This verse demonstrates God’s thorough provision for cleansing every dimension of sin, both for Israel historically and for all who trust Christ’s redemptive sacrifice.
When describing the main ritual for the Day of Atonement, Scripture instructs that “Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides.” (v.18). The “he” in this passage is the high priest, at that time Aaron, who ministered among the Israelites in the Sinai wilderness around the mid-1400s BC. This directive builds on the idea that once the high priest had completed the purification rites inside the most holy place, he was to proceed to the altar so that every aspect of the tabernacle, from within to without, was cleansed of impurity. The altar in question is often understood to be the altar of incense located in front of the veil; once a year, on the Day of Atonement, blood was applied to it to remove any defilement and maintain a pure space for God’s presence. This once-a-year practice pointed ahead to a future and final cleansing.
By placing “some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat” on the horns of the altar, the high priest enacted a visible symbol of reconciliation between a holy God and a sinful people. Such offerings included a bull for his own sins and a goat for the sins of the nation, demonstrating that no one was exempt from needing atonement. Leviticus 16 describes how the high priest performed these rituals on precisely “the tenth day of this seventh month,” a day of humbling called Yom Kippur. Because the altar was seen as the site for ongoing prayer and intercession, the sprinkling of blood reminded Israel that atonement had to extend to every element in their worship system.
Looking beyond this annual sacrifice, believers see the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who made permanent atonement when He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice. The New Testament teaches that Jesus played the role of the final High Priest, bringing His own blood before the presence of God rather than the blood of animals, and thereby opening the way for humanity to have unending fellowship with God (Hebrews 9:24-26). The yearly covering at the altar thus anticipated the once-for-all forgiveness accomplished by Christ’s work on the cross.
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Leviticus 16:18 meaning
When describing the main ritual for the Day of Atonement, Scripture instructs that “Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides.” (v.18). The “he” in this passage is the high priest, at that time Aaron, who ministered among the Israelites in the Sinai wilderness around the mid-1400s BC. This directive builds on the idea that once the high priest had completed the purification rites inside the most holy place, he was to proceed to the altar so that every aspect of the tabernacle, from within to without, was cleansed of impurity. The altar in question is often understood to be the altar of incense located in front of the veil; once a year, on the Day of Atonement, blood was applied to it to remove any defilement and maintain a pure space for God’s presence. This once-a-year practice pointed ahead to a future and final cleansing.
By placing “some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat” on the horns of the altar, the high priest enacted a visible symbol of reconciliation between a holy God and a sinful people. Such offerings included a bull for his own sins and a goat for the sins of the nation, demonstrating that no one was exempt from needing atonement. Leviticus 16 describes how the high priest performed these rituals on precisely “the tenth day of this seventh month,” a day of humbling called Yom Kippur. Because the altar was seen as the site for ongoing prayer and intercession, the sprinkling of blood reminded Israel that atonement had to extend to every element in their worship system.
Looking beyond this annual sacrifice, believers see the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who made permanent atonement when He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice. The New Testament teaches that Jesus played the role of the final High Priest, bringing His own blood before the presence of God rather than the blood of animals, and thereby opening the way for humanity to have unending fellowship with God (Hebrews 9:24-26). The yearly covering at the altar thus anticipated the once-for-all forgiveness accomplished by Christ’s work on the cross.