App
(Day of Atonement)
Eduardo Elizondo—October 2, 2025
- Video | 
- PDF | Audio | [Up]
Leviticus 23:2: "'Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, "Concerning the appointed Feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be Holy convocations, even these are My appointed Feasts."'"
So, this is one of the appointed Feasts of God. He has given us the sun and the moon, and the Calculated Hebrew Calendar to know when these Feasts are to be kept. This is a wonderful thing, a wonderful meaning of this day, this Day of Atonement.
We're going to read the specific instruction in v 27, and we're going to see that this is a very, very special day. This is a day that is very, very Holy to the Lord, because it has a very special meaning. There are specific instruction for this day. It's a day of at-one-ment, that's what the word means!
It has a very, very profound meaning; we're going to study the meaning of this day; we're going to study what God had commanded for the high priests to do on this day in the tabernacle, and the spiritual meaning of all of those things.
We're going learn a lot of things today about this very, very special day. Let's read the instruction where God told Moses to write this:
Leviticus 23:27: "Also, on the tenth day of this seventh month, is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a Holy convocation to you…."
This is why we're here gathered today to celebrate this Day of Atonement, on this Sabbath Day. Then He gives another commandment, another instruction:
"…And you shall afflict your souls and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD" (v 27).
As we know, afflicting our souls means fasting with no food, no water, for the period of 24 hours, and we're going to see that it's from sunset to sunset as He gives instruction. That's how God accounts for time, as we see in Genesis, as well, at the time of creation.
But we see that we are to afflict our souls, and we are to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. That was the instruction back then. Today we doing bring an offering made by fire, but we bring a free-will offering of the things that God has blessed us with.
It's important to keep in mind that it says that this offering is to the Lord! It doesn't say that we are to offer and offering to the Levite or the priest or minister. Yes, God has given authority to those who serve in the preaching of the Word to collect these offerings, but they are to God.
When you're giving your offering, you're giving it to God, because those offerings belong to Him. Anybody who has the authority to receive these offerings, is only a steward of that. Here this is what we're going to do. We're going to take a pause and we are going to pick up an offering at this time.
(pause for the offering)
Well, thank you very much, brethren, for your offerings. And we thank you very much because those are used to preach the Gospel throughout the world. And God owns those offerings, they are His! He takes pleasure in us, not only giving the monetary offering, but offering also our thoughts, our hearts in this day to Him where we are to be at-one with Him! That's the true meaning of this day. And that's why He commands that we would fast, that we would afflict our souls.
We're going to continue to read the commandment here in:
Leviticus 23:28—God says: "And you shall do no work in that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, in order to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God, for whoever is not afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people" (vs 28-29).
This thing we're going to see emphasized one time and another time and another time, several times, that we are both to afflict our souls and do no work, no manner of work
Verse 29: "For whoever is not afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people."
IF we don't fast, IF we don't keep this High Holy Day of God the way that He instructs us, we are cut off from Him, spiritually speaking!
Verse 30: "And whoever does any work in that same day, the same one will I destroy from among his people." We can take this spiritual application of this!
- we will not be at-one with God
- we will not be obeying and pleasing God
IF we are doing work on this day. He says 'any work,' on this day! He's very clear! very specific! Why? Because on this day, we don't eat!
There are other places where He says that what you may eat, you may prepare on a Sabbath, but not on the Day of Atonement, because we are to afflict our souls.
It is a beautiful day for God. A beautiful day where His entire people around the earth are all keeping this day together, afflicting their souls in oneness with God, in obeying His instruction:
- to keep this day
- to keep it in the way that He commanded
- bringing an offering from the heart to Him as we just did.
Verse 31: "You shall do no manner of work. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a Sabbath of rest, and you shall afflict yourselves" (vs 31-32).
This is, again, the third time that He mentions no work, afflict your souls; three times! We know that-one time is enough if God says it. But He emphasizes it again so that it's ingrained in our minds that on the Day of Atonement we don't do any manner of work, and that we are too fast. No food! No water! We are to afflict our souls!
Then He tells us very clearly when the day begins and when the day ends:
"…In the ninth day of the month at sunset… [of the seventh month in the Calculated Hebrew Calendar] …from sunset to sunset, you shall keep your Sabbath" (v 32).
So, this is a very special day. We are going to now go over to Lev. 16, because that's where the instructions are given of what was to be done at the tabernacle. Remembering that God established a tabernacle. He wanted the people to build Him a tabernacle so that He may be dwelling among His people! The tabernacle was in the center of the camp when Israel was sojourning.
So, the tabernacle was in the center and then all the tribes were around. Three tribes on each side. Lev. 16—this chapter gives us the instructions. And not only the instructions for the priest, but we're going to see that they were the instructions that they were to be carried out by the priest, but it was a High Holy Day. Very, very important. It's a solemn day, and we are to keep this day! We're going to see why.
We're going to start at the end of the chapter and then we're going to go back to the beginning of the chapter. Because at the end, in the conclusion, God is giving us the purpose for this day, and for all of the things that were done at the tabernacle on this day.
So we're going to start in Lev. 16:29; this is telling us about the Day of Atonement. It's going to tell us the summary of it, after he has given all the instructions. We're going to do a study of this chapter:
- to learn about the meaning of the day
- to learn the spiritual lessons and the fulfillment of this wonderful Holy Day
Leviticus 16:29—God said to Moses: "And it shall be a statute forever to you: in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month…"
Exactly the same thing that we just read in Lev. 23, because the Word of God is the Truth and it always agrees.
"…you shall afflict your souls… [we read that three times] …and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country or a stranger who is living among you" (v 29).
So no work at all from anybody in Israel! That's what it was. Everybody was to rest. It was, we could say, the ultimate day of rest!
Not even what we were supposed to eat because in this day we don't eat and we don't drink. In this day we afflict our souls. We are at-one with God!
That's what it says v 30: "For on that day an atonement shall be made for you…"—it's at-one-ment, being one with God!
"…to cleanse you, so that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD" (v 30).
That was the purpose of this day. It was to cleanse the children of Israel from all their sins before the LORD!
- we're going to talk about cleansing
- we're going to talk about the purification
- we're going to study in detail these things
- what they mean
- what was done in such a way
It's a fantastic meaning of this day! This day was to cleanse you. They were to be clean from all their sins before the LORD.
Verse 31: "It shall be a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls, by a statute forever."
Again, He emphasizes again those two things:
- Sabbath of rest, absolutely no work whatsoever
- afflicting the souls, by fasting
It says "by a statute forever." We are doing that. We are keeping this day not working at all, and afflicting our souls through fasting.
Verse 32: " And the priest whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement and shall put on the linen clothes, the Holy garments. And he shall make an atonement for [#1]the Holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement [#2]for the tabernacle of the congregation, and [#3]for the altar; and he shall make an atonement [#4] for the priests and [#5]for all the people of the congregation" (vs 32-33). So, we have five things here!
We see that it's an atonement for the whole tabernacle! There's a certain order and we're going to read about, and that's what it's going to be because it says that this was, a perpetual statute for Him.
Now let's go back to the beginning of Lev. 16:2 We're going to see how this chapter starts and how God opens up. We went to the end first to see the purpose and to make sure that we connected those two things.
What we just read in the Feasts of the Lord in Lev. 23 is the same Feast that is commanded here in Lev.16. The entire chapter of Lev. 16 is the Commandment for the Day of Atonement and all the things that were to be done at the tabernacle in Israel.
Leviticus 16:2: "And the LORD said to Moses, 'Speak to Aaron your brother, that he does not come at all times into the sanctuary within the veil before the Mercy Seat, which is on the Ark, so that he does not die, for I will appear in the cloud over the Mercy Seat."
This is a very important thing, because this gives us the soberness and the significance of this day! It was a very, very special day where God put his presence on that Holy place on the Holy of Holies behind the veil! He was to appear in the cloud over that Mercy Seat.
So it's a very, very special day. It was the day where God dwelled with His people! But in order for God to dwell with His people there had to be this cleansing. We're going to read about this cleansing and we're going to understand a little bit more, hopefully, about this cleansing and the great meaning and fulfillment of this day; what spiritual lessons we can learn on this Day of Atonement!
Verse 3: "Aaron shall come into the sanctuary this way: with a young bull, for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering."
That was what he was to do first, And God first gives the instructions to Aaron to do this, as the high priest he was to initiate this whole thing. But they're very specific instructions that we continued read in:
Verse 4: "He shall put on the Holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches on his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen miter he shall be dressed. These are Holy garments. And he shall wash his flesh in water and put them on."
So, we see that they're very, very specific instructions. It starts with that and it's a day of cleansing! So it starts with the person of the one who's going to perform the cleansing. Even in the physical sense he was to wash his flesh. He was to put on the Holy garments before doing all of these things.
Verses 5-10 are the general instructions. So we're going to read these as general instructions, and then we're going to read from vs 11 on, the very specific detail instructions! First is giving the general: we already saw that he was to come in in a specific way where a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. Those two animals are there.
But now we're going to see other instructions that are general in nature from vs 5-10.
Verse 5—He's talking about the instructions for the high priest: "And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering..." Key word sin, because this was a cleansing and this is a cleansing for their sin.
"…and one ram for a burnt offering. And Aaron shall offer his young bull of the sin offering which is for himself…" (vs 5-6).
We see in the general instructions it's talking about the bull for the sin offering for himself and make an atonement for himself and for his house! So, in order to do this cleansing he first has to be cleansed himself, and we saw that he was to wash himself and prepare himself with the linen garments.
We can take spiritual lessons from all of this, because we are to be kings and priests in the Kingdom of God and we are to be dressed in white robes, which are the righteous actions of the saints as he says in Revelation.
But this is what the high priest was to do, and offering the bull first for himself: making atonement for himself and for his house!
Verse 7: "And he shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."
So, this was a special offering, a special proceeding that took place, of taking two goats and they were to take it from the children of Israel. Two goats and then also a ram for a burnt offering, and we're going to see the order of all these offerings.
We saw that first it was the bull for the high priest and for his family then two goats from the congregation of Israel, and at the end there's going to be a ram for a burnt offering. What was to be done with these two goats in general terms?
Verse 8: "And Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats; one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer it for a sin offering…. [but again this is just the general instruction] …But the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement upon- it and sent away into the wilderness for Azazel." (vs 8-10). So those are the general instructions
- the high priest was first to offer a bull for himself
- then there's going to be this presentation of the two goats
- do lots
- then the one for the Lord was to be offered for the sins
- then the other one for Azazel was to be presented alive and make an atonement upon it
But now we're going to see exactly how:
Verse 11 begins the specific instructions for this day and we're going to see great significance here great significance in all of this.
Verse 11 "And Aaron shall bring the young bull of the sin offering, which is for himself…"—this is #1, the very first thing was a bull the young bull for himself!
These are specific instructions and this is the order:
"…and shall make an atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the young bull of the sin offering, which is for himself. And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of fragrant incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil" (vs 11-12).
So, it wasn't just the offering of the bull, it was also bringing a censer full of coals from the fire from the altar and then in:
Verse 13: "And he shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD. And the cloud of the incense shall cover the mercy seat that is on the testimony. And he shall not die."
This was a very serious thing! IF he did not do things according to these instructions he would die! We know that his sons died because they did not obey the instructions of God!
But here the instructions are to bring this censer, and we know in Heb. 8:5 it talks about how these things are were a shadow in the tabernacle and in the temple; a shadow and a figure of the things, the real spiritual things!
We're going to go to Rev. 8, and we're going to come back to Lev. 16, but let's go to Rev. 8, because we're going to read about this same thing that we just read taking place in vs 12-13 with the incense that the high priest was to bring and offer;with this incense beaten small and with the fires from the altar. We're going to see a parallel here; something that the Apostle John saw in the vision in Revelation
Revelation 8:1: "Now, when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about a half hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them" (vs 1-2).
We know what the seven trumpets are; we know what's coming! This is a terrible thing!
Verse 3: "And another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar; and much incense was given to him, so that he might offer it with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that was before the Throne."
Why? Because this altar in the Holy of Holies, this Holy place, that's what it was representing! It was representing this altar in heaven above.
We know that there's this golden altar that was before the Throne of God, but this angel came with this golden censer, and he offered this incense with the prayers of the saints! That's the symbolism, that's what this represented!
We come before the very Throne of God, and now we have the access to the Holy of Holies! Let's remember that that veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom when Jesus was crucified, opening the door for us to come before the very Throne of God with our prayers just like this incense that we see here!
It's amazing because there's nothing better that we have in this life! No man or woman has anything better than the access to the very Throne of the Most High God! We come in the name of Jesus Christ Who is sitting at His right hand. That's what was happening here!
Verse 4: "And the smoke of the incense went up before God from the hand of the angel, ascending with the prayers of the saints."
Why? Because this incense, this sweet smelling aroma, that's how our prayers are before God!
So let's remember, especially on this Day of At-one-ment—Atonement—one day when we are one with God that our prayers are sweet-smelling to God:
- that He loves them
- that He likes them
- that they are pleasing to Him
not because of anything that we have done, but because He has loved us with the same love that He loved His Son Jesus Christ! That's what this means, the prayers of all the saints!
Now we can see something in v 5 that maybe gives us a little bit of a clue, as well, as to why all this cleansing:
Verse 5: "And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire from the altar, and cast it into the earth; and there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake."
This is taking place, obviously, before Christ returns to the earth, because the seventh trumpet has not sounded, yet! But there is a parallel here of a cleansing of the earth before God dwells finally with His people! Before the fulfillment of this day when Satan is going to be put away; we're going to read about that.
But we see that wherever God is going to dwell there has to be a cleansing, and in that tabernacle there has to be that cleansing by the high priest. Before Christ comes back to the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords:
- He's going to cleanse it
- He's going to avenge the blood of His saints
- He's going to do justice
- He's going to cleanse the earth of:
- all the evil
- all the evil people that are on this earth defiling it and polluting it
Let's go back to Lev. 16 to continue reading this ceremony that was taking place during the Day of Atonement. We're going to continue here in v 14, because we see what was the priest was to do after killing the young bull. He was to bring this censer with this pleasing aroma incense, beaten small and with the coals from the altar.
Leviticus 16:14: "And he shall take of the blood of the young bull and shall sprinkle with his finger on the front of the mercy seat eastward…."
Remember, that's the entrance of the tabernacle and the temple was to be facing eastward.
"…And he shall sprinkle at the front of the mercy seat seven times from the blood with his finger" (v 14).
This was to cleanse that, to do atonement; sprinkle the front of the mercy seat, and then:
Verse 15 "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people…"
So, the two goats were presented before the tabernacle and the lots were cast:
- and one was for the LORD
- one for Azazel
Now God is giving the specific instructions of what to do with that goat that was for the LORD.
Verse 15: "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil…."
So it was the blood of the bull for himself and for his family, and now it's also the blood of that goat that is for the sin offering for the people, the people of Israel. He was to bring the blood inside the veil.
"…And he shall do with that blood as he did with the blood of the young bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat" (v 15).
Now we see the cleansing of the high priest and the cleansing of the people!
Verse 16: "And he shall make an atonement for the sanctuary because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel and because of their transgressions in all their sins…."
This is the uncleanness of the children of Israel, because of the transgressions in all their sins.
"…And so he shall do for the tabernacle of the congregation, which remains with them in the midst of their uncleanness" (v 16).
So the Holy of Holies was to be cleansed, but also the tabernacle.
Verse 17 is very clear: "And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goes in to make an atonement in the sanctuary until he comes out and has made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel."
Why? Because it was only him, and only he could go before the presence of God on this Holy Day only! Otherwise, he would die! It's a very serious thing!
Then he's going to continue with the cleansing:
Verse 18: "And he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make an atonement for it. And he shall take of the blood of the young bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around"—the altar that was outside the Holy of Holies!
Verse 19: "And he shall sprinkle of the blood on it with his finger seven times and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel."
We've seen that he puts it seven times on the mercy seat; now he puts it seven times with his finger with the blood of these animals right the goat for the Lord and the bull for himself, for the high priest and for his family. He hollowed it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel this is a day of cleansing!
Verse 20: "And when he has made an end of reconciling the sanctuary and the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, he shall bring the live goat." The live goat was to be done after cleansing:
- the sanctuary
- the tabernacle
- the altar inside
All of that had to be cleansed before bringing the live goat, the goat that the lot had fallen for Azazel.
Then here's a very, very special thing to do very, a very specific Commandment in:
Verse 21: "And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the sins of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat…"
That's what we see here and it's very interesting because when we go back to v 16 there was an atonement for the sanctuary because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel! "…because of their transgressions in all their sins"
Then in v 21 "And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the sins of the children of Israel…"
But it says to confess over him all the sins. and this word actually can also be translated as iniquity, and the majority of the time this word is a little bit different than sin. This word in the Hebrew is 'avon' and this word most of the time is translated as iniquity!
That is very interesting, because when we think about the iniquity—which is they're also the sins—but it's the iniquity 'avon'; the meaning of this word is very special. It really means perversity, depravity, iniquity! That's what it means! It means evil at its core!
That's what the confessing of the sins on the head of this goat represented; it was the evil!
"…and all their transgressions in all their sins…" (v 21).
That's a different word in the Hebrew: 'chatta ah'—meaning:
- missing the mark
- transgressing the Commandment
- transgressing the Law
We saw: "…and all the transgressions in all their sins…" (v 21)—missing the mark!
But there is something with iniquity that is very unique and very special; in this ceremony we can see it. It's the iniquity of all the transgressions in all their sins and it says:
"…putting them… [putting those iniquities]…on the head of the goat, and shall send it away by the hand of a chosen man into the wilderness…. [and then he specifies it again} …And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities… [here's the same word 'avon'] …all their iniquities to a land in which no one lives. And he shall let the goat go in the wilderness" (vs 21-22).
- Where was Satan when he tempted Jesus Christ? In the wilderness!
- Where was Jesus sent? To the wilderness!
We can see that these are the iniquities, this is the evil! We're going to see something very, very important here, because there is something related to iniquity that is good for us to analyze.
We've seen that this goat was to bear the iniquities of the children of Israel! We're going to see this in Psa. 32, which is a Psalm of David, and it's a contemplation; he's meditating on these things.
We're going to see this on this Day of Atonement at-one-ment! Of cleansing of being at-one with God! We're going to see some very interesting things here:
Psalm 32:1: "Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity…" (vs 1-2)—'avon'—that same word again, which means evil!
That comes from a root word that means perverse or twisted, perverted! That's what it means and that's what Satan does! He perverts everything!
- he perverts the good things that God has created
- he twists them
- he changes them
- he perverts the good things that God has made
- he twists the thoughts according to his evil and his evil nature
Verse 2: "Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity… [it tells a little bit more about this] …and in whose spirit there is no guile"—no deceit, no intent to do evil!
It's like all of us, brethren, we do sin, we do miss the mark!
Like the Apostle John says in 1-John; 'we should not deceive ourselves saying that we do not sin.'
We do sin, but the difference is we're not practicing sin! Because our intent because the root of our thoughts is not to commit evil and to go against God! We do miss the mark; we are carried away:
- when we participate with our own thoughts
- when we don't pray to God
- when we don't hold a fast to Him
- when we don't remember His Commandments, to do them
- we do miss the mark
- we do sin
BUT we are blessed because it says:
Verse 2: "Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile."
We have the Holy Spirit of God, and in that Spirit, in the Holy Spirit of God:
- there is no guile
- there is no deceit
- there is no evil intent
- we have to grow in grace and knowledge
- we have to grow so God can give us more of His Holy Spirit
Jesus told us to pray to the Father that He would give us more, and as He gives us more we grow! With more of His Holy Spirit there is going to be less and less of that pull:
- of sin
- of human nature
- of carnality
to go and sin!
But there is something with iniquity that is also within us! It is not just with Satan the devil, but he is the author of that.
Verse 3: "When I kept silent, my bones wore away through my groaning all the day long."
We are going to see that he was feeling the consequences of his sin and of his actions! We have to be honest with ourselves and with God and confess our sins before Him!
Verse 4: "For by day and by night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer…."
David knows why! He was meditating on these things; he says, "Selah." "my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer…."
This is very important because of what he says next. He shows here what he does, because David was a very, very honest man. He was very transparent with God! That's why God loved him, because what he said is what he meant. Yes, even he fell into the pulls of the flesh, and he committed adultery and he committed murder! he did all these things, but here is a very, very important thing, and an integral part of the repentance as we read in Psa. 51
In Ps. 32:5 when he's meditating upon this, and what he's going through, he says:
Verse 5: "I acknowledged my sin to You… ['chatta ah' my missing the mark] …and my iniquity I have not hidden…."
The evil behind that action, because it was an origin just as much as there's an origin to good thoughts. They can come from God and from His Spirit
There's also an origin, a beginning of sin, and it's that iniquity that is within our nature that God is getting rid of through this process called conversion!
"…my iniquity I have not hidden…." (v 5). I have not said that I am completely innocent and blameless and clean! He did not say that! He was thinking and he wrote this:
"…I said, 'I will confess my transgression to the LORD,'…. [and a very, very telling phrase right after}: …and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah" (v 5)—meditate on this!
Meditate on what it is to receive the forgiveness of God, not only for the breaking of the Commandment but from the iniquity, the initial intent from our nature!
Also, from the influence of Satan the devil and the world and the society from all pulls of the flesh! But God forgave! It says you forgave the iniquity of my sin not just my sin you forgave even the intent, because I came clean.
That's what he's saying! I came clean before you and I confessed and I acknowledged he came to the full realization of what that sin did whatever it was he was talking about here. We know we have the example of Psa. 51 and we know exactly what he did, and we know exactly why he did it!
So as we celebrate this Day of Atonement and the meaning of being at-one with God this is an integral part of being one with God, having secrets with God and to owning our sins and the iniquity behind it! Yes we can be influenced and we can be pulled and we can give in to the flesh at times. We don't want to, but we do!
- we have to acknowledge that
- we have to acknowledge that there is iniquity at the root of that
- that there is evil at the root of that
When we are talking about the meaning of this Day of Atonement, this is at the root of that!
- the evil of the sin
- the root of the sin
- the origin of the sin
This is very important that we keep this in mind!
We're going to go ahead now and take a break and then we're going to come back and we're going to look at the origin of that sin and why this day is so important and the ultimate fulfillment of the Plan of God for this Day of Atonement
(break@39:01)
We were talking about sin and cleansing, and the origin of sin! We were talking about iniquity, and we read in Lev. 16 how the iniquities were to be carried on, declared on, confessed on the head of this goat and be sent out to the wilderness by the hand of a special man!
We read that, and now we're going to go to Ezek. 28, because we were reading about iniquity and we were reading we were talking about what it is that this iniquity needs to be cleansed, as well.
That's what this day is, it's a day of cleansing! It's a day of at-one-ment becoming one with God so that He can dwell within us!
We're going to read about Satan the devil, because we know that he is the instigator the original sinner, the one that sinned for the very first time! Here it talks about that:
Ezek. 28—we know this is about the king of Tyre, but then it's talking about Satan the devil.
Ezekiel 28:13: "You have been in Eden the Garden of God; every precious stone was your covering…"
That's how we know that it's Satan the devil; we know the king of Tyre was not in Eden the Garden of God. But the serpent was! We know that he deceived Eve.
"…every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the turquoise, and the emerald, and gold. The workmanship of your settings and of your sockets was prepared in you in the day that you were created" (v 13).
So, this tells us that Satan himself was created. But then we see the problem!
Verse 14: "You were the anointed cherub that covers, and I set you so; you were upon the Holy Mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire."
We know we know that the Throne of God is just like heaven in clearness; like the sapphire of the Sea of Glass mingled with fire! That's why it says: "…in the midst of the stones of fire."
We know that even Job presented himself before the LORD, but then in v 15 it tells us something very important to remember on this Day of Atonement.
Verse 15: "You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until iniquity was found in you."
Iniquity was found in him, and this this is like the ultimate. This was unrighteousness evil at its core. This was the sin:
- the sin of pride
- the sin of trying to usurp the power of God
He was perfect in his ways until iniquity was found in him, and that iniquity is exactly what gets placed upon the head of this goat!
We know that he was the beginner of all evil and of all lies!
John 8:44—Jesus is talking to the Pharisees and He is going to tell them whom they really are serving:
- by the way that they are acting
- rejecting Him
- not believing Him
- not believing even the miracles and the great works that He was doing among them
- not believing that He was God in the flesh
- not believing that He was the very Son of God
- not believing that He was the Messiah that was to come
They knew it was a time for the Messiah, but they did not believe Him!
John 8:44—Jesus tells the Pharisees: "You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you desire to practice.
Again, this is what we talked about; we sin, but we do not practice sin IF we have been begotten with the Holy Spirit of God at baptism. we do not practice that!
- that's not our desire
- that's not what we want
- that's not our mode of being
We repent and we come on this day of repentance, this Day of Atonement before God afflicting our souls looking for Him!
He loves our prayers all the time, especially on this day! We read it! The instance of us coming before God and those are the prayers of the saints.
Then He is talking about them practicing the lust of their father the devil!
"…He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the Truth because there is no Truth in him" (v 44).
That's the very first sin, right after the disobedience of Adam and Eve. But what happened? Cain killing Abel!
"…a murderer from the beginning… [that's what Cain did] …and has not stood in the Truth because there is no Truth in him…" (v 44). There is nothing of God in Satan the devil!
- he's completely distorted
- he's completely evil in nature
his only intent is:
- to destroy
- to tear down
- to break
- to pervert
everything that God has created!
"…Whenever he speaks a lie, he is speaking from his own self; for he is a liar, and the father of it" (v 44).
When we take this in contrast of Who Jesus was: Jesus was the Word, and He spoke nothing of Himself.
John 5:19: "…Truly, truly I say to you, the Son has no power to do anything of Himself, but only what He sees the Father do. For whatever He does, these things the Son also does in the same manner."
John 8:30: "…I do nothing of Myself. But as the Father taught Me, these things I speak."
He was always obeying the Father, connected to the Father, and that's why He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before he was tempted by Satan the devil in the wilderness. He needed to be as close to God as possible, and that's the meaning of this day. this is at-one-ment!
His entire Church is fasting on this day, being one with God on this day! Becoming one! Being one with Him in fasting, in afflicting our souls! We afflict our souls physically, but spiritually we are living off the Word of God the True Bread from heaven—Jesus Christ—Who didn't come to do His will; He came to speak the words of the Father in contrast with Satan the devil who is speaking from his own self, because:
- he is a liar
- he is the father of it
- he is the father of lies
he deceived himself
- that he would ever be like God
- that he would ever ascend to the Throne of God
He deceived himself; that was an impossibility! The amazing thing is that is what God is promising us! Jesus Himself said:
To the one who overcomes I will give to him to sit with Me on My Throne just as I sit with My Father on His Throne!
That is an amazing promise!
But the devil cannot have it! He could never have it! He is the father of that lie! He started the lies, and he deceived himself that he was going to ascend, and he was going to be like the Most High like we just read in Ezek. 28
Let's go back to Lev. 16 to finish up this chapter and these things that were to be done. All the Commandments that were commanded for the tabernacle in Israel, because as we've seen, there is deep symbolism in this, and we know we know that there's going to come a fulfillment when this is going to take place.
Lev. 16:23 where he was to let go the live goat that was for Azazel after confessing all the iniquities—the root of that evil the originator of all of that—Satan the devil, which was what was represented by that goat into the wilderness. Then after letting that go it says in:
Leviticus 16:23: "And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall strip off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the sanctuary, and shall leave them there. And he shall wash his flesh with water in the Holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people…" (vs 23-24). So there is a ram for a burnt offering at the end!
- we've seen the bull for himself for his household
- we've seen the two goats
- we've seen one is sacrificed
the one for the Lord to make the atonement, and the cleansing with the blood of that goat!
The other goat confesses all the iniquities from all their transgressions and all their sins and is sent to the wilderness!
The priest cleanses himself and then he does the burnt offering at the end; he offers the ram. This is the other animal that was missing that we have not read about that.
Verse 25: "And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar." So, it was an atonement!
We've seen that everything has been cleansed and now the atonement after the cleansing, which is part of the cleansing for himself and for the people.
Verse 26: "And he that let go the goat for Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp."
So, this is what was to be done at the end, this person was to wash himself after carrying that goat into the wilderness
Verse 27: "And the young 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 they carry forth outside the camp…."
They're not done, yet; it's not just killing and the blood they have to do this other thing:
"…And they shall burn their skins in the fire, and their flesh and their dung. And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp" (vs 27-28). Then we come to where we started:
- What date?
- For what purpose?
Verse 30: "For on that day an atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you…"
An integral part of this cleansing is the second goat that has to be confessed for:
- all the iniquity
- the origin the evil
- the originator of all of that evil
- those iniquities (that 'avon')
and sent into the wilderness!
"…to cleanse you, so that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD" (v 30).
Rev. 12—here it tells us about who Satan the devil is; not only the originator of all sin that we read in Ezekiel, and as we read in John 8: the father of sin, but we are going to read in:
Revelation 12:10: "And I heard a great voice in heaven say, 'Now has come the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ because the accuser of our brethren has been cast down, who accuses them day and night before our God.'"
We're going to see what happens: he was cast down, "…who accuses them [us] day and night before our God."
So, our prayers are coming the incense, but the accusations: Satan is there to accuse and accuse constantly. We have an example very clear in Job, very clear, how Satan presents himself just to accuse Job. God says, 'Have you considered my servant Job?' Yeah but:
- he's just doing it out of convenience
- he's just doing it for a favor
- he's doing it because You protect him
NO! He's accusing us all the time, but let's go to Rev. 20 to read the fulfillment of this day; the fulfillment of that goat having all those iniquities of those transgressions of those sins—the sins of Israel—on him and be sent to a place where nobody dwells!
There's a very important part in here in Revelation 20:1: "Then I saw an angel descending from heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand." So, this man that was taking the goat is representing this angel!
Verse 2: "And he took hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years."
So, after the cleansing of the place where God is going to dwell, the originator of the sin is removed for a thousand years!
Verse 3: "Then he [the angel] cast him into the abyss, and locked him up, and sealed the abyss over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were fulfilled; and after that it is ordained that he be loosed for a short time."
It's very clear that he's not going to deceive the nations during the Millennium; it says that! It's very clear that Satan will not be around, but we also consider that he's not going to be there before the Throne of God accusing anybody during a thousand years like he is now!
What a wonderful blessing that we have Jesus Christ, our High Priest, advocating on our behalf before the Father, and the Father sees us like He sees Jesus Christ:
- through His righteousness
- through His blood
That's what the other goat represented, the goat that is for the LORD, and that's why He was sacrificed. He cleanses and purifies, and that's what it did with the tabernacle in the Holy Place. This is amazing to understand that the accuser is not going to be excusing, and can you think what that will be like for a thousand years. God dwelling with people without the accuser!
Jesus Christ is going to be King of kings and Lord of lords without the accuser; he will not be before the Father, he will not be before Jesus Christ! He will be put away for a thousand years! What a wonderful thing it will be, that Millennium, that thousand years when Satan is put away!
Because he is the instigator of those sins! He deceived Eve, and that's how we all inherited this carnal nature! Now, we cannot use that as an excuse, just like Adam and Eve did. Adam said, 'Well, my wife and the serpent…' and went on and on. But the curses came to all of what was going to happen to them:
- to the serpent
- to Eve
- to Adam
and we're still dealing with those consequences!
There are consequences for sin and Satan instigated that sin! We cannot use it as an excuse, because when we miss the mark and when we sin:
- we do miss the mark
- we do fail
- we do wrong
but the iniquity that is within us God is cleansing through the process of conversion! He's:
- changing our human nature
- changing us from that law of sin and death
That inclines us to sin and to do evil, seeking our own pleasures and our will, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life! That's just as bad as the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes!
But when we have this nature, we have to acknowledge that we have this, and Jesus Christ—when He came to the earth and lived like one of us—had that!
Let's go to John to see that to see how our Lord and Savior actually dealt with this when He was in the flesh! He was full of the Holy Spirit, but He had the law of sin and death within Him! He never sinned, but He had that law within Him. He had to overcome it.
We're going to see this nature and we're going to see. We've seen that it comes from Satan the devil but now we're going to see it in people. We're going to see how evil it is and how wonderful this day is when all of that, not only the sins, but the iniquity and the cleansing will be complete!
John 2:23: "Now, when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the Feast, many believed on His name, as they observed the miracles that He was doing."
How can you not believe when you're seeing the miracles? But some didn't!
Verse 24: "But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all men; and He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man" (vs 24-25).
- this evil carnal nature
- this human nature
- this law of sin and death
He Himself knew what was in man; He didn't need a person to tell him how bad it was!
- He was living it
- He was seeing it
He never sinned! He never sinned, but He was tempted in every way!
He said He did not entrust Himself to them that they would do good works, so that they would carry out the Plan of God. That was not going to happen!
In fact, they served as temptation! Even Peter who said. 'May this never happen to You, Lord!' when Jesus was going to be crucified and beaten and suffer!
So this Scripture tells us that Jesus Himself knew what was in man! He knew this evil, twisted, perverted nature—human nature—that we have this law of sin and death within us!
But just like Jesus Christ, we can be filled more and more with the Holy Spirit like He was without measure!
- to be able to not practice sin
- to sin less and less
and continue this conversion process until we get to the stature of Jesus Christ, because that's a very high standard! This is the day of cleansing:
- we've seen the day of cleansing in the tabernacle
- we've seen what the ordinances were
but now we're talking about the spiritual meaning of this, and all of us today in our relationship with God!
Jesus knew who was the originator of all the sin and he said it plainly here in:
John 14:30: "I will not speak with you much longer because the ruler of this world… [He Himself said it, this is not a made up thing; this is speaking of Satan the devil] …is coming… [he was about to get Him through the betrayer] …but he does not have a single thing in Me."
- none of the iniquity
- none of the perversity
- none of this evil nature
was in Jesus Christ! He had the law of sin and death but he never sinned! He never once gave in to that temptation; He never did! Satan didn't have a single thing in our Savior, the perfect son of God the Father!
Verse 31: "Yet, he comes so that the world may know that I love the Father…" The ultimate expression of love in giving His life for our sins!
"…and that I do exactly as the Father has commanded Me.…" (v 31).
Just the opposite of Satan the devi! When he speaks he speaks of himself:
- of gaining for himself
- of deceiving
- of making others fall
That's what Satan the devil is all about!
Jesus Christ was the exact opposite, because He did exactly as the Father commanded! He was the perfect at-one-ment! Jesus Christ and God the Father were the perfect at-one-ment!
That's why Jesus said here John 14:9: "…why then do you say, 'Show us the Father'? [and that will be sufficient in us. Jesus said: "Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?....'" (vs 9-10).
The perfect at-one-ment! That's what God wants for us now, because we have the same Holy Spirit within us; to be one with God on this Day of Atonement, in this day of cleansing!
John 13—there are some very important words here that have to do with this, speaking of the cleansing. Jesus said this to his disciples. When He started to wash the feet of the disciples:
John 13:8: "Peter said to Him, 'You shall not wash my feet, not ever.' Jesus answered him, 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.' Simon Peter said to Him… [wash more] …'Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.' Jesus said to him, 'The one who has been washed does not need to wash anything other than the feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all'" (vs 8-10).
We, brethren, are also clean through the blood of Jesus Christ, and through the Word. We're going to read that.
Verse 11: "For He knew the one who was betraying Him; this was the reason He said, 'Not all of you are clean'"
Why? Because Judas Iscariot had it in his heart that he was going to betray Him! Then Satan came into him but he had not come into him, yet; right at this point. But Satan was about to come into him, because he was not clean!
- he had that iniquity
- he wanted that iniquity
- he held on to that iniquity
- he did not reject it
- he did not put it away
That iniquity was in him and that's why he was not clean!
The Day of Atonement means the cleansing, as we've seen. We are cleansed through Jesus Christ! Let's read how it is that we are cleansed!
John 15:3: "You are already clean… [Jesus told His disciples; He's telling us the same thing] … through the word that I have spoken to you."
We are already clean! It's through the Word that He has spoken to us! It's a wonderful thing, this cleansing, because we are washed by the water of the Word!
Eph. 5—this is how we're cleansed! On this Day of Atonement we can present ourselves with full assurance that our prayers are not only heard, but they are the delight of God the Father! When we make those prayers in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, they are His delight, and we are already clean!
Just like he told his disciples that they were already clean by the Word that He has spoken to them. This is what He's doing. This is proof that you and I in the Church of God today are cleansed!
Ephesians 5:25: "Husbands, love your own wives, in the same way that Christ also loved the Church… [you and I, the Church] …and gave Himself for it…. [for us!] …so that He might sanctify it… [that's what He's doing] …having cleansed it with the washing of the water by the Word" (vs 25-26).
Because the dwelling of God is first! The cleansing and then God comes and dwells with the people!
- that's what happened at the Temple
- that will happen on the earth at the end-time after the Great Tribulation
then Satan will be put away!
But right now, for us, we have been cleansed with the washing of the water by the Word so that we may be
- sanctified
- converted
- completely transformed
- into that beautiful, beautiful Bride of Christ
- into that beautiful Body of Christ
That is the purpose of this cleansing with the washing of the water by the word! So that we can be one with God!
John 17—to close we're going to read a couple Scriptures that really contains the meaning of this day! In the words of Jesus Christ in his prayer to God the Father right before he was crucified for our sins:
John 17:9: "I [Jesus] am praying for them…"—His disciples the ones that He said were cleansed!
We just read that we are also cleansed because we are the Church! Christ gave Himself for us that we may be cleansed and we are cleansed so that we may be sanctified!
"…but for those whom You have given Me… the disciples] …for they are Yours. All Mine are Yours, and all Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, those whom You have given Me, so that they may be one, even as We are one" (vs 9-11).
That's the meaning of this day—at-one-ment!
- when all of the sin is cleansed and atoned for
- when the origin, the originator of the sin, is put away
- not only is the sin forgiven but the iniquity is gone
- the iniquity is also forgiven and is gone
that we may become one with God!
Verse 20 is for us; we read how He prayed for His disciples and then Jesus says in:
Verse 20: "I do not pray for these only, but also for those who shall believe in Me through their word."
That's you and I, brethren! We are believing in Jesus Christ through their word:
- through the Gospels a
- through the book of Acts
- through all of the New Testament
That was inspired by Him!
Verse 21: 'That they all may be one, even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, in order that the world may believe that You did send Me."
This is the purpose of the Day of Atonement, to become one with God!
- when we afflict our souls
- when we stop everything that we're doing
- when we concentrate on God in this beautiful day
- when all our thoughts and all our energy is not enjoying the physical pleasures of eating
we don't enjoy that
- we enjoy the True Bread from heaven
- we enjoy the Word of God
- we see the great significance of this day
- what He did
- what They did, God the Father and Jesus Christ
Verse 22: "And I have given them the glory that You gave to Me… [the Holy Spirit] … in order that they may be one…[by the same Spirit the Spirit of the Truth] …in the same way that We are one." Jesus Christ and the Father through the Holy Spirit!
- perfect in understanding
- perfect in purity
- perfect in love
- perfect in truth
- perfect in justice
Verse 23: "I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected into one…"—that's where we are!
That's a part of the story where we are now! We are being perfected into one all into God the Father so that he may be all in all (1-Cor.)
"…and that the world may know that You did send Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me" (v 23).
This is the meaning of the Day of Atonement: being one with God!
Scriptural References
- Leviticus 23:2, 27
- Leviticus 23:28-32
- Leviticus 16:29-33, 2-13
- Revelation 8:1-5
- Leviticus 16:14-21, 16-22
- Psalm 32:1-5
- Ezekiel 28:13-15
- John 8:44
- John 5:19
- John 8:30
- Leviticus 16:23-28, 30
- Revelation 12:1-3
- John 2:23-25
- John 14:30-31, 9-10
- John 13:8-11
- John 15:3
- Ephesians 5:25-26
- John 17:9-11, 20-23
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Hebrews 8:5
- Psalm 51
- 1-Corinthians
EE:bo/po
Transcribed: 9/5/25
Copyright 2025—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.
