The Day of Atonement

God commands us to keep the Day of Atonement. Let's go back to Leviticus 23 and verse 26, where God inspires Moses to write these words with regard to keeping the Day of Atonement that we're observing here today as we are fasting, afflicting our souls, as it says in the King James Bible. In Leviticus 23 and verse 26, the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying also on the tenth day of the seventh month, there shall be a Day of Atonement, the Jews call it Yom Kippur.

Now, technically, that word for Atonement comes from the word kaphar, and these words are very important to the whole message with regard to being at one with God, as we sang in that hymn there in the song service.

The word here is kaphar, K-I-P-P-U-R in English, the spelling, it is derived from K-A-P-H-A-R, kaphar. This word here is in the plural, so literally, there shall be a Day of Atonement. As we shall see, the high priest went into the Holy of Holies four times on the Day of Atonement. You shall afflict your souls, well, I skipped, it shall be in holy convocation unto you, you shall afflict your souls, offer and offer, and made by fire unto the Eternal, and you shall do no work in that same day, for it is a Day of Atonement to make an Atonement for you before the Eternal your God, for whosoever or whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted that same day shall be cut off from among his people, and whatsoever soul it be that does any work that same day, that soul shall be cut off from among the people.

And then on verse 32, it shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, you shall afflict your soul in the ninth day. So you begin at sunset on the day before it even, from even unto even shall you celebrate your Sabbath. As we mentioned, the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies four times on the Day of Atonement. Three times he went in first to make an Atonement for himself and his family, then for the sanctuary itself, and then for the people. And then after he confessed the sin to the people over the head of the goat for Azazel, he went into the Holies of all a fourth and final time.

So if you turn back to Leviticus 16, Leviticus 16, you'll see this, that he went in the fourth time. We'll be coming back to Leviticus 16 from time to time in Leviticus 1623. And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle, that's after he had confessed the sins over the head of the Azazel goat, and the fat of the sin offering shall be burned upon the altar, and he shall let go the goat for this scapegoat, and shall wash his clothes and bathe his fresh water afterward, come into the camp.

And so we notice now in Leviticus 25, Leviticus 25, the greatest day in the seven times, seven cycle in ancient Israel was the day that the jubilee year was proclaimed. The day of atonement was and is a day of liberation. Most of us have heard of the Liberty Bell located in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I've been there. You can go out and you can look right down at the Liberty Bell, cracked and all, and inscribed on the Liberty Bell are the words, proclaimed liberty throughout the land. The words on the Liberty Bell are intended to reflect political liberty. In contrast, the liberty that will be proclaimed when this day is finally fulfilled will be a day of spiritual liberation for all the universe.

So we look here in Leviticus 25 and verse 8. Leviticus 25 and verse 8. And you shall number seven Sabbaths of years unto you, seven times seven years, and the space of the seven Sabbath of years shall be unto you forty and nine years. So on the fiftieth year, the year of Jubilee, then shall you cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement, and you shall make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.

It was a day of liberation in which people who had been held in bondage had sold themselves into slavery were set free. It was a time in which the land went back to its rightful owner. It was a time in which debts were forgiven. It was a wonderful time. It was a time in which basically the people took a year off from work. God's creation cannot be truly liberated until Satan is bound and he is shown for what he really is. Now, when we talk about this day, virtually everybody here, almost from kindergarten on up, can say, well, what does the day of atonement picture?

And we say Satan being bound. Well, that's a part of it, but there's so much more to the day of atonement. The prophet Zachariah and Isaiah prophesied of this day. Let's notice Isaiah chapter 27. And here we read about Leviathan. Who is Leviathan? We're going to see in Job. It never says directly that Leviathan is Satan the devil, but the description that we'll read in just a moment from Job will tell us beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is Satan.

In Isaiah 27.1, in that day, that is a prophetic utterance. Those words in that day means the period of time that is merging from this present evil age into the millennium. In that day, the eternal with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan, the piercing serpent. You know in Revelation 12.9 that Satan is called that old dragon, Satan the devil, or in Genesis 3.1, where he talks about now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field. In Scripture, Satan is identified as dragon, as a serpent.

Even Leviathan, that crooked serpent, and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. In that day sing unto her a vineyard of red wine.

It goes on to describe the events that would be happening there, but we go now to verse 13. You should read the whole chapter of Isaiah 27. Let's read verse 12. Isaiah 27 verse 12.

And it shall come to pass in that day, merging into the time of the beginning of the millennium, that the great trumpet, remember the trumpet was sounded on the day of Jubilee. The great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcast in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Eternal in the holy mountain at Jerusalem. In other words, the captives will be set free. A great day, that great day, when the trumpet sounds and Leviathan, the piercing serpent, is going to be dealt with. Now we go back to Job chapter 40, and we get a more complete—we'll just read some of the verses here—a more complete description of Leviathan, that piercing serpent. Job chapter 40 and verse 1.

It's 41. I'm sorry, not 40, but 41. Job 41. Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook? Can you go out to the sea and fish and catch Leviathan?

Or his tongue with a cord, which you let down? Can you put a hook in his nose, or bore his jaw through with a thorn? Will he make many supplications unto you? Will he speak soft words unto you? Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant forever? Now look down at verse 11. Verse 11.

Who hath prevented me that I should repay him, whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine?

I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his calmly proportion. Who can discover the face of his garment, or who can come to him with his double bridle? Who can open the doors of his face? His teeth are terrible around about him. His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a closed seal.

In Ezekiel 28 it talks about that covering that Lucifer was one time one of the covering caribs at the throne of God, and that through pride he was lifted up and exalted. In Isaiah 14 talks about him trying to take over the throne of God. In essence, this whole book of Job talks about this battle between Job and Satan the Devil, where God allowed Job to be sorely tried and tested. Now we pick it up again in verse 24.

His heart is as firm as stone, speaking of Leviathan, the piercing serpent, yea, as hard as a piece of a nether millstone. When he raises up himself, the mighty are afraid. By reason of breakings, they purify themselves. The sword of him that lays at him cannot hold the spear, the dart, nor the haberjon. He esteems iron as straw and brass as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee. Sling stones are turned with him into stubble. Darts are counted as stubble. He laughs at the shaking of a spear. This metaphoric, figurative language here shows that none of the weapons or instruments of man is able to tame, to control, Leviathan. Sharp stones are under him. He spreads sharp-pointed things upon the mire. He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment. He makes the path to shine after him. One would think the deep to be hoary. Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. He beholds all things, all high things. He is a king over all the children of pride. Doubtless, doubtlessly speaking, of Satan the Devil.

Some have speculated as to whether or not there is any representation of Satan in the day of atonement. Some who claim to be members of the body of Christ, the Church of God, claim that the Azazel goat represents Christ.

In short, some have tried to interpret the goat as a symbol of Christ and not the Devil.

So let's go back to Leviticus 16.

Leviticus 16.

Leviticus 16 talks about the first three or four verses here about the preparation that the high priests went through preparing for the day of atonement. Especially new high priests, they would have him come in a week earlier and he would practice all the various steps that were included in the day of atonement at that time.

In verse 4, he should put on the holy linen coat. To have the linen bridges upon the flesh shall be girded with the linen girdle. With the linen miter hat shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore shall he wash his water, his flesh in water, and so put them on. A lot of preparation went into practicing the various steps involved in this. And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel, two kids of the goats, for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself. So as I said, first of all, he goes in three times before the sins of the people are confessed over the Azazel goat. Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself and make an atonement for himself and his house. So Aaron and his family, there was a bullock offered for them. And he shall take the two goats and present them before the eternal at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the eternal, one lot for the eternal, and the other lot for the Azazel. A-Z-A-Z-E-L. Some call it the escape goat or the goat of escape, literally Azazel in Hebrew. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon whom the Lord's lot fell and offer him for a sin offering. That goat was offered for a sin offering. But the goat upon which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, or the goat for Azazel shall be presented alive before the eternal, to make an atonement with him a kaphar, which literally means a covering, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. In verse 10, the goat for Azazel was for an atonement.

In the Hebrew, the word for atonement is kaphar. As I've already mentioned, kaphar, it is a word from which kipur is taken. Kipur is, in essence, a plural of kaphar. It is a day of atonement, as more than one atonement was made. Kaphar means to cover, to purge, to make an atonement, to make reconciliation, to pacify, to cover over. Under the terms of the Old Covenant, the sacrifices only made a covering for sin a kaphar. This is very important in understanding the difference between the Day of Atonement and Leviticus 16 under the terms of the Old Covenant and being at one with God in the ultimate spiritual sense, the Day of Atonement, as we are observing it. So under the terms of the Old Covenant, the sacrifices only made a covering for sin, the sacrifices could not provide ultimate spiritual forgiveness. The wages of sin is death. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Those animals were killed symbolic of a type of what was to come that is Jesus Christ. And of course, Jesus Christ is our Passover, as it says in 1 Corinthians 5.8. Let's note the first occurrence of the word, of the Hebrew word kaphar. You might want to mark Leviticus 16 if you wish. We'll be coming there other times. In Genesis 6 and verse 14, we see the first appearance, the first time that this word kaphar is used in the Bible. Genesis 6.14, Make you an ark of gopher wood, room shall you make in the ark and shall pitch. The word for pitch is kaphar, which means to cover it. You shall cover it within and without with pitch or with tar.

So that's the first use of kaphar in the Bible. Now we go to Exodus 29 and verse 33. Exodus 29 and verse 33. In Exodus 29 verse 33, here it is used, kaphar is used in connection with making atonement. Exodus 29 and verse 33. And they shall eat those things wherewith the kaphar, the atonement, was made, the covering was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them, but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy. Those sacrifices that were offered under the terms of the Old Covenant allowed the people to remain ceremonially clean so they could have access to God under the terms of the Old Covenant. But those sacrifices could not purge the conscience of dead works.

So now we go to Hebrews 9. Hebrews 9. We'll see that these sacrifices could not make the commerce thereunto perfect. The word perfect has a connotation of a whole complete to fill up. In Hebrews 9, beginning in verse 22, And almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission. Without shedding of blood, there is no remission.

That is very important to keep in mind with regard to the goat that fell for the Lord, was sacrificed as a sin offering. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Therefore, if you confess sins over the head of the goat for Azazel and drive him into the wilderness, you're placing upon that goat the responsibility for the sins, as we shall see later. But that goat was not sacrificed. There was not shedding of blood. Now later on, and I'm getting ahead of myself, later on, after they came back from Babylon, they did kill the goat upon whose head the sins were confessed.

Now in chapter 10, verse 1, For the law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices, which they offered year by year, continually make the comers there unto perfect. So those sacrifices were there for a period of time, as it says in Galatians 3, to bring us to Christ, to the greater reality.

The Hebrew word, Azazel, translated as scapegoat in the King James translation, means complete removal. Satan's sins cannot be purged, but Satan can be rendered of non-effect. Satan will be bound, as you heard in the sermon at Revelation 20, verses 1 and 2, and removed to a place a land cut off. Now some ask the question, and some say, well, Satan's a spirit being, he cannot be destroyed. Well, I don't buy that at all.

God created, through Jesus Christ, everything there is, as it talks about in Colossians, things visible and invisible, everything. If God created Lucifer, the archangels, he could destroy him. He has that power. He has power over all things to save and to destroy. But apparently, God has not chosen to destroy Satan the devil.

We'll see maybe a version 2 about that a little bit later as well. So Satan's sins cannot be purged. Satan can be rendered, though, of non-effect. Satan will be bound and removed. When will sins of the universe be removed? Is there evidence that the Azazel goat was a symbol of the devil or a demon? As noted already, the priests were to select two goats. We've read that. One was to be taken as a sin offering. The other was to be offered as, in the King James, a scapegoat or Azazel goat.

Another way to express it would be the escape goat. Many translations, such as in the new Revised Standard Version, simply use the word Azazel in the text. The goat for Azazel. They don't use scapegoat, though I do not advise the RSV for many things. The Greek Septuagids and the Latin Vulgate translate Azazel as goat of departure.

When interpreting a word in Scripture and what it means, it can be helpful to see how the word was used in secular literature.

William DeSantis writes, "...this name was used for that of an evil demon." The name of Azazel is also used by the Arabs as that of an evil demon. And of course, Arabic is very closely related to Hebrew. That's from DeSantis' Hebrew, Kaldee, Lexicon, page 617. I'll read it again. "...this name was used for that of an evil demon." The name Azazel is also used by the Arabs as that of an evil demon.

The word Azazel is used in the Apocryphal book of Enoch. And apparently, you look at Jude, verse 14. If you're there in Hebrews, you can turn forward a page or so or three or ten to Jude. And you look at verse 14, "...and Enoch, also the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Eternal comes with ten thousands of his saints." I'm just showing that to show that Enoch is quoted in the New Testament. For a long time, Enoch was in the canon. But when the final canonization was made, Enoch was dropped from the canon and became one of the Apocryphal books.

How the Bible was canonized is quite a study. I used to teach a session on this in Fundamentals of Theology on the canonization of the Bible. It's not as cut and dried as some people might think that it is.

So in the book of Enoch, I'm going to read here from that. The book of Enoch gives insight into how the word Azazel was used in the centuries before Christ. This is Enoch chapter 8 verses 1 through 3.

And Azazel taught men to make swords and knives and shields, like you heard about the bad inventions in the sermonette, and breastplates and made known to them the metals of the earth. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray and became corrupt in all their ways.

Once again, and Azazel taught men.

The book of Enoch further describes Azazel as one of the angels that corrupted man at some time in the past.

So this is Enoch chapter 10 verse 4. And again, the eternal said to Raphael, quote, bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness, and make an opening in the desert, which is Doudel, and cast him therein.

So it is very similar to Leviticus 21, and it's also very similar to Revelation chapter 20 of the binding of him, bind Azazel hand and foot. Now we'll go back to Leviticus chapter 16.

Yesterday afternoon, I was watching Jerusalem television. It's channel 366 on DirecTV. We're turning now back to Leviticus 16 again.

So on channel 366 DirecTV Jerusalem television, they were showing Yom Kippur services from Jerusalem.

And one of the things that they showed was the rabbi, there's a bunch of Jews gathered around in their clothing with their yarmulkes on their head and all of that. And the rabbi was holding up a chicken by the neck and waving it over the heads of the observers there.

And they said that the sins of the people are being transferred to the chicken through this act, and then later the chicken will be slaughtered and eaten.

In Leviticus 16 21, And Aaron shall lay his hands upon the head of the live goat, confess over him all the sins of the children of Israel, all their transgressions, and all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness.

And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities into a land not inhabited, and he shall let the goat go in the wilderness. And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place. He shall wash himself, and so on.

So it sounds very similar to what Enoch says here about Azazel. I'll read it once again, what it says here in Enoch 10 and verse 4. And again the eternal said to Raphael, Bind Azazel, handed foot, cast him into the darkness, and make an opening in the desert, which is in Doudel, and cast him therein. Very similar to Leviticus 16 21. This symbolizes Satan being cast into outer darkness as a wandering star. Now we go to 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 17. 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 17.

2 Peter 2 17.

These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest, of course water symbolized the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, cried out in John 7 38. Out of my belly shall flow rivers of living water, to whom the midst of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lust of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

Then we go to Jude again.

2 Peter and Jude are very similar. They have some of the same language and almost identical verses.

In Jude verse 6, 7 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved an everlasting change.

In 2 Peter chapter 2 it talks about cast down to Tartarou, a condition of restraint cast down to hell or Tartarou, everlasting change under darkness, under the judgment of the great day. 8 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah in the cities about them, in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise, also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despised dominion, speak evil of dignities. 9 So we see here that Satan cast out into darkness, wandering stars forever, and he shares responsibility for what has happened to humankind. Now, after the Babylonian captivity, the practice of sending a live goat into the wilderness was changed.

The goat was led to a mountain named Tezuk, that mountain's name has been changed now to L. Montar, E-L-M-U-N-T-A-R. But at that time, Tezuk situated at a distance of about a Sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem.

At this place, the Judean wilderness desert begins, and the man in whose charge the goat was sent out while setting him free was instructed to push the goat down over a cliff to ensure the death of the goat. So after the Babylonian captivity, they began this practice, pushing the goat over a cliff and killing him. They said the reason for this was, one time after the goat was set free, he returned to Jerusalem.

And the people were in a state of great panic because he brought the sins back to him. So by doing this, they ensured the death of the goat. As I said, this mountain is called El Montar. A lot of this, you know, you can look it up in today's world. All you have to do is put it in the search engine, Google or whatever, and there you go. The Azazel goat was released by a suitable man. The man who led the goat had to go through ceremonial cleansing before he came back into the camp.

Christ did bear our sins on the stake and was resurrected from the dead.

So that's about the only similarity there you can get. We've got to follow this through. They confessed the sins over the head of this goat for Azazel, and the goat was carried out into the wilderness and set free, burying the sins away from the camp until the time of after the captivity in which they began to kill the goat. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.

How could that goat possibly represent Christ?

If what Hebrews 9.22, which I have read to you, is true, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.

This goat was not killed in the initial stages. The Jews changed several things through the course of time.

You go now to 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. We'll see just what I've just mentioned here with regard to Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21, For he had made him sin to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God.

Jesus Christ died for our sins. He's not responsible for sin entering the universe Satan the devil is responsible for sin entering the universe.

Satan the devil is the author of sin and death.

Satan the devil is king over all the children of pride.

We go to Matthew 4 now. In Matthew 4, the account is given. This is the one time that we see Jesus Christ being driven into the wilderness. And why was he driven into the wilderness? It was to be tested and tried of the devil to see if he would try up over Satan the devil.

You know, in Passover's ceremony there in John, we read about Jesus Christ saying, Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. I've overcome the evil one.

Or 1 John 4, greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.

In Matthew 4, in verse 1, Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tested, tried of the devil. And then those three temptations changed the stone into bread. Each case Jesus answered with scripture, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Jump off the pinnacle of the temple. It is written, His angels will bear you up. Jesus responds, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. Look out over the kingdoms of the world. I'll give you all these kingdoms. You'll bow down and worship me. It is written, You shall worship the eternal your God and him alone. Paraphrasing. And the devil departs for a season. In this test, Jesus Christ overcame Satan the devil. The greatest enemy of Satan is life.

Satan's goal is to kill and destroy. So hence, if you have life, he has not been successful. Christ has the power over Satan, and all organisms. Go to Colossians 1.13 now. Colossians 1.13.

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, speaking of God the Father, translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. So spiritually, we are to be living under the terms of the new covenant and the kingdom government now, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. The only way that sins can be forgiven is through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by him are all things created that are in heaven, that includes the archangels, Lucifer, the one who became the devil, the demons. That are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and visible, whether they be thrones, dominions, principalities, powers. All things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things and by him all things consist. So Jesus Christ has power over Satan the devil, and he can only do what God allows him to do. Christ came and defeated the author of sin and death. Notice Hebrews chapter 2 verse 12. Hebrews chapter 2 verse 12. Remember I said that the greatest enemy of Satan, in one sense, is life. Notice this Hebrews 2 verse 12 we begin. Hebrews 2.12.

Saying, I will declare your name unto my brethren. We are brethren because we are of the same essence as God and Jesus Christ. By the same spirit that he raised Jesus from the dead, he will also quicken, make a life, our mortal bodies, as in Romans 8, 11. Saying, I will declare your name unto my brethren in the midst of the church, will I sing praise unto you. And again I will put my trust in him, and again behold I and the children which God has given me. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that hath the power of death. That is the devil. How did he destroy him that had the power of death? Jesus Christ died on the stake. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus Christ died that we might be reconciled to God, that we might be viewed as sinless, and that we might have life. So the very thing that Satan tried to do in inspiring the death of Jesus Christ turned out to be the thing that liberates humankind from the wages of sin and death.

Verse 15, "...and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on himself the nature of angels, he took on him the seed of Abraham.

Wherefore in all things that behooved him to be mean, like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself had suffered, being tested, tried, tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted or tried." So what should the Day of Atonement mean to us? We note further about Satan the devil being the author of sin in 1 John 3.8 that anyone who follows that way is of the devil, that practices that course. Not that you don't slip in sin or I or anybody else, we do, but we repent of our sins and we exercise faith in the sacrifice of Christ for the remission of sin, and he is faithful in just to forgive us of all unrighteousness. In 1 John 3 verse 8, "...he that commits sin," and that word commits is the Greek word poio, and it has to do with practicing as a way of life, but even just to commit sin is of the devil. For the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose, because sin entered the universe through Satan the devil, for this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Whosoever is born, God of God, does not commit sin. And you can look at that as you don't practice sin if you're still in the flesh, and when you are born of God at the resurrection, you cannot sin. For his seed remains in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. In this, the children of God are manifested and the children of the devil. Whosoever does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother.

To a large degree, in one way it seems that the Day of Atonement is just a rehash of Passover.

If it is the same as Passover, why do we observe it as a separate festival? Is there a meaning to this day that goes beyond Passover? I say most assuredly there is. As is the case with all spiritual meaning of the Holy Days, the Day of Atonement is to be lived continually, every day. Every day Jesus Christ is our Passover. Every day we're to be keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread, that we are to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and overcome sin, and to lay down our lives as a living sacrifice, symbolized by baptism, and the Holy Spirit to be working in us, and to live the life of victory, as symbolized by resurrection at trumpets, to overcome Satan continually on a daily basis, to live under the government of God now as in Feast of Tabernacles, and to go on to perfection for the whole world, as in the eighth day. So continually living these Holy Days in the spiritual reality thereof. Let's trace the history of this festival quickly. The initial redemption takes place in the book of Exodus. That is, the buying back. We go to Exodus 1. Now to follow this through, when we come to the very end of this, in Romans where it talks about Atonement. The word Atonement, the King James, is used once there in Romans chapter 5. So we are at Exodus 1.1, and we just make a few summary statements here about Exodus and read a couple of verses. Now these are the names of Israel which came into Egypt. Every man in his household came with Jacob. These are the names.

Exodus really literally means these are the names or the way out, the going out. Exodus is a book of redemption. It records Israel coming out of Egypt, sin and death, through the Passover, and unleavened bread.

The types of Exodus are of redemption, the initial buying back. We look now at Exodus chapter 12, where God reveals Passover to Israel, and that they were to sprinkle the blood of lambs on the doorpost. And when God passed through the land, the house, the doorpost that had the blood sprinkled on it, would be passed over.

In Exodus 12.29, it came to pass that at midnight the Lord smote the firstborn in the land of Egypt from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on its throne to the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. There was a great cry in Egypt that there was not a house in which there was not one dead. And so that initial Passover allowed them to leave Egypt. At Passover, the work was done outside the temple or the sanctuary. Passover is individual. The doorpost today are our hearts. The sanctuary was built as Israel went to the Promised Land. Look at Exodus 25. As part about the sanctuary, now you have to follow all of this through. If you get a deeper meaning of what this day is about, it's not just about binding Satan and putting the responsibility on his head, though that's a very important part of it. In Exodus 25, and let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. He didn't dwell in them as he dwells in us today. Now you go to the last chapter of Exodus 40.

It took them about a year to build this sanctuary or tabernacle.

And we note here in Exodus 40 and verse 17, Exodus 40, 17, it came to pass in the first month, in the second year on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up. And then we look at verse 34. A cloud covered the tent of the congregation and the glory, which figured it for the presence of the eternal field of the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation because the cloud abode thereupon and the glory of the presence of the eternal field of the tabernacle. And so they had a cloud by day, and they had the pillar of fire by night. And this was with them throughout all their journeys into the Promised Land.

So God's presence is now in the sanctuary. Now we come to the book of Leviticus. The book of Leviticus pictures God in the sanctuary. We see here when this sanctuary was dedicated, that God's presence filled. In Leviticus, you have God in the sanctuary and a call to worship. And so Leviticus basically describes how Israel would approach unto God and worship Him under the terms of the Old Covenant in the very first verse. And the eternal call unto Moses and spoke unto him out of the sanctuary or the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them. And so all of these rules, regulations, how to offer the sacrifices, how to approach unto Him, how to dress, how to this, how to that. So much of that is the book of Leviticus. It is the sanctuary book. God is in His holy temple. Now you go to John 4, the Gospel of John, and the difference today in John chapter 4. This gives the encounter of Jesus Christ with a woman at the well.

In Samaria, the Samaritans had built a temple on Mount Gerizim that rivaled the temple in Jerusalem.

So the woman said unto him, this is John 4.19, Sir, I perceive that you are to prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, Mount Gerizim, and you say that in Jerusalem is a place where men ought to worship. Jesus said unto a woman, Believe me, the hours come when you shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. Verse 24, God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Verse 23, the hour comes, and now He is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him. The atonement, the kafar, the covering, the covering for sin takes place in the temple.

Notice back now Leviticus 4 and verse 1. Leviticus 4 and verse 1.

Once again, the types in Leviticus relate to worship. Today it's in Spirit and truth. But then, the atonement, the covering, the kafar, was to take place in the temple.

Leviticus 4 and verse 1. In the eternal spoken of Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Eternal concerning the things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them, if the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people, then let him bring for his sin, which he has sinned a young bullock without blemish, unto the Eternal for a sin offering. Verse 6. And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, sprinkle of the blood, seven times before the Eternal, before the veil of the sanctuary.

Passover makes access to God possible.

It is in the sanctuary that you continually live and make the reconciliation. After Passover, the priests went continually into the outer sanctuary, and they offered a sacrifice daily. Now, we go to Hebrews 9, where Paul quickly summarizes the Day of Atonement, or Leviticus 16, in Hebrews 9. In Hebrews 9, then verily the first covenant also had ordinance of divine service and a worldly sanctuary. There was a tabernacle that describes the elements therein. Verse 7, but into the second with the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the heiress of the people.

The Holy Spirit, this signifying that the way into the holiest of all, was not yet made manifest while as the first sanctuary was yet standing, which was a figure for the time in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience, which stood only in meats and drinks, different washings, carnal ordinances imposed on him until the time of reformation. But Christ, being come and high priest of good things to come by greater and more perfect sanctuary or tabernacle not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood. He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. After Christ was made sin for us and died on the stake, he was resurrected as a life-giving spirit. He ascended into the heavens to cleanse the heavenly sanctuary. That is, he entered in the holiest of all and made reconciliation for sin once and for all. I had a minister recently write and ask, well, why did the heavenly things have to be cleansed? Some argue that he did not ascend on the day after the wave sheaf was offered, but in John 20 17 he tells Mary Magdalene, don't touch me, I'm not yet ascended to my father. I go ascend, I will ascend to him. Then later that day they touch him. So that was the day that the wave sheaf was offered, and Jesus Christ appeared as that wave sheaf, and he cleansed the heavenlies with that. Notice further here in Hebrews 9. Verse 23, it was therefore necessary that the pattern of things in the heavens should be purified with these things, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. If you hold your place there, look quickly, because I'm running out of time and I cannot go over time today.

I've got four minutes to cover 40 pages. Okay, look at Leviticus 16 and verse 16. Leviticus 16 16. And he that is the high priest shall make an atonement for the holy place, that is the sanctuary, made after the pattern of the heavenlies.

Because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, because of their transgressions and all their sins. See, we read from Leviticus 4 verses 1 through 6 that the reconciliation was made in the sanctuary. And so all of those sins, in a sense, I guess you could say, were piled up there. And on the day of atonement, expiation was made and it was cleansed. So Jesus Christ, following that pattern, did the same thing with the heavenlies, because all of the sins that have been confessed since humankind began comes before the throne of God. So in verse 24, for Christ has not entered in the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us, nor yet that he should offer himself often as the high priest entered into the holy place every year for the blood of others. So Jesus Christ entered in the holy sable to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. Those sacrifices, as we have noted, could not make the comers there unto perfect. We are now reconciled to God by the death of his son. We go now to Romans 5 and we conclude here. See, under the terms of the Old Covenant, the Atonement was kaphar, a covering for sin, and the Atonement was made within the sanctuary.

Today we are reconciled to God in Romans 5. In verse 9, much more than being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God, katalaso, to be made at one for the scales to be balanced by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. So now the sanctuary is Jesus Christ living within us. And this reconciliation, this Atonement, is made continually between us and God on a daily basis. And thus we live Atonement continually. And Jesus Christ has been resurrected, and we are now able to live in the Holy of Holies and come boldly before the throne of God. And not only so, we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the katalage, the Atonement, the complete exchange, not just a covering, but total reconciliation to become a new creation in Jesus Christ.