Jewish Feasts: (6) Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur

Leviticus 23:26–32 (RSV)
26 And the Lord said to Moses, 27 “On the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present an offering by fire to the Lord. 28 And you shall do no work on this same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. 29 For whoever is not afflicted on this same day shall be cut off from his people. 30 And whoever does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall do no work: it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves; on the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your sabbath.”


• Observations
• Day of Atonement is not a festival, but better described as a "holy season"
• Characterized by afflictions
• Very serious undertone -- "whoever is not afflicted on this same day shall be cut off"
• Passages
• Lev 16:1-34 details biblical practices
• Lev 25:8-12 spells out special rules for Sabbatical year (every seventh year) and the year of the jubilee (every 50th year)
• Num 29:7-11 emphasizes special offerings and sacrifices
• Heb 9:11-10:28 compares the blood-sacrifice of the animal to the blood of the Messiah and shows the superiority of the blood of the Messiah
• Heb 13:10-16 draws a comparison between the sacrifices being burned outside the camp and the Messiah's dying outside the gate and walls of Jerusalem
• Names
• Most common: Yom Kippur, which means "the day of atonement"
• Yom Hakippurim means "the day of atonements." The plural form is because, in Jewish tradition, atonements are mad for both the living and the dead
• Shabbat Shabbaton, which means "the Sabbath of Sabbaths" because it is by far the holiest of the "rest days"
• Biblical Practice
1. It was to be a time of the affliction of soul, a day of individual and national atonement
2. The details of biblical practice are given in Lev 16:1-34
1. Vs 1-2 restrictions  concerning the Holy of Holies. Only the High Priest may enter and only on that day
2. Vs 3-5 preparation of the sacrifices. An offering (a bull) for the high priest who wears special clothing and an offering (two goats) for the people
3. Vs 6-10 presentation of the sacrifices. First, lots are cast for the goats to determine the scapegoat. Then atonement is made for the high priest
4. Vs 11-14 concern atonement for the high priest. The priest enters the Holy of Holies with the blood of the bull for himself.
5. Vs 15-19 the goat select to die was sacrificed. The priest enters the Holy of Holies for a second time with the blood of the goat for the people
6. Vs 20-22 concern the second goat. Hands are laid on the head and the sins confessed. The goat is driven out into the wilderness picturing the removal of sin. Principal is: following the shedding of blood is the removal of sins
7. Vs 23-28 concern the cleansing of the participants
8. Vs 29-34 contain further restrictions and specifications
3. Two key elements:
1. A time of affliction of the soul
2. Two goats offered: one to die and one to live to remove sins
• Jewish Observance
• Modern Judaism teaches that man can achieve atonement for his sins by his own efforts. This is NOT a biblical teaching
• Substitution for the biblical practices
• Instead of affliction of the soul, Judaism practices the affliction of the body
• This is a day of fasting
• Common practice for some Jews to have themselves flogged on the Day of Atonement
• Since the temple with its sacrificial system is not standing, no blood-sacrifice
• Teaching of the rabbis is that repentance, prayer, and charity are valid subsitutes
• Ultra-orthodox Jews still practice a form of blood-sacrifice
• Jewish practice of self-denials in keeping with motif of physical affliction
• No eating or drinking
• No washing or bathing
• No anointing of oil. Includes modern day hand and face creams
• No cohabitation with spouse
• Not to enjoy luxury, meaning no leather shoes or sandals. Rubber or canvas is okay
• Book of Jonah is read, teaching that man cannot run away from God. Also teaches the effectiveness of repentance since Nineveh was spared
• Messianic Significance
• Technically, the Day of Atonement was fulfilled by the Messiah. Concept is taught in Isa 52:13-53:12
• Key element affliction, biblically the affliction of the soul. Today, Jewish practice is the affliction of the body
• The Great Tribulation fulfills both types of affliction


• The Great Tribulation is often referred to in scriptures by the term, affliction


Hosea 5:15–6:1 (RSV)
15 I will return again to my place,
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
and in their distress they seek me, saying,
6:1 “Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn, that he may heal us;
he has stricken, and he will bind us up.


Zechariah 13:8–9 (RSV)
8 In the whole land, says the Lord,
two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
and one third shall be left alive.
9 And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver,
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call on my name,
and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”


Zechariah 12:10–11 (RSV)
10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first-born. 11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.


• Summary thoughts
• The Feast of Trumpets is fulfilled by the Rapture of the Church
• The Day of Atonement is to be fulfilled by the Tribulation
• Just as the Feast of Trumpets precedes the Day of Atonement, so the rapture of the church will precede the Great Tribulation
APPLICATION:
1. Jesus had made atonement for our sins. There is no further atonement required
1. To believe otherwise is to negate the work of Christ on the cross
2. For those who refuse to believe in Jesus, they are guilty of not believing in God's only son and will suffer the wrath of his anger. There will be a great affliction of body and soul during the Great Tribulation
1. For that reason, we must be witnesses of Jesus during these last days
2. We should pray for boldness and confidence so that we don't shrink back when questioned about our faith