John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world.” The “world” here means fallen mankind. Although mankind is fallen, God still loves mankind. We should not have the thought that He is angry with us. Instead of being angry with us, He loves us. He has loved us to such an extent that in eternity past He prepared a way first to cover our sins and then to remove them. In the Old Testament God’s economy was to cover man’s sins; in the New Testament God’s economy is to take away man’s sins.

Even though in the Old Testament time man’s sins were not taken away, God still provided something to cover the Ten Commandments so that the situation of fallen man might be appeased. On the cover of the ark were the two cherubim watching over the Ten Commandments. In typology the cherubim signify God’s glory. Thus for the cherubim to watch over the Ten Commandments was for God’s glory to watch over the Ten Commandments. The glory of God was watching over the Ten Commandments, waiting to see what the holy and righteous God would do with the approaching sinner. A cover was inserted to cover the Ten Commandments so that the glory of God could not see the Ten Commandments but could see only the cover. This is the way it is with God: He sees only the cover; He does not see the Ten Commandments. In Leviticus 16:2, 13-15 this cover is called the propitiatory cover. Hence, in the Old Testament propitiation was, according to the Hebrew, a matter of covering.

In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the word propitiation is used to denote the cover of the ark. The Greek word for propitiation means to appease a situation between two parties. Between these parties there is a problem that makes them unable to converse. Then something takes place to appease the situation. In the Old Testament it is the cover of the ark that appeases the situation involving God and fallen man. Because the Ten Commandments were covered and the situation was appeased, the one approaching God could be at peace, and there was nothing to hinder God and the one approaching Him from conversing with each other. Therefore, the Old Testament reveals that the cover of the ark, in which were the Ten Commandments and which was in the holy of holies, was the place where God met with His people.

The King James Version uses the expression “mercy seat” to translate the Hebrew word for propitiatory cover (Lev. 16:2) and “atonement” to translate the word for propitiate. Many theologians use the words atonement (an Old Testament matter) and redemption (a New Testament matter) interchangeably. Also, certain hymns use the word atonement where the word redemption is called for. What we have in the New Testament is not atonement but redemption.

Atonement means at-one-ment. To make atonement is to cause two parties to be one; it is to bring these parties into an at-one-ment, to make these parties one. In the Old Testament this atonement, this at-one-ment, equals propitiation. In our version of Leviticus we use the word propitiation instead of atonement.

There is a difference between propitiation in the Old Testament and redemption in the New Testament. In the Old Testament sins were covered, but they were not taken away. This covering of sin and sins in the Old Testament was a matter of propitiation. In the New Testament sins are taken away. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Here “sin” is a totality of sin and sins. The crucial point is that sins are not covered but are taken away. This is a matter of redemption.

According to Hebrews 10:1-4, propitiation in the Old Testament could not take away sins. If this propitiation had been able to take away sins, there would have been no need for the people to offer the sin offering continually year after year. The repetition of the offering was an indication that the taking away of sins for the accomplishment of redemption was yet to take place. It was necessary for the Lord Jesus to come to die on the cross for our redemption.

Hebrews 10:5-9 is a quotation of Psalm 40:6-8, which is a prophecy concerning Christ. Hebrews 10:5 says, “Wherefore, coming into the world, He says, Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me.” A body was prepared for Christ that He might be the real offering not to cover sin and sins but to take away the totality of sin. This the Lord Jesus did when He died on the cross. On the cross He took away sin to accomplish full redemption. Now what we have in the New Testament is not merely the covering of sins to appease the situation but a full, completed redemption that solves the entire problem of sin.

The first ten chapters of Leviticus cover the offerings and the priesthood. Chapters eleven through fifteen are very negative and show us what we are, where we are, what our condition is, and what issues out from us. Through these chapters we are fully exposed. These chapters are not merely a mirror but an x-ray that thoroughly exposes us. Now we know what we are, where we are, and in what kind of condition we are. We also know that what issues from our natural being is unclean. With Paul we can say, “I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing good dwells” (Rom. 7:18a). We are a totality of uncleanness, a totality of leprosy. Since we are such, we need a sin offering to solve the root problem of sin. Furthermore, as sinners we are not for God but altogether for ourselves. Therefore, we also need a burnt offering.

Our real situation is that we are sinful and that we are not for God. No matter what kind of person we may be, we are sinners, and we are not for God. Thus we need a sin offering and a burnt offering. We need a sin offering to solve the root problem of our sin. We need a burnt offering so that we can be for God.

Christ is both the sin offering and the burnt offering. According to Hebrews 10, Christ came to do two things: to take away our sins (vv. 10-12) and to do the will of God (vv. 7, 9). Christ came to take away our sin, to solve our root problem of sin. He also came to do the will of God, for He is fully and absolutely for God. Christ, therefore, is the sin offering and the burnt offering.

The Old Testament was a time not of taking away of sins but of covering sins. What we have in Leviticus 16 is the covering of sins. Concerning the propitiation in this chapter, two offerings are needed for the covering of sins-the sin offering and the burnt offering. To cover our sins and to thereby appease our situation with God, we need these two offerings.

Let us now go on to consider the many details in Leviticus 16 concerning the propitiation.
Home | First | Prev | Next