Four Major Themes of the Day of Atonement

It's nice to have so many talented musicians in our church area. I really appreciated both of those selections, enjoyed them very much. Mr. Pritchard amazes me that he can play the way he does without really reading music. Right? I don't get that. That's a gift. I don't know how that works. I can't sit down there and do that. We should thank God for that because Chris didn't have much to do with it.

This is one of the most unique, especially music I've seen, too, up here with the upright bass guitar. It was really beautiful as well. We have quite a few visitors today, so I'd like to welcome you here. It's really nice to have all of you with us today. As I mentioned, this is a very, very special day. So what does the Day of Atonement mean to you? Why are you here today? And why are you very likely somewhat thirsty, probably a little hungry?

Well, the Day of Atonement is rich in meaning for true Christians. Once again, Jesus Christ is at the very center of the Day of Atonement as He is in all the other holy days. What should the Day of Atonement mean to us? The Day of Atonement plays an important role, of course, in symbolizing a vital step in God's plan of redemption and God's plan of salvation. Again, this day is so rich in meaning that it could be, you know, we could come at it from a number of different angles.

So today we're going to consider four major themes of this unique holy day. The first one, the first theme I'd like to discuss is that the Father of Sin, the First and the Chief Sinner, must be bound and rendered powerless. The Father of Sin, the First and the Chief Sinner, must be bound and rendered powerless. We are to resist Satan now. We talked about that on the Feast of Trumpets and the importance of resisting Satan now, and we look forward to His complete removal. Let's go to Leviticus chapter 16, and I would like to read this in detail today because it is a very detailed account of the Day of Atonement.

It is important that we understand it, and I remember when I first came in the church, I found this somewhat confusing. This particular chapter was somewhat confusing, so I think repetition really helps a great deal when it comes to understanding what the Day of Atonement is all about and what is mentioned here in Leviticus chapter 16.

So read along with me. Now the Eternal spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, made Abinabai who, when they offered profane fire before the Lord, and they died because God struck them dead, because they were not following the proper instructions that they were given, they were not honoring and respecting God in the way that they should have. And the Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the holy place inside the veil. So I think it's tied in with what happened to Nate Abinabai who. They were not following the instructions, and God didn't want that to happen to anyone else.

So the Eternal 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. And notice it mentions the mercy seat which is on the Ark, the Ark of the Covenant, inside the holy place, or the most holy place, the Holy of Holies. For I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat. God Himself was to appear on the day of atonement in the Holy of Holies. Thus Aaron shall come into the holy place with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering and of a ram as a burn offering.

He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body. These were instructions that needed to be followed that must be followed. And Aaron took these things seriously, of course. They were to be holy garments. He shall be girded with the linen sash and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water.

He was to cleanse himself for coming into the presence of God on the day of atonement. Very important. And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats, two young kids as a sin offering, and one ram as a burn offering. Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself. He was the high priest, but he was not perfect. He was a human being. He was subject to sin. So he had to make an offering of the bull for himself and make an atonement for him and also his house as well, his family.

He shall take the two goats and present them before the eternal at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the eternal, the other lot for the scapegoat or the Azazel goat. Scapegoat is really a very poor translation.

The Hebrew word is the Azazel goat. I'd like to read a little bit from a site called Delirium's Realm on the Internet. It says, Azazel is the chief of the satareem or goat demons who haunted the desert and to whom most primitive Semitic, most likely non-Hebrew tribes offered sacrifices.

At least early on, it's very likely that perhaps even some Israelites offered sacrifices later on. The Old Testament states that Jeroboam unlawfully appointed priests for the satareem, but Josiah destroyed the places of their worship as the practices accompanying this worship involved a certain deviant act of women with goats. It was a very lewd situation. The satareem or hairy demons, as the word itself means, are mentioned in Leviticus 17.7 and 2 Chronicles 11, verse 15 as goat demons.

Isaiah 34.14 says that the goat demons greet each other among the ruins of Edom, along with Lilith and other wild beasts. The name Azazel may be derived from Azaz, a-z-a-z, and el, meaning strong one of God. It is thought that Azazel may have been derived from the Canaanite god Aziz, A-S-I-Z, who caused the sun to burn strongly, supposedly. That's what they said of the Canaanite god. Of course, there is no such thing as a god. It's all made up. It is all—I don't need to read that part—but it just shows that this Azazel was related to demonic forces.

There's another website entitled Behind the Name on the Internet. It talks about what's behind a certain name. I put in Azazel, it says the identity of Azazel is not clear. It may, in fact, be the name of the place where the goat was to be sacrificed, or it may be the name of some sort of evil desert demon.

We have believed that there is some connection with this demonic force or demon. So, a scapegoat, when you think of a scapegoat, you think of someone that isn't really guilty, doesn't deserve what he's going to get, but that's not true with the Azazel goat. So, going back to Leviticus 16 again. So Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one for the eternal, the other for the Azazel. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's Lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering.

Very important. This was to be a sin offering. But the goat on which the Lot fell to be the Azazel shall be presented alive before the eternal, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness, or the Azazel goat. So, there are two goats here that we're talking about.

One was to be for the eternal, the Lot for the eternal. The other one would be the Azazel, or demonic spirit. Verse 11, and Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering, which is for himself. So that's what he was supposed to do first, to cleanse himself and to make an atonement for himself. Then he shall take a censure full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the eternal, with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine, and he shall bring it inside the veil, inside the holy of holies.

And he shall put the incense on the fire before the eternal, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the testimony lest he die. So that's also very significant, that the presence of God would be there, the cloud of incense that would cover the mercy seat. He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat, on the east side, and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people. Remember, this is a goat, a sin offering for the people. This was the eternal's goat, the goat in which the eternal's lot fell upon, and it was to be for the people, a sin offering. So it was to be slaughtered. He shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, inside the holy of holies, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.

So this is obviously symbolic of our sins. It's for the people. It's the sins of all mankind that were to go before this holy of holies, and a sacrifice was to be made for the sins of the people. This goat represents Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ who is our sacrifice, Jesus Christ who shed his blood for us. This is the eternal's goat, or symbolic of the Son of God who shed his blood for us, who died for us.

He is for the people. So he shall make atonement, verse 16, for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions for all their sins. And so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. Of course, it was only the children of Israel that were keeping this day of atonement.

At this time, they were the ones to observe it. They were the chosen people that God had revealed his way to. Verse 17, there shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the holy place until he comes out that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. So the high priest was to do this. And he shall go out to the altar that is before the eternal, and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull, some of the blood of the goat, the goat that was for the people, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.

Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his fingers seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. And when he has made an end of atoning for the holy place, the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, he shall bring the live goat, the Azazel goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.

So this would be a man of character that was also cleansed himself, that could lead this goat into the wilderness. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. So it's been the long-standing teaching and understanding of the Church of God that this goat represents Satan the Devil, the demon goat or the Azazel goat.

That's been our teaching for many, many years. And so Aaron was to come into the tabernacle of meeting, shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there. And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

The fad of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar, and he who released the goat as the Azazel shall wash his clothes. So the suitable man would have been cleansed beforehand, and he would have to be cleansed again after leading the Azazel into the wilderness. So it would seem that that would be symbolic of outer darkness or the abyss where Satan is headed. So he shall wash his clothes, bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins, their flesh, and their oafal. Then he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. Again, they had to be very careful about cleansing themselves after these happenings, what they were told to do.

This shall be a statute forever for you in the seventh month on the tenth day of the month. So that's today, the day of atonement. You shall afflict your souls. Afflict is talking about humbling oneself through fasting. That is what we're doing today. We're humbling ourselves. We're submitting to God. We're submitting to His authority in our lives. We're obediently following the instruction to not eat or to drink on this day, but to humble ourselves and also to do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you, for on that day the priest shall make atonement for you to cleanse you that you may be clean from all your sins before the eternal.

It is a Sabbath of solemn rest. And of course, this would happen once each year on the day of atonement. Only on the day of atonement would the high priest go into the Holy of Holies and follow these instructions that he was given. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.

And the priest who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priests in his father's place shall make atonement and put on the linen clothes the holy garments. He shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting, and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the assembly.

This shall be an everlasting statute for you to make atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. Now, of course, this was reflective of a coming Messiah, a high priest who would give his life, would lay his life down, the Son of God who would lay his life down, making it unnecessary to follow these same rituals. And, of course, we don't have the priesthood today, and these sacrifices are not made in the same way as they were back in these times.

So, again, the Father of Sin, the First and the Chief Sinner, must be bound and rendered powerless. That's what one of the goats represented. It's important that that happens. Now, in Isaiah chapter 14, and I know we're pretty familiar with that, I think for sake of time I'll just discuss it briefly, we know that Lucifer sinned. We know that Lucifer meant light-bringer. And for a while he did bring light.

Until iniquity, until sin was found in him, he became full of pride, vanity. He was lifted up in pride. He sought to overthrow God himself. So Satan's demise is prophesied here in Isaiah 14, verses 12-15, if you want to look that up later. In Ezekiel 28, in verses 11-15, here we see the King of Tyre is symbolic of Satan the Devil, the serpent who was in the Garden of Eden, who tempted Adam and Eve to sin.

Of course, Adam and Eve did sin. They gave in to that temptation and they did sin against God. But Satan, of course, was the serpent that was there tempting them. Satan was the one who originally sinned. So Satan has a great responsibility as well upon his head for what he's done. Let's go to Revelation chapter 20. Revelation chapter 20, verse 1. So John in vision says, Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, or a messenger from God coming down from heaven having the key to the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, and this is actually very likely this was Christ himself who would lay hold of the dragon, the messenger from God, who would lay hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

And he cast him into the bottomless pit, into the abyss, and shut him up, and he set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things, he must be released for a little while. Satan is going to be bound for a thousand years.

Soon we'll be leaving for the Feast of Tabernacles, which does picture the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, that thousand year period where Satan is going to be shut up and imprisoned in the bottomless pit for a thousand years.

Now let's go drop down to verse 7 as well. Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints in the beloved city, and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them, and devoured those who were in rebellion against God who would follow Satan.

And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. It says where the beast and the false prophet were cast a thousand years earlier. They would have been cast into this lake of fire. They would have been burned up because they were human. And it says that the devil deceived them and was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. So that's what's going to take place after the thousand year period, after that rebellion is put down by Christ and also, of course, those who are ruling with Christ, the saints.

So the first point, again, is to realize that the father of sin, Satan the devil, must be bound. He must be rendered powerless. We should continue to resist Satan now. Satan is the great tempter. He is our adversary. He is our enemy. He would love nothing more than to tempt us to sin against God. So we should look forward to His complete removal, not just for a thousand years, but for all eternity. God knows His fate. There is different speculation as to what will be the fate of Satan the devil.

Certainly God knows. And God knows best. So we'll have to wait and see exactly what that is. I don't think we can say for sure the fate of Satan with any detail, of course. So that's the first theme to consider on this day of atonement. The next one is, and we've discussed it to some degree already, only Jesus Christ, our high priest today, because Christ is at the right hand of God, He does make intercession for us, only He is fit to render Satan powerless.

Of course, accepting the Father, the Father and the Son, they're the only ones who are fit to render Satan powerless. The Day of Atonement obviously pictures the atoning sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ. That's pretty clear that the one goat that was sacrificed was sacrificed for the people. Now we know that Passover pictures the sacrifice of Christ. It seems that it looks more to Christ's first coming and His role as Messiah and as the sacrificial Lamb of God.

The Lamb was slain for us. Christ is our Passover. Our sins are forgiven in the shed blood of the Lamb. Atonement looks more to the return of Jesus Christ and also Christ's role now as our high priest, who makes intercession for us, because the process still continues.

Christ is our Passover, of course. He died for us, but now we must live for Him. We must humble ourselves and live for Him, the one who died for us, the one who gave His life for us, the one who was sacrificed for us. And He makes intercession for us. When we do sin, if we are repentant, then repentance is granted and our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ. So again, atonement looks more to the return of Christ and also Christ's role as our high priest, who makes intercession for us.

Your sins are forgiven through the shed blood of Christ. Again, the symbolism is clear in Leviticus 16, when a young, innocent goat is slain and offered as a sin offering for the people. The high priest in Old Testament times was the one who administered this service on the Day of Atonement. Christ is now our high priest who intercedes for us. It is Christ who goes to the Father on our behalf when we sin. Christ's job wasn't completed at the stake. It wasn't completed upon His resurrection. He continues to work on our behalf as our high priest.

He speaks to the Father for us. He makes intercession for us. The Father grants repentance to us based upon our attitude of humility and genuine, godly sorrow and remorse for our sins. So we should be very humbled on this Day of Atonement. This is a day that we should all be very humbled about, because if it were not for God's plan of salvation, for we're not for the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we would not have an atonement.

We would be in our sins. We would be cast into the lake of fire. So what events made it possible for us to have our sins forgiven? Let's consider some verses now. First in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15. Genesis chapter 3 verse 15. This is actually a prophecy that took place after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. God says, and I will put enmity between you and the woman.

So he's speaking actually to Satan the Devil here. He cursed the serpent. I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. Notice that the last seed is capitalized. Your seed, Satan's seed, and her seed, the woman's seed. Jesus Christ was born of a woman. Jesus Christ is the seed that is talking about here. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. So he is the fit man. Jesus Christ will bruise Satan's head. Satan is going to be put away. Ultimately, no longer able to tempt mankind. A fatal blow.

He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise, you, Satan, shall bruise his heel. Again, his is capitalized. Christ died for us. Satan probably thought he had some kind of a victory at the crucifixion. Not true. It was all part of God's plan. He bruised his heel, though. He did die for a short time. He was resurrected.

Thankfully, God resurrected Jesus Christ. He is our high priest. So this is a prophecy of what was to take place. Now let's go to Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2. Let's consider what is written here in Hebrews. Hebrews helps us understand also the Day of Atonement. More so than almost any other book, or maybe more so than any other book. Probably more so. Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14. Inasmuch then, as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same. Jesus Christ, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil.

And release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed he does not give aid to angels, but he does give aid to the seed of Abraham. He does give aid to mankind. Made in his image, therefore in all things he had to be made like his brethren. Christ had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make propitiation, to be the mercy seat, to pay the penalty for our sins, the sins of the people.

For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, or tested, Christ was tested. He is able to aid those who are tempted. Jesus Christ was tested and he passed every test. He did not sin. He would not sin. He was completely faithful. In Hebrews 4 it says, For we have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted or tested as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Christ fasted for forty days and forty nights because he was going to be tempted by Satan the devil. He was going to be tempted. He was going to be tested by Satan the devil. He took it seriously. He fasted for forty days and nights. He was spiritually strong.

It says that afterwards Satan left him looking for an opportune time. Satan wanted to come back at an opportune time, but there never was an opportune time with Jesus Christ because he and the Father are one. He's that close to the Father that there was never a time where Satan could have the victory over Jesus Christ. But Satan will do that with us. He will come back at an opportune time.

If we resist him and we're successful, then do you think he gives up? Of course not. He tries to come back when we're weak, when maybe we haven't been doing our part. We haven't been praying or fasting like we should, and we're weaker. And Satan will come and he will tempt us. And because of the weakness of our flesh, too often we give in and we do sin against God. But thankfully we have a high priest who gave his life for us, who shed his blood for us. Christ was perfect in that he never sinned, even though Satan sought numerous occasions to tempt him and to sin, Christ never gave in.

Now let's go to Hebrews 9. Again, the second theme is that Christ is our high priest today, and he is the one that's fit to render Satan powerless. Hebrews 9, verse 7. But into the second part, the high priest went alone once a year. Talking about you had the holy place and the most holy place. Into the second part, the holy of holies, the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself.

Remember the bowl that was sacrificed? And for the people sins as well, the goat that was for the people. So he came in with that blood, he sprinkled it on the altar. The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the holiest of all was not made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifice are offered, which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience, concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings and fleshly ordinances imposed, until the time of reformation, so that sacrifices were not sufficient.

They were symbolic, but they were not sufficient. Now, notice verse 11. But 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 his 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 the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies 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? He was without blemish. He was perfect. How much more should it not cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? That's a question. That's for you and me. He's saying, how much more should we be faithful now, knowing what we know, knowing, having the understanding that we have, as New Testament and New Covenant Christians, we have an understanding that Jesus Christ is indeed the Messiah who laid His life down for us.

He is that atoning sacrifice for us. And for this reason, Christ is the Mediator of the New Covenant, by means of death. And under the New Covenant, what are we to write upon our hearts and our minds? We're to write God's law upon our heart and on our mind, and we're to live by the Spirit of God's law. Christ showed us what that meant in the Sermon on the Mount, that we should even govern our thoughts, that we should bring every thought into captivity, and to the obedience of our Savior Jesus Christ.

That's what He did. He's asking no more from us than what He did. He knows we will fall short, but that's why He died for us. He gave His life for us. He is the ultimate, the perfect sacrifice for us. So He is the Mediator of the New Covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Okay, now let's drop down to verse 22 and read a little bit further here. Verse 22, And according to the law, almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens are what are true. What's down here on earth are the copies. You know, at the throne of God, these are…that's the reality. That's all coming down in the New Jerusalem. And we will all get to see that eventually. So therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us, for us, for the people. Not that He should offer Himself often as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another. That was just temporary. It happened once a year, and it was very important. It was very sobering, and the children of Israel were very sobered by it.

And some are very sobered by it today. But they don't get it. They don't have the fullness of it because God isn't calling them at this time. He's calling the first fruits. He's calling us. And we've been given a much richer, fuller understanding of what this day pictures and what it means. We should always be truly grateful for what God is doing for us. Verse 26, He then would have 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 as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this 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. Christ is coming back. He's bringing salvation with Him. And it's going to be salvation, first of all, for the first fruits. Later, it will come for all people, all mankind who's willing to repent and accept Christ as their Savior, but initially, at His second coming, it is for the first fruits.

Now let's go to 1 John chapter 2 and read a few verses here. 1 John chapter 2, verse 1, My little children, these things I write to you, John says, so that you may not sin. I guess you could say, we get up here and we speak to you so that you will not sin. That's the purpose. Much of the purpose is to help you in your battle against sin. John says, My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.

Our goal is to become like Christ, isn't it? It's to become like the Father. It's to put sin completely out of our lives and to go and sin no more. So, my little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin, and if anyone sins, and if anyone does, and we know that anyone will, because we're still flesh, we're still human, if anyone sins, we have an advocate.

We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation. He is the mercy seat. They went in the presence of God when the high priest went in on the Day of Atonement. Once a year, He went into the presence of God. And He Himself, Jesus Christ, is the mercy seat. This took place. The Ark of the Covenant was there. The mercy seat. The lid of the Covenant. The symbolism is so rich, and I hope we can get it. He says, He Himself is the propitiation.

He is the mercy seat for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world, not just for the firstfruits. Yes, it's wonderful to be a firstfruit, but it's for all of mankind, all people who have ever lived and will live in the future.

So Christ Himself is our mercy seat. We go before Him. He is the one who makes intercession for us. We go to the Father through His Son. We pray in the Son's name. We go to the Father through Jesus Christ. So the second point is, only Jesus Christ, our High Priest today, is fit to render Satan powerless, and we can only go to the Father through the Son, through the High Priest.

So that leads us into our third theme. Through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we may enter into atonement. We may become at one with God. That is our ultimate goal, to become one with Christ and the Father. As I said, to put sin out of our lives, to be changed into spirit, to be born fully into God's family, no longer subject to sin. It is through Christ's sacrifice that we may enter into atonement.

Brethren love for God and for one another, we understand is to be the major identifying sign of Christ's disciples. That is the major identifying sign. By our love, one for another, we will be known as Christ's disciples. So it is important that we consider how loving are we? How much like God have we become? God is love. We're to become at one with Him. We're to become like Him. So we are to become love ourselves. Let's go to 1 John 4 and let's consider love. Let's consider God and love and what we need to be doing as God's children.

1 John 4, verse 7. 2 Beloved, let us love one another. John says, 3 Let us love one another. For love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. True love, agape love, and Mr.

Hooser gave a sermon about what that means, agape love. It means a whole lot more than what we understand and realize. But we are to have the love of God, multifaceted love of God, pure and undefiled in every way. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this, the love of God was manifested toward us that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son again to be the propitiation, to be the mercy seat, to pay the penalty for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. Mr. Pritchard, I think it was Mr. Pritchard today, mentioned about…it wasn't Mr. Pritchard. All he did was play the piano. It was Mr. Hooser, yeah, Oliver Hooser. He mentioned that one of his co-workers asked to be forgiven. We are to go before our brothers and sisters in Christ and seek forgiveness. And that's biblical. We're supposed to forgive one another and learn to love each other properly. So we all need to do that.

We've been divided over the years in various ways in God's church, but we should seek forgiveness and we should seek repentance and we should seek reconciliation. There are many of God's people who aren't here today sitting here. They're somewhere else. They're not among this exact fellowship, but still they have God's Spirit. And so we should seek reconciliation as much as we possibly can. Of course, repentance is necessary as well. There has to be repentance in order for that to happen.

But whatever we can do, we should certainly repent of whatever it is we need to repent of so there can be as much reconciliation as possible. So getting back to this point in 1 John here. Let's go down to verse 17 now. Love has been perfected among us in this, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. Perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment, but he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. Of course, there is really no love of and by ourselves. We are human, fleshly beings. The flesh is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God. It can't be. So true love has to come from God. The real kind of love, the depth of love, it has to be a fruit of God's Holy Spirit.

And we should certainly cultivate love, godly love, true love. So let's read a little bit further. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, I love God and hates His brother, He's a liar. That's just plain and simple. You can't love God and hate your brother. It's not possible. You don't have the love of God if you hate your brother. That can be hard for human beings, especially if they've been mistreated or abused. Learning to love them, that is a lifelong work. Learning to forgive and to love them, that takes the love of God.

Only God can do that. So if you have an issue like that, only God can help you. Go to Him daily and seek His love. And then you will be able to forgive. But only until you do that. Only until you seek that diligently and God looks on your heart, grants you repentance for your sin, and gives you that kind of love.

If someone says, I love God and hates his brother, he's a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God, whom he has not seen? In this commandment we have from him that he who loves God must love his brother also. If we're going to love God, we're going to have to love each other. That's what it's going to take, brother, and we're going to have to love each other. So we're going to have to get past a lot of these differences that we have right now.

So seek reconciliation. Strive to have the love of God, to forgive one another, and to become godly in your behavior toward each other. In Romans chapter 5, Romans chapter 5 verse 10, For 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. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

We have been reconciled to God through the sacrifice of his son. We are to also reconcile with one another because of the love of God and the love of his son, Jesus Christ. Second Corinthians chapter 4, let's go there.

Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 14. For the love of Christ compels us, because we judged us, that if one died for all, then all died. Christ died for all of us. And so we all died with him.

I gave a sermon about that. Are you dead yet? Are you dead? Have you died in Christ? And he died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Okay, don't look at people as though they're fleshly from now on. Can you do that? That's hard, isn't it? Look at them as children of God, born in the image of God. That's how we're supposed to start looking at people. And consider them that way.

That doesn't mean we have to be so naive to think they're going to act like children of God at this point. It doesn't mean we should be foolish in how we approach other people, because we have to be on guard. It's an unsafe world. I realize that. But even those people will one day have an opportunity to repent. The worst will come to a knowledge of the truth one day. So, as much as we possibly can, we need to try to start looking at people as children of God. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.

Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Christ is no longer flesh. Christ came in the flesh. He died in the flesh. He was raised in the Spirit. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.

All the sins of the world. That's significant, isn't it? That's astronomical. Huge. Imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us, we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. Christ became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Christ is to live in us, isn't He? Christ is to motivate us, to guide us, to direct us, and we are to follow His lead.

We are to become ambassadors for Christ. I couldn't help but be very saddened as I was watching the debates, this last debate. Donald Trump trying to excuse what he had said on the video that recently came out, and then trying to turn the tables on Hillary through her husband. It was just a sad thing, and the whole thing was just sickening to me.

It was just a sad, sickening thing to witness.

We are to be ambassadors for Christ. That's what we're to be.

The first fruits are to be producing the fruit of God's Spirit on a consistent, regular basis. We are to become love. We're to become joy, to become peace, to become patience, to become kindness, to become goodness, gentleness, meekness, faithfulness, self-control. That's what we are to become. We're to become unleavened. All of God's holy days overlap. They're interrelated.

All of the holy days are.

So, we are to produce the fruit of God's Spirit, and love is at the top of the list.

And that's how we are to be known by our love for each other.

Another thing, of course, God has given us another sign, and it is His Sabbath.

We're here today because we're keeping one of God's annual Sabbath days.

This is a high day. It's a holy day. That's a good thing that we're here today. It is an identifying sign between God and His people. It is a sign of the first fruits, frankly. Those who are being called now will be given the understanding of these holy days, the Sabbath, the weekly Sabbath, and the high days. So, we should never take these days lightly. We should always rejoice in observing these days and keeping them. They're so rich in meaning, and it's just wonderful to keep them every year, throughout the year, so that we are grounded in the faith, in the truth of God. These are the feasts of the Lord. They are holy convocations. God says these are a sign between me and you. Exodus 31. It's a sign between God and His people. So, that's the third theme that we've just covered. It's through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we become at one with God, that we can become love as He is love. It's all part of this day. And then the last point was covered largely by Mr. Hooser, so you can thank him for that. I won't take much time at all.

And that is through proper prayer and proper fasting, and of course, meditation on God's way as well, we learn to do God's will more faithfully. And we draw closer to being at one with God and Christ. Prayer and fasting are exceptional tools, aren't they? Some things don't happen except by prayer and by fasting. So, if we're neglecting prayer or if we're neglecting fasting, then we're neglecting our eternal lives. Now is our day of salvation. Now is our time of calling. We should be a people who pray. We should be a people who fast. Christ said when His disciples were with Him, they wouldn't fast, but afterwards when He was taken from them, they would fast.

He's been taken. He's at the right hand of God now. He's not here with us on this earth, walking with us. We are to fast, and we are to look forward to His return. So, I don't think fasting just on the day of atonement is enough for us spiritually. I think we need to do better. We need to fast more often. We need to draw near to God. He will draw near to us. That's what the Scripture says. Resist Satan. He will flee from us. If we draw near to God, God will draw near to us. We do so through prayer and fasting. That's how we communicate with God. Through prayer, we communicate with God. He sees our heart. He sees our faithfulness, our diligence. And also, we pray for one another.

We show our love for each other by not forgetting each other and by being faithful for each other.

When we fast, we are sacrificing a very basic human need. We need to eat. We need to drink. If we don't, we will die. But today, we sacrifice that basic human need so that we can draw closer to God, so that we can be pleasing to Him, so that we can keep His laws and humble ourselves and afflict ourselves. This shows our willingness to surrender our will to God's will.

Humanly, it is difficult to fast because eventually, every fiber of our being, every cell in our bodies cries out for food and water. If you're not getting enough, fast a couple more days and you will realize what I'm saying is true. I can't imagine fasting for 40 days.

That's quite an accomplishment.

Moses did it. A couple of times, I believe.

Christ certainly did it. Others have done it. A few. Look in your Bibles.

So, prayer and fasting are essential to building a close personal relationship with God and with Jesus Christ. When we fast, we are sacrificing, again, a very, very basic human need.

I'm not going to take the time to go to Isaiah 58 and 59, but I would encourage you to do that when you get home before you fall asleep. I know some of you are going to take a nap, right? And you hope you'll sleep right up until sunset.

Well, before you do, just go to Isaiah 58 and 59, where it talks about proper fasting.

Why we should fast and how we should fast and what it should mean to us. Proper fasting brings beautiful results in one's life, both physically but especially spiritually. It's even good physically to fast on a regular basis, but so much more spiritually.

It's a spiritual power tool. When we fast, we are going to fast.

We will draw near to God. God will draw near to us. It will make a difference in your life.

So fast more often. So, brethren, what a wonderful blessing it is to be here on this day of atonement, to be here fasting together, fellowshiping with one another. This day, as all of God's holy days, are rich in meaning. Today, we talked about how Satan is about to be bound and rendered powerless. We should certainly look forward to that day. Satan is the God of this world. It's an evil and it's a sick world. And Satan is behind. Much of it, all of it.

He bears a responsibility, certainly, Satan the devil does, for rebelling against God in the first place and for continuing and not repenting. Of course, we bear responsibility for our sins, too. We can't just blame it all on Satan. We have to take responsibility for our sins, as well. We have a personal accountability to repent of our sins. But Satan is going to be bound and he is going to be rendered powerless by a fit being, Jesus the Christ. Secondly, only Christ, our high priest, is fit to render Satan powerless. Thirdly, we as firstfruits are entering into atonement.

We are becoming at one with God. We're becoming more like him as we draw nearer to him, as we faithfully keep his commandments, do those things that are pleasing and aside, and learn to love each other and to love him more and more. And number four, a fourth theme that we talked about is through prayer and fasting. We learn to do God's will more faithfully. So, brethren, Barbara and I would like to wish you a very fine and wonderful feast of tabernacles. My wife didn't sleep well last night.

I went to bed at 8 30. I was wiped out, started to work on my sermon, and said, I'm not getting very far. You know, when you're so tired, when you know you're just not... I'm a morning person anyway. So, I went to bed and got up this morning, worked on my sermon. But in the middle of the night, I woke up and Barbara was awake. She had her iPad going, and she was doing some Bible study. She didn't sleep well last night, so she was going to go back to bed when I came here. But also, we're leaving first thing in the morning for Panama City. We're driving there tomorrow, and she thought she would probably really get ill if she came here, drove in the car. She doesn't do well in the car, especially if she hasn't had her sleep. So, that's why she's not here today, but she is observing the Day of Atonement. Anyway, we would like to wish all of you a very fine and very wonderful feast of tabernacles. Some of you we get to spend the feast with. Some of you are going to Panama City, and we're looking forward to enjoying the feast with you. But wherever you are, let's remember those who could not attend this year because of age or illness. Let's remember them. Let's all pray for their healing and their health. Let's all pray for God's Kingdom to come each and every day of the feast. It pictures the coming of God's Kingdom. This world desperately needs Christ to return and to establish God's government here on this earth. Let's pray for one another. Let's pray that we'll all have a glorious feast. Let's pray that one day all people will come to know the true God, and we'll be able to share in the blessings that you and I have an opportunity to share in. These are wonderful days. We're blessed. We're riding upon the high places of the earth.

God has blessed us greatly and given us so much. So let's go on and let's go up and worship the King.

Let's worship the King.