From sunset 1 October through sunset 2 October is the Day of Atonement in 2025.
In the original Hebrew, the Bible calls the day Yom Hakippurim (which is Hebrew for “Day of the Atonements”).
The original rites and practices for the Day of Atonement are set forth in the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus (cf. Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 23:27-31, 25:9; Numbers 29:7-11). It is considered to be a time for fasting, during which no food or drink are to be consumed:
26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. 27 It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls…32 It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath (Leviticus 23:26-27,32).
This fasting is historically how the phrase “afflict your souls” has been interpreted by the Jewish community to mean fasting (this is also verified by such passages as Psalm 35:13; 69:10 and Isaiah 58:5) , unless one is somehow ill, and thus is already afflicted. Evening to evening means from sunset to sunset.
In the New Testament, the Day of Atonement is referred to as “the Fast” (Acts 27:9). The fact that this day was referred to that way (or even at all) is an indication that it was observed by Christians after Christ’s resurrection. The Bible clearly shows that so-called Jewish holy days, such as Pentecost were observed by Christians after Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 2:1).
A unique ceremony related to the Day of Atonement is discussed in Leviticus 16:
8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer him for a sin-offering. 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, ASV)
8 ‘And Aaron hath given lots over the two goats, one lot for Jehovah, and one lot for a goat of departure; 9 and Aaron hath brought near the goat on which the lot for Jehovah hath gone up, and hath made it a sin-offering. 10 ‘And the goat on which the lot for a goat of departure hath gone up is caused to stand living before Jehovah to make atonement by it, to send it away for a goat of departure into the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:8-10, YLT)
Christians note the parallels between the first of the two goats with Jesus and the second of the two goats with Satan (the Azazel goat).
Such as Jesus does get killed, but that Satan does not.
The slain goat represents Christ who actually dies for our sins. Notice Leviticus 16:15-19:
15 Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. 16 So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 And he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD, and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. 19 Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
Christ’s sacrifice is an atonement sacrifice to reconcile us to God. Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote:
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
Now the goat which God selected through lot, to represent Christ was slain, as Christ, its antitype was slain. But the other goat selected by God to represent Azazel was not slain, but was driven, alive, into an uninhabited wilderness. It was not a resurrected goat, symbolizing the resurrected Christ, for it never died. The uninhabited wilderness, to which this goat was driven, cannot, as we shall show, represent heaven, where Christ went. Heaven is neither uninhabited, nor a wilderness.
After God designated which goat represented Christ and which Azazel, the high priest (verse 11) killed the bullock for a sin offering for himself, then took the burning coals of fire and the sweet incense into the Holy of Holies, also sprinkling the blood of the bullock before the mercy seat, typical of the throne of God, covering the tables of testimony (the law). This the high priest was required to do in order to purify himself to officiate, and to represent Christ as High Priest. In the antitype, this was not done, for Christ, our High Priest, had no need of this purification as the typical substitutionary priests did.
Now the Levitical high priest was ready to go out and officiate.
Next, the goat which God selected by lot to represent Christ, as the sin offering of the people, was killed. Thus the sins of the people were borne by the goat, even as Christ, finally, once for all, bore our sins on the cross. But Christ rose again from the dead, and ascended to the throne of God in heaven.
Now, who, or what, from this point on in the Levitical ceremony, typified the resurrected Christ, who went to heaven? Some say the goat representing Azazel. Let us see.
The risen Christ, now at the right hand of the throne of God in heaven (I Peter 3:22), is called what? Our High Priest! What was the earthly type of God’s throne? The uninhabited wilderness? No! That is where the live goat went!
The earthly type of God’s throne was the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. After Christ died, He went to the heavenly mercy seat interceding for us, as our High Priest. “. . . Entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 6:19-20).
Now, again, who, or what, in the Levitical ceremony of the Day of Atonement, typified the risen Christ, our High Priest, who went within the veil to God’s throne in heaven? The one goat had been slain. It represented the slain Christ. It can no longer represent the risen Christ. The slain Christ was not our High Priest, because the Levitical priesthood, with its high priest, did not end until Christ rose from the dead and ascended to heaven as a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec. But the risen Christ was High Priest. Now WHO took this part in the Levitical ceremonies, temporarily re-enacted year by year, on this eternal Holy Day? Why, so obviously a child could see, it was the Levitical high priest, not the goat representing Azazel!
The High Priest Type of Christ
As soon as the slain goat was dead, who went within the veil, presenting the blood of this goat before the typical throne of God?
Leviticus 16:15-16 “Then shall he [the high priest] kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and [now the high priest himself typifying the work of the risen Christ] bring his blood within the veil . . . and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat: and he shall make an atonement for the holy place. . . .”
And so it was the high priest taking blood within the veil, to the mercy seat, that typified the risen Christ figuratively taking HIS blood, once for all, within the veil to the very throne of God in heaven, there to intercede for us as High Priest. Surely this is so plain a child can see.
The slain goat represented the crucified Jesus. The high priest, by taking the blood of this slain goat into the veil to the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies, a type of God’s throne, represented and did the work of the risen Christ, who ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on high, there interceding as our High Priest. (Pagan Holidays or God’s Holy Days Which?)
The Holy Days of the Hebrew scriptures have applicability now and all help point to Jesus Christ. As far as why Jesus is shown in Passover and Atonement, that is discussed in our sermon: God’s Atonement and Fasting Plan.
In the Old Testament, the Day of Atonement included a ceremony where the Azazel goat was sent to the wilderness (Leviticus 16:1-10). Christians see this sending of the Azazel goat away as picturing the time during the millennium when Satan will be bound and sent away for a thousand years in the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-4). This means that Satan will not be able to tempt and deceive during that time. The Azazal goat was not slain, nor is Satan pictured being slain.
Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, a goat is not sacrificed by Christians to observe this day (cf. Hebrews 10:1-10).
Yet, although Jesus was our Passover lamb sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) and He was slain only once (Hebrews 9:28), we also see a time other than Passover where Jesus is ceremonially slain.
Why?
Many have speculated, but there look to be scriptural clues, along with the fact that this happens before the release of the second goat.
Why two sacrifices since Jesus was only sacrificed once?
Because of how the biblical holy days picture God’s plan of salvation.
The biblical festivals begin with the sacrifice of Jesus (Passover), putting out sin (Days of Unleavened Bread), and the calling of the firstfruits in this age (Pentecost)–which is the beginning of the Church age (cf. Acts 2). The Church age ends when Jesus returns after the last trumpet is blown (Feast of Trumpets sets off a sequence of seven trumpets). The Day of Atonement comes after the Feast of Trumpets and, in sequence, happens AFTER the church age ends.
Jesus’ Passover sacrifice pictured His sacrifice for those called during the Church age, whereas the Atonement sacrifice pictures that Jesus did NOT JUST DIE FOR THE ELECT but for all (cf. John 3:16-17). That is also related to Him returning the second time for salvation!
This is a truth that has been restored in the Continuing Church of God.
This age lasts until Jesus returns, which He does on the seventh and last trump (1 Corinthians 15:52), which is one of the trumpets pictured by the Feast of Trumpets. After the church age is over, Jesus’ sacrifice will be accepted by more than the elect of the church age. It is NOT because Jesus will get sacrificed again.
Jesus is the “author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Passover shows part of why He is the author and the Day of Atonement helps show us He is the finisher (as does His return with the last trumpet on pictured by the Feast of Trumpets).
So, although the Greco-Roman-Protestants tend to think the atonement was just a past event, this understanding of the Day of Atonement points to a future time–and shows an aspect of God’s plan of salvation that most seem to have missed.
Since the Bible calls Satan “the god of this age” who has “blinded” the world (2 Corinthians 4:4), most have been blinded and have not yet been covered by the sacrifice of Jesus. Yet this will happen for nearly all who will be called–either in this age or the age to come (Matthew 12:32). Showing the sacrifice, ceremonially after the church age ends on the Day of Atonement, helps demonstrate that the sacrifice of Jesus was not just for those called in the church age, as God’s plan includes offering salvation to all, and not just today’s elect.
By showing the sacrifice prior to the other goat being released, this shows that Jesus was not taking away the sins of Satan.
Jesus took the penalty of all human beings. But it doesn’t apply to humans until after God calls us and grants us repentance (John 6:44) and we come to be willing to repent and we come to believe. Not only in Jesus, but we believe the Son and we believe the Father, that is, we believe what They say. Also, we prove it by repenting, being baptized, being granted the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) and actually trying to live as They would have us live (cf. 1 John 2:6).
People attempting to be faithful to the Bible have observed the Day of Atonement and we faithful in the Continuing Church of God continue to do so in the 21st century.
We are pleased to announce this Day of Atonement offertory from its ContinuingCOG channel:
Why should we observe the Day of Atonement? Isn’t that just another Jewish holiday that was celebrated in the Old Testament? If you don’t know the answer to those questions you are missing out on one the greatest mysteries God revealed to humanity; the mystery is His plan of offering eternal life to each and every human being. You see, The Day of Atonement is not just another Jewish holiday. In fact, it is not a Jewish holiday at all. It is one of God’s seven commanded Holy Days – Leviticus chapter 23. Since God commands us, as Christians, to observe this Holy Day, wouldn’t that make it worth the effort to at least learn a little more about it? The Day of Atonement is a special Holy Day that is observed by faithful Christians today and has a special significance for those that have not been resurrected at the time of the first resurrection (Rev 20:4-6). The Day of Atonement provides the means of allowing those that remain to be in the presence of God. The blood of sacrificial goat for the Lord temporarily covers, or atones for, the sins of those remaining individuals. NOTE: This sacrifice is not for the redemption of sins, which was revealed in the Holy Day of the Passover. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Passover does indeed pay the price of sin for all mankind, but each in their own order. Thus, the need for The Day of Atonement. This video goes into a more complete understanding of the differences and need for both the Passover and The Day of Atonement as well as touching on some of the other of God’s Holy Days.
On September 20, 1980 the late Pastor General Herbert W. Armstrong (Herbert W. Armstrong) gave a sermon titled ‘The Meaning of Atonement’ in Pasadena, California. This message was updated with additional scriptures, modifications, and various points in 2024 by Dr. Thiel. Why do two holy days picture the death of Jesus? Is there an application of the Passover for the church age and Atonement for the age to come? Is part of the meaning of the Day of Atonement to show that Satan has a part in our sins and will be driven out? Did Lucifer reject God’s way of giving love to his way of selfishness, vanity, and disobedience? Is there more to education that going to grade school or college? Is God a family? Why is there sex? Does the world push immorality? Why did God destroy the world with the Great Flood of Noah’s time? Do people have to be called by the Father to be saved? Will those not called during the church age have an opportunity in the ‘age to come’? Is Jesus the atonement and our High Priest? Should Atonement also helps us realize that we are cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
The Jews call it ‘Yom Kippur’ or the ‘Day of Atonement,’ as do some Christians. The New Testament calls it ‘the Fast’ in Acts 27:9. Are Christians supposed to keep the Day of Atonement and fast on it? Why fasting? Do all have to fast? Does fasting have to do with avoiding all food and drink? Can caffeine withdrawals result in headaches? How do the Jews say to prepare to fast? Are there health and spiritual benefits associated with fasting? Was Jesus represented by the slain goat for the sin offering by the High Priest in Leviticus 16? Is Jesus our Atonement? Could the slaying of the Passover lamb and the Day of Atonement sin offering goat help picture the sacrifice of Jesus was for the elect (via the Passover) and the rest to be called after the Church Age (via the slaying of the Atonement goat)? What about Satan/Azazel and his role? Will Satan be bound for 1000 years? Did early Christians keep the Day of Atonement? Are there are any records to show that Christians have been keeping the Day of Atonement throughout the Church Age? Why do Christians fast, but we do not have animal sacrifices on the Day of Atonement? What does the Continuing Church of God officially teach about the Day of Atonement?
The Day of Atonement is discussed in the Old Testament and is referred to as “the Fast” in the New Testament. How does it picture in God’s plan? Did Jesus pray that we would be at one with God/ Why fast? Do those who can fast avoid food and drink from sunset to sunset and not work on the Day of Atonement? What about nursing infants and small children? Did Jesus just die for those called in this age? What about everyone else? Since the Bible shows that Jesus only needed to die once, why do we see ceremonies related to Passover and Atonement which both picture His death? Is the timing of the Day of Atonement help point to its part of God’s plan? Are we to consider others as we “afflict our souls”? What about Satan and his role in our sins? Will there come a time of no sorrows? How can fasting help you? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more.
The Jews call it Yom Kippur and Christians call it the Day of Atonement. In transliterated Hebrew, the Bible calls the day Yom Hakippurim, which is Hebrew for “Day of the Atonements.” What do Old Testament scriptures say about it? Why is fasting associated with it? Did Jesus shed His blood only for Christians in this age? What about the age to come? If Jesus is only to be sacrificed once, why is He symbolically sacrificed as the Passover lamb as well as one of the goats associated with the Atonement ceremony in the Book of Leviticus? Is the Day of Atonement referred to in the Book of Acts? Is there evidence that Christians kept the Day of Atonement throughout the church age? Why should Christians observe it? Dr. Thiel addresses these topics and more in this video sermon.
