On Yom Kippur, lots were cast over the two goats which stood before the High Priest. A red thread was tied around the throat of the goat whose lot came up for the Lord. This was the goat that would be sacrificed. Another red thread was then tied to the horns of the goat whose lot came up as the scapegoat (Azazel). This is the goat that was released and led into the wilderness. A piece of this scarlet thread was then tied to the Temple door. According to Jewish history, that red thread would supernaturally turn white once the scapegoat reached a certain destination, indicating that God had forgiven Israel’s sins. The thread on Azazel turned white as well. The sages teach that this is what is referred to in Isaiah 1:18.
“‘Come now and let us reason together,’ says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.'”
Amazingly, according to the Talmud, forty years before the destruction of the Temple some mysterious things started to occur at the Temple. One of those things involved the red thread tied to the Temple door on Yom Kippur.
“Our rabbis taught the following: During the last forty years before the destsruction of the Temple the lot (for the LORD) did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson colored strap beocme white; nor did the western light shine; and the doors of the Temple would open by themselves.” (Yoma 39b)
In this amazing passage, the Talmud tells us that starting 40 years before the Temple’s destruction in 70 AD, the crimson thread mysteriously stopped turning white. This indicated that God was no longer accepting the Yom Kippur sacrifice for forgiveness of Israel’s sins.
So what happened 40 years before 70 AD, causing God to reject the Yom Kippur sacrifice that He once accepted year after year after year?
The Yom Kippur sacrifice was no longer accepted because approximately 40 years before the destruction of the Temple,, Yeshua the Messiah was nailed to the cross for our sins. It is now His blood that makes us white as snow. the Tom Kippur sacrifice was no longer accepted because the One that it pointed to had already done it all. The blood of bulls and goats could never really take away our sins but served as a temporary covering. A covering that only lasted until the most powerful blood that the world has ever known washed our sins away.
