How We are At-One with God

Greetings brethren! Welcome to the Day of Atonement! This day is a great day for the world, especially. It has great meaning for those of us who are called now, but it has greater meaning for the world and God's plan of salvation before we enter into the thousand-year period of the reign of the Kingdom of God.

As we always do, let's come to Lev. 23 and you will see this has, concerning the Day of Atonement, some pretty long commands for us. It's a very important thing for us to realize.

Leviticus 23:27: "Also, on the tenth day of this seventh month, is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a Holy convocation to you. And [#1]you shall afflict your souls and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD."

There were special offerings that were to be made for the whole congregation of Israel, in addition to individual offerings; and also the special offering as shown in Lev.16.

Verse 28: "And you shall do no work in that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, in order to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God."

Atonement comes from the Hebrew word 'kippur'—which means to cover. So, this is a covering for sin. It is a special process that God goes through showing how God took care of the sins for the children of Israel under the Old Covenant, and also the spiritual fulfillment, as revealed in the book of Revelation. As we will find out, the real, true spiritual meaning of the Day of Atonement was not possible to understand until John had finished writing the book of Revelation and canonized the New Testament.

We're to afflict souls, v 29: "For whoever is [#2]not afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people." That happens in a way that it is a mental cutoff!

We have seen that happen within the Churches, too. That those who quit keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days are cutoff from God. Many of them, if you see them later, just kind of (some of them) have a blank stare and there was nothing left there. That is a good example of being cutoff from God. I am sure that any time of real repentance they can be brought back to God.

Verse 30: "And whoever does any work in that same day, the same one will I destroy from among his people."

That doesn't mean that they are killed, to drop dead. You can be destroyed in many different ways: financially, sickness, disease, different things like that.

Verse 31: "You shall do no manner of work. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a Sabbath of rest…" (vs 31-32). Actually, the Hebrew means to Sabbathize your Sabbath!

"…and you shall [#3]afflict yourselves. In the ninth day of the month at sunset, from sunset to sunset, you shall keep your Sabbath'" (v 32)

This is why this verse is the key single most important verse having to do: when does the Sabbath begin? It doesn't begin at three in the afternoon, and it doesn't begin when you can see three stars. It begins at sunset, and everyone can figure out what sunset is.

As you know, we always take up and offering on the Holy Days. Just like they offered offerings for the Day of Atonement at the temple, then we also take up an offering, this time monetarily, and so you need to consider all the things when you give an offering:

• consider God's calling
• consider God's blessing
• consider God's intervention
• consider the blessing of God's Spirit that you have been given
• consider the very fact that you are at-one with God now

Keep all of those things in mind, and God is able to make all sufficiency to supply all your needs. So, in giving of offerings it is a matter of faith and yielding to God in order to do so.

(pause for offering)

Lev. 16—we will note some very key things here. It's very interesting that unless there is the knowledge of Rev. 20 also applied to this, because this is the typical fulfillment of it and the practice of it for the Day of Atonement when the tabernacle and temple were standing. You also have a spiritual fulfillment of it, which is the main key important thing that we will find in Rev. 20 when we get there. But let's look at several things here as we go through Lev. 16 we'll summarize quite a bit of it here.

First of all, the high priest—we'll see this again in Hebrews—was only allowed to go into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. He could not just come in at anytime; neither could any of the priests. He could only come in with certain set sacrifices that God told him to offer for his household, and then later the two goats, as we will cover here in a little bit. He was also to be dressed in the appropriate garments and to present himself as representing Israel in the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement.

After he has made the atonement for himself, then he is ready to offer the atonement for the sins of the children of Israel, as depicted by the two goats.

Leviticus 16:7: "And he shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation"

That's right in front, because you had the door to go into the Holy Place—then behind that, behind the veil—you had the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was and the presence of God. In the Holy of Holies was the only place that he was allowed to go into once a year.

Standing before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation Aaron was to perform a very unusual ceremony, and it was the only one of this kind.

Verse 8: "And Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats; one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer it for a sin offering" (vs 8-9).

This is a type of Jesus Christ. Every sacrifice is a type of Jesus Christ. {note book, The Law of Offerings by Andrew Jukes (amazon.com)} It's a very good book for you to read, and showing all of the types of things interwoven within the physical offerings of the animals and the different prayers that were asked, and so forth. How they depicted many things concerning the sacrifice of Christ, the priesthood of Christ, etc. I think you would find that very, very interesting and help give you a greater understanding also of the literal sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

How come we have this depicting Jesus Christ when it is the Passover sacrifice that depicts Jesus Christ? The truth is, all the sacrifices, where they are sacrificed and the blood is shed, is depicting Jesus Christ, whether it is:

• a burnt offering
• a meal offering
• a peace offering
• a thanksgiving offering
• a trespass offering

They all picture various aspects of the ministry of Jesus Christ.

Now let's read about the other goat because this becomes very unusual, and why it was done in this particular way:

Verse 10: "But the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement upon it…"—not with it, but upon it!

That is quite an important distinction for us to understand; because this goat does not picture Jesus Christ. But it pictures a function of something that has to take place in order for there to be forgiveness of sin, beginning first of all with the children of Israel under the Old Covenant; and then under the New Covenant, for the world.

The Passover applies for those in the Church. We have the Passover—which is not a Holy Day—the first day of Unleavened Bread, the last day of Unleavened Bread and the Day of Pentecost applied to the Church. We have the day of Passover and the Wave Sheaf Offering applying directly to Jesus Christ; that is applied to the Church.

Let's also understand something here concerning a few numerics. The Passover is the 14th day of the 1st month. If you take 1+4 and add them together it comes up to 5, the number of grace. The Wave Sheaf Offering day is the 17th; and that is the number of victory and overcoming, which is very interesting when you put it all together.

Then you come down to the time of the Day of Atonement. It is the 10th day of the 7th month. So you have 10, which has two fives in it (5+5=10)— double grace! This double grace applies to the spiritual saving of the physical children of Israel, bringing them into the Kingdom of God for an opportunity for salvation; that's one set. Then the other five you can apply to all the nations of the world that never had an opportunity for salvation—and all of that is because Satan the devil has always been around.

How the Church overcomes Satan the devil is going to be entirely different than how the world is going to overcome Satan the devil, because he's not going to be around. This is why those who are in the first resurrection have a superior resurrection and a greater reward, because of the things that we have to overcome concerning Satan the devil. We'll touch on a few of those later on.

"…to make an atonement upon it and sent away into the wilderness for Azazel" (v 10)—another name for Satan the devil!

The King James has it as a 'scapegoat.' Well, a scapegoat is someone on whom you put the blame. But that is really not a good translation of it, or a good meaning of it. While you put the blame on someone else in a scapegoat situation, many times you never have it taken off of yourself—it's just an excuse to put it on. That's not how God works.

We are responsible for our own sins, and need to repent of them, just like the children of Israel were for theirs and they had to have this operation of the Day of Atonement in order to have their sins forgiven. Then there had to be a placing of the sins again upon Satan the devil, who was the author of sin, Satan is found in the wilderness. The wilderness does not depict in heaven like some people say; that Jesus went to heaven took our sins with Him. NO! He left them all on the earth. He took Himself to heaven and presented Himself as the perfect sacrifice.

Verse 15: "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil…. [right before the presence of God] …And he shall do with that blood as he did with the blood of the young bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat…. [which was seven times] …And he shall make an atonement for the sanctuary because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel and because of their transgressions in all their sins…." (vs 15-16).

Here's the forgiveness of all of their sins. And when you have all of your sins forgiven you are free! However, we still have an aspect of sin that must be taken care of, and to put all the sins on Satan the devil and send him off into the wilderness, because he is the author of sin. This is the thing that really is so important for us to understand.

Verse 17: "And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goes in to make an atonement in the sanctuary until he comes out and has made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel."

So, he was to go in once with the blood of the sacrifice for himself, for his household and also for the children of Israel. He was to stay there until he had sprinkled the blood and taken care of all of it. Then he would go out.

Verse 18: "And he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make an atonement for it. And he shall take of the blood of the young bull and of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. And he shall sprinkle of the blood on it…" (vs 18-19). That is the altar of burnt offerings!

Verse 20: "And when he has made an end of reconciling the sanctuary and the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, he shall bring the live goat."

Not in to the Holy of Holies, but he shall bring the live goat right before the altar so that all the people could see this.

Verse 21: "And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the sins of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away by the hand of a chosen man into the wilderness."

We will see that this "…hand of a chosen man…"—the King James says 'a fit man'—depicts or is typical of the angel who takes Satan the devil and casts him into the abyss.

Verse 22: "And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities to a land in which no one lives. And he shall let the goat go in the wilderness"—symbolizing the wandering of Satan going to and fro on the earth.

Then the chosen man comes back and washes his flesh. and then the sin offering and all of that was taken outside the camp to be burnt.

Verse 29: "And it shall be a statute forever to you: in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month, you shall afflict your souls and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country or a stranger who is living among you, for on that day an atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you, so that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It shall be a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls, by a statute forever. And the priest whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement and shall put on the linen clothes, the Holy garments. And he shall make an atonement for the Holy sanctuary…" (vs 29-33)—and all that was there!

It says that was to be forever, which means down to the time, in the future time, that they did not understand. That's why God said 'forever.' God knew the time that when the temple and the whole priest system would come to an end in 70A.D.

Now let's see the fulfillment of it here, which is very, very—I think—unique in the way that it is done; and something that has to be. In order for there to really be the 'restitution of all things' when Jesus Christ comes, one of the things that needs to be done is Jesus needs to have Satan put away. One of the things that happened in the Garden of Eden was that Satan the devil was allowed to come in. When he came in, that destroyed everything. Didn't destroy the Garden of Eden, but it surely destroyed the relationship with Adam & Eve and God. God had to drive them out of the Garden of Eden.

We know that from that time forward all the way down through history, even though that there is forgiveness of sin, as long as Satan is around to tempt and to lead people into sin, and to find people who will agree with him and teach and train them and have them bring all of these:

• wrong doctrines
• wrong religions
• wrong ways

lawlessness against the commandments of God, it doesn't matter how many times you have sacrifices, you're not going to have a kingdom or society that is ruled by the Kingdom of God, over all the nations of the earth where you can have a minimum of sin until Satan is removed.

This why after Rev. 19, which we read on the Feast of Trumpets, Christ and the saints step on the earth; an angel cast the beast and the false prophet into the Lake of Fire; and then something unusual happens. Now, an angel is the one whom this 'fit man' or the 'strong man'—the chosen one—is to take the live goat out into the wilderness.

Revelation 20:1: "Then I saw an angel descending from heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand. And he took hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years" (vs 1-2).

When we come to the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, we'll explain why he's let out again at the end of the thousand years.

Verse 3: "Then he cast him into the abyss, and locked him up, and sealed the abyss over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were fulfilled; and after that it is ordained that he be loosed for a short time."

Now let's see some of the things in the New Testament, because the meaning of the Day of Atonement applies to the New Testament and our relationship with God much more than the Old Testament. Let's see something very interesting concerning those sacrifices for sins.

Hebrews 9:10 talks about how these things only serve as a type, but when Christ came: " These services consist only of meat and drink offerings, and various washings and physical ordinances, imposed until the time of the new spiritual order." We are in that new spiritual order, and Christ is the One Who instituted it, as He says here:

Verse 11: "But Christ Himself has become High Priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by human hands (that is, not of this present physical creation)."

So, this is a projection clear on into New Jerusalem. Also in direct relationship to the throne of God and the atonement that we receive there.

Verse 12: "Not by the blood of goats and calves, but by the means of His own blood, He entered once for all into the Holiest, having by Himself secured everlasting redemption for us."

Here's the comparison: When we have our sins forgiven, they are forgiven before God in heaven above! When they had their sins covered and forgiven with the Old Testament, it was only to the purifying of the flesh at the temple!

Verse 13: "For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who aredefiled, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh… [you are clean before God in a physical, carnal sense] …to a far greater degree, the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, shall purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (vs 13-14).

When we have our sins forgiven, through the operation of baptism, and receive the Holy Spirit of God that unites with the spirit of our minds, now we have the ability to have those things forgiven and cleanse the conscience. That was not possible under the operation of the temple and the sacrifices.

Verse 15: "And for this reason He is the Mediator of the New Covenant: in order that through His death, which took place for the release of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant…"

All those sins under the first covenant were covered, as the Day of Atonement pictures, and held in abeyance for forgiveness until the sacrifice of Christ. That released all of those sins. Now that's an important thing to understand.

"…those who have been called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance" (v15). It's referring to us! Then it talks about the necessity for the covenant sacrifices and so forth, which goes all the way back to Abraham.

Verse 24: "For Christ has not entered into the Holy places made by human hands… [as Aaron and his successors did] …which are mere copies of the true… [because God gave the plans of it to Moses, and later the plans of it to David] …rather, He has entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."

This is what becomes the most important thing in relationship to the Day of Atonement for us.

Verse 25: "Not that He should offer Himself many times, even as the high priest enters into the Holy of Holies year by year with the blood of others; for then it would have been necessary for Him to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now, once and for all, in the consummation of the ages, He has been manifested for the purpose of removing sin through His sacrifice of Himself" (vs 25-26).

As we read in 1-John 2, that He is the 'propitiation for our sins,' and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. So, the Day of Atonement tells us now when, in the time-frame of God's plan—as outlined by the Holy Days and Sabbath—God is going to apply the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and make it available to the whole world! When He does that, Satan is going to be removed! That's going to be a tremendous thing that's going to happen.

I don't think we can, in our carnal minds, really visualize what the world is going to be like with Satan the devil removed, no one to come and tempt. Yes, there will be sin because of human nature, which is true. But Satan will not be there to instigate rebellion against God. Satan will not be there to, again, reenact false religions and things like that. So, it's going to be a totally different time, as we will see, when we get to the Feast of Tabernacles.

Let's see the whole purpose of everything that God has done; Hebrews 10:1: "For the priestly law, having only a shadow of the good things that are coming, and not the image of those things, with the same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, is never able to make perfect those who come to worship."

The whole purpose of the New Covenant is to perfect us. That perfection must take place within. The things that are done without, like the sacrifices, the tabernacle, the temple, the ritual and all of that, can never change the within without the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God could not come until the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Verse 4: "Because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."

When the Jews rebuild the temple in Jerusalem it is going to be fully evident that that is true again. That generation—this last generation of Jews—is going to have to learn that lesson all over again.

Verse 5: "For this reason, when He [Christ] comes into the world, 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me.'" That was so the Holy Spirit could be within Him and He was filled with the Holy Spirit from conception.

Verse 6: "You did not delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin"—though He commanded it! The reason God did not delight in it was very simple:

• it didn't change the heart
• it didn't change the conscience
• it didn't convert the mind

With the New Covenant it does!

Verse 8: "In the saying above, He said, 'Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin (which are offered according to the priestly law) You did not desire nor delight in.' Then He said, 'Lo, I come to do Your will, O God.'…." (vs 8-9).

That's what God desires more than anything else, and this is exactly what Jesus did. Jesus came as the perfect sacrifice, not only for our sins, but the sins of the whole world. The Day of Atonement pictures when it's going to be given to all the rest of the world.

"…He takes away the first covenant… [God took it away] …in order that He may establish the second covenant; by Whose will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (vs 9-10).

That's typical of the goat for the sin offering on the Day of Atonement. But "…once for all." Then it says every priest stands there doing these things, offering the same offerings.

Verse 12: "But He [Christ], after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God."

This becomes important, and the reason why it is once forever so it can be applied backwards to those God dealt with and called such as the patriarchs, and forward to all of us in the New Covenant, and on forward into the time of the Millennium, and yet, on forward into the time of the Great White Throne Judgment As Creator of mankind, coming in the flesh, His sacrifice of His very being—not some animal that He created—is the perfect sacrifice for the removal of human sin.

Angelic sin is not forgiven! They have already committed the unpardonable, angelic sin with Satan the devil and the demons that followed him. That's why they are going to be in the outer darkness of blackness forever, as we will see when we come to the end of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Verse 13: "Since that time, He is waiting until His enemies are placed as a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has obtained eternal perfection for those who are sanctified" (vs 13-14).

But it is not just the offering of Himself that does the perfecting and the sanctifying, but it is also the Holy Spirit that God gives as a result of the forgiveness of those things. So, we have to put it all together and understand it.

Verse 15: "And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after He had previously said, '"This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days," says the Lord, "I will give My Laws into their hearts, and I will inscribe them in their minds"'" (vs 15-16). That's the process of conversion!

Then with that we have the spiritual laws of love, faith, hope, goodness, kindness, self-control and all of those things are also part of the operation of faith!

Verse 17: "'And their sins and lawlessness I will not remember ever again.' Now, where remission of these is, it is no longer necessary to offer sacrifices for sin. Therefore, brethren, having confidence to enter into the true Holiest by the blood of Jesus" (vs 17-19).

What we need to do is really understand the great and tremendous blessing it is, that God has given to us, that we can go into the Holy of Holies in heaven above—through prayer and with God's Spirit—and always have that spiritual connection with God! Think about that! How far superior that this is compared to what it was under the covenant with Israel, where only the high priest could go in once a year into the Holiest. Now granted, Jesus had to go there first!

Let's see how this goes all the way back to the promises given to Abraham, and those carried forward to us.

Hebrews 6:17: "In this way God… [swearing by Himself, 'in blessing He will bless and in multiplying He will multiply'] …desiring more abundantly to show the heirs of the promise the unchangeable nature of His own purpose, confirmed it by an oath."

God does not need to swear, God does not need to give an oath, because He is perfect and cannot and will not lie. But He did this for a very particular and profound reason, so we would find it written in the Word of God and be able to claim those promises.

Verse 18: "So that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to lay hold on the hope that has been set before us."

This is why we need to always understand and realize: regardless of the circumstances around us, never, never let your discouragement get you down; but be encouraged in Christ because you have been promised eternal life! All of these things that are here—all of the troubles and difficulties that we go through—are only to prepare us for eternal life. The way that we get through them is not to look to the problems and difficulties that we face, but look to the hope that is before us:

• the fact that God is true
• the fact that God cannot lie
• the fact that God has called us

Verse 19: "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both secure and steadfast, and which enters into the sanctuary within the veil." Remember that!

Whenever you pray, you are praying directly to God the Father with Jesus Christ at the right hand in the sanctuary in heaven above every time you pray. How many times a day that may be depends on your own circumstances and so forth. But Paul says, 'Cease not praying, and pray continually,' and that means many, many times during the day as we're going about what we are doing, we can pray to God the Father with Jesus Christ at the right hand! Isn't that something?

That is a great mystery that the world cannot understand. With the Spirit of God in us, we have that blessing! That is a tremendous thing concerning the Day of Atonement. The world does not have that blessing. The world does not know. Why? Satan the devil is still there! We will see how he operates here in just a little bit, and why he must be put away.

Verse 20: "Where Jesus has entered for us as a forerunner…" So, as soon as Christ ascended into heaven:

• entered into the Holy of Holies
• presented Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world
• was accepted of by God the Father

That opened the door and gave us the way to have access to the Holy of Holies. When Jesus died, as you read in the book of Matthew, the veil was rent in two, showing that the way to the Holiest of Holies was available to us who have the Holy Spirit of God, and:

• no longer have to go to a temple
• no longer have to go to a priesthood
• no longer have to offer animal sacrifices

which could not change the conscience or the heart!

• no longer would have to do those ritual things

But now we take all the laws and commandments of God and we understand the spiritual meaning of them, the spiritual meaning of the Sabbath, the spiritual meaning of the Holy Days, how it outlines the plan of God and what He is doing and how we fit into it.

"…having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchisedec" (v 20). That is a tremendous thing that Jesus Christ has done for us!

We'll look at how we need to fight Satan the devil and how he deceives the world and the reason that he must be put away.

(go to the next track)

Now let's look at one other thing concerning our ability to come to God, to the throne of God, to the Holy of Holies in heaven above, and let's understand that even the high priest, if he did not do everything the way it should have been done, and would go into the Holy of Holies, God would strike him dead!

I want you to think of the great privilege and the tremendous blessing that we have where we can pray directly to God the Father. Jesus Christ said, 'You pray to the Father, for the Father Himself loves you.' We need to understand that we need to get out the doldrums of being in the pits of despair because of dragging in the thoughts and the ways of the religions, the false Christianity of this world. We need to understand that! We need to realize that! Anyone who thinks the Protestants have a corner on the market on grace have another thought. Their grace is lawlessness! God is the One Who has opened the door for us with His great grace:

• to have direct access to Him through prayer
• to lead and guide and direct our lives
• to place His angels about us and watch over us
• to help us
• to teach us
• to help develop the character of God
• to be perfected

The greatest, fundamental building block of our prayer life and understanding God and being able to have prayers answered.

Hebrews 4:12: "For the Word of God is living…" That's why God has us pray and study! With that He:

• molds our mind
• molds our character
• gives us of His abilities

bit-by-bit-by-bit! We are perfected and washed with the 'washing of the water by the Word!'

"…and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of both soul and spirit, and of both the joints and the marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart" (v 12).

No other operation of religion, anywhere in the world, can compare to that; and they are all the operations of the religions of Satan the devil. I think we need to realize that; and I do believe, brethren, that if we read Rev. 2 & 3 for what it says, are there not too many incursions of Satan the devil into the Church of God itself? Yes, indeed!

We'll see what we have to do to fight the war against it. But here is the power that we have coming before God. We can't fool God! We can't do anything greater than what God has done. We can't add to what God has given to make it better. Because no human way or human devising, added to God's way, is going to make it better. That's the whole lesson of Cain, and the way of Cain! He wanted to come to God to do it His way! So that God would accept him on how good he was.

No! We come to God on God's terms! His ways! Repentant! Yielding! Believing! Notice the reason why:

Verse 13: "And there is not a created thing that is not manifest in His sight… [He made it all, right?] …but all things are naked and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account…. [you don't give account to any man; you give account to God] …Having, therefore, a great High Priest, Who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, we should hold fast the confession of our faith" (vs 13-14).

• don't be wavering
• don't be weak
• don't be thinking things that are not

You go to God and pray! You go before the throne of God and you claim the promises, and you ask God:

• to help you
• to hear you
• to intervene
• to lift you up
• to grant you His blessing
• to give you peace of mind
• to give you stability of your thoughts
• to give you firmness and steadfastness of your faith
• to give great affection and feeling of the love of God

Verse 15: "For we do not have a High Priest Who cannot empathize with our weaknesses… [we have many because God has called the weak of the world] … but One Who was tempted in all things according to the likeness of our own temptations; yet, He was without sin. Therefore… [here's the conclusion that Paul wrote concerning this, what we need to do]: …we should come with boldness to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (vs 15-16).

Of course, living in this world, that's every day! You just don't pray when you have need. You pray every day, because you have need every day. As long as you're:

•  fighting this carnal nature
• fighting the world
• fighting Satan the devil

 you need God all the time!

Now, let's look at why Satan must be put away! There cannot be the "restitution of all things" until he is removed. The author of sin must be removed! You look at the temptation that came with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, right in the very presence of God.

Revelation 12:9: "And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, who is deceiving the whole world…"  Living in this age at the end, we know how deceived this world is!

Now, I don't know about you, but we have 74 channels on our cable; and every once in a while when there's nothing on, I just flip through all 74. It just has occurred to me: Nearly every single thing you see on television is some kind of sin, even the goodness that men profess, because there can be no true goodness by any man anywhere unless they have the Spirit of God. You turn the channel, it's sin, it's sin, it's sin! You talk about being overwhelmed with bossy women! I tell you, television is the mother of it all!

I just hope and pray that a lot of you wives out there don't follow the examples of the things that are there on television, where women rule the roost and men are just little sort of de-coned roosters, as it were. The woman is always the one to give the answer, when in real life it's basically the opposite way around. But Satan is the one who has given this kind of society to us. That's how he's deceived the world!

Let's see why Satan needs to be put away. It's kind of like after WWII in Germany, also in Japan; and after the deaths of Stalin, Mao Tse-tung in China, and Pol Pot in Cambodia. And they're going to have to live through the same thing here with Chavez in Venezuela. Whenever there is a dictatorship of that kind, Satan is firmly behind it. The whole population becomes almost possessed and obsessed. After Hitler died, after he committed suicide; after Stalin died; after Mao Tse-tung died, etc., there's a great relief for the whole population. It's almost as if a pall of hypnotism had been removed from the nation and from the people. Well, that's probably true.

Isaiah 25:5 says of God, "You shall bring down the noise of foreigners, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud. The shouting of the terrifying ones shall be brought low. And in this mountain the LORD of hosts shall make a feast of fat things for all the people, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of refined wines on the lees. And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering, which covers all people, and the veil that is woven over all nations" (vs 5-7).

Satan has that! He has that power, because men have given it to him. That's why he has to be put away.

Verse 8: He will destroy death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces. And He shall take away from all the earth the rebuke of His people, for the LORD has spoken it."

That's quite a thing. That's really quite an absolute marvelous thing that it is going to take place.

Now let's see what the New Testament says about how Satan operates, and how that it affects all people. Because the truth is that either you have the Spirit of God and you are His, or you belong to Satan the devil even in some of the things which appear very good, because Satan is a 'do-gooder,' because he deceives by good. He comes in with a benefit. He doesn't come in and say, 'Adam and Eve, go ahead and eat this because I want you to die. No, he came in and said:

Hey, this is going to make you wise. This is going to make you like God. Don't you want to be like God? Didn't God tell you you're going to be like Him? Well, if you eat of this tree you're going to speed up the event.

That's not the way it works. Even the perceived good in this world is not good.

• Have they stopped famine and hunger?
• Have they taken care of the little children?
• Have they stopped war?
• NO!

Let's see how Satan does it—Eph. 2—here is the state and condition of every single one in the world, because of Satan the devil who has deceived the whole world, who has put a veil and a covering over all people. That's why being called out of that is a miracle in itself, and that God Himself has personally chosen you and chosen me and chosen all of those who have His Holy Spirit! That gives us a far, far greater responsibility in responding to God; because we are going to be made one with Him. And I think we need to do what Jesus said, 'I better be about My Father's business.'

Ephesians 2:1: "Now you were dead… [all of those in the world are dead] …in trespasses and sins."

That's why Jesus said what some people would consider very offensive: 'I'll follow You, but let me go bury my father.' Jesus said, 'Let the dead bury their dead.' Some would look at that and say, 'Hey, where's the love in there?' The love is 'you follow Me and you will live. I'll take care them later.' But the whole world is in this condition.

Verse 2: "In which you walked in times past according to the course of this world… [just the way this society is] …according to the prince of the power of the air… [Satan the devil] …the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience."

Satan puts all of these things into their hearts and their minds, and that's how they are motivated. That's how they act. That's how they live. He attacks the young ones. You look at them, they're hooked up on cell phones, they're hooked up on games, they're hooked up on music, they're minds are completely blown away and alienated from their parents. The reason that that is, is because too many parents not only allow it, but they don't want their kids around because they're a bother. That's all Satan's world, Satan's way.

Verse 3: "Among whom also we all once had our conduct in the lusts of our flesh, doing the things willed by the flesh and by the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest of the world."

Stop and think for just a minute! What was going through David's mind when he was enticed and enticed himself and Bathsheba and David together into the affair that he had? That was just one affair, and look at the price that David had to pay for it, because he did it. Makes you wonder:

• What goes through the minds of those who are supposed to be in the Church?

women are responsible, too; and men who are ministers or evangelists

• Who get together and have sexual liaisons with women?
• What goes through the minds of both of them?

For one evangelist, we all know of, he did hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times. Yet, people think he's a great, wonderful Godly man. We'll leave that judgment to God. But I doubt if any of those things were ever inspired of God. They came from the 'prince of the power of the air.'

Let's see also how he works. He's called—2-Cor. 4—let's see why a lot of people get into false doctrine. He comes along with false doctrine that 'sounds so good,' but it's not. We need to understand how Satan works in the Church today. And we need not take the posture that there's the world out there and they're all deceived. That's true. 'But I'm not deceived.' You become open target for Satan the devil. That's why you have to rely on God every day.

2-Cor. 4—Paul is talking about the ministry. Can you imagine the Apostle Paul writing a letter as to why he had committed adultery with a woman? I mean, think about it! Let's quit making excuses for carnal-minded people. Those who yield to Satan and not God, though they be in the Church. And they're probably many in the Church who take God casually—who take God's way casually—and that's why we're called Laodiceans!

Well, I'll tell you one thing: We're not going to be at-one with God, and we're not going to be partakers of the Kingdom of God unless we all repent and yield to God and ask God's mercy, kindness and forgiveness through the sacrifice of Christ; and really mean business as to what we are doing and where we're going and how we're doing it. We need to understand that.

Listen to Paul; 2-Corinthians 4:1: "Therefore, having this ministry, according as we have received mercy, we are not fainthearted. For we have personally renounced the hidden things of dishonest gain, not walking in cunning craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully…" (vs 1-2).

I remember this last radio program that I was on with Gianni Hayes. There was a man who believe that all the prophecies were already fulfilled and he twisted and turned the Scriptures so terrible that at the end of an hour of listening to that, my mind was just burdened down, it felt like a lead weight hanging inside my cranium. It was so absolutely stupid that it was incredible. Anyway, I thought, "…handling the Word of God deceitfully…" Can't believe it. Now, the way you overcome all of that is:

"…but by manifestation of the Truth, we are commending ourselves to every man's conscience before God. But if our Gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing; in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe…" (vs 2-4).

Let me say something about belief and faith: You must believe all, not the part that makes you feel comfortable. Think on that!

Next time you watch some of these smiling faces on television—supposedly preaching the Gospel—they believe a portion of it. But that's not going to get them eternal life, because you have to believe all. Satan by nature is 'religious,' as well as licentious. He loves nothing better than religion as a means of deceiving people. That's why if you don't have the series, Why God Hates Religion, you better listen to it.

"…lest the Light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (v 4).  

Verse 5 becomes important—every minister, teacher, preacher, evangelist, whatever—listen: "For we do not preach our own selves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."

That's what it has to be! When we come before God on this Day of Atonement, we need to understand and recognize who the enemy is. We need to realize that he just loves to be 'religious.' He just loves to come into the Church of God if he can get a foothold. However way he may want to do it, he can come in. Oh, we have calendar controversies, Passover controversies, Pentecost controversies—those are just some of the doctrinal issues. Then we have issues: 'Well, this part of the Bible wasn't in this old document, so therefore, I'm not sure we ought to follow that.' All of these things come from Satan the devil.

Let's see something that's very important for us to understand and realize in our relationship with God. There were a lot of disciples that followed Jesus and a lot of them really were not of God.

John 8:23: "And He said to them, 'You are from beneath… [on this earth] …I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world."

Why would we want to bring things of the world into the Church? Into our lives?

Verse 24: "'That is why I said to you that you shall die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM, you shall die in your sins.' Then they said to Him, 'Who are You?' And Jesus said to them, 'The One that I said to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you; but He Who sent Me is true, and what I have heard from Him, these things I speak to the world.'…. [the very Word of God] …But they did not know that He was speaking to them of the Father. Then Jesus said to them, 'When you have lifted up the Son of man… [they knew what that meant: crucifixion] …then you yourselves shall know that I AM… [a good many of them did] …and that I do nothing of Myself. But as the Father taught Me, these things I speak. And He Who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone because I always do the things that please Him.'" (vs 24-29).

That's how our lives need to be oriented. It says in 1-John 3 that we can do the things that please Him—and that brings us answers to our prayers.

Verse 30: "As He spoke these things, many believed in Him. Therefore, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, 'If you continue in My Word… [His whole message] …you are truly My disciples. And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free.' They answered Him, 'We are Abraham's seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. What do You mean by saying, "You shall become free"?'" (vs 30-33).

They just said they believe in Him, but they really didn't! They said, 'We don't know about this guy, but we have Abraham. We're Abraham's seed.' Well, we'll see about that a little later. You can't claim any preset condition from anything physical that God must honor you. It doesn't matter if you're a descendant of Abraham. It doesn't matter if you're part of the tribes of Israel.

For all the Jews who are out there, who are listening, please listen up! That God can have mercy on you: God has no debt to you because you claim that you are the chosen people. The truth is, those who are chosen are those that God has called and given His Spirit. You're never going to understand about Jesus Christ or eternal life as long as you claim to the traditions of the Jews and their ways. Likewise with any other religion—be it Catholic, Protestant, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu or Shamanism—whatever it may be. You have no claim to God from who you are, what you think you are. You need to repent!

Verse 34: "Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a servant of sin.…. [the author of sin is Satan the devil] …And the servant does not live in the house forever; but the Son lives forever. Therefore, if the Son shall set you free, you shall truly be free. I know that you are Abraham's seed; but you are seeking to kill Me, because My words do not enter into your minds" (vs 34-37).

Come to Christ with a closed mindset and you'll never be converted. Jesus said you have to give up father, mother, brother, sister, children, lands and yes, your own life; and pick up your cross and follow after Him and love Him more than any. No one comes to Christ with any preset conditions. You come UNconditionally—renouncing everything and all that you are and stand for. And we continue in that way so that we may receive eternal life.

Verse 38: "I speak the things that I have seen from My Father, and you do the things that you have seen from your father."

Carnal answer: Oh yes, just like a debate. I've never seen a debate to solve anything except polarize everyone.

Verse 39: "They answered and said to Him, 'Our father is Abraham.' Jesus said to them, 'If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham…. [he believed God] …But now you seek to kill Me…" (v 39-40).

He knew that because even though they said they believed in Him, He knew that in their mind it was all conditional, because they wanted to kill Him.

"…a Man who has spoken the Truth to you, which I have heard from God; Abraham did not do this. You are doing the works of your father.' Then they said to Him, 'We have not been born of fornication…. [we don't even know where you come from] …We have one Father, and that is God.' Therefore, Jesus said to them, 'If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I proceeded forth and came from God. For I have not come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why don't you understand My speech?'" (vs 40-43).

Just like Paul wrote: Satan has blinded the minds of those who don't believe!

• Why?
• How has he done it?
• Where is this taking place? At the temple!

These are religious people coming for their offerings during the Feast of Tabernacles. 'Yes, we're good, dutiful little people and we're coming doing what we read in the Word of God, but we're going to do it our way. We want to bring this sacrifice, and we want to do that and we want to live our lives the way we want to. But we'll be religious and come to the temple.' That's why Jeremiah told the people, 'Don't come and say the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, temple of the Lord are these.' (Jer. 7). Don't say you're the children of Abraham.

Verse 43: "…Why don't you understand My speech? Because you cannot bear to hear My words.'"

All right, test! If what I've just said to you in the last ten or fifteen minutes has bothered you, then you better ask yourself:

• Can you really bear the words of Christ?
• Can you really understand the depths of your own human nature?

Here's the reason; Jesus said it truly: v 44: "You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you desire to practice. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the Truth because there is no Truth in him…."

If he quotes the Truth, a lie is surely to follow! The Truth that he may quote has already been perverted by the lies to come. Because you have to have all Truth and nothing but the Truth, not part of it.

"…Whenever he speaks a lie, he is speaking from his own self; for he is a liar, and the father of it…. [strong words] …And because I speak the Truth, you do not believe Me'" (vs 44-45).

Sidebar: Just to show you, just to give you another example, I think I have related this before, but this is a good place to relate it. I remember flying back from Dallas, coming from Tulsa through Dallas, and there was a man reading his Bible just across the aisle from me. I had the New Testament at that time and I thought, well, he's reading his Bible, I bet he'd like to have a New Testament. So, I gave it to him; he took it. About a month later I got the back cover ripped off of it and sent to me because we believe in baptism; and we believe in keeping the commandments of God; and I was a dangerous, false prophet.

It sounds like he was one of those in the group here where Jesus was speaking. You know, just because a person reads the Bible and is religious doesn't mean that they belong to God. You have to read and believe it and live it. That's the whole point we're talking about here with the Day of Atonement.

Verse 43: "Why don't you understand My speech? Because you cannot bear to hear My words. You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you desire to practice. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the Truth because there is no Truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he is speaking from his own self; for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I speak the Truth, you do not believe Me. "Which one of you can convict Me of sin?…. [no answer] …But if I speak the Truth, why don't you believe Me? The one who is of God hears the words of God…. [and repents] …For this reason you do not hear, because you are not of God" (vs 43-47)—all these good, religious people!

You could do the same thing today. Go down to St. Peter's Basilica and stand there and say, 'Pope Benedict XVI, you need to repent. Tear down all of these idols of these saints. Tear down this obelisk that is here.' Why you wouldn't get the words hardly out before the guards would come and arrest you and take you off and you'd be thrown in prison for blaspheming the pope. But would it be the truth? Yes! He really got them!

Verse 48: "Then the Jews answered and said to Him, 'Are we not right in saying that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?'" They did all of this to try and goad Him to prove their point!

Verse 49: "Jesus answered, 'I do not have a demon. But I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. Yet, I do not seek My own glory; there is One Who seeks and judges. Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps My words, he shall not see death forever.' Then the Jews said to Him, 'Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham and the prophets died; yet, You say, "If anyone keeps My words, he shall not taste of death forever." Are You greater than our father Abraham who died? And the prophets, who died? Who do You make Yourself to be?'" (vs 49-53).

Isn't that what it said? If anyone really preaches the Truth, 'Who gives you the right to say that?'

Verse 54: "Jesus answered, 'If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father Who glorifies Me, of Whom you say that He is your God. Yet, you have not known Him; but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I shall be a liar, like you. But I know Him, and I keep His Word. Abraham your father was overjoyed to see My day; and he saw it, and rejoiced'…. [What an answer! I was there with Abraham!] … Then the Jews said to Him, 'You are not even fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?' Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM'" (vs 54-58). They understood that He was God in the flesh!

Here's the whole thing, you cannot possibly mix the way of God with the way of the world, because the way of the world is the way of Satan the devil, even with all of the things that appear good.

Let's understand something here so we realize the whole meaning of being at-one with God. Having the Spirit of God in us is the greatest thing. We don't have the Spirit of God in us so that we can be saved ourselves. We have the Spirit of God in us so that we can be saved to save the world! Now think of that! Not just yourself, but the whole thing that Jesus did.

John 17 is very fitting; because it shows how we are at-one with God now and how later the world will become at-one with God, under Christ and us in the Millennium.

John 16:33: "These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation. But be courageous! I have overcome the world."

He's overcome the world. He's overcome the Satan the devil for the specific purpose that we may become one with Him and God the Father.

John 17:1: "Jesus spoke these words, and lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify Your own Son, so that Your Son may also glorify You; since You have given Him authority over all flesh…'" (vs 1-2).

They want to reject Jesus. They want to have other gods. But Christ has all authority.

"…in order that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. For this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You did send" (vs 2-3).

Before He was resurrected back to being a spirit being, Jesus Christ—though He was God manifested in the flesh—was not wholly, true God having carrying the flesh of human nature.

Verse 4: "I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work that You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me with Your own self, with the glory that I had with You before the world existed. I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You have given them to Me, and they have kept Your Word" (vs 4-6).

See how much God is going to honor keeping His Word, in all circumstances!

Verse 7: "Now, they have known that all things that You have given Me are from You. For I have given them the words that You gave to Me; and they have received them and truly have known that I came from You; and they have believed that You did send Me. I am praying for them… [Christ is praying for us every day] …I am not praying for the world…" (vs 7-9).

That is not the time to save the world. The world cannot be saved until Satan is put away! That's why we, living in this age, overcoming the world, overcoming Satan and living God's ways have the superior resurrection and the greater rewards.

"…I but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. All Mine are Yours, and all Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them" (vs 9-10).

Verse 12: "When I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. I protected those whom You have given Me, and not one of them has perished except the son of perdition, in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to You… [this is Jesus' last prayer] …and these things I am speaking while yet in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in them. I have given them Your words… [remember, everything in the Bible are the words from the Father] …and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world" (vs 12-14).

Don't worry about being accepted of the world because the god of this world is Satan!

Verse 15: "I do not pray that You would take them out of the world… [though we desire this once in a while] …but that You would keep them from the evil one.'" Keep us from Satan the devil!

Verse 16: "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in Your Truth; Your Word is the Truth. Even as You did send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they also may be sanctified in Your Truth" (vs 16-19).

That's what God wants. That's why this Day of Atonement. That's why God has called us!

Verse 20: "I do not pray for these only, but also for those who shall believe in Me through their word; That they all may be one… [that's what the Day of Atonement stands for: at-one-ment] …even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, in order that the world may believe that You did send Me" (vs 20-21).

Tremendous, brethren! That's why we dwell in Christ. Dwell in love. That's why we walk in faith, believe in hope and live in the love of God with Christ and God the Father dwelling in us. This is a tremendous thing that we have this opportunity now, as a foretaste to be at-one with God. And we're going to help bring it to the whole world when Christ returns.

Verse 22: "And I have given them the glory that You gave to Me, in order that they may be one, in the same way that We are one: I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected into one… [the whole process of overcoming] …and that the world may know that You did send Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that those whom You have given Me may also be with Me where I am, so that they may behold My glory, which You have given Me; because You did love Me before the foundation of the world" (vs 22-24).

So there it is! That's the meaning of the Day of Atonement: Why Satan must be put away, and how we are at-one with God the Father and Jesus Christ today!

Scriptural References:

• Leviticus 23:27-32

• Leviticus 16:7-10, 15-22, 29-33
• Revelation 20:1-3
• Hebrews 9:10-15, 24-26
• Hebrews 10:1, 4-6, 8-10, 12-19
• Hebrews 6:17-20
• Hebrews 4:12-16
• Revelation 12:9
• Isaiah 25:5-8
• Ephesians 2:1-3
• 2 Corinthians 4:1-5
• John 8:23-58
• John 16:33
• John 17:1-10, 12-24

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Revelation 19
• 1 John 2
• Revelation 2; 3
• 1 John 3
• Jeremiah 7

Also referenced:

• Book: Law of Offerings by Andrew Jukes
• Sermon Series: Why God Hates Religion

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 8-17-08
Reformatted/Corrected: 11/2019