 11 says, The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. The day of Atonement is a day of repentance. That afflicting of our soul is a day of humility, it's a day of lowliness of heart and mind, which is actually the attitude we should have all the time.

So yes, these four words do certainly go a long way in explaining the meaning of the day of Atonement. A day of reconciliation, mercy and forgiveness. A day of retribution upon the arch-enemy of mankind, Satan. It's a day of liberty, setting free from slavery and deaths and sins. And it's a day of repentance, a day of humility. It's a beautiful, wonderful doctrine. I hope that we'll do some good thinking about it and praying about it.

Don't let this fifth Holy Day just chance upon you. Do some thinking and praying about it. There'll be plenty of time after Wednesday to think about the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day. Certainly, let's not let the day of Atonement just be a day in passing that we don't really think about as deeply as we should. I'd like to then encourage all of us to have a good day of Atonement and also a wonderful Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day. Let the Feast of Tabernacles be a foretaste of the wonderful millennial reign of Christ and the Last Great Day a time of rejoicing. Let this be a time of worship and a time of fellowship and of self-examination.

God will certainly honor us if we have a humble and broken spirit. Let's read three quick passages. I say, in verse 15, Thus says the high and lofty one, who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy place. God is high and exalted, but He dwells with whom?

With Him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and revive the heart of the contrite ones. Let's always have that heart that is humble and contrite and lowly in spirit. Let's read Isaiah 66 and verse 2. Isaiah 66 and verse 2. All those things my hand has made, and all those things exist, says the Lord. But on this one will I look, to whom will God look to Him, who is poor.

Poor in the way He looks at Himself, humble and lowly in heart and mind. On Him who is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word. So let us be one that God does look upon, because we have that type of heart and attitude. And finally, Psalm 95. Just a few verses in this psalm. Psalm 95, beginning in verse 1. And let this be the way that we proceed on through the fall Holy Days and at the Feast of Tabernacles.

Psalm 95 and verse 1. Oh come, let us sing to the Lord. Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving. God's Holy Days are times of thanksgiving. Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth.

The heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it. The awesome sea, some of us will be at a beach festival site. We can walk along the seashore. God made that. It's awesome. He made it. His hands formed a dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.