THE DAY OF ATONEMENT PART II – JESUS OUR HIGH PRIEST

The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the LORD. The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.

"This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on." Leviticus 16:1-4

Aaron, the brother of Moses, had to remove his ornate priestly garments and put on plain white linen garments before he could enter the Most Holy Place. Bathing and then putting on clean white linen was symbolic of being purified from sin and then being clothed with righteousness. Only after purification, could Aaron come before the mercy seat to first offer up an atonement offering for himself and then for his people Israel.

JESUS OUR HIGH PRIEST

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! Philippians 2: 5-8

Jesus our Messiah is not only the perfect substitutionary sacrifice for our sins, but is also our High Priest. Just as the earthly high priest removed his ornate priestly garb on the Day of Atonement, Jesus removed His garments of glory and took on the nature of a man in order to provide atonement for sinful mankind.

THE SCAPEGOAT

From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. "Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household.

Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats-one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat. Leviticus 16:5-10

"When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites-all their sins-and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert." Leviticus 16:20-22

The Hebrew word for scapegoat is azazel. The sins of the people and thus the punishment of the people were laid upon azazel, the scapegoat. He would bear the sins of the people and the punishment of the people would be upon him.
Jesus our High Priest is also our sin bearer.

For he has made him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

SIGNS THAT THE TEMPLE SACRIFICAL SYSTEM WAS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE

This ceremony found in Leviticus is discussed at length in the Babylonian Talmud. The Talmud is a collection of ancient rabbinic writings consisting of the Mishnah (the text) and the Gemara (the commentary), constituting the basis of religious authority in Orthodox Judaism. The Second Order of this version of the Talmud is called Moed meaning Appointed Times or Feasts. Volume VI of Moed is “The Book of Yoma” which is dedicated to Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). The books of the Talmud are divided into sections known as tractates. Tractate 39a of the Babylonian Talmud records some enlightening events concerning the timing of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ and traditions associated with the Day of Atonement.

Leviticus 16:8 instructs that the first lot is for the LORD (YHWH), while the second lot is drawn for the scapegoat (azazel). The high priest (Cohen HaGadol) took the two lots (stones were used), one marked YHVH and the other marked Azazel, and placed one upon the head of each animal, sealing their fate. It was considered a good omen if the lot marked for the LORD was drawn by the priest in the right hand, but for 40 years prior to the destruction of the temple (Beit HaMikdash) in 70 AD, this lot was drawn by the priest on the left hand.

This and other unusual events associated with Yom Kippur reads in the Talmud as follows:

“During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot ['For the LORD'] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-colored strap become white; nor did the western most light shine; and the doors of the Hekel [Temple] would open by themselves.”

For forty years in a row, beginning in 30 AD (the time of the ministry of Jesus), the High Priest picked up the lot for the LORD in his left hand - a bad omen. The odds against this happening are astronomical (2 to the 39th power). In other words, the chances of this occurring are over 500 billion to one!

OTHER DRAMATIC SIGNS

Another dramatic indication that something had gone wrong with the Temple sacrificial system between 30 AD and the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD concerns the tradition of tying a crimson cloth onto the scapegoat. A strip of this red cloth worn by the scapegoat was torn off and tied to the Temple door. Each year the red strip of cloth on the Temple door turned white as an indication that the Yom Kippur sacrifices were acceptable to the LORD. This annual event happened until 30 AD when the cloth then remained crimson each year until the time of the Temple's destruction.

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18

Here is yet another statistically astronomical indication that the blood of bulls and goats was no longer acceptable to make atonement for the sins of Israel. The scarlet strip remained red for forty years symbolizing that Israel's sins remained unforgiven.

During this period of history it is also recorded that the Temple doors would open by themselves and that the lights of the Temple Lampstand were blowing out.

Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. Hebrews 7:27

He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:12

Messiah Jesus was sacrificed once for all. The perfect sacrificial Lamb of God is also our eternal High Priest forever and the mediator of a new and better covenant.

As a Jewish believer in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Son of God and Messiah (Christ), I am sharing my understanding of the natural and spiritual fulfillments that are foreshadowed in the Festivals of Yehovah in a series of posts. If you missed any of my first eight posts, please use the links below:

WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS STUDY THE FESTIVALS OF THE LORD?
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/why-should-christians-study-the-festivals-of-the-lord

JESUS IS THE PASSOVER LAMB WITHOUT BLEMISH
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/jesus-is-the-passover-lamb-without-blemish

SYMBOLS OF CHRIST IN THE PASSOVER
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/symbols-of-christ-in-the-passover

SANCTIFICATION OF THE BELIEVER IN CHRIST
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/sanctification-of-the-believer-in-christ

HOW WAS JESUS ABLE TO CELEBRATE PASSOVER AND YET BE CRUCIFIED ON PASSOVER?
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/how-was-jesus-able-to-celebrate-passover-and-yet-be-crucified-on-passover

CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED, ENTOMBED, AND ROSE FROM THE GRAVE ON THE FESTIVALS OF YEHOVAH
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/christ-was-crucified-entombed-and-rose-from-the-grave-on-the-festivals-of-yehovah

THE FEAST OF WEEKS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/the-feast-of-weeks-and-the-holy-spirit

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT PART I – JEWISH TRADITIONS CAN NOT ATONE FOR SIN
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/the-day-of-atonement-part-i-jewish-traditions-can-not-atone-for-sin