Day of Atonement
The Day of Atonement was Israel’s annual sacred day of cleansing, when the high priest made atonement for the sins of the people. It pointed forward to the fuller and final atoning work of Jesus Christ.
At a Glance
The Day of Atonement was Israel’s annual sacred day of cleansing, when the high priest made atonement for the sins of the people. It pointed forward to the fuller and final atoning work of Jesus Christ.
Description
The Day of Atonement was the annual day appointed by God for Israel’s ritual cleansing from sin and impurity, described most fully in Leviticus 16 and reflected elsewhere in the Law. On that day the high priest made sacrifices for himself and for the people, entered the Most Holy Place, and performed rites associated with both sacrificial blood and the removal of sin from the camp. The observance underscored that sinful people need cleansing and reconciliation before a holy God. In Christian interpretation, the Day of Atonement is a major Old Testament type that anticipates the priestly and sacrificial work of Jesus Christ, who accomplished definitively what the repeated old covenant rites could only symbolize and anticipate.