For roughly six thousand years, the human race has been embroiled in a bitter war with a ruthless enemy. It’s a treacherous war, because most people don’t believe it exists—and many of those who do aren’t fighting for the side they think. This enemy is crafty. He does not eat because he does not grow hungry. He does not sleep because he does not grow tired. He does not die because he does not grow old—and he devotes the entirety of his warped genius toward our complete extinction.
He’s been there since our beginning. When Eve cast her eyes upon the forbidden fruit, he was there. When Cain picked up that rock and beat the life out of his brother, he was there. When Nimrod and his followers built a tower in defiance of God, he was there. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, when the apostles were martyred, when the Church of God was persecuted and defamed—pick the moment, he was there. He operates in the background, on a spiritual plane we can’t comprehend using weapons we struggle to perceive—but he’s there. Influencing. Manipulating. Intimidating. Corrupting. Deceiving. Perverting. Destroying.
The Bible calls him Satan. The adversary. He is the enemy of God’s people, the accuser of our brethren, the fallen angel, the devouring lion, the cunning serpent, and the fiery dragon. He alone is responsible for more pain and suffering than any other being that has ever existed. And I don’t have to give you examples, because you know. You know the kind of damage Satan can do because you’ve seen it. You’ve seen it in history books. You’ve seen it on the news when you turn on the TV. You’ve seen it in the lives of friends and family, and you’ve seen it in your own life and in your own heart. The most malicious being in the world has an intense desire to destroy you and everything you care about.
But it’s okay. Why? Because of today. Because of the Day of Atonement.
Because today is the day we win. Today is the day we beat the dragon.
In the days of ancient Israel, Atonement was the day when the high priest would come before the ark of the covenant and make atonement for the sins of Israel (Leviticus 16:15-16). It was also the day when an azazel goat was selected to symbolically bear “all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions” (Leviticus 16:21) before being banished into the wilderness.
Today, we understand the Day of Atonement to picture a monumental step in the plan of God: the imprisonment of Satan. We know from the book of Revelation that this day is coming—a day revealed to the apostle John in a vision, where he saw “an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:1-3).
This is that day.
The Day of Atonement pictures a day in the future when Satan, the true azazel goat, will be held responsible for his innumerable crimes and sealed away for a thousand years of peace, the like of which the world has never seen. Satan, the fiery dragon and our perpetual foe, will be rendered impotent by the mighty hand of God and stripped of all his influence. Our enemy will be defeated.
Things are tough right now. They’re tough for everyone, and I see that more and more every time I talk with people. But let’s not forget why they’re tough—because Satan is running out of time, and he knows it. Every day that passes is one less day for him to harass God’s people, so he’s eager to do everything he can with the time he has. That means turning up the pressure and pushing the envelope as far as God will allow him in this present age.
But it can’t go on forever. It has to end, and it is going to end when that angel descends from heaven and locks him away for a thousand years. And that’s part of the message of Atonement: that day is coming. Atonement isn’t just the day where we don’t eat for 24 hours. It isn’t just the day we have to get through to get to the Feast of Tabernacles. It’s a day that pictures all of humanity being freed from the clutches of a being determined to ruin their lives and their future. It’s a day when this terrible war will end and we will find the rest for which we have been longing. It’s a day integral to the entire plan of God.
So what about right now? What about this moment, when Satan is still unbound and our fight is still unfinished?
We take a hint from the apostle Paul, who reminds us, “now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:11-12).
One day, this war will end. But today, in this moment, it still rages on. We’re still fighting, and we will be until we see our enemy locked away. So take up your armor, take up your swords, and let us fight the good fight.
Onward, Christian soldiers.
Nicely stated!
Such a great Sabbath Thought, Sweetie! May this day come quickly!
Longing for the lockup! So very appreciative of the plan of God!
Beautiful. So longing for the fulfillment of this day.
Yo! cool and true so to arms with a smile
A very well written reminder that Satan is actively trying to destroy us; however, does the Day of Atonement actually picture the much anticipated binding of Satan?
As you previously stated, the Azazel represents Satan… or does it? What we know: 2 goats (clean animals) are selected, one for the Lord and the other to be the “goat of departure.” Azazel in the Hebrew means: entire/full removal, or to go away. Is this perhaps meaning the binding/removal of Satan… or maybe just the removal of sin?
Lev. 16:10 – But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
What this says is that this live goat was to be an atonement for our sins. Satan can’t atone for our sins, but Christ can:
Rom 5:10 – For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Rom 5:11 – And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Now let’s look at Lev. 16:21
“And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness”
In this we see that the sins were placed on the Azazel goat, just like the sins are placed on Christ.
Isa 53:6 – All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Again, Christ is the one who takes away our sins:
John 1:29 – The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
I John 3:5 – And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
So what is the purpose of the Azazel? The Azazel (goat of departure) was a physical reminder to the children of Israel, of the need to have sin completely removed
Psa 103:12 – As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Due to their stiff-necked nature, Israel needed several physical reminders to remove and abstain from sin, such as: Fringes/Tassels on the garments (Num. 15:38-39), Not wearing mixed garments of linen and wool (Lev. 19:19) and of course the Days of Unleavened Bread, to name a few.
Now let’s step back to Lev 14 – the law of the leper
The same type of atonement sacrifice is applied here; however, it’s with 2 clean birds. While it doesn’t indicate if lots are cast, one bird is sacrificed and the other is loosed in the field. In neither case (Lev 14 or 16) is the live animal “bound” for a period of time, nor is it “cast into the lake of fire and tormented.” It is simply removed far away/out of sight.
I’ve also heard the argument that the lots were cast because both goats look identical, just like Satan can transform himself into an angel of light. However, shouldn’t the high priest (or anyone who is of God) be able to tell which one is of God and which one is of Satan? Perhaps they were identical because they both represented Christ!
So if Atonement doesn’t represent the binding of Satan, what could it mean?
Lev. 23:27 – Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Atonement is a day where we come humbly before God and celebrate our reconciliation to Him through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ; which mirrors the theme of Passover. Kippur means to cover up or pardon. Christ pardons us from our sins if we seek Him humbly with full godly repentance.
Lastly, to address “But this doesn’t fit into Gods plan of salvation!”
Nowhere in scripture does it say that the Day of Atonement represents the binding of Satan, and (while on the topic) nowhere in scripture does it say that the Day of Trumpets/Shouting or the Feast of Tabernacles represents the return of Christ and the Millennium, respectively. We need to be using the God-breathed scripture to prove all things, not following mans’ booklets. Didn’t the Berean’s search the scriptures to make sure Paul was preaching the truth? We must prove to God that we will follow Him and not man, if we want to have everlasting life.
To the kingdom !