Atonement Part 1

A number of years ago, I said I had five sermons I was going to give about the Day of Atonement. It would take me five sermons to go through everything that's contained in this day. And even then, it wasn't enough, but I did five sermons. So we're going back to number one. We're going to go through all five of them again as we look at so many of the facets of what this day is all about. One of the things we're going to talk about today is the Ark of the Covenant. And I thought about showing a clip of Indiana Jones. When did that movie come out?

Yeah, early 80s? Yeah. So it's been around almost 50 years. Yeah, right. It's a long time. I feel old all of a sudden. It's been searching for the Ark of the Covenant. Of course, there's been all kinds of specials and documentaries on searching for the Ark of the Covenant. It's in the basement of the Vatican. It's in Ethiopia. Everybody has these ideas of where it is. No one's ever been able to actually see it. One archaeologist said he dug under the Temple Mount and found it under there or he was either there or Mount of Olives, I don't remember. Most other archaeologists, including the government of Israel, said he never dug under there. So, you know, once again, there's no proof of any of it. But we're going to talk about the Ark of the Covenant and its importance today. And we're going to go through some slides about the Tabernacle itself. These are sort of cartoon-type slides. But we need to understand what happened in this tent. It also happened, to a certain degree, in the Solomon's Temple. But it started here in this tent. And there's so much about this day. In fact, there were more Levitical priesthood ordinances and ceremonies on this day than any other Holy Day by far. This was the most important day for the Levitical priesthood. This is why they existed, was to do all these things. So we're going to be looking at the Tabernacle. Let me go back a minute. I'm going to try to talk without the microphone a little. I can get a little...

I'm making it darker.

I'm supposed to have a highlighter here.

Okay, well, you can see it. Can you see it over here? You can see this sort of artist rendition of what it would have been like. As you can see, it's not real big. It's actually a very small complex. In this complex, you have a tent. Now, there's a cutaway. You're looking into the tent. That's the Tabernacle. Around this is this complex for all these things that go on around the Tabernacle. So you have a Tabernacle, and there's two rooms in there. We'll talk about those two rooms in a minute. Can you hear me back there? Okay, good. So, in that open court before the tent, before the Tabernacle itself, there was an altar. And, you know, you think of all the animals that were killed. They were all on that altar. On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, there were seven bulls killed alone on that altar. So this was a big thing. And even during the regular Sabbath, there was a morning and afternoon sacrifice. During the weekdays, there were sacrifices here. So you have all these sacrifices taking place in this small area. The amount of blood must have been amazing. The amount of carcasses must have been amazing. Because all these priests would card in. They'd bring in animals. They cut their throats. They would kill them. They would burn them. And then they would... some of them were cut up to be eaten also. So some of them were actually cooked and given to the Levites to eat. So it's hard to imagine what this place was like. Lots of people outside watching what's going on inside this courtyard. Animals going back and forth. Dozens and scores of priests doing their work. Blood and guts. And I mean, this wasn't what you would think it is. It's sort of like a slaughter house in some ways. And they're all dressed in these special uniforms. And this is what...

how God was worshipped. Because He designed to be worshipped this way. And there's a reason why. Then you have the labor. Now this was between the... where the altar was in this... the tabernacle itself. This is where they did the ceremonial washings. And they came out. They did different washings. The priests had to do different washings. The high priest had to do different washings. And the Old Testament's filled with all kinds of information. You know, it's interesting that there's 613 laws in the Torah. And a big chunk of them have to do with the tabernacle. How they were supposed to do this. What the priests were supposed to do. How everything was supposed to be carried out. Then you have that... the tent. Sometimes called the holy place. Or the most holy place. Sometimes in the Bible you'll see it called the Holy of Holies. This was where some very special things took place. And there was something that happened in this tent on this day only. It was only on the day of atonement that there was something that took place in this tent. When we go through the high priest, well, one of the sermons we'll be doing is about the high priest. We'll show you what the high priest wore on this day was different than any other time. And we'll go through each piece of clothing he had. The garment he wore, the headdress he wore, and all of it symbolized something. All of it meant something. So inside the tent here you have two compartments. This outer tent which has utensils in it, in a candle stick in it, and different things. And then you have a veil. And inside that veil, inside that veil, the most holy place, you have the Ark of the Covenant. You have the Ark of the Covenant that God instructed them to make and put inside this holy place. It wasn't something that the average person saw except in ancient Israel when he moved. Let's go to Exodus 25.

Exodus 25.

And let's start in verse 10. Well, let's not read. I tell you, we'll just skim over verse 10 because it talks about the sanctuary and giving sacrifices. Okay, so it's talking about how to do these sacrifices. This is good. Let's see, that's one through nine. Okay, verse 10. And this shall make an Ark of Acacia wood, two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. Well, that's basically two and a fourth feet by three and three quarters feet. It's not real big. It's not a big box. There's this box and it's the Ark of the Covenant. There were two poles that went through these. They had loops on the side, poles, and there were four Levites that each would take and pick that up and carry it. And every place Israel went, when they were in the wilderness, they knew where to go because these priests would be carrying the Ark of the Covenant. The Covenant God made with them. This reminded them, this told them, this is why you follow me. You follow this box because this box is about the Covenant that we've made. Verse 17. And you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits shall be its length, and a cubits shall be half its width. The mercy seat is the lid. Okay, the mercy seat is the lid. So here's, you know, once again, just an artist's rendition. You can see this gold box. You can see that there were poles on both sides that could be carried. And on top of it is a solid gold lid. And this is called the mercy seat.

And this was a very, very important thing in a very important place. And he says, you shall make two caribim of gold, of hammered work, you shall make them at both ends of the mercy seat. And that's what you sort of see there. We don't know exactly what the caribim looked like, what their wings were supposed to spread out. And so here you have these sort of an image of what two caribim would look like. And it's on top of the mercy seat. Make one carib at one end, the other carib at the other end, and you shall make the caribim at the two ends of the one piece with the mercy seat. And the caribim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat. And with their wings they shall face one another. The faces of the caribim shall be toward the mercy seat. Now this is real important. I mean, this is a lot of detail, but this was the center of the whole or focal point of the worship of ancient Israel. We think of a course where they're killing the lambs. We think out there in that outer court where these animals are coming in and being sacrificed. That's sort of the focal point. Well, in practice it was, but inside, away from that, was a special place where God was actively involved, or showing them, he was actively involved with them. And he said in verse 21, you shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I will give to you. Okay, the testimony that he would give to them. We know what's inside what was inside that. What they put in there was Aaron's rod. Remember Aaron's rod where he threw it down and came a snake. Aaron's rod continued to bud. In other words, a supernatural thing happened. You don't cut a piece of wood off a tree, and it continues to bud for years and years and years. So Aaron's rod was put in there. You also have a jar, a gold jar of manna. So a jar of manna was put in there. Remind him that, okay, you have this priest, this high priest, and he led you all those years. You have manna, God fed you all those years, and you have the two tables of stone in which the Ten Commandments were written on. That's why it's the Ark of the Covenant or of the testimony. When this was led out and the people followed it, in it was a reminder of a priest, a reminder that God was the one who took care of them, and a reminder that they had a covenant with God, and at the core of that covenant were the Ten Commandments. So this was all about their relationship personally with God, and they were not to touch it. That's why the situation seems so strange in the New Testament, or I mean, I'm sorry, in the time of the kings, where David brings the Ark back into Israel, because it's been taken by the Philistines, and the oxen stumble, and a man reaches up to touch it, to protect it, and God kills him. And you think, how terrible! God said, no, no, this represents me, a personal relationship I have with you, and nobody is to touch it except the priest. And when they carry it, it was supposed to be on these poles. Well, they weren't carrying it on poles. They had it on a wagon. And so what David was doing unwittingly was actually not honoring what God said about the covenant. This is the covenant that he had made with them, and it was in there, and it was to be honored.

When God revealed himself throughout the time when the Israelites went through the wilderness, he revealed himself to them by being a pillar of fire at night, and a pillar of a cloud at day. In other words, that was the special presence of God. And when it stopped, where it stopped is where they set up the tabernacle. So they see, this is the special presence of God, leading them all the time. Out in front of them are these four priests carrying this box. And whenever that cloud stopped, that's where they set up the tabernacle very quickly, set up the Holy of Holies, put in this Ark of the Covenant, and the cloud came, and said, that's where I am. God says, see me, I'm here with you. So this is all, I mean, this is 40 years of just supernatural things. On the day of atonement, as we see Leviticus 16, let's go to Leviticus 16, something happened in the Holy of Holies at the Ark of the Covenant that's very important. Leviticus 16.

Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the Lord and died. And the Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the holy place inside the veil before the mercy seat which is on the Ark, lest he die, for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat. So God said, This is where I'm going to show my special presence, and you just can't come in there whenever you want. So the high priest could not go in there without special permission from God. Now the rest of Leviticus 16 talks about how there were two goats slain on this day, which is different than any other sacrifices at any other time. It gives a lot of information about this day that we'll go through as we have to go through five sermons to go through everything this day is all about. So the only time he was then ordered to go into this room, unless he was called there, was on the Day of Atonement. The high priest was supposed to go into this room on the Day of Atonement.

He would go in here, and he would sprinkle blood on the mercy seat, which is that lid for all the sins of his sins and for the sins of the people.

This day is about how we receive the privilege to go before God's throne, which this represents. How we can go before the mercy seat of God. Now we talk about all the time how all the Holy Days picture the whole plan of salvation that God is carrying out through Christ, beginning with Passover, right? We just celebrated last week Christ's return. We're looking forward to Christ's ruling on earth for a thousand years. So we're seeing all those things, and then that judgment that happens on the eighth day, on the last great day, that great judgment. And when Christ judges the world, because all have to appear before him. This day shows us how this is made possible. The high priest had to go in there once a year and sprinkle the mercy seat with blood after going through all kinds of ceremonies to even enter it. You know, including the way he dressed everything to go in there, and he sprinkled the blood. If God didn't accept it, no one was sure what would happen. We do know there was a time in Solomon's temple, probably the Rebebel's temple, after Solomon's temple was destroyed, the Rebebel's temple was built. There was a time when sometimes the priest would go in with a little rope tied on his ankle, because the fear was, what if God kills him? Nobody's going to go in there and get him. So they would have to pull him out. Of course, if God killed the high priest, it meant they were no longer his people. This is why this was the most solemn day. There was a certain fear even to this day. This was a day of great humility before God, because if the blood on the mercy seat was not accepted, they had no hope. They were no longer his people.

And he would go in and sprinkle the blood, do different ceremonies, and come out, and the people could be relieved. The high priest had lived, and God had accepted them, at least for another year.

Let's look at verse 30 here. Let's go back to Leviticus 16. It's hard for us to even imagine what these days were like, what was going on. I've tried to imagine, you know, I've put your sheep and deer. I can't imagine the smell of that place, although there was a lot of burning going on, which was a nice thing. But I wonder about the smell of what's going on. And God says, I want you to do this. I want you to see death. I want you to see blood. I want you to understand that you can't come to me because your life is so evil to me. But I will save you. But it's going to cost something. It's going to cost something to save you.

Of course, they didn't know what that cost was. They didn't know what he meant. They just knew if they brought a lamb, they were forgiven. They could still have a relationship with God. Because this is what it says in verse 30 of Leviticus 16. For on that day, and Leviticus 16 is all about the day of atonement. That's why we're only getting a few points here. We'll have to go through all this before these sermons are over. For on that day, the priest shall make an atonement for you to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. Kippur, where we get the word atone from in Hebrew, means to cover. He says when he goes in and the priest does this, he sprinkles the blood on that top of that mercy seat, the top of the Ark of the Covenant, inside the Holy of Holies. After all these ceremonies out in the courtyard, and then he ceremonies to go into that second or that first room, and then he goes in there alone. He says when this all happens, I don't see your sins anymore.

Yom Kippur. I don't see your sins anymore. They're covered. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you. You shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.

Verse 32 says, and the priest who is anointed and is consecrated to minister as priest in his father's place shall make atonement and put on the linen clothes the holy garments, and he shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary. He shall make atonement for the tabernacle of eating and for the altar. He shall make atonement for the priests and all the people of the assembly. There's all kinds of blood being spread all over the place here. There's all kinds of ceremonies of atonement that without God's acceptance of a sacrifice in your stead, you have no hope unless you're willing to be sacrificed. It's either you were sacrificed because God doesn't say, oh, you know what? Sin doesn't mean that much to me. I'm absolutely holy. I'm absolutely good. I'm absolutely righteous. I've never, but you know, but that's okay. I can live with sin. His point is, I cannot. I cannot live with evil. I only allow it to happen for a while, and if you want to come to me, it involves some kind of death. It's not like we just get the privilege to go to God. Now, He calls us and gives us that privilege, but understand this isn't some kind of relationship where God says, you know, how you doing? You having a good day? Let's have coffee. That's how not this, this isn't how this works. God looks at us and says, do you understand how perfect I am and how much He has despondent? I won't say despondent because it's not an emotion He would know. How much He despises sin. How much He despises evil because all that it does, it's the opposite of who He is. The absolute opposite of who He is. So there's all this blood going on in this day. Verse 34, This shall be an everlasting statute for you to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year. And He did as the Lord commanded Moses. So once a year they did this. Of all the holy days in the Jewish community, this is probably the most important one in their minds. This is the only way they can maintain a relationship with God. It's the acceptance of the high priest. This is why really Orthodox Jews want to have a temple. Somebody has to go make atonement.

And there has to be priests to do it. It just can't be anybody. Now, most Israelis are pretty secular. Having a temple is not that big a deal to most of them. But for the Orthodox, the extreme Orthodox, it's really important. And it's because of this. We wish to be clean before God. And we wish to have an animal slain for us. So that blood is shed for us.

It's interesting in some Jewish communities today, they can't do a sacrifice. I believe this is mainly in Eastern Europe. So they kill a chicken. At least there's some blood. There's some blood representing a sacrifice to God. It's the mercy seat. Because when this blood is sprinkled on this mercy seat, God says it's enough. That's enough for you. You are forgiven. That penalty is enough for you.

And they know that. But you and I keep the Day of Atonement with a much greater insight than anyone in Judaism does today. I mean, it's not even closely related. They're looking for a day when they can have a son of Aaron, a descendant of Aaron, go into some temple or tabernacle or tent or just a place where they have an altar and some kind of holy place. And can go in there and can go to God for them so that their sins are forgiven. This is what makes the book of Hebrew so amazing, is that the book of Hebrews contains four Christians, the entire meaning of this day. He's writing to Jews. That's why it's called Hebrews. He's writing, Paul is writing to Jews. He is explaining to them what this day really means. So let's go to Hebrews 9. Hebrews chapter 9.

First one.

He says, then indeed even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. There was an earthly temple. And of course, this was a tent. It wasn't a temple yet. It was just a sanctuary. For a tabernacle was prepared, the first part of which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary. Behind the veil, the second veil, the part of the tabernacle, which is called the holies of all. Okay, so we've already looked at that. Let's go back.

So there it is. It's not a very big place, just a small room inside this tent. He then mentions the things that are in there, which had the golden censor, the Ark of the Covenant. Oh, this is inside the the Holy of Holies then. Golden censor, the Ark of the Covenant, overlaid on all sides with gold, and which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that butted, and the tablets of the Covenant. So he just, he's just quoting here, basically, what was said in the Old Testament. And above it were the carobim of glory, overshadowing the mercy seat of these things we cannot now speak in detail. He says, I'm not going to go through in great detail and explain that. He was speaking to Jews who should have known it. And besides, he didn't have powerpoint. He says, now when these things had been thus prepared, the priest always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. But into the second part, the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance. And then here's why, though. 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. They did this because they did not have direct access into the throne of God in that kind of relationship. That doesn't mean he didn't listen to their prayers. He doesn't mean God didn't interact with them. He did. But in salvation, this could not bring them salvation. They were doing a grand play, a grand play to teach them how to relate to God in their way, a grand play so that today we look at the play and we understand the reality of what you and I live in. This is real. We don't have a sheep to kill today. A lamb. We don't have a high priest and a garb, special clothing. We don't have to kill it. We don't have to slay it. We don't have to sprinkle blood all over everybody, right? But in reality, that symbolized something so profound. Verse 9, he says, it was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to his conscience. He said, the present time we understand those people had a relationship with God that did not involve them being changed into the children of God. The Holy Spirit did not yet be poured out. And so they performed these things so that we can understand what's actually happened in our lives, the reality of what's actually happening. This day is so important to keep. You know, sometimes we look at the Holy Days and, okay, they're not as important as the weekly Sabbath. If we realize what is symbolized, what is contained in these days, and the message God has for us, I don't know how we can avoid them or ignore them.

Because this tells us what God is doing in our lives. He says, concerning only with foods and drinks, various washings and flushly ordinances imposed until the time of Reformation. He said, there was a time that this was going to be reformed and the real truth revealed. You and I don't live in the time when they did these things without knowledge. All the understanding was part of their relationship with God. We do it in a time when the Reformation, not the Protestant Reformation, but the Reformation he's talking about has actually happened. But Christ came as a 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. Remember, we're sort of back where we were a few weeks ago when we talked about Zion and Mount Moriah and Jerusalem. That those things are on earth, but they actually simply represent a reality that's in heaven. There is a Zion in heaven. God's throne is called Zion. He's bringing with him, after the great white throne judgment, he brings with him what? New Jerusalem to earth.

He says, not with 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. Christ, the symbolism we observe is Christ is coming to earth. If he's Trump, he symbolizes that. But when he comes to earth, you know what he does? Everything he does, he comes as high priest, he comes as king of kings and high priest, to set up some kind of temple, to tell the whole world, I died for you.

This is the only way you can come to God. The only way you can come to God is either let him spill your own blood and cease to exist, or accept my sacrificial blood for you. For if the blood of bulls and goats, verse 13, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, in other words, fleshly people could have a relationship with God, they could be justified because of what they did in those ceremonies.

But they could not be sanctified, they could not receive God's Spirit through the ceremonies. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from the dead works to serve the living God? The religion we are supposed to be living today comes from inside and flows outward. It comes from who we are and comes outward. We don't keep this day only because God has commanded us to do so, and we're fearful if we don't, we'll be punished.

We keep this day because it flows out of us. Everything this day means comes out of us because of God's Spirit in it. And we come here because we want to be here. We come here because we desire to be here. We come here because this is where we should be before the Almighty God. That's why we're here. That's why we're going to the Feast of Taberna.

And for this reason, he, Christ, is the mediator of the new covenant by means of death. For the redemption of the transgressions of the first covenant, that those who were called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Eternal inheritance was never, well, it was an indirect promise.

The ancient Israelites were told God would bless them. He would do different things, and they were going to receive this help from him and these blessings from him. But the promise of eternal inheritance wasn't until way in the future. In fact, according to Ezekiel, it's when they're resurrected that they have their opportunity. A physical resurrection, they have the opportunity for their eternal inheritance.

You and I are invited to that eternal inheritance now. We are being prepared for an eternal inheritance because of Christ fulfilling and doing. He is now the high priest. His blood is sprinkled on the mercy seat in heaven, symbolically. It's interesting. He's both the high priest and the sacrifice. He's both those things. So he sacrifices himself. Remember he said, no one takes my life, I give it. He sacrifices himself. He's both of those things. The Feast of Trumpets. Well, let's go to verse 23. Let's go ahead and read the last few verses. Once again, 9, 10, these chapters are all about the David Tolman.

He says, therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in heaven should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. He said, it would take a whole lot more, better sacrifice to sanctify the heavens than spreading some blood of a sheep or, I mean, a lamb on the mercy seat. For Christ was not entered the holy place made with hands, which were copies of the true. Those were just copies. They showed ancient Israel. That's why it's important we know them. We understand what they are.

They are copies of the real heaven that you go before every time you pray, that we are before now as we worship God. For Christ was not entered into the holy place made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Not that he should offer himself often as the high priest entered the most holy place every year with the blood of another. Once again, that's David Tillman.

He then would have also had to suffer often since the foundation of the world. But now, once at the end of the ages, he has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and is appointed for men to die once, but after that, the judgment. So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for him, he will appear a second time apart from sin for salvation.

So we looked at, we kept the Feast of Trumpets celebrating Christ's return. This Feast of Tabernacles celebrates his rule on earth. This day celebrates how that happens. He doesn't come to destroy humanity. He comes to reconcile humanity to God. He rules on earth not to crush and kill humanity, but he rules on earth to reconcile them, not just as king, but as high priest to bring people to God. The Sermonette, the Offertory Message, was about what?

Reconciliation. That's what he comes to do. And that's why this day is so important. He comes, he rules, and in between he says, you can have eternal life with my Father if you come to me and repent and accept my blood on the mercy seat. People ask sometime about the future of the Ark of the Covenant. Where is it? I don't know. Revelation 11 says this.

Revelation 11 verse 15.

This is the sound of the seventh trumpet, which we just celebrated on trumpet. The seventh angel sounded, and there was a loud voice in heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ. He shall reign forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on the thrones fell on their face and worshipped God. And so they say this as they worship God, verses 17 and 18. Verse 19. Then the temple of God was opened in heaven. In other words, this John is now getting a vision. He sees the temple of God, the throne of God in heaven. And the Ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings and noises and thunderings and earthquake in the great hail. Now some will say, is that the Ark of the Covenant that was here? My personal opinion, probably not. Because that was a copy of the one in heaven, right? That was a copy of the one in heaven. There's an Ark of the Covenant there. Either that or that one was taken there. I guess we'll know when Christ comes back. But they see the heavenly Ark of the Covenant. That's why I don't think it's the physical one. I think it's the heavenly one. So that Covenant God made, those Ten Commandments, it's still important in salvation history. It's still important in salvation history. But, you know, if He ended at Jones, who's now would be 130, if He finds it, then okay, we'll know where it is.

It is interesting, though. There's all kinds of even Jewish legends. In 2nd Maccabees, Jeremiah took the Ark of the Covenant and hid it. And it will be rediscovered when the Messiah comes back. That's their mythology. It's made up. But Jeremiah actually does have a prophecy about the Ark of the Covenant. He actually mentions it. And it's after the Messiah comes and is ruling on earth. So let's go to Jeremiah 3. And this won't answer where it is. So you're like, oh, he knows where to find it. But it tells us something about, once again, how these things all picture what God is actually doing. Jeremiah 3.14, he's telling, this is a call of repentance to Israel. This starts in verse 6. And so he gets to verse 14, and he says, Returnal backsliding children, says the Lord, for I am married to you. I will take you one from a city, two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to my heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. Then it shall come to pass when you are multiplied and increase in the land. Okay, so this is when the Messiah comes. And he gathers Israel. Of course, all nations are gathering him at this time. But this is specifically what he's telling them. An increase in the land in those days, says the Lord, that they shall no more say, the ark of the covenant of the Lord. It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore. And here's why. At that time, Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. And no more shall they follow the dictates of their own evil hearts. He says, you know, one thing about it, once Christ is ruling as King of Kings and as the high priest, they really won't need a physical ark of the covenant anymore. Now, I don't know if there may be one there. Maybe there'll be a museum. They'll find the old ark of the covenant. It's in a museum. I don't know. That's the point is being made, you understand. There will be no need to have a pre-sprinkle blood of a lamb on the lid of the mercy seat. The lamb will be leading. The lamb will be there. And that will be the whole focal point, because his blood is the one that makes salvation possible. We're here humbled by fasting. In what is the very serious day, the Passover and Atonement are directly linked to each other. But this day isn't about so much the agony of the slaying of Christ. It's about him being high priest. He's about him offering himself as a sacrifice and now being the high priest and saying, apply my blood to them. That's what he says about you. When we go before the Father, he says, apply my blood to that person. And we're here to commemorate that. We're here to commemorate that he, it's his blood that's sprinkled on the mercy seat. And that he has done that willingly. And that gives us this privilege of knowing God. It should be our main motivation for loving God and loving Christ and obeying. We want to obey. We want to follow. We want to serve him, because we understand what this day means. Because here we are today to celebrate Jesus Christ. Both as the high priest on the greatest day of the high priest service and as the sacrifice when he presented himself, which he has already done, on the real mercy seat in heaven.