Day of Atonement - Sermons, Bible Studies, Articles, and Essays
Holy Days: Atonement
Bible Study by Richard T. RitenbaughAtonement, a day of fasting, pictures God's solution to the problem of human sin. This Bible study shows why this solemn day is so vital!
The Day of Atonement and Israel's Future
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeThe cleansing of Joshua's filthy robes in Zechariah 3 is a future application of the cleansing in Leviticus 16, when Jesus Christ cleanses Israel in the future.
What We Can Learn From This Day of Atonement
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's solution to mankind's separation was sending a second Adam, Jesus Christ, to make reconciliation possible. Fasting shows our dependence on God.
Reconciliation and the Day of Atonement
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughRepentance is something we must do with our God-given free moral agency. Reconciliation is an ongoing process that enables us to draw closer to what God is.
Pride, Humility, and the Day of Atonement
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughThe Day of Atonement, when God commands us to afflict our souls, is a day of self-evaluation and repentance to seek unity with Him and our brethren.
The Peculiarities of Atonement
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughFasting teaches us to realize just how dependent we are on God. Every day, every hour, every minute, He supplies us with everything we need for life.
The Price of Atonement
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughA suitable sacrifice had to be offered so that the sins of mankind could not only be covered, but be completely paid for, forgiven, removed, and forgotten.
Why Two Goats on Atonement? (Part Two)
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeIn the Day of Atonement ritual, the first goat's blood cleansed the altar of sin while the azazel goat took them away. Christ fulfilled both roles.
Atonement: Physical and Spiritual Cleansing
Sermonette by Ryan McClurePhysical fasting provides insights to a parallel spiritual process of cleansing and removal of sin. Our High Priest commands us to let go to lighten our burden.
Why Two Goats on Atonement? (Part One)
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeIn Israel, sins were symbolically placed on the altar throughout the year. On Yom Kippur, one goat's blood cleansed the altar; the second took away the sins.
The Fall Holy Days
Article by John ReissThe four autumnal holy days - Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, and the Eighth Day - generally represent God's plan of salvation for humanity.
Limited Atonement
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe prospect of atonement and salvation is available to everybody, but only those called by the Father—not by an evangelical altar call—are eligible.
Why Is Atonement a Fall Festival?
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThough Passover and Atonement both deal with Christ's sacrifice, several reasons emerge to make Atonement a better fit for the fall holy days.
What is Atonement?
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Man's estrangement from God is wholly man's fault. Atonement denotes the way harmony is achieved, making the entire world at one or reconciled with God.
Are God's Holy Days To Be Kept Today?
Sermon/Bible Study by Martin G. CollinsIf we do not keep God's holy days, we will deprive ourselves of the knowledge of God's purpose. Jesus and the first century church observed and upheld these days.
God's Holy Days - Our Shared Vision Of Hope
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark SchindlerFrom Passover to Pentecost to Trumpets to Atonement to the Feast of Tabernacles, these days should solidify our vision of he Father, Jesus, and one another.
Sins Borne Away
Sermonette by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Day of Atonement represents both a blood sacrifice for covering/cleansing and a means of removing sin permanently from the camp of Israel.
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat—Satan or Christ? (Part One)
'Ready Answer' by David C. GrabbeSome say the scapegoat (azazel) prefigures the Devil, others say it has been fulfilled by Jesus. Tradition teaches one thing; Scripture reveals another.
The Two Goats of Leviticus 16
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeThe first goat is a blood sacrifice to cleanse the altar. The second goat—the 'azazel' or 'complete removal'—is led away and freed (not bound by a chain).
Is Barabbas the Fulfillment of the Scapegoat?
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeBecause of Matthew's inclusion of a number of Day of Atonement-related symbols, one theory holds that Barabbas was a type of the scapegoat (azazel).
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat— Satan or Christ? (Part Five)
'Ready Answer' by David C. GrabbeWhile the church of God has long taught that the azazel goat of Leviticus 16 represents Satan, this traditional view has no biblical support.
Inventing Goddesses and Demons (Part Three)
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeSome modern translations of Leviticus 16 assert that the live goat (scapegoat) was a sacrifice that God commanded Israel to send to a demon named Azazel!
Azazel: Beginnings
Sermon by David C. GrabbeWhile there is a handful of common starting places for understanding the azazel, none of them has multiple witnesses of Scripture. We must begin elsewhere.
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat— Satan or Christ? (Part Three)
'Ready Answer' by David C. GrabbeHebrews 9 and 10 clarify the Atonement ritual of Leviticus 16. The author makes no mention of Satan, but says that Jesus bears our sins like the azazel goat.
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat—Satan or Christ? (Part Two)
'Ready Answer' by David C. GrabbeOn the Day of Atonement, the live goat bears the sins of the nation. Many think this represents Satan as the source of sin, yet Scripture reveals the truth.
Azazel: Endings
Sermon by David C. GrabbeOne goat had to die for cleansing; the other goat had to remain alive for bearing the sins away. Jesus fulfilled both roles. Satan's binding atones for nothing.
Understanding the Azazel Goat
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeThe goat for azazel (complete removal) bore the sins of the nation out of sight. Jesus Christ likewise had our iniquities laid on Him, and He bore them.
Hebrews 10:9 - Sacrificial System or Old Covenant?
Sermonette by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)Hebrews 10:9 does not say that God's law or the Old Covenant has been done away, but that the system of animal sacrifices has been set aside for now.
Devil in the Details?
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeA mysterious commentary has been used and repeatedly re-quoted as a proof that the azazel goat represents Satan. This source warrants closer inspection.
Humbleness is Our Only Path to Holiness
Sermonette by Bill OnisickFor to come near to God, we must be thoroughly cleansed inside and out. Self-affliction, enabled by fasting, creates humility—the only path to holiness.
The Doctrine of Israel (Part Fourteen): Israel Redeemed
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod employs a winnowing process in selecting those who will enter the Millennium. The process includes punishment for Israel's failure to serve as priests.
Jesus Christ, the Bearer of Sin
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeThe Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 53, plus the testimony of Peter and the author of Hebrews, show that Jesus fulfilled the azazel goat's role by bearing sin.
Fasting and Reconciliation
CGG Weekly by John W. RitenbaughFasting makes us feel helpless and weak, producing humility. Only then will we listen with the intensity needed to truly believe, repent, and submit to God.
Led Outside the Gate
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeJesus permitted Himself to be sent by the leaders and led by their agents in true meekness, submitting to the Father's will, even cleansing those who led Him.
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat— Satan or Christ? (Part Four)
'Ready Answer' by David C. GrabbeThe Day of Atonement is not fulfilled with the binding of Satan. Rather, there are numerous prophecies of God atoning for the sins of physical Israel.
Why Trumpets?
Sermonette by James BeaubelleThe Feast of Trumpets depicts a time when angelic beings sound an alarm, warning God's saints to prepare to put themselves under His sovereign rule.
Fasting
Sermonette by James BeaubelleThe best offering we can present is a humble and contrite heart, attainable through fasting, if done without pride and self-seeking.
An Intimate Expanding Relationship
Sermon by Mark SchindlerWe must trade our impulsive and capricious carnal natures for a controlled, sacrificing nature, imitating Christ in an intimate, expanding relationship.
All Flesh Shall See the Salvation of God
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsMoral failure compounds when self-loathing sabotages happiness. Only atonement can turn this depression around, providing the comfort of mental and spiritual health.
Who Is Responsible For Sin?
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeThough Satan influences, the choices an individual make are totally his own, even for those without God's Spirit. We sin when we are drawn away by our own desires.
Inventing Goddesses and Demons
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeThe Jews turned a Babylonian myth of Lilith into a fabrication about a woman before Eve. Some translations suggest Israel sacrificed to a demon named Azazel.
Why Was Jesus Not Crucified as Passover Began? (Part One)
'Ready Answer' by David C. GrabbeThe gospels show Jesus observing the Passover at the beginning of the 14th. Should we use the time when He observed it or the time He died as our guide?
Afflicting Our Souls
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughJesus taught that fasting is an internal, spiritual good work, done in the inner self. Any other kind of fasting has little or no spiritual value.
Poor in Spirit (1997)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughBeing poor in spirit is a foundational spiritual state for qualifying for God's Kingdom. Poor in spirit describes being acutely aware of one's dependency.
The Cursed Redeemer
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughHanging on a tree was designated the punishment for the worst kind of sin. Jesus was hung on a tree, having fulfilled the curse of the law for us.
Foolishness and Cleansing
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughHuman nature has a perverse drive to take risks, pushing the envelope, taking unwise chances, foolishly gambling away the future. Foolishness is sin.
A Footnote on the Start of Christ's Ministry
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeWhen the angry members of the local synagogue tried to push Jesus over the cliff, they paralleled the Jewish tradition for the azazel goat.
How Do We Keep God's Festivals?
'Ready Answer' by Richard T. RitenbaughHere are the foundational principles to keep in mind in observing the Feasts of God throughout the year.