I’m still stuck in Leviticus. This post, however, deals with the most holy day of the year on the Jewish calendar—Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement. The fall feasts were of the highest significance of the year, occurring in the seventh month of Tishri. I will deal with two other feasts, Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) and Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) in my next post. But today, I want to write about this great Day of Atonement. The entire process is described in Leviticus 16.
On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the High Priest wore a special set of four plain white linen garments rather than his usual eight ornate “golden” garments. These consisted of a white tunic, linen breeches (undergarments), a linen sash, and a linen turban. He would not wear the ephod, breastplate, and the outer blue robe. This symbolized humility, purity, and modesty before God, as he entered the holy tabernacle as a proxy for all Israel. The Book of Mormon highlights the atonement of Jesus Christ, as He took upon Himself our sins, pains, and infirmities:
“The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified” (1 Nephi 19:10).
Two goats were presented at the door of the tabernacle, and the high priest cast lots upon them. One lot was for the Lord, and that goat was to be sacrificed as a sin offering, and the other was for the scapegoat. Yes, this is where the term scapegoat originated. Anciently, they believed that stones cast as lots could reveal the mind and will of God. This is applicable in the Book of Jonah as they cast lots to determine who was the cause of the tempest, and the lot fell upon Jonah, who was subsequently cast into the sea (Jonah 1:7-12). Evidence of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon is confirmed as Nephi and his brothers cast lots to determine who should go to Laban to ask for the brass plates (1 Nephi 3:11). Some scholars believe this is why the brother of Jared used stones, similar to the ones used to cast lots, to determine the Lord’s will in obtaining light for the vessels. This story of the brother of Jared has other ties to Yom Kippur.
The lot of the scapegoat is described in Leviticus 16:21-22:
“And Aaron (the high priest) shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.”
Since the sins of Israel were being carried away into the wilderness, they certainly didn’t want the scapegoat to return to camp, so they would lead the scapegoat somewhere where it would fall off a cliff, or somewhere where it could not return.
There were a series of atonements made for the high priest himself, his household, the tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, the altar, and the children of Israel. Blood from the sin offering was sprinkled on the mercy seat (kapporeth or “place of atonement”), reminding us of the “precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). The word for atonement in the Old Testament was kaphar, and it means “to cover.” Thus, garments and sacred clothing are symbols of Jesus Christ and His atonement.
Leviticus 16:12-13 states, “And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not.”
The high priest would take a censer full of live burning coals from the brazen altar. This was the altar where animal sacrifices were offered, thus the ancient law of sacrifice had to be performed before coming into the presence of the Lord. He would have both hands full of the beaten incense and would put the incense upon the burning fire. The smoke of the incense would create a cloud to hide or protect him from the direct presence of the Lord.
There are at least two significant symbols at play here. First, the Hebrew words for consecration are male’ and yad, meaning “to fill the hand.” The high priest had to fill both hands with the precious incense, thus, this was an act of consecration. A similar act of consecration occurs when the brother of Jared ascends Mount Shelem with his hands full of clear, white, transparent stones before entering into God’s presence (Ether 3:1). Both events can be considered heavenly ascents. Shelem happens to be the Hebrew word for peace offering, the final offering before communion with God occurs.
The second significant doctrine has to do with the order of the priesthood. The cloud of smoke shelters the priest from the direct presence of the Lord. D&C 84:19-22 explains,
“And this greater priesthood (Melchizedek) administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
“Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
“And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
“For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.”
Moses tried to bring the children of Israel “to behold the face of God . . . but they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence,” therefore they were left with the ordinances of the lesser Aaronic Priesthood. Under the Aaronic Priesthood, the high priest could not endure God’s full presence, and thus, he was protected by the cloud of smoke. I am thankful that we have Melchizedek Priesthood keys today to administer our temple ordinances. We can symbolically come into the presence of the Father in the Endowment Ceremony.
The smoke of the incense also represents the “prayers of the saints” ascending to God as recorded by John the Revelator (Revelation 8:4). The high priest had to go alone into the tabernacle on Yom Kippur, just as Jesus went alone into Gethsemane (Leviticus 16:17; Matthew 26:37-39). Some Jewish traditions have the people outside encircling the tabernacle while praying, making certain gestures, prostrating themselves, and bowing down. This was a day of prayer and fasting for all Israel.
Last night I suffered some insomnia. While lying awake, I found this YouTube video by Church scholar John (Jack) Welch and Scripture Central. I already knew that Joseph Smith received the gold plates from Moroni on Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets) in 1827 on September 22, but I also learned for the first time that the 1825 visit by Moroni was on the 10th of Tishri and was the day of Yom Kippur. I don’t think this is mere coincidence. The 1st day of Tishri was Rosh Hashanah, meaning “head of the year.” It’s the Jewish New Year and called the Feast of Trumpets in the scriptures. The coming forth of the Book of Mormon headed a new dispensation—the dispensation of the fulness of times. We see Moroni with his trumpet atop many of our temples. The ram’s horn, or shofar, was blown on Rosh Hashanah. It’s a signal of the good news of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!
I have pasted the dates below for the Hebrew Calendar for Rosh Hashanah 1827 and Yom Kippur 1825. These conversion dates can be found on hebcal.com. I have also attached this fine YouTube video showing how special dates of the Restoration coincide with ancient Old Testament feasts.
