Beginning of the End - Ellen G. White

God, with prayer, fasting, and deep searching of heart.
Truths Taught by the Day of Atonement
This yearly service taught important truths concerning the
atonement. In the sin offerings presented during the year, a
substitute had been accepted in the sinner's place, but the blood of
the victim had not made full atonement for the sin. It had only
provided a means of transferring the sin to the sanctuary. By
offering the blood, the sinner confessed the guilt of his transgression
and expressed faith in Him who was to take away the sin of the
world. But the sinner was not entirely released from the
condemnation of the law. On the Day of Atonement the high priest,
having offered a sacrifice for the congregation, went into the most
holy place with the blood and sprinkled it on the mercy seat, above
the tablets of the law.
In this way the claims of the law, which demanded the sinner's
life, were satisfied. Then in his role of mediator the priest took the
sins upon himself and, leaving the sanctuary, bore with him the
burden of Israel's guilt. He laid his hands on the head of the
scapegoat and confessed over it "all the iniquities of the children of
Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting
them on the head of the goat." When the goat was sent away, these
sins were regarded as forever separated from the people. This
service was performed as a "copy and shadow of the heavenly
things" (Hebrews 8:5).
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