Messianic Understanding is that Yeshua is the High Priest of God (Hebrews 3:1). In John 20:17, Yeshua said, “Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended….” These were the same words that the priest spoke before he ascended the altar. Yeshua can be seen as Priest by looking at some other Scriptures. In Numbers 19:11, if you touched a dead body, you were unclean for seven days. After being unclean, purification took place on the eighth day. This is the meaning behind what happened in John 20:24-27 when Jesus allowed himself to be touched by Thomas..
Rather than wearing his usual robe and colorful garments (described in Exodus 28v 4 and Leviticus 8: 6-12), Aaron was commanded to wear special white garments of linen (Leviticus 16:4). Lev. 10:4, when the chief priest enters the sanctuary, he has to wear a sacred linen tunic on very specific portions of the ceremony when he is seeking for forgiveness for his people. The custom to wear white garments (called a “kittel”) on Yom Kippur even today, symbolizes the Jews’ confidence that God will accept their repentance on Yom Kippur.
By slaying the animals at the altar and applying their blood to the altar, the garments of the high priest became very bloody and God instructed them to be washed (Leviticus 6:27). However, on Yom Kippur God declared in Isaiah 1:18, as it is written, “…though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow….” Spiritually speaking, a white garment represents purity and the absence of sin (Revelation 7:9,13-14; 19:8).
In Numbers 15:37-41, fringes (tzi-tzit) were put on the hem (kanaph) of the garments to remind the people of the Torah or God’s Word. Consider the woman with the issue of blood (she was unclean) coming to Yeshua (the High Priest of God) to touch the hem of His garment and be healed (Matthew 9:20-22). The children of Israel were instructed by God to wear the garments Yeshua had on in Matthew 9:20-22. These garments were instructed by God in the Torah to be worn as just stated in Numbers 15:37-41. When the woman with the issue of blood touched the hem (tzi-tzit) of Yeshua’s garment in Matthew 9:20-22, it was a picture given to us by God to communicate to us that she believed Yeshua’s word by faith and was made well/clean because of her faith.
The Day of Atonement Ceremonies
As we look at the ceremony itself, we will be able to see how it points to the Messiah Yeshua Himself. In addition, we will be able to see how it relates to the believers in the Messiah.
The Holy of Holies was entered only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest made atonement for the people. This was the great solemn day that the high priest put aside his official robes and dressed in a simple white garment. To fulfill the law of the Bible, he wore eight garments on this day (Lev. 8:7; Ex. 28:33-35).
- · The golden crown on his forehead.
- · The breastplate on his heart.
- · Four white garments made from white flax.
- · The apron or vest.
- · The belt.
- · The turban.
- · Pants.
He then offered a bullock as a sin offering for himself and the priesthood. He would fill the censer with live coals from the altar, then enter into the Holy of Holies, where he placed incense on the coals. The incense sent forth a cloud of smoke over the mercy seat, which served as a covering for the Ark of the Covenant. The high priest took some of the blood of the bullock and sprinkled it on the mercy seat and on the ground in front of the ark cleansing them from defilement. The burnt offerings were seven male lambs, each a year old, one young bull, and one ram. The sin offering was one male goat. Every step the priest took was precisely scripted. According to the Talmud he made forty-three trips between the court and sanctuary on this respected day.
Order of Events of the Ceremony
Seven days prior to Yom Kippur, the High Priest was sequestered in the Temple, where he reviewed (studied) the service with the sages familiar with the Temple, and was sprinkled with spring water containing ashes of the Red Heifer as purification. The Talmud (Tractate Yoma) also reports that he practiced the incense offering ritual.
On the day of Yom Kippur, the High Priest had to follow a precise order of services, sacrifices, and purifications:
- Morning Offering The High Priest first performed the regular daily offering — usually performed by ordinary priests — in special golden garments, after immersing in a water immersion and washing his hands and feet.
- Garment Change 1 The High Priest immersed in a special water immersion in the Temple courtyard and changed into special linen garments, and washed his hands and feet twice, once after removing the golden garments and once before putting on the linen garments.
- Bull as Personal Sin-Offering The High Priest placed hands on and made a confession over the bull on behalf of himself and his household, pronouncing the Name of God (YHVH). The people prostrated themselves when they heard. He then slaughtered the bull as a sin-offering and received its blood in a bowl.
- Lottery of the goats At the Eastern gate, the High Priest drew lots from a lottery box over two goats. One was selected “for the Lord,” and one “for Azazel.” The High Priest tied a red band around the horns of the goat “for Azazel.”
- Incense Preparation The High Priest ascended the altar and took a shovel full of embers with a special shovel. He was brought incense. He filled his hands and placed it in a vessel. (The Talmud considered this the most physically difficult part of the service, as the High Priest had to keep the shovelful of glowing coals balanced and prevent its contents from dropping, using his armpit or teeth, while filling his hands with the incense).
- Incense Offering Holding the shovel and the vessel, he entered the Temple’s Holy of Holies. In the days of the First Temple, he placed the shovel between the poles of the Ark of the Covernant. In the days of the Second Temple, he put the shovel where the Ark would have been. He waited until the chamber filled with smoke and left.
- Sprinkling of Bull’s Blood in the Holy of Holies The High Priest took the bowl with the bull’s blood and entered the Most Holy Place again. He sprinkled the bull’s blood with his finger eight times, before the Ark in the days of the First Temple, where it would have been in the days of the Second. The High Priest then left the Holy of Holies, putting the bowl on a stand in front of the curtain separating the Holy from the Holy of Holies.
- Goat for the Lord as Sin-Offering for the Priesthood. The High Priest went to the eastern end of the Israelite courtyard near the Eastern Gate, laid his hands on the goat “for the Lord,” and pronounced confession on behalf of the priests. The people prostrated themselves when he pronounced the Name of God (YHVH). He then slaughtered the goat, and received its blood in another bowl.
- Sprinkling of Goat’s Blood in the Holy of Holies The High Priest took the bowl with the goat’s blood and entered the Temple’s Holy of Holies again. He sprinkled the goat’s blood with his finger eight times the same way he had sprinkled the bull’s blood. The blood was sprinkled before the Ark in the days of the First Temple, where it would have been in the days of the Second Temple. The High Priest then left the Holy of Holies, putting the bowl on a stand in front of the Veil (curtain separating the Holy from the Holy of Holies).
- Sprinkling of blood in the Holy Place Standing in the Holy Place, on the other side of the Veil from the Holy of Holies, the High Priest took the bull’s blood from the stand and sprinkled it with his finger eight times in the direction of the Veil. He then took the bowl with the goat’s blood and sprinkled it eight times in the same manner, putting it back on the stand.
- Smearing of blood on the Golden (Incense) Altar The High Priest removed the goat’s blood from the stand and mixed it with the bull’s blood. Starting at the northeast corner, he then smeared the mixture of blood on each of the four corners of the Golden Incense altar in the Holy Place. He then sprinkled the blood eight times on the altar.
- Goat for Azazel The High Priest left the Holy Place and walked to the east side of the Israelite courtyard. Near the Eastern Gate, he leaned his hands on the goat “for Azazel” and confessed the sins of the entire people of Israel. The people prostrated themselves when he pronounced the Name of God (YHVH). While he made a general confession, individuals in the crowd at the Temple would confess privately. The High Priest then sent the goat off “to the wilderness.” In practice, to prevent its return to human habitation, the goat was led to a cliff outside Jerusalem and pushed off its edge.
- Preparation of sacrificial animals While the goat “for Azazel” was being led to the cliff, the High Priest removed the insides of the bull, and intertwined the bodies of the bull and goat. Other people took the bodies to the place of the ashes. They were burned there after it was confirmed that the goat “for Azazel” had reached the wilderness.
- Reading the Torah After it was confirmed that the goat “for Azazel” had been pushed off the cliff, the High Priest passed through the Eastern Gate into the Women’s Courtyard and read sections of the Torah describing Yom Kippur and its sacrifices.
- Garment change 2 The High Priest removed his linen garments, immersed in the Ritual immersion in the Temple courtyard, and changed into a second set of special golden garments. He washed his hands and feet both before removing the linen garments and after putting on the golden ones.
- Offering of Rams The High Priest offered two rams as an offering, slaughtering them on the north side of the outer altar, receiving their blood in a bowl, carrying the bowl to the outer altar, and dashing the blood on the northeast and southwest corners of the Outer Altar. He dismembered the rams and burned the parts entirely on the outer altar. He then offered the accompanying grain offerings and wine-libations.
- Musaf Offering The High Priest then offered the offering.
- Burning of Innards The High Priest placed the insides of the bull and goat on the outer altar and burned them entirely.
- Garment change 3 The High Priest removed his golden garments, immersed in the Ritual immersion, and changed to a new set of linen garments, again washing his hands and feet twice.
- Removal of Incense from the Holy of Holies. The High Priest returned to the Holy of Holies and removed the bowl of incense and the shovel.
- Garment Change 4 The High Priest removed his linen garments, immersed in the Ritual immersion, and changed into a third set of golden garments, again washing his hands and feet twice.
- Evening Offering The High Priest completed the afternoon portion of the regular daily offering in the special golden garments. He washed his hands and feet a tenth time.
The High Priest wore five sets of garments (three golden and two white linen), immersed in the Ritual immersion five times, and washed his hands and feet ten times. Sacrifices included two (daily) lambs, one bull, two goats, and two rams, with accompanying meal offerings, wine libations, and three incense offerings (the regular two daily and an additional one for Yom Kippur). The High Priest entered the Holy of Holies three times. The Name of God (YHVH) was pronounced three times, once for each confession.
Those who were near to the High Priest would fall on their faces, and those who were far from him would say: “Blessed be His Name whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.”
Was the blood sprinkled Seven or Eight times in the Temple? Leviticus 4:6 He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. Leviticus 4:17 He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it before the LORD seven times in front of the curtain.