The Day of Atonement — Behind the Veil — The Blood of the Lamb

How this session works

This session traces the Day of Atonement ritual step by step, focusing on the two goats and the blood on the mercy seat. We discover why two goats were necessary to represent the full reality of atonement, propitiation and expiation together, and then follow the author of Hebrews as he shows how Christ has fulfilled and surpassed the entire system. By the end we will understand why Christians can now "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith." A teacher's edition with answers is available on request at [email protected].

Opening Prayer

Almighty God, Your Son Jesus Christ is our great High Priest who entered the holy places once for all by His own blood. Grant that we may see in the Day of Atonement the shadow of His perfect sacrifice, and draw near to You with confidence through Him who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Opening and Framing

The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, was the holiest day on the Israelite calendar. Once a year, on the tenth day of the seventh month, the high priest would do what no one else could ever do: he would pass through the heavy curtain and enter the Most Holy Place, where the presence of God dwelt above the ark of the covenant. This was not a privilege; it was a terrifying responsibility. Leviticus 16 opens with a sobering reminder: Aaron's own sons, Nadab and Abihu, had just been consumed by fire from God's presence for approaching Him with unauthorized worship. The high priest entered alone, shrouded in a cloud of incense so that he would not see the mercy seat directly and die. If the ritual failed, he would not come out alive.

Yet the author of Hebrews tells Christians that we now have "confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus" (Hebrews 10:19). What once required the most elaborate precautions is now opened to every baptized believer. How did we get from a veiled, restricted, terrifying inner room to an open invitation?

Question 1

Leviticus 16 opens with a reference to the death of Nadab and Abihu (16:1–2). Read Leviticus 10:1–3. What did Aaron's sons do wrong? What does God's statement "I will be sanctified among those who approach me" teach about His holiness? Why does God place this warning at the beginning of the Day of Atonement instructions?

Question 2

If you were an ordinary Israelite on the Day of Atonement, you would wait outside while the high priest entered the Most Holy Place alone. You could not see what happened. You could only wait to see if he came out alive. What does this restricted access communicate about the distance between sinful humanity and the holy God?

Framing statement

This session will trace the Day of Atonement ritual step by step, focusing on the two goats and the blood on the mercy seat. We will discover why two goats were necessary to represent the full reality of atonement (propitiation and expiation), and then follow the author of Hebrews as he shows how Christ has fulfilled and surpassed the entire system. By the end, we will understand why Christians can now "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (Hebrews 10:22).

Part One: The Day of Atonement Ritual, Leviticus 16:1–22

Each element of the Day of Atonement ritual teaches something essential about how a holy God can dwell among a sinful people. As you study, pay attention not only to what is done but to who does it, where it happens, and what materials are used.

A. The high priest's preparation (16:1–5)

✛ Read aloud: Leviticus 16:1–5

Key Hebrew terms

Kapporet (mercy seat): the gold lid of the Ark of the Covenant, flanked by cherubim, where God's presence dwelt in cloud. The word comes from the same root as kipper (to atone). The kapporet is literally "the place of atonement."

The high priest does not enter wearing his glorious robes of Exodus 28, with their gold, blue, purple, and scarlet threads. He wears plain linen garments (16:4). He enters humbled, not adorned.

Question 3

The high priest must bathe and put on plain linen garments (16:4), not the elaborate robes described in Exodus 28. Why do you think God required this humiliation? What does it suggest about the posture required to approach Him on behalf of sinful people?

Question 4

The high priest must first offer a bull "to make atonement for himself and for his house" (16:6) before he can deal with the sins of the people. What does this requirement reveal about the limitations of a human mediator? Keep this in mind for Hebrews 7:26–27.

B. The two goats (16:7–10)

✛ Read aloud: Leviticus 16:7–10

Key Hebrew terms

Goral (lot): the casting of lots to determine which goat would be slaughtered and which would be sent away. The decision is not left to human preference.

La-YHWH ("for the LORD"): the goat whose blood would be brought into the Most Holy Place and sprinkled on the mercy seat.

La-ʿazazel ("for Azazel" or "for the scapegoat"): the goat that would be sent away into the wilderness. The meaning of ʿazazel is debated (a place, a demon, or a description meaning "goat of removal"), but the function is clear: this goat carries sin away.

Question 5

Two goats are selected, but lots are cast to determine their roles (16:8). The decision is not left to the high priest's preference. What does the use of lots communicate about who is ultimately in control of the atonement?

Question 6

The two goats are treated as a single offering; Jewish tradition required them to be identical in appearance and value. One is slaughtered; one is sent away alive. Why do you think God designed the ritual to require two goats rather than one? What would be missing if there were only a slaughtered goat? What would be missing if there were only a scapegoat?

C. The blood in the Most Holy Place (16:11–19)

✛ Read aloud: Leviticus 16:11–17

The high priest slaughters the bull, takes a censer of burning coals and incense, and enters behind the veil. The cloud of incense covers the mercy seat so that he does not die. He then sprinkles the bull's blood on the mercy seat and before it. He repeats the process with the goat "for the LORD," bringing its blood into the Most Holy Place and sprinkling it on and before the mercy seat.

Question 7

The incense cloud must cover the mercy seat "so that he does not die" (16:13). What is the cloud protecting the high priest from? What does this tell us about the danger of approaching God's presence with sin unaddressed?

Question 8

The blood is sprinkled "on the mercy seat," where God's presence dwells, and "before the mercy seat" (16:14–15). The blood addresses God Himself. What does this placement communicate about the direction of atonement? Who is being propitiated, and how?

Question 9

Leviticus 16:16 says the high priest "shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel." The sanctuary itself needed cleansing from contamination by Israel's sin. If even the holy place where God dwelt was defiled by Israel's sin, what does that tell you about how deeply sin pollutes everything it touches?

D. The scapegoat (16:20–22)

✛ Read aloud: Leviticus 16:20–22

Key Hebrew terms

Samakh (to lay, to press): the high priest lays both hands on the goat's head with firm pressure. This is a gesture of transference.

Vidui (confession): the high priest confesses "all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins." The triple repetition is emphatic and comprehensive.

ʾErets gezerah ("remote area" or "land of cutting off"): a place from which there is no return. The sins are sent away permanently.

Question 10

The high priest lays both hands on the scapegoat's head and confesses "all the iniquities" and "all the transgressions" and "all the sins" of Israel (16:21). The triple repetition is emphatic. What does this comprehensive confession communicate about the scope of what the scapegoat bears?

Question 11

The goat carries the sins "to a remote area" (16:22). The Hebrew ʾerets gezerah suggests a land of cutting off, a place of no return. Read Psalm 103:12 ("as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us"). How do these images work together to describe the completeness of sin's removal?

Question 12

The scapegoat is sent away alive, bearing the sins. It does not die in the camp. It does not return. The sins are gone, not merely covered. Why is this visible, dramatic removal important for the conscience of the worshiper? What assurance does it provide that a blood sacrifice alone might not?

Part Two: The Two Goats Together, Propitiation and Expiation

The two goats represent two dimensions of what atonement accomplishes.

The slaughtered goat: propitiation

Its blood is brought into God's presence and applied to the mercy seat. This addresses God's wrath against sin. The blood satisfies divine justice.

The scapegoat: expiation

The sins are laid on its head and carried away into the wilderness. This addresses the sinner's guilt. The sin is removed, gone, no longer imputed.

Both are necessary. If there were only propitiation, blood on the mercy seat, the sinner might wonder: "But where did my sin go? Is it still on me?" If there were only expiation, the scapegoat, the sinner might wonder: "But is God satisfied? Has His wrath been turned away?"

Question 13

Some theologians emphasize propitiation, that Christ satisfies God's wrath; others emphasize expiation, that Christ removes our guilt. Why is it a mistake to choose one and neglect the other? How do the two goats together prevent this error?

Question 14

Christ fulfills both goats. He is the Lamb whose blood was shed (propitiation). He is the one who "takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29, expiation). How does holding both together give you greater confidence in the completeness of your forgiveness?

Part Three: The Fulfillment, Hebrews 9:6–14

✛ Read aloud: Hebrews 9:6–14

A. The limitations of the old system (9:6–10)

The author describes the tabernacle arrangement: the priests enter the outer tent, the Holy Place, regularly, but "into the second [the Most Holy Place] only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood" (9:7). The Holy Spirit was indicating through this arrangement that "the way into the holy places is not yet opened" (9:8). The system was provisional, imposed "until the time of reformation" (9:10).

Question 15

Verse 8 says the Holy Spirit was "indicating" something through the restricted access of the old system. What was the Spirit teaching Israel, and us, through the fact that only one man could enter, only once a year, and only with blood?

Question 16

Verse 9 says the gifts and sacrifices "cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper." The external ritual cleansed external impurity, but it could not reach the inside. Why is a clean conscience, not just a clean body, necessary for true access to God?

B. Christ's superior entry (9:11–14)

"He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption."

Hebrews 9:12

Key Greek terms

Ephapax ("once for all"): a single, unrepeatable, permanently effective act. This word appears in Hebrews 7:27, 9:12, 9:26, 9:28, and 10:10. It is the decisive refutation of any theology that makes Christ's sacrifice repeatable or incomplete.

Aionian lytrosin ("eternal redemption"): redemption that does not expire, need renewal, or require repetition.

Question 17

Verse 12 says Christ entered "not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood." The Levitical high priest brought animal blood; Christ brought His own. What does it mean that the blood Christ offers is His own? Why is this "greater" (9:11)?

Question 18

The phrase "eternal redemption" (9:12) contrasts with the annual repetition of Yom Kippur. If the Day of Atonement had to be repeated every year, what did that repetition itself prove about its effectiveness? What does the singularity of Christ's sacrifice prove about His effectiveness?

Question 19

Verse 14 says Christ's blood purifies "our conscience from dead works to serve the living God." The goal is not merely forgiveness but service. How does a purified conscience free you to serve God? What happens to Christian service when the conscience remains burdened?

Part Four: The Open Way, Hebrews 10:19–22

✛ Read aloud: Hebrews 10:19–22

A. Confidence to enter (10:19–21)

The author now draws out the implications for believers. We have "confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh" (10:19–20).

Key Greek terms

Parresia ("confidence" or "boldness"): the freedom to speak openly, to approach without fear of rejection. Originally a term for the democratic right of free speech for citizens in a Greek city-state.

Prosphatos ("new"): literally, "freshly slaughtered." The way is new because it was opened through death.

Zosan ("living"): the way is alive because Christ rose.

Question 20

In the Levitical system, unauthorized approach to the Most Holy Place meant death; recall Nadab and Abihu. Now we are told to enter with "confidence" (parresia). How do you reconcile the boldness Hebrews commands with the reverence Leviticus requires? Is this confidence presumption, or is it faith?

Question 21

The veil is identified with Christ's flesh (10:20). When Christ's flesh was torn on the cross, the temple veil was torn (Matthew 27:51). What does this connection between Christ's body and the veil teach about how access to God was opened?

B. The exhortation to draw near (10:22)

"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."

Hebrews 10:22

Question 22

The phrase "hearts sprinkled clean" echoes the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat. The phrase "bodies washed with pure water" echoes the high priest's bathing (Leviticus 16:4) and points to Baptism. How does Baptism connect you personally to the Day of Atonement and to Christ's blood?

Question 23

The exhortation is "let us draw near." In Leviticus, drawing near (qarab) was restricted to priests and, on this one day, to the high priest alone. Now all baptized believers are invited to draw near. What has changed? Who made the change possible?

Question 24

The phrase "full assurance of faith" (plerophoria pisteos) describes the confidence with which believers approach. What is the ground of this assurance? Is it your worthiness, your feelings, your performance? Or is it something outside of you?

Synthesis and Closing

Summary table for reflection

Levitical element	Fulfilled in Christ	Scripture
High priest enters alone	Christ enters as our representative and forerunner	Hebrews 6:20; 9:24
Blood of goats and calves	His own blood	Hebrews 9:12
Annual repetition	Once for all (ephapax)	Hebrews 9:12, 26; 10:10
Temporary covering	Eternal redemption	Hebrews 9:12
Access restricted	Veil torn, way opened for all believers	Hebrews 10:19–20
Scapegoat bears sins away	Christ takes away the sin of the world	John 1:29
Purifies the flesh	Purifies the conscience	Hebrews 9:13–14

Final discussion

✛ Read aloud once more: Hebrews 10:19–22

Question 25

The high priest entered the Most Holy Place alone, with blood, once a year. You may now enter every day, through Christ's blood, with confidence. What does this access cost you? What did it cost Him?

Question 26

How should the theology of the Day of Atonement shape the way you approach the Lord's Supper? What are you receiving when you receive Christ's blood?

Liturgical, Lectionary, and Hymnic Connections

Where these texts appear in the life of the Church.

Leviticus 16 — the Day of Atonement

Leviticus 16 is not appointed as a primary Sunday reading in the Three-Year Lectionary, though its theology pervades the New Testament readings in Hebrews. Its deepest liturgical connection is to the Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world"), which echoes both the slaughtered goat (propitiation) and the scapegoat (taking away sin). The Lutheran Confessions (Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XXIV) distinguish Christ's once-for-all propitiatory sacrifice from the eucharistic sacrifice of thanksgiving that Christians now offer. The Day of Atonement was annual; Calvary is singular and sufficient. The Lord's Supper is not a re-sacrifice but the distribution of the benefits of the one sacrifice.

Hebrews 9:6–14 — the blood of Christ

Hebrews 9:11–22 is the appointed Epistle for Maundy Thursday (Series A and B), directly connecting Christ's blood with the cup of the new covenant distributed at the Lord's Supper. Hebrews 9:11–14 is also read on Proper 26 (Series B). Hebrews 9:12 ("He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption") appears as the Gradual throughout Holy Week, proclaimed on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.

Hebrews 10:19–22 — confidence to enter

Hebrews 10:19–22 provides the biblical source for the pastor's opening exhortation in the historic Service of Confession and Absolution (Divine Service, Setting Three). When the pastor turns to the congregation and says, "Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father," he is quoting Hebrews 10:22. The liturgy teaches that we dare to confess our sins solely on the basis of the confidence we have through the blood of Jesus, our great High Priest.

Hymn selections

LSB 431 — Not All the Blood of Beasts

The opening stanza directly echoes Hebrews 9, confessing that the blood of animals on Jewish altars could never give peace or wash away the stain of sin, yet Christ, the heavenly Lamb, takes all our sins away.

LSB 530 — No Temple Now, No Gift of Price

Stanza three is a direct poetic exhortation based on Hebrews 10:19–22, celebrating that Jesus, our imperishable High Priest, has opened a new and living way to the true Holy of Holies by His blood.

LSB 624 — The Infant Priest Was Holy Born

The motif of this Communion hymn centers on Hebrews 9:11–28. Stanza five pictures the torn veil of Hebrews 10:20, declaring that at the Communion rail we now see our Priest, Jesus, who feeds us with the bread of immortality.

LSB 434 — Lamb of God, Pure and Holy

This Agnus Dei paraphrase confesses that Christ is the spotless Lamb who bore the sin of the world upon the tree.

LSB 433 — Glory Be to Jesus

Celebrates the blood that speaks better than the blood of Abel, the fountain of grace that cleanses the sinner.

Closing Prayer

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You that Your Son has torn the veil and opened the way into Your presence by His blood. Keep us steadfast in this faith, that we may draw near with confidence and receive the fruits of His sacrifice in Word and Sacrament. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

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