Atonement, a day of fasting, pictures God's solution to the problem of human sin. This Bible study shows why this solemn day is so vital!

The cleansing of Joshua's filthy robes in Zechariah 3 is a future application of the cleansing in Leviticus 16, when Jesus Christ cleanses Israel in the future.

Repentance is something we must do with our God-given free moral agency. Reconciliation is an ongoing process that enables us to draw closer to what God is.

God's solution to mankind's separation was sending a second Adam, Jesus Christ, to make reconciliation possible. Fasting shows our dependence on God.

Atonement, when we are commanded to afflict our souls, is a time of self-evaluation and repentance. This is the only way to have real unity with God.

On the Day of Atonement, the one goat's blood cleansed the altar of all the sins, while the azazel took them away. Jesus Christ fulfilled both these roles.

A suitable sacrifice had to be offered so that the sins of mankind could not only be covered, but be completely paid for, forgiven, removed, and forgotten.

In Israel, sins were symbolically placed on the altar throughout the year. On Yom Kippur, one goat's blood cleansed the altar; the second took away the sins.

The prospect of atonement and salvation is available to everybody, but only those called by the Father—not by an evangelical altar call—are eligible.

Man's estrangement from God is wholly man's fault. Atonement denotes the way harmony is achieved, making the entire world at one or reconciled with God.

If we do not keep God's holy days, we will deprive ourselves of the knowledge of God's purpose. Jesus and the first century church observed and upheld these days.

From Passover to Pentecost to Trumpets to Atonement to the Feast of Tabernacles, these days should solidify our vision of he Father, Jesus, and one another.

The first goat is a blood sacrifice to cleanse the altar. The second goat—the 'azazel' or 'complete removal'—is led away and freed (not bound by a chain).

Some say the scapegoat (azazel) prefigures the Devil, others say it has been fulfilled by Jesus. Tradition teaches one thing; Scripture reveals another.

While the church of God has long taught that the azazel goat of Leviticus 16 represents Satan, this traditional view has no biblical support.

The Jews turned a Babylonian myth of Lilith into a fabrication about a woman before Eve. Some translations suggest Israel sacrificed to a demon named Azazel.

Hebrews 9 and 10 clarify the Atonement ritual of Leviticus 16. The author makes no mention of Satan, but says that Jesus bears our sins like the azazel goat.

On the Day of Atonement, the live goat bears the sins of the nation. Many think this represents Satan as the source of sin, yet Scripture reveals the truth.

The goat for azazel (complete removal) bore the sins of the nation out of sight. Jesus Christ likewise had our iniquities laid on Him, and He bore them.

Hebrews 10:9 does not say that God's law or the Old Covenant has been done away, but that the system of animal sacrifices has been set aside for now.

God employs a winnowing process in selecting those who will enter the Millennium. The process includes punishment for Israel's failure to serve as priests.

The Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 53, plus the testimony of Peter and the author of Hebrews, show that Jesus fulfilled the azazel goat's role by bearing sin.

A mysterious commentary has been used and repeatedly re-quoted as a proof that the azazel goat represents Satan. This source warrants closer inspection.

Only when we do not think so much of ourselves, feel helpless and weak, will we listen with the intensity required to truly believe, repent, and submit to God.

Jesus permitted Himself to be sent by the leaders and led by their agents in true meekness, submitting to the Father's will, even cleansing those who led Him.

The Day of Atonement is not fulfilled with the binding of Satan. Rather, there are numerous prophecies of God atoning for the sins of physical Israel.

Moral failure compounds when self-loathing sabotages happiness. Only atonement can turn this depression around, providing the comfort of mental and spiritual health.

Though Satan influences, the choices an individual make are totally his own, even for those without God's Spirit. We sin when we are drawn away by our own desires.

The gospels show Jesus observing the Passover at the beginning of the 14th. Should we use the time when He observed it or the time He died as our guide?

Being poor in spirit is a foundational spiritual state for qualifying for God's Kingdom. Poor in spirit describes being acutely aware of one's dependency.

Human nature has a perverse drive to take risks, pushing the envelope, taking unwise chances, foolishly gambling away the future. Foolishness is sin.

Here are the foundational principles to keep in mind in observing the Feasts of God throughout the year.

Since the beginning, God's purpose has been to bring all things into harmony with Him, giving mankind a respite from the heaviness of a sin-laden world.

We cannot assume that angels are immortal and share the same kind of spirit God Almighty has; we cannot assume they are indestructible.

Because of its intractability, the earth will require softening up through earth-shaking events before Christ's return, symbolized by the Feast of Trumpets.

The intent of fasting is to deflate our pride—the major taproot of sin—the biggest deterrent to a positive relationship with God. Humility heals the breach.

God has used famine as one of the tools to get the Israelites' attention when they violated the terms of the Covenant with Him, forsaking His holy law.

When God calls us and redeems us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we suddenly come under obligation—a debt we cannot pay but overshadows all we do.

Two of Daniel's prophecies differ by 75 days, perhaps paralleling the 75 dramatic days between the resurrections of Lazarus and Jesus Christ.

Forgiveness is not a feeling that washes over us, but a conscious choice. It does not mean that the offense will never come to mind, nor that all the pain vanishes.

Richard Ritenbaugh, reflecting on our olfactory nerves, suggests that categorizing smells seems very imprecise, forcing us to describe them with analogies to something else. Surprisingly, our sense of smell comprises 85% of our taste. Actually humans have been known to detect 10,000 different odors or aromas, but dogs have 1,000 times that capacity. The sense of smell seems to be intricately attached to memory. We can remember smells from early childhood, triggering all kinds of lateral visual and audio memories of people and events from long ago. Smells are a big part of our lives. What kind of odor do we have before God Almighty? The altar of incense in the Tabernacle was designed to create a pleasing odor, representing the sweet aroma of Jesus Christ, which covers our uncleanness. The cloud of incense (about five pounds per day) drifted through the veil to the Mercy Seat, symbolizing God's closeness to us when we pray, symbolizing also God"s desire that we do not hold back on our communication with Him. We are to keep our incense altar (our prayers) unmixed with the sacrifices any other altar or unpolluted with pagan forms of religious exercise. Every time we pray, we must be reminded that we are in a perpetual and pure covenant with God. Before we pray, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ must already cover us. As the priest had to grind the incense finally, we are admonished to grind and sift our petitions finely, thinking deeply and carefully what we want to say to Him, bringing the full range of our concerns from bitter to sweet. As long as our prayer conforms to God's will, filtered through the intercession of Jesus Christ, who currently serves as our High Priest, it will have a pure aroma and savor.

Nine steps had to be included with the Passover observance, all within the house until morning. It takes place between sun's setting and complete darkness.

Jesus Christ's priesthood is superior to the Aaronic priesthood because Christ tenure is eternal rather than temporal, guaranteeing both continuity and quality.

Jesus experienced the same temptations and suffering we do, qualifying Him for the role of High Priest, the bridge-builder between man and God.