Lesson Fifteen
Yom Kippur
And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments; then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the Tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as HaShem commanded Moses.
Leviticus 16:32-34
Introduction
- Last week we learned about the 5 major korbanot. We learned that there were only 2 that were sin related. The majority of the activity in the Tabernacle/Temple was worship – and the sin/guilt korbanot were in order to protect the worshipper who came to worship in the Tabernacle/Temple.
- Most of what we looked at in the 5 major korbanot pertained to individuals. The major communal korbanot were at Pesach and Sukkot. The biggest korbanot of all was not individual, nor was it during the three pilgrimage festivals – they were during Yom Kippur: and only the attendance of the High Priest was required.
- There is much misunderstanding regarding the ‘sacrifices’ mentioned in Hebrews because the lack of a Yom Kippur frame of reference for readers.
Day of the Atonements
- Lev 23:27: Yom ha-Kippurim: Day of the Atonements
- kaphar: to cover. First usage Gen 6:14.
- 23:27-32: description:
- 10th day of the 7th month
- Evening to evening (9th to the 10th)
- A holy convocation [mikra-kodesh = a holy calling together]
- No customary work (the task for the day was the High Priest’s)
- A Sabbath of rest
- All afflict their ‘souls’
- A statute forever [chukat olam]
Yom Kippur in the Earthly Tabernacle
- Purpose: For the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness and sin of the Children of Israel – for the Tabernacle which remains among them, the Altar, and for the priests. Lev 16:16; 20; 33; Heb 9:13; 23. (Tabernacle’s purpose: G-d to dwell among them).
- Steps:
- Put on linen tunic etc.
- Wash with water
- Prepare a bull for own sin (and his household), and 2 goats.
- Cast lots for the goats: one “For G-d” – the other “For Azazel” [gone, used up; goat].
- Kill the bull, and take the blood inside the Tabernacle
- Take fire from the altar with him
- “Inside the veil”, put incense on the coals (conceals the Mercy Seat), and sprinkle the blood before and on the Mercy Seat.
- Bring the blood of the goat (“For G-d”) and sprinkle in front of, and on the Mercy Seat.
- Take the blood of the bull and the goat and apply it to the altar(s) outside. korban: bull, goat, ram.
- Goat “For Azazel” led away to the wilderness.
- Wash
- Burn the bodies of the bull and the goat outside the camp.
- Who carried it out: The entire service was done by the High Priest alone (Lev 16:17).
- Who was it for: Children of Israel and the priests (Lev 16:16-17).
- How long was it for, how often repeated: Every year, once a year (Lev 16:29ff; Heb 9:7).
- Where was it done: Tabernacle, and Holy of Holies.
- korban offered: Bull and goats (and a ram).
- Cleansed of sins: Yes (Lev 16:16-30; Heb 9:13; 23).
- Took away sin: No (Heb 10:4; 11)
- Provided atonement: Yes (Lev 16:20; 33).
- Made the people perfect: No (Heb 9:9; 10:1).
- Cleansed the conscience: No (Heb 9:9; 10:2).
- Location of golden incense censor during Yom Kippur: Holy of Holies (Heb 9:3-5; Lev 16:12-13)
- Yom Kippur made a way to ‘draw near’ to G-d: Yes. (Lev 16:17; 20; 33)
- Sins never remembered by G-d: No (Heb 10:2-3).
- Did Yom Kippur ‘work’? Yes. G-d’s Presence was in the Tabernacle/Temple – dwelling among them.
Note: images are from the Temple Institute in Jerusalem.
The Event in the Heavenly Tabernacle
- Purpose: Heb 9:11-15; 10:14: Eternal redemption, perfection of the worshippers, to take away their sins and cleanse their conscience; an eternal inheritance.
- Steps:
- Yeshua offered up Himself (7:27)
- By His own blood, in the heavenly Holy of Holies (9:11-14).
- Entered only once ‘behind the veil’, and then sat down. (Heb 10:20; 12)
- Who carried it out: Yeshua, our High Priest (Heb 7:27; 9:24-25).
- Who was it for: All who are being sanctified (Heb 10:14; 19-22).
- How long was it for; how often repeated: Once, for ever (Heb 10:12-14).
- Where was it done: Heavenly Tabernacle (Heb 9:11-12; 24-25).
- What korban was offered: Yeshua Himself (Heb 9:14; 28; 10:10-12).
- Cleansed of sin: Yes (Heb 9:14).
- Took away sin: Yes (Heb 10:11-12).
- Provided atonement: Yes (Romans 5:11).
- Made the people perfect: Yes (Heb 10:14).
- Cleansed the conscience: Yes (Heb 10:22).
- Made a way to draw near to G-d: Yes, eternally (Heb 10:22).
- Sins never remembered by G-d: Yes (Heb 10:10-14).
- Did it work? Yes. How much more…
Summary
- As we have seen, the writer wants the reader to correlate what occurred on Yom Kippur in the Tabernacle/Temple to what Yeshua has done. The frame of reference for the reader was the earthly Tabernacle – so using it, he explains the eternal nature of Yeshua’s sacrifice.
- These chapters were never meant to be a denigration of the earthly Tabernacle, the earthly Priesthood, nor the earthly korbanot. The purpose was not to contrast, but to compare and to emphasize how much more Yeshua is able to cleanse us.