During this Summer I want to discuss some Holidays that are in the Old Testament. Today, we learn about Yom Kippur. This in English means, The Day of Atonement. It is described in detail in Leviticus 16. It’s called the day of Atonement because the word “atone” appears 16 times in this chapter. Atone has the idea of “to ransom” or “to purge away”. The purpose of the day was to perform an act of atonement for people’s sins.
It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei. Which typically falls around early fall; during the months of September or October. The Holiday is primarily centered on atonement and repentance. “The ritual for the Day of Atonement cleansed the people from all the sins for which the normal sacrifices prescribed in chapters 1-7 did not atone for.”
The High Priest, at the time of Leviticus Aaron, plays a central role. This is the day where the High Priest enters the Holy of Holies. This is where the ark of the covenant was stored. He was threatened with death if he entered any other day.
Aaron had to wear special vestments for the day. But he had to breathe before he could put on those vestments. He also has to kill an animal for his own sins.
After sacrificing an animal for his own sins. The high Priest would take two goats. One goat was for the LORD. Another goat was “For Azazel”. [Some people believe Azazel is another name for the devil].
The goat tagged for the Lord is killed and the goat’s blood is sprinkled on the ark of the covenant by the High Priest. The blood of Jesus is described in a similar way in the New Testament. 1 John 4:10 [ESV]: States: In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. “Propitiation” is the word for the sprinkled blood of the atoning sacrifice. Romans 3:21-25 talks about Jesus’ blood in a similar way.
“21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”
Finally the Goat tagged for Azazel is taken out in the wilderness. This goat is often called the Scapegoat. The High Priest places his hands and this shows the people that their sins are being placed on this goat. Two similarities are found in the life of Jesus. First after his Baptism, Jesus goes to be tempted by Satan. Jesus’ baptism is where the sins of the world are placed on Him. Secondly, when Jesus is crucified, he carries his own cross out of the main city and goes to the place of the skull!
Yom Kippur is still celebrated to this day by Jews. Although, they do not have a high priest nor can they do the rituals. During the Old Testament times, and during the life of Jesus Yom Kippur was celebrated yearly. As Christians we do not celebrate Yom Kippur because Jesus’ death on Good Friday was the fulfillment of this holiday.
Hebrews 7:26-27 [ESV] explains this:
26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
Some of this study used: Kleinig, John W. Leviticus. Concordia Commentary. Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Pub. House, 2003. Especially pages 500-505.
