Ian, I cannot agree with you. The Bible is clear that sacrifices were ordained by God to prefigure Christ on the Day of Atonement. It is true OT men repented and confessed sin just as we do, but they also offered the sacrifices as proscribed by God. No merit was in the animal sacrifices, the merit then was in Christ, but the Israelites still were required to obey God in every particular of the sanctuary service.
The record of Cain and Abel proves that to be true. Lev. 16, speaks of the day of atonement.
Lev 16:15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
Lev 16:16 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 remains among them in the middle of their uncleanness.
Lev 16:29 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:
"Afflict your souls" meaning confession of sin and repentance.
The IJ is also connected to the OT sanctuary service. We did not have light on the IJ until 1844, when Jesus entered the Most holy.
Yes, we have a record of Davids repentance in Psalm 51, but David also participated in all the Lord commanded concerning the sacrificial and feast system. without that, Davids sins would not have been forgiven.
Where do you get the idea that the day of Atonement was a feast day?
Good books on the sanctuary are, "The Sanctuary Service" by M L. Andreasen, which I am reading now, And the
"Cross and its Shadow" by Stephen N. Haskel;
The entire body of the whole burnt-offering and portions of various offerings were burned upon this brazen altar. It consumed that which typified sin; and as the fires were continually burning, it has been called "the altar of continual atonement." Sin separates man from God, 10 and all sin must be put away before the sinner can be at-one-ment with God. Therefore the work done upon this altar was a symbol of the final destruction of sin, which will be necessary before the redeemed can enjoy their eternal inheritance. {1914 SNH, CIS 175.1}
Paul referred to this altar as a type of Christ. 11 All the work connected with the altar of burnt-offering typified the work connected with the destruction of sin, a work which Christ alone can do. The Father has delivered into the hands of His Son the final destruction of sin and sinners. 12 {1914 SNH, CIS 175.2} S.N. Haskell
No sacrifice was ever slain within the sanctuary; but the offerings were slain in the court, and the blood and flesh were carried within the sanctuary by the priest. Christ, the great antitypical Sacrifice, was slain in the antitypical court, this earth, and then entered the antitypical sanctuary in the heavens with His own blood and the same body in which He bore our sins on Calvary. Sins are forgiven, and are blotted out from the books in the heavenly sanctuary; but they are not destroyed there. Just as in the type the fires of the brazen altar in the court consumed that which in type represented sin; so in the antitype, the wicked will be "on the breadth of the earth" when fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them. 13 This earth is the great antitypical court, where all the work typified in the court of the earthly sanctuary will meet its fulfilment. {1914 SNH, CIS 176.3}
The constant burning upon the altar of that which typified sin, caused an accumulation of ashes. The priests in the earthly sanctuary served "unto the example and shadow of
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heavenly things," 14 and even the removal of the ashes was directed of the Lord to be done in a manner to typify a portion of the final work of Christ. The priest was to be clothed in the pure white linen garments, when he removed the ashes from the altar. The ashes were first taken up by the priest and placed "beside the altar" on the east side. 15 When the time came to remove them from beside the altar, the priest laid aside his priestly robes, and "put on other garments;" then he carried the ashes forth without the camp, and poured them out in "a clean place." 17 Ashes are all that will remain of sin, the devil and sinners after the fires of the 1ast day have finished their work. When the purifying fires of the Lord have removed the last trace of sin, there will appear a new earth, a clean place, without one taint of sin upon it; and as the righteous walk over the face of the clean, pure earth, the ashes of sin and all that clung to sin in this earth will be under their feet. Truly the type will then have met its antitype, and the ashes of all sin will be in "a clean place." {1914 SNH, CIS 176.4
