GOD'S PROGRAM FOR HIS PEOPLE PREDICTED IN ISRAEL'S FEASTS

VI. The Feast Of The Day Of Atonement: God's Future Conversion Of Israel

(Leviticus 23:26-32)

I. Introduction

A. The Leviticus 23:1-44 feasts for Israel typologically predict God's program for His people in history (Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 208), what is valuable for us to study today in view of unsettling current events.

B. The sixth feast is The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32), and it typifies God's future conversion of Israel at Christ's Second Coming to the earth, Zechariah 12:10-13:9; Hebrews 9:23-28; Romans 11:26-27; Ibid.

C. We thus view Scripture to understand the truths of this feast in God's program for His people (as follows):

II. The Feast Of The Day Of Atonement: God's Future Conversion Of Israel, Leviticus 23:26-32.

A. Following the Feast of Trumpets that occurred on the first day of the seventh month, the Feast of the Day of Atonement occurred on the tenth day of that same month, connecting the two events, Leviticus 23:26-27a.

B. That Day of Atonement would be a day of sacred assembly when the people of Israel were to afflict their souls in grief and make an offering by fire to the Lord, Leviticus 23:27b. This observance typified God's future conversion of the nation Israel at Christ's Second Coming to the earth (as follows):

1. Zechariah 12:10a predicts that at Christ's Second Coming, God will graciously pour out His Holy Spirit on Israel to lead her to a repentant faith in Jesus as her Messiah, Ibid., p. 1567.

2. When Israel's people then look on Christ Whom they pierced in His crucifixion, under the Holy Spirit's convicting work, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son, a universal, personal, deep grieving, affecting the entire nation of Israel, Zechariah 12:10b-13; Ibid, p. 1567-1568.

3. Nevertheless, in grace, God will open a fountain for Israel's spiritual cleansing from sin (Zechariah 13:1) and the removal of idolatry and false prophecy that so misled the nation in her history, Zechariah 13:2-6.

4. That fountain for cleansing will have been produced by the striking of the True Shepherd, Jesus Christ at the cross, and the scattering of His disciples in His first Advent, Zechariah 13:7. Then, during God's judgment of Israel at Christ's Second Coming to earth, two-thirds of Israel's people will be removed from the earth and sent to hell as unbelievers so that the true Israel that ends up being saved as believers in Christ is the one-third of the nation that is left alive on the earth, Zechariah 13:8-9; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Zechariah 13:8-9; Romans 11:26-27.

C. Significantly, every year on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest entered the Holiest of Holies to make atonement for himself and the congregation (Leviticus 16:2) but the all-sufficient, once-for-all death of Christ on the cross in His First Advent atones for the cleansing of Israel at His Second Advent, Hebrews 9:7, 24-28.

D. On the Day of Atonement, no one was to do any servile work, for it was a Sabbath Day of rest, Lev. 23:28-32. This signifies the total absence of any human meritorious work in the spiritual salvation of the nation Israel, that it was entirely the work of God as is also taught in Ephesians 2:8-9.

E. The sacrifices of the Day of Atonement explain the complete spiritual cleansing for the nation Israel:

1. First, "the high priest brought a sin offering for himself and the other priests" (Ibid., ftn. to Lev. 16:3), what was necessary for the Aaronic priests who themselves were sinners, but does not apply to Christ as He as our High Priest was without sin, cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21.

2. Second, "the high priest presented two goats as a sin offering for the people. One was slain, and the other was sent into the wilderness" as the "scapegoat" that would die out in the wilderness due to exposure so that it would never return, this scapegoat "symbolizing the removal of Israel's sins" both completely and forever, Ibid., ftn. to Leviticus 16:5-10.

3. Third, the Holy of Holies and the altar of burnt offering needed to be cleansed, for the tabernacle (later the temple) "was in the midst of sinful people," Leviticus 16:16. The absolute perfection of God's righteousness is evidenced in this cleansing, and demonstrates how completely God will purify Israel!

4. Fourth, the high priest offered "his own and the people's burnt offerings . . . burned the fat of the sin offering . . . and saw the remains of the animals used in the sin offering . . . carried outside the camp and burned" (Ibid., ftn. to Lev. 16:2-28), once again signifying the complete purification of God's people!

Lesson: By God's grace, at Christ's Second Coming to earth, He will thoroughly cleanse His people Israel from their sin when they truly, deeply repent under the convicting ministry of God the Holy Spirit.

Application: May we yield to the Holy Spirit's convicting ministry and confess our sins for complete cleansing.