The Death of the Messiah (Continued)

Sacrifices and Offerings (Continued)

The Day of Atonement

The Tabernacle ceremonies came to a peak in the annual festival of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the tenth of Tishri. It was, (and still is) the most important day in the religious calendar of the Jewish nation. During Tabernacle and Temple times all these pieces of furniture that have been described come into their own, especially the ark with its mercy seat. It has long been considered that the first Yom Kippur took place after Moses had received the second set of stone tablets on which were the Ten Commandments. After the sin of the golden calf, the nation fasted and waited in repentance while Moses ascended the mountain to intercede for them. He returned on the 10th Tishri to announce that God had forgiven the nation, in honor of which the 10th Tishri would remain a day of atonement for all generations.

After the Babylonian captivity, the Day of Atonement took on much greater importance in the culture of Israel. Since the exile was considered a judgment of God because the nation had failed to keep the Mosaic Law, then fulfilling the Law, especially as it applied to this key Temple service in which atonement was made for the sins of the people, became vital. Because the daily sacrifices were unable to cleanse all sins, particularly secret sins, the sacrifice of atonement on the Day of Atonement became the major offering of the religious year. For ten days preceding this solemn festival, the people of Israel were expected to prepare their hearts. These ten days are called ‘The Days of Awe’ and begin at Rosh Hashanah. Therefore, with the background of a nation in an attitude of penance and humility, it was necessary for the priesthood, not only to perform the duties of the Day, but also to perform them in the right order.

The High Priest was cosseted for the week before the day of his duties, and every precaution was taken to ensure he would not be defiled. He prepared himself thoroughly for the elaborate Temple ceremony, memorizing those parts of the T’nach that he had to recite by heart. On the 10th Tishri, the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of the people. The basic idea was a ‘covering’ for sin, the purpose of which was to accomplish reconciliation between God and man. To prosecute the duties of the day, the High Priest removed his official garments, made for beauty and glory, bathed himself and then dressed in white linen as a symbol of repentance. First, he needed to offer a bull calf as a sin offering for himself, his family and the family of priests. Approaching the bullock the High Priest laid hands on the animal and made confession for himself and his household. “O Lord, I have committed iniquity, transgressed, and sinned before you, I and my house. O Lord, forgive the iniquities, transgressions, and sins, which I have done by committing iniquity, transgression, and sin before you, I and my house.” As it is written in the Torah of Moses, your servant, For on this day shall atonement be made for you to clean you. From all your sins shall you be clean before the Lord (Lev. 16:30)”

Early in the ceremony, the selection of the goat for ‘azazel’ was performed. Two goats, previously selected, were brought before the High Priest; one was taken for sacrifice and one used as the ‘scapegoat’. The High Priest then proceeded to the bullock to pronounce the second confession. This second confession had the same wording as the first except it was for, “I, my house and the children of Aaron”. The bullock was slaughtered and its blood caught in a basin. This blood was to be taken into the Holy of Holies, but not before the High Priest had armed himself with incense. When the room was filled with the smoke of the incense, he returned to collect the vessel with the blood of the sin offering. Retracing his steps to the ark of the covenant, he sprinkled the blood of the bullock on the mercy seat and on the floor before the ark. In those days when the ark was no longer there, the blood was sprinkled on the stone on which the ark had rested.

His first duty done, the sin offering for himself, his family and the priestly caste, he then needed to make a sin offering for the nation. They brought the goat ‘for the Lord’, that is, the one designated as a sin offering. The High Priest cut its throat and collected its blood in a basin. Returning to the ark in the Inner Sanctum he sprinkled the mercy seat once more. On His return to the Holy Place where he had left the vessel containing the blood of the bullock, he completed a ceremony in which he used the blood of both animals, first separately, and then mixed, to purify the veil and the holy furniture.

The ritual continued with the dispatch of the scapegoat. He took the goat, laid his two hands upon it, and made a third confession. “O Lord, your people, the house of Israel, has committed iniquity, transgressed, and sinned before you. Forgive, O Lord, I pray, the iniquities, transgressions, and sins, which your people, the house of Israel, have committed, transgressed, and sinned before you, as it is written in the Torah of Moses, your servant, For on this day shall atonement be made for you to clean you. From all your sins shall you be clean before the Lord (Lev. 16:30).”

The scapegoat was given over to the one who was to lead it out. It was taken out through the exit gate on the eastern wall. From there it was led to a place some distance from Jerusalem, where it was thrown down a ravine.

After further duties, (readings from the Torah, and the sacrifice of more burnt offerings), the High Priest concluded the ceremony by donning his robes made for beauty and glory to pronounce a benediction on the people.

Next time: The Messiah and the Day of Atonement