Today’s Topic: Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement)
Scripture: Leviticus 23:26-32
Greetings Kingdom Citizens
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for the Jews. Let’s look at the scripture for clarification of this holy day.
Leviticus 23:26-32
On the tenth day of this seventh month (Tishri 10) there shall be a day of atonement. It is also a day of a holy convocation where one is to afflict (humble) their souls and offer an offering unto the Lord. Now on this holiday is no work to be done because one is to make atonement for you before the Lord. Now God tells them that anyone that does not humble (afflict) their souls in that day, he shall be cut off from his people. In addition anyone who worked on that day, the Lord will destroy them from the people. So this is, to God, a very serious day.
Now there are four main elements to Yom Kippur.
1. Holy Convocation
This is called to draw the focus of the people to the altar of divine mercy for their undivided attention.
2. Prayer and Fasting
This is what is meant by afflicting your souls. Remember our souls can act independent of God so we need to humble our souls to God and repent from our wicked ways. This is also a day of mourning for the sins they committed against God and others.
3. Offerings
The entire 16th chapter in Leviticus is dedicated to offerings and I will not go into all of that for the sake of time but offerings are to be given during this day. If it fell on a Sabbath day then the regular offering would be offered.
4. No Labor
It was a strict day of rest from Labor and no one was to work during this day. Under the Law, anyone working on this day could be found guilty of capital punishment (death penalty).
Now the focal point of this holiday was the day when the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies, but before he did he had to bathe his entire body (symbolic of purification) and he was to wear a special garment for this particular occasion. Offerings were made at the seat of the Ark of the Covenant and atonement was made for the priesthood. Then another goat would be sacrificed as a sin offering for the people. Then another goat (scapegoat) was used and hands were laid on it, symbolizing the sins of Israel and they released it into the desert which symbolized the carrying away of the sins of the people. Now the remains from the offerings were burned outside of the city and this is important to remember.
What could this mean for the saints? This ritual is a symbol of the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Now if you read Hebrews 9th and 10th chapters it is all about the atoning work of Jesus. Now unlike the priest who go into the Holy of Holies in the temple, once a year and make offerings for the atonement of sins, Jesus did it once and once for all at Calvary. Now here is a question, is there still sin attached to the believers today? The answer is yes, but the sin does not condemn you to death because of the atoning work of Christ you are washed in the blood of the Lamb to remit sin. For example, I can curse at you and still be a believer. Did I sin? Yes but I have the ability to ask for forgiveness and the sin be washed away. Now there is a day when sin will be wiped utterly away and absolutely no sin will be ever attached to the saints again.
So Yom Kippur is important because it reminds us as the saints of the atoning work of Jesus Christ as the Great High Priest. By the offering blood, not the blood of calves and goats, but His perfect, sinless blood as the once and for all sacrifice for eternal redemption, we are eternally redeemed and saved unto our gathering unto the Lord. This also tells us and I know some might get upset but let’s deal with this, we do not have to go to a priest (human), and confess our sins for our sins to be forgiven. Why? Because you can go directly to the Great High Priest, Jesus, personally yourself and He is faithful and just to forgive you. Now what I am saying is why take your sins, confess them to another man who then takes it to God for you to be forgiven? What makes him better to go before Christ than you? Now, if you have done that person wrong then the Bible does say that we are to make it right with our brother for the sake of peace. All are the same in Christ and all who are in Christ has the same access to Christ because of what He did on Calvary. Do not let tradition and religion make you think that you cannot go before the throne yourself and confess your sins to the one who paid for them. No man on Earth, other that Christ is able to wash your sins away! Religion takes you to the priest, The Kingdom takes you to the King! One is worldly the other is eternal!
At the Father’s Service,
Elder Calvin Calhoun Jr.
