Numbers 16:46-47 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them; for their is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and the plague was begun among the people:: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
After the judgment upon Koran’s rebellion the people once again murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, “Ye have killed the people of the Lord.” Then the glory of the Lord appeared on the tabernacle as His wrath was about to consume the rebellious people with a plague. Moses’ response was to intercede and plead for forgiveness, thereby appeasing the Wrath and staying the plague.
Moses commanded Aaron to take fire from the altar with incense, take it among the congregation, and make atonement for the people. This he did. Wrath was appeased and the plague was stayed. Moses’ and Aaron’s response was not to try to change behavior to appease God, but instead they prayed (used incense) for forgiveness and reconciliation, pleading with the Blood of Jesus (the sacrificial altar).
This same kind of intercessory prayer is used by NT Christian believers: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The prayer is in Jesus’ name, that is, we bring the plea from off the altar, which is the blood of Christ on the cross. God sees the sacrifice of His Son, forgives the sin for Jesus’ sake, and stays the plague.
We respond like Moses and exercise the ministry of reconciliation. I Corinthians 5:19: “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself…and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” Atonement is reconciling, or bringing humans back together with God again after sin separated us. Making atonement, reconciling, praying forgiveness, and pleading the blood is our response to broken relationships with God and others. We make At One (at-one-ment).