Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

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Yon Kippur (Day of Atonement) on the tenth day in the month of Tishri (Sept.-Oct) is 10 days after Rosh HaShannah  and ends the 40 days of Teshuvah. This year the feast starts at 6:00 P.M. on Sept. 27 (Sunday) and ends at 6:00 P.M. on Sept. 28 (Monday). This feast, when it was celebrated originally, was a temporal atonement and redemption. On this day, only the High Priest would enter the Holy of Hollies for the sins of the people and sprinkle the blood of a goat on the Mercy Seat of God. This atonement was for their sins during the previous year.  This atonement pointed to the redemption that Jesus purchased on Calvary for us. All the priests who participated in ceremonies on Yon Kippur when it was celebrated pronounced the Name of God and bowed their knees when feeling the nearness of God’s presence. Also, the whole congregation prostrated themselves before the King of Kings at this feast (Is 45 v. 22-25, Romans 14 v. 11 and Phil. 2 v.9-11). This is a preview of what is going to happen one day in the future on the Day of the Second Coming of Jesus. Just like the whole congregation bowed at the presence of God on the Day of Atonement, on the day that Jesus returns, every knee shall bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2 v. 10).

The Great Tribulation will start ten days after the rapture (which could occur on some Tishri 1 or Rosh HaShannah in the future), on some Tishri 10 in the future, which is the Day of Atonement. The Great Tribulation will end seven years later on the Day of Atonement and it will also be the day of the Second Coming of Jesus. The Great Tribulation is for those who are alive at the time who haven’t taken advantage of the atoning blood of Jesus and been born again. It is a seven year period of time when the judgment of God will be poured out on the earth. All the priests who participated in ceremonies on Yon Kippur when it was celebrated pronounced the Name of God and bowed their knees when feeling the nearness of God’s presence. The Day of Atonement is a rehearsal of this great Day of the Lord’s return. Yon Kippur or Day of Atonement starts a time of expectation that Jesus is coming on the scene to help those who are redeemed by the Blood of Jesus. This is evident by the fact that Jesus is coming back at the end of the Tribulation to deliver His people. This is a time where believers who are feeling oppressed and surrounded by enemies can take solace that Jesus is coming on the scene to deliver. This is a great day of deliverance. Jesus can surely deliver any day of the year but this is a special day to meet the need of deliverance. Believers who need deliverance in any area of their lives should take advantage of the special anointing on this day. In l Peter 1 v. 7, Peter said that the trials are more precious than gold and should be found unto praise and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ. He is saying that during a trial one should take solace that Jesus will show up and deliver. He will always show up on time. In John 10, people around Lazarus thought Jesus was late, but He was right on time. During this time we need to instruct people to reach out with extra faith and receive their deliverance, no matter how long they have been oppressed. Remember the oppression of the Great Tribulation will end on Yon Kippur, the Day of Atonement. People who are on earth during the seven years of the Tribulation and come to Jesus will be delivered from the oppression of the Antichrist. Praise Him! This Day of Atonement is also announcing the start of a period where God is going to unleash a season of wrath onto the earth. This is evidenced by the Tribulation starting on the Day of Atonement. On the preceding Day of Atonement feasts before the one starting the Tribulation, special seasons of God’s judgment will start. You can read what His prophets had to say in the word and see reasons for His judgment. In Jeremiah 2 v. 7 – 8, God mentions that they defiled the land that He brought them into and forgot about Him. He said that His Pastors had transgressed against Him and their prophets’ prophesized by Baal (Satan). God also wants us to look back and see where he brought us from and not to be so overconfident that we fall the same way again. This could lead to His judgment. We are not as strong as we think we are. How many Christians who are saved and Holy Ghost filled marry somebody who is not saved and think that they will get that person saved. It hardly ever works out that way. Usually the strong one gets weaker as a result of the marriage. When God promotes, don’t forget where He took you from. Stay close to Him to stay strong. How many Prophets prophesize to manipulate people for monetary and other purposes? How many ministers use their authority to seduce other brothers and sisters for sexual and other purposes? How long will God put up with this. How many saints lift up people, other than Christ and put people into an exalted position, which could be dangerous for both parties. This is the spirit of Antichrist that wants somebody, other than Christ to be lifted up. This attitude is preparing the way for the Antichrist, who will be revealed during the Great Tribulation. One of the best ways to avoid giving into the spirit of antichrist and avoid going through the Tribulation is to study and meditate on what Jesus said to the churches in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3. What Jesus spoke to the churches in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3 is to prepare saints for the Rapture, where Jesus will take His saints away with Him, before the Great Tribulation. This is evident in Chapter 4 v. 1, where Jesus uses the term-"Come up Hither." This is a type of describing the Rapture of the Church. It is very important to see if we fall short and can identify with any of the warnings to His churches in Chapters 2 and 3. Be careful that you haven’t left your first love, Jesus. This is just one of the warnings to His church. Stay away from pride and self.

The original rites and practices for the Day of Atonement are set forth in the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus (cf. Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 23:27-31, 25:9; Numbers 29:7-11). It is considered to be a time for fasting, on which no food or drink are to be consumed: And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls...It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath (Leviticus 23:26-27, 32). In the New Testament, the Day of Atonement is referred to as "the Fast" (Acts 27:9). The fact that this day was referred to that way (or even at all) is an indication that it was observed by Christians after Christ's resurrection. An unusual ceremony related to the Day of Atonement is discussed in Leviticus 16. Skipping down to verses 9-10, this passage states: And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD's lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat(Azalel) into the wilderness.

The Slain Goat Represents Christ

The slain goat represents Christ who actually dies for our sins. Christ's sacrifice is an atonement sacrifice to reconcile us to God. Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote: 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

The Live Goat Represents Satan- The New Testament shows that this is exactly what happens when Christ returns. Jesus’ return as King of kings is described in Revelation 19:11–21. Then, in Revelation 20, we read that a mighty angel is appointed to remove Satan. "He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished

Other considerations:

 (1) The priestly garb which Aaron was to wear on this one occasion was very different from that which he normally wore in the course of his duties.

Beautiful colored materials; intricate embroidery, gold and jewelry made him look like a king during his normal duties. On the Day of Atonement he looked more like a slave. His outfit consisted of four simple garments in white linen, even plainer than the vestments of the ordinary priest (Exod. 39:27-29). This shows his servanthood and humility to the KING. 

(2) The Day of Atonement is the cleansing of a place.

Even more emphatic in this chapter is the fact that the Day of Atonement was provided by God to cleanse His holy dwelling place, the Tabernacle, and the holy things associated with it. That for which atonement is made is that with which God came in contact, that which had become defiled over the past year, due to the sins of the people and their priests. (Lev. 16:16). The issue at stake is whether or not God will continue to abide within the camp, in the midst of His people. The uncleanness of the people contaminated the dwelling place of God, and the Day of Atonement was provided to remove these sins. Churches need to be cleansed by the Blood because of what some people bring into it.

 (3) The Day of Atonement foreshadowed and anticipated a greater, permanent cleansing of God’s people and of His dwelling place, which was to be accomplished by a better priest, who offered a better sacrifice. (Heb. 7: 15-28, 9:11-14) Aaron and all the other priests could but offer the blood of bulls and goats, but Christ offered His own precious blood (Acts 20:28).

(4.) Another aspect of the superiority of Christ’s atonement to Aaron’s (which we shall consider here) is that Christ’s sacrifice brought better access to God (Heb. 10:19-22).

(5.) The Day of Atonement was a time for dealing with unknown sins, for which no offering had been made in the past year. This matter of unknown sin was one that concerned godly Israelites. David prayed, “Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults” (Ps. 19:12) Moses, the author of the Pentateuch, was also the author of this psalm, in which he prayed, “Thou hast placed our iniquities before Thee, Our secret sins in the light of Thy presence” (Ps. 90:8). These passages tell us that fallen man is not capable of seeing many of his own sins. Thus, a godly man must seek the knowledge of his sin from God and from the wise counsel of others. Example: A husband may control at home being dictatorial. He might justify domineering over his wife as “assuming his biblical place of headship.”