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Sanctuary: God’s Dwelling Place in Israel
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scapegoat.” The goat on which the first lot fell was killed as a sin
offering for the people. The priest was to bring its blood within the
veil and sprinkle it on the mercy seat. “So he shall make atonement
for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of
Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so
he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting.”
“Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat,
confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their
transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head
of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand
of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities
to an uninhabited land.” Not until the goat had been led away did
the people regard themselves as free from the burden of their sins.
All Israel were to search their hearts while the work of atonement
was going forward. All business was laid aside, and the whole
congregation of Israel spent the day in solemn humiliation before
God, with prayer, fasting, and deep searching of heart.
Truths Taught by the Day of Atonement
This yearly service taught important truths concerning the atone-
ment. In the sin offerings presented during the year, a substitute had
been accepted in the sinner’s place, but the blood of the victim had
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not made full atonement for the sin. It had only provided a means
of transferring the sin to the sanctuary. By offering the blood, the
sinner confessed the guilt of his transgression and expressed faith
in Him who was to take away the sin of the world. But the sinner
was not entirely released from the condemnation of the law. On
the Day of Atonement the high priest, having offered a sacrifice for
the congregation, went into the most holy place with the blood and
sprinkled it on the mercy seat, above the tablets of the law.
In this way the claims of the law, which demanded the sinner’s
life, were satisfied. Then in his role of mediator the priest took the
sins upon himself and, leaving the sanctuary, bore with him the bur-
den of Israel’s guilt. He laid his hands on the head of the scapegoat
and confessed over it “all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and
all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on
the head of the goat.” When the goat was sent away, these sins were