"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... By which also ye are saved... unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).

In this study it is our desire to probe into the depths of this great doctrine called Atonement. We would like to keep it as concise as possible but when searching the Scriptures to understand all that is meant or that might be contained in this doctrine of God, it appears that many volumes could fill up this teaching alone from the unseachable riches of Gods Word. All teaching on any Bible doctrine must be “according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3), but oftentimes when the feeble words of men try to expound on such as comes from the Lord God Almighty it seems that mere man is much lacking and has only done an injustice in this noble attempt.

We may wonder, why even bother? Perhaps we should just tell the brethren to read their own Bible and figure it out for themselves. But we find this commandment within the Scriptures that is to every believer “Preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2). And again, within the magnificence of God’s Word comes this declaration, “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe … [but] how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (1Corinthians 1:21, Romans 10:14)

The preaching of glad tidings is certainly in accordance with Gods for it pleases Him to save such as believe. The feet of those who would venture to take up such a task are called “beautiful” (Romans 10:15) even though their outward appearance may not be so attractive. Why is this? Because they bring the greatest commodity the world might ever know, that is the “Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ”. Those who would carry on this task do so because they first heard the words, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31), and having themselves believed on Christ alone for salvation, carry on this great commission of bringing the glorious news into their communities and unto the ends of the world.

They who are “in Christ”, and made “new creatures”, have become “ambassadors for Christ” and have been given this “ministry of reconciliation” (2Corinthians 5:17-21). This ministry involves preaching and teaching that is to be committed “to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2Timothy 2:2). As men of God they are to “keep that which is committed to thy trust” (1Timothy 6:20), which is to be for the salvation of “them that hear thee” (1Timothy 4:16), and also “for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). So this great commodity, this wisdom found in the Word of God “is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it” (Proverbs 8:11). “There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel” (Proverbs 20:15).

Where Do We Begin?

“And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch [Heb. kaphar] it within and without with pitch” (Genesis 6:13-14).

In the Old Testament, the word atonement is translated from the Hebrew word kaphar. It is also translated purge, reconciliation, reconcile, forgive, purge away, pacify, atonement...made, merciful, cleansed, disannulled, appease, put off, pardon, but first of all, it is translated in the Bible as pitch.

In the Old Testament the primary meaning of this word atonement is “to cover over” as it is used the first time it is mentioned in the Bible. “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch [Heb. kaphar] it within and without with pitch” (Genesis 6:14). In the case of the ark, the purpose of this covering was to keep the judgment of the floodwaters from reaching those within the ark. It came between the wrath of God and the one who would trust in God alone for deliverance. The pitch kept the ark watertight so it would not be consumed in the flood of God’s wrath. Therefore those who were within or under that covering, their lives were saved from physical destruction that consumed all those that were outside the ark.

Just as pitch was a covering for the ark, so blood was to be a covering for the soul. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement (Hebrew, kaphar) for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). Elsewhere in Leviticus we are told, “The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out” (Leviticus 6:13). The blood was given on the altar as a covering for the soul of the guilty sinner offering it. Therefore the blood would keep the fires of God’s wrath from destroying the guilty soul who was deserving of this condemnation.

Atonement necessitated a sacrifice. It necessitated the death of an innocent one whose “life” was offered in the stead of the guilty party. Therefore the blood of the innocent had to be shed for “the life of the flesh is in the blood”, and offered in substitution for the guilty sinner. Because all have sinned “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him” (Psalm 49:7). No man could die for another for his own life is required as “payment” for his own sin (Romans 6:23).

It is interesting that the ark was atoned “within and without”. Likewise we find within the Scriptures that atonement was made “for your souls” (Leviticus 17:11), and also “for your sin” (Exodus 32:30). A man may hate his brother in his heart; he may also manifest this hatred by killing his brother as Cain did Abel. There are secret sins within and there are sins without. The atonement covered both of these.

The Blood of Bulls and Goats

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12).

As we have already stated, the primary meaning of atonement is “to cover over”. In the Old Testament the blood (i.e. life) of an innocent one (such as a spotless lamb) was required in the stead of the guilty party to atone for their sins. Since “all [of mankind] have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), the blood of a “clean animal” was required. Animals cannot sin for they are not able to reason right from wrong. Animals are neither made in the “image of God” (Genesis 1:27), therefore, the blood of animals could only cover their sins temporarily, and never take them away. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).

The only real solution to mankind’s problem would be for an innocent man to die for the sins of the world. Therefore God sent His only begotten Son, “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). “Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26). Jesus Christ came into the world not to atone or cover up our sins, as is the meaning of the word, but rather to take them away. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). “In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve” (Jeremiah 50:20). “Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back” (Isaiah 38:17).

The Bible tells us that “The redemption of their soul is precious” (Psalm 49:8) and only God could “redeem my soul from the power of the grave” (v. 15) therefore nothing less than “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1Peter 1:19) could accomplish this. Jesus Christ therefore “made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20) where He “washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Revelation 1:5).

For the New Testament believer, sins are no longer covered but washed away, never to be brought to the attention of God again. “But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus” (1Corinthians 6:11).

“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19). The Psalmist did say concerning Christ, “Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves” (Psalm 88:6-7). Jesus Christ paid for all our sins.

Jonah prophesied, “the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me … I am cast out of thy sight … the waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about … I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars were about me forever …my soul fainted” (Jonah 2:3-7). Surely this was done when the Lord Jesus Christ “bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1Peter 2:24). “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

The Day of Atonement

“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:17-18).

That sins are “taken away” in the New Testament and no longer “covered” can be illustrated by looking into the most solemn feast day the Jews were required to observe, that is, the Day of Atonement. On this day “went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people” (Hebrews 9:10) and sprinkled it on the “mercy seat” in the Holy of Holies. This atonement was offered annually, year after year on the tenth of Tishri, five days before the Feast of Tabernacles, which corresponds to our September-October.

But these sacrifices, which were done under the law, could never make anyone “perfect” as pertaining to the conscience. “For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year” (Hebrews 10:2-3). Under the Old Covenant the sins of the people were never taken away. Those priests who ministered daily and offered “oftentimes the same sacrifices, [could] never take away sins” (Hebrews 10:11). Under the Old Covenant the sins were still there, because they were only covered, but God promised a New Covenant whereby the sin would be taken away and remembered no more (Jeremiah 31:31-34), consequently doing away with any further sacrifices and offering for sin, and therefore the mediatorial priesthood who offered up those offerings.

When Israel brought forth their sacrifices to atone for sin it was their acknowledgment that their sin was worthy of death and through substitution, trusted in God for the forgiveness of sin. Their faith lie in the fact that God was a just God and at the same time merciful who would allow the blood of a substitute to cover their sin until the fullness of time when Messiah would be “made of a woman” (Galatians 4:4, Genesis 3:15). Because sin was not ultimately dealt with, immediate access into the presence of God was never possible for the Old Testament saints, “till the seed should come” (Galatians 3:19).

The Lord God was too holy to look upon iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13) so a covering was necessary till sin should be taken away. From the beginning this was manifest when skins of a slain animal were provided by God to cover Adam and Eves sin. Although their sin was covered, they still were banished from the garden of Eden and the immediate presence of the Lord until their sin would be “taken away”.

Communion was now only possible through a mediatoral priesthood and the gracious allowance of a covering, but it was as through a veil. Their access to God never seem to be direct but they were accepted when they approached God on His terms. Able learned acceptance with God from his parents, who offered “the firstlings of his flock” (Genesis 4:4). “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain” (Hebrews 11:4), who was not “accepted” (Genesis 4:7) and “cursed” (v. 11).

In Jerusalem about the time of the first advent of Christ there were those who “looked for redemption” (Luke 2:38). One of these was a man named Simeon who when he beheld Jesus said, “mine eyes have seen thy salvation” (Luke 2:30). When the Lord Jesus came into the world He “washed our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5), “having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12).

When Christ died for our sins He “descended first into the lower parts of the earth” (Ephesians 4:9), that is Hades, which was divided into two compartments, one for the lost and one for the found. The compartment where those Old Testament saints abode was called “paradise” (Luke 23:43), or “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22-23) and from thence the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven where it is said “he led captivity captive” (Ephesians 4:8). Now that all those Old Testament saints who waited for redemption, who were yet under the first covenant, had their sins were “taken away”, they gained immediate access into the “presence of the Lord” (2Corinthians 5:8). And when a New Testament dies in Christ they “depart … to be with Christ; which is far better” (Philippians 1:23), for He “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people” (Titus 2:14).

Our Great High Priest

“We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1).

In the Old Testament, the Levitical priesthood was always busy about the things of the Tabernacle. There was never any time for rest, therefore no chairs were to be found therein. But our High Priest “when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). This is the great difference between our Great High Priest and the Levitical priesthood. Their work was never finished, but Christ, after He had by Himself purged the sins of the world cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

“And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God … For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:11-12, 14).

“For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself” (Hebrews 7:26-27).

“Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself … So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:25-26, 28).

The sacrifices that the Levitical Priesthood offered were under the law, and “the law made nothing perfect” (Hebrews 7:19). “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect … But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year” (Hebrews 10:1, 3). But Jesus having taken our sins away, forgave “you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).

When ones debt has been paid in full, there is no need for the debt collector to keep knocking on your door to remind you that payment is due. The debt has been paid and there is no need for any more payments, so the debt is stricken from the books, and your name is cleared. “Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:18). The Lord says, “their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (v. 17). This is why there is no longer the need of an intermediary priesthood to continue to make sacrifices for the sins of the people.

Those high priests could never with those sacrifices take away sin. They could only temporarily cover it with the blood of animals, so the debt kept coming up year after year. It kept coming up “Past Due” until finally, in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son Jesus Christ into the world.

“Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second” (Hebrews 10:5-9).

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us … not … the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:12, 24).

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Christ Our Mercy Seat

“And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel” (Exodus 25:21-22).

In the Old Testament, the word “mercy seat” (Heb. kapporeth) is derived from the word “atonement” (Heb. kaphar), which means, “to cover over”. The mercy seat then was a “covering” which was “above upon the ark”. It was from here that God would meet annually with the high priest, and commune with His people “from between the two cherubims” (Numbers 7:89).

On the great Day of Atonement the High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies where the mercy seat and the Ark were situated, bringing the blood of the sin offering to sprinkle it on and before the mercy seat to atone for the sins of the nation Israel.

As previously discussed, the blood of animals could never “take away” the sins of the people, only temporarily “cover” them. But now Jesus Christ “by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12).

We are now “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (Gr. hilasterion) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” (Romans 3:34-35).

The word “propitiation” in this verse is the same word for “mercy seat” (Gr. hilasterion) as translated in Hebrews 9:5. Thus Jesus Christ Himself has become our golden blood stained Mercy Seat where we can meet with God, where sinners can come for pardon and cleansing of sin through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.

“If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1John 2:1-2). “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1John 4:10). Christ’s death alone was sufficient payment for our sins. “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11).

The bloodstained mercy seat has now become for us the throne of grace. How wonderful and loving a God we have “wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6-7). “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Reconciliation

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled [Gr. katallasso] to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled [Gr. katallasso], we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement [Gr. katallage]” (Romans 5:8-11).

Atonement in the sense of a “covering” finds no place in the New Testament. Jesus “was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25) so now we have been “reconciled [Gr. katallasso] to God by the death of his Son”. Although the word “atonement” is mentioned this one time (Romans 5:11) in our King James Version, the translation of this Greek word is elsewhere always translated as “reconciliation”, “reconciled”, or “reconciling” and should be here also. For example, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled [Gr. katallasso] us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation [Gr. katallage]” (2 Corinthians 5:18). Thus our text is really saying that we have real “joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation [Gr. katallage]”, and as ambassadors for Christ we have now been given “the ministry of reconciliation [Gr. katallage]” (2Corinthians 5:18-21).

Some may earnestly contend that sins are “covered” or “atoned” for in the New covenant when they read Romans 4:7 which says, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” But this is a quotation from Psalm 32:1-2 (See also Psalm 85:2, Isaiah 61:10), and is not in the sense of Atonement but rather hiding or concealing, as the Hebrew word for “covered” in this Scripture is kacah, not kaphar.

We were at enmity with God because of our sin, but Jesus Christ “abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both (Jew & Gentile) unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Ephesians 2:14-16). “He was manifest to take away our sins” (1John 3:5).