In our previous lesson, we discovered that when the sinner placed his or her hand upon the head of the goat, they symbolically transferred their sins to the animal.

We also learned that the priest carried the blood into the sanctuary and either sprinkled, spread, or poured that blood within the first compartment of the sacred tent. The act of transferring the blood into the sanctuary revealed that the sins were symbolically transferred to the sanctuary. The thought of sin being transferred to God’s sanctuary may sound crazy, but we will soon discover that the Bible supports this idea.

We also learned that the sacrificial process that allowed Israel’s sins to be transferred from the sinner to the sanctuary occurred on a daily basis. Hebrews confirms this daily work with the following words:

Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s… Hebrews 7:27

What happened after the sins were transferred to the sanctuary?

Day by day throughout the year, the sins of Israel were transferred from the sinner to the sanctuary. However, those sins did not remain in the sanctuary. According to Scripture, God established a yearly ceremony to have those sins removed from the Holy Place. Notice how the Bible conveys this thought:

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. Leviticus 16:16

And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. Leviticus 16:33

Notice that the atonement wasn’t just for the people, it was also for the holy place. Now we should see that due to the sins being transferred to the sanctuary, an atonement or removal of those sins became necessary!

How often were the sins removed from the sanctuary?

And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD. Exodus 30:10

But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people. Hebrews 9:7

This once-a-year ceremony was known as Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. As a matter of fact, the literal translation of ‘kippurim’ is cleansing. According to Jewish tradition, God inscribed each person’s fate for the coming year into the Book of Life and waited until Yom Kippur to “seal” the verdict.

Did the Day of Atonement happen on a certain day?

Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. Leviticus 23:27

Using the Gregorian calendar, the tenth day of the Jewish seventh month would occur around September and October every year.

What occurred during the cleansing of the sanctuary?

We see this special service in Leviticus. Notice how the chapter conveys this cleansing ceremony:

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… Leviticus 16:16

Atonement in the original language can mean to disannul, forgive, pardon, purge, or cleanse. This once-a-year ceremony, known as the Day of Atonement, involved a sacrifice similar to the daily sacrifice, but there were key differences. Here is what occurred during this special service:

• On the Day of Atonement, two goats were brought to the door of the tabernacle (Leviticus 16:7).
• One goat was determined to be for the Lord, and the other goat was determined to be the scapegoat (Leviticus 16:8).
• The Lord’s goat was then sacrificed by the high priest (Leviticus 16:9).
• After the goat of the sin offering was killed, the high priest brought the blood within the vail, and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:15).
• During this service, the Children of Israel were commanded to afflict themselves (Leviticus 23:27).
• If the Children of Israel did not afflict their souls, they were cut off from among the people that same day (Leviticus 23:29).
• After an atonement was made for the sanctuary and the people, the high priest placed both hands on the head of the scapegoat and confessed over him the iniquities, transgressions, and sins of the Children of Israel. This transferred the sins from  the sanctuary onto the scapegoat. (Leviticus 16:20-21).
• Finally, the goat which carried all the transferred sins was sent away into an uninhabited land, never to return. (Leviticus 16:21-22).

Which compartment of the sanctuary was used during the Day of Atonement?

But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people. Hebrews 9:7

Here, the second refers to the second compartment of the sanctuary which refers to the Most Holy Place.

You should now have an understanding of the earthly sanctuary and the process to cleanse it. Remember, this was not a physical cleansing, but a spiritual cleansing. The word cleansing in the original language means to justify. This justification of the sanctuary was a work of judgment, pardon, and a work designed for Israel to see their Redeemer by faith.