The Festival of Trumpets begins a 10 day period of self inspection which ends on the holiest day of the year, the Day of Atonement. Known in Hebrew as Yom Kippur, it is another shadow of Messiah on God’s Calendar.
Lev. 23:27-28 NASB “On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. “You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God."
The Day of Atonement is the holiest day of the year. All of the biblical festivals are holy. The Sabbath is also holy. The word Holy means ‘set apart.’ All of God’s appointed times are set apart to the LORD. But the Day of Atonement is the holiest of all. It is set apart even from the other holy days. It is so important to God that it comes with dire warnings.
Lev. 23:29-31 NASB “If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. “As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. “You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. “It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath.”
All other Sabbaths and holidays are times of feasting and celebration. However, on the Day Atonement, everyone is commanded to afflict himself through fasting and abstinence. At its core, the Day of Atonement is the day for drawing near to God. It is a day for a personal, one-on-one encounter with God, a day of confession and contrition.
What does atonement mean? We have to be careful not to oversimplify the concept of atonement as if it simply meant “Forgiveness for sins.” The word ‘Kippur’ comes from the word ‘Kaphar’ which means covering, as in covering us against danger. We’re being covered to protect us from God’s wrath. If we, as common, mortal, finite, and sinfully-natured people are to stand in the presence of the holy, immortal, infinite, and righteous God, we need to be covered. We need atonement. Otherwise, God becomes very dangerous to us and we will perish. Adam and Eve discovered this firsthand. Initially, they communed with God because they were sinless. When they rebelled by eating the forbidden fruit, they lost their sinlessness and realized they were naked and without their covering that being sinless gave them against the powerful presence of God; no one can be in God’s presence and live. Having sinned against God, they realized they could not be in His presence because their covering had been removed, so it's not surprising they hid. God killed an animal for a covering as a reminder of sin’s consequence.
As you can see, the word Kaphar has another implication: it can also be rendered as ransom for one’s life. Kaphar can mean a payment made in exchange for a blood-debt.
The action taking place on the 10th day of the biblical 7th month is an intersection of three things: on the holiest day of the year, the holiest man in the world goes into the holiest place in the world.
Leviticus 16 outlines the entire list of requirements for the High Priest to follow. In addition to the sacrifice of a bull and ram, it involves two goats: one is slaughtered and the other is smeared with the dead goat’s blood and driven out of the community. The High Priest uses the blood from the bull and goat to make atonement for himself, the HolyTemple, and the nation of Israel.
Because atonement is the work of Yeshua on our behalf, we need to pay careful attention to these rituals. Until we understand biblical atonement and the Day of Atonement, we will not fully understand who Yeshua is or what He accomplished for us. According to the writer of the book of Hebrews, Messiah has become our High Priest. He entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven – the actual throne room of God – and applied His own blood for atonement. He entered into the presence of God for us so that He might usher us in as well:
Hebrews 9:11-12 NASB “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.”
Messiah is our High Priest, “a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the LORD pitched, not man.” Therein He applied His atoning blood. Therefore, the ceremony of the Day of Atonement uniquely patterns the work of Messiah: His death, His sacrifice and the atonement of His blood. We boldly enter the presence of God because the blood of Messiah covers us. Today He stands interceding on our behalf before the throne of God, just like a high priest.
During these 10 days from the Festival of Trumpets to the Day of Atonement, we submit ourselves to self-inspection and seek forgiveness from God and others for our improper conduct. On Yom Kippur, God judges Israel as individuals and as a nation. His people fast and pray as God, the King pronounces judgment. As believers, we have an assurance that God has forgiven us if we seek forgiveness and repent, without the need for the blood of a goat or bull.
So am I happy that I have Atonement? Yes, I’m happy that I have a covering, but No, I’m not happy that God had to become a living sacrifice because of my sin. That’s where observing Yom Kippur IN THE CONTEXT OF MESSIAH becomes a viable event for believers. It’s a day of selflessness where we approach the King of Kings. God commands that we refrain from work and have a holy convocation in our home. It’s a day of fasting and setting aside our own desires in favor of His, and in doing so, it is an excellent heartfelt way to honor Yeshua and offer thanks to Him for the atonement we received from the work He performed at Calvary and in the Heavenly Temple. As we fast, we pray that we would be strengthened in this coming year that we might be more conformed to Him.
For believers, our final day of judgment will be the day on which we fall back on the Messiah’s atonement. For us, the day of judgment is a day of atonement. Hence, the Torah does not say, “On this day you will stand before the heavenly court to be condemned.” Rather it says, (Lev. 16:30 NASB) “It is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD.”
Yeshua tells His disciples, (Luke 10:20 NASB) “Rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
Indeed, the names of His disciples are “written in the book of life from the foundation of the world.” Rev. 17:8
Rejoice that your name is “written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” Rev 13:8
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I’m not a scholar, just a crazy Jewish Believer who wants to see no one deceived and everyone saved.
Shalom uv’racha b’shem Yeshua Mishikheinu!
Peace and blessings unto you in the Name of Yeshua, Our Messiah!
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