The Day of Atonement: Scapegoat, Azazel, and the Blood that Covers Sin. After the shocking deaths of Nadab and Abihu, God gave Israel a way to live with His holiness without dying. Leviticus 16 introduces the Day of Atonement—Yom Kippur—a once-a-year reset for the nation’s sin. Far from an obscure ritual, it foreshadows Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice and the final removal of sin.

The English word atonement comes from the phrase “at-one-ment”—a reconciliation or reuniting. It refers to the act by which sin is covered, guilt is removed, and peace is restored between God and man.