Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Leviticus 16

Lev 16:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;

Israel (history), vs. 1-34; Num 3:1-10. (Gen 12:2, 3; Rom 11:26.)

the death of the two sons of Aaron

Lev 10:1, 2.

Lev 16:2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

come not at all times into the holy place

Exo 30:10; Heb 4:16; 9:7, 8; 10:19.

Lev 16:5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

two kids of the goats

The two goats. The offering of the high priest for himself has no anti-type in Christ (Hebrews 7:26, 27). The typical interest centres upon the two goats and the high priest. Typically

1. all is done by the high priest (Hebrews 1:3, "by Himself"), the people only bring the sacrifice (Matthew 26:47; 27:24, 25).
2. The goat slain (Jehovah's lot) is that aspect of Christ's death which vindicates the holiness and righteousness of God as expressed in the law (Romans 3:24-26), and is expiatory.
3. The living goat typifies that aspect of Christ's work which puts away our sins from before God (Hebrews 9:26; Romans 8:33, 34).
4. The high priest entering the holiest, typifies Christ entering "heaven itself" with "His own blood" for us (Hebrews 9:11, 12). His blood makes that to be a "throne of grace," and "mercy seat" which else must have been a throne of judgment.
5. For us, the priests of the New Covenant, there is what Israel never had, a rent veil (Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 10:19, 20). So that, for worship and blessing, we enter, in virtue of His blood, where He is, into the holiest (Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19-22).

The atonement of Christ, as interpreted by the O.T. sacrificial types, has these necessary elements:

1. It is substitutionary—the offering takes the offerer's place in death.
2. The law is not evaded but honored—every sacrificial death was an execution of the sentence of the law.
3. The sinlessness of Him who bore our sins is expressed in every animal sacrifice—it must be without blemish.
4. The effect of the atoning work of Christ is typified
   1. in the promises, "it shall be forgiven him"; and
   2. in the peace-offering, the expression of fellowship—the highest privilege of the saint. See Scofield Exodus 29:33, note.

sin offering

Sacrifice (typical). vs. 2-34; Lev 17:11. (Gen 4:4; Heb 10:18.)

Lev 16:6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.

atonement. [See also Lev 16:10, 11, 16-18, 24, 27, 30, 32-34.]

Atonement. The biblical use and meaning of the word must be sharply distinguished from its use in theology. In theology it is term which covers the whole sacrificial and redemptive work of Christ. In the O.T. atonement is the English word used to translate the Hebrew words which mean "cover," "coverings," or "to cover." Atonement (at-one-ment) is, therefore, not a translation of the hebrew, but a purely theologic concept. The Levitical offerings "covered" the sins of Israel until, and in anticipation of the Cross, but did not "take away" (Hebrews 10:4) those sins. These were the "sins done aforetime" ("covered" meantime by the Levitical sacrifices), which God "passed over" (Romans 3:25)—for which "passing over" God's righteousness was never vindicated until, in the Cross, Jesus Christ was "set forth a propitiation." See "Propitiation," Scofield Romans 3:25, note. It was the Cross, not the Levitical sacrifices which made "at-one-ment." The O.T. sacrifices enabled God to go on with a guilty people because they typified the Cross. To the offerer they were the confession of his desert of death, and the expression of his faith; to God they were the "shadows" (Hebrews 10:1) of which Christ was the reality.

See Scofield Exodus 29:33, note.

Lev 16:18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.

out unto the altar

Dispensationally, for Israel, this is yet future; the High Priest is still in the holiest. When He comes out to His ancient people they will be converted and restored (Romans 11:23-27; Zechariah 12:10, 12; 13:1; Revelation 1:7). Meantime, believers of this dispensation as priests (1 Peter 2:9) enter into the holiest where He is (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Lev 16:20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:

reconciling

Hebrew kaphar, to cover. See Scofield Daniel 9:24, note.

Lev 16:25 And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.

fat

Scofield Lev 1:8, ref.

Lev 16:29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:

the seventh month

i.e. October.

Lev 16:34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

LORD commanded Moses

Law (of Moses). Lev 26:2. (Exodus 19:1; Galatians 3:1-29).