Satan and the Day of Atonement

The Christian Day of Atonement is based on the English translation of the Hebrew for the Holy day Jews tend to call Yom Kippur. It begins at sunset Tuesday, September 25, 2012 and ends at sunset September 26, 2012.

Here is a statement by LCG’s Rod McNair about Satan and the Day of Atonement:

Satan the Devil, Banished: After the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement comes just nine days later. With the burst of activity just before the Feast of Tabernacles, it’s easy to gloss over and miss the meaning of this vital Holy Day. Without the Day of Atonement—symbolizing the binding of Satan the Devil—the peaceful and prosperous Millennium simply would not happen.

As the Day of Atonement draws near, let’s meditate on its meaning for the world, for the Church, and for us personally. We have an enemy who is active day and night seeking to make us stumble and discourage us, especially as the Feasts draw near. But the Apostle Peter wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9). It’s wonderful to contemplate what a profound difference it will make in society when this hateful being’s evil work is stopped. How grateful we can be to observe the Day of Atonement and learn how God will make that happen!

As Rod McNair indicated, one of the messages that the Day of Atonement teaches Christians (and others) is that Satan will be bound during the millennium (see also Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?). This is based upon passages in both the Hebrew scriptures (the Old Testament) and the Greek scriptures (the New Testament) which the “Azazel goat” a representation of Satan:

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 16:10, ASV)

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven… 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-2, NKJV)

In an earlier commentary, LCG’s Michael Heykoop:

Those who keep God’s Holy Days, listed in Leviticus 23, are reminded each year of the seven crucial steps in God’s master plan. This includes the removal of Satan! The Day of Atonement pictures a time in the not-too-distant future when Satan will be taken out of the equation. John saw this in a vision and recorded it for us in the book of Revelation:

“Then I 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. But after these things he must be released for a little while” (Revelation 20:1-3).

Satan will be bound for a thousand years, and then released for a short while before being put away for good! We do not need to remain on the edge of our seat, wondering who will be victorious. There is no contest. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), and His word makes it clear that the devil’s end has been decided; that Satan’s days are numbered!

If you would like to know more about the powerful implications of events pictured by the Day of Atonement, or would like to discover the path to truly understanding God’s plan for all mankind, then please do not delay in reading online or ordering our free booklet titled The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan.

Now Satan was murderer and a liar from the beginning according to Jesus:

44…the devil…He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44, NKJV)

Since the devil understands that his being bound and sent away is pictured by the Day of Atonement, he likely does not care for what it pictures. Satan and his warring ways may get especially active this Atonement as the prophetic events are occurring and his days are numbered.

Satan, however, is not the only focus of the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement also pictures the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and are reconciliation to God. It was kept by Jesus and His earliest followers. Should it not also be kept by you?

To learn more about it and the other Holy Days, please check out the following:

The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians “The Day of Atonement”. Does it have any relevance for Christians today?
Close Encounters of a ‘Spirit’ Kind discusses some experiences I believe were (demon) ‘spirit’ related.
Spiritual Benefits of Fasting Jesus said, “But by Prayer and Fasting” and this article by Dr. Meredith focuses on fasting and provides his physical and spiritual fasting tips. Does fasting help prevent heart disease?
Did Early Christians Observe the Fall Holy Days? Did they? Did Jesus? Should you?
Michael’s Day of Atonement Quiz Another free on-line Bible quiz by my son Michael.
Michael’s Feasts and Fasts Quiz 15 questions, amusing wrong answer screens.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2017, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂