Jesus Christ: Our High Priest

Good afternoon. Happy Sabbath, happy day of atonement. It's a wonderful day. Thank you for that special music, Catherine, to be like Christ. That's the goal. We try every day, but we can't make it quite that far, but we will someday. That's the joy that we have and the promises that we know that are in God's words. It's neat to have a song like that in the middle of these Holy Days, because this whole plan of God represented in His Holy Days, and that we're in the midst of the fall season. With the feast coming up here this week, it's a wonderful time of the year. The way Mr. McGuire started out as a sermonette, I didn't think I was going to have much material to work with today. He was covering the basics, and I thought he was going to take the sermon himself and leave me with the sermonette time, and I would just tie a bow on it. We'd call it a day, but now he left me plenty. I don't know if this is a secret to anybody here, but I'll let you in on a little bit of a secret about me as a child. This Holy Day was not my favorite. For any of our kids that are here today, you may be thinking a similar way that I did when I was a child. I remember some of those early years of getting... well, knowing that the feast was coming and getting excited about that, but also knowing that the Day of Atonement was before the feast. It was also going to come. And you know what it means to be a little guy, having to fast, having to go without water. And of course, my parents were nice about it. They allowed me to ease into it. They weren't overly demanding that very first time that I thought I'd be able to make it all the way through. And one day, my brother had a rougher time, and so he's three years younger than me. And watching him have to experience this day, it was tough at times, especially when there's compassion in your heart for somebody who's going through such a difficult time. But as we continue to age, each one of us, we realize there's so much death, so much meaning in this day. It's not just a day about not eating. It's not just a day about being hungry and wondering when sunset's going to finally get here. But as we grow spiritually, there's so much death to this day, as Mr. McGuire started to go through in his sermonette outline. And if you were to tell somebody, what is the day of atonement about, we would all probably approach it from maybe a little bit of a different angle, because there are so much meaning to this day. So, as we often do on the Holy Days, let's dive right into the Scriptures that speak to this day. Let's turn to Leviticus 23 and be reminded of what does God say that this day is.

Leviticus 23, and we'll read in verse 26. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Also the tenth day of the seventh month shall be a day of atonement, shall be a holy convocation for you, you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is a day of atonement. To make atonement for you before the Lord your God, for any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people, and any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people, you shall do no manner of work, shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, and all your dwellings shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls on the ninth day of the month, at evening from evening you shall celebrate your Sabbath. A special aspect of this day that we don't have recorded here is in, we'll get into in a little bit, is in Leviticus 16. It was on this specific day, this one time of the year, that the high priest of the nation of Israel would have specific responsibilities to perform. These responsibilities were his and his alone, and it wasn't for any of the other priests to be involved in the way that it was for the high priest. On this day of atonement today, we will take some time to review the role of the high priest, and the role that the high priest served on this day, and how it relates to the new covenant meaning for atonement. As we start out today, let's actually begin in Hebrews 9, where we find a brief review of the tabernacle, which will help us as we dive into the specific responsibilities the high priest had on this day. We're going to be flipping quite a bit back to Hebrews 9, because in it we see the new covenant meaning behind this day, and who our new high priest truly is. But what we're going to do is work through it as we work through Leviticus 16. So here first in Hebrews 9, Hebrews 9, Chapter 1, then indeed even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary, for a tabernacle was prepared, the first part in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary. And behold, the second veil, the part of the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all, which had the golden censer in the Ark of the Covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that butted, and the tablets of the Covenant. And above it were the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things, we cannot now speak in detail, meaning he was speaking, the writer of Hebrews was speaking to those who had knowledge of the law, knowledge of the Holy Days, and he's saying we don't have time to dive into all the details of what each one of these pieces represented, but we see he worked through this prior to what he's going to get to, and which we'll share in a little bit in verse 6. Now, when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the service. Well, what was this service spoken of here? Let's now look in Leviticus 16, and you may want to put your marker there, because we're going to be reading through a lot of Leviticus 16 today and flipping back and forth. Let's see what the service was that the high priest was to do on this day.

Leviticus 16, verse 1. 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. These were his two sons that entered the tabernacle in an inappropriate way with fire, and their lives were consumed, because it was not done the way that God had instructed it to be done. And in verse 2, 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.

So not to come in just any fashion that he wanted to, not to just wake up one day and decide, Oh, I think this is a holy day. I'm going to handle these services now. He said, it wasn't just for any time, lest he die. And continuing on verse 2, For I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat. Now, if you've got your finger in Hebrews 9, let's flip back there. I'm going to try to keep my finger in my notes today, because I only have one marker in my Bible. But if you have two markers, put one here in Hebrews, around Hebrews 9 and the other in Leviticus 16, or put your pen in.

That's what I normally do. I slide an extra pen in, because we're going to be coming back and forth. So what is this one time of the year that he's speaking of? Here in Hebrews 9 and verse 7, it says, But into the second part, the high priest went alone once a year. So into this inner sanctuary, into the inner tabernacle, is where he went once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the people's sin, committed in ignorance. So what we have here, only once a year was anyone permitted in the Holy of Holies at atonement, and it was only to be the high priest.

Christ is our eternal high priest, and has entered the Holy of Holies once for all. Continuing on in Hebrews 9 and verse 12, we read this. Hebrews 9 and 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. We see the fullness of the role of the high priest when we see that Jesus Christ is now the high priest, our eternal high priest. No longer a role for man, but only for a role for that one that is our Savior. Back in Leviticus 16 verse 3, we'll continue on the roles that the high priest was to do this day.

Leviticus 16 verse 3, 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 burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body. He shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired.

These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water and put them on. Here we have very specific instructions for what the high priest was to wear. These articles of clothing were different from the clothes worn at different times of the year for the priests. Normally, the priests would wear rich garments, including the ephod, which was woven with blue, purple, scarlet, and gold threads. And he also had that breastplate with which 12 precious stones made out of gold. So he had these priestly garments he would normally wear.

But these garments here are called holy garments, specifically set aside garments to be worn. They can also be referred to as the white garments. James Jameson Fawcett in Brown Commentary has this to say about this section of Scripture. Speaking of the high priest, he was not to attire himself on that occasion in the splendid robes that were proper to his sacred office, but in a plain dress of linen, like the common Levites.

For as he was then to make atonement for his own sins, as well as those of the people, he was to appear in humble character. This showed that we are all to appear in God with the same humility as we've heard already today.

Regardless of the roles that we serve within God's church, within the body of Christ, we are to appear this day humble, recognizing that God has given his son for our sins, and that without that, we would have no hope. And without the physical support that we have, both for our bodies and for our minds and things like that, we would be nothing without the things that we have to eat, the medicines and the care that we have from vegetables and the vitamins that we get from the nourishment that we get from even water. The things that God provided on this earth and he continues to give us is what sustains our life. And then spiritually, what would we be without the Word of God, our bread of life that we have here that fills us with his Word and his knowledge? We recognize that we are nothing. When it comes down to this day, as a little boy at age five, going without a whole day without food and water, I was nothing. And I realized that for the first time in my life. Nothing I could do on my own was going to make up for the fact that I didn't have food that day. I didn't have water. The only thing I had was parents who said I was not going to die. So we realize this is the aspect that the high priest was to also appear as, showing humility. We are each imperfect. We are each physical people with our flaws and our faults. We also know that white specifically signifies purity and something without sin. And dressing this way, he became a type of Christ, foreshadowing the greater high priest to come. As Jesus Christ came in the form of man, he gave up his divine glory and he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. That is from Philippians 2, verse 7. In the life that Christ lived, in the flesh that you and I have, he was tested on all ways and overcame temptation to live a life without sin. Matthew Henry's commentary adds an interesting viewpoint. It says, Christ made atonement for sin in our nature, not in the robes of his glory, but in the same fleshly garments that we wear.

Just as the high priest was to set aside his splendid robes for this occasion that we are here, Christ did the same in giving up his glory and his position in the Godhead to live as fully man in every physical sense of the Word, just as we are. In doing so, he atoned for the sin of all mankind, therefore becoming the eternal high priest. This is the God that we serve. This is our awesome elder brother in everything that he has done for us. Continuing in Leviticus, chapter 5, Leviticus 16, I'm sorry, verse 5.

And the high priest, he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering and one ram as a burnt offering. Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his house.

Being physical human, the high priest was not perfect and sin was found in him just as it is in each of us. He was required to offer up a sacrifice first for his own sins and then would offer one for the people of Israel. We'll get into this in a little bit more detail in a bit.

In Leviticus 16, verse 7, he shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. Some people have confused this as being both of these goats represented Jesus Christ. That is not accurate because we see right here, and we'll see as we go through the rest of the passage here, what these two goats represent and that they both can't represent Jesus Christ. Because one it says is for the Lord and the other is for the scapegoat. In verse 9, and Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell and offer it as a sin offering, but the goat in which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it and to let it go as a scapegoat into the wilderness.

So we have here in this passage that we just went through, goats presented before God and lots were to be cast to determine which would be the sin offering and which would be the scapegoat. The word scapegoat in our modern English language, we would say if somebody was a scapegoat, they're taking the fall for something that wasn't their fault. It's a poor translation if that's what we use today. It's not the accurate meaning of what is really meant here. The Hebrew origin of scapegoat is azazel, a-z-a-z-e-l, which means goat of departure. Goat of departure. Azazel means simply to go away, to disappear, to be gone. So we see and we'll see in a bit the specific role of this azazel goat. Something else that we should note here from this phrase is to make atonement upon. To make atonement upon. Atonement, the Hebrew word, would be kafar, k-a-p-h-a-r, which means to cover, figuratively to condone or placate or cancel. So you could also say to make an atonement, to cleanse, to forgive, to be merciful, to pardon, or to put away, or to reconcile.

So we see that when we read that to make atonement upon, that this goat and this passage here talks about the forgiveness of our sins, that they would be covered in, if we were in the old time ancient nation of Israel, that our sins would be covered through this ceremony, through these goats.

So that is what this picture is here, and we'll talk about more of what it means for us today.

There's another tie-in in the short passages that we work through here, too, on what Aaron was instructed to do and what God the Father himself did. Jewish tradition explains that the two lots were created, and on one lot, so you'd have two pieces of either metal, two pieces of wood, something, you'd have two items here, and on one, they would write the Lord's name, and on the other, they would put a zazel, so that they would represent the two goats.

And then these lots were put into a vessel which was shaken, so that the high priest had no idea which one was which anymore. And the high priest would reach in with two hands and grab one of each in each of his hands, pull it out, and without looking, walk over to the goats, where he would then place a left hand over the goat that was on his left side and a right hand over the goat that was on the right, and at that point, he would turn it over and to see which goat was chosen by God. He did not make that choice himself. God made the choice in the process. This is how Jewish tradition explains that the lots were cast for these goats. This left the decision of which goat would be for which purpose completely to God. And in a similar fashion, it was God the Father who chose when and how Christ would die to become the world's Savior. Let's turn to Isaiah 28. We'll read a couple passages just speaking to this point.

Isaiah 28 verse 16.

Therefore, thus says the Lord God, Behold, I lay a stone in Zion, a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. Whoever believes will not act hastily. The key point in this passage is it says, I lay in Zion. God lays in Zion, a sure, a stone for a sure foundation. Let's also see what Peter says about this in 1 Peter. He also references this passage as well.

1 Peter chapter 2 in verse 1. This is 1 Peter. I'm not sure if I said 2 Peter. This is 1 Peter 2.

Verse 1. Therefore, I lay in a sight all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby. If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, coming to him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is also contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame. So we see again another Scripture saying that this aspect of this day, that Jesus Christ was chosen by the Father and when and how he would die and to be our Savior. And in doing so, he became our high priest. It's an interesting view on just how God chose which goat would be, for which purpose, and now also on how he did it with our Savior as well. Let's turn back to Leviticus 16 and continue on in the day, the service of this day.

Leviticus 16, and now we're in 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 he shall kill the bull as the sin offering, which is for himself. So we know the high priest must first be reconciled with God before he could then make reconciliation for the sins of the people. He was also reconciling his house, primarily those serving in the priesthood, in the roles of the priesthood. There's Scriptures and Psalms that talks about, O Israel, trust in the Lord. Then it says, O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord. So it's speaking specifically to those in the priesthood who were serving in his house. But as we know, we now have a new high priest that exists eternally as our Savior, Jesus Christ, that needs not to be reconciled because of his perfectly lived life and his perfect sacrifice. If you've got a marker in Hebrews, let's flip back to Hebrews again, this time in chapter 7. Hebrews 7 and verse 11.

Here the writer says, Therefore if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the law, what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron. For the priesthood being changed of necessity, there was also a change in the law. Not that the law went away, but the way of the high priest being chosen and how the priests who served under the Levitical priesthood, those from the tribe of Levi, that is what was changing that aspect of the law. In verse 13, For he of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident if in the likeliness of Melchizedek there arises another priest, who has come not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. For he testifies, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. In verse 25, Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For such a high priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens, who does not need daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the peoples. For he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weaknesses. But the word of the oath which came after the law appoints the sun, who has been perfected forever. This is the way that our true high priest serves in a much greater fashion than in strictly those ordinances outlined in Leviticus. The way that the priest was to dress, the way that he was to handle the sacrifices which we'll see here in a moment, that Jesus Christ came and offered himself as that perfect sacrifice. He did not have the problems that we have. He did not have the character flaws and things that we deal with. Because as it says, he was holy. He was harmless. He was undefiled and he was separate from the sinners. And this is what allowed his sacrifice to happen and to become our high priest.

Let's continue on in Leviticus 16 and now verse 12. In verse 12, then he shall, and this is speaking to the high priest again, the high priest, he shall take a censure full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine and bring it inside the veil. And he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the testimony lest he die. As mediator for the nation of Israel, the high priest needed to enter the Most Holy Place. I imagine that the high priest might have been a little bit timid, a little bit nervous at this moment that he was to enter the Most Holy Place. This was the last moment that separated him from life and death, depending on how he handled himself and what he did. He may have had the fear of God in him. He may have trembled a little bit at the thought of entering the Most Holy Place. Jewish tradition, again from Matthew Henry's commentary, states that he would take the coals in one hand, I'm sure with some sort of plate or something to protect his hands, and incense in the other, and he would approach and go through the curtain and approach the mercy seat, turned to the side as not to look on the throne of God, not to stare at the presence of God directly. Then he would place the coals down on the ground in front of the mercy seat or the Ark of the Covenant, and then he would quickly take the incense and put on those coals, and immediately the tabernacle, the inner room, would fill with the smoke, with the fragrance smell, but also with the smoke. Then the tradition goes on to say he would come out backwards, out of reverence, and after a short prayer, quickly leave.

Could you imagine doing this the first time you step through, with this, with doing it the way that God has outlined and the way that Moses had instructed Aaron through God's Word, but still, that first time, our High Priest came from the presence of God and returned to the heavens and now sits at the right hand of God. While one could try to say that his fleshly body separated him from God, that wouldn't be accurate. Christ had a divine nature and a rock-solid focus to completely do the will of God. Everything he did was according to the will of God and never sinning. He was obedient to the point of death. Therefore, he is our High Priest. The nerves that you or I would feel may be entering the Holy of Holies. Jesus Christ came boldly as God in the flesh to atone for our sins, to live a life without sin, to be different from those around him, to expound on the law in a different way, to bring it to our hearts, to the hearts of mankind. This is something he did with confidence and he was sure in what he was doing, always keeping his focus on God, knowing that it was his will for everything that he would do, knowing the promises of God that he would, again, be resurrected and to be at the right hand of God. This is what the High Priest lacked. He had God's instructions. He knew what he was to do, but at the same time, was he sure that it would happen? Was he sure that he'd be able to fulfill all this role in a complete way and spare his life? Jesus Christ did. Continuing on in Leviticus 16 and verse 14, we read, He shall take some of the blood of the bull. And so this is after he had come out, after putting the incense inside the most holy place. 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, bring its blood inside the veil, deal 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 he shall make atonement 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. 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.

In verse 17 we have that no man in the tabernacle of meeting was to be there. Just as the high priest was to do his part of the work alone, Jesus Christ also did his work alone, even having his own disciples abandon him when the Roman soldiers came to take him away.

Jesus came and he lived and he died as our Savior alone, providing a way for you and me to come before our Father and to have our sins forgiven. One perfect sacrifice for sin. Continuing on in verse 18 now, and he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar all around. Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

The high priest would take the blood of the goat into the Most Holy Place and before the mercy seat, sprinkling blood on the same manner as before. At this point, the blood of the bull, which represented the sin offering for him, and the blood of the goat, representing the sin offering for the people, would have intermingled as he did this. Both the priests and the people were human, and each had their own sins that needed equally to be atoned for. And as this blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat, representing God's throne, the high priest acted out the function Christ performs for us today. Having ascended to the very throne of God to present the blood of his sacrifice, Christ intercedes for us as our high priest. Let's flip back to Hebrews chapter 9 now, and continue reading about this meaning. Hebrews 9 and 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 this creation, and 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. Because of Christ's sacrifice, we each now have direct access to the very mercy seat of God directly. We can enter into a conversation with God. We can call on his promises of mercy and love, and we can repent of our sins. We can express our sorrow, and we can ask for his help to change. There are times that each of us feel unworthy to enter God's presence because of our own sins, because of our own weaknesses. But before God, we must still go, just as a high priest would go. God in his mercy receives us because our advocate sits at his right hand. Our Savior intercedes before God on our behalf, as the high priest would do for Israel. Continuing in Hebrews, actually one chapter back, Hebrews 8, in verse 1.

Hebrews 8 verse 1, Now this is the main point of the things we are saying. We have such a high priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty of the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord erected, and not man. Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray or as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now he who searches the heart knows what the mind of the Spirit is because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And in verse 34, Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. So again, we see the connection between a physical high priest and a greater high priest in Christ. It's at this point in the process that the whole nation would have been atoned before God, but things weren't finished. It was at this point the cause of sin now needed to be addressed. So back to Leviticus 16 in verse 20. I took my finger out, and so now I've got to turn there again. Leviticus 16 in verse 20.

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. Aaron shall lay both of 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. The sins of Israel would be placed on this goat and sent away into the wilderness. While the first goat was killed as a sin offering, representing Jesus Christ, the second goat that had the sins of Israel placed on it represents Satan. Satan desires that we remain at fault and separated from God. He desires that we miss out on all that God has in store for us as his children. He hates us. Let that ring for a minute.

He hates us. This isn't just somebody who we don't get along with. This isn't somebody who we'd rather not spend time with or that we would avoid if we saw him at a shopping center. This is somebody who hates us.

And he hates this day because of what it represents, the reconciliation of humanity to God. Satan is a liar and a deceiver, and he has been a powerful destructive force on this earth. In John chapter 8, we have a passage where Jesus Christ is in the temple teaching. But the scribes and the Pharisees were only interested in challenging his teachings and his authority. In this passage in John 8, Christ gets to the crux of the issue, pointing the finger at the source of their wrong attitude. In verse 40 of John 8, Christ says, But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Notice the word truth there. Notice that he says, I have told you the truth. This is Christ saying this, but we see the contrast in verse 44. But you are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks of I, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me. We see that contrast of what Jesus Christ came to the earth to preach the truth. Yet Satan, since the beginning of man's existence, has been a liar, has been a deceiver, has been a destructor of anything that is good, anything that is right from God. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul explains the way Satan lies, and his deception has caused mankind to miss out on knowing God fully today.

In 2 Corinthians 4, verse 4, Whose mind the God of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is in the image of God, should shine on them.

We know that Satan takes little bits of truth of God's word, then he twists it into a lie. He takes things that are good and makes it bad, and takes the things that are bad, and calls them good. And so many times, man has followed with the same idea, the same concepts, embracing those ideas, and living that way of life. We see why he is called a liar and the father of it, and why there has to be something done with him. Because from the moment man was created on this earth, Satan's influence has been around God's greatest creation. When we sit down and try to imagine, what would this world be like without Satan's influence? We can't imagine it, because from our first breathing moment, he's been in this world. We've been exposed to his way and his influence. It'd be like trying to imagine what this world would be like without gravity. Can you imagine that?

Can you physically wrap your mind around how different your world would be if in a snap, gravity was gone? It would be different. It would sure be different. But in the way that Satan is going to be removed, it's going to be different in an amazing way for those who are alive. The future fulfillment of this day will be when Satan and his influence is removed from the face of the earth. Let's read this in Revelation 20. Revelation 20, verse 1. Revelation 20, verse 1. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and 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.

As this goat was cast into the wilderness and an inhabited place where people did not live, Satan will also be cast away into a place where he can no longer interact with humans.

Jesus died for our sins, but Satan will bear the blame for his role in our sins, and the way that he continues to spread lies and cause division between God and man.

As it says in Leviticus 16, verse 22, The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an inhabited land, and he shall release the goat into the wilderness.

Turn back to Leviticus 16 as we start to wrap up here.

The final instructions that are given in Leviticus 16, verses 23 through 28 instructs Aaron what to do after this point, because it's the most of the service is now done. It goes through things, so I'll just summarize. It goes through things, what he's to do with his linen garments. He's to wash himself. The man who took the goat out to the wilderness was to wash himself before re-entering the camp. It says what to do with the fat of the sin offering and other things, and what to do with their skins. Kind of just the wrap up of how God wanted this to come to an end. But there's a closing remembrance of this day in Leviticus 16, verse 29, that God wanted to leave with them. Verse 29, 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.

The day of atonement represents a coming time of reconciliation, during which Satan's banishment from the world will take place. This will be after the world has gone through a horrible, devastating time leading up to this day of atonement. They will at this point be a humbled and repentant humanity, and they will at last be able to be reconciled to God. This is only all possible because we have a supreme high priest that it not only bore our sins so we can be truly reconciled with God, but also sits at his right hand interceding for each one of us. Because of his sacrifice, we can come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. That is from Hebrews 4 verse 16. The reconciliation of all humanity with God through Christ's atoning sacrifice is what this day pictures. In his awesome sacrifice, Christ fulfilled the sacrificial system God gave to Israel. Let's turn lastly to Hebrews 9 again. Hebrews 9 verse 13.

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, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. And in chapter 10 verse 19. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with the true heart in full assurance of our faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assemblies of ourselves together, as in the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much more as you see the day approaching. We hope that you have a wonderful remainder of your day of atonement. We will be leaving here shortly.