Two Stages of Atonement

Adapted from:
Roy Gane, Altar Call
(Berrien Springs, MI:
Diadem, 1999)
 Exodus 25:8

“And have them

make me a
sanctuary, so that I
may dwell among
them” (NRSV).
Variety of Sacrifices (Leviticus 1-7)
The multi-faceted magnificence of Christ’s
sacrifice explains why there were different kinds
of animal sacrifices at the Israelite sanctuary
(Lev 1-7).
All sacrifices pointed
to Christ’s sacrifice
(Jn 1:29; Heb 9:25-
28).
Purification Offering
(so-called “Sin Offering”)
Purification Offering and Forgiveness

• Blood was applied to horns (highest

points) of outer or inner altar, so
elevated and emphasized.
• Christ’s blood ransoms/redeems
human lives from deadly “debt” of
sin (Lev 17:11; Matt 6:12; 1 Pet
1:18-19; Eph 1:7).
Purification Offering and Forgiveness
• Blood on horns of an altar.
• The more prominent the blood, the
more powerful the atonement.
• Two kinds of purification offerings:
(1) For high priest or community
(Lev 4:3-21): blood into “Holy
Place.”
(2) For other persons (vv. 22-35):
blood only on outer altar.
Purification Offering and Forgiveness
• Emphasis on blood, representing
ransom for life (Lev 17:11).
• Required for sin or serious physical
impurity (Lev 4-5, 12, 15, etc.).
• Token payment of obligation/debt.
• So offerer couldn’t eat, and
purification offering performed
before burnt offering gift (Lev 9:8-
14, 15-16).
Purification Offering and Forgiveness
• Pointed to Christ’s sacrifice as the
way for God to “forgive us our
debts” (Matt 6:12).
• Paid by blood, so debt for life =
ransom.
• Only Christ can pay this price (1 Pet
1:18-19), which we can never pay
(Ps 49:7).
Purification Offering and Forgiveness

• Lev. 6:27 ‘Anyone who touches its flesh

will become consecrated; and when any
of its blood splashes on a garment, in a
holy place you shall wash what was
splashed on.
• Lev. 6:28 ‘Also the earthenware vessel in
which it was boiled shall be broken; and
if it was boiled in a bronze vessel, then it
shall be scoured and rinsed in water.
His blood was
lifted up, not on
the highest
points of a ritual
altar, but on the
cross.
 God’s Forgiveness
• Why can’t God forgive without
sacrifice?
• Love includes justice + mercy.
• Mercy at the expense of justice
would compromise love.
• Having broken the law of love, we
must die.
• But love makes God want to save us
(Jn 3:16; Judg 10:16)!
• Christ’s sacrifice extends mercy with
justice (Rom 3:26).
Day of Atonement Made
Simple
Day of Atonement Made Simple
• Purification offering (to the Lord)
bull for priests.
• Purification offering goat for
laypeople.
• Purification ritual (not a sacrifice)
goat from everyone to Azazel.
• Burnt offering ram for priests.
• Burnt offering ram for laypeople.
Day of Atonement Made Simple
• Only the purification offering goat for
laypeople had independent significance
pointing to Christ’s sacrifice.
• The bull and ram for priests were
necessary because the priests were
faulty.
• The burnt offering ram for laypeople
added to the quantity of their
purification offering (compare Lev 5:6-
7; Num 15:24-28).
Day of Atonement Made Simple
• Cleansing the sanctuary and camp all
boils down to “a tale of two goats.”
• Lord’s goat for laypeople carried
meaning of Christ’s role for His people.
• Nonsacrificial live goat for Azazel
represented someone else.
• That is the Day of Atonement made
simple!
Two Goats
 Two Stages Of Atonement
Evils came into the Israelite
sanctuary throughout the year and
were taken out of it on the Day of
Atonement.

What goes in must come out!

Two Stages Of Atonement
Two Stages Of Atonement
Two Stages Of Atonement
• Purging sanctuary on Day of
Atonement removed all evils that
had already been removed from
persons by sacrifices throughout
the year (Lev 16:16).
• Reversal of blood applications in
holy place.
• Difference in purification of
assistants.
Two Stages Of Atonement
High Priest sprinkling
blood on ark cover
Two Stages Of Atonement
Two Stages Of Atonement
• Disposing of purification offering
carcasses on Day of Atonement makes
assistant impure (Lev 16:28).
• On other days such a task does not
defile assistants (Lev 4:11-12, 21).
• Due to opposite function: sacrifices
carrying evils in (Lev 4; compare 6:27)
and out (Lev 16).
 Forgiving Guilty People

•
 Forgiving Guilty People
• God’s headquarters are at His
heavenly sanctuary/throne (Ps
11:4; Jer 17:12).
• God’s throne/sanctuary represents
His character, authority, and
reputation.
• God’s “name” at sanctuary (Deut
12:5, 11).
• His “name” involves His
reputation (Ezek 20:9).
 Forgiving Guilty People
Evils cleansed out of earthly
sanctuary on Day of Atonement
(Lev 16:16), clearing His
reputation:
• Physical ritual impurities
• Rebellious sins (“transgressions”)
• Forgivable “sins”
 Forgiving Guilty People
• Why would forgivable “sins” be
handled twice at the sanctuary?
• After forgiveness, what need for
atonement could remain?
• The woman of Tekoa to David: “The
blame is on me, my lord the king, and
on my father’s house, but the king and
his throne are clean” (2 Sam 14:9;
translation by Roy Gane).
 Forgiving Guilty People
• God is like David: morally responsible
for His judgments, including
forgiveness of guilty people.
• Having paid our ransom (Matt 20:28),
God is just when He justifies those
who have faith in Jesus (Rom 3:26).
• God balances justice and mercy, the
two sides of love (Ps 85:10).
Cleansed Through Judgment
• Judgment between loyal and disloyal
(Dan 7).
• = Justifying/cleansing God’s
(heavenly) sanctuary (Dan 8).
• Justifying God’s sanctuary through
judgment clears God’s reputation.
• Like Day of Atonement: judged when
sanctuary cleansed (Lev 23:29-30).
Cleansed Through Judgment
• How can judgment justify God’s
sanctuary?
• God’s throne represents His justice (Ps
89:14; compare 2 Sam 14:9).
• God’s justice must be vindicated
because He forgives guilty people.
• He also must be vindicated when He
condemns rebels who defame Him,
illegitimately defiling His sanctuary
(Lev 20:3; Num 19:13, 20).
Sanctuary and God’s Reputation
Sanctuary and God’s Reputation

• God’s reputation matters.

• By forgiving guilty people, God
lays Himself open to a charge of
injustice.
In Christ, God took
responsibility for forgiving
guilty but repentant people.
Sanctuary and God’s Reputation

• God is vindicated when He

justifies those who have faith
(Rom 3:26).
• But Satan continues to accuse
(Rev 12:10) by saying that
people do not really have faith.
Sanctuary and God’s Reputation
• God is not fully justified until an
end-time judgment because He
cannot save a person who does
not have (present tense) faith
(Col 1:21-23).
• The question is: Who has faith in
Jesus?
• The question is not: Who has
sinned? (Rom 3:23).
Sanctuary and God’s Reputation
• Only God can read thoughts (see
Ps 139:23; Lk 7:39-40).
• So the judgment considers records
(Dan 7:10) of works (Eccl 12:14)
showing whether true faith exists
(James 2:26; Gal 5:6).
• The judgment reaffirms assurance
of those who are forgiven (Dan
7:22).
Sanctuary and God’s Reputation

• Having faith and receiving

forgiveness means receiving
Christ and the transformation
He brings to our lives through
the Holy Spirit (Rom 8).
Sanctuary and God’s Reputation

“God’s forgiveness is not merely a

judicial act by which He sets us free
from condemnation. It is not only
forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming
from sin. It is the outflow of redeeming
love that transforms the heart.
Sanctuary and God’s Reputation

David had the true conception of

forgiveness when he prayed, ‘Create
in me a clean heart, O God; and
renew a right spirit within me.’ Psalm
51:10.” (Ellen G. White, Thoughts
from the Mount of Blessing, p. 114).
Sanctuary and God’s Reputation
• We can look forward to God’s
judgment as deliverance (Ps 26:1;
35:24)!
• Unlike the woman of Tekoa, we
need not bear responsibility for
pardon (Isa 55:1).
• We can leave to God the cost of
mercy!
“Steadfast love and faithfulness will
meet; righteousness and peace will kiss
each other” (Ps 85:10; NRSV).
Books by Roy E. Gane dealing with Ritual
Activity Systems and the Character of God
• Altar Call. Berrien Springs, MI: Diadem, 1999.
• Leviticus-Numbers. NIV Application
Commentary series; Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
2004.
• Ritual Dynamic Structure. Piscataway, NJ:
Gorgias Press, 2004.
• Cult and Character: Purification Offerings, Day
of Atonement, and Theodicy. Winona Lake, IN:
Eisenbrauns, 2005.
• Who’s Afraid of the Judgment? Nampa, ID:
Pacific Press, 2006.
• “Leviticus.” In The Zondervan Illustrated Bible
Backgrounds Commentary on the Old
Testament; Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
forthcoming.