Christ as the Day of Atonement Goat Sacrifice in 70AD-Reflecting on the Passover Lamb

 Christ as the Day of Atonement Goat Sacrifice in 70AD-Reflecting on the Passover Lamb




1.      If you could say which event in the OT was the most important, which one would you choose?

Passover, Crossing the Red Sea, the Law at Mt. Sinai, and/or the Hebrews entering the Promise Land.

 

2.      If you could say which event in the NT was the most important, which one would you choose?

The Cross, First Fruits and Christ’s Resurrection, Ascension, the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and/or the Saints entering Heaven.

 

The answer is they are ALL equally important for their respective paradigm.  Each one was part of a process of salvation. You take cannot limit each paradigm to ONE event.

One major event that is not fleshed out enough is how Christ’s Passover Sacrifice is considered a Day of Atonement (DOA) Sacrifice. The Passover is a propitiation for sin in the OT, not expiation. It represented an event that displayed Egypt under judgment and the “Passover” of judgment on whomever placed the lamb's blood on their doorposts. Those who participated escaped death. See Exodus 12:1-13 and Leviticus 23:4-8.

Atonement for the Nation of Israel occurred on the DOA. So why do we mistakenly attribute the Cross, a Passover sacrifice, as an atonement sacrifice? Below are a few reasons to reconsider why the Cross is a lot bigger process than we first imagined.

1. Christ says it is finished 3 times: before the cross, during the cross, and in 70AD. This indicates that this is a process, not a single event. See John 17:4, 19:30, and Revelation 15:1.

2. Hebrews 8:1-7, 9:11-12, 23-24, and Ezekiel 46:1-24 describes Jesus as going into the Holy of Holies in Heaven’s Temple (Ezekiel 40-48) to perform a DOA sacrifice. This consisted of one sacrifice with two parts. This was fulfilled in 70AD. Apostate Jerusalem was judged and the 2nd Temple was burned down to the ground.

3. There is a connection between Azal (Zechariah 14:5), Azazel (Leviticus 16:8), and Hebrews 13:12-14 to have the 144,000 Jewish Diaspora to identify as Christ's DOA goat sacrifice in 70AD. Simultaneously, it is a call to be considered “ritually dirty” in the sight of the Apostate Jews.


4. Christ was stripped of his garments at the Cross, wrapped in linen bandages in the tomb, and then “put on his glorified body-an even more humble garment” when He was resurrected. The old linen was replaced with the new linen. Christ’s blood was washed away between sacrifices like the High Priest in Leviticus 16. He was Azazel’ed into the “wilderness of Hades and then into Heaven.” After this event, Christ waited till 70 AD in order to put his blood on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. See Leviticus 16:24 and Revelation 11:19.

5. Passover was always propitiation for the elect. It was part of a bigger process. The DOA was able to renew our relationship with God. This is expiation. No additional blood was spilt from Christ. This does not diminishes the Cross. Christ identified as both Passover Lamb and the DOA Goat. Notice there were 70 nations in Genesis 10 (a figurative way to describe all nations) atoned for in 70AD.

6. By seeing atonement fulfilled in 70AD, instead of at the Cross in 30AD, we can see how the Old Covenant process of Salvation mirrors the New Covenant process of Salvation. See chart below.

 

7. The first Feasts focused on Christ's death (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost). The last Fall Feasts (Feast of Trumpets, DOA, and Feast of Booths) can only be done in the presence of the 2nd Temple. Without the 2nd Temple, these practices couldn’t be fulfilled completely. Therefore, the DOA sacrifice needed to be completed in 70AD. All the feasts are Temple-focused in general.


8. The “In that Day” phrase in the OT doesn’t refer to the End of History. It refers to the last DOA at the end of the Mosaic age (70AD).

 

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