Peter SmytheDecidedly Unprofessional

But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. (Hebrews 9:7)

The High Priest’s entrance into the Holy of Holies marked one of the most significant events on the Great Day of Atonement. It was only on this day, where the High Priest officiated alone and in special white linen clothing, that the sins of the people were “covered over” or “atoned.”

The sin offering service for “the Day” included the bullocks and goats referred to in Hebrews 9:12.

When the service began, a young bullock was placed between the Temple-porch and the altar for the sin of the high priest and his sons. As the high priest faced the worshippers, he laid both of his hands upon the animal’s head and confessed:

Ah, YHWH. I have committed iniquity; I have transgressed; I have sinned, I and my house. Oh, then, YHWH, I entreat thee, cover over (atone for, let there be atonement for) the iniquities, the transgressions, and the sins which I have committed, transgressed, and sinned before Thee, I and my house, even as it is written in the law of Moses, Thy servant: “For, on that day will He cover over (atone) for you to make you clean; from all your transgressions before YHWH ye shall be cleansed.”

Each time the high priest uttered YHWH, those who were close to the scene prostrate themselves to the ground while the rest of the multitude responded: “Blessed be the Name; the glory of His kingdom is for ever and ever.”

After this was the presentation of the goats. The Word called for two goats, which were to be altogether alike in look, size, and value. The Jews was so earnest to carry out the image that these two animals formed parts of the one and same sacrifice, that they even tried to arrange that they be purchased at the same time. When the goats were brought forth facing the sanctuary, the high priest stood between them, facing the people. An urn was brought to him and he thrust both of his hands in at once to draw lots for the goats. For one goat, he drew “la-YHWH” and for the other, “la-Azazel.” For the goat to YHWH, the high priest tied a tongue-shaped piece of scarlet cloth around its throat. For the one to “la-Azazel” he tied another to its horn. The “la-Azazel” goat was then turned to the people, and stood facing them, as it were, till their sins be laid on him.

After the high priest made this presentation, he would put his hands on the bullock for the second time and again confess the sin of the priesthood. He then killed the animal, caught up its blood in a pan and gave it to an attendant. He then filled a censer with burning coals, and then ranged a handful of frankincense in a dish. As he bore the censer and incense in each hand, he entered into the Holy of Holies and no one could see his further movements.

The Holy of Holies was located behind a veil that Josephus tells us was four inches thick. The only human light was from the coals in the high priest’s censer. When the high priest approached the Mercy Seat, the visible presence of YHWH in the cloud of the Shechinah was present between the wings of the cherubim. As he stood before the Mercy Seat, he carefully emptied the incense from the dish into his hand, and threw it on the coals of the censer, as far from himself as possible, and waited. Once the smoke filled the Holy of Holies, he retreated backwards while saying a prayer.

After completing this incense offering, the high priest again entered the Holy of Holies with the bullock’s blood. He sprinkled his finger once upwards, towards where the mercy seat had been, and seven times downwards, counting as he did so. Coming out from the Holy of Holies, he deposited the bowl with the blood before the veil. Then he laid his hands on the goat for YHWH, made it sin by laying hands on the goat confessing the people’s sin (Lev. 4.24), entered behind the veil, and sprinkled the goat’s blood in the same manner as the bullock’s. Then he sprinkled both the bullock blood and goat blood toward the veil, in front of the veil. He then mixed the bloods and sprinkled it on the horns of the altar of incense.

After performing these expiatory sacrifices, the goat for “Azazel” was brought forth. Laying both hand on the goat’s head, the high priest confessed:

Ah, YHWH, they have committed iniquity; they have transgressed; they have sinned, Thy people, the house of Israel. Oh, then, YHWH cover over (atone for), I intreat Thee, upon their iniquities, their transgressions, and their sins, which they have wickedly committed, transgressed, and sinned before Thee, thy people, the house of Israel. As it is written in the law of Moses, Thy servant, saying: “For on that day shall it be covered (atoned) for you, to make you clean from all your sins before YHWH ye shall be cleansed.”

While the multitude lay prostrate at the name of YHWH, the high priest turned his face toward them and said the last words, “Ye shall be cleansed!” Then the “Azazel” goat, the sin-burdened goat, would be led out “by a fit man” through Solomon’s Porch and the eastern gate who would “let go the goat in the wilderness.” Tradition says that the “fit man” was a non-Israelite.

By the “shadow” of the Day of Atonement, it is clear that the high priest was not only required to kill the bullock and the YHWH goat, but also present and sprinkled the blood on the Mercy Seat. The New Testament establishes Jesus as both the sacrifice and High Priest of the New Covenant. Consequently, once His blood was shed on the cross, He was required to sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat in heaven to obtain redemption for us.

[This is an abbreviated version of the Day. For a complete summary, please see Alfred Edersheim’s book.]

Reference: The Temple, Its Ministry and Services by Alfred Edersheim.

The Resurrection and the Blood - Part 5