*Editor’s note: This is part 3 in Dr. Brandon Rhea’s blog series on “The Day of Atonement.”
Read part 1 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-jesus-our-high-priest-brandon-rhea/
Read Part 4 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-believers-baptism-brandon-rhea/
Read Part 5 here: https://cbtseminary.org/the-day-of-atonement-foreshadowing-repentance-and-faith-brandon-rhea/
The Day of Atonement: Foreshadowing Jesus’ Particular Atonement
Leviticus 16:16, 21
Brandon Rhea
Intro
In the early 17th century, a doctrinal controversy erupted in the Dutch Reformed Church. Jacob Arminius, who had studied under Theodore Beza in Geneva, came to reject the doctrines of predestination. As an ordained minister in a Calvinist denomination, he started teaching against the confession of faith and persuaded some ministers to follow his position. After his death in 1609, the Arminian party published a confessional statement of five points called the Remonstrance. On the matter of Christ’s death, they taught, “Christ by His death has purchased salvation equally for all, but this salvation is enjoyed only through faith.” They denied limited or particular atonement and believed Christ died for every single person. Years later in 1617, the Dutch Reformed Church called an international Synod of Dort where the participants issued the Canons of Dort with the five points of Calvinism. Regarding the extent of Christ’s atonement, they wrote, “The death of Christ is sufficient to save the whole of humanity, but by God’s sovereign will it is effective in actually saving the elect, by enlivening them to a true, justifying, sanctifying, preserving faith.” They believed Christ only died for the elect which redeemed them instead of making redemption a possibility.[1]
What do you believe about the extent of Christ’s atonement? For whom did Christ die? Does the answer to the question matter or is it for the ivory towers? Does it affect our trust in the Triune God? Does it have an impact on our assurance of salvation?
We now will continue our blog series on Leviticus 16. Last time we learned that the Day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ atonement because Jesus is the propitiation for our sins and Jesus is the scapegoat who carries away our guilt. In our time now, we will answer this question: How does the Day of Atonement foreshadow Jesus’ atonement for His people? How does the yearly sacrifice portend Christ’s redemption for His elect?
Point 1
Our first and only point is this: The Day of Atonement foreshadows Jesus’ atonement because Jesus died for His elect. The yearly sacrifice portends Christ’s redemption because Christ atoned for His people.
Chapter 16 details the High Priest’s responsibilities on the Day of Atonement. Once a year, the Lord invited the High Priest into the Holy of Holies with the ark of the covenant to offer a sacrifice for uncleanness, unintentional sins, and for high handed or deliberate sins. Yet, the need to offer sacrifices yearly showed that the sacrifices did not cleanse the soul. Instead, the sacrifices served as a type to point to the antetype—Jesus Christ. Only through Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross and by trusting in Him can a person be cleansed and redeemed.
I now want to take time to answer an important theological question with significant pastoral implications: For whom did the Priest offer the sacrifices? For whom did Christ die? These two questions are connected as a type and antetype relationship.
Let’s begin with the first question regarding the sacrifices in Leviticus 16. In verse 16, the High Priest makes atonement for the people of Israel. Then, in verse 21, Aaron confesses the sins of Israel on the live goat. The goat bears Israel’s iniquities to carry them away into the wilderness. What about the Gentiles? Did the High Priest make atonement for the Egyptians, Assyrians, Medes, Persians, and Babylonians? Did the Gentile nations’ sins get transferred to the scapegoat? No! The Day of Atonement sacrifices had a limited scope. The High Priest interceded for Israel and not for the Gentiles. The goat did not die for the whole world. The scapegoat did not carry away the sins of every single person in the world. Moreover, the High Priest’s breastplate reveals the sacrifice’s limited scope. Exodus 28:21 says, “There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes.” When the High Priest interceded in the Holy of Holies, he had the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved. He did not have the names of Egypt, Assyria, the Medes, Persians, nor Babylonians.
Furthermore, other sacrifices in the Old Testament had a limited application. The Lord, for example, gave the Passover Lamb to Israel and not to the Egyptians. Exodus 12:13 states, “The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” God’s intent was to save Israel and to punish the Egyptians for their hard heart. He did not design the Passover Lamb as a means to save the Egyptians. In addition to the Passover Lamb, God gave the sacrificial system to Israel and not to other nations. Deuteronomy 21:8 states, “Accept atonement, O Lord, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.”
Why did God intend to save, redeem, and atone for Israel alone? God chose Israel over all other nations. To use another term, God elected Israel. Deuteronomy 7:6-7 says, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers.” The Lord chose Israel to be His people, even though Israel had few numbers in comparison to other nations. The Lord set His love upon them out of His good pleasure and not because of anything good in the Israelites. Since the Lord set His love upon them through election, then God gave them the sacrifices to atone for their sins.
Having chosen them, God calls Israel, “My people.” Isaiah 53:8 which speaks of the Messiah’s death to atone for His people says, “By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?” For whom did the Messiah die? He died for “the transgression of my people.” He did not die for every person who has existed in the world. Rather, He came to die for His elect. Thus, Isaiah 53:12, which is four verses later, says, “yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” Jesus bore the sin of many and not of all. God placed the guilt of the elect on Christ to bear. He did not place upon Him the guilt of the reprobate. With these passages, we see a consistent theme; God intended for the sacrifices and for the Messiah’s sacrifice to be limited to His people.
When we study the New Testament, we see the same limited scope carrying over from the Old Testament. John 10, for instance, reveals Jesus Christ as The Good Shepherd. In verse 11, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” For whom does Christ die? The sheep! To make sure that we understand the intent of His incarnation, Jesus says again in verses 14-15, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” Who are the sheep? They are His people, whom the Father chose before the foundation of the world to be saved. Jesus died for the sheep, but He did not die for the goats.
Another way to say the same thing can be found in Paul’s writings. Christ died for the Church. Ephesians 5:25-27 says, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” To illustrate the roles in marriage, Paul points us to the relationship between Christ and the church. Christ died for the church to save her and to sanctify her. He is preparing her for His coming. The object of Christ’s crucifixion is the same as the object of Christ’s sanctification. For whom Christ died He will sanctify. Thus, Christ died for the elect to make them holy. He does not die for the non-elect, because He does not intend to make them holy.
Paul makes another reference in Ephesians 5:2. “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Who is the antecedent of “us”? We must look to the beginning of the letter in Ephesians 1:4-5. It says, “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” “Us” refers to the elect. God chose the Ephesians and Paul to be His before He created anything. He chose to make them holy and to be adopted sons. How would this be accomplished? Christ came to die for the elect. “Us” in Ephesians 5:2 refers to God’s elect who are God’s people.
Besides the book of Ephesians, Paul also incorporates this theme in Galatians 1:3-4. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Jesus died for “our sins.” The Apostle pens this letter to churches in Asia Minor whose audience consists of professing Christians. Jesus died for the elect with a purpose. The atonement set them free from “the present evil age.” Through the power of the gospel, they no longer remain in bondage to the wicked deeds of the flesh. Christ, therefore, saved them in keeping with the Father’s will. The Father and Son share the same will and intent in the atonement.
To add more weight to the case of definite atonement, let us look at Titus 2:13-14. When writing to his disciple Titus, Paul said, “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” In looking to Jesus Christ as our hope, Paul describes Jesus’ mission. He ”gave himself for us.” Once again, “us” refers to Titus and Paul. It, however, also encapsulates the elect. Titus 1:1 says, “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness.” As an Apostle of God, Paul ministers for the elect. He has written this letter to Titus to set up elders in the churches on Crete and to see the body grow in practical holiness. Paul ties sanctification to the intent of Christ’s atonement. He died “to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Jesus did not die for every single person to make salvation possible if they would respond. Rather, He died for His elect to save them and to make them holy. His atonement saved His people and by His power sets them free to live obedient lives.
Elsewhere in the gospel of Matthew, we see the intent of the atonement matches Isaiah 53. Matthew 20:28 says, “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” For whom did Jesus die as a ransom? He died for many but not for all. Moreover, Matthew 26:28 says, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” At the establishment of the Lord’s Supper on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus makes His intentions known. He pours out His blood for many and not all. In this setting, He reveals His future crucifixion as the fulfillment of the Old Covenant sacrifices. Just as those sacrifices had a specific application to the nation of Israel, Jesus’ sacrifice applies to His people. The Holy Spirit will regenerate the elect to become members of the New Covenant by faith in Christ. Through their union with Christ, they will have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Jesus went to the cross to offer Himself up for the elect in the same way the High Priest applied the blood of the goat in the Holy of Holies and confessed sins over the scapegoat for Israel and not for the Gentile nations.
When discussing the topic on the extent of the atonement, most Christians believe that Christ died for every single person and not only for the elect. To make their case they will appeal to the “all” and to the “world” passages in Scripture. First, let us look at some of the all passages. When we examine them, ask this question: Does it mean that Christ died for every single person without exception? John 12:32 says, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Classic Arminians will use this verse to support their doctrine of prevenient grace. They argue that God has given equal grace to every single person. Then based upon the person’s free will, he or she will choose God. Calvinists hold that God gives special grace to the elect which He does not give to the reprobate. Through God’s effectual grace, every one of His elect will be saved and drawn to Him. What does “all people” mean in John 12:32? To understand the verse, we must look at the context. Earlier in John 12:20-22, Philip reported that the Greeks came to Him with a request to see Jesus. Thus, with this context in mind, John 12:32 means “all kinds of men including Gentiles.” God will not draw Jews alone. It does not refer to every single person without exception but to all kinds of people.
The next “all” passage comes from 1 Timothy 2:3-6. It says, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” Paul writes “all people” and “all” twice in this passage. Some people argue that God does not want any single person to be lost, and Jesus died for every single person. When making their argument, however, most people do not go back to verse 1. Paul begins by telling Timothy to pray “for all people” and especially people in government. Does Paul mean to pray for every single person without exception or to pray for different kinds of people including government officials? I believe the latter is the case. Thus, this meaning should continue to verse 4 and 6. God does not desire for all kinds of people to perish, and Christ died for all kinds of people.
Our final “all” passage can be found in 2 Peter 3:9. It says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” God is patient towards “you.” What is the antecedent of you? Who does God want to reach repentance? To answer the question, we must know to whom the letter is written. 1 Peter 1:1 says, Peter writes to the persecuted church. In 1 Peter 1:10, he tells them to “be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election.” Peter gives them the grounds for knowing their calling and election through bearing good fruit. Thus, 2 Peter 3:9 refers to the elect and not to every single person without exception.
Now let us turn our attention to two “world” passages. 1 John 2:1-2 states, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” John uses the phrase “of the whole world.” Later in 1 John 5:19, John repeats this phrase. It says, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Does “whole world” in 1 John 5:19 refer to every single person without exception? No! If it did, then every believer would be under the power of the evil one. Instead, “of the whole world” refers to the nations. In the same way, going back to 1 John 2:1-2, Jesus is the propitiation not for every single person who ever lived without exception but for people from all kinds of nations. If Jesus did satisfy the wrath for every single person without exception, then no one would go to hell. Why? If God’s wrath has been satisfied by Christ, then why would God send them to hell if their debt has been paid? Consequently, if “of the whole world” means every single person it would prove universalism.
The second “world” passage may be found in John 1:29. John the Baptist announced Jesus’ identity: “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Did Jesus take away every single person’s sins? No! Jesus came to die for the elect who make up people from all over the world. Just as the Passover Lamb was applied only to the Jews, Jesus Christ as the Lamb is only intended for the elect.
Having covered these passages, I have five questions for those who advocate universal atonement. First, did Jesus die for the Amorite high priest in the Old Testament? Did Jesus come to make the priest savable even though he had been in hell for hundreds of years? Did Jesus die for the people who were already in hell? Did Jesus die for the Native Americans who would never hear the gospel? God planned before the foundation of the world that these people would never have access to the gospel until the 16th century. Did he draw up that plan only to have Jesus die for them even though they would never hear the good news? Did Jesus die for more people than the Father gave Him? Also, did Jesus die for more people than the Spirit would regenerate? If these last two question are true, then God is not united in purpose. Disunity would exist in the Trinity.
Since we have examined the consistent theme of limited atonement in the Old and New Testaments while addressing objections, I now want to cover the practical implications of this doctrine. Why does it matter?
First, definite or limited atonement increases our trust in God. How? There is unity in the Godhead in planning and completing salvation. The divine will subsists in the Father, Son, and Spirit. The Father chose the elect. The Son died for the elect. Then the Spirit draws, regenerates, and dwells in the elect. From a universal atonement perspective, the Father chose the elect, the Son dies for every single person in the world, and the Spirit draws, regenerates and dwells in the elect. The Son’s intent does not match the Father and the Spirit even though they share the same will.
Imagine a contractor who plans to build himself a house. Considering his expertise and background, he draws up the plans himself. Then, when he builds the house, he deviates. He builds a 5000 square feet house instead of 2500. Yet, when he moves into the house, he only lives in the original 2500 and leaves the rest of the house empty. What would we think of a person who did this? He did not execute the intention of his plans. He did more than the plan required and more than what he would use. Would you trust this man to build you a house? No! What if he does not follow the plans again?
In the same way, God’s unity in the plan of salvation should increase our trust in Him. We can be assured that since our Triune God had the same intent in salvation, He will bring about our sanctification and glorification. In Romans 8:30, God does not deviate from His intent of saving His chosen people. “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Since our Triune God planned and executed our salvation, we do not doubt Him when we face trials and temptations on earth. Moreover, we have hope when we face death, knowing that our Triune Lord will raise us from the dead, because He chose us, died for us, and sanctified us. He will complete His plans for us.
The second and last application is this: definite atonement produces assurance of salvation. Can a person have certainty now that he is saved? Absolutely! We know, however, that many Christians suffer from a weak conscience. They ask themselves, “Have I repented enough to be saved? Have I been specific and thorough enough? Will God forgive me if I do not list all of my sins?” These Christians believe that salvation necessitates perfect and comprehensive repentance. Thus, when they discover a new sin in the present or remember an old sin from the past, it shakes their assurance of salvation.
In Leviticus 21:21, the High Priest confessed the Israelites’ sins over the goat. Could he confess every sin for every person in the camp? No! The camp consisted of hundreds of thousands of people. How many sins did one person commit in a year? The High Priest could not confess each sin for each person specifically to the goat. He could only speak in generalities. How many millions of sins went without acknowledgment or confession?
Here is the good news to those who have a weak conscience: Jesus Christ carried your name and your sins to the cross. He did not carry the abstract “world” or “all” people. He had your name on His breastplate while He suffered. In the same way, the High Priest had the names of the 12 tribes on his breastplate. Jesus Christ had every single elect person on His heart. Because Jesus is God, He knew every sin you would commit in your life. He, therefore, carried every sin away from you. Your salvation does not depend on you remembering, confessing, and being sorrowful enough over all of your sins for all of your life. Why? No one can do this. No one can remember every sin he has committed. Rather, Christ goes to the cross and pays for every single sin for us. He does not forget to pay for one of them. He paid it all. He paid it specifically to your account with your name at the top.
If you have a weak conscience, then particular atonement should give you great hope. Instead of looking to your perfect repentance which you cannot do to feel secure, look to Jesus Christ on the cross. Find rest for your soul in knowing that the Father chose you, the Son died for you specifically, and the Spirit drew you by name. Our Triune God will not let one of His elect perish. Your salvation does not depend upon you. To your great joy, your salvation rests on the perfect work of Christ.
[1] Nick Needham, 2000 Years of Christ’s Power Vol. 4: The Age of Religious Conflict (Fear, Ross-Shire, Great Britian: Christian Focus, 2016), 134-141.
Brandon Rhea (Ph.D. Historical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor and an ACBC certified Biblical counselor. He met his wife, Karise, while doing pulpit supply in 2013-14. In April 2016, he accepted the call to pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Kirksville, Missouri. He loves history and has a heart for street preaching and evangelism. He is the author of “Spurgeon’s Forgotten Sabbatarianism” and teaches “Spurgeon on the Law & Sabbath” for Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary.
