The Day of Atonement - Yom Kippur
The High Priest in the Most Holy Place
Bible Readings:
Leviticus 23:26-32 (NIV)
Colossians 2:16-17
Hebrews 9:11-15
Bible Readings:
Leviticus 23:26-32 (NIV)
Colossians 2:16-17
Hebrews 9:11-15
In our reading from Leviticus 23 this morning, Yom kippur (the Day of Atonement) is described as the most solemn of Holy days of the year. A time of soul-searching, repentance and recommitment to God. Only on Yom Kippur could the High Priest enter the Holy of Holies, the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary in the Temple and he would have to make a sacrifice of a young bull for himself and his family before he could even approach the Most Holy Place. Then and only then could he present the blood of the sacrifice made for the nation.
On this day two goats were presented at the temple, the High Priest would cast lots for the two goats, one for the Lord and the other for the Scapegoat. He would sacrifice the first goat, known as chatat (to "miss the mark" or "sin offering") and sprinkle its blood on the altar to symbolically cover the sins of the nation. He would then lay his hands on the head of the other goat and make a public confession on behalf of the whole nation. This second goat was called the Azazel or 'Scapegoat.' The Azazel goat would then be led out into the wilderness carrying the sins of the people "as far as the east is from the west". This, then was the annual 'atonement' for the people of Israel and was repeated each year. Thus Atonement and Forgiveness are symbolised by way of a vicarious sacrifice.
On this day two goats were presented at the temple, the High Priest would cast lots for the two goats, one for the Lord and the other for the Scapegoat. He would sacrifice the first goat, known as chatat (to "miss the mark" or "sin offering") and sprinkle its blood on the altar to symbolically cover the sins of the nation. He would then lay his hands on the head of the other goat and make a public confession on behalf of the whole nation. This second goat was called the Azazel or 'Scapegoat.' The Azazel goat would then be led out into the wilderness carrying the sins of the people "as far as the east is from the west". This, then was the annual 'atonement' for the people of Israel and was repeated each year. Thus Atonement and Forgiveness are symbolised by way of a vicarious sacrifice.
There are ten days between the Feast of the Blowing of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), which is also known as Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year, and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). During these ten days (Yomim Nora'im) or 'Days of Awe,' a tradition by observant Jewish people is to search their hearts before God to see how their inward thoughts would be pleasing to God. They will seek reconciliation in their personal relationships asking forgiveness for any offence caused throughout the year. Many observant Jewish families will visit a body of moving water such as a stream, river or the seaside to symbolically cast their sins into the water to be carried away "as far as the east is from the west." This is called tashlikh. They will confess their sins as they cast pieces of bread into the water and pray the following Scripture from Micah 7:19 -
God will take us back in love; God will cover up our iniquities, You [God] will hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea.
There is a parallel in the New Testament when Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan, who is often represented in the form of a goat Azazel
(Satanists worship such a figure). Satan offered Jesus the whole world if he would only bow down and worship him. Jesus answered quoting Scripture "Away from me Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the LORD your God, and serve him only.'" (Matthew 4:10).
When the Azazel goat carried the sins of the whole nation of Israel into the wilderness by way of a national annual atonement, Jesus carried the sins of the whole world on to the cross for the 'once and for all time' atonement for sin for both Jew and Gentile, the 'one new man' in Him.
At the first Passover, the High Priest sacrificed the Passover Lamb, then the people sacrificed their own lambs - at that time 'many' sacrificed, but only 'one' could actually enter the Holy of Holies and that was the High Priest himself. However a time was coming when only 'one' would sacrifice, but 'all' would be able to enter into the LORD's presence.
At Yom Kippur, a bull and a goat were sacrificed, but not a 'Lamb!' Jesus is the High Priest who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens and unlike other priests, he doesn't need to regularly sacrifice, he sacrificed 'once and for all time' when he offered himself.
You may like to read Leviticus chapter 16 for a full description of the Day of Atonement and see how carefully the High Priest must prepare himself before he dares to appear before the LORD in the Most Holy Place behind the curtain and in front of the ark of the covenant where Almighty God appears in the cloud of glory.
In verses 20-22 of Leviticus chapter 16 we read; "When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites - all their sins - and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sin to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.
When the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., the Jewish people could no longer present the required sacrifices on the Day of Atonement, so it came to be observed as a day of repentance, self-denial, charitable works, prayer and fasting. Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath. No work is done on this day. Today, Orthodox and Conservative Jews observe many restrictions and customs on Yom Kippur. The book of Jonah is chosen to be read, Jesus referred to the "sign of Jonah" in answer to a question by the religious leaders in his day, in Luke 11:29-30 he said: "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation."
This is a day when Jews connect with the very essence of their being, which remains faithful to God regardless of their outward behaviour. And while it is the most solemn day of the year, they are also joyfully, confident that God will forgive their sins and seal their verdict for another year of life with health and happiness. For nearly twenty-six hours, from several minutes before sunset on Tishrei 9 until after nightfall on Tishrei 10 they "afflict their souls" they abstain from food and drink, do not wash or anoint their bodies, do not wear leather footwear, and abstain from spousal intimacy. They believe they are likened to the angels at this time. Angels have no physical needs! Instead of focusing on the physical, the Jews spend much of the day in the synagogue engaged in repentance and prayer. In the course of Yom Kippur they will hold five prayer services: The fifth and closing service called Neilah climaxes in the resounding cries of "Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one." Then joy erupts in song and dance followed by a single blast of the shofar, and the proclamation, "Next year in Jerusalem!"
After the fast they partake of a festive after-fast meal, making the evening after Yom Kippur a festival in its own right. They then immediately being to look forward to the next holiday (holy day) and its special command to construct the sukkah
(tabernacle/tent) for the Feast of Tabernacles - Sukkot.
Jesus and Yom Kippur
The Tabernacle and the Temple give us a clear picture of how sin separates us from the holiness of God. In Biblical times, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies by passing through the heavy veil that hung from ceiling to floor, creating a barrier between the people and the presence of God. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place after offering the blood of a bull for himself and his family. He would then offer the blood sacrifice to cover the sins of the people. Jesus was our Scapegoat, in Hebrew, one of Jesus' names is Ben Abba - son of the Father (heavenly), he was chosen to die in place of Barabbas whose name in Aramaic also means son of the father (earthly). The earthly son Barabbas was set free by the casting of a lot, and the sin-free heavenly son Jesus, was sacrificed as our Scapegoat, so that we, the guilty ones, are free to enter in to the Holy of Holies (2 Corinthians 5:21 and Mark 15:6-15). Therefore, we have a new and living way to enter the Father's house (Hebrews 10:20 and John 14:2).
At the very moment when Jesus died on the cross, "the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split and graves were opened." Matthew 27:51 (NKJV)
In Hebrews chapters 8 and 9 in the New Testament, we can read about how Jesus became our High Priest and entered heaven (the Holy of Holies), once and for all, not by the blood of sacrificial animals, but by his own precious blood shed on the cross.
Jesus himself was the atoning sacrifice for our sins (the Lamb of God); obtaining for us eternal redemption! As believers we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Yom Kippur, the final atonement for sin.
God will take us back in love; God will cover up our iniquities, You [God] will hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea.
There is a parallel in the New Testament when Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan, who is often represented in the form of a goat Azazel
(Satanists worship such a figure). Satan offered Jesus the whole world if he would only bow down and worship him. Jesus answered quoting Scripture "Away from me Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the LORD your God, and serve him only.'" (Matthew 4:10).
When the Azazel goat carried the sins of the whole nation of Israel into the wilderness by way of a national annual atonement, Jesus carried the sins of the whole world on to the cross for the 'once and for all time' atonement for sin for both Jew and Gentile, the 'one new man' in Him.
At the first Passover, the High Priest sacrificed the Passover Lamb, then the people sacrificed their own lambs - at that time 'many' sacrificed, but only 'one' could actually enter the Holy of Holies and that was the High Priest himself. However a time was coming when only 'one' would sacrifice, but 'all' would be able to enter into the LORD's presence.
At Yom Kippur, a bull and a goat were sacrificed, but not a 'Lamb!' Jesus is the High Priest who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens and unlike other priests, he doesn't need to regularly sacrifice, he sacrificed 'once and for all time' when he offered himself.
You may like to read Leviticus chapter 16 for a full description of the Day of Atonement and see how carefully the High Priest must prepare himself before he dares to appear before the LORD in the Most Holy Place behind the curtain and in front of the ark of the covenant where Almighty God appears in the cloud of glory.
In verses 20-22 of Leviticus chapter 16 we read; "When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites - all their sins - and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sin to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.
When the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., the Jewish people could no longer present the required sacrifices on the Day of Atonement, so it came to be observed as a day of repentance, self-denial, charitable works, prayer and fasting. Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath. No work is done on this day. Today, Orthodox and Conservative Jews observe many restrictions and customs on Yom Kippur. The book of Jonah is chosen to be read, Jesus referred to the "sign of Jonah" in answer to a question by the religious leaders in his day, in Luke 11:29-30 he said: "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation."
This is a day when Jews connect with the very essence of their being, which remains faithful to God regardless of their outward behaviour. And while it is the most solemn day of the year, they are also joyfully, confident that God will forgive their sins and seal their verdict for another year of life with health and happiness. For nearly twenty-six hours, from several minutes before sunset on Tishrei 9 until after nightfall on Tishrei 10 they "afflict their souls" they abstain from food and drink, do not wash or anoint their bodies, do not wear leather footwear, and abstain from spousal intimacy. They believe they are likened to the angels at this time. Angels have no physical needs! Instead of focusing on the physical, the Jews spend much of the day in the synagogue engaged in repentance and prayer. In the course of Yom Kippur they will hold five prayer services: The fifth and closing service called Neilah climaxes in the resounding cries of "Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one." Then joy erupts in song and dance followed by a single blast of the shofar, and the proclamation, "Next year in Jerusalem!"
After the fast they partake of a festive after-fast meal, making the evening after Yom Kippur a festival in its own right. They then immediately being to look forward to the next holiday (holy day) and its special command to construct the sukkah
(tabernacle/tent) for the Feast of Tabernacles - Sukkot.
Jesus and Yom Kippur
The Tabernacle and the Temple give us a clear picture of how sin separates us from the holiness of God. In Biblical times, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies by passing through the heavy veil that hung from ceiling to floor, creating a barrier between the people and the presence of God. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place after offering the blood of a bull for himself and his family. He would then offer the blood sacrifice to cover the sins of the people. Jesus was our Scapegoat, in Hebrew, one of Jesus' names is Ben Abba - son of the Father (heavenly), he was chosen to die in place of Barabbas whose name in Aramaic also means son of the father (earthly). The earthly son Barabbas was set free by the casting of a lot, and the sin-free heavenly son Jesus, was sacrificed as our Scapegoat, so that we, the guilty ones, are free to enter in to the Holy of Holies (2 Corinthians 5:21 and Mark 15:6-15). Therefore, we have a new and living way to enter the Father's house (Hebrews 10:20 and John 14:2).
At the very moment when Jesus died on the cross, "the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split and graves were opened." Matthew 27:51 (NKJV)
In Hebrews chapters 8 and 9 in the New Testament, we can read about how Jesus became our High Priest and entered heaven (the Holy of Holies), once and for all, not by the blood of sacrificial animals, but by his own precious blood shed on the cross.
Jesus himself was the atoning sacrifice for our sins (the Lamb of God); obtaining for us eternal redemption! As believers we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Yom Kippur, the final atonement for sin.
- Passover gave us salvation through one Lamb, the Lamb of God.
- Pentecost gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us, empower us to share the gospel and to help us understand our salvation.
- Rosh Hashanah - the Trumpet call announcing the Hebrew New Year and prophetically the "catching away" or "rapture" of the church to heaven and the impending arrival of the groom.
- The Day of Atonement gives us the conviction of sin and repentance, which we can only receive through being born again by the Holy Spirit. Prophetically it represents the coming judgement upon the nations by Jesus on His return with his bride, at the end of the Tribulation on earth.
- The Feast of Tabernacles represents the shelter of God's people in the wilderness during the Exodus from slavery and God's covering, provision and protection. Prophetically it represents the marriage supper on earth when Jesus with the 'church' returns for his millennial reign over the nations from Jerusalem. The prophet Zechariah tells us that this festival will continue annually throughout the millennial reign of Christ, and that whichever nation isn't represented in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast each year, that particular nation will receive no rain! See Zechariah 14:16-21.
The Apostle Paul said in Colossians 2:16-17 that the Jewish festivals and celebrations were a 'shadow' of the things to come through Jesus Christ. Jesus, our Messiah has fulfilled all of these festivals at his first coming, yet we also look forward to the prophetic outcomes of the last three when the church is 'caught away' to be with the Lord, the return of Jesus and the subsequent judging of the nations, the wedding feast on earth at the commencement of the millennial reign of Christ. Although as Christians we may or may not commemorate these holy-days in the traditional biblical sense, as we discover the significance of each of them, we will certainly gain a deeper understanding of God's Word and the Hebraic underpinning of our faith.
Yom Kippur is a good occasion to take a spiritual inventory, by searching our own hearts to 'see if there is any wicked way within us.' With its central themes of sin, atonement and forgiveness, Yom Kippur naturally lends itself to this kind of spiritual introspection. Though we are made righteous in Jesus the Messiah, we still sin. We are instructed to flee from sin and pursue righteousness, yet at the same time, the Apostle John clearly reminds us, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8 NIV).
Yom Kippur focuses on the need to confess sin and receive God's forgiveness. It is also a time for us to take stock of our own lives before God. It is powerful to remember, especially on Yom Kippur, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9 NIV)
Finally, above all, as believers in Yeshua/Jesus, we do well to remember the following verses in 1 John 4:9-11:
Thi is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Amen.