“There in righteousness transcendent,
Lo, He Both in Heaven appear;
Shows the blood of His atonement,
As thy title to be there.”
Jehovah set apart the tenth day of the seventh month in each year, as the Day of Atonement. On that day the sins of the nation were atoned for or covered, for "atonement" means "covering." It was only in this way that Jehovah could dwell amongst Israel.
You will remember that when Israel came out of Egypt, the seventh month was changed to the first month. So on the tenth day of the first month a lamb was chosen, and on the fourteenth day it was killed and its blood put on the door posts. The death of this lamb saved the firstborn from death and judgment. Now on the tenth day of the seventh month a lamb is chosen again, and is slain. This lamb was not now to save Israel from judgment, but the blood of this lamb is carried inside the veil and put on the mercy seat.
The Passover lamb typifies Christ, the Lamb of God, Who bears our sins to save us poor sinners from the wrath of God. The blood of the lamb on the Day of Atonement tells also of the precious blood of Christ, that is presented to God, but shows how His throne is established in righteousness, so that He may dwell in the midst of His people. In the 16th of Leviticus, Jehovah tells us fully about the sacrifices on this day, but in the chapter we are considering, we see the feast from God's side.
Before we consider the verses in Lev. 23, we will look very briefly at Lev. 16. In verses 1 and 2 we read, "And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died. And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat." (Lev. 16:1-21And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died; 2And 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. (Leviticus 16:1‑2)).
This plainly teaches us that the way into the holiest of all was not open, even for the high priest, to enter at all times. Nor was there any way by which they might remain there at all times. The veil shut God in from man, and shut man out from God. The blood of bulls and of goats could not open that way into the holiest. You remember that when the Lord Jesus died, then the veil was rent, rent from the top to the bottom, and now the way into the holiest of all is opened wide for all whose sins are cleansed by that precious blood. "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith." (Heb. 10:19-2219Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; 22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19‑22)).
But until the cross, this way was closed. Once only in the year, one man, alone, could pass that veil into the holiest of all. "Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering." (Lev. 16:33Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. (Leviticus 16:3)). These two offerings typify the two great things which the work of Christ accomplished. The sin offering perfectly met man's need, and the burnt offering perfectly maintains God's glory. There is no mention on this day of the Peace Offering or the Meat Offering. The one great subject is atonement from God's side and from man's side.
Aaron was to wash his flesh in water and put on his holy linen garments. There was no need for Christ to cleanse Himself. He was absolutely pure in every way. What Aaron wore and what he did are but small shadows of what our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, truly is Himself.
Now we read, "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, and Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his house." (Lev. 16:5-65And 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. 6And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. (Leviticus 16:5‑6)). Aaron and his house represent the church, not as the "one body" as in Ephesians and Colossians, but as in 1 Peter we read, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:55Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)). Also in Heb. 3:6,6But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (Hebrews 3:6) "But Christ as a Son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”
Jehovah commanded the high priest to "take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness." (Lev. 16:7-107And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 10But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:7‑10)).
The two goats in these pictures tell of the two ways in which we may look at the atonement. The Lord's lot fell upon one goat, and the people's lot fell upon the other goat.
The goat on which the Lord's lot fell does not bear the special sins of any particular people. These sins are very important, but they are not considered in this goat. This goat typifies Christ dying to glorify God, with respect to sin, not special sins, but sin that entered into the world and brought a curse even on the ground.
God has a special portion in the death of Christ, so that apart from any sinner obtaining salvation, the death of Christ glorified God. He has atoned for sin. He was made a curse, and so redeemed this world from the curse. He conquered Satan, and "bound the Strong Man," and in a coming day will justly put Satan in the bottomless pit. On the ground of this sacrifice God may offer us mercy, instead of putting us all in the Lake of Fire. On the ground of this sacrifice God still bears with man. It is on the ground of this sacrifice that we have food, air, and sunshine; instead of being in the pains of hell. The air that an infidel breathes, the food that a blasphemer eats, all that they enjoy, they owe it to the sacrifice of Christ, to the very One they hate and mock. If it were not for the atonement of Christ, as we see it in "Jehovah's lot," these wicked men would be in the torments of hell, instead of blaspheming on the earth.
Please understand clearly that this sacrifice does not speak of the forgiveness or salvation of any person. This is quite another matter, and as we know is received when we confess with our mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead. (Rom. 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)). This truly is because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, but please understand clearly that there is a great difference between God forgiving a sinner, and God bearing in patience with wicked men, and giving them breath and food and clothing and sunshine. Both are on account of the work of Christ on the cross, but we see there are two different ways of looking at that wonderful work.
Some people think these differences are not important, but it is because people do not understand these differences that they make such terrible mistakes. There are people who teach that one of these goats is a picture of Satan, and they make Satan their savior, to bear away their sins. This is a terrible doctrine, and we hope that all our readers may be delivered from it.
If we look at a few verses in the Bible perhaps we will understand this matter better. For instance: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:2929The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)). Compare this with 1 John 2:2,2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2) in which the Lord Jesus is called "The propitiation.... for the whole world." In these verses we see that the sacrifice of Christ is for the sin of the whole world. This does not mean that everyone in the world will be saved, because we know from many other Scriptures that only those who truly believe will be saved, but in these Scriptures, we see the Lord Jesus as the One who fulfilled the type of the goat on which Jehovah's lot fell. It is in the very broadest way we can think, and brings mercy and blessing to the whole world. If we think of certain definite people, and the forgiveness of their sins in these Scriptures, we will certainly be in confusion. There are many other Scriptures which speak of the whole world, or of all men. These are on account of the sacrifice of Christ, as we see it in this special way, the goat on which "Jehovah's lot fell.”
But before Aaron killed this goat of which we have been speaking, on which the Lord's lot fell, to be a sin-offering for the people, he must first kill the bullock which was to be a sin-offering for himself and for his house. "And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself; 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 veil: and he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not; 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." (Lev. 16:11-1411And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself: 12And 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: 13And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not: 14And 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 16:11‑14)).
As already pointed out, when the Scripture speaks of "Aaron and his house," it is a picture of the church, not as "the one body," but as a priestly house. The Lord Jesus Christ has no need of a sacrifice to make Him acceptable to God. God could always say of Him, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." But when we are identified with Christ, then we are accepted as He is accepted. That cloud of sweet incense that covered the Mercy Seat, tells us of the sweetness and preciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The High Priest enters the Holy of Holies, completely covered with that cloud of sweet incense. The fire to burn that incense came from "the altar before the Lord," and tells us that the death of Christ is the foundation of our acceptance.
Then the priest sprinkled of the blood of the bullock that was for himself and his house, on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat seven times. In this way Aaron made an atonement for himself and for his house. Atonement means covering. The blood makes an atonement (a covering) for the soul. (Lev. 17:1111For 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 maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11)). In the book of Leviticus we get the word atonement forty-nine times, seven times seven. This would tell us of absolutely complete divine perfection. The blood covered the mercy seat, as also the cloud of incense covered the mercy seat. Here we see the work of the Lord Jesus, and the worth, (or value or preciousness), of His Own Person. The believer is accepted in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself: we are "accepted in the Beloved." (Eph. 1:66To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)).
What a wonderful thing to think that we are accepted in Christ! As He is accepted so are we accepted! We may say with joy, "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:1717Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17)). Dear fellow-believer, stop and think of those words, "As He is, so are we in this world!" Is He accepted before God? So are we! May He enter the very presence of God? So may we!
Is He brought near to God? So are we! When I was a child we used to sing that beautiful hymn:
A mind at "perfect peace" with God:
Oh, what a word is this!
A sinner reconciled through blood;
This, this indeed is peace!
By nature and by practice far,
How very far from God!
Yet now by grace brought nigh to Him,
Through faith in Jesus' blood.
So nigh, so very nigh to God,
I cannot nearer be;
For in the Person of His Son,
I am as near as He.
So dear, so very dear to God,
More dear I cannot be;
The love wherewith He loves the Son,
Such is His love to me.
I used to sing the first two verses, but when we came to the third and fourth verses that said we were as near and as dear to God as Christ Himself, I stopped singing, because I did not believe it. It seemed too wonderful to be true, but later I found that it is true, even though it is so wonderful! For "as He is, so are we in this world.”
Seven is the perfect number, and when we see the blood sprinkled seven times before the mercy seat, we learn that when the blood is sprinkled for the atonement, then in God's sight, all is perfect.
After the blood of the bullock is brought into the Holiest of All, "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; and he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness." (Lev. 16:15-1615Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, 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: 16And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. (Leviticus 16:15‑16)).
So we see it is the blood that makes sure the salvation of the Church, the "house" of the true Aaron. It is the blood that makes sure the "congregation" of Israel. It is the blood that makes sure the blessing to the whole creation at the last day. All rest on the blood of His cross. It is the blood which speaks peace to our heart and to our conscience. That blood has been sprinkled on God's throne, and seven times before God's throne. The more near we get to God, the more we see the value and the preciousness of the blood of the Lord Jesus.
We see the blood on the brazen altar, on the veil; but in no place do we read so much about the blood as in the Holy of Holies, inside the veil, before and on the throne of God.
The holy God could not have remained one moment in the midst of the congregation except for the blood. It was the blood which made it possible for God to dwell and to work and to rule in the midst of an unclean and sinful people.
But now ponder for a moment the 17th verse of Lev. 16. "And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the Holy Place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel." We are truly on holy ground here. Let us bow our heads as we think of the depth of meaning of these words. Surely they tell us of those hours of darkness on the cross when the Lord Jesus alone, quite alone, was making atonement for our sins. We read that "all the disciples forsook Him and fled." (Matt. 26:5656But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. (Matthew 26:56)). We read in the Psalms, of the depth of His sufferings, and how He felt this loneliness, "I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none." (Psa. 69:2020Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. (Psalm 69:20)). But that most bitter cry of all was, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Psa. 22:11<<To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.>> My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? (Psalm 22:1); Matt. 27:4646And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)). Never can any heart conceive of the depth of His sorrow and suffering during those awful hours of darkness, while He hung on the cross as the Sin-bearer, making atonement for your sins and mine, and bearing the judgment of a holy, holy, holy God against sin. And He bore it alone. "There shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement.”
Not only, as we have said, did the Lord Jesus bear our sins on the cross, but then He fully met the whole question of sin as it had affected the whole universe. It is this aspect of the death of Christ that we see here.
Then Aaron "shall bring the live goat: 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: 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." (Lev. 16:21-2221And 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: 22And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:21‑22)). Here we see the actual sins we have committed borne away, and so we see the whole question of sin entirely met forever.
If we turn now to the 23rd chapter of Leviticus, where we get the Day of Atonement brought before us from the Lord's point of view, we see first that it is on the tenth day of the seventh month. The number ten in Scripture speaks of responsibility towards man and towards God. There were Ten Commandments. All the failure to meet these responsibilities is now to be considered, and to be met, and all this failure is to be covered. It is called "a holy convocation." Three times do we read, they are to afflict their souls. (verses 27, 29, 32). Three times do we read, "ye shall do no work." (verses 28, 30, 31). Three times do we read the word "atonement," or "covering." And in verse 32 we read, "It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest.”
What a story this tells us! As Aaron with both his hands on the head of the scapegoat, confesses the sins of the congregation, how they must bow their heads in shame, as they think of all the awful failures and sins of the past year. Truly they might well afflict their souls as all passed in solemn review.
How was this long list of sins to be dealt with? "Whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, that same soul will I destroy from among his people." "Ye shall do no manner of work." What then is to be done with all the sin and defilement? All is covered by the blood! Atonement means covering. "There shall be a Day of Atonement," or "a Day of Covering." "It is a Day of Atonement," (or covering) "to make an atonement" (or covering) "for you before the Lord.” Thanks be to God that "He doth devise means, that His banished be not expelled from Him." (2 Sam. 14:1414For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him. (2 Samuel 14:14)).
And what does all this tell us of the future? We have seen that the Feast of Trumpets, when Israel is gathered back to their own land, has not yet been fulfilled, and the Day of Atonement follows closely after the Feast of Trumpets. It comes before the Feast of Tabernacles which tells forth the joys of the thousand years of peace, when Christ shall reign.
What, then, does the Day of Atonement picture? For the earthly people of Israel we believe it tells of the bitter sorrow when their eyes are opened to the fact that their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, has already come to them, and they have not received Him, but have murdered Him. Then they will receive Him, but they will ask, "What are these wounds in Thine hands?" Then shall He answer, "Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends!" (Zech. 13:66And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. (Zechariah 13:6)).
Then they will understand that they have killed the Prince of Life, and have desired a murderer in His place. Then the Lord says, "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart.... all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart." (Zech. 12:10-1410And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 11In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 14All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. (Zechariah 12:10‑14)).
This tells in the clearest possible language of the way the remnant of Israel will "afflict their soul." We get more of the same affliction of soul in Isa. 53. "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." Oh, the bitterness of soul! to think that the Messiah of Israel has come, and has been treated in this terrible manner! Well may the Spirit in John's Gospel exclaim, "He came unto His Own, and His Own received Him not.”
Not only will there be the affliction of soul and confession of sin that is so clearly pointed out in Leviticus, and these passages in Zech. 12 which we have quoted above, telling of the mourning of Israel as they "look upon Me whom they have pierced," but immediately, we read these blessed words, "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." (Zech. 13:11In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. (Zechariah 13:1)).
Although guilty of the awful crime of the murder of their own Messiah, the Son of God, yet the moment they own it in bitterness of soul, that moment they discover the fountain opened for sin, the precious blood of atonement to cover all their guilt, then they can continue in the language of Isa. 53, "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Can we not read in these precious words the depth of anguish with which the remnant of Israel will afflict their souls, when their eyes are opened at last to see their Messiah, the despised and rejected Jesus! But can we not also read at the same time, the wondrous truths of the Day of Atonement or the Day of Covering.
We see also that it is not by works. It is not the anguish of their soul that covers their guilt, but the precious blood of the Lamb of God slain by themselves that covers all their wickedness, even that crowning sin, the rejection and murder of their Messiah.
But there is one more event that takes place on the Day of Atonement. We read of this in Lev. 25:99Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. (Leviticus 25:9). "Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land.”
What was "the trumpet of the jubilee?" It was different to the Feast of Trumpets which had passed ten days before.
God says of it, "Thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound." (Lev. 25:88And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. (Leviticus 25:8)). Seven times seven years surely speaks of the fullness of God's time. Then the trumpet of the jubilee is blown and what happens? The captive slave is set free. The lost land is returned. They were to "proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family." (Lev. 25:1010And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. (Leviticus 25:10)).
The trumpet had sounded on the first day of the seventh month to call them back to their land, but it was not till the Day of Atonement was completed, all their sins judged and covered, not till then could the trumpet of the jubilee sound, and liberty be proclaimed throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”
And how sweet is the ending of that day! Rest! It began with affliction of soul, it continued with every sin covered and gone forever, not by works; then came liberty, and finally rest! What a prospect for poor, down-trodden Israel. And it will surely come to pass.
This, we believe, is to what the Day of Atonement points forward, as regards its primary application to the earthly people of God, Israel. But, we believe there is perhaps also an application to the heavenly people, the church. It would seem to us that this tells something of the judgment seat of Christ.
In 2 Cor. 5:10,10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10) we read, "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Dear fellow-believer, let us ponder this scripture. First, let us be clear that this is an entirely different time and place to "the great white throne," that we read of in Rev. 20:1111And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (Revelation 20:11). The judgment seat of Christ is before the thousand years when Christ shall reign. The great white throne is after that time. (Rev. 20:77And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, (Revelation 20:7)). At the judgment seat of Christ, "we" all must stand. Who are the "we" in this verse? "We" are the Christians. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is addressed to "the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia." (2 Cor. 1:11Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: (2 Corinthians 1:1)). Paul wrote the epistle, and he included Timothy in the greeting to the church at Corinth. Paul and Timothy and all the church at Corinth and all the saints in all Achaia are included in the word "we" who must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. There are no unbelievers in this word "we," only true Christians, and it also means you and me, if we are true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But at the great white throne there are no believers. In John 5:24,24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24) the Lord says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment; but is passed from death into life." (The word "condemnation" in our English Bible should be "judgment." See the New Translation, etc.). No true Christian comes into the judgment before the great white throne. Every true Christian has been raised from among the dead a thousand years before "and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Rev. 20:44And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4)). But the rest of the dead (those whose names were not written in the book of life and whose sins have never been washed away by the precious blood of Christ), lived not again until the thousand years were finished. (Rev. 20:55But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:5)).
At the great white throne they were judged according to their works (Rev. 20:1313And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (Revelation 20:13)), and the result with everyone who stands for judgment according to his works must be the lake of fire. There are no blood stains on the great white throne, as there were on and before the throne of God inside the veil, on the Day of Atonement. But all is dazzling whiteness and purity every work of man will appear vile and filthy in that dazzling whiteness. At the judgment seat of Christ, it is not a question whether we go to heaven or to hell, but it a question of rewards or suffering loss.
Many people think that at the end of the world, there is to be a great judgment day when everybody will appear before God, and their good works will be put in one side of a weighing scale and their bad works will be put in the other side, and whichever is heavier will decide where we are to go for eternity, whether to heaven or to hell. The Bible never, in any place, teaches any such doctrine as this. This is only the opinion of men, and not the Word of God. Clearly does the Bible teach two resurrections. "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5:28-2928Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28‑29)). And as we have seen, these two resurrections are a thousand years apart.
Let us then consider that time when we Christians must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. It is at a time after we have been caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and we know we are to "ever be with the Lord." It is before the time of Christ's reign on earth. When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, "then every one will receive the things done in the body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Cor. 5:1010For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)). Be clear, it is not a question of being saved or lost. All of us who stand there are the children of God, and now we come there in order that our life as children our path as servants may be reviewed. There will be that in each of us which the Lord can praise and alas, there will be that in each which the Lord must blame. It is like prize-day in a school, when the children's work of the past year will all pass in review. Some will win prizes, others will be ashamed. The work of one is acceptable, another's is not acceptable, so the Apostle Paul says, "Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ." (2 Cor. 5:9-109Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:9‑10)).
In 1 Cor. 4:5,5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. (1 Corinthians 4:5) we read that the Lord, "will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." Dear fellow-Christian, can you or I review all our pathway down here? Can we have every thought and counsel of our hearts manifested? I ask, "Can we have the searching light of heaven turned on all these secret things, and not afflict our souls?" What a sad story for most of us it will be! Pride, selfishness, foolish and even impure thoughts, idle words oh how much we now like to keep these things hidden from our fellow-Christians. Then all will come out to the eye of Christ and myself. All will be made manifest. It will not, thank God, be manifested to condemn me to hell forever, as surely it must if works are to be considered. No, all will be weighed in the balances of the Sanctuary, and we will truly "afflict our souls." Then we will see clearly the opportunities for bearing shame for Christ's sake that we have lost. Then we will see how He would have had us serve Him, but we turned aside from it. Every failure will be brought to light. But every desire of our hearts after Christ will also be remembered, and wonder of wonders, when the Lord brings to light the hidden things of darkness, when He makes manifest the counsels of the hearts, then listen to the words "then shall every man have praise of God." Yes, dear fellow-believer, the grace of God will find that, in you and me, which He knows has been done for His sake, and “every man" "shall have praise of God." (1 Cor. 4:55Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. (1 Corinthians 4:5)).
Although every man shall have praise of God, yet we know from 1 Cor. 3:11-15,11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:11‑15) that "the fire shall try every man's work. If any man build.... gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
The gold, silver, precious stones, do not make nearly as great a show as wood, or hay, or stubble. What a great pile of hay we may perhaps gather, and boast of the amount we have done but what anguish of heart when the fire tries it and it is all burnt up.
But, thank God, the Day of Atonement was a day of covering, and after we have reviewed all the sorrowful past, then it will all be covered, carried away to a land not inhabited. (Lev. 16:2222And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:22)). Never again will these things be raised against us. They are covered by that precious blood. They are blotted out, they are gone forever.
But do not let us think that it is on account of our own good works that all this past failure is blotted out. The same precious blood by which we were redeemed and brought near to God, that alone is what blots out all the past failure in our walk down here. "Whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people." This tells us God's estimate of our work in this connection. All is of grace, and all must be of grace. Perhaps never before in all our lives will we have known the riches of His grace, as we will know it when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
And as the Day of Atonement for Israel closed with rest, will this not be the same for us? Everything out, all made manifest, rest will follow. Even here and now we know something of the rest that follows confession. How much more full will that rest be when all is manifested, all is covered, all is gone forever!
And would we like to miss the judgment seat of Christ? I think not. How glad we will be to see the problems of this sad pathway all cleared up in the light of heaven. How good to have the roots of bitterness that perhaps we have allowed to grow up for years, all shriveled up and gone. And what grace! Every man shall have praise of God!
"Deeds of merit as we thought them,
He will show us were but sin;
Little acts we had forgotten,
He will own were done for Him.”
Then that cup of cold water given in His Name, but long since forgotten by us, will receive its reward. Then we will find that "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have chewed toward His Name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." (Heb. 6:1010For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Hebrews 6:10)).
May the Lord give us grace to live now more in the light of "That Day!”