Day of Atonement by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 2, 1879

Day of Atonement.

By Editor

LAST Sabbath, Sept. 27, 1879, "was an high day" with "the seed of Abraham according to the flesh." The day of Atonement, the tenth day of the seventh month, fell upon the seventh day of the week. That day was the Sabbath of Jehovah, and also the day of the chief Jewish solemnity.

We had a meeting of interest with the church in San Francisco. Our text was Mal. 4:4,—"Remember ye the law of Moses." Why does the Old Testament revelation end with an injunction to remember the law of Moses? Because, 1. The law of Moses contains the gospel, which was then soon to be more fully revealed. The offering for sin, the desert of sin, as shown in the burning of the sacrifice, the work of the priest, all were typical—shadows of things to come. 2. Many important truths are only learned in the law of Moses. Of the mercy-seat, day of atonement, &c., we can learn nothing in the Scriptures but in the law of Moses. The important doctrine of substitution, or the vicarious nature of the sacrifice, has its clearest development in that law. 3. The law was not given for the use of Jews alone. As it was not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins, Heb. 10:4, the law was demonstrative; its object was instruction; it "served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things;" Heb. 8:5. Paul's letter to the Hebrews is a comment upon it; but a commentary is necessarily obscure in some respects without the text. Therefore it is necessary for us to still remember the law of Moses.

The Hebrew for atonement is cah-phar, which signifies to cover. From this is derived the mercy-seat, literally, a covering. It also conveys the idea of expiating, or purging, of covering sins, pardoning; also to appease, to placate.

From a daily paper we clip the following:— "This noted day is called by the Hebrews the Sabbath of Sabbaths, and according to Jewish tradition, the fate of the world was written on the day of the New Year, Rosh Hash-sha-nah, but not sealed until Yom Kippur, ten days after, to afford that time for repentance."

The first day of the month was the memorial of blowing of trumpets. The tenth day was the day of atonement,—yom kippur. The idea is strictly correct that the fate of the world is sealed on the day of atonement. The work of the High Priest on that day was for judgment. The sins of the people of God were blotted out from the presence of God, and transferred to the scape-goat, by which they were borne to a land not inhabited.

According to the prophetic period of Dan. 8:14, we are now in the antitype of the day of atonement. When it closes, the ministry of the High Priest is ended. In the type the service was "year by year continually." In the antitype it is "once for all." There is but one day of atonement in the service of our High Priest—the Son of God. This is under the trumpet of the seventh angel, Rev. 11:15-19. This closes the dispensation. Under this comes "the time of the dead that they should be judged." Under this, reward is given to all the saints of God. Here the temple of God is opened in Heaven, where is seen the ark of his testament, which is in the most holy place. The signs of the times unite with the prophecies of Daniel and John to prove that we are nearing the end; that soon will close the work of the priesthood in behalf of repenting sinners; soon will the decree be passed, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still." Rev. 22:11.

There is a lesson of solemn importance given to all who believe our High Priest has passed to the most holy place to finish up his ministration. The Lord declared that he who did not "afflict his soul" on the day of atonement should be cut off. On this day repentance was to be deep, and confession thorough, for the sin not atoned for on this day was left on the head of the sinner. Very soon every case will be decided; the High Priest will finish his work, and appear to pronounce the everlasting benediction on the saints. Then the lukewarm, the careless and worldly-minded professor, will sink with the world which he has loved and served, to everlasting ruin. "Lord, wake thy slumbering people."