Vital Points About the Day of Atonement

Well, that was certainly very beautiful music, wasn't it? Music does inspire all of us. It was good to see you all this afternoon. Welcome to our Sabbath service, Day of Atonement service today. A beautiful, beautiful afternoon. The sun is shining bright, the air is cool, it's very refreshing. We welcome you here to the Day of Atonement service in Greensboro. I'll always remember my first Day of Atonement. It was 1958 in Phoenix, Arizona, on the way to Big Sandy, Texas to keep my first Feast of Tabernacles.

And back at that time, we had two services on the Day of Atonement, one in the morning, one in the afternoon with about a two-hour break in between. And I remember being pretty puny by the time we came to the afternoon service. My wife told me that on her first Day of Atonement in 1962, she and her parents had no church service to go to, and they didn't understand fully how the Day of Atonement should be kept.

And that year, it came up during the week. I don't know, a Monday or a Wednesday, a day during the week. And so she went to school on that day. She was 18 years of age at that time. She was fasting, so she refrained from food. But she was at school, and she remembered going to the water fountain and drinking water, and then afterward remembering, oh, I wasn't supposed to do that.

So we all learned, we all grow, and no doubt we'd all have some interesting Day of Atonement stories that we could tell. Brother, we're here this afternoon proving a point.

We've not been eating and drinking anything since last night at sunset. We're proving a point that we want something spiritual in life more than we want the physical things. And we're proving that we realize that real life is spiritual, not physical. Jesus said the flesh profits nothing, but it is the spirit that gives life. And Jesus also said, labor not for the meat that perishes. So we're fasting to prove that we want God, and we want His Spirit, more than food and drink or any physical thing. We're fasting because God commands us to fast on this day.

This is the one day of all the Holy Days that God commands us to fast, not to eat and drink. And we're showing that we do want hunger and thirst for righteousness, and we do want to have a healthy spiritual appetite. So let's understand more about why we are here fasting. Let's understand more about this day of atonement. It is a day that is rich in meaning, and there are vital things that we learn as we keep it, vital things in the Bible that God reveals as to what it means.

Let's begin by turning—we're going to read a lot of scriptures this afternoon. Let's turn to Leviticus 23. All of these scriptures will pertain to the day of atonement. Leviticus 23 is that one chapter in the Bible that has all of God's Holy Days. Let's read the scriptures about the day of atonement beginning in verse 27. Leviticus 23 in verse 27. Also on the tenth day of this seventh month—well, that's today. And of course, in the Jewish world they call this Yom Kippur.

But we call it, as it is found here in the Bible, the day of atonement. The day of atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you. You shall afflict your souls. That means too fast. You shall do no work. Verse 28. But it is a day of atonement. Any person that's not afflicted—verse 29—was to be cut off. And any person that does any work was to be destroyed from among his people. You shall do no manner of work. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations and all your dwellings.

It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls. On the ninth day of the month and evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath. And so God commands, then, this day of afflicting our soul. Let's notice now in Acts 27 and verse 9 that the New Testament Christians were well aware of the day of atonement, and the apostle Paul here makes reference to it. That's Acts 27 and verse 9, when much time had been spent. And sailing was now dangerous because the fast—in my New King James version—fast is capitalized, the fast. And the margin says the day of atonement. So it's commonly recognized that this is talking about the day of atonement.

The fast was already passed. And so we have here a New Testament scripture showing that they were well aware of the day of atonement. Brethren, the day of atonement is rich in meaning for us and also for the world. And I want to bring out several things about the day of atonement, then, as far as its meaning. Let's turn back to Leviticus chapter 16. We're going to read some things here that were done every year only on the day of atonement.

This chapter, the entire chapter, is talking about things that happened on this day in ancient Israel. We know at that time they did sacrificing of animals. We do not sacrifice animals today, of course. Jesus Christ has come and has paid the supreme price for sin by his own sacrifice.

But those sacrifices pointed ahead to that supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In Leviticus chapter 16, there is instruction right away that in verse 2 that Aaron was to go into the, not to go into the holy place just any time, but at this certain time. It actually was going to be on the day of atonement. He would do certain sacrificing for himself and for the people.

But I want us to skip down to verse 6. Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and make atonement for himself and his house. And then in verse 7, he shall take of two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So Aaron would cast lots for the two goats. One lot was for the Lord and the other lot was for the scapegoat or better in the Hebrew. It's simply a zazel. It does not mean scapegoat as we will explain as we go along.

Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell and offer it as a sin offering. This first goat then was killed, was offered as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell for the scapegoat or the zazel goat shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement for you and let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

So these two goats are going to help us to understand some vital things about the Day of Atonement because as it goes on to bring out the latter part of this chapter in verse 29, we can see that this was all happening on the Day of Atonement. This shall be a statute forever for you in the seventh month on the tenth day of the month.

You shall afflict your souls and do no work. On that day, verse 30, the priest shall make atonement for you to cleanse you that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you and you shall afflict your souls.

It is a statute forever. And so these events described here in Leviticus 16 were on the Day of Atonement. So they had these two goats. Let's understand more about these two goats because they help us to understand a lot about the meaning of the Day of Atonement.

The first goat was for a sin offering. This goat was killed. And we read more about this goat beginning in verse 15. He shall kill the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, bring its blood within the veil, do with the 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 of their sins. So this offering then was for the sins of the people.

It represented then a way that the sins of the people could be forgiven. It was a type, actually, of Jesus Christ because we know that the blood of bulls and goats could never forgive sin. Paul makes that very clear in the book of Hebrews. Those animal sacrifices could never really forgive sin.

But guess what? They pictured that sacrifice that really is able to forgive sin, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And so we'll come back to Leviticus 16 for the second goat later, but let's turn to the New Testament now. Let's turn first of all to Romans chapter 5, and we'll see that that blood of the first goat represented the blood that really does forgive sin. It really does make atonement with God possible. In Romans chapter 5 and verse 8, God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, how much more having been reconciled shall be saved by His life. And not only that, we also rejoice through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the reconciliation. You know, the King James version, if you have that, says atonement. We have received the atonement. Atonement and reconciliation are the same. When we are reconciled to God, there's nothing between us and God anymore. We're at one with God. We have been reconciled. We have been atoned. We have received the atonement. So that first goat represented the way by which we can be at one with God. That's a wonderful thing, isn't it? Our sins separate us from God, but the blood of Christ removes that separation, and we're brought into atonement with God. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 9. We read the same thing. That first goat represented the blood by which we really can be forgiven, and we can be reconciled. We can be atoned to God. This day of atonement then reminds us of the sacrifice by which atonement is possible.

In Hebrews chapter 9, and we could even begin in verse... well, let's just begin in verse 11. Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 11. But Christ came as high priest of good things to come with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands that is not of this creation, not with the blood of goats and calves, those Old Testament animal sacrifices, but with His own blood, His own sacrifice. He entered the most holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

If the blood of bulls and goats and ashes of heifer sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

So the sacrifice of Jesus Christ really does forgive sin. Let's go to one more scripture in 1 John chapter 1 and verse 7. Brethren, we have a way then by which our sins can be forgiven, and without our sins being forgiven, we would have no hope. The death penalty would still be over us. We cannot be forgiven of our sins. We cannot have eternal life. In 1 John chapter 1 and verse 7, if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. Isn't that wonderful? All sin is cleansed by the blood of Christ. I've talked to people before that have felt, well, I've done things so bad, I just don't know if I can be forgiven. If we can be sorry, if we can ask God to forgive us, then we can be forgiven. It's for someone that cannot be sorry, that cannot say, I was wrong, cannot say, I sinned, and please forgive me, that cannot beg God's forgiveness. That's the only type of sin that's not forgiven. But if anyone feels bad about what He has done and wants forgiveness, then the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. And verse 8 says, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. So we need to admit it, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. Let's read the first two verses of chapter 2. My little children, these things are right to you that you may not sin. We should strive not to sin, of course. But if anyone sins, we have an advocate. We have someone that is there to help us. He's on our side, and that's an advocate with the Father. And who is that? It is Jesus Christ the righteous, represented by that first goat in Leviticus 16. In verse 2, He Himself is the propitiation for our sins. He is the atoning, the reconciling one that's able to bring us back into harmony with God. And not ours only, but also for the whole world. So that first goat represents the way that we can be reconciled to God. And we can have that which gets in the way between us and God can be taken away.

And we have access to God. We're at one with God. There's no other way that we could be at one with God except our sins forgiven. Let's go now back to Leviticus 16. And well, what about the second goat? I've been mentioning the second goat. We come back to it, but what's the significance of the second goat? Well, in Leviticus 16 and verse 10, we'll read that one more time. Leviticus 16 and verse 10, Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell and offer it as a sin offering. That's verse 9. But verse 10, the goat on 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. Well, we read more about this goat in verse 20. When he has made an end of atoning for the holy place, all of the blood then, including the blood of the life of the goat that was sacrificed, then he shall bring the live goat. Last part of verse 20. In verse 21, Aaron shall lay both his hands. Here's something they did in ancient Israel every day of atonement. They have this second goat, the live goat, and Aaron would lay his hands upon 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 send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. And the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. And that was the end of that story as far as the live goat. They confessed over this goat all of the sins of the people, and then they would lead him away into a wilderness area and turn him loose. And that was it. He was not killed, but he had sins that had been laid upon him, and he was left in the wilderness. What does this mean?

Brethren, it means that there is another being that plays a very crucial role in the sins of human beings, and that is Satan the devil. There is an evil spirit being. I'll tell you some of the things we see happening are just inhuman. There is an evil spirit being that is at work behind what is happening in the world. And according to the Scriptures, he has deceived the whole world.

The second goat, the live goat that was not killed but let loose, having had the sins of Israel confessed over its head, represents Satan the devil. Satan the devil is a spirit being.

God did not create a devil, but he did create a super archangel named Lucifer. He read about this in Isaiah chapter 12. And this evil spirit being rebelled against God. Also in Ezekiel 28, you can read more. Isaiah chapter 14 and Ezekiel 28. There was a perfect archangel who rebelled against God and who was cast down, apparently able to draw one-third of the angels with him and to go into that rebellion against God. They thought they could just go up and take over God's throne. But God cast him back down to the earth. These evil spirit beings were still around when Adam and Eve were created. They got through to Eve, and Eve then got through to her husband, and they ate the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This evil spirit being was still around in the days of Jesus Christ. He tempted Jesus Christ, trying to get Jesus to worship him and rebel and go opposite God's way. So these evil spirit beings are still around today.

But guess what? After Christ returns, He is going to be bound. In Revelation chapter 20, this was read already earlier in the sermonette, so I won't turn to that right now. But He is going to be bound for a thousand years. When Jesus Christ returns, then He is going to be bound. He may be bound on this very day. We don't know, but it could happen that He will be bound on the day of atonement. This live goat that we read about here in Leviticus 16 represents the God of this world. Let's turn to a few verses. He's still around today. He's doing His dirty work.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 4. So this day of atonement reminds us that there is an evil spirit being, Satan the devil. He's out to deceive the world, and he's done a masterful job of doing that. In 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 4, whose minds the God of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

So what is Satan doing? Well, he is here, you notice, called the God of this age. And God has allowed him to be the God of this age. He's blinded the minds of people to the true gospel. How does he come? Does he come as a devil? No. He even has people deceived about the devil. People think there's a devil with horns, and he has a pitchfork in his hand, he has a tail, he's red.

Oh, that's not how the devil looks at all. He's got people all deceived about the devil and about God. 2 Corinthians 11 and verse 3. 2 Corinthians 11 and verse 3, But I fear lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness. So your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, and this world is full of that people preaching another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit, which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you may well put up with it. And he goes on down to say that Satan has churches, Satan has ministers, and guess what? In verse 11, in verse 11, well verse 12, no, let's go to verse 13. Just skip on ahead. Verse 13. For such are false apostles, they're false ministers, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. Do you think any minister is going to come and say, I'm a minister of Satan? No. False apostles say they are ministers of Christ, apostles of Christ. And verse 14, no wonder for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it's no great thing if his ministers, so Satan has ministers, also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

So yes, there's an evil spirit being that is at work. How does he work? Let's go to Ephesians, chapter 2. That live goat, then, the second goat, represents a very evil spirit being who has deceived the whole world. In Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 1, and you, he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. When God calls someone, he does make them alive, and he forgives their trespasses and sins. Verse 2, in which you once walked according to the course of this world. We all did. According to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. That's Satan the devil. That's the one represented by the live goat. He's working. He's broadcasting, even, the prince of the power of the air. How does he work? Well, he works in negative ways. He works in lust. If he can get people lusting after something, he works in greed. He works in hatred and animosity, accusations, gossip. He works in attitudes and moods, in any way that Satan can work to get us to go opposite God's way of life. And we have to be aware that we are in a battle and that we don't just battle flesh and blood. Well, look at Ephesians 6, verse 10. Our battle is far above just a physical battle. It's a spiritual battle. We're fighting against that live goat that represents the God of this world, Satan the devil. In Ephesians 6, verse 10, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. And so we have to put on the whole armor of God, verse 13, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand and be able to resist the wicked one, as it goes on down to say. So in verse 16, to resist and quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Satan is very subtle, though. Could he deceive you? There are people that have said that. Well, Satan could never deceive me. Don't be cocky about that. Say with God's help and God's mercy, and by walking close to God, then maybe I'll be able, that Satan will not be able to get through to me. Will not be able to deceive me. But Satan is subtle, and we have to continually resist him. Let's notice in James chapter 4. So what should we do? This day of atonement reminds us we're in a spiritual battle against the God of this world. This day pictures that time that Satan will be bound for a thousand years. He will no longer be able to deceive the nations as he's done at this time. But meantime, he is not bound, and we have to resist him. James chapter 4, in verse 7, Therefore submit to God, Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. And it says in verse 10, To humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up. We are humbling ourselves with fasting today. In 1 Peter chapter 5, we're also reminded that we must resist the devil and not let him get through to us. 1 Peter chapter 5. In verse 8, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Brethren, if we heard, if we suddenly announced here today, that there's a roaring lion loose right here in our neighborhood, I tell you, we'd be careful when we go outside to get back in our cars with me. We would. But there's a roaring lion on the loose all the time. 24-7, Satan the devil.

So what must we do? Verse 9, Resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. So we need to be aware that we're fighting a spiritual warfare and that Satan uses and exploits human nature.

There's an unseen hand at work behind the evils in the world today. And some of the things going on, you just cannot understand it at the human level alone. It's too horrible. There has to be an evil spirit being that is at work, and there is. The Day of Atonement then certainly shows a day when this evil spirit being will be put away and there will be retribution upon his shoulders. It's interesting that God has allowed him to even be free to influence mankind during...well, he got God allowed this evil spirit being to be around when Adam and Eve were created. He allowed him to be around when Jesus was here and allows him to be around until our day. But God is going to turn it all around and use everything for his own purpose in the end. But there is a Day of Justice that is coming for Satan. Satan has played a role in the sins of mankind. And so when the high priest laid hands upon that goat, that second goat in Leviticus 16, and confessed the sins of the people, and this goat was led away to the wilderness and let go, then it represents that a Day of Justice is coming for Satan, who has played a role in the sins of mankind. A Day of Imprisonment is coming. And we'll say the official end of this evil world that Satan is the God of. I want to bring out another thing that also shows the meaning of the Day of Atonement. And let's go to Leviticus chapter 25. This day, as I brought out earlier, is rich in meaning. And there are several things that we need to understand to really appreciate the depth of meaning of the Day of Atonement. Here's yet another thing. So far we've covered two very vital areas, and that is the the Atonement that is possible for us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and also the the imprisonment, the coming imprisonment of Satan the Devil during the thousand years, when he will be he will be put out of business of deceiving mankind. But in Leviticus chapter 25 and in verse 8, we've heard of Jubilee. Well, the year of Jubilee, you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself. Seven sabbaths of years, seven times seven years. Well, that's 49 years, right? And the time of the seven sabbaths shall be 49 years, okay? Verse 9, then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound. They were to sound a trumpet of the Jubilee. That word Jubilee means the silver trumpet. It was to be sounded, but when? Well, on this day. On the tenth day of the seventh month, on the day of Atonement, you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. So they would sound the trumpet on the day of Atonement, letting it be known that the next year was going to be a Jubilee year. There would be no crops planted. Already they didn't plant crops on the 49th year, every seventh year, and then they would have one additional year, the 50th year. But in that 50th year, the Jubilee year, certain things were to happen. Verse 10, you shall consecrate the 50th year and proclaim liberty through all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family. That 50th year shall be a Jubilee for you.

Verse 12, it is the Jubilee. It shall be holy to you. Think of that. A whole year was to be holy. You shall eat its produce from the field, and in this year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession. Did you know that in ancient Israel, and this very likely will be true in the millennium, I'm quite sure in my own mind it will be, that there will be no permanent selling of one's inheritance, a man's land. Someone, say, has 50 acres of land. It always will be in his family name, but in ancient Israel, they could lease out some of that land. But the 50th year, it came back to its rightful owner. You can do some studying into this and its impact upon an economic system. What it tends to do is to even out the wealth so that nobody just gets filthy rich, you might say, and then some people stay poor forever. It gives people a chance to get back their inheritance once again. A person could also buy back if he leased out his land.

It would go until the time of the Jubilee. He could buy it back. He always had the right to buy it back.

People, if they became, you can read on down in this chapter, if they became so poor, they just couldn't make it. They could actually sell themselves to be servants to someone.

But at the year of Jubilee, they regained their freedom and went back to their inheritance, their land. What this tended to do was to even out the wealth so that nobody just became richer and richer and richer, and at the expense of so many who became poorer and poorer and poorer. We have a lot of that today.

You know, you'd be surprised how small a percentage of people owned the wealth of our country.

So it falls into the hands of a very, very, very few people, a very small percentage.

So on the Jubilee year, then all the land that people had kind of leased out to others because of different circumstances, it all came back to the family, the rightful owners of the property.

It was only, as this chapter also goes on to explain, it's only in the cities that property could be sold forever. Houses in the city could be sold forever, but the land on which food and crops and animals and livelihood is possible was never permanently sold. So this is very, very interesting.

What was it done on the day of atonement? Because it connects with this holy day. This shows, in a spiritual way, a release from, there's a spiritual release from bondage represented by the two goats on this day, our sins and also from the influence of Satan.

This, also this jubilee is typical of the coming atonement of the whole world, that the whole world will have with God, and release from spiritual bondage that will then occur.

There will be a release from spiritual debts and sins, a release from Satan's enslavement and restoration of each nation to its God-ordained land. God has land in mind for every nation, and He's going to let every nation know where that land is. So there's a lot of rich symbolism then in meaning as far as the future, as far as the jubilee and the sounding of the jubilee on the 49th year on the day of atonement. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 61, some verses that tie in.

So this day of atonement is a day of release, it's a day of liberty, a day of being set free from bondage, a day that you're set free from sins and debts. It's a day of liberty, a day of freedom from these things. In Isaiah chapter 61 and verse 1, the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor.

Good tidings is the same meaning as gospel, to preach the gospel to the poor. Actually, a prophecy here about Jesus, and also there's meaning for us in the work that we do that Jesus does through his church. To preach good news, good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the present to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord in the day of vengeance of our God, and comfort all who mourn and console those who mourn in Zion. To give them beauty for ashes, for this day is coming, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. And they shall build the old ruins and raise up the former desolations and repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.

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

The Jubilee in ancient Israel gave people who had become servants, who had lost their land, it gave them a new start in life. And Jesus Christ is going to give the whole world a new start.

But this is a wonderful day, then, of release and of liberty.

One other aspect of the Day of Atonement that I'd like for us to think about is that God does command us to fast on this day. And fasting does knock us down. We don't feel mighty and great as we fast. Our stomachs are growling and they're empty. We feel weak.

Fasting humbles us. And it's good that we stay humbled as we are today. Wouldn't it be good to feel spiritually this way all the time? And we should strive to do that, humble and lowly, not mighty and great, not all-powerful. Let's turn to Psalm 35 and verse 13.

Psalm 35 and verse 13. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I humbled myself with fasting, and my prayer would return to my own heart. So fasting does humble us. It does knock us down. I want to read from our booklet about fasting. This is on the Day of Atonement, the chapter that talks about the Day of Atonement. And it has a good section here on page 37.

How do you afflict your soul on this day? Afflict comes from the Hebrew anah, which means to be afflicted. Be bowed down. Be humbled. Be meek.

The same word is used in connection with fasting in Isaiah 58 and Ezra chapter 8.

Fasting means abstaining from food and drink. So what does God tell us to fast during this specific 24 hours? Fasting expresses our humble desire to draw closer to God.

And we do. I know we all deepen our hearts and minds. We want to draw closer to God, don't we?

Fasting helps us to do that. Fasting helps us to, well, expresses our desire to draw closer to God.

The Day of Atonement represents a coming time of reconciliation, during which with Satan banished and the world having been devastated by the horrific events leading up to this time, a humbled and repentant humanity will at last be reconciled to God.

We do, according to the Bible, have a time of great tribulation. We have a time of trouble like the world has never seen before. We see it building. Right now we see, as Jesus expressed, at the beginning of sorrows, but leading to a time of trouble like the world has never had before.

There will be a humbled and repentant humanity that will be ready to, at last, be reconciled to God.

Continuing in our booklet, few understand the proper reasons for fasting.

Fasting is not to bend God to our will. We don't fast to receive anything from God, except His abundant mercy and forgiveness for our human weaknesses. Fasting helps us remember how temporary our physical existence is. Without food and water, we would soon perish.

Fasting helps us realize just how much we need God as the giver and sustainer of life.

We should always fast on the day of atonement with a repentant frame of mind. If I could add, we should always go through life every day with a repentant frame of mind.

Another thing we learn from this day is that we are weak and puny, and we need God's mercy and God's help very, very much. Fasting helps us to draw close to God, and it produces many blessings. We heard that in the sermonette as well from Isaiah 58. Many rich blessings come our way because of fasting. Let's also read Joel chapter 2. And when we turn to God, as these verses indicate, with all of our heart and with fasting, God will certainly see and He will hear. And as we His people fast today, we can be sure that God is very pleased with us. He's pleased that we are willing to go through discomfort as we are going through. I'm not comfortable, are you?

My stomach and backbone are shaking hands, and I feel weak and puny, but it's good. And God is pleased that we are doing this today. In Joel chapter 2 and verse 12, Now therefore, says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. And so that's what God is looking for. It's not just that He delights in seeing us go through the suffering of fasting, but to turn to Him with all of our hearts and minds.

And to rend our hearts in verse 13, rend your heart and not your garments. Turn to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and He relents from doing harm. And it goes on to say that if we do, that there will be many, many blessings, and that God will just pour out the blessings upon us. But this day of fasting does help us to realize that we are very temporary beings. Guess what? One of the great lessons of the Feast of Tabernacles is what? That we are in temporary tabernacles in this human life. This human life is just a temporary tent, a temporary dwelling place, a temporary tabernacle. We're not permanent beings. And one of the meanings of the Feast of Tabernacles is that we are temporary, and we look for something that is eternal, an eternal tabernacle, and that is a spiritual tabernacle that will not fade away. So this day of fasting helps us to realize our human state. It helps us to walk humbly with our God. So brethren, just to summarize some of the things we have brought out this afternoon, the Day of Atonement is a day of mercy. It's a day of reconciliation. It's a day of Atonement with God. That which is between us and God is taken away by the blood that first goat, the blood of that first goat, represented the blood of Jesus Christ.

God's merciful forgiveness is there. He is so eager to forgive. We just have to be repentant and ask Him to forgive us and cleanse us. Also, this Day of Atonement reminds us there is an evil spirit being at work in this world, deceiving the world, and He is going to be put away at the Second Coming of Christ. About the first thing Jesus will do is to put away this evil spirit being, Satan the Devil. He will be put in prison for 1,000 years. This day, then, the symbolism of that second goat, the one that was let go into the wilderness with the sins of the people confessed over its head, then that evil spirit being is going to be put away during the 1,000 years.

Also, this Day of Atonement, which is the day on which the Jubilee year was proclaimed, a year of release, a year of liberty, where the people were set free from any debts or sins. If anybody was in debt, it was wiped out. Everybody had a fresh start. Think about that. So, this day represents then a time when there will be liberty and everybody will have a fresh start, both physically and spiritually. And this day also is a day of humility. It's a day of repentance because fasting knocks us down. It humbles us. It knocks down our pride and vanity. We don't feel all that great and mighty, and we draw close to God. And we realize we'd like to be clothed upon with the real tabernacle, a spiritual tabernacle that is going to last forever. Well, in conclusion, the Day of Atonement then is a beautiful and wonderful doctrine at one meant. The time is coming, and I do want to read this on just another verse or two before we conclude. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 10, one of the most beautiful Atonement verses in all of the Bible when we think about it more deeply. In Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 10, we know that in this world today, God is not even trying to bring everything into reconciliation. He's not trying for the Atonement with everyone in the world right now. That time lies in the future when He will. And this verse talks about that time in the future, a time of Atonement that is wonderful. Ephesians 1 and verse 9, I guess we could begin there, having made known to us, that is, those that God has called today have had something made known to them. It's God's purpose and plan. Having made known to us the mystery of His will.

It's a mystery to most. But God's made it known to the few that He has called out.

According to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself. His good pleasure would be His purpose. It would be His plan that He has in mind. And now verse 10, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, and that would include the millennium, the 1000 years, that will include the time after the millennium when masses of people come back to life who never understood God's purpose for them. In the dispensation of the fullness of the times, He might gather together in one. Oh, there's atonement for you. In one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him. Do you notice God's purpose? To bring all things into atonement, ultimately. It's all going to be brought into perfect harmony. Can we imagine that? Perfect atonement. There will be no disagreement. There will be no pulling in some other direction. Everyone will be striving to do it God's way. Perfect atonement. Anything that offends will be burned up in the lake of fire. And ultimately, then, we will live in a world and in a universe with perfect atonement. Won't that be nice? Just everybody walking together. Perfect agreement with one another. That's going to be wonderful indeed. We look for that new heavens and new earth in which dwells such righteousness. So what a good day this is. It pictures the time when the whole world will be reconciled to God right after Jesus returns and when Satan will be bound and the whole world will be brought to be at one with God. A still light, then, in this day, in its meaning. Brethren, this is the final service before the Feast of Tabernacles, which begins this Wednesday night at sunset. We hope that you'll have safe travel, make it a wonderful, joyous feast. Remember that during the feast we are there to draw close to God.

First and foremost, we are there to draw close to God, to worship Him, to give Him thanks, and to rejoice before Him.

So drive safely, have a wonderful feast of tabernacles, and may God's richest blessings be upon all of His people, upon us and all of His people around the world.

Godspeed and safe travels, and see you after the feast.