Leviticus 16

Jehovah

Jehovah — the covenant name, rendered LORD; the premortal Jesus Christ

And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died; Leviticus 16:1–2

Jehovah, the premortal Christ, promises to appear in the cloud above the mercy seat. The place where He shows Himself is the very place where atoning blood is sprinkled.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · another scripture interprets it of Him · a footnote points to Him · a traditional type, cited

• alludes to Exodus 25:22 — "I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat."

Mercy Seat

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. Leviticus 16:2

The mercy seat, the lid of the ark where the blood was sprinkled, is where mercy met justice. Paul calls Christ our "propitiation," using the Greek word for the mercy seat, and Hebrews declares the vail before it to be His flesh, through which we now enter.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · another scripture interprets it of Him · a footnote points to Him · a traditional type, cited

• a type of what is in Romans 3:25 — Christ "set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood" (Greek hilasterion, the word Hebrews 9:5 uses for the mercy seat).
• alluded to by Hebrews 9:5 — "The cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat."
• interpreted by Hebrews 10:19-20 — We enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, "through the veil, that is to say, his flesh."
• interpreted by Hebrews 9:12 — Christ "by his own blood ... entered in once into the holy place" - Church footnote note2_a.

High Priest

Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. Leviticus 16:3–4

Aaron, washed and clothed in pure linen, entering God's presence for the people, is a type of Jesus Christ, the great High Priest. Hebrews teaches this is the pattern Christ fulfilled when He entered heaven itself for us.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · another scripture interprets it of Him · a footnote points to Him · a traditional type, cited

• interpreted by Hebrews 9:7 — Into the second tabernacle went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood.
• a type of what is in Hebrews 9:11-12 — Christ, high priest of good things to come, entered once into the holy place by His own blood.
• the same title in Hebrews 4:14 — "We have a great high priest... Jesus the Son of God."

High Priest

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

Aaron first had to atone for his own sins. Hebrews points to this contrast: Jesus, holy and sinless, needed no offering for Himself and offered Himself once for the people.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · another scripture interprets it of Him

• interpreted by Hebrews 7:26-27 — Christ "needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins."

Day of Atonement

And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. Leviticus 16:8–9

The goat chosen by the LORD's lot dies as the sin offering for the people, pointing to Christ, who laid down His life for the sins of the world. The risen Lord then ended such blood sacrifices.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · a footnote points to Him · another scripture interprets it of Him · a traditional type, cited

• a type of what is in Hebrews 9:12 — "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once."
• fulfilled by 3 Nephi 9:19-22 — The risen Christ ends the shedding of blood in sacrifice, having "laid down my life" - Church footnote note9_a.
• a type of what is in D&C 21:9 — "Jesus was crucified by sinful men for the sins of the world" - Church footnote note9_a.

Scapegoat

But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. Leviticus 16:10

The living goat is used "to make an atonement" by carrying sin away. Together the two goats show both sides of the Atonement: Christ dies for sin, and He carries our sins away so they are remembered no more.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · a Church study aid lists it · a traditional type, cited

• a type of what is in Isaiah 53:6 — "The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Mediator

And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: Leviticus 16:12–13

Incense, a symbol of prayer, rises before the mercy seat as the high priest intercedes. It echoes Christ the Mediator, who pleads for His people before the Father.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · a footnote points to Him · a traditional type, cited

• alluded to by Revelation 8:3-4 — Incense offered with the prayers of the saints before the throne.
• a type of what is in Hebrews 7:25 — Christ "ever liveth to make intercession for them."

Atonement of Jesus Christ

And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. Leviticus 16:14–16

Blood carried within the vail and sprinkled on the mercy seat is the heart of the day. Hebrews says Christ carried out the real version, entering heaven itself with His own blood to appear before God for us.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · another scripture interprets it of Him · a traditional type, cited

• interpreted by Hebrews 9:24-26 — The holy places made with hands are "the figures of the true"; Christ entered "into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."
• interpreted by Alma 34:13-14 — The whole meaning of the law is every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice.

Atonement of Jesus Christ

And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel. Leviticus 16:17

The high priest made atonement completely alone, with no one to help. Jesus Christ likewise worked out the Atonement alone, treading the winepress by Himself.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · another scripture interprets it of Him · a traditional type, cited

• a type of what is in Isaiah 63:3 — "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me."
• a type of what is in D&C 76:107 — He "shall have trodden the wine-press alone."
• interpreted by Hebrews 9:7 — The high priest went in alone.

Scapegoat

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: Leviticus 16:20–22

All of Israel's sins are placed on the living goat, and it bears them far away where they cannot return. This is a vivid picture of Jesus Christ, who took our sins upon Himself and bore them away.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · a footnote points to Him · a Church study aid lists it · a traditional type, cited

• a type of what is in Isaiah 53:11-12 — "He shall bear their iniquities... he bare the sin of many."
• a type of what is in Mosiah 14:11 — Abinadi's Isaiah: "he shall bear their iniquities" - Church footnote note22_a.
• a type of what is in John 1:29 — "The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
• a type of what is in Hebrews 9:28 — "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many."

Crucifixion

And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung. Leviticus 16:27

The bodies of the sin offerings whose blood entered the holy place were burned outside the camp. Hebrews says this is why Jesus suffered outside the gate of Jerusalem.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · another scripture interprets it of Him · a traditional type, cited

• interpreted by Hebrews 13:11-12 — "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate."
• a type of what is in John 19:17 — Jesus went forth bearing His cross to Golgotha, outside the city (cf. John 19:20).

Day of Atonement

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: Leviticus 16:29–31

Once a year Israel humbled their souls and were cleansed "from all your sins before the LORD." The Day of Atonement pointed to the Savior's Atonement, received through a broken heart and contrite spirit, which truly makes us clean.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · another scripture interprets it of Him · a traditional type, cited

• interpreted by Alma 34:13-14 — The law points every whit to the great and last sacrifice of the Son of God.
• a type of what is in 2 Nephi 2:7 — Christ offers Himself a sacrifice for sin for those with a broken heart and contrite spirit.
• a type of what is in 1 John 1:7 — "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Messiah

Messiah — the Anointed One

And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: Leviticus 16:32–33

Atonement is made by "the priest whom he shall anoint." Messiah and Christ both mean "the Anointed One"; Jesus is the anointed High Priest who makes atonement for the sanctuary, the priests and all the people.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · a traditional type, cited

• a type of what is in Hebrews 5:5-6 — Christ glorified not Himself to be made an high priest, but was called of the Father.
• a type of what is in Acts 10:38 — "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power."

Atonement of Jesus Christ

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. Leviticus 16:34

The annual repetition showed these sacrifices could not finish the work. Christ's sacrifice, which they foreshadowed, was offered once for all and never needs repeating.

How we know: the chapter heading names Him · another scripture interprets it of Him · a traditional type, cited

• a type of what is in Hebrews 10:10-12 — Sanctified "through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
• interpreted by Hebrews 9:25-26 — Not as the high priest every year, but once in the end of the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.