What Is the Day of Atonement — In Biblical Context
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when the high priest made a special sacrifice to atone for the sins of the entire nation.
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when the high priest made a special sacrifice to atone for the sins of the entire nation.
"For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD." — Leviticus 16:30 (KJV)
The Biblical Context
Described in Leviticus 16, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was the one day each year when the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to make atonement for Israel's sins. The ritual involved two goats: one was sacrificed as a sin offering, its blood sprinkled on the mercy seat; the other, the 'scapegoat,' had the people's sins symbolically placed upon it and was sent into the wilderness. The high priest had to first atone for his own sins before he could intercede for the people. This solemn day required fasting and complete rest. It powerfully foreshadowed Christ's work: Jesus is both our High Priest who entered the heavenly Holy of Holies and the sacrifice whose blood provides eternal atonement. Unlike the earthly high priest who repeated the ritual annually, Christ offered Himself once for all. The scapegoat pictures how Christ carried our sins away, never to be remembered again.
Where It Sits in Scripture
The core passage for this question, Leviticus 16:30, sits inside Leviticus 16. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.
"For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD."
Supporting Passages
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."
"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
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