Atonement: Christ died for our sins according to the (Old Testament) scriptures
Christ bore the all the sins of many
Lev.10:17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord? (The shoulder of the heave offering was to represent bearing the burden. Lev.10:14-5, Gen.49:15, Ex.29:27, Num.7:9, Jdg.16:3, 1 Chr.15:15, 2 Chr.35:3, Psa.81:6, Isa.46:7, Mt.23:4)
Lev.16:21-2 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.
Isa.53:11-12 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Heb.9:28 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. V26 ...but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
1 Pt.2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
John 1: 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (In Israel the atonement was unlimited without exception or distinction- Lev.16:16-7, 21-22,24, 33-4)
1 John 3: 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
Why was it necessary that Christ bear our sins in order to bring us to God?
1 Pet.3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Isa. 59:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. (God is angered by sin and disobedience Dt.4:25, 6:15, 7:4, 9:7, 31:29, 32:16, 21, Num.22:22, Judges 2:12, 1 Kin.14:9, 22, 15:30, 16:13, 26, Jer.7:20, 44:8, 2 Chr. 28:25, 33:6, 34:25, 36:16, Isa.1:4, Nah.1:2, Jam.4:4, Jn.3:36, Rom.1:18, Eph.5:5-6, Col.3:5-6, Isa.59:2, 1 Pet. 3:12, Prov. 6:16, 15:8-9, 26, 21:27, 28:9, Psa.11:5, 5:5 Because God is Just Job 8:3, 34:17, 40:8, Dt.32:4, Dan.9:14, Isa.45:19,21, 26:7, Jn.17:25, Psa.145:17, 11:7, 103:6, 33:4-5, 97:2, 48:10, 116:5, 119:137-8, 142, 172, Zep.3:5, Zec.8:8, 1 Jn.1:5, 2:29, Psa.5:5, Heb.1:9, 6:10, 2 Tim.4:8, Ezr.9:15)
We see again in Lev.10:17 regarding the sin offering goat that God had “given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord”. Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” The sin was borne by the sacrifice, and then the blood was shed to make atonement; since the wages of sin is death (Genesis 2:17, Rom.6:23, Ezek.18:4,20, Ex.32:32-3). Sin causes alienation from the life of God or death. (Eph.4:18) And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. (1 Jn. 3:5) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (Jn.1:4) He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1 Jn. 5:12) Jn.5:26, 40, 6:35, 48, 63, 8:12, 11:25, 14:6, 17:3, Rom.8:2, 6,10, 2 Cor.3:6, Gal 6:8, 1 Jn.1:1-2
When a rebellion rose up in Israel against Moses and Aaron the LORD’s anger was kindled. Num.16:45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun.
47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
This was the design of the Levitical priests, in figure of the true priesthood of Christ (Heb. 7) “to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel”. (Num.8:18-20) The plague was by God’s wrath against their sin. (Num.11:33, 14:27, 16:49-50, 25:8, 31:16, Dt.28:58-60, 2 Sam.24:21,25, 2 Chr.21:14, Psa.106:29-30)
In 2 Chronicles 29 when Hezekiah became king, he restored the proper worship of the LORD by the Levitical priests and the temple. He noted their sinful state starting in v5 “And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
6 For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs.
7 Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.
8 Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
9 For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
10 Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.”
2 Chronicles 29:23-24 And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them: 24 And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.
We see another instance of atonement stopping God’s wrath is seen in Numbers 25. The whoredoms of Israel provoked his wrath which brake out in their midst in a plague. Verse 3 states “the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.” 4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.
5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.
6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;
8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. 11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. v13 “he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.”
Atonement propitiates God’s just wrath. All wrath from God is perfect and just. (Rom.2:5, Psa.50:6, 96:10, 13, 98:9, Jer.11:20, Ac.17:31, 2 Tim.4:8, 1 Pt.2:23, Rv.16:5, 19:2,11) Atonement turns away his wrath. (Ex. 32:12, Num. 25:11, 2 Kings 23:26, 2 Chr. 12:12, 29:10, 30:8, Ezra 10:14)
The fierce wrath of God was propitiated as reconciliation by blood atonement was made by repentant people acting in faith. Just as the pattern given to Moses: Lev.8:14 And he brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin offering.15 And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it. Imputation through the laying on of hands. (This is milk- Heb.6:2) Again Lev.1:4 “he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.” This happens all through Leviticus, we see it in Ex.29:10,15,19, as in Num.8:12. Also, on the day of Atonement- Lev.16:19 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. 20 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.
Clearly this atonement and reconciliation point to Christ offering himself without spot to God on the cross. Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Colossians 1:20-22 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Hebrews 2:17 14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Christ made reconciliation with the sacrifice of himself. (Eph.5:2, Heb.7:27, 9:28)
Atonement
The LORD reveals the details surrounding atonement on the feast day of atonement in Lev.23:27-32, and in more detail in chapter 16. The shedding of blood was necessary for the atonement (Lev.17:11, Heb.9:22) as the wages of sin is death. (Eph.4:18, Rom.6:23,16, 5:12,17,21, 7:5,13, 8:2, Ezk.18:4,20, 3:20, 33:11,13, Jam.1:15, 2 Chr.25:4, Dt.24:16, Gen.2:17, 1 Cor.15:22.) And notably on the day of Atonement “ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement”. (Lev.23:28) Not by works of righteousness which are as filthy rags before God (Eph.2:8-9, Tit.3:5, Rom.4:5, Isa.64:6) can we make atonement for our sins. To think so is damnable and no flesh shall glory before the thrice holy God. (1 Cor.1:29, Rom.4:2-3) Lev.23:30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest... Why? Because Christ is our rest when we cease from our labors. (Mt.11:28-30, Rom.4:5,23-5)
Next, since we cannot provide atonement for ourselves, we need a holy priest to represent us to God in his just wrath against us. The Levitical sacrificial system were figures (Heb.9:9,24) patterns (Ex.25:9,40, Num.8:4, Heb.8:5, 9:23) and shadows (Heb.8:5,10:1) of the work of the superior priest Jesus Christ the Lord. (Heb.7) Those who refuse to see this will not leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ and go on unto perfection, leaving repentance from dead works. (Heb.6:1-3) The Levitical priests as figures of the true were not holy enough and needed to atone for their own sins and uncleanness (Lev.4:3-12) before performing the divine service. (Lev.16:6,11) The blood of animals they shed which were only figures would not stay any demand of God’s righteousness. Heb.10:8, Mic.6:6-7, Isa.40:15-7, Hos.6:6, Mt.12:7, Psa.50:8-12, 69:30-1, 1 Sam.15:22. They were simply pointing to Christ who was to come. (Heb.10:1, Gal.3:24-5, Rom.10:4)
Not only did we need a priest but we needed a sacrifice whereby he could make atonement and propitiate God’s holiness and perfect justice. Some people think blood was not needed and God can just forgive supposing your personal grief reaches a particular level. Why all the blood shed if God can just forgive the repentant? Why does he prescribe tons of bloodshed for millennia? The Old Covenant is filled with blood sacrifices and burnt offerings and the Passover sacrifice and the day of Atonement where blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. God commands feast days centered around blood atonement yearly; blood sacrifices are all over the place in the law (Numbers 29 for example). Were they not a figure of the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world? If not then why not? There is no other reason. Would there even need to be? Is not the glorious mystery of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge not enough? How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out!
Christ is likewise the scapegoat in the day of Atonement. For as we saw above Christ bore all the sins of many Lev.10:17, 16:21-2, Isa.53:11-12, Heb.9:28, 1 Pt.2:24. Lev. 16:10 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, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. After the imputation of all iniquity was accomplished- Lev.16:21-22 According to the scriptures in Leviticus, once imputation to the suitable offering occurs the spotless sacrifice bears the sins to the death, shedding its blood for remission of those sins. The moment this takes place propitiation is made Godward, atonement takes place as the sins are borne away and reconciliation can now happen. God accepts the atonement and we have now received the atonement. (Rom.5:11) This is the point all along; to the praise of the glory of his wonderful grace. That God hath wrought so great a salvation; as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Psa.103:12 ...he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Mic.7:19 ...thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. Isa.38:17 ...as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. Psa.65:3 Our ‘iniquity is bound up; our sin is hid.’ Hos.13:12
The scapegoat bears our sins far away from the LORD and us. But what about the first goat? Lev.16: 15 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:
16 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.
17 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.
