Tanak Foundations-Concepts in Leviticus-Chapter 16

Lev 16.1-34 tells us about the service for Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. We are not going to deal with this service in detail because it has been dealt with in our Temple 101 and Temple 201 series on this website. But thuis service is a picture of many different concepts relating to the redemption and the second coming of the Messiah on Yom Kippur.

On Yom Kippur all things culminated in this ancient ceremony, like the kedusha of the land, the city, the site of the Temple, the high priest, and the language all come together. We do not have enough space to give a full explanation of this service, but we do recommend that you read an article called “The Coming of Messiah on YOm KIppur” by Hatikva MInistries, and you can get it on-line. You can also read the tractate “Yoma” in the Mishnah.

There will be many prophetic aspects to this festival. The wedding and coronation of the Messiah, the resurrection and judgment involving the Messiah takes place on Yom Teruah, or Rosh Ha Shannah. This wedding of the MEssiah will have a shavuah (a seven) of seven years when the bride will be in heaven, called the “Seven Days of the Chuppah” and these years will correspond to the seven years of the birth-pains on earth with those who have been left behind in the Natzal on Rosh Ha Shannah. Yeshua and his bride will come out of the chuppah and return to earth (Joel 2.15-17).

Another name for this festival is the Great Shofar or “Shofar ha Gadol” (Matt 24.29-31). One part of the ceremony centers around two goats and two lots. On one lot it is written “L’Yehovah” or “To Yehovah” and on the other it is written “L’Azazel” or “To Azazel (to be driven out, dismissal or removal).” We will identify who Azazel is shortly. A lot is picked and placed over the head of a goat. The goat to Yehovah is offered and the the goat to Azazel is released into the wilderness. In later years this goat was killed in the wilderness. In Gesenius’ Lexicon it says that the name Azazel is a name for a demon. The wilderness is seen as the abode of demons in the Scriptures. In certain Jewish traditions Azazel os foremost among the fallen angels who taught unrighteousness to the sons of men in the Book of Enoch. This idea that Azazel is a name for a demon in the wilderness was believed by Ibn Ezra and Nachmanides, and adopted by many Bible critics today. We believe that Azazel is a picture of the False Messiah

The high priest stood between the two goats, who are facing west. The lots (called “Kalphi”) are placed over the heads of the goats. The Azazel goat was turned away from the Holy of Holies which is symbolic of turning away from God, facing east. It will be released into the wilderness, ut in later years it was taken to a cliff near the Dead Sea and pushed over a cliff and killed. But what does all this mean?

Yeshua will return to Jerusalem on Yom Kippur and he will capture the False Messiah (Azazel) and cast him into the Lake of Fire (Rev 19.20). Another name for the Dead Sea in the first century was the Lake of FIre because of the oil that was there, and on occasions it would catch fire. The Book of Enoch, which is quoted in the letter of Jude, mentions Azazel and his relationship to the coming Messiah in 1 Enoch 54.1-6 and 55.3-4. There are many verses in the Scriptures that describe the fate of the False Messiah. For more information on the False Messiah see our teaching called “Torah and New Testament Foundations-The False Messiah” on this website.

The Yom Kippur service is a wonderful picture for what will happen at the end of the birth-pains with the coming of Yeshua to Jerusalem and the destruction of the False Messiah.

Holiness is…

v 1…Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death (“Achare Mot”) of the two sons of aaron when they had approached the presence of the Lord and died (giving the time and manner in which the high priest may enter the holy of holies; their death was a warning that any desecration by anyone will be severely punished).

v 2…And the Lord said to Moses, “Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time (he wants) into the holy place inside the veil (paroket) before the mercy seat (kipporet) which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat (Exo 25.22).

v 3…Aaron shall enter the holy place (inside the veil) with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering (personal to the high priest).

v 4…He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with a linen sash and attired with the linen turban; these are holy garments (symbolic of humility and lowliness; God is not impressed that he is the high priest so the golden vestments were not to be worn). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on (a change of status).

v 5…And he shall take form the congregation (Yeshua is high priest of the Israel of God only, given to him by Yehovah for whom he offered himself-Eph 1.4) of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering (atonement for his sins are the first act on this day so that he can be fit to secure the forgiveness for the sins of the others).

v 6…Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement (to restore a covering) for himself and for hos house.

v 7…And he shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

v 8…Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats; one lot for the Lord (L’Yehovah) and the other for Azazel (L’Azazel).

v 9…Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell (L’Yehovah) and make it a sin offering.

v 10…But the goat on which the lot for Azazel (a type of the False Messiah) fell, shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement upon it (not used for atonement, but in Hebrew it is “for him” not “with him”-Ezek 18.10-13, 20), to send into the wilderness as the azazel (if both goats picture Yeshua as some believe, then why casts lots?).

v 11…Then Aaron shall offer the goat for the sin offering (a type of Yeshua) which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for is household; and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself.

v 12…And he shall a firepan of coals of fire from upon the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense and bring it inside the veil.

v 13…And he shall put the incense of the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of testimony, lest he die (the smoke is a covering and it is the idea behind the word “atonement” which means to restore a covering).

v 14…Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle with his finger (the finger next to the thumb on the right hand, and wielding it like a whip) on the mercy seat on the east side, also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times (like a whip; a change of status; this alludes to the blood being applied “to our heart” or desires and intentions in the new birth; the heart is enclosed in a sac, like a veil, and it has two chambers).

v 15…Then he shall slaughter the the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil (like Yeshua appeared in heaven after his death-Heb 9.23-28); and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat in front of the mercy seat.

v 16…And he shall make atonement for the holy place because of the impurities (defections) of the sons of Israel because of their transgressions, in regard to all their sins; and thus shall he do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities.

v 17…When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel (no other but Yeshua could have made atonement for us).

v 18…Then he shall go to the altar that is before the Lord (Mizbeach shell Zahav or the Golden Altar of incense) and make atonement for it (restore a covering), and he shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides.

v 19…And with his finger he shall sprinkle (like a whip) some of the blood on it seven times (completely clean) and cleanse it (purify), and from the impurities of the sons of Israel, consecrate it (restore its kedusha).

v 20…When he finishes atoning for the holy place (holy of holies with the blood of the bull and the goat) and the rest of the tent of meeting (the courts) and the altar (of incense), he shall bring the goat (return to deal with Azazel).

v 21…Then aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat (a semicha to show that this goat will take the sins of the people on his own head-Ezek 18.1-29) and confess over it the iniquities of the sons of Israel, and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away (shliach) into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness (this alludes to those who have rejected Yeshua as the Messiah during the birth-pains and will now answer for their own sins for following the False Messiah and his lawlessness-Rev 19.20-21).

v 22…And the goat shall bear on itself (to bear the punishment of their iniquity; in prophecy the False Messiah will be punished for following Satan) all their iniquities to a solitary land (a place cut off from the camp of Israel-Isa 22.15-25; Ezek 29.1-5, 32.1-8 with Pharoah, a type of the False Messiah; 2 KIngs 11 with Athaliah; Rev 19.20); and he shall release the goat in the wilderness (the abode of demons).

v 23…Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting, and take off the garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there (in one of the chambers of the Mishkan, and later the Temple and never used again).

v 24…And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place (a set apart place with a kedusha) and put on his clothes (the golden garments), and come forth and offer his burnt offering (ram of v 3) and the burnt offering (ram of v 5) of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

v 25…Then he shall offer up in smoke (burned) the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

v 26…And the one who released the goat as the Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe (since he had contact with Azazel and was defiled) his body with water; then afterward he shall come into the camp.

v 27…But the bull of the sin offering (for Aaron and his family) and the goat of the sin offering (for the people) whose blood was brought it to make atonement in the holy place (holy of holies) shall be taken outside of the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh and their refuse in the fire (many will take part in the burning, one to kindle, one to put wood on the fire, another to stoke it and so on).

v 28…Then the one (singular) who burns them (actually lights the fire and burns them) shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water, then afterward he shall come into the camp (only the one becomes tamai, like the man who led Azazel into the wilderness).

v 29…And this shall be a permanent statute (olam, or as long as certain conditions exist) for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day (Tishri 10) of the month, you shall humble your souls (the Torah does not say to fast, or “tzom” because the word used here is “t’anu” and the root is anah, and it means to afflict or mistreat and is used 79 times in the Tanak and it never means to fast-Gen 15.13,Gen 16.6-9, 34.2; Exo 10.3; Deut 8.16; Psa 119.71, 75-see the article called, “Does God Command a Fast on Yom KIppur” by Leisa Baysinger on the Internet) and not do any work, whether native , or the alien who sojourns among you (he believes in Yehovah and follows the Torah as it applies to him),

v 30…for it is on this day he (Yehovah) shall make atonement for you to cleanse you; you shall be clean (tahor, or “in place”) from all your sins before the Lord (clearly because there is no Temple, this could not be in reference to the high priest).

v 31…It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble (afflict) your souls (nefesh); it is a permanent statute (“olam”, or as long as certain conditions exist).

v 32…So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall thus put on the linen garments, the holy garments (the linen and the Golden garments like Aaron did);

v 33…and make atonement for the holy sanctuary (Mishkan or Temple called the Beit ha Mikdash or “house of Kedusha”); and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.

v 34…Now you shall have this as a permanent statute (“olam”, or as long as certain conditions exist) to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once a year.” And just as the Lord commanded Moses, so he did.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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