The Celebration Of The Day Of Atonement

The Celebration of the Day of Atonement

PSALM 32: 1

1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.

2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile.

LEVITICUS 23:26-32

26. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

27. "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.

28. "And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.

29. "For any person who is not afflicted of soul on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people.

30. "And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.

31. "You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

32. `It 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 to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath.’’

I. Introduction.

During Biblical Times the Israelites celebrated a number of Feasts on a yearly basis. These are referred to as the Feasts of Israel. Within these feasts are the Feast of Passover, Feast of Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. This study focuses on only one of these Feasts, the Day of Atonement.

On the Day of Atonement, which took place but once a year, the High Priest entered into the Holiest of All, within the veil, with the blood of the Lord’s goat, the sin offering. Here he sprinkled the blood on the Mercy seat. The blood of the sin offering on the great Day of Atonement brought about the cleansing of all sin, all iniquity, and all trans¬gression. The sanctuary and Israel as a nation experienced blood atonement, thus being reconciled to their God.

II. The Day of Atonement – Leviticus 23:26-32; 16:1-34

In these two passages of scripture we have a detailed description of all that the Day of Atonement represented for the nation of Israel. As mentioned above the Day of Atonement was a day of cleansing for all sin and speaks to us of the atoning work of Christ and all that He accomp¬lished on the cross for us as God’s Holy nation. The symbolic significances all point to the work of Christ historically and then to His work prophetically in His church.

There are several things we will be looking at in this study as to how the church relates to the actual fulfillment of the Day of Atonement, but let us keep in mind first of all the following truths:

1. We have not appropriated any real measure of the atonement, meaning, even though Jesus has made complete provision for us, we have not yet experienced the completion of our salvation or the full measure of the atonement in our lives.

2. The Church must enter into the experimental appropriation of it just as it has with the other Feasts.

3. As there is a historical and an experimental fulfillment with Passover and Pentecost so there must be with the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles.

4. The Church through the ages has never appropriated the full measure of deliverance from sin, but has appropriated some.

5. The sin and carnality of the Church’s history must be taken away from her before she can enter into the fullness of the blessing and power of the Feast of Tabernacles.

III. Prophetic Passages Concerning the Day of Atonement.

There are many passages of scripture that actually refer to this great Day that is still yet ahead for the Church of Jesus Christ.

• The prophet Zechariah prophesied of this great Day when he said, "And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

Zechariah 3:9

9. For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua: upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’ says the Lord of hosts, `And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

Proverbs 4:18

18. But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

The saints are to gather together and much more as they see "the Day approaching." (See Zephaniah 2:1-3 also).

Hebrews 10:25

25. not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.