THE FOURTH SECTION THE GREAT DAY OF ATONEMENT (Chapter 16) If some peoples have recognized, through tradition, the sacrifices of blood, which they received from Noah and his three sons; yet they have distorted their concepts and goals. But the Jewish people were unique for having such a rite of “the great day of atonement”, never followed by any other people. That day had its particular importance for the Jews, and had a unique rite, that presents to us magnificent concepts concerning the sacrifice of the Lord Christ, and its atoning work; as revealed to us by the apostle Paul in the ninth chapter of his epistle to the Hebrews. Before attempting to interpret the sixteenth chapter of the book of Leviticus concerning that unique day, I should like to introduce some remarks about its importance, goal, preparations for it, and its rites. Its importance to the Jews: For the importance and reputation of that day to the Jews, the scholars of the Telmud called it “The Day” (Hebrew 7: 27), and “The Fast” (Acts 27: 9); as it is in no need for recognition. The Jews could have looked at it the way we look at “The Great Friday”, being the great day of atonement; in which we see our greatest High Priest intercedes by His precious blood for the whole world, to bring His believers among them to the heaven of heavens, to have a place in the bosom of His heavenly Father. Or it may represent to us the day of “The Theophany”, in which the Lord Christ brought us forth to enjoy the open heaven, through our union with the Father in His Son, buried in the waters of baptism, and risen from the dead; and to enjoy the sonhood by His Holy Spirit. The importance of that day is also revealed by calling it “The Sabbath of Sabbaths”, or “”The Sabbath of Rest”; as though in it the perfect rest is realized, being “The Feast of Feasts’. This is shown by being bound with the “Feast of the Tabernacles”, counted as the end of the religious Jewish year, in which the Jews rejoice in their harvest, and give God thanks to God on the firteenth day of the Sabbathical month, namely their seventh and last month. That later day was preceded by “The Great Day of Atonement” on the tenth day of that month; when the perfect reconciliation between God and His people is proclaimed, when the whole congregation are sanctified to be prepared for the perfect joy, and be able to present a thanksgiving sacrifice to God on the Feast of the Tabernacles. … Now, if we know that the “Feast of the Tabernacles” became later on, a symbol of bringing the Gentiles to the membership of the holy church; the “Great Day of Atonement” (the day of the cross) would, therefore, be the way by which that great work was consummated. And it is befitting of us to remember that the year of the ‘Jubilee’, the year of the perfect liberation, “was always proclaimed to us on “the Great day of Atonement”. Celebrating that day on the tenth of the Sabbathical month, refers to perfection (the figure 10), by which the sanctification of the Sabbathical month, namely, the holy month, is realized. Because of the importance of that day, the seventy elders of the Senhedrim used to train the new high priest on its rites, to make him remember everything concerning it by heart. We shall see through the unique rites practiced by the high priest himself, through continuous and unceasing cleansing, together with an all day long fasting by the whole congregation, how that day was revealed in the life of the old Jewish people; and what it carried to us, Christians, of prophetic spiritual symbols, that touch our relationship with God, and our eternal salvation. Its goal: The word ‘atonement’ in Hebrew (Kepudit), means (covering up); For on that day, sins are forgiven, and man is covered up by the blood. The high priest atones for himself, for the priests, and for the whole congregation, and even for the tabernacle and all its contents -- a general and a collective atonement -- for all what the congregation as a whole, or its members individually, have fallen into, all the year long. The statute ends that day by saying: “And the priest who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place; …. Shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, for the tabernacle of meeting, and for the altar, for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year” (32-34). Preparations for the Great Day of Atonement: The high priest alone used to minister on that day in an elaborate rite after a long preparation, helped by more than 500 priests. The high priest used to spend the seven days preceding the great day of atonement, secluded in an inner chamber inside the temple outside his own home. At the time of the temple of Solomon, the seventy elders of the Senhedrim used to accompany him, to read to him the commands of the Lord concerning that day, again and again until he knows them by heart, and practice them… And on the eve of that day, to remain awake all the night long, lest he would probably have a dream or something that might defile his body, all the elders used to stay with him, lest he might sleep or slander. And as the high priest had to minister alone in the Most High Place, the elders of the Senhedrim used to say to him: [Swear to us by Him whose name dwells in this house, not to change or alter anything that we told you]. The rituals of the Great Day of Atonement: The high priest used to carry out four services: a- The morning or perpetual daily service all along the year, usually done by the priests; Yet on that day, the high priest perform it himself. At midnight, as a distinction of that day from any other, a lot is cast for the priests to take away all the ashes from over the altar, lest the sacrifices of the great day of atonement would be offered on old ashes;. Then they take the high priest to wash his body five times, and to wash his hands and feet ten times; not in a regular basin, but in a golden one, dedicated for that particular purpose. And in case he is an old man, they used to pour hot water in the basin, or to put hot iron bars in the water for the same purpose. Then the high priest puts on the holy garments, which are “for glory and beauty” (Exodus 28), enters the sanctuary, amends the lamps, and raise the incense; then he will offer the perpetual burnt offering, a lamb of the first year, together with a grain offering 1/10 of an ephah of fine flour mixed with ¼ of a hin of pressed oil, and ¼ of a hin of wine (Exodus 29: 38-42); which was doubled if the day was a Sabbath (Numbers 28: 9, 10). b- The service of the great day of atonement, the details of which came in the present chapter, which we shall discuss in our interpretation. c- Additional sacrifices are offered on that day (Numbers 29: 7-11), by the high priest, which are: “a bull, a ram, seven lambs of the first year; a grain offering of 3/10 of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, on the bull, 2/10, on the ram, 1/10 on each lamb, and ½ hin of wine, on the bull, 1/3 hin on the ram, and ¼ hin on each lamb”; And he will offer another sin offering of a kid of goats. d- The perpetual evening service, similar to the morning service, done by the high priest dressed in his superb garments. The Lord Christ and the atonement: Bearing our body, the Word of God came to live among us in our world, as though for one year, which he ends by the great day of atonement; in which He atones for our sins, and brings us forth into the bosom of His Father, interceding for us as the heavenly High Priest, not through the blood of bulls and kids of goats, but through His own precious blood. According to the scholar Origen: [Meditate in how the true Priest is the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrew 4: 14), bearing the body, as though spending one whole year among His people; saying: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Isaiah 61: 1, 2). In that year, on the day of atonement, He entered once into the Most High Place (Exodus 30: 10); when He consummated His mission, and ascended to heaven (Hebrew 4: 14) to sit on the right hand of the Father, to the account of the human race, to intercede for all his believers. On this atonement to the account of the human race, the apostle John says: “My little children, these things I write to you, that you not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 1, 2). An the apostle Paul comments on this atonement by saying about Christ: “Whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness” (Romans 2: 25). As that day extends until sunset; namely until the end of the world, we stand before the door waiting for our Priest who delayed inside the Most Holy Place; namely before the Father (1 John2: 1, 2), interceding for the sins of those anticipating Him (Hebrew 9: 28). Yet He does not intercede for all; … He does not intercede for those who belong to the goat that was sent into the wilderness (Leviticus 16: 9, 10); but only for those who belong to the Lord, who anticipate His return before the door; who would not leave the temple, worshipping day and night by fasting and supplications (Luke 2: 37). When you come to the church on the day of the feast, well-dressed, yet not to listen attentively to the divine voice, nor keep His commandments, Do you think you belong to the Lord?!... Pay attention to my words; … I wish you strive, not only to listen to the voice of God in the church, but to practice, as well, according to the words of God, in your homes, and to meditate in the law of God day and night (Psalm 1: 2) … This would be true anticipation before the door for the Priest who delayed inside the Most Holy Place; by which we would be counted as belonging to the Lord].
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