Approx. 3,500 years ago[1] Moses was commanded by God to write and require,
For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11)
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 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
16:8-10)
Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering,
that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do
with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it
upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: And he shall make an
atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the
children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their
sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation,
that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. (Leviticus
16:15-16)
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: And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live
goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel,
and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the
head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into
the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities
unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the
wilderness. (Leviticus 16:20-22)
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)
And also about 2,800 years ago the prophet Micah prophesied:
But thou, Beth–lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out
of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)
And also about 2,800 years ago the prophet Isaiah foretold:.
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as
a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor
comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should
desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But
he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all.
He
was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is
brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers
is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from
judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out
of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And
he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death;
because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
He
shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear
their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he
hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the
transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for
the transgressors. (Isaiah 53)
And 2,000 years ago a child was born in Beth–lehem, and
raised in Nazareth, who was to be called the king of Israel, being the
divine Son of God, resulting in the account based upon eyewitnesses of,
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Not
to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us,
who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it
is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To
him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever
believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:38-43)
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44)
For the purpose of atonement is indeed that is what the prophecies refer to.
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28)
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
(John 10:11)..As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I
lay down my life for the sheep...No man taketh it from me, but I lay it
down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take
it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:15,18)
Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and
spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death:
and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of
these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the
things which were spoken. (Luke 18:31-34)
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44)
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2:6)
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all,
that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but
unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2)
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:14)
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)
For Christ
also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he
might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by
the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)
. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9)
For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore
let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that
same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:34-36)
Now
when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the
first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second
went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: The
Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was
not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present,
in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make
him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which
stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal
ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. (Hebrews
9:6-10)
But Christ being come an high priest of
good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made
with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood
of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:11-12)
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. (Hebrews 9:16)
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: (Hebrews 10:5)
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every
priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had
offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of
God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified. (Hebrews 10:10-14)
Now where
remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of
Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us,
through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest
over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:18-22)
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And
hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory
and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6)