Leviticus Chapter 16
The Day of Atonement
A. Preparation for sacrifice on the Day of Atonement
1. (Leviticus 16:1–2) How Aaron should not come into the Most Holy Place
Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the LORD, and died; and the LORD said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.”
The LORD spoke to Moses after the tragic death of Nadab and Abihu, the two sons of Aaron who were struck down for offering profane fire before the LORD. Their disobedience served as a permanent reminder that no one could approach God on their own terms. Here, God clarified the proper way for the high priest to come before Him. Access to the divine presence was sacred, limited, and carefully prescribed.
Aaron was warned not to come “at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil,” for this was not a place of casual visitation but of divine manifestation. The mercy seat, resting atop the ark of the covenant, represented the very throne of God on earth. The warning “lest he die” underscores the holiness of God and the seriousness of approaching Him improperly. It was possible for the high priest himself to die if he entered the Holy of Holies apart from God’s instruction.
This truth carries spiritual weight for believers today. Just as Aaron could not come before God without invitation and cleansing, humanity cannot approach the Holy One apart from divine mediation. Yet through Christ, the veil has been torn, granting open access to all who come by faith. Romans 5:1–2 declares, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” The same God who once restricted access now welcomes His children to come boldly before His throne through the blood of His Son.
2. (Leviticus 16:3–5) What Aaron needs to bring with him when he goes into the Holy Place
“Thus shall Aaron come into the Holy Place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. And 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.”
After the warning came the instruction. God outlined precisely how Aaron was to approach Him on the Day of Atonement. The text does not yet call it by name here, but Leviticus 23:27–28 later identifies this day as “the Day of Atonement,” the most solemn of all Israel’s holy days. The Hebrew term Yom Kippur (“Day of Covering”) describes the divine act of covering sin by blood, prefiguring the complete atonement accomplished by Christ.
This day was unparalleled in solemnity. It was the one day of the year when the high priest entered the Most Holy Place to make atonement for the nation. Every detail emphasized man’s unworthiness and God’s holiness. As one commentator observed, every arrangement impressed upon the heart the seriousness of approaching God, for man as a sinner has no right of access apart from sacrifice.
Aaron was to come with a young bull for a sin offering, representing atonement for his own sins and for the sins of his household. The high priest, though consecrated, was still a sinner and needed cleansing before interceding for others. He was also to bring a ram for a burnt offering, symbolizing complete consecration to God.
The clothing of the high priest was also symbolic. Instead of his ornate garments “for glory and for beauty” described in Exodus 28:2, Aaron was to wear humble white linen garments—a tunic, trousers, sash, and turban. These simple garments represented humility, purity, and repentance. This was a day of humiliation, not splendor. Clarke notes that because Aaron offered for his own sin, he must appear in attire suited to humility, not majesty.
Before donning the garments, Aaron was required to wash his body in water. This ceremonial washing, traditionally done by immersion, signified purification and readiness to enter God’s presence. Physical cleansing reflected the spiritual necessity of holiness.
Finally, Aaron was to take from the congregation two goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. These goats would become central to the ritual of atonement—one to be sacrificed and one to be released. Though two animals, they together formed a single sin offering. The use of the lot to distinguish their purposes demonstrated that both were part of one divine plan, symbolizing the two aspects of atonement: propitiation through the death of one and removal of sin through the release of the other.
As Maclaren observed, the two goats were two halves of one truth—the necessity of both expiation and removal of guilt. No single act could fully portray both realities, so God appointed two symbols to express one unified atonement.
B. What the High Priest Does on the Day of Atonement
1. (Leviticus 16:6–10) Casting lots to choose between the two goats
“And Aaron shall offer the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house: and he shall 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.”
Aaron was first instructed to offer the bullock for a sin offering for himself and his household. This act was essential because even the high priest, the mediator for the people, was a sinner who needed atonement. The atonement for his own sin had to precede any intercession on behalf of the nation. Only when Aaron was ceremonially clean could he approach God for Israel. This reinforced the theological truth that no one, not even the high priest, could come before God without personal atonement.
The emphasis of this passage lies on the personal responsibility of Aaron. The repeated phrase “Aaron shall” or “he shall,” occurring more than twenty times in this chapter, underlines that this was a solitary work. The high priest had no assistance during these most sacred moments. On all other days, the tabernacle was a place of constant movement and sound—priests offering sacrifices, Levites ministering, and worshipers presenting offerings. But on this day, the Day of Atonement, the entire structure stood still. The outer courts were silent, the Levites stood aside, and one man entered alone to stand between God and Israel.
This unique scene foreshadowed the ultimate fulfillment in Christ. Just as Aaron stood alone to atone for sin, so Christ alone bore the weight of the world’s transgressions. Isaiah 63:3 prophetically declared, “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me.” The Apostle Peter wrote, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). No one could assist Him, comfort Him, or share the burden. The high priest’s lonely service on this day was a picture of Jesus’ solitary suffering at Calvary.
Aaron then took two goats and presented them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle. These goats were likely chosen to be as similar as possible—alike in size, color, and value—to emphasize that they represented two aspects of one atonement. The casting of lots determined their fates, one for the LORD and the other as the scapegoat.
The goat designated for the LORD was sacrificed as a sin offering. Its blood was carried into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled upon the mercy seat, signifying propitiation—God’s wrath satisfied through the shedding of innocent blood. The other goat, the scapegoat, was kept alive but symbolically bore the sins of the people and was released into the wilderness. This represented expiation—the removal of sin from the camp, illustrating that the guilt of Israel was carried far away.
The nature of the lots cast between the goats has been discussed extensively. Some scholars believe one lot bore the name of the LORD, while the other bore the name Azazel, the Hebrew term translated “scapegoat.” Others, as Rooker noted, have suggested that the lots may have been simple stones marked “yes” and “no,” one determining the goat to be slain and the other to be released. The point was clear: divine choice alone determined which goat fulfilled each role.
The Hebrew word Azazel has an uncertain meaning. The King James translators rendered it “scapegoat,” meaning “the goat that escapes.” Harrison proposed that it likely signifies “complete removal” or “dismissal.” This translation fits the ritual context, emphasizing the total removal of sin from the camp of Israel. Peter-Contesse summarized three main interpretations of Azazel: first, that it refers to “the goat that departs”; second, that it may indicate “the place where the goat is sent” or “a precipice”; and third, that it may be a proper name for a desert demon.
The first interpretation, “the goat that departs,” aligns best with the context of Leviticus 16. The entire act symbolized the removal of Israel’s sins from their midst. As Psalm 103:12 later declares, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” The scapegoat, bearing the iniquities of the people, carried them away into an uninhabited land, never to return—a powerful picture of the complete forgiveness found only in the atonement of Christ.
2. (Leviticus 16:11–14) The Bull for the Sin Offering
“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 vail: 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.”
Aaron’s first duty on the Day of Atonement was to bring the bullock of the sin offering and make atonement for himself and his house. The purpose was unmistakable: before the high priest could intercede for Israel, his own sin and guilt had to be dealt with. He could not stand as mediator between God and the people unless he himself was first reconciled to God. This was a sobering reminder that even the holiest man in Israel was a sinner in need of grace.
According to Jewish tradition, Aaron prayed a solemn prayer at this point, confessing his sins and the sins of his household: “O God, I have committed iniquity, transgressed, and sinned before Thee, I and my house. O God, forgive the iniquities and transgressions and sins which I have committed and transgressed and sinned before Thee, I and my house, as it is written in the Law of Thy servant Moses, ‘For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you; from all your sins shall ye be clean before the LORD’” (Leviticus 16:30). This prayer reveals both the gravity of sin and the necessity of confession before entering God’s presence.
The priesthood of Aaron, however, was only a foreshadowing of the perfect High Priest to come. Aaron’s need for a personal sin offering underscored the imperfection of the Levitical system. In contrast, the Lord Jesus Christ had no need to offer sacrifice for Himself. As Hebrews 7:26–27 declares, “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this He did once, when He offered up Himself.” Unlike Aaron, Christ entered the heavenly sanctuary once for all, needing no atonement for His own sin, for He was sinless.
Aaron was then commanded to take a censer filled with burning coals from the altar and both hands full of finely beaten incense. He was to bring them “within the veil,” into the Most Holy Place, and place the incense upon the fire before the LORD. The incense created a dense cloud that filled the Holy of Holies, covering the mercy seat and shielding the high priest from the direct manifestation of God’s glory. Without this covering, the full brightness of the divine presence would consume him. The fragrant cloud thus served as both protection and symbol — the intercession of prayer rising before God. Psalm 141:2 captures the same imagery: “Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
Maclaren vividly imagined the moment when Aaron, trembling with awe, pulled aside the heavy veil: “Would not his heart beat faster as he laid his hand on the heavy veil, and caught the first gleam of the calm light from the Shechinah?” This act was the holiest moment of the year — one man entering God’s immediate presence under the covering of incense and blood.
Next, Aaron was to take the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat on the east side, and before the mercy seat he was to sprinkle the blood seven times. The mercy seat, or kapporeth, was the golden lid of the Ark of the Covenant, upon which rested the glory of God. Within the ark were three items symbolizing Israel’s sin and rebellion: the pot of manna (a reminder of their murmuring and unbelief), the tablets of the law (which they broke), and Aaron’s rod that budded (given in response to their rebellion against God’s chosen leadership).
As the high priest sprinkled the blood seven times upon the mercy seat, the emblems of sin were symbolically covered. God, who “dwelt between the cherubim” above the mercy seat (Psalm 80:1), would look down upon the blood instead of upon the broken law. Atonement was thus made — not by the destruction of sin, but by its covering. This act illustrated the meaning of the Hebrew word kippēr, “to cover.” Under the old covenant, sin was covered temporarily through the blood of sacrifices. But in the New Testament, the blood of Christ does not merely cover sin; it removes it completely. As John the Baptist declared in John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
The text also mentions that Aaron was to sprinkle some of the blood “before the mercy seat.” Many believe this means that he applied blood both upon the mercy seat itself and on the ground in front of it, further signifying that the entire approach to God was sanctified by blood. Every step between the sinner and the presence of God had to be mediated through sacrifice.
Thus, this ritual powerfully displayed both the holiness of God and the helplessness of man. Only through the shedding of blood and the rising of intercession could sin be covered and communion restored. What Aaron performed symbolically once each year, Christ fulfilled eternally when He “entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12).
3. (Leviticus 16:15–19) The Goat Selected for Sacrifice is Offered to Make Atonement for the Tabernacle
“Then 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: 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. 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. And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.”
After Aaron completed atonement for himself, he turned his attention to the sin of the nation. The goat that had been chosen “for the LORD” by lot was now slain as a sin offering for the people. Its blood, like that of the bullock, was carried beyond the veil and sprinkled seven times upon and before the mercy seat. This act of sprinkling once again signified perfection and completion, the number seven representing divine fullness. Through this ritual, atonement was made not only for the people but also for the very sanctuary of God itself, which stood in the midst of their uncleanness.
The sacrificed goat clearly pointed forward to the atoning death of Jesus Christ. Like this goat, Christ was sinless, “a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). He was taken from among His brethren, chosen by God, and offered up for the sins of His people. The goat’s blood was taken into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, just as Christ entered into the heavenly Holy of Holies with His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:12).
Clarke insightfully noted that both goats together formed one sacrifice, yet only one was slain. This dual imagery could not be fulfilled in a single animal because the slain goat could not represent both death and life simultaneously. One represented Christ’s death, satisfying divine justice; the other, His resurrection and the removal of sin. The unity of these two goats declared that both death and life are necessary elements in redemption—Christ died for sin and rose for justification (Romans 4:25).
Jewish tradition also holds that the high priest, when entering the Holy of Holies with the blood of the goat, was permitted to speak the sacred Tetragrammaton, the covenant name of God—YHWH (Yahweh). This was the only occasion during the year when the name could be spoken aloud, and it was passed down from one high priest to another in secrecy. The utterance of the divine name during the atonement ceremony reflected the awe and holiness surrounding the event.
The text then explains that the high priest made atonement “for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” The sanctuary itself, though holy, required cleansing because it was continually defiled by the presence of sinful people. The blood applied to the mercy seat, the tabernacle, and the altar symbolized purification and renewal. Just as sin separates man from God, it also corrupts everything it touches, including the symbols of worship. Therefore, even the dwelling place of God among His people had to be cleansed.
Maclaren observed that “the priest who cleanses others is himself unclean, and he and his fellows have tainted the sanctuary by the very services which were meant to atone and to purify.” The tabernacle needed continual cleansing because it stood in the midst of human corruption. This profound truth reminds believers that sin not only stains the individual but affects the community and the worship of God. Every part of Israel’s religious life had to be touched by atoning blood.
The language used in this passage is strikingly emphatic. It mentions “their uncleanness,” “their transgressions,” and “all their sins,” expressing the totality of human depravity. The first term, pesa (translated “transgressions”), is the most serious of all Hebrew words for sin. It conveys the idea of rebellion or covenant-breaking, often used in political contexts for treaty violations. As Rooker explains, pesa refers to a willful breach of relationship—a deliberate revolt against divine authority. By including all three terms, the text portrays the full spectrum of sin: ceremonial impurity, moral failure, and conscious rebellion.
After completing the inner atonement, the high priest exited to the altar of burnt offering, still standing before the LORD in the outer court. He took some of the blood of both the bull and the goat and smeared it upon the four horns of the altar, followed by sevenfold sprinkling. This act symbolized the purification and rededication of the altar itself, which had been defiled through constant contact with sacrifices offered by sinful men. Only when the altar was cleansed could it again serve as a fitting instrument of divine worship.
The entire scene pointed to the necessity of cleansing not just for individuals, but for all things touched by sin. Hebrews 9:22 affirms this truth: “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Sin defiles the man, the priesthood, the sanctuary, and the altar, and all must be purified by blood.
In Christ, this continual need for cleansing finds its ultimate fulfillment. The heavenly sanctuary itself, defiled only by man’s sin that reaches toward it, has been purified once for all by the blood of the Lamb. Hebrews 9:24 declares, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” What Aaron did yearly in shadow, Christ has accomplished eternally in substance.
4. (Leviticus 16:20–22) The Release of the Scapegoat
“And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he 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.”
Once the high priest had completed atonement for himself, for the sanctuary, and for the altar, he then turned to the second part of the ritual—dealing with the sin of the nation through the live goat, or the scapegoat. This moment symbolized the visible removal of sin from Israel’s midst. After the Holy Place had been cleansed by blood, the live goat provided a powerful, physical picture of forgiveness and separation from sin.
Aaron was instructed to bring the live goat before the LORD and to lay both his hands upon its head. The laying on of both hands symbolized full identification and complete transference. By this act, Aaron represented the entire nation, placing all the iniquities, transgressions, and sins of Israel upon the head of the goat. The repetition of the phrase “all their iniquities… all their transgressions… all their sins” emphasizes the comprehensiveness of this confession. Nothing was left unacknowledged or unforgiven. Every type of sin—from deliberate rebellion to unintentional defilement—was symbolically transferred to the goat.
According to the Mishnah, as Aaron placed his hands upon the goat’s head, he prayed aloud a confession for the entire nation: “O God, Thy people, the house of Israel, have committed iniquity, transgressed, and sinned before Thee. O God, forgive, I pray Thee, the iniquities and transgressions and sins which Thy people, the house of Israel, have committed and transgressed and sinned before Thee; as it is written in the law of Thy servant Moses, ‘For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you: from all your sins shall ye be clean before the LORD’” (Leviticus 16:30). This corporate confession linked repentance with atonement, showing that forgiveness required both a sacrifice and a heart that acknowledges guilt.
The scapegoat was then led away into the wilderness “by the hand of a fit man.” This man’s task was to take the goat far from the camp into an uninhabited land, symbolizing the complete removal of sin. The image is deeply moving—the goat, now bearing the burden of the nation’s guilt, wandering off into desolation, never to return. Spurgeon cited Rabbi Jarchi, who said the goat was taken ten miles out of Jerusalem, with stations prepared along the way for the escorting man’s refreshment. He would watch until the goat disappeared over the horizon, a faint speck fading into the distance. Only then did the people rejoice, knowing that their sins had been sent away.
Maclaren beautifully described the scene: “The picture of the goat going away, and away, and away, a lessening speck on the horizon, and never heard of more, is the divine symbol of the great fact that there is full, free, everlasting forgiveness, and on God’s part, utter forgetfulness. ‘Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow’ (Isaiah 1:18). ‘I will remember them no more at all forever’ (Hebrews 10:17).” The scapegoat thus symbolized the grace of God in sending sin far away—an image later fulfilled perfectly in the work of Christ.
The two goats together portray the full scope of atonement. The first goat, slain, shows how sin is paid for by the death of an innocent substitute. The second goat, released, shows how sin is carried away, never to be brought against the sinner again. The first depicts propitiation—God’s wrath satisfied; the second depicts expiation—the removal of guilt.
However, under the Old Covenant, sin was not yet permanently removed. The scapegoat, though driven away, was still alive somewhere in the wilderness. The possibility that it could wander back symbolized the incompleteness of temporary atonement. This imperfection led to later Jewish traditions designed to ensure the goat never returned. Clarke recorded that a piece of scarlet cloth was tied to the scapegoat’s head. According to tradition, if God accepted the sacrifice, the scarlet cloth would turn white as the goat was led away, fulfilling Isaiah 1:18 in symbolic form. If it remained red, the people mourned, believing their sins were not forgiven.
Over time, to prevent any chance of the scapegoat returning, the Jews altered the ceremony. The man leading the goat would take it to a rocky precipice near Mount Azazel and cast it down to its death. Poole notes that the red cord was kept as a sign: if it turned white, God had accepted Israel; if it remained red, He had not. Astonishingly, ancient Jewish writings record that for forty years before the destruction of the temple—approximately from the time of Christ’s crucifixion—the red cord never again turned white. This served as an unintentional testimony from the Jewish record that after Jesus’ death, the old sacrifices were no longer accepted, for the true and final atonement had been made once for all.
When Jesus rose from the dead, clothed in white garments of glory, He fulfilled what the scapegoat could only picture. The red had been turned to white permanently. Our sins were not merely carried away but fully removed, forever separated from us. As Psalm 103:12 declares, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.” Christ is both the slain sacrifice and the scapegoat—the one who bore our punishment and who carried away our sin into eternal forgetfulness.
5. (Leviticus 16:23–28) Completion of the Sacrifices
“And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there: And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people. And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar. And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp. And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung. And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.”
After the high priest had completed the symbolic removal of Israel’s sins through the scapegoat, the final acts of cleansing and restoration followed. Aaron was to return to the tabernacle, remove the simple white linen garments he had worn for the atonement ceremony, and leave them in the holy place. He then washed his body in water once again in a designated holy area before putting on his glorious priestly garments—the richly adorned robes “for glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28:2). This sequence marked the completion of the atonement ritual and the high priest’s reemergence from humility to glory.
This act of washing and changing garments was highly symbolic. The humble linen garments represented Christ’s humiliation and suffering in His earthly ministry. They were garments of humility and simplicity, suitable for one who bore sin. When Aaron removed them and dressed again in his glorious attire, it prefigured Christ emerging from the grave in resurrection glory, His work of atonement complete. As Leviticus 16:4 showed, the priest began the day in humility; verses 11–14 showed him spotless, and alone; now, he appeared again before the people in victory. This beautifully foreshadowed Jesus, who humbled Himself, bore sin alone, and rose triumphant in power.
After cleansing himself, Aaron then offered the burnt offering for himself and for the people. The burnt offering represented complete dedication to God, symbolizing thanksgiving and consecration now that sin had been atoned for. The fat of the sin offering was burned on the altar as a sweet aroma to the LORD, representing the satisfaction of divine justice and the restoration of fellowship.
The one who released the scapegoat into the wilderness also had to wash his clothes and bathe his body before reentering the camp. Though he had performed a sacred duty, contact with the scapegoat—symbolically bearing sin—made him ceremonially unclean. This demonstrates that even participation in the removal of sin required cleansing before rejoining the covenant community.
Likewise, the remains of the sin offerings—the bull and the goat whose blood was brought into the Holy of Holies—were carried outside the camp and burned entirely, including their skin, flesh, and refuse. Nothing from these sacrifices could remain among the people. This act vividly displayed the total separation of sin from the camp of God’s people. The one who burned these remains also had to wash himself and his garments before coming back inside the camp, further emphasizing the holiness required in all matters relating to atonement.
This burning of the carcasses outside the camp directly foreshadowed the crucifixion of Christ. Hebrews 13:11–12 makes the connection explicit: “For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate.” Just as the remains of the sin offerings were taken outside the camp, Christ was crucified outside the city walls of Jerusalem. The location itself testified that sin must be removed from the midst of God’s people.
The entire sequence—washing, changing garments, offering burnt sacrifices, and burning the sin offerings outside the camp—marked the conclusion of the most solemn day in Israel’s calendar. Through it, the people saw not only the seriousness of sin but also the complete and holy provision of God for its removal. Each ritual underscored the truth that cleansing, forgiveness, and reconciliation come only through the shedding of blood and through divine mediation.
This section covered Leviticus 16:23–28, detailing the washing and changing of the high priest’s garments, the completion of the burnt and sin offerings, the purification of those who handled the scapegoat and the sacrificial remains, and how these acts foreshadowed the finished atonement and resurrection glory of Jesus Christ, fully expanded.
6. (Leviticus 16:29–31) What the People Did on the Day of Atonement
“And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 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. It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.”
While the high priest performed the sacred rituals, the people of Israel had their own solemn responsibility. They were commanded to “afflict your souls,” meaning to humble themselves in repentance, fasting, and reflection. Unlike other feast days that were marked by joy and feasting, this day was devoted entirely to mourning over sin and seeking mercy from God. It was the only fast prescribed in the Mosaic Law.
The phrase “afflict your souls” has been universally understood as referring to fasting and self-denial. It was an outward expression of inward contrition—a visible acknowledgment that sin grieved the heart of the people. By abstaining from food, labor, and pleasure, they demonstrated their dependence upon divine mercy. God required this posture of humility so that His people would enter into sympathy with the suffering of the sacrificial victim. In the New Covenant, believers likewise identify with Christ, the suffering Servant, who bore our afflictions and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4).
The Mishnah later outlined additional restrictions observed by devout Jews on Yom Kippur: abstaining from bathing, anointing the body with oil, wearing leather shoes, and engaging in marital relations. Though such acts of self-denial reflected a desire to honor the solemnity of the day, without the shedding of blood these actions had no power to remove sin. Today, many Jews substitute fasting, prayer, charity, or personal suffering for sacrifice, but Scripture makes clear that atonement can only be achieved through the offering of blood. As Hebrews 9:22 declares, “Without shedding of blood is no remission.”
The LORD declared that this day was to be “a sabbath of solemn rest.” This sabbath was not only physical but spiritual. It called for cessation from all work, symbolizing that atonement is entirely the work of God, not man. Human effort, merit, or righteousness can never achieve forgiveness. True rest before God comes only through faith in His finished work. This principle perfectly anticipates the gospel of grace, for just as Israel was to rest in the atonement made by the high priest, believers rest in the completed sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Maclaren wisely noted, “The shallow dream that God’s forgiveness can be extended without a sacrifice having been offered does not exalt but detracts from the divine character.” Forgiveness apart from sacrifice would make light of sin and cheapen divine holiness. The Day of Atonement proclaimed that sin demands payment, and only the blood of an innocent substitute could provide cleansing.
At the close of Yom Kippur, Jewish tradition holds that the blowing of the shofar marks the conclusion of the day—a trumpet call that symbolically announces forgiveness and anticipates the coming of the Messiah. A ninth-century Jewish liturgy captures this longing:
“Our righteous Messiah has departed from us,
We are horror-stricken, and have none to justify us.
Our iniquities and the yoke of our transgressions
He carries who is wounded because of our transgressions.
He bears on His shoulder the burden of our sins,
To find pardon for all our iniquities.
By His stripes we shall be healed —
O Eternal One, it is time that Thou should create Him anew!”
Unwittingly, this ancient prayer confessed the very truth fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the righteous Messiah who bore the burden of our sins and secured our cleansing through His stripes (Isaiah 53:5).
Charles Spurgeon observed that as Christians consider the perfect atonement of Christ, we should follow three spiritual applications of the Day of Atonement:
Afflict our souls — humbling ourselves in repentance and contrition.
Rest from our works — ceasing from all attempts at self-justification and trusting fully in Christ’s finished work.
Behold our High Priest — rejoicing in the glory of Jesus, who entered once for all into the heavenly sanctuary to obtain eternal redemption for us.
7. (Leviticus 16:32–34) What the High Priest Does on the Day of Atonement
“And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.”
This passage provides the concluding summary of the entire ritual of the Day of Atonement, reiterating both its solemnity and its exclusivity. Only the high priest, anointed and consecrated to serve in his father’s stead, could perform these duties. This sacred responsibility passed from generation to generation within the high priestly line of Aaron, ensuring that the ritual would continue as a perpetual reminder of Israel’s dependence on God’s mercy.
The priest alone was commanded to “make atonement for the holy sanctuary.” No other individual was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies or come near the mercy seat. Access to God’s presence was restricted to one man, on one day, through one prescribed sacrifice. This restriction illustrated both the holiness of God and the separation caused by human sin. The Holy of Holies, where God’s glory dwelt, remained veiled to the people. The thick curtain that barred entry symbolized the barrier between sinful humanity and the presence of the Almighty.
The high priest was to make atonement not only for himself but for the Holy Sanctuary, the tabernacle, the altar, the priests, and all the people of the congregation. The repetition of “atonement” emphasizes the pervasive reach of sin—it tainted every aspect of Israel’s worship, from the ministers who served to the sanctuary where they ministered. Even the holiest places and persons required purification by blood. This continual need for cleansing demonstrated that no human effort or ritual could permanently remove guilt.
The text declares that this was to be “an everlasting statute,” commanding Israel to observe this day “once a year.” This annual repetition bore powerful theological significance. Each year the high priest entered the Holy of Holies with blood not his own, repeating the same actions as his predecessors. Every repetition testified that the work was incomplete, that sin still defiled, and that humanity still stood in need of reconciliation. The people waited year after year for forgiveness that was always temporary and sacrificial blood that could only cover, never remove, sin.
This perpetual repetition contrasts sharply with the finished work of Jesus Christ, the true and eternal High Priest. The Epistle to the Hebrews declares:
“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9:24–28)*
Unlike Aaron and his successors, Christ’s atonement is final, complete, and eternal. The high priest entered the earthly sanctuary each year, but Jesus entered heaven itself—the true Holy of Holies—once for all. His blood did not merely cover sin; it put it away entirely. His sacrifice needs no repetition, and His intercession never ceases.
The Levitical high priest had to re-enter each year because sin was never fully dealt with; Christ’s single act of atonement stands forever effective. The annual ritual of Yom Kippur thus prefigured and pointed toward the cross, where the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51), signifying that the barrier between God and man had been removed through the blood of Jesus. The way into the true Holy of Holies is now open to all who come by faith.
As G. Campbell Morgan observed, “For us there is no waiting for an annual day of atonement. We need not wait, with sin undealt with for an hour. Our Priest abides in the holiest, and we have access there through Him at all times.” Believers today live in the continual reality of atonement—sin forgiven, fellowship restored, and access to God secured forever.
The closing statement, “And he did as the LORD commanded Moses,” signifies complete obedience to God’s instruction. It also reinforces the theme that true atonement must be accomplished according to divine command, not human invention. Every element of the ritual—each sacrifice, each garment, each act of cleansing—was performed as God prescribed, prefiguring the perfect obedience of Christ, who “became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).
In summary, Leviticus 16 concludes by sealing the institution of the Day of Atonement as a perpetual ordinance for Israel and as a prophetic shadow of the perfect and eternal atonement accomplished by Jesus Christ. The yearly sacrifice spoke of incompletion; Christ’s once-for-all offering declared, “It is finished.”
