The Day of Covering - The Symbolism of the Atonement Ceremony

The Day of Covering

The 5th annual holy observance of God's festival sequence is a day we have given the name "day of atonement". That name is a somewhat figurative English rendering invented in the 1,500s to try and describe a biblical concept alien to our own culture. A literal interpretation of the Hebrew Yom Kippur is "day of covering"... as a word picture it summons up covering something over with bitumen, pitch or asphalt. The idea being that whatever is underneath is completely and irrevocable covered, forgotten, out of sight.

Today we are going to discuss what is covered over and why.

The old testament instructions for this day:

For the high priest - a covering and cleansing ritual he was to perform on behalf of the people for sins they might have committed unknowingly, in ignorance Hebrews 9:7 [Leviticus 4].

For the average person - a day of fasting and humbling ourselves before God. 

The new covenant Church of God does not bring goats in here for a ceremony. Under the new covenant Christ now serves as our High Priest and only He can perform this task. So, we wait for Him to enact the actual cleansing and covering… a future event the old ceremony symbolized. However, the requirement for fasting on the day of covering is still in place for new covenant believers like you or me.

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Knowing Good From Evil

The high priest’s ritual involved the presentation of two goats before God at the tabernacle. The first goat is to be killed and its blood sprinkled on the altar to cover over the sins of the people committed in ignorance. The second goat would have guilt for sin laid on its head and then be cast out into the wilderness.

The goat which is killed so its blood might cover over sin represents Christ. The goat which is to be cast into the wilderness represents Satan.

Which goat is which is not known to the priest when he presents them. He only learns which goat to use for which purpose after inquiring of God by the casting of lots. This teaches us an important lesson: God is the only source through which human beings can truly learn to distinguish between what is GOOD and what is EVIL.

Since the beginning humanity has been struggling with the question: "What is good and what it evil"? From the beginning humanity has inclined to the counsel of Satan, who says, "why not try disobeying God so that you too can know good from evil". It was misleading advice... Since then, humanity has experienced a lot of good and lot of evil.

But experience is not the same as being able to tell the difference between the two and if you cannot tell the difference you cannot properly choose. Our only source for learning that ability is through the Creator of life. But humanity has turned its back on Him.

When it comes to understanding good and evil, humanity is hopelessly confused and deceived. That  confusion and deception begins with Satan.

Covering Over Deception

A person who is deceived does not know they are deceived… and so, much human sin is committed in ignorance. But in  righteous universe even sin committed in ignorance sin must be dealt with and paid for. 

The day of atonement depicts how God intends to address these two concerns:

1. The sins of humanity committed in ignorance will be acknowledged and covered.

2. The source of confusion and deception [Satan] will be confronted and covered.

Revelation 20:3 Satan will be deposed, bound, cast in a dark hole, and covered over with a seal. Unable to deceive or influence humanity for 1,000 years. Humanity will now get to see what life is like when Satan is not around.

God... together with His creation... with no interference.

The covering over of Satan is yet in the future and will happen on a day that has been appointed by the Father and not before. They will be performed by our perfect high priest Jesus Christ, not by us. Satan, the spiritual influencer of this age will be removed when his allotted time is up. Spiritual leadership of the world will afterwards be in the hands of Jesus Christ and the spirit-born children of God.

Our Personal Duties on the Day

Leviticus 23:27 the high priests duties on the day of Atonement have transferred to Christ under the new covenant. However, this day also has some specific instructions for the rest of the people of God. We are commanded to fast [which is a lesson in obedience, and humility]. Fasting still remains part of the new covenant keeping of this day.

Satan and his demons will be deposed and replaced by Jesus Christ and the resurrected saints. Deception will be replaced with truth. Then the earth with have  leaders who will have learned to discern between good and evil and  who have faithfully committed themselves to choosing the good.  This understanding begins with humility before God and obedience.

Are you prepared to assist in governing this world like it ought to be ruled?

What have you got that those currently in charge ain't got. Would you do a better job than the President of the U.S.? The president of Russia, or China? The person who is the prime minister of England, the Chancellor of Germany, South Africa, Iran?

You may think you would do a better job, but would you really? You might think you have the answers, but do you really? The truth is that on your own you have nothing to offer better than what these people have. Only through the power of God, the life of God, the mind of God, and lifelong training in the character of God will you be able to provide anything better than what humanity already has.

The church of God tries to keep itself apart from worldly politics... instead we offer the only solution to this world’s political problems that's ever going to provide a lasting solution!

That solution begins with humility towards our Creator.

Fasting is About Humility

When fasting we see ourselves as what we are... a lowly little creature on a huge planet, needing food and water after only a matter of hours. We have no ability to sustain our life from within. We need daily sustenance from our Creator and His creation.

One lesson from fasting on the Day of Atonement is that without God we have no ability to discern good from evil, we have no protection from deception. We are blind and easily duped. Without God we would simply spin around on this little planet, hating, killing, and hurting one another.

We need God: 1) for life [both the physical and the everlasting] 2) we need God for life to be good

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 God uses hunger to teach humility.  We need to humble ourself, realize we do not have the answers. Then we can start learning to discern between good and evil through the word of God. This humility prepares us to assist Christ in administering the rule of God after Satan’s removal.

Leviticus 23:29-32 anyone who refused to fast would be cut off from His people. In the same way anyone who will not put on the mindset of humility will not rule together with Christ. Faithful obedience is the second lesson in God's learning plan to prepare His people to assist Him in ruling after Satan's removal.

Humanity is Deceived and Proud

At Christ's return humanity won't be willing to humble themselves before Him. Even as they experience His power to control the stars, the seas, the wind, they won't repent, and they won't listen. They will fight and they will resist Revelation 16:13-16.

They won't listen because they have been deceived by spiritual forces active on planet earth.  They have been taught to call what is good evil and what is evil good. They will fight what is good.

To move forward in a positive direction the source of deception will be removed.

Leviticus 16:7-8 one goat is for YHWH, the other is to be sent away.

The goat for the LORD will give up its life and its blood to cleanse and cover over the guilt for all those sins committed in ignorance. Even sins by people who didn't know any better must be confronted and covered over for there to peace with God. This covering deals with both the effect of humanity's inability to rightly discern between good and evil… but does not address its cause: deception!

Leviticus 16:20-21Humanity is responsible for the sins committed in ignorance, but, Satan's deception is the root cause of humanity’s ignorance. His sins will be put right back on his own head where they belong. In the same manner as this second goat is sent away on the day of Atonement… Satan will be picked up by the scruff of his neck, cast into a deep black hole, and covered over, or sealed...

Christ blood will the penalty for humanity’s sins, but Christ’ blood  does not pay the penalty for Satan's part in the process [or the demons]. They are not ignorant of God's word, they do not want to humble themselves before God, they do not want to obey, they do not wish to repent, they have made their final decision.

Justice will be served.

The whole world is confused about sin and evil. What is it? Where does it come from? Can we change the definition of what is evil and what is good? Will evil ever be punished and how?

Those who are deceived do not have the answers.

God’s Spirit Born Children to Be Given Ruler-ship

Acts 3:19 for those who know God, who have turned away from deception, who hear His voice, who obey him, who repent and become converted, who fast before him and put aside their work on the day of Atonement. For those… the time of spiritual refreshing and restoration is now. The time to find peace with God is now.

But even so, this time we have now is only a training ground preparing us for a great work and purpose seated beside our elder brother Jesus Christ. The time for the restoration of ALL things. The coming transfer of power of leadership works because these is a change of mind. A turn to humility, obedience, and trust in God.

At that time all humanity will learn to rely upon the superior wisdom of God instead of them self or the lies of Satan. Then they too will be truly taught how to discern good from evil... and they will be asked to choose.

Observe the Day of Atonement

Can a person who rejects the humility of the fast, who does not obey the call to rest and holy convocation on this day… realistically be considered to have the frame of mind needed to make a difference in the world to come?

Some reject the day of Atonement in ignorance, some because of deception, some reject it in laziness, some reject it in pride. None of these attitudes have any place in the coming kingdom of God.

 Nothing will change until people change.

Read this message on our blog: The Day of Covering - The Symbolism of The Atonement Ceremony