Original Words
Heb. Kaphar – a covering, to cover
Heb. Kapporeth – a lid, mercy seat
Gr. Hilaskomai – v. – to make propitious, to appease
Gr. Hilasterion – n. – propitiatory, mercy seat, place of appeasement or atonement
Gr. Hilasmos – n. – an expiation, a means whereby sin is covered and remitted
Preliminary Affirmations about how God uses the word
Propitiation is the quenching of God’s wrath. It is a Divine shield that protects us from condemnation due us because of sin. Propitiation involves an atoning sacrifice that satisfies God and pardons man. It opens the door for reconciliation and fellowship to occur. Jesus is the propitiation for our sins and His blood completely satisfies God’s wrath. God’s love and mercy are made known through this.
CONNECTION OF PROPITIATION AND OTHER WORDS
In comparing propitiation to other words used to describe “so great a salvation” will quickly help us to see the strength and volume of this doctrine. While it is all to rarely taught to today’s church, it is nonetheless foundational in their being approved by God. Without propitiation, there is no heaven to hope in; no peace to be had and no joy to fill our hearts. Instead, we are those of whom Jesus spoke, those whom “the wrath of God abides on” (John 3:36). Praise God of the wonderful truth that Jesus Himself made propitiation for our sins.
Atonement. Propitiation actually comes from the same root word that atonement comes from. So even on the surface we see that the two are complimentary to one another. They both have the idea of covering. Quoting from our previous study: “Atonement is when penalty and propitiation meet. It involves cleansing the defiled, forgiving the guilty, and reconciling the alienated. It is made by a blood sacrifice of a sin bearer for the sin of someone else. It is appeasing the wrath of God against sin. Atonement is ultimately found in the cross of Christ.” As you can see atonement and propitiation are very closely related. Atonement is a result of propitiation. Atonement deals primarily with the effects of propitiation. Propitiation will describe how God “feels” about the sacrifice of Christ, while atonement deals with how it affects man. In other words, the cross of Christ meant propitiation for God and atonement for man. It satisfied God’s wrath and pardoned man.
Reconciliation. Another result of the cross is reconciliation. Reconciliation is the restoration of an estranged relationship. It is the bringing together of two parties that we at a time hostile or alienated from one another. Propitiation is the means through which man can be reconciled to God. Propitiation opens the door for reconciliation to occur.
Mercy. A superficial but simply definition of mercy is “not getting what you deserve.” When a man receives mercy from God one of two things had happened. Either God showed forbearance or God was propitious. Remember that “in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed,” (Rom. 3:25) that is, prior to Christ. God held back His wrath knowing that the Christ would make propitiation for the sins of the people, both before and after Him. Mercy is received or realized by man when propitiation is made. In fact, prior to Christ propitiation is not even mentioned in the Bible. The doctrine is taught through the typology (foreshadowing) of the temple sacrifice and “mercy seat.”
As Used in the Old Covenant Scriptures
The word propitiation does not appear in the Old Covenant Scriptures in most translations but the doctrine is clearly taught. The Douay-Rheims Bible translates “propitiatory” where most translations use “mercy seat.” This is a good translation for what takes place on the “mercy seat” is propitiation.
MERCY SEAT
The mercy seat was the lid on the Ark of the Covenant and can also be called the “propitiatory.” It’s appearance is described in Exodus 25:17-21.
“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you.”
The importance of the mercy seat or propitiatory is seen in verse 22 of this text, “There I will meet you; and above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.” The mercy seat is where God would meet Moses and speak to Him.
Intricate craftsmanship. God chose specific men with specific skills to help in the construction of the tabernacle as well as its fixtures and furniture – including the mercy seat. “Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship” (Exod. 31:1-5).
Sacrifice. The mercy seat is where the blood of the sacrifice was placed and where God received it. It is the place where God would “appear in the cloud” (Lev. 16:2). In order for the priest to make atonement for himself and the people he was to burn incense so that a cloud of incense would appear over the mercy seat as well as putting blood on it seven times (Lev. 16:13-14). Then the priest “shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat” (Lev. 16:15). This was the “divine worship” of the old covenant sacrifices. There were rules and regulations to how it was to be performed, who was to perform it and at specific times and in a specific manner.
Where God is enthroned. “Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, so He spoke with him” (Num. 7:89). Here we see God speaking to Moses “from above the mercy seat.” Later, when the ark of God is being returned to Jerusalem and Uzzah is struck down for “his irreverence”, it is written that the “Lord of hosts” “is enthroned above the cherubim” (2 Sam. 6:2). It was understood that where the ark was – God was. Thus, “David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord” (6:5) and “David was dancing before the Lord” (6:14) when they were before the ark.
In 2 Kings 19:5 and Isaiah 37:6 we find Hezekiah praying “O Lord, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made heaven and earth.” Psalm 80 begins by saying, “Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!” Again He is addressed this way in Psalm 99:1 “The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!”
CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE
In our study of propitiation we must begin where God begins to teach the doctrine. He starts by instructing Moses and his craftsmen to build an ark and to place a lid or cover on it. The cover is named the mercy seat or propitiatory. It is where the blood of a sacrifice is applied and therefore, where mercy is found, where atonement is made and where reconciliation occurs. God Himself accepts the blood atonement there and propitiation is made for the sins of the people. God Himself is said to be enthroned above the cherubim that reach across the seat with their wings.
As we begin to see how God is using this word or doctrine to teach His people something of Himself we must keep in mind that this all took place so that He could show us the depths of this teaching through His Son. These things are simple “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Heb. 8:5)
Hebrews Chapters Eight and Nine. After describing the ministry of the tabernacle, the Spirit tells of Christ’s “more excellent ministry” and “better covenant” which is “enacted on better promises” (8:6). Because the first covenant was not faultless because of man’s inability to uphold it we are reminded of the promise of a New Covenant made by Jeremiah the prophet (8:8-12). Chapter 9 begins by further describing Old Covenant worship and then it’s ineffectiveness of making the “worshiper perfect in conscience” (9:9). This leads the reader to a most profound text of Scripture that really articulates the doctrine of propitiation in respect to blood sacrifice appeasing God.
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:11-14)
The sacrifice of Jesus was far better than the sum of all the sacrifices offered under the Old Covenant. While priests need to offer blood sacrifices time and time again, Christ needed only to offer His blood once to put away sin forever. The Old Covenant sacrifices served simply as a foreshadowing of His sacrifice. The whole system of worship was to train us for the recognition and acceptance of Christ’s better sacrifice. Hebrews speaks,
“Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Hebrews 9:23-26)
As Used in the Gospels and New Covenant Scriptures
In the New Covenant Scriptures propitiation is going to find its pinnacle. Like every other paramount doctrine concerning salvation, propitiation will be realized and placed in “Jesus the Nazarene.” God’s wrath is going to be eternally satisfied by the sacrifice of His Servant. As Isaiah wrote, “as a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11). This is why in verse 10 he can say, “the Lord was pleased to crush Him.” The cross of Christ paid the penalty for sin once and for all. God was not satisfied with the attempts of man to justify Himself even among the countless sacrifices that he offered even under divine mandate. No, God had it in His mind that He would send the Christ to make propitiation. Thus, bringing glory to God and salvation to man.
THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN
“And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: “God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.” But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.’” (Luke 18:9-14)
We are told in this text that the parable was directed towards those “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt” (v. 9). The comparison is made between a Pharisee and a tax collector. This is not a comparison between a righteous man and a sinner for they are both sinners. The difference is that the tax collector knows it and is pleading for “mercy.” While the things that the Pharisee is doing are certainly to be applauded the error comes in his thinking that he was approved by God because of his good works while condemning others.
The tax collector on the other hand could only say, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” And here is where the doctrine of propitiation comes in. Another way of wording the tax collector’s statement is this, “God, be propitious to me, the sinner!” He knew that he was in the wrong and he was coming to God to find mercy. He was coming to confess his sin in hopes of appeasing God. The divine assessment of these two men found the tax collector justified because he humbled himself and came to God for mercy. God is looking for a reason to forgive, a reason to show His mercy. In this case it was the humble confession and the plead, “be propitious to me.” This is a good prayer for a sinner.
TO MAKE PROPITIATION
“Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17)
The high priest would make propitiation for the sins of the people. He would enter the holy place “year by year with blood that is not his own”, offering it up on the mercy seat covering the Ark of the Covenant. But it was Christ that “at the consummation of the ages” was “manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Not only was He the high priest offering the sacrifice but He Himself was the sacrifice. Not only was He the propitiation; He IS the propitiation. The phrase “to make propitiation” indicates continuous action. This could be pointing to the fact that from that time onward, when any man obeys the gospel Jesus’ blood covers his sins. This could also mean that every time a Christian asks for forgiveness, the blood of Jesus covers his sins. Both are true.
JESUS IS THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS
No one else could do it. God sent for His Son as the propitiation of our sins. “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshippers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1-4). “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience form dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13-14)
In this is love.
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation.” (1 John 4:10)
In God sending His Son to be the propitiation for our sins, divine love is manifested. God’s love is seen in His grace towards us, His blessing us, His mercy, His patience, His kindness, but “in this” is love – Jesus the propitiation. God reached deep down into His riches to show us His love. His “manifold wisdom” is seen this “predetermined plan.” God has gone out of His way to do something of such great magnitude that His Divine attributes would be clearly seen, His glory manifested, and His name lifted higher than any other name. What He chose to do was save those who appeared beyond reach. He chose to make alive those who were dead. He chose to reconcile those who were alienated. He chose to find those who were lost. He chose to pardon those who deserved wrath. It looked as though sin had taken man too far off. The outlook looked grim as the souls of all mankind would hang in the balance anxious to learn whether or not God could save them without compromising His nature, His integrity, or His righteousness. This He did by sending His Son to be the propitiation. And in THAT is love. “When the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5).
For the whole world.
“and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)
What a far reaching accomplishment. Any man who so desires has the means through which he can be reconciled to God, receive the remission of sins, be shown mercy and grace and walk in fellowship with Him even pursuing His throne of grace for help in his time of need. This is all made possible by Christ being the propitiation for our sins.
The context of this text is arresting. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (v. 1). We do not have need to offer sacrifices first for ourselves and then for others to receive forgiveness. When we came under the blood of Jesus our sins were covered. He who is, who was, and who is to come; He who is alive forevermore, stands before God to make intercession for us and to appease God’s wrath toward us. He truly is the “Mediator of a better covenant” (Hebrews 8:6) because He offers better blood (Hebrews 12:24).
Through His blood.
“whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sin previously committed.” (Romans 3:25)
Only the blood of Christ would suffice. No other blood no matter how precious or how plenteous could be made as an appeal to God for mercy. And so we have it that God is satisfied and man covered by the blood of Jesus. “It is at the point where we are convince of the effectiveness of Christ’s blood that our conscience is cleansed from defilement, and we are shielded from the wrath of God” (Blakely). Propitiation is in the blood of Jesus and through faith. Let your hearts be at rest and your faith rekindled as you contemplate the effects of the blood of Jesus.
“But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13)
“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14)
“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:19-22)
“according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.” (1 Peter 1:2)
“knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
“but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood” (Revelation 1:5)