Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement

Hello Friends!

The day on the Jewish calendar, which is the holiest day of their seven Jewish holy days, the holy days that God gave to the Jews to observe on an annual basis, is "Yom Kippur," the "Day of Atonement.” Let’s take a look at what the Scriptures have to say about this holy Jewish day…

 

Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself – Hebrews 9:26

During Biblical times, when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the High Priest, after much preparation, would enter the Holy of Holies of the Temple for the purpose of pouring the "sacrificial blood" onto the "Mercy Seat" on the "Ark of the Covenant.” This act would cover the sins of the Jewish people for one year until the next Yom Kippur. This annual holy day was to be marked by a twenty-five hour fast and was to be a very solemn day.

Today, without a Temple and the sacrificial system in place, the Jewish people must approach this holy day in a different manner. The ten days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are referred to as the ten "Awesome Days.” That's a period of time when the present-day Jews seek forgiveness from family, friends, loved ones and neighbors that they may have trespassed against during the last year. They will also take a piece of bread to a body of water, that preferably flows into the ocean, and will cast the bread on the water. Then they quote the book of Micah:

He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea – Micah 7:19

Many Orthodox Jews will also cut off the head of a chicken and wave its body around over their own heads. They believe all these activities will help them be included in the "Book of Life." Since there is no Temple and no "sacrificial system" in modern times, the Jews today offer up prayers three times daily, do good deeds and give money to needy causes. These activities replace the "sacrificial system.”

The holy day of Yom Kippur also has a "prophetic significance." The book of Hebrews reveals that prophetic aspect of Yom Kippur:

Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another -  He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation – Hebrews 9:23-28

These Scriptures tell us that in days past the High Priest, "enters into the Holy Place every year with the blood of others.”
Now look at what Jesus does:

He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself – Hebrews 9:26

Let me remind you that Jesus Christ fulfilled the "spring feast" in the proper day sequences. Jesus Christ was:

Crucified on "Passover"
Buried on "Unleavened Bread"
Rose from the dead on "First Fruits"

NOTE: The "Feast of Weeks" represents the decent of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) & the birth of the Christian Church

Jesus Christ will also fulfill the three "fall feast" in the proper day sequences: 

Gathering (Rapture) of the Christian Church on "Trumpets" 
Return to earth (Second Coming) on "Atonement" 
Reign for 1000 years (Millennial Kingdom) "Tabernacles"

Jesus Christ will return to the earth on a future "Rosh Hashana" followed by the ten "Awesome Days" when He builds up Jerusalem, builds His temple and goes to the Jezreel Valley for the Battle of Armageddon.

Then Jesus will gather the Jews that He will have protected for the last three and a half years of the Tribulation Period, in Petra, and bring them to Jerusalem by way of the Mt of Olives, the Eastern Gate and into the Temple prophesied by Ezekiel as the Holy of Holies:

And He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. No more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name, they nor their kings, by their harlotry or with the carcasses of their kings on their high places – Ezekiel 43:7

That will happen on the Holy Day – “Yom Kippur.” That's when all Jews get saved in a day as prophesied by Zechariah:

For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua: Upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day’ – Zechariah 3:9

Passover was for "personal salvation" and Yom Kippur was for "national salvation." The Jewish feasts have always pointed to Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah. The Savior of the world – both Jew and Gentile. Praise the Lord!

Time is running out. Receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior now before your heart is so hardened, you are unable – or unwilling – to hear His voice. Please take heed to this warning! Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to the Father! These are His Words:

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me – John 14:6

Without Jesus Christ's substitutionary death on the Cross of Calvary for your iniquities, you will die in your sins and face the Wrath of God at The Great White Throne Judgment. You will then receive your just sentence – a literal, physical and eternal place of torment, a place known in the Bible as Hell. Heaven will NOT be your final destination apart from Jesus Christ! Please heed this warning – time is running out!

If you have any questions about how to become a true follower of Jesus Christ, please contact me, another Christian or a Pastor – but please do not delay... Today is the day of Salvation!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha!


We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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