Day of Atonement 2005-Part 2

Now let’s continue, brethren. Let’s come to Micah 6 and let’s look at these words of God. Let’s take this Day of Atonement as a time of prayer, of fasting, of getting right with God, drawing close to Him, and understanding that we need His help and power and protection because Satan has to be removed. And we’ll see that in just a minute when we see the ritual that was done on the Day of Atonement as we find in Leviticus 16. But let’s see the kind of attitude that we need to have. Let’s also understand as we look at the nation, that we can apply [it] to physical Israel and to spiritual Israel – the church, both.

Micah 6:1: “Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. [Go out and shout to the mountains.] Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth…” Now let’s understand something as I brought out in the past: Sin affects the whole physical world! “…For the LORD hath a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel. O My people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against Me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal…” And those are the doctrines that are coming into the church today. The very doctrines of Baalim have taken down the largest church of God in modern time. [They] didn’t remember it. It says: “…that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.” In other words, if you don’t understand what is true and right, and you don’t prove what is false and wrong, you’ll never know the righteousness of God.

Now, verse 6: “Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?” Is that what God delights in? “Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”, which the Israelites degenerated into doing. And a lot of them keep doing it today in abortion – sixty-three million and counting in America. And don’t think that God does not know. And don’t think that God is not going to judge for that. And don’t think that God is not going to bring the viciousness of the heathen against us in the same way of the viciousness and cutting out and aborting unborn babies. Now we need to understand that.

So if there is repentance and if there is yieldedness to God on the Day of Atonement and the right kind of fast, now here is what God says: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly [that means walk in His commandments], and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:1-8, KJV). Now that’s what God requires.

Now, we have the burden of doing this while Satan is still ruling this world. We can do it. God will make it possible. However, this day also pictures another fantastic thing, which is true and it is this: Until Satan is removed (who is the author of sin) and he is judged and he has his judgment upon him, there can never be everlasting righteousness.

Now let’s go back to Leviticus 16 because this is a full description of the special offerings and sacrifices that were to be given at the temple on the Day of Atonement. Now every year we have to cover this and we do cover it because we are preaching “in season” the things that God wants us to preach, and this is part of it. Now the first part of it are all the instructions for Aaron – what he was to do, the sacrifice for himself for his sins, the burnt offering of bullock, and to cleanse himself in order to go through and perform this specific ritual. And he also had to have on the holy garments and he had to be clean.

Now verse 5: “And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. And he shall take the two goats [now these were to be identical goats], and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” Now that’s out where everybody can see. That’s not in by the altar of burnt offerings; that is not in the court of the men, but it is just outside the court of the men. So all could see. And as a matter of fact, from the mount of Olives one could look down into the temple area and see this ceremony going on if they were there during the time that this was taking place.

Now here is what was to happen, and this is very unusual: “And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats…” See, God is going to make the decision. “…One lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.” The King James says “scapegoat” but the margin says “Azazel.” And Azazel is another name for Satan. Now why would Satan be involved here? Well the answer is simple. You go back to Genesis 3 and Satan was involved from the beginning. And he is the author of sin. But you see, mankind of and by himself, human beings without the Spirit of God and without the Word of God cannot discern the difference between the true Christ and the false christ – the true Savior and the anti-Christ the false savior. And that’s what this ceremony is all about. And we will see the spiritual fulfillment in a little bit in the book of Revelation.

And then what he was to do was this, verse 9: “And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.” And that’s what Christ was. He was a sin offering. “But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat [for Azazel], shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement [upon him and also] with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat [let Azazel go] into the wilderness.” Now let’s understand that the Azazel goat has nothing to do with the mission of Christ. Christ takes upon Him our sins Himself. But He does not take upon Him the sins of Satan the devil. He does not take upon Him the sins that Satan the devil has inspired and caused people to do. Those go upon the head of Azazel.

Now let’s see that. Let’s see the difference. Come over here to verse 15: “Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil [right into the Holy of Holies], and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: and he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all [of] their sins…” Now if you have a sin offering that is offered for all of your sins, they are all forgiven. The goat that is for Azazel takes the sins of the children of Israel that he caused them to do, and are put back upon his head in judgment against him. Now let’s see that.

Verse 20: “And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities [sins] of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness…” Now the wilderness is where Jesus met Satan, isn’t it? So this is why this is taken to the wilderness. This doesn’t picture taking our sins away and taking them up to heaven. Heaven is never pictured as a wilderness. The wilderness is the opposite of heaven, so we need to understand that.

Now why does he let him go? Because Satan is a spirit being and that’s why the goat remains alive and then he is let go. Now there will come a time when Satan will be put into the abyss, which we will see, which will bring the full meaning of the Day of Atonement for us. Now then, the fit man would come back. He would wash his clothes. And all that was left would be burnt at the place of the ashes for burnt offering.

Now then verse 29: “And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 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. It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever” (Lev. 16:5-10, 15-16, 20-21, 29-31, KJV). So this is what God had them do once a year. And this was to show a great and profound spiritual lesson for us.

Now before we see that let’s come to Daniel 9, and again let’s take a look at the repentance that Daniel had, which is the kind of repentance that we need to have on the Day of Atonement. And let’s look at it from the point of view that let this be the kind of repentance that all the brethren and all the elders need to have in the light of all of the sins of the churches of God, and in the light of the shooting of the brethren back there in Wisconsin. As we said at the conference, and it was well discussed that that incident was a wake-up call for all the churches of God and for all the ministers and elders. And so we need to have the attitude of Daniel. And this is how we need to approach God. Not come before Him with a false kind of fasting; not come before God, as it were, great and high and mighty, because we’re not (we don’t have a single thing that we didn’t receive), [but] come before Him as Daniel did.

Now let’s begin here in verse 3. This is after he understood the 70 years of the book of Jeremiah. “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes [complete humility], and I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said…” Now this is the confession that we need. And you consider the things of the church of God; and you consider all the Laodicean attitudes that there are; and you read the message that God has given to the seven churches and understand that there needs to be repentance among the churches. “…And said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments; we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from Thy precepts and from Thy judgments…” They went after Satan the devil, didn’t they? They went after Baalim the sun-god, Moloch the abomination of the Amorites.

“…And even by departing from Thy precepts and from Thy judgments: neither have we hearkened unto Thy servants the prophets, which spake in Thy name…” Yes, they came, didn’t they? Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Joel, Amos, all of those. Then you have Samuel, and the prophets Elijah and Elisha and they still didn’t listen. You know, human nature is entrenched and without the Spirit of God it is welded shut by a determination of self-will. “…Neither have we hearkened unto Thy servants the prophets, which spake in Thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto Thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither Thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against Thee.” And let’s just apply this to the church. And because of all of our sins and all of the difficulties that we have let’s take this Day of Atonement and confess our sins before God.

“O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against Thee. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against Him; neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. Yea, all Israel have transgressed Thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey Thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. And He hath confirmed His words, which He spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.” And under the whole experience of the churches of God in the modern era, nothing has been done to the churches of God as has been done to Pasadena.

“As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand Thy truth. Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all His works which He doeth: for we obeyed not His voice.” Now we need to consider that very deeply. “And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought Thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten Thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. O Lord, according to all Thy righteousness, I beseech Thee, let Thine anger and Thy fury be turned away from Thy city Jerusalem, [and yea from your church O Lord God] Thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us. Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of Thy servant, and his supplications, and cause Thy face to shine upon Thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.” And may that apply to the church today on this Day of Atonement.

“O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for Thine own sake, O my God: for Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy name.” And then God sent Gabriel to answer that prayer. And this prayer has a tremendous amount to do with the meaning of the Day of Atonement and the plan of God, and for the getting rid of all sin. Not just the sin of the people of Israel, not just the sin of the church, but the sin of all people everywhere for all time.

Now let’s read it, verse 24: “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city…” Now notice:

to finish the transgression,
and to make an end of sins,
and to make reconciliation for iniquity,
and to bring in everlasting righteousness,
and to seal up the vision and prophecy,
and to anoint the most Holy.”

Now that is an awful lot. Now let’s look at some of these things because we’re going to see some of them can not be fulfilled until after the Great White Throne Judgment. So this is not just a prophecy alone to the first coming of Christ, but it is a prophecy that is going to go and fulfill everything that God has shown through His Holy Days.

Now continuing, verse 25: “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself…” And you can put in your margin there Isaiah 53, and then of course everything that we have in the Gospels about Christ being cut off.

Now let’s understand something very important from here for us to realize and to understand which is this – the next clause: “…and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” Now, what does that mean? The “people of the prince” has nothing to do with Christ. The “prince” here is the final anti-Christ who is coming. And he is going to make a “covenant with many for one week.” So this is the last seven years. So when the anti-Christ comes in and he begins his reign as world ruler and there is peace-peace like there never has been before, then know there is seven years from that time. Now we’re covering that and have covered it in the series “The Book of Revelation.”

Now notice where we get the three and a half years – right here: “…and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease…” For years we always used to say this refers to Christ. No, this refers to the one later in the book of Daniel who will cut off the sacrifices for 1260 days. Now let’s understand something: When Christ died, though it was in the middle of the week, His sacrifice and His death did not cause the sacrifices to cease. They continued another forty years. And the destruction of the city took place another forty years later. So this then cannot be referring to Christ, because the seventieth week, the last week of this prophecy is reserved for the end. And this has to do with the end-time. “…Shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Daniel 9:3-17, 19, 24-27, KJV).

Now, when John was canonizing the New Testament and he was given the vision in Revelation 11, he was told to measure the temple. However, when he wrote this there was no temple for it was destroyed some twenty-five years previously in 70 AD, and just as Jesus said, not one stone was left upon another. So that’s why. Now I mentioned this before but I want to mention it again here. And this is what tells us that this last week in Daniel 9, because you see it also has to come to everlasting righteousness and there can be no everlasting righteousness until Satan is totally removed and then at the end of the Millennium, judged and removed entirely. And that this whole prophecy cannot be fulfilled until we come to Revelation 21 when Jesus said, “It is finished.”

Now let’s see this in Matthew 24, because here’s a very strange thing inserted by John and possibly Andrew and Philip who were with him in canonizing the New Testament. Now let’s come here to verse 15 because it’s talking about the abomination. This is the very thing that we just read back there in Daniel 9. “Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place…” Then we have this parenthetical statement. And if you have a red letter Bible you will see this parenthetical statement is not red lettered because the translators knew that Jesus didn’t say this when He was speaking, but it was a final edit put in there to give us understanding so that we would know we would have to look for the rebuilding of the temple at the end of the age. And this also tells us that there is a second fulfillment of the book of Haggai in building the temple. This also tells us that Revelation is correct – there will be a temple, and there will be the two witnesses, and they will be in Jerusalem.

Now notice this statement: “…(the one who reads, let him understand)…” (Matt. 24:15, FV). Now that was inserted there because John didn’t understand it. And God inspired him to put it here because God knew it would be a future time when it would be understood. Now with the understanding of the Scriptures and the way that things are transpiring today we can begin to understand it. And that’s what’s really important about this in realizing what’s going to take place.

Now let’s come and see the fulfillment of removing the goat for Satan. He’s going to take all the sins that he has perpetrated upon everyone through all time, and he is going to be bound. Now let’s pick it up here in Revelation 19:20. First of all God has to remove the Beast, who is the main agent of Satan the devil; and the False Prophet, who deceives the world into accepting the Beast. “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked miracles in his presence, by which he had deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.” And those things are coming. Like we’ve said for years – at first it’s going to be voluntary and then it’s going to be enforced. And we are coming down the road with all of this. And when it happens to the people of the world it’s going to seem like the greatest and most natural thing that there ever was, and it’s something that ought to be. But God says do not take it. It’s not a matter of buying and selling as we have seen. That’s part of it, literally true. You won’t be able to buy and sell. It will be an utter impossibility. But it’s to control you. To control your mind. To control your thoughts. To get you to worship Satan the devil. That’s why we are not to take the mark of the beast. And so God’s judgment comes upon them first. “Those two were cast alive into the lake of fire, which burns with brimstone; and the rest were killed by the sword of Him Who sits on the horse, even the sword that goes out of His mouth; and all the birds were filled with their flesh” (Rev. 19:20-21, FV).

Now Chapter 20:1. Now remember back in Leviticus 16 that the goat for Azazel was sent out into the wilderness by the hand of a strong man. And that strong man symbolized the angel in the fulfillment of putting away Satan the devil. “Then I saw an angel descending from heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand. And he took hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.” Now we’ll talk about Satan being released at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles on the seventh day – why God reserves Satan yet for one more mission.

“Then he 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…” (Rev. 20:1-3, FV). See, this is why the Day of Atonement comes just before the Feast of Tabernacles. You cannot have the Kingdom of God on earth ruled by Christ and the saints and have Satan around. He has no part in it. That’s why he’s put away on the Day of Atonement. That’s why all of the sins are put upon him. And now God comes to the children of Israel and forgives their sins and brings them out of captivity. And that is also what is pictured with the Day of Atonement because in order for God to begin to deal with Israel and Judah again He forgives their sins first just like the Day of Atonement was set for.

Now, let’s look at one other aspect which is important for us, because there is a deeper spiritual meaning for us for the Day of Atonement, which is to be at-one with God. Now we know that the Passover applies to us. But the Day of Atonement will be the time when God will apply it to the whole world. That’s when the whole world will have the opportunity to have their sins forgiven through the sacrifice of Christ. That’s when the veil will be lifted from their eyes. That’s when they will all begin to know about Christ, and of course, as we see fulfilled in the Feast of Tabernacles. So John 17 projects forward to that time, but it projects forward to us being with Christ at that time more than anything else. And so the spiritual meaning for us on this Day of Atonement is that we are to be one with God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Now notice what Jesus said. Let’s come here to John 17 and let’s begin in verse 6: “ ‘I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You have given them to Me, and they have kept Your Word.’ ” And this is what it needs to be for us. Now you see, in all of this understand we belong to God the Father and Jesus Christ. “ ‘Now they have known that all things that You have given Me are from You. For I have given them the words that You gave to Me; and they have received them and truly have known that I came from You; and they have believed that You did send Me. I am praying for them…’ ” So here’s a special prayer that Christ has given for all of us: “ ‘…I am not praying for the world [no, the world doesn’t receive salvation until after the Day of Atonement], but for those whom You have given Me, 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.’ ” That’s why it’s so important to have the Spirit of God, to love God, to keep His commandments, to fellowship with God. All of those things bring us into oneness with God.

Verse 12: “ ‘When I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. I protected those whom You have given Me, and not one of them has perished except the son of perdition, in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to You; and these things I am speaking while yet in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in them. I have given them Your words, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.’ ” So brethren, don’t seek to be accepted by the world. One way or the other they are going to hate you. And don’t worry about it.

“ ‘I do not pray that You would take them out of the world…’ ” Now sometimes we wish that were so. But that’s not going to happen till the resurrection. “ ‘…But that You would keep them from the evil one.’ ” To keep us from Satan the devil. And that’s why we have the Sabbath and the Passover, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost, and Trumpets, and Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day – these are the signs that we belong to God. These are the days that God fellowships with us. This is how we are not of the world. This is how we are kept from the evil one in God’s special protection.

Verse 16: “ ‘They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in Your truth; Your Word is the truth.’ ” And that is why we need to know the Word of God. And Christ is the Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1, FV).

Now verse 18: “ ‘Even as You did send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they also may be sanctified in Your truth’ ”, because Christ is always with us. Did He not say to the apostles, “All authority in heaven and on earth is given unto Me. You go therefore into all nations making disciples of all men and teaching them whatsoever I have commanded you, and baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and I am with you to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20, paraphrased)? Now that’s reflecting what it is here.

Verse 20: “ ‘I do not pray for these only, but also for those who shall believe in Me through their word [all that God would call]; 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.’ ” And the world will believe it when Christ returns, and the resurrected saints return with Him. “ ‘And I have given them the glory that You gave to Me [and to receive of the Spirit of God and to look forward to the glory that God is going to give us is utterly beyond words], in order that they be may one, in the same way that We are one: I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected into one; and that the world may know that You did send Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that those whom You have given Me may also be with Me where I am [and we will be with Christ, won’t we, and rule and reign with Him], so that they may behold My glory, which You have given Me; because You did love Me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world has not known You; but I have known You, and these have known that You did send Me. And I have made known Your name to them, and will make it known; so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them’ ” (John 17:6-26, FV).

So it’s really quite a wonderful thing, brethren. We know the plan of God through the Day of Atonement that Satan the devil’s days are numbered. He is going to be bound. And at the end of the Millennium the final judgment is pictured by Leviticus 16 in confessing all the sins over the head of Azazel will be fulfilled when the judgment of Satan and the demons take place. That’s their final judgment. And then we enter in, in Revelation 21, to the unfolding of everlasting righteousness as Daniel 9 said. And that will be for all eternity.

Day of Atonement – 2005

Scriptural References

Leviticus 23:26-32
Psalm 35:13
Nehemiah 9:1-3
Leviticus 20:1-8
Ezra 10:1, 6
Zechariah 7:4-13
Isaiah 58:1-14
Isaiah 65:2-7
Matthew 4:1-10
Amos 3:1-3
Micah 6:1-8
Leviticus 16:5-10, 15-16, 20-21, 29-31
Daniel 9:3-17, 19, 24-27
Matthew 24:15
Revelation 19:20-21
Revelation 20:1-3
John 17:6-26
John 1:1
Matthew 28:18-20