Hi all :bye: I'm in the process of editing and proofreading a book I just finished writing called Daniel's 70 Weeks. If you're familiar with the prophecy, you may know there are six purposes for the 70 Weeks, the second of which is "to make an end of sins". There are three purposes which are already fulfilled and three which are yet outstanding. There's a reason for the break in between the first 69 Weeks and the 70th Week. That reason is described in the first three purposes: to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity. The cross. Below you'll find what I wrote re: to make an end of sins. 'Cuz Passover/Resurrection Sunday and all. 😉 To Make an End of Sins In the Old Testament, there was a remembrance of sins made each year. As recorded in Leviticus 16, this was done on the Day of Atonement. On that day, the high priest would select a bull to sacrifice for his own sins and the sins of his house. The children of Israel would select two goats upon whom lots would be cast. The one upon whom the Lord’s lot fell would be sacrificed for the sins of Israel. The other would become the scapegoat. The scapegoat would be brought to the high priest to have all the sins of Israel confessed over its head. It would then be led into the wilderness by the hand of a fit man. Sins would depart from Israel into a land not inhabited, and the goat would be left to die of starvation or exposure or be attacked. Israel would be good for another year. Leviticus 16:20 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: 21 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: 22 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.[1] On the first day of His ministry which was also on the Day of Atonement, Jesus assumed the role of the scapegoat. This was the purpose of His baptism. John would have laid His hands upon Jesus’s head, directly after declaring Him to be “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world”. John 1:28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.[2] The Lamb could not take away sin without having first borne it as the scapegoat. Jesus had no sin of His own. Thus, to die for the sins of the world would require Him to bear everyone else’s. That was the role of the scapegoat; the innocent bearing the sins of the guilty in a substitutionary capacity. Necessarily, Jesus bore the sins of the world as the scapegoat for His entire ministry. Jesus’s ministry spanned an even three and a half years, ending on Nisan 10 with His Triumphal Entry. Three and a half years prior would place His baptism on Tishri 10. Remember, the law is the shadow which pointed to Christ (Colossians 2:16-17, Hebrews 10:1). Fulfilling it in all jots and tittles also required Him to BE who the law pointed to. He was Leviticus 16’s Day of Atonement scapegoat. He was also the trump which sounded jubilee on the tenth day of the seventh month in the Day of Atonement. Leviticus 25:9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,[3] Luke 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.[4] To “preach the acceptable year of the Lord” is to preach “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. This Jesus did for three and a half years, forward looking to His Kingdom presentation on Nisan 10 which Israel rejected. Furthermore, the Old Testament “jubilee” translates to New Testament “liberty via the forgiveness of sins”. Such was the necessity of Jesus assuming the role of the scapegoat. He substituted Himself in sinful mankind’s place and offered them grace, mercy, healing, and forgiveness instead. Foreknowing this, the heavens were opened, and God declared the baptism of Jesus and its significance well pleasing. Matthew 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.[5] Then, as was done with the scapegoat per Leviticus 16, Jesus was led into the wilderness to be subjected to starvation, temptation, and the elements. Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.[6] Fast forward three and a half years later, Jesus laid His life down as the Passover Lamb. The sin of the world – transgressing God’s law – was paid for in blood. Hebrews 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.[7] Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.[8] The Son reconciled mankind to the Father. He paid the price for sin demanded by the law – death. Having fulfilled the works of the law in all points and having born the sin of the world in mankind’s stead, Jesus declared the law and the payment for transgressions under the law “finished”. He then bowed His head and gave up the ghost. John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.[9] Enter New Covenant. Hebrews 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. 18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.[10] Even though mankind sinned against God, it was God who took the steps to bear that sin, bear the consequences of that sin, and put an end to it. [1] https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+16&version=KJV "Fair use for education & discussion purposes" Those all passages arrayed all together make real sense, Heather, an integrated, elegant, and glorious message in Scripture.
[2] https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1&version=KJV
[3] https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+61&version=KJV
[4] https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+4&version=KJV
[5] https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+3&version=KJV
[6] https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4&version=KJV
[7] https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+10&version=KJV
[8] https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6&version=KJV
[9] https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+19&version=KJV
[10] https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+9&version=KJV 
