The “result” of that great Day in Israel’s Calendar, the glorious Day of Atonement?

“For ON THAT DAY shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.” Leviticus 16:30

Sure sounds good, “cleansed from all sin!”

But there’s even more!

“And he (the priest) shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.” Leviticus 16:33

Everything “atoned!”

By the blood of innocent animals. (Foreshadowing the Blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ our Lord!)

Now, the verb “to make atonement” is “kaphar” in Hebrew. It means “to purge” and is so translated 10 times in the King James Version of the Bible. It is also rendered “to reconcile” 3 more times. “To forgive” 3 times as well. “To cleanse” 1 time as well as “to pardon” 1 time.

Wow!

The awesome, powerful result of the Day of Atonement!

No wonder it was to be Israel’s most “high and holy” Day!

The only Day in the year in which that little Nation was commanded by God “to fast,” to abstain from earthly food! With the implication “to rest” (as on the Sabbath) and “to feast” (spiritually) on this Heavenly Food!

Forgiven!

And yet, here is one more use of “atonement” in the Old Testament. Its “first occurrence” in the Bible, in fact. God to Noah concerning the a significant building project … “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and SHALT PITCH (kaphar) it within and without with pitch.”

Here it means “to cover.” To protect by covering! To so protect that the devastating “waters” of the Flood (Judgment) cannot destroy the Ark, Noah’s Home during the Deluge!

This sounds good, too!

And that, dear readers/students, is God’s Plan of Salvation as set forth in the Pentateuch!

It sure sounds adequate to me!

All of which (every detail) looks forward to the coming of Jesus, to the Incarnation/Virgin Birth … when Calvary (the Cross) will answer fully the issue of sin, once for all, forever!

And why do I say “forever?”

That last verse in our chapter, in Leviticus 16 … “And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins ONCE A YEAR.” Verse 34, “once a year,” surely you noticed that!

Then, at the end of that year … another day of heavy labor for the High Priest, another goat to be slain, another goat to be led into the wilderness! Another day of fasting!

But with Jesus as the Sacrifice, with Jesus as the High Priest … “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did ONCE, when he offered up himself.” Hebrews 7:27, meaning just that, “once-for-all,” or as I indicated, “forever!”

Jesus does not have to die annually!

His Blood has permanent Power!

Oh, yes, as the Book of Hebrews loudly trumpets … Jesus is BETTER!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Hallelujah!

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