Because Yom Kippur starts this evening, I wanted to share what a good friend of mine wrote about this day and its themes for messianic believers. This information is based on the book “The Seven Festivals of the Messiah” by Edward Chumney.
YOM KIPPUR (THE DAY OF ATONEMENT)
(and themes associated with it)
YOM KIPPUR (The Day of Atonement.) This is the day of the year that the sins for the nation of Israel where brought by the High Priest into the Holy of Holies in the Temple before the mercy seat of God and the sins of the nation were confessed. The High Priest came before the mercy seat with the atoning blood of the sacrificial lamb. As a rehearsal, Yeshua is our Great High Priest who was sacrificed and, through His atoning blood, we have atonement for our sins and our conscience is cleansed so that we do not fear the second death at the judgment seat of God.
FACE TO FACE WITH GOD: The High Priest was only allowed into the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement and could die if he entered any other time of the year because no one could come face to face with the Holy One of Israel and live accept on this Day of Atonement through the blood of the sacrificed lamb. As a rehearsal, Yeshua’s atoning blood allows us to come before the Holy One of Israel face to face and live in His presence with a clean conscience. “Listen you watchmen. Lift up your voices; shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.” (Isa. 52:8) “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s soap.” (Mal. 3:2). “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” (1 Cor. 13:12)
SCAPEGOAT: The scapegoat was brought into the camp of the Israelites and the sins of the people were placed symbolically on the head of the scapegoat. The scapegoat was then driven into the wilderness. As a rehearsal, this is symbolic for Yeshua becoming our scapegoat as the sins of the whole world were put on Him. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isa. 53: 5)
THE FAST: The only feast day of the LORD that is actually declared by God to be a fast is on Yom Kippur. It is a day of sacred assembly when the people fast and mourn for their sins before God. “Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sack cloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, an acceptable day to the LORD? Is this not the fast I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.” (Isa. 58:5-8)
THE GREAT SHOFFAR: This is the trumpet call of God (the great blast). In rehearsal, this will be the great trumpet sound that will gather all His people to Jerusalem. “In that day, the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by one. And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.” (Isa. 27:12-13) “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matt. 24:31)
THE GATES OF HEAVEN ARE CLOSED: It is believed at the end of the Day of Atonement when the repentance has ended at the final closing ceremony of the day that the gates of heaven are closed. As a rehearsal, there will be an actual day of the LORD when He returns to the earth and there will be no more time to repent. “The key of the house of David I will lay on His shoulder; so He shall open, and no one shall shut; and He shall shut and no one shall open. I will fasten Him as a peg in a secure place, and he will become a glorious throne to His father’s house.” Isa. 22:22-23) “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying ‘Lord, Lord, open to us! But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you do not know the day or hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matt. 25: 10-13)