Substitutions For
Ezekiel’s Dropped Day of Atonement
The Old Testament predicts that God’s
Suffering Servant will bear the sin of many (Is 53:12), and be put to death as
an offering for sin (Is 53:10). The sin offering shows a substitute’s life is taken
to forgive sin (Lev 4:35). The presentation of the blood shows the life was
taken, for life is with the blood (Lev 17:11). Our gospel is that “Christ died
for our sin (1 Cor 15;3). His human death is fact—described by “Jesus breathed
his last” (Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46) and he gave up his spirit (Matt 27:50; John
19:30). This background is foundational to comprehend what the Day of Atonement
shadowed and why it is not in Ezekiel’s Temple liturgy.
In contrast consider the Quran
(Koran). “No bearer of sin can bear the sin of another” (Surah 17:15.)
Furthermore, they did not “slay” or “crucify” Christ Jesus, “but it only seemed
to them [as if it had been so]” (Surah 4:157.) The spirit-being who gave these
words to Mohammed was not telling the truth. Two tests of spirits exists. Do
they “confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” (1 John 4:2 NASB). This
implies agreement that Jesus is the Messiah and his incarnation took place in
Mary’s virgin conception. (Spirits can obsess and possess people, they cannot
incarnate.) In the other test, the spirit acknowledges that “Jesus is Lord” (1
Cor 12:3 NASB). He is the spirit’s master for He is the Lord God.
Once a year, on the Day of Atonement,
the High Priest had access to God’s physical presence (Lev 16). . . . At first
atonement is made for the people to cleanse them from all sin (v. 30).
The High Priest sprinkled blood of sin offerings on mercy seat (Lev 16:11-17).
That mercy seat on earth represented the heavenly throne of God. it stood in
the Holy of Holies (the Most Holy Place on earth). The blood of the sin
offering toward God a substitute life had been taken. Death, the cost of sin,
has been paid, so sin can be forgiven. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”
(1 John 1:9 NIV).
Ezekiel drops the Day of Atonement
because Messiah Jesus prophetically fulfils and therefore causes to cease the
annual ritual showing people’s sin needs forgiveness by the death of a
substitute. Christ entered the heavenly “Most Holy Place” “by his own blood”
(Heb 9:11-12). There he propitiated his blood to appease the Father’s wrath at
sin (Heb 2:17; Rom 3:25, 1 John 2:2; 4:10). By his son offering, Jesus died
bearing the sin of many. In doing so he becomes the author of eternal life to
all who believe. He bore their sin. He made atonement.
Substitutions are found in Ezekiel for
the other three parts of the Day of Atonement. Cleansing and atonement for the place
(Lev 16:15-20) is found in two new festivals (Ezek 45:18-20). Bearing guilt
away is illustrated by the priest eating the sin offering to make atonement
(Lev 10:17). In a similar fashion, on the Day of Atonement, the live goat bears
iniquity into the wilderness (Lev 16:21-22). Perhaps Ezekeil’s prince will
bear other’s sin and be flogged for it (2 Sam 7:14). This could give another
dimension of atonement and another application of by his stripes we could find
healing (Isa 53:5). Compensation for the loss of ram burnt offerings on
the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:23-25) can be found with Ezekiel uniquely adding a
ram burnt offering on the Sabbath (Ezek 46:4). (Hilary Arthur Nixon, The
Mystery of Ezekiel’s Temple Liturgy: Why Ezekiel’s Temple Practices Differ from
Levitical Law [Bloomington, Ind.: WestBow Press, 2018], 126-27, emphasis in
original)