Episode 214: What Prevents or Blocks At-One-Ment Between God and Mankind?
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MEANINGFUL TWO PART CEREMONY TO ATONE FOR ALL SINS: ATONEMENT

ATONE, in English, means literally “at one”. The Day of Atonement represents the time in history when all humanity will at last be at one with God. Only a small number of defiant sinners will have to be turned into ashes. Mankind in the future will no longer be separated from God. We will be part of the family.

 

Two forces now keep mankind and God separated. It began when paradise was lost in the garden of Eden. Our sins and Satan's influence have separated us from God and all his blessings. Christ paid the price for our sins and by his victory foreshadowed by the Feast of Trumpets will soon remove Satan. The Day Atonement is one of the most solemn holy days in the calendar. On that day the high priest would make offerings to atone for his own sins. Then he would perform some elaborate rituals to atone for the sins of the entire nation. The rituals had to be done precisely as instructed. The high priest could enter the Holy of Holies the inner sanctum of the Temple or Tabernacle just once a year on this sacred date. The Holy Holies was modeled after God's throne room in heaven.

 

Hebrew 8:5 (TCNT)

5 These priests, it is true, are engaged in a service which is only a copy and shadow of the heavenly realities, as is shown by the directions given to Moses when he was about to construct the Tabernacle. 'Look to it,' are the words, 'that thou make every part in accordance with the pattern shown thee on the mountain.'

 

This was not a ceremony to be taken lightly the atonement for sin had to be done precisely as God wished in a room that was a physical replica of God's throne room. The high priest was to sacrifice two goats. One was sacrificed to cover the sins of the entire nation of Israel. The other goat was to be sent into exile deep into the wilderness where he would never be seen again.

 

Leviticus 16:9-10 (MKJV)

9 And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD's lot fell, and offer it for a sin offering.

10 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, to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

 

The ceremony was directed at atoning for the two parts of what separates man from God. All these looked forward to our true permanent covering for sin which is Jesus's sacrifice. Christ paid for the sins of all Israel and ultimately all mankind.

 

SATAN IS MANKINDS' PARTNER IN SIN AND CRIME

Mr. Garner Ted Armstrong stated that Satan was our partner in crime. The Day of Atonement celebrates the covering or atoning for sin ( propitiation of sin) and also the removing of sin ( expiation of sin). Satan is the trouble maker. His removal will eliminate much of the encouragement to yield to evil. The Devil must be removed!

 

THE ENTICING OF ADAM AND EVE TO REBEL AGAINST GOD WAS SATAN'S DOING.

 

When a trouble maker is removed one has peace among the people. We've seen playgrounds where a trouble maker stirs up fights and squabbles. Satan is spiritual so we cannot see his evil influences. Atonement is also about atoning for unknown sins and unknown sinful influences. The Holy Days are a shadow of thing to come. See Col. 2:16-17. What does the scapegoat or the goat exiled into the wilderness represent in God's future plan.

 

Revelations 20:1-3

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

3 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.

 

Satan will be locked away from mankind. He gets a short reprieve, to test those in the millennium who have never been tested, and then is locked up forever. Without his seditious influence the millennium will be a wonderful Godly paradise.

 

Leviticus 16:21-22

21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the sins of the sons of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send away by the hand of a chosen man into the wilderness.

22 And the goat shall bear on him all their sins to a land in which no one lives. And he shall let the goat go in the wilderness.

 

The parallel between the spiritual wilderness of the bottomless pit and the goat released by a strong man into the desert wilderness is undeniable. Every holy day Israel's high priest was portraying parts of God's Plan of Salvation. The parts to the plan are:

 

1.      The Passover

2.      The Resurrection of the Messiah, First of first fruits.

3.      Pentecost the First Fruits given the Holy Spirit

4.      The Feast of Trumpets

5.      The Day of Atonement

6.      The Feast of Tabernacles

7.      The Last Great Day

 

Atonement emphasis the salvation of the nation of Israel and all the world. Atonement also includes the wonderful work of Jesus Christ to save us as our High Priest, and the putting away of evil.

 

OUR PERMANENT HIGH PRIEST WILL PUT RIGHTEOUSNESS IN OUR HEARTS

Paul describes in the book of Hebrews how Christ came as a higher order priest after the order of Melchizedek who preceded Levi. This new high priest is permanent, unlike the Aaronic Priesthood. Jesus will work for real and lasting changes within us.

 

Hebrews 8:9-12

9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day I took hold of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt," because they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not regard them, says the Lord.

10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their mind and write them in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

11 And they shall not each man teach his neighbor, and each man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest.

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more."

 

Christ will cover all our sins and remove the trouble maker. This is not in contradiction of the Old Testament but in accord with it. Note Jer 31:31-34. Christ does not want any of us to perish in the lake of fire.

 

John 3:16-17

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.

 

Note that the often quoted verse does not say you will live in a torture cave (Hell) forever. It said Jesus came to keep us from 'perishing'. Read verse 16 carefully and note the word 'perish'. The Day of Atonement is all about Christ saving nearly all of us from perishing.

 

John 15:26

26 And when the Comforter has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of Me.

 

Christ died and was resurrected and is now in control of the Holy Spirit. He is sending it to true believers. It leads us to see the truth that the devil has blinded the world from understanding. The Spirit in Christ's control, will help us to grow and learn how to live a godly life. He is atoning and helping us until, a future time when all will know God. Jesus wants to help us grasp the true concept of love for our fellowman.

 

John 15:10-12

10 If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

11 I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

 

HOW WILL THIS WORLDWIDE RECONCILIATION WITH GOD BE ACCOMPLISHED?

After suffering the crushing defeats of this ages' military dictatorships and plague war damage, people will humbly be searching for the new order. They will recall the words of the two witnesses. Starting from Jerusalem, a spiritually clean nation will begin the process of extending this reconciliation.

 

Zechariah 8:22-23

22 And many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to seek the favor of the face of the LORD.

23 So says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men, out of all languages of the nations, shall take hold, and will seize the skirt of a man, a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

 

Christ and his now risen brethren will complete a ministry possibly of three and half years of spreading the gospel everywhere. With appropriate force and persuasion the entire world will enter a millennium paradise, of walking with God.

 

The sacredness of the fast day is why many focus on repenting during the ten days from Trumpets to Atonement. Never forget on this holy day that Christ is working to help save us. He loves us.

 

Hebrews 4:15-16 (NKJV)

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

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

 

Remember that Jesus has learned from his suffering and being human and sympathizes with us. God has made him the perfect high priest for the real Day of Atonement