The message and lesson of Yom Kippur is simple and it is this: there is only ONE acceptable COVERING and APPROACH to God and that is through the BLOOD of the CROSS OF CHRIST!  One intention of the severity of God’s judgment on Nadab and Abihu as recorded in Leviticus 10, days prior to the establishment of Israel's first Day of Atonement, was to magnify God’s requirement of respect, reverence, admiration and acceptable WORSHIP for and within the most holy place,  within the veil, where the Shekinah, or divine glory, was pleased to dwell between the cherubim.  As our mediator and Great High Priest, Christ has opened access into the same throne room for ALL who will put their faith and thus, be “COVERED,” in and BY HIS BLOOD. The HOLY OF HOLIES where Aaron alone could go once a year was a type of the place where God manifests His special presence; it’s a place where mortal men (no matter how religious or spiritual mortal man may think himself to be) must never make common or just another ritual or ceremony!

By Chris McDonald

TEXT: Leviticus 23:27  - Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. 

Leviticus 16:30-31  - 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. [31] It shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute forever.           

The Day Of Atonement, also known as Yom Kippur, is one of Israel’s holiest holiday of her entire festival schedule. The second of three fall feasts of the Lord recorded in Leviticus 23, the tenth day of the seventh month was set aside as a day of public fasting and humiliation.  On this day, which fell in the month equivalent to our September or October, the nation of Israel sought atonement for its sins. This day was preceded by special Sabbaths <Lev. 23:24> and involved the only fasting period required by the Law <Lev. 16:29; 23:31>.

Leviticus 23:24

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

Leviticus 23:31

Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

The Day of Atonement was a solemn, holy day accompanied by elaborate ritual, and in type Israel’s recognition of man's inability to make any atonement for his own sins.

Hebrews 10:1-10 - For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. [2] For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. [3] But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. [4] For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. [5] Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: [6] In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. [7] Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. [8] Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; [9] Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He takes away the first, that he may establish the second. [10] By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Yom Kippur is yet a another prophetic foreshadow of Messiah’s Second Coming and FUTURE work with the nation of Israel and the world. Israel’s four main spring feasts – Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and Pentecost – spoke of Messiah’s work during His FIRST COMING – His Death, Burial, Sinless Perfection, and Resurrection, while the fall feasts speak of future events, prophetic in nature, including the rapture, the Great Tribulation period, and the Millennium Reign of Christ.

The Feast of Trumpets occurs on the first day of the Hebrew month Tishri (Tishri 1) at the New Moon, while the Day of Atonement occurs nine days later on Tishri 10.  The ten days in between Tishri I and Tishri 10 are known as the “Days of Awe,” which, according to Jewish is a time of deep inward introspection and repentance. On Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah), three books are supposedly opened in heaven:

Ø       Book Of Life For The Righteous

Ø       Book Of Life For The In-Between

Ø       Book Of Life For The Unrighteous

According to Jewish tradition, not necessarily Biblical truth, if a man is deemed righteous, his name is written in the Book of Life for the righteous at the Feast of Trumpets. If a man is unrighteous, his name is written in the Book of Life for the unrighteous, and he will not survive the year. If a man is deemed in-between, judgment is delayed from the Feast of Trumpets to the Day of Atonement, at which time the individual is given opportunity to repent before the book is closed and his destiny eternally sealed.

In type you have a beautiful picture of the end times with the fall feasts:

Ø       Trumpets-The Rapture

Ø       Days of Awe, Then Day Of Atonement – The Tribulation

Ø       Tabernacles – The Millennium Reign Of Peace

According to Bible typology in the thinking of most scholars and teachers, the outpouring of the Lord’s wrath will take place after the Rapture, which is typified in the Feasts of Trumpets. During a seven-year time of Tribulation, Israel will be squeezed in such a way she will readily accept Her Messiah who will return at the Great Battle Of Armageddon and set up His Earthly Kingdom ushering in the Millennium Reign. Zechariah declares that great day of “atonement,” when Israel shall be saved both spiritually and physically will be a dark of destruction for those who have long sought Israel’s destruction:

Zech 12:9-10 - And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. .

And Paul, in the context of a believing remnant from among the nation of Israel at the end of the age, wrote:

Rom 11:25-26 - For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.

On Israel’s final “Day of Atonement,” when the Lord Jesus returns, her blindness will fall off, she will be “saved” in one day as a nation and redeemed once again to be the center of all the universe as Jerusalem is restored in full and pardoned for her iniquity!

Isa 40:2-3- Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

The day will come when Israel’s “warfare,” will be accomplished and her iniquity will be “pardoned.” This day is already here for all INDIVIDUALS who receive Christ, but Israel as a nation has not receive this type of pardon!

This is not to say every single individual who survives the Tribulation will be saved. Many will not receive the Mark of the Beast, but never place their faith in Christ and Him Crucified and be eternally lost as the Lord purges ALL rebellion out of the earth during His earthly reign. It’s clear from scripture that it’s always a remnant which is involved when dealing with how many actually believe and trust Christ. At the end of the Great Tribulation period, only one-third will “call on His name,” according to Zechariah.

Zech 13:9- And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Many other individuals will not take the mark of the Antichrist AND will repent of their sins when Christ returns and enter the Millennium Kingdom. This writer is not sure how all of this will “look,” when the Tribulation ends but it’s clear many Gentiles will enter into the Millennium Kingdom along with National Israel.

The Lord has these Gentiles in mind in His Olivet Discourse. He taught:

Matt 25:31-34 - When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

It is this multitude from among the nations, along with those from among the sons of Jacob, who will enter the Messianic Kingdom still in mortal bodies (as distinct from the raptured and glorified Church who will inhabit New Jerusalem).

Leviticus 23:27  - Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. 

Leviticus 16:30-31  - 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. [31] It shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. 

Israel's most awesome holy day in her past, known as Yom Kippur, or "The Day of Atonement," represents one of her most precious times of her future-her national salvation.

Rom 11:26-29- And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Nearly 3,500 years after its divine institution in Leviticus, Yom Kippur still holds a powerful influence over the culture and worship of modern day Israel even though millions in Israel still do not recognize the One of whom Yom Kippur typifies. Israel’s national day of atonement dealt with the blood of animals, which can NEVER take away sin. Only the blood of Christ can set mankind free from the shackles and bondage of sin!

This feast like no other points DIRECTLY to the atonement of Christ which was and is payment for sin and the security of God's people today under His precious blood. As a result of Israel’s return to Messiah, the world will know prosperity and blessings unlike it has ever known.

The Meaning and Time of Yom Kippur

"The Day of Atonement" is the English equivalent for Yom Kippur, which comes from the Hebrew word “kaphar” meaning "to cover." Therefore, the word atonement simply means a COVERING. It was on Yom Kippur that atonement (“covering”) was made for the previous year's sins. The atonement or covering consisted of blood sacrifice of an innocent animal. The Lord commanded:

Leviticus 17:11  - For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul. 

Yom Kippur is Israel's SIXTH instituted holy day and occurs in the autumn of the year. On the Hebrew calendar, it falls on the tenth day of Tishri, the seventh Hebrew month, which roughly corresponds to September or October on our regular Gregorian calendar. As we made reference to earlier, it is observed between two other major holidays during the fall - Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of Trumpets on Tishri 1, and the Feast of Tabernacles, which begins on Tishri 15.

The Biblical Record of Yom Kippur

There are three separate passages in the Jewish Torah (first five books of the Bible) that outline the biblical observance of Yom Kippur. Divine instructions were given for the:

Ø       High Priest (Lev. 16)    

Ø       The People (Lev. 23:26-32)

Ø       The Sacrifices (Num. 29:7-11)

Leviticus 16:1-5  - And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died; [2] And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. [3] Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. [4] He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen miter shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. [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. 

Leviticus 23:26-32  - And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, [27] Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. [28] And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. [29] For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. [30] And whatsoever soul it is that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. [31] Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. [32] It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath. 

Numbers 29:7-11  - And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein: [8] But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord for a sweet savor; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish: [9] And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram, [10] A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: [11] One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings. 

The Thing Which The Lord Commanded

Leviticus 17:1-4 - And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, [2] Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying, [3] What man so ever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, [4] And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:

Leviticus, like no other book of the Bible, shows us the believer the preciousness of the Blood, in that all life belongs to Jehovah; and second, that the power of Atonement is in the Blood. Yom Kippur is a prophetic celebration of this great work of Christ on behalf of all humanity, especially those lost and without God.

The Holy Spirit through Moses attached a powerful significance to these things impressing them upon every member of the congregation. No animal could be offered up in Sacrifice, unless it was offered up at the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, that is, when the Temple would later be built. The Temple would be built on the same site as Mount Calvary where THE LAMB would offer His blood up for fallen humanity some 1,500 years later.

The cross of Christ is the only thing standing between lost humanity and hell itself; and it’s also the only thing standing between the church and apostasy. Let that sink in. I’m afraid that the church has lost sight of the preciousness of the blood of Christ and just how important it is in our daily walk as believers. We understand, at least most do, the importance of the Blood when it comes to our salvation. Sadly, even that is under attack in so-called Pentecostal and Charismatic circles where the cross of Christ and the shedding of blood is denigrated into nothing more as the coin in which we can pull heaven’s magic lever and get anything we want because of what Christ did for us.

Israel by the millions celebrate Yom Kippur, never recognizing what this feast fulfills, while scores who DO know Christ and what He has done STILL DO NOT BELIEVE!

Other camps within the same circle claim the message of the cross and blood of Christ no longer “fits” into this “modern” society and to appeal to “all segments” of society, we must change the message. Neighbor, let me make something clear right off the bat in this message. If you change THIS message you have sentenced millions to HELL! I want to say it again. If we change and tinker with the message of Atonement by Blood, we are sentencing MILLIONS, if not BILLIONS to hell itself. Without the shedding of blood there is NO remission of SIN! Without the fulfillment of Yom Kippur, the blood of Jesus “covering” us and cleansing us our sin remains. If we say we have ‘no sin,’ then the truth of God is not in us and we make ourselves out to be liars.

ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God. ALL have forsaken the righteous paths of heaven and gone their “own way.” We like sheep have gone astray and not followed the Great Shepherded of our souls, the prophet Isaiah said.

Man by nature is evil and wicked and in need of a redeemer. There is no substitute for the redeemer’s blood in which he purchased humanity and broke the power of sin over mankind. The BLOOD will NEVER lose its power! It reaches to the HIGHEST mountain; it FLOWS to the LOWEST valley; the blood that flows from DAY to DAY, it shall NEVER lose it’s power!!! Praise God Praise God, Andre Crouch knew the secret to ALL eternity – the BLOOD!

In this great 17^th chapter of Leviticus, which follows the 16^th Chapter that details Israel’s Great Day Of Atonement when the sins of the nation were accounted for, we see a clear fact - “It is the Blood that makes Atonement for the soul.”

Concerning this, Mackintosh said:

“If I look from the Third Chapter of Genesis down to the close of Revelation, I find the Blood of Christ put forward alone as the ground of Righteousness. We get pardon, peace, life, Righteousness – all by the Blood, and nothing but the Blood. The entire Book of Leviticus, and particularly the Chapter which we are now studying, is a commentary upon the Doctrine of the Blood. It seems strange to have to insist upon a fact so obvious to every dispassionate, teachable student of Holy Scripture; yet so it is. Our minds are prone to slip away from the plain Testimony of the Word. We are ready to adopt opinions without ever calmly investigating them in the light of the Divine Testimonies. In this way we get into confusion, darkness, and error.”

He then said, “May we learn to give the Blood of Christ its due place. It is so precious in God’s sight that He will not suffer ought else to be added to or mingled with it.”

All we can say to that is a hearty AMEN! All we can say to that is PRAISE GOD, PRAISE GOD. Neighbor, it’s the CROSS! It’s the blood of Jesus. It’s not your church. It’s not the Pope. It’s not the Assemblies of God. It’s not the Church of God. It’s not the Pentecostal Holiness. It’s not the Baptist Convention. It’s not the Foursquare or Vineyard movements. Those movements may be of God (sadly, most have lost their way though), but NONE OF THEM SAVE or REDEEM.

The Cross is the STORY of the BIBLE! When one properly learns the Word, one has learned the Cross; and it might even be turned around and said, when one learns the Cross, one has learned the Word. They are synonymous, one and the same! If one properly understands the Word of God, then one will properly understand the Cross. And if it becomes obvious that one doesn’t understand the Cross, to be sure, one will have a misunderstanding at the same time of the Word. Such is the road to spiritual disaster. And millions are on that road at this very moment.

Scores of Christians today in all denominations have their faith in everything BUT the Cross, ust as scores of Jews have their faith anchored more in the ceremony and ritual of this great feast than in the CHRIST it points to!

Most of what goes on today in the “name of the Spirit,” of God is false. It is another spirit, or spirits, generating a false gospel that points people to a false Christ. Some are being pointed to a Jesus that the Bible never portrays. But if one does not properly understand the Word of God and God’s plan for Redemption, the error, which is so subtle and deadly, will always lead one astray from the truth and the foundation of our faith!

From the time of the Fall (Gen. 3:15), through Revelation 22:21, we find the Cross as the central theme of the Word of God. To try to understand the Word in any other capacity is to misunderstand the Word. Concerning the Cross, and even as we shall see, we will find as God told Moses about the life in the Blood, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded.”

The BLOOD of Jesus is the ONLY source of life for fallen humanity AND THE ONLY “YOM KIPPUR,” OR COVERING FOR MAN AGAINST THE WRATH OF GOD! It is the only thing that is keeping millions from hell and it’s the only thing keeping a teetering church from falling into outright apostasy.

The Importance of Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur was the most solemn day of the year for the PEOPLE of Israel and was often simply referred to as "The Day,” in which God told Israel “you shall afflict your souls,” designated Yom Kippur. By definition this was understood to mean fasting. (Ezra 8:21)

Ezra 8:21  - Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. 

Yom Kippur was not the only fast within Judaism, but was the only fast mandated by scripture a day devoted to fasting and repenting of one's sins during the past year. The Israelite who failed to devote himself to fasting and repenting on Yom Kippur was to be "cut off from his people." (Lev. 23:29) Yom Kippur was also a day with prohibitions against all forms of work and those who likewise chose to ignore this regulation would suffer the death penalty (Lev. 23:30)

Leviticus 23:29-30  - For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. [30] And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. 

In summary there were SEVEN commands for the nation on Yom Kippur:

• On the tenth day of the seventh month (October) you shall have a holy convocation (Numbers 29:7).

• You shall afflict your souls on that day.

• You shall not do any work.

• You shall offer burnt offerings as a sweet savor to the Lord—one young bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish (Numbers 29:8).

• Their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil—three tenth deals (1.5 gal.) of flour per bullock, two tenth deals (1 gal.) for the ram, and a tenth deal (half a gal.) for each lamb (Numbers 29:9-10; Numbers 28:20; for amounts of oil, see note, §Numbers 28:28; and for drink offerings, Numbers 28:24).

• Offer one kid of the goats for a sin offering, with his meat and drink offerings (Numbers 29:11; notes, §Numbers 28:20,24,28).

• Offer these (one bullock, one ram, seven lambs, one kid) besides the "sin offering of atonement" (of Leviticus 16), and the daily burnt offerings with their meat and drink offerings (Numbers 29:11).

The high priest, which stood as a type of Christ, Israel’s coming redeemer in the time of Moses,  who officiated on this day first sanctified himself by taking a ceremonial bath and putting on white garments, a type of Christ’ righteousness and purity <Lev. 16:4>.

Leviticus 16:4 - He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

There were four main parts to the holy garments:

1.         The linen coat

2.         The linen mitre

3.         The linen breeches

4.         The linen girdle

The high priest sanctified himself ceremonially by washing on this day twice:

1.         Before putting on holy garments.

2.         After his atoning work (Leviticus 16:23-24).

Leviticus 16:23-24  - And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there: [24] And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.

The day of atonement took place shortly after the death of the two sons of Aaron recorded in Leviticus 10:1

Leviticus 10:1 - And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.

The death of Nadab and Abihu was a warning to the priesthood THEN as it is to the priesthood TODAY to approach to God with reverence and godly fear! (without which they came at their peril) God have Aaron specific directions how the nearest approach was supposed to be made, not only without death and peril, but the way to open up unspeakable advantage and comfort, if the directions were observed. Henry writes, “When they were cut off for an undue approach, the rest must not say, "Then we will not draw near at all," but, "Then we will do it by rule’”

Nadab and Abihu died for their sin of offering “strange fire,” therefore God graciously provides the design of this law for the rest, “that they die not,” thus God's judgments are to be warnings and instruction to ALL today who would dare do the same.

That is the lesson and message of Yom Kippur. There is only ONE acceptable COVERING and APPROACH to God and that is through the BLOOD of the CROSS OF CHRIST!  One intention of the severity of God’s judgment on Nadab and Abihu was to magnify God’s requirement of respect, reverence, admiration and acceptable WORSHIP for and within the most holy place,  within the veil, where the Shekinah, or divine glory, was pleased to dwell between the cherubim.

Leviticus 10:2 - And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.

Leviticus 16:1-2

And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died; [2] And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

Before the veil some of the priests came every day to burn incense upon the golden altar, but within the veil none must ever come but the high priest only, and he but on one day in the year, and with great ceremony and caution. The HIGH PRIEST was a type of Christ, who alone has entered into the HOLY OF HOLIES in heaven to become man’s ONLY MEDIATOR between himself and God.

As our mediator and Great High Priest, Christ has opened access into the same throne room for ALL who will put their faith and thus, be “COVERED,” in and BY HIS BLOOD. The HOLY OF HOLIES where Aaron alone could go once a year was a type of the place where God manifests His special presence; it’s a place where mortal man (no matter how religious or spiritual mortal man may think himself to be) must not be made common. If none must come into the presence-chamber of an earthly king uncalled, no, not the queen herself, upon pain of death <Esther 4:11>, was it not requisite that the same sacred respect should be paid to the Kings of kings?

Esther 4:11 - All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

That’s the message of the New Covenant as it relates to Yom Kippur. Access to God is now made possible by those who put their faith in Christ and Him Crucified, which is in reality the truth of the TRUE gospel of Christ; Paul says in Hebrews that “all who believe in Christ now have boldness to enter into the holiest, through the veil, every day” <Heb. 10:19-20>; and we come boldly (not as Aaron must, with fear and trembling) to the throne of grace, or mercy-seat, <Heb. 4:16>.

Hebrews 10:19-20 - Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, [20] By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

In Ephesians, Paul puts it a different way stating that because of this access made possible by the blood of Christ, we are welcome to come at all times into the holy place not made with hands and “MADE” to “sit together with Christ in heavenly places by faith.” <Eph. 2:6>.

Ephes. 2:6

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Under the Law, Aaron could NOT come near at all times, lest he die; under the NEW COVENANT of GRACE, we can now  AND MUST come near at all times that we may live: it is distance only that is our death.

Under the dispensation of Law, God appeared in the cloud upon the mercy-seat; because of the blood of Christ and the power of the New Covenant of GRACE, we but now with open face behold, not in a dark cloud, but in a clear glass, the glory of the Lord, <2 Cor. 3:18>.

2 Cor. 3:18

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Under Law, Aaron had to make atonement for himself and other priests by sacrificing a bullock; thus, even though God dwelt on the MERCY SEAT in the Temple, no person could approach it except through the mediation of the high priest, who offered the blood of sacrifice

Numbers 29:8 - But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord for a sweet savor; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish:

After sacrificing the bullock, the high priest chose a goat for a sin-offering and sacrificed it. Then he sprinkled its blood on and about the mercy seat <Lev. 16:12,14,15>. Finally the scapegoat bearing the sins of the people was sent into the wilderness <Lev. 16:20-22>. This scapegoat symbolized the pardon for sin brought through the sacrifice <Gal. 3:12; 2 Cor. 5:21>.

Leviticus 16:12

And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:

Leviticus 16:14

And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

Leviticus 16:15

Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, 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:

Leviticus 16:20-22

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: [21] And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities 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: [22] And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

Galatians 3:12

And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

2 Cor. 5:21

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

NOW, under GRACE, we no longer go through ceremony, ritual or exercise to be clean and “covered,” WE COME TO CHRIST!  We don’t come to a “religion,” a “denomination,” “church affiliation,” or even movement. Christianity is not the answer the world’s problem in the sense of what it has been made into today by millions – just another religion. The answer to the world’s problems and man’s sin is the Lord Jesus Christ.