Why is it important to understand penal substitutionary atonement?



MACARTHUR: If you don’t understand the doctrine of penal substitution, you don’t know why Christ died, and you would assume that if you’re Christian you would want to know why Christ died. If you took one verse, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul says, “You’re ambassadors,” right? In 18 to 21.

So, you know, we go into the world, we beg people to be reconciled to God. He’s given us the Word of reconciliation, right? That’s the message we preach, “You can be reconciled to God.” We have the ministry of reconciliation. We have the message of reconciliation. But how is that possible?

How is it possible for a sinner to be reconciled to a holy God? That is the most legitimate question that a sinner could ever ask. Ok, you’re telling me God’s holy, that God is righteous. that God is perfect.

How is it possible for me to be reconciled to a holy God without Him not tarnishing His holiness? Or to put it in the language of Paul, “How can God be just and the justifier of sinners?” That is the absolute apex question of all religion.

The primary question that religion attempts to answer is, “How can I go from being God’s enemy to being His friend? How can I make peace with God?” whatever god that religion espouses. So, all religion is designed to somehow come to terms with the deity.

In Christianity, the question is built around holiness and justice and righteousness. So, how can God forgive me and still be holy? And, the only thing that answers that question is penal substitution because penal substitution says God is so holy every sin will be punished.

Every single sin in the life of every Christian believer through all of human history will be punished, was punished. All sin must be punished. Either the sinner will bear that punishment eternally or Christ took that punishment on the cross.

The only thing that protects the pure, righteous holiness of God is that sin is punished. That’s penal substitution. If you remove that part of the cross, then how does God reconcile His holiness with just wishing sin away without a punishment? There has to be a punishment for God to maintain His justice.

That punishment falls on His Son. BINGHAM: I can remember before I became a Christian but had heard the gospel a number of times, sitting down with the woman that’s actually now my wife and asking her, “Explain to me John 3:16. Why did God have to send His Son?

Why did Jesus have to die? Why didn’t God bake brownies to save the world?” Like, “What’s was this whole ‘dying on the cross’ thing?” At that time, she couldn’t answer the question, and it was actually hard. We had to go into church and try and get information.

“Explain to me penal substitution,” because all the gospel presentations I’d heard was missing that phase. MACARTHUR: You see that is “the question.” That is not some kind of optional issue, penal substitution. You’ve got a massive problem if God just says, “Hey, you’re forgiven.”

Now, the character of God is called into question as to His integrity, His holiness, His virtue, His righteousness, His perfection. And so, God is so pure and holy that He will punish every single sin ever committed by every person either in that person or in the substitute for that person.

That is the purest heart of Christianity and soteriology.

#important #understand #penal #substitutionary #atonement

Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement | UNLEARN the lies



What does the Bible say about Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, and how should we observe this Holy day? It’s time to UNLEARN the lies. UNLEARN Hey, welcome to UNLEARN. My name is Lex, and I’d like to invite you to join us each week as we UNLEARN the lies

And dig deeper into the truth of Yah’s Word. Now, let’s get started. Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year and is regarded as the “Sabbath of Sabbaths”. The focus of this day is atonement and repentance, and it’s observed with prayer, fasting, and

Giving charity to those in need. Yom Kippur takes place on the tenth day of the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar. Yom Kippur is the only day in which the High Priest was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place in the Temple.

It’s a day of intercession in which the High Priest makes atonement for the people. The first question I want to address is, “should Christians keep Yom Kippur?” Most Christians seem to think that Jesus put an end to the Feasts, and that the Biblical

Feasts are only for the Jews, but listen to what the Bible has to say about it. “This shall be a statute FOREVER for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your

Own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute FOREVER.

And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments; then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle

Of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. This shall be an EVERLASTING statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” – Leviticus 16:29-34

Notice the Bible says the day of Atonement is an everlasting statute that’s to be observed forever. It also says that both the native born Israelites and the foreigner who dwells with them should observe it. This means that it’s for both Jews and Gentiles, and that we should still be keeping it today.

So, if we are expected to keep it forever as an everlasting statute, the next question we need to answer is how do we keep Yom Kippur? We are instructed to afflict our soul and to do no work on that day.

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; YOU SHALL AFFLICT YOUR SOULS, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.

And YOU SHALL DO NO WORK ON THAT SAME DAY, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. FOR ANY PERSON WHO IS NOT AFFLICTED IN SOUL ON THAT SAME DAY SHALL BE CUT OFF FROM HIS PEOPLE.

AND ANY PERSON WHO DOES ANY WORK ON THAT SAME DAY, THAT PERSON I WILL DESTROY FROM AMONG HIS PEOPLE. You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

It shall be to you a SABBATH OF SOLEMN REST, and YOU SHALL AFFLICT YOUR SOULS on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” – Leviticus 23:26-32 While the High Priest would preform certain sacrifices and rituals to make atonement for

Israel, the people would fast and pray. The practice of fasting on Yom Kippur comes from the command to afflict our soul on that day. The word translated as soul is nephesh, and it can also be translated as appetite. So, we fast to afflict our appetites.

This fasting includes abstaining from all fleshly desires including food, drink, and marital relations. Fasting shows that we are not a slave to our own appetites. The phrase “afflict your soul” could also be translated “make poor your soul,” which

Sounds very similar to what Yeshua taught in the Sermon on the Mount when He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” He also said, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Repentance requires discipline, and fasting is a great way to discipline ourselves. Fasting is a type of self-denial that places our flesh into submission of our spirit. By fasting we deny ourselves the natural desires of our flesh. Fasting is difficult and goes against our instincts, but it’s a great way of showing

That our god is not our belly. When we set aside a time to pursue intimate relationship with the Father through fasting, we are making the statement that we value relationship with Him more than food. Remember that when Yeshua was fasting He was tempted to turn stones into bread and He proclaimed

That man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the Father, and when we fast we are making the same proclamation with our life. Fasting is also used to show remorse and mourning, and when we consider the cost of our salvation we should feel remorse for our sin.

Likewise, when we think about the people who are heading for destruction, we should lament and mourn for them. Why is fasting so powerful? Because we are showing Yahweh that we are willing to die. In fact, when we abstain from food, drink, and marital relations and deny our flesh all

Forms of pleasure, we are afflicting our soul and dying to our flesh. However, fasting should not be done to make ourselves appear to be more spiritual. In fact, Yeshua warned that fasting should be done privately and that we shouldn’t make it known to others that we are fasting.

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear

To men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” – Matthew 6:16-18 While repentance and fasting are important, we need to realize that no amount of self-sacrifice can atone for our sins.

Fasting does not replace the need of a blood sacrifice for atonement. I want to stress this point because I know there will be some who claim that we are trying to earn our salvation. Let me be very clear, our salvation and atonement comes only through the shed blood of our Messiah.

We can do nothing to atone for our own sins. If you think that by fasting and repentance you can find atonement without a blood sacrifice and apart from the work of the High Priest, you are gravely mistaken.

Yom Kippur is translated as the day of Atonement, but it could also be translated as the day of covering, or the day of ransom, and the sacrifices are offered as a substitutionary atonement for the sins of the people. We are ransomed or redeemed by the blood of the sacrifice.

The picture is that of an innocent life being given in place of the guilty life. The importance of blood sacrifice for atonement cannot be overstated. The Bible says that without the shedding of blood there can be no atonement.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'” – Leviticus 17:11 “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding

Of blood there is no remission.” – Hebrews 9:22 The Bible says that Yeshua is our Great High Priest, and that He made the ultimate atonement for our sins by offering His own blood in the Most Holy Place in the Heavenly Tabernacle.

“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

– Hebrews 9:11-14 The word for sacrifice in Hebrew is Korban, and the root of that word means to “draw close” or to “come near.” The day of Atonement and it’s sacrifices are given so that we can draw near to Yahweh.

However, there has not been a Temple in Jerusalem since 70AD, which means the shed blood of Messiah is the only option for atonement. This is why Yeshua said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Yeshua is our Great High Priest, and there is no other means of atonement except through Him. The only way we can draw near to the Father is through the sacrifice of His Son. The only way we can find atonement is through the blood of Yeshua. So, should believers in Messiah keep Yom Kippur?

Absolutely, and I want to point out that we are the only ones who can keep it, because we are the only ones who have a High Priest serving in the heavenly Tabernacle. I want to encourage you to keep the day of Atonement each year with fasting and prayer,

Confessing your sins to our Great High Priest, Yeshua. Sin separates us from Yahweh, and we need to confess and repent from our sins, drawing near to the Father through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse

Us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9 I pray that you will have a meaningful Yom Kippur and that your name will be inscribed in the book of life, and that you will be washed in the blood of Messiah. SHARE THE TRUTH UNLEARN THE LIES Thanks for watching.

If you found this video helpful then share it with your friends and family so they can UNLEARN the lies with us. If you want to see more videos like this one, subscribe to my channel. And I want to say a special thank you to those who support this ministry.

We truly appreciate your generosity. And remember, the truth will set you free. See you next time.

#Yom #Kippur #Day #Atonement #UNLEARN #lies

Jacob Teaches of the Atonement of Jesus Christ | 2 Nephi 6–10



I have great anxiety for our people. I am desirous for the welfare of their souls. Teach them the words of Isaiah, and speak unto them for their sakes. The Lord has shown me that those who were at Jerusalem, from whence we came, have been slain and carried away captive.

Nevertheless, the Lord has shown unto me that they should return again. And He will be merciful unto them, that when they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer, they shall be gathered together again to the lands of their inheritance. And there are many things which have been spoken by Isaiah

Which may be likened unto you, because ye are of the house of Israel. For the Lord God will fulfil His covenants which He has made unto His children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things. I have read these things that ye might know

That He has covenanted with all the house of Israel. I know that ye know that our flesh must waste away and die; nevertheless, in our bodies we shall see God. I do not understand. How can our flesh waste away and die, but in our bodies we shall see God?

As death hath passed upon all men, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Wherefore, there must needs be an infinite atonement. O the wisdom of God, His mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.

O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape. Wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men

Will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel. He cometh into the world that He may save all men if they will hearken unto His voice; for behold, He suffereth the pains of all men,

Yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children. And He suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before Him at the great and judgment day. And He commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in His name,

Having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. Wo unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God, and behold His face, and remain in their sins. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death,

And to be spiritually-minded is life eternal. I would speak unto you more; but on the morrow I will declare unto you the remainder of my words. -Amen. -Amen. It must needs be expedient that Christ— for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be His name—

Shall come among the Jews. But they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against Him, that He be crucified. But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh,

Upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance. Seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember Him, and lay aside our sins, and not hang down our heads, for we are not cast off; nevertheless, we have been driven out

Of the land of our inheritance; but we have been led to a better land, for the Lord has made the sea our path, and we are upon an isle of the sea. Cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves— to choose the way of everlasting death

Or the way of eternal life. Reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved. Wherefore, may God raise you from death

By the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the atonement, that ye may be received into the eternal kingdom of God, that ye may praise Him through grace divine. -Amen. -Amen. Amen.

#Jacob #Teaches #Atonement #Jesus #Christ #Nephi

Beyond Today — The Day of Atonement and the Gospel



[Gary Petty] You’ve heard of the famous Ark of the Covenant. Archaeologists, historians and treasure hunters still hope to someday find this ancient artifact. The Ark was originally housed in a tent or tabernacle during the days of Moses. The high

Priest would go into the tabernacle once a year and enter a chamber called the holy of holies. This chamber housed the Ark of the Covenant which contained the Ten Commandments written on two tablets of stone. Before entering this sacred place the high priest would bathe and put on a special clothing,

A turban and a breast plate containing 12 precious stones. Once in the holy of holies he would sprinkle on the Ark the blood of animals that were sacrificed for the sins of the people. This mystical ritual took place on the Day of Atonement. In the Jewish community this

Day is known as Yom Kippur. Among all of the fantastical rituals of this day there is one that may seem most bizarre. Two goats would be presented to the high priest. One would be sacrificed. The other led into the wilderness to be released.

Do the ceremonies of the Day of Atonement have any relevance to Christians? You may be surprised to discover that the ancient rituals of the Day of Atonement reveal the gospel. Today let’s explore the Day of Atonement and the Gospel. What we’re going to talk about today will help you experience a deeper understanding

Of the gospel of Jesus Christ, why He came the first time as a sacrifice for sin and what will happen at His Second Coming. So what do the ancient rituals of the Day of Atonement have to do with the gospel?

The answer to this question is found in the New Testament book of Hebrews. Hebrews is a fascinating book. It was written to Jewish Christians during a time when the temple still existed in Jerusalem. In the temple the rituals of the Day of Atonement given to Moses around

1,500 years earlier were still meticulously observed by the Levitical priesthood. Just like the ancient tabernacle the temple was divided into two rooms. The smaller room, the holy of holies, could be entered only once a year by the high priest where he would

Sprinkle blood on the lid of the Ark which was called the mercy seat. This bloody sacrifice was a substitute for the penalty of the people’s sins before God. Notice this passage from Hebrews 9. “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things

To come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place [or holy of holies] once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:11-12).

What a remarkable statement! Here we discover the real meaning of the temple ceremonies. The holy of holies, or Most Holy Place, was a symbol of the very throne of God “the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands…” The blood of animals sprinkled

On the mercy seat, which remember was the lid of the Ark of the Covenant, was symbolic of the blood of Jesus Christ as the substitute for the penalty of the sins of all humanity. The New Testament book of Hebrews shows us that all of these temple ceremonies reveal the work of Jesus Christ.

Yes that’s right, Jesus Christ. This is why the Day of Atonement isn’t just a Jewish observance. It is a proclamation of the gospel and it is vital that Christians understand the meaning and glory of this day. The symbols of the sacrificial animals aren’t difficult to understand when we know the work

Of Christ to bring salvation to the world. For most of you this makes sense. But there is something else said in the verses that we just read that we shouldn’t overlook. Let’s reread this statement again. “Christ came as High Priest of the good things to

Come…” Jesus Christ by offering Himself as the atonement for the sins of humanity is both the sacrifice AND the High Priest who performs the sacrifice. The writer of Hebrews goes on to say, “For Christ has not entered the holy places made

With hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us…” (Hebrews 9:24-28). This means that the holy of holies, the real holy of holies, the Heaven of Heavens, is

The throne of the Almighty God described as a sea of glass with myriad lights and thundering sounds, angels darting in and out of the presence of God and there Jesus Christ as God’s High Priest intercedes for us, you and me, every day. What the ancient Levitical high priest

Did on the Day of Atonement was like a dramatic play showing what Jesus Christ does for humanity continually before Almighty God. What does this really mean for you? It means that the ancient rituals of the Day of Atonement have importance for Christians

Today. This is not just a Jewish day. It’s a Christian day. What the high priest did on this special day reveals what happens when you repent before God, turn your life over to Him and accept Christ’s sacrifice as your atonement. When

You accept Christ sacrifice as the penalty for your sins you are given the privilege to literally enter the holy of holies. This means that when you pray you are in the very presence of God. Let’s look at how the writer of Hebrews sums up his explanation about Jesus as High

Priest. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way…having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without

Wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:19-23). The Day of Atonement is all about the gospel! It is about the grace offered by God revealed in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the work the resurrected Christ is DOING right NOW

As the High Priest at the throne of God. Today’s program isn’t just about some ancient, irrelevant customs involving priests in strange clothing sacrificing animals. It is about what Jesus Christ is doing today as the High Priest of Almighty God. It’s about having the assurance

That your life matters to God. He is offering you the privilege to have a loving relationship with Him as Father and Christ as Savior and High Priest and it is Christ’s role of High Priest that is revealed in the Day of Atonement.  But what about the strange ceremony involving the two goats?

Surprisingly, understanding the symbolism of this ceremony helps Christians understand the world that you and I live in. Aaron, the brother of Moses, was the first high priest of the physical tabernacle. On the Day of Atonement he was told to bring two goats to the door of the tabernacle. There

He was to cast lots and one goat would be chosen “for the LORD” and the other was to be designated as what is commonly translated in English the “scapegoat” (Leviticus 16:6-10). The goat chosen for God was to be sacrificed for a sin offering. That’s just another

Obvious symbol for the sacrifice of Jesus for sin. What the priest was to do with the second goat was different than any other ceremony done throughout the year. Aaron was to lay his hands upon the second goat, confess over it all the sins of Israel, and then have the

Goat led into the wilderness where it was to wander in the wastelands (Leviticus 16:21-22). So what does this second goat represent? All sin sacrifices involve the killing of an animal with purification through blood. But this goat is not killed. This is very important. As God deals with the sin of humanity

He will also deal with the originator of sin. I know many people don’t like to hear the word sin. It’s considered too judgmental. Yet the Bible, this book that all Christians say to follow, is filled with definitions

And explanations about sin. Sin is what separates us from God. If we have no sin then Christ’s sacrifice was in vain. Without the bad news of sin, the good news of the kingdom of God has no meaning. Where does this lie that the gospel is not about sin, where does it come from?

It comes from the originator of sin. Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the

Glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Satan is real. He is the god of this present age. As the originator of sin he doesn’t want you to know about the gospel message revealed in the Day of Atonement. He wants

You to reject Jesus’ message that there is something dramatically wrong in your life. He doesn’t want you to repent of sin and turn to God as your Father. He doesn’t want you to experience God’s love and healing and discover your Creator’s purpose for your very life. 

Let’s go back to the book of Hebrews. Listen to what Hebrews says about the work of Jesus Christ. “Inasmuch then as the children [that’s us, human beings] have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who

Had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15). Christ left His eternal abode to come to this earth. Unbelievably to become like us to conquer

Death and Satan who has the power of death. Death entered into human experience because God has allowed Satan to be the present god of this age. Satan has deceived humanity, kidnapped us from our Father and deceived us into thinking that sin doesn’t matter.

In reality it is sin that separates us from God, makes our lives miserable, and eventually kills us. To be an authentic Christian, you are going to have to learn about sin. Accept your sin. Repent and ask God for forgiveness. You will also need to understand that Satan is real

And that he is the originator of sin. In the ceremony of the two goats one goat is slain as a sin offering picturing the work of Christ. The second goat is dragged into the wilderness and separated from the people.

This ceremony involves a second goat and is a prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled. A prophecy explained in the book of Revelation shows where John had a vision of Christ’s second coming and concerns this time period we’re talking about. John wrote, “Then

I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and

Shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while” (Revelation 20:1-3). We’ve seen that Satan is the god of this present age and Jesus came to conquer him.

Jesus will return to remove Satan freeing us from the kidnapper. Christ returns to confine Satan to the wilderness, the second goat of the Day of Atonement ceremony. In Revelation, we do see that Satan is released for a little while after the millennium but then God removes

Him forever. These prophecies concerning Satan are an important part of the gospel of the kingdom. Christ is returning in power to remove Satan and establish God’s kingdom here on this earth. As we’ve seen the Day of Atonement is really about the gospel of the kingdom of God. There

Are three major points we’ve discussed. First, the animal sacrifices performed on this day teach us about the gravity of sin and the price paid by Jesus Christ to save us from sin. Secondly, the work of the High Priest represents the present work of Jesus Christ in reconciling humanity to God.

And thirdly, the two goats represent Jesus as the sin offering and Satan as the originator of sin who will be cast into the wilderness by Jesus when He returns. I’m now joined by Steve Myers and Darris McNeely as we continue our discussion of the Day of Atonement and the Gospel. 

So how would you answer someone who came to you and said oh the Day of Atonement that’s just a Jewish observance, has nothing to do with Christianity? [Steve Myers] Well you hope that people would ask that question. Is it a Jewish thing or

Is it a Christian thing? And if they’re honest with themselves, they should check their Bibles. Get into your Bible. Look at Leviticus 23. It lists these days of God and it doesn’t say they’re Jewish, it doesn’t say they’re just for the Israelites. It

Says there very specifically these are the Feasts of the Lord and so that starts us down a path to realize this was something for all mankind. It wasn’t just for a specific group of people but for everyone. So I think if people are honest with themselves and start

Looking at the real evidence that’s there they’ll see that these days that carry over into the New Testament Church and you’ll find them referenced throughout the New Testament as well. So they’re for everybody and they are for today as well.

[Darris McNeely] Even the Day of Atonement is mentioned in the book of Acts as kind of a place marker of the Apostle Paul on his way to Rome. Luke the recorder, the writer of Acts, refers to several of the Holy Days but even the fast of the Day of Atonement

That Paul was on his way to Rome during that time. Steve makes a good point. These are days that, frankly, are for all mankind. They are God’s feasts for the world and frankly even today a lot of people are beginning to look at the festivals and understand that

They do have a significance and meaning for people today and as you are bringing out about the Day of Atonement, Christ is right in the center of the meaning of the Day of Atonement when you look at the book of Hebrews and all. So one needs to be very careful not to just

Kind of shove this off as something Jewish because where that’s been done by people in the past it leads to some other problems of anti-Semitism or difficulties there and you want to be very very careful about that, that Christ was of the Tribe of Judah and

There is a very important role for those people in the overall plan of God but these days are not just Jewish. [Gary Petty] What I find so important about the Day of Atonement as a Christian is the

Idea of Jesus Christ as the High Priest and of course that’s brought out in the New Testament. That wouldn’t have been brought up in the Old Testament. So here in the New Testament we have this teaching that Jesus Christ is the High Priest and He now acts

As High Priest. He is the High Priest every day before God interceding for us. We don’t need another intercessor. No human being needs any other intercessor except Jesus Christ because He is the High Priest. So when you study what the High Priest did in the Old

Testament and especially on this day, when he was the only one who could go into the Holy of Holies and intercede for the people. We have a high priest that intercedes for us every day so that we can go into the Holy of Holies. That’s just incredible! And it’s New Testament.

[Steve Myers] Yes, and I think that contributes to the really amazing part about the Day of Atonement. You read just the Old Testament you’ve missed this great spiritual intent of the day. Yes there were certain physical aspects in the Old Testament that they did

These physical rituals but they showed the way to the spiritual intent of this and even Christ said He came to show the fulfillment of the law. To show the important aspects of the spiritual side of things and so to recognize Christ as our High Priest and then

You see these connections to Old Testament practices, it changes everything that we have access to God and prior to that time of Christ’s death and crucifixion and resurrection we didn’t have that. We didn’t have that and now we do. We can go directly to God by our High Priest Jesus Christ.

[Darris McNeely] You make a very good point Gary. In your program you talked about the work of the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. Out of the Book of Leviticus chapter 16 there is a reference to it as a Holy Day in chapter 23 of Leviticus but chapter 16 really expands

On it. But as you just said, the fullness of that understanding is brought out in the book of Hebrews. You can do a study and as we have all done giving sermons to Christians on the Day of Atonement as we’ve observed that, we can give a sermon and teaching about

The Day of Atonement without ever turning to the Old Testament. By staying in the New Testament in the book of Hebrews explaining the full meaning as it’s been fulfilled by Christ He is our High Priest. Hebrews walks a person right through that. It is through

And through a festival for those who are under the New Covenant today and have a relationship with Jesus Christ. The Day of Atonement is right in the center of it and frankly you cannot have a fullness of the relationship with Jesus Christ unless you understand the

Meaning of the Day of Atonement and keep it in the spirit and the intent that the New Testament shows. [Gary Petty] Now you just said about observing the Day of Atonement. I think most Christians would be shocked that there’s actually other Christians, and there are. As you said there

Are Christians all over the place who are beginning to discover this and do this. So how has observing the Day of Atonement, which the three of us do, how has that helped you in your Christian walk? [Steve Myers] When you think about the book of Hebrews, as we were talking about, Hebrews

9 would be section of scripture to read through that really makes that spiritual connection, that we do have a High Priest and if Hebrews hadn’t been written and recorded for us we wouldn’t know that Jesus is our High Priest and so it makes that point that we

Have a Savior. That through His death and His resurrection we can be justified. We have access to the Father and so we wouldn’t know that and it would change really everything. It changes everything when we recognize that very fact that as our High Priest we have

Direct access into the throne room of God and we have that Intercessor in our Savior. [Darris McNeely] Another way that it really has always hit home with me is understanding that on that day as you brought out on the story of the two goats in Leviticus 16, when

You turn to Revelation 20 and you see the binding of Satan at a time after the return of Christ, prior to Christ beginning to restore this earth to what it was, Satan is bound and the Day of Atonement shows us that on that day, or that day pictures that event

Really, described in Revelation 20 of Satan being bound and his influence being removed from this earth. The god of this world, the god who has deceived the world, that Revelation 12 talk about, will be removed and people will have the scales of deception lifted off

Their eyes and also they will begin to understand God. Also by keeping the Day of Atonement you know why there is evil in this world today. Great question that people struggle with and blame God for, cannot have faith because of the evil that has stalked the earth. It’s

Because of Satan. Christ labeled that. There will be a day he will be chained and bound and the source of evil will be removed from humanity and it will be a different world where people will have the opportunity to know God. That’s what it’s meant to me

To through the years, understand that, share it, teach it with other people so they understand the world as it is today, why it is, and have that hope that there will be a better time. [Gary Petty] So as a New Covenant Christian we obviously do not do what the Old Testament

Did as far as Levitical priesthood and sacrifices in the temple and all that. What is it you do on the Day of Atonement though, that is special? [Steve Myers] Well we get together. It’s a commanded assembly it’s a time that we

Collectively come together as God’s people and we worship Him, we honor Him, we praise Him, we have a church service, and we recognize these great truths. We recognize we’ve got a solution for sin in our Savior Jesus Christ. The fact we’ve had our minds opened to this

Truth, there’s coming a time when He’s going to open everyone’s mind. Everyone will have an opportunity at one point to understand, really, the solution to sin and it is such an amazing promise that it represents a very specific part of God’s plan.

[Darris McNeely] Well, it’s a day to worship God in spirit and in truth and again I just go back to a point I made. You cannot really have a fullness of a relationship with Christ until you keep the Day of Atonement. That’s what it means to me.

[Gary Petty] To help you understand more about how the ancient day with its ancient rituals of the Day of Atonement reveal the message of the gospel, we would like to send you a copy of our free Bible study aid: “God’s Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind.”

This important, free, easy-to-read booklet explains how our Creator has a wonderful plan for humanity which He reveals through an annual cycle of festivals described in the Scriptures. I highly encourage you order your free copy by calling toll-free, 1-triple-eight-886-8632. That’s 1-triple-eight-886-8632. If a representative doesn’t answer your call right away, please

Try again a little later when the lines are less busy. So jot down the number right now 1-triple-eight-886-8632. Or, you can go online to beyondtoday.tv or write to us at the address shown on your screen [Beyond Today, PO Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254].

When you order your free copy of “God’s Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind” we’ll also send you a free subscription to our thought-provoking Beyond Today magazine. It’s absolutely free of charge. Six times a year you’ll receive articles on subjects

That will help you build your relationship with God and change your life for the better. Other fascinating articles will help you better understand current events in the light of Bible prophecy. So, call right now, 1-triple-eight-886-8632. Also, when you visit beyondtoday.tv, be sure to watch BT Daily. These short daily videos

Cover a variety of Bible topics and current events. BT Daily is a terrific way for you to obtain additional knowledge about Bible prophecy and God’s awesome plan of salvation. And, you can watch BT Daily and our 30-minute Beyond Today programs anytime on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and other streaming-enabled devices.

[Steve Myers] Hi! I’m Steve Myers. We would love to have you come and visit and worship with us. We have hundreds of congregations around the United States and across the world. We’re committed to growing in our relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ, as well

As fellowshipping with each other. We’ve found God’s way is the best way to live. We’re looking forward to meeting you soon. Come and join us! [Gary Petty] The ceremonies of the ancient Day of Atonement can seem strange to those

Of us living in the modern age. A priest wearing a turban, bloody animal sacrifices, a holy room containing the Ark of the Covenant and a ceremony involving two goats. We began the program with this question, “Do the ceremonies of the Day of Atonement have any relevance for Christians?”

In this short explanation we’ve been able to see that the answer is YES. The Day of Atonement is really about the gospel. Once again, the three main points we covered today: 1. The animal sacrifices performed on this day teach us about the gravity of sin and

The price paid by Jesus Christ to save us from sin. 2. The work of the High Priest represents the present work of Jesus Christ in reconciling humanity to God. 3. The two goats represent Jesus as the sin offering and Satan as the originator of sin

Who will be cast into the wilderness by Jesus when He returns. Join us next week on Beyond Today as we continue to discover the gospel of the Kingdom. We also invite you to join us in constantly praying, “Thy kingdom come.” For Beyond Today I’m Gary Petty. Thanks for watching.

[Narrator] For the free literature offered on today’s program, go online to beyondtoday.tv

#Today #Day #Atonement #Gospel

Understanding the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur



The Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, is the most holy and solemn day of the Jewish calendar. It is the only day when the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, the most sacred place within the Tabernacle and ancient temples.

It was the only day when the high priest reconciled Israel with God and symbolically brought them back into the presence of the Lord. No other day, and no other ancient ritual comes closer to the full meaning and purpose of the atonement of Jesus Christ.

The fall season of festivals begins with Rosh Hashana, the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashana marks the start of a ten-day period of repentance and preparation for the Day of Atonement. During these ten days, Israelites would seek to draw closer to God in preparation for these sacred rituals.

On the Day of Atonement, all of Israel would be forgiven for their sins of the previous year, thus allowing them to be cleansed and prepared for the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot to occur five days later. Feast of Tabernacles was the final and most joyous of the three major Jewish feasts of

Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. The Day of Atonement followed a complex, yet beautiful ritual, symbolizing that all of Israel now had been forgiven and was able to re-enter the presence of the Lord through the high priest. The ritual began with the high priest, dressed in his normal colorful golden garments,

Offering the daily morning ritual of sacrifices and burning of incense on the altar of incense. He then would wash his flesh and change into simple white robes. The act of washing and changing clothes would actually occur five separate times throughout the ritual. The wearing of just the white robes could symbolize the Savior

Who leaving His heavenly throne, “laid aside all the glory … [and] put upon Himself the plain robe of humanity … becoming like one of us.” The color of white is also a powerful symbol of purity, representing the absolute purity of the true Great High Priest, even Jesus Christ.

Next, the high priest would bring two goats into the Tabernacle or temple and cast lots for each of them. One lot was for Azazel, or the scapegoat, and the other was for the Lord. A red ribbon was tied around the horns of the scapegoat to distinguish it from the other goat.

The high priest would then take a bullock, or young bull and place his hands on its head, symbolically transferring his own sins and the sins of his fellow priests to the bull. He would then slit the throat of the bull and catch the blood in a dish to be saved for later services.

He then would bring a burning coal from the altar of sacrifice and incense into the Holy of Holies through the veil for the first time. Here dressed in all white, the high priest would burn the incense before the Lord. The room would fill with smoke,

The cloud of smoke often being a symbol of the presence of God. The high priest then would exit the Holy of Holies, wash again, and take the blood of the bull and re-enter the Holy of Holies for a second time.

He would then sprinkle seven times the blood of the bull on the Ark of the Covenant. The shedding of the blood of the young bull represented that the high priest was forgiven and reconciled to enter into the presence of the Lord.

The high priest would then kill the goat that was chosen for the Lord, again saving the blood in a dish. He then would enter the Holy of Holies with this blood for the third and final time. As he did before, he would sprinkle the blood of the goat seven times before the ark.

As the goat was the offering for the people, this act of bringing its blood into the Holy of Holies represented that all of Israel was symbolically able to enter the presence of the Lord, through the high priest and because of the shedding of the blood of the sacrifice.

Just as the high priest could only enter by blood, so too it is only by the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we can enter God’s presence. As the high priest exited the Holy of Holies,

He would then sprinkle the combined blood of the bull and the goat before the veil of the Tabernacle. He would also use the blood to cover the four horns of the altar of incense. The remaining blood would be poured out at the base of the altar of sacrifice in the outer court.

The high priest would then return to the scapegoat and place his hands upon its head symbolically transferring the sins of all the people to the goat. He then would utter the sacred name of the Lord, which was never to be said except on this holy day, “Oh, Jehovah! I intreat Thee!

Your people, the House of Israel, has been iniquitous, sinned, and erred before you. Oh, then Jehovah! Cover over, I intreat Thee, upon their iniquities, their transgressions, and their sins!” The goat was then taken outside of the Tabernacle and led into the wilderness.

The guiltless goat, dependent upon its owner for its care and protection, would become lost and die in the desert. Perhaps no symbol of the Savior is more powerful than the scapegoat. Innocent of any wrongdoing, just like this goat, the Savior has had laid upon Him the sins of the world.

As Isaiah so beautifully stated, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Modern readers often gloss over the significance of the Day of Atonement as simply an outdated,

Archaic ritual of death and covering of blood. However, as one better understands each of the aspects, it teaches a powerful message of the atonement of Jesus Christ. The word atonement, or kaphar in Hebrew, actually means to cover. Thus, as the high priest literally covers with blood the ark,

The veil, and the altars of the Tabernacle, he symbolically shows that atonement has been made, and that the way is now open to progress back through the Tabernacle because of the shedding of blood. From the scriptures we learn that when the Savior went to pray and suffer in Gethsemane,

He first left eight disciples at the entrance, then took Peter, James, and John further into the garden, and then by Himself, went further in to pray. Though it is impossible to know the exact reason for this three-level progression the

Savior creates within the garden, it has a strong correlation to the three levels of the Tabernacle with the outer courtyard, the holy place, and the holy of holies. It is as if the Savior desired to recreate these three levels, to show that He was officiating

As our Great High Priest and interceding on our behalf. How beautifully the symbolism of the Day of Atonement teaches us that it is only through the shed blood of the Lamb of God, even Jesus Christ, that we can once again enter the presence of the Lord.

It is only because He took upon Himself our sins and iniquities, that we can be forgiven and our burdens made light. Because of Him, we can have our sins covered over, blotted out, or atoned for. The book of Hebrews teaches, “But Christ being come an high priest …

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” How wonderful it is that unlike ancient Israel, who only could be forgiven once a year,

We can daily come to the Lord, lay our sins and guilt upon Him, and continually be forgiven and cleansed because of His atonement!

#Understanding #Day #Atonement #Yom #Kippur