Foreshadowed, Part 4
Salvation Bible Basics
There are so many Old Testament pictures, foreshadows of the death of Christ, that we could look at, but we are just hitting a few highlights. Let’s look next at the Day of Atonement found in Leviticus 16:15‑16. The Day of Atonement was a special day on which the priest offered a sacrifice for the whole nation of Israel. ‘Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, 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.‘
Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would kill an animal, carry the blood into the Holy of Holies, and sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat. Only the high priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies, and he was only allowed in once a year on this special day. The blood would cover the mercy seat and make an atonement for the sins of the nation of Israel. The Jewish people were sinners, just like we are today. God says the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat for an atonement. Maybe one way to look at the word atonement is “at‑one‑ment” or being made at one with God.
That was the whole purpose of the death of Jesus Christ. He died on the cross to pay for our sins, so we could be at one with God. Remember that word reconciled, brought back together with God. We are not brought back together with God because of what we do. We are not brought back together with God because we are good, because we give money, because we get baptised, because we join the church or pray or read our Bible. We are brought back together with God, at one with God, because of a sacrifice that has taken place. That sacrifice took place when Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed His blood for our sin.