75 Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement

Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement.

The Day of Atonement is the most Set-apart day on Elohim’s calendar and fasting is only a small part of what this day really means. In fact the Day of Atonement has something very special that goes totally unnoticed by most Sabbath and Set-Apart day keeping groups. YHVH starts the year on the first month known as Aviv or Nissan in the spring in the Northern Hemisphere. But, the year of the Jubilee (transliterated as ‘Yovel’ in Hebrew) and the year of the seventh year land Sabbath (transliterated as ’Shmetah’ in Hebrew) both commence on the tenth day of the seventh month, the same day on which the Day of Atonement (transliterated as ’Yom Kippur’ in Hebrew) occurs.

The Day of Atonement and both the Jubilee and the Sabbatical years are very special to YHVH our Elohim. Everything that our Father does has a valuable lesson for each and every one of us. Even if we feel terrible on the Day of Atonement, because of the lack of food, we must never take this day lightly. YHVH has made these days to interconnect, since they are all about the same subject, namely: oppression, lack of forgiveness and greed. Once we understand why the Sabbatical year and the year of the Jubilee were necessary for the people of Israel, then we will understand what true fasting is. Both the Sabbatical year and the Jubilee year have to do with release and restoration: Release of debt, release of slaves, and the restoration of property to its rightful owners. This Day of Atonement also connects to Yahshua and what He expects of us His followers. The land Sabbath was necessary because people were enslaving others less fortunate than themselves. They were doing this because in ancient Israel there were no police or jails and people who got in trouble because of debt owed, had to work off their debt by forced labour. Why was this allowed? For the same reason that Moses allowed divorce: Because of the hardness of the people’s hearts. This brings us to poverty! There have always been poor people in the world, including in Israel. Has our Father failed to provide for the poor? The answer is a resounding No!! YHVH is providing for the poor through their fellow human beings. YHVH gives to some in excess and He expects that those who have in excess to share their excess with the poor. We read from Deuteronomy 24: 19 how YHVH wants us to provide for the poor, in this way: “When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that YHVH your Elohim may bless you in all the work of your hands.” We are given additional details in Leviticus 19: 9 & 10, as follows: “Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. (10) Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am YHVH your Elohim.” Turning to the Renewed Covenant, we read from James 2: 15 – 16: “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, (16) and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” We read further from 1 John 3: 17, “But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of Elohim abide in him?” However, it was because of the hardness of people’s hearts, that YHVH commanded the Jubilee and the Sabbatical years, to ensure the ongoing levelling of society.

Without this levelling, the rich is getting richer and the poor is getting poorer. The reality of the matter is that people are unwilling to share with those less fortunate than themselves. In (YHVH)’s perfect society all people will take care of one another, but we are a long way from such a perfect society. Have you ever wondered why we are commanded to abstain from food and water for a full day? Is our Father only concerned about our health or does He want us to learn a Spiritual lesson? In Yahshua’s first sermon after His immersion by Yochanan and after being tempted by Satan in Luke 4: 18 & 19, Yahshua quoting Isaiah 61: 1 and the first part of verse 2 said: “THE SPIRIT OF YHVH IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE DOWNTRODDEN, (19) TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF YHVH.” Yahshua’s very first message was about freedom and renewal; He began His first teaching at the beginning of a Sabbatical year and continued through the year of Jubilee. We fast to remind us how Yahshua has released us from the house of Israel from the captivity by Edom; how He through the indwelling of the Set-apart Spirit removed our spiritual blindness to once again understand the word of YHVH and how He freed us who were downtrodden by sin and gave us the good news about the coming kingdom of Elohim. It is with this in mind that we read about the type of fast YHVH requires from us in Isaiah 58. To commence with, we read from Isaiah 58: 1 (KJV): ‘Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins.’ As we’ve learnt on Yom Teruah, one of the uses of trumpets was to announce Elohim’s annual Set-Apart times and in this case YHVH wants us to pay special attention to what He is teaching us through the words of Isaiah in Isaiah 58, saying in verses 2 – 5: ‘Yet they seek Me day by day, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that has done righteousness, and has not forsaken the ordinance of their Elohim. They ask Me for just decisions, they delight in the nearness of Elohim. (3) ‘Why have we fasted and Thou dost not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and Thou dost not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard all your workers. (4) Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high. (5) Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed, and for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to YHVH?”’ We need to understand that the Day of Atonement is not a day to be endured; it is a day to be delighted in; as are all of the Set-Apart days of Elohim. YHVH through Isaiah tells us in verses 6 & 7 the way our fast will be pleasing to Him, saying: “Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke? (7) Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”

YHVH wants us to share our wealth with the hungry, the naked, the sick, the afflicted, the unhappy, the lonely and especially those of our own families and congregation. He also tells us about the blessings that will flow to us when He is pleased with our fast in Isaiah 58: 8 - 11, saying: “Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of YHVH will be your rear guard. (9) Then you will call, and YHVH will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness. (10) And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom will become like midday. (11) And YHVH will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” If we fast a fast that is pleasing to YHVH and we share our wealth with the poor, the love or more correctly, the charity mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13 will grow in us through the fruit of the Spirit and this is the love YHVH wants us to show others in the world. He is trying to teach us that our lives should be one continues fast; not a fast from food and water, but a fast from evil, oppressing others, and keeping record of the evils that others commit against us. Our fast begins when we accept Yahshua as our Savior and start following the way He taught us to, whilst He was on earth. Our fasting from evil leads to a life of love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, goodness and self-control. As we approach the Day of Atonement this year let us meditate on these Spiritual fruits and keep a fast that is acceptable to Elohim.

The Day of Atonement pictures the fifth step in Elohim’s Master Plan; the deposing of Satan from his current position as world ruler and his removal to a place completely away from mankind. Satan will be “bound’ for a thousand years, no longer able to deceive mankind to sin. The Day of Atonement is perhaps the most unusual Set-apart Day, because it is the one day on which Elohim has commanded His people to abstain from food and drink for twenty four hours, from sunset on the ninth day of Tishrei to sunset on the tenth day of Tishrei on the Hebrew calendar. Yahshua Messiah, the future ruler of the earth, qualified to rule by being completely submissive to Elohim’s government and perfectly humble. One of His last acts with His disciples included establishing the Passover ordinance of foot washing to picture humility. His suffering and death to pay the penalty of human sin and to remarry His bride was an act of extreme humility, of complete submission to the Father’s will, and of perfect love for us. True believers in like manner must humble themselves, before they will be allowed to rule under Messiah. No ruler in Elohim’s Kingdom can be arrogant or selfish, as Yahshua explained to Yaa’cov and Yochanan in Mark 10: 42 – 45, saying to them: “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. (43) But it is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; (44) and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. (45) For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Fasting on the Day of Atonement is a powerful reminder of the state of mind necessary for salvation; of humility, sincere sorrow, earnestly seeking Elohim and His way. Society today, is filled with splendor and pride and does not realize that it is cut off form Elohim, because of sin caused by Satan, as witnessed in Isaiah 59: 2 in this way: ‘But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your Elohim, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.’ Only those few whom YHVH is calling are now reconciled to Him. The rest of mankind must wait until after Satan’s imprisonment after the 1,000 year reign of Messiah on a future Day of Atonement, after which they will be humbled and ready to be reconciled with Elohim. We see from Ephesians 2: 1 & 2, that the present world is ruled invisibly by Satan, as follows: ‘And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, (2) in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.’ But, the world to come will be ruled by Yahshua Messiah assisted by the first fruits to be born again from the dead in the first Resurrection, as witnessed in Revelation 20: 6, in this way: ‘Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of Elohim and of Messiah and will reign with Him for a thousand years.’ We see from Revelation 19: 11 – 16 that Yahshua will replace Satan as supreme ruler, as follows: ‘And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. (12) And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. (13) And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of Elohim. (14) And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. (15) And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of Elohim, the Almighty. (16) And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND MASTER OF MASTERS.”’

As much as Yahshua will replace Satan as the supreme ruler of the earth, so will the resurrected first fruit believers in Yahshua replace the demons to rule over the nations, as witnessed in 1 Corinthians 6: 2 & 3, in this way: ‘Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? (3) Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, matters of this life?’ A second witness is found in Revelation 2: 26, as follows: “And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS.” In addition Rav Shaul shows that Elohim will soon crush Satan under our feet in Romans 16: 20. As the last part of the body of Messiah, we at the end of days can be described as Messiah’s heel that will be bruised by Satan, but we will crush his head under our feet in agreement with the prophecy given by YHVH to Satan in Genesis 3: 15. After Messiah’s return to enforce Elohim’s government on earth, Satan will be bound in a symbolic chain and locked up to prevent him from deceiving mankind, as witnessed in Revelation 20: 1 – 3, in this way: ‘And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, (3) and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.’

Let’s now turn to Leviticus 23 to see how this fifth step in Elohim’s Master Plan is pictured by a symbolic ceremony in the Torah. We read from verses 27, “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 YHVH.” We see that even though we are fasting on the Day of Atonement, YHVH wants us to assemble before Him on that day. The churches of the world misunderstood most aspects of Elohim’s Set-apart Days and have almost universally decided not to keep these annual reminders of Elohim’s plan, and therefore do not have a clue about His plan of salvation for all mankind. They have especially misunderstood the symbolism of the Day of Atonement, and no wonder, since this day more than any other Set-apart Day is hated by Satan, as it pictures his defeat. Leviticus 16 details what Elohim commanded the Levitical high priests to do on the Day of Atonement. Even though these rituals are no longer performed, they picture the binding of Satan; the fifth step in Elohim’s plan to restore His government on earth and bring knowledge of the salvation of all mankind. These rituals that Elohim gave the high priests to perform, was to remind the Israelites of their sins, that the penalty for sin is death, and that they would need a Savior to pay the penalty for their sins. Once Yahshua became the sacrifice for the sins of the world, the sacrificial law in respect of sin was satisfied. It is for that reason that sacrifices in respect of sin is no longer offered today.

Even though these rituals are no longer performed, we are still able to see their symbolic meanings. But, we need to understand a few important facts regarding Elohim’s Tabernacle and the Levitical priesthood. Once the nation of Israel agreed to worship YHVH, the One who became Yahshua Messiah (Exodus 24: 3); He then began to detail to them how He should be worshipped. The first instructions He gave were for His Tabernacle (Exodus 25 – 27 & 30). Aaron and his sons were divinely appointed, not elected. Elohim was in charge. The Tabernacle included a courtyard enclosed by curtains. The courtyard included an altar, a laver and a central tent. The tent was divided into two sections by a veil. The section behind the veil was referred to as the Holy of Holies. The front section of the tent was called the holy place. The Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle represented Elohim’s throne in heaven. The Ark of the Covenant, with the wings of the cherubim spread overhead, was contained in the Holy of Holies (Exodus 25: 10 – 22). Inside the Ark were the tablets of stone upon which Elohim wrote the Ten Commandments. The lid of the Ark, which was called the mercy seat, was where YHVH manifested Himself. Only the Levitical high priests were allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. In addition he was only allowed to enter it once each year on the Day of Atonement to perform a special ceremony depicting the binding of Satan. Elohim thus emphasized the importance of this day, showing that it is symbolically linked to man’s access to Elohim.

Now, let’s turn to Leviticus 16 to go through the rituals that were to be performed on the Day of Atonement. We read from verse 2: ‘And YHVH said to Moses, “Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.”’ We see from verses 29 & 30 that Aaron was only allowed to enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, as follows: “And this shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls, and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you; (30) for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you shall be clean from all your sins before YHVH.” We see from verse 4 that before entering the Holy of Holies, the high priest had to bathe and dress in his special priestly garments, in this way: “He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash, and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on.” Next we see from verse 6 that the high priest sacrificed a young bull to make atonement for himself, as follows: “Then Aaron shall offer the bull for a sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household.” The sacrifice was made on the altar in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. We see further from verse 17 that only the high priest was allowed in the courtyard, in this way: “When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel.” Yes, this was not a public ceremony – it was between the high priest and Elohim alone. The high priest then took a firepan full of hot coals from the altar, with his hands full of finely ground incense, and went into the Holy of Holies (verse 12). We see from verse 13 & 14, “And he shall put the incense on the fire before YHVH, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, lest he die. (14) Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.”

Verses 5 & 7 informed us that the high priest beforehand took two goats from the congregation, as follows: “And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. (7) And he shall take the two goats and present them before YHVH at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” Continuing in verse 8, we read: “And Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for YHVH and the other lot for the scapegoat. (The footnote against the word scapegoat in the New American Standard Bible reads: lit., goat of removal, or else a name: Azazel.) We see from verses 9, 15 & 16: “Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for YHVH fell, and make it a sin offering. (15) Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil, and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. (16) And he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel, and because of their transgressions, in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities.” The other goat was presented alive, as witnessed in verse 10, in this way: “But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell, shall be presented alive before YHVH, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.” The English word ‘scapegoat’ is not a correct translation of the Hebrew word Elohim inspired. The original word was Azazel, a name used among the early Semitic dwellers in the Sinai desert, referring to Satan the devil. James Moffat therefore translated it as "Azazel the demon” in the Moffat translation of the Bible. Modern commentaries often misunderstood this Azazel goat, which is not surprising, since Satan has deceived the whole world, and deceived many to think that he does not exist.

As we’ve already read from Ephesians 2: 2, Satan is the real cause behind human sin. We see from verse 21 of Leviticus 16, that the high priest laid both his hands on the head of the live goat, symbolically putting the iniquities of the sons of Israel, and all their transgressions on the head of the goat and sent it away into the wilderness, by the hand of a man standing by. We read from verse 22: “And the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.” Even though bulls, goats and rams were a normal part of the daily sacrificial rituals, two things were particularly unusual about the rituals done on the Day of Atonement. The high priest entered the Holy of Holies and one goat was ceremonially led into the wilderness. We notice from Leviticus 16: 10 and 22 that the Azazel goat remained alive, whilst the goat for YHVH was sacrificed. The reason for this being; that Satan is a spirit being and therefore unable to die, as Yahshua said in Luke 20: 36. The wilderness represents the black darkness spoken about in Jude 13, to which wandering stars or fallen angels (Jude 6) will ultimately be banished forever. This is when mankind will finally be able to become “at-one” with YHVH through Yahshua’s sacrifice, and begin living the wonderful way of life which YHVH planned for us from the beginning.

The Day of Atonement and all that it pictures is the world’s guarantee that a new age of universal peace, harmony and cooperation with our Creator is coming – the Golden Age of Yahshua’s rule on this earth pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles. The Day of Atonement is the Set-apart Day on which we are required to fast, in order to humble ourselves before YHVH our Elohim. The question is: Why does YHVH require us to fast? Satan has deceived mankind for nearly 6 000 years now; he has led mankind to think that we do not need YHVH. In fact, mankind believes that they can get along just fine on their own. But, consider for a moment where we have gotten ourselves: The world is full of war and rumours of war and when Yahshua returns one day, mankind will be on the verge of self-annihilation. At this point we desperately need YHVH to teach us the right way to live; the way to peace and prosperity. YHVH wants us to fast on the Day of Atonement to remind us that we need to be humble and teachable – in order to be willing to obey Him and let Him work through us. If we learn to be humble and teachable now, we won’t have to learn the hard way later like the rest of the world will have to. When Yahshua returns in power and esteem, He is going to have to bring prideful humanity to its knees. Satan will have deceived mankind into thinking that Yahshua and His angels are enemies of man. They will actually fight against Yahshua at His return. When Yahshua defeats them, mankind will finally be humbled. Mankind will finally begin to understand that his ways only lead to all manner of suffering and sorrow. Only then will man be willing to turn to YHVH and learn His way. Think about it!