The day of atonement, or Yom Kippur as it is known in Israel today, is considered the holiest day of the year by Jews. Jews who never go to synagogue will go on this day. Yom means day and Kippur means atonement or covering. The day of atonement is on 10 Tishri the seventh month on the Jewish calendar or in September or October of our calendar. (Leviticus 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.) The ten days from the feast of trumpets to the day of atonement are considered high holy days and are supposed to be days of repentance. These days are known as the Days of Awe. The Jews believe the day of atonement is the day that God will judge them and see if their good deeds or works outweighs their bad deeds. If they do, the Jews believe their name will remain in the book of life for another year. I mentioned in my sermon Jesus in the feast of trumpets how a Jew or anyone can have their name written in the book of life for all eternity just by calling on Jesus to save them and be their Saviour. (Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.) The day of atonement was to be a day of fasting and prayer. There is debate on if fasting is required. Acts speaks of the day of atonement as “fast”, but this could just be that it was so common to fast due to tradition that the day became known as the fast. (Acts 27:9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,) It was a holy day in which no work was done. The soul that worked was to be cut off and destroyed from his people. This was a serious day. (Leviticus 23:26-32 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.) It was important that the day of atonement was a day of rest as only those who were resting in Christ’s righteousness by faith alone would experience the true rest of Jesus. Only those who truly trust in Jesus as their Saviour by faith alone will have rest as they have been redeemed of their sins. (Hebrews 4:10-11 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.) (Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.)
Today Jews read the book of Jonah at the synagogue as a reminder of God’s mercy and forgiveness. When the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 the Jews could no longer do animal sacrifices. They replaced the animal sacrifices with prayer, good works, and charitable donations thinking this will save them. It will not. Only the shed blood of Jesus Christ will save the Jew and everyone else. Even today most Jews spend most of the day in prayer asking God to forgive them, but without any true repentance that is needed for salvation. Scripture is clear that blood is needed for the sacrifice in order to be forgiven. This is why the animal sacrifices were done as representative of the blood of Jesus for our sins. (Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.) (Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.) Jews need to realize that there is one greater than the temple by the name Jesus (Yeshua) who is the only one who can save you. (Matthew 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.)
In Biblical days the high priest would enter the most holy place [holy of holies] on the day of atonement. This was the only day of the year that the high priest or anyone could enter the most holy place. Before entering the most holy place, the high priest had to wash himself and put on holy garments. The high priest would take two goats and casts lots to see which one would be sacrificed. The other one was put aside and was known as the scapegoat. The high priest had to sacrifice a bullock for his own sins and then would sacrifice the goat for the LORD as a sin offering for the people of Israel. This blood was placed on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant. The scapegoat was released into the wilderness and it was said that the sins of the people were placed on this goat never to return back to the people. (Leviticus 16:4-19 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.
5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.
7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:
12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:
13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:
14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
15 ¶ Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.
18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.) A thick veil [curtain] separated the holy place from the most holy place to keep people out of the most holy place except for the high priest and only on the day of atonement. This veil tore at the death of Jesus on the cross for our sins as now true believers who are priests can have access to Jesus every day and not just on the day of atonement. (Matthew 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;) (Mark 15:38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.) Jesus Christ is our High Priest. (Hebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;) Jesus as the High Priest placed his blood on the mercy seat in heaven as the final sacrifice for our sins and full forgiveness for all who will call upon Jesus as their Saviour. (Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.) Jesus not only offered the sacrifice, but he was the sacrifice. (Hebrews 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.) I mentioned this in a previous sermon how a Christian man Ron Wyatt had found the ark of the covenant buried under the location of Jesus’ cross and how the blood of Jesus went through the cracks in the ground from the earthquake at his death and landed on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant. Jesus not only completed things in heaven, but also as High Priest here on earth by placing his blood on the mercy seat here as well just as the Israelite high priest did on the day of atonement. Jesus completed the work of forgiveness for our sins and no more animal sacrifices were needed. Unlike the Israelite high priest who had to make a sacrifice for his sins first and then the peoples, Jesus never needed to make a sacrifice for himself since he was sinless. (Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.) All believers may now enter the holy place in heaven due to the blood of Jesus. (Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,) Jesus made one sacrifice never to be repeated unlike the Israelite priest who had to make them every year on the day of atonement. (Hebrews 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;) (Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.) Jesus is the High Priest in heaven in the real holy place unlike the Israelite high priest. (Hebrews 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:) Jesus as God humbled himself for us on the cross in order to pay for our sins. (Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.) None of us can pay for our own sins whether by good works or living right or any other means, therefore Jesus died for us.
All of Israel will be saved on the day of atonement at the end of the tribulation, which is also the end of the 70th week of Daniel, when they look upon Jesus whom they have pierced. (Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.) (Romans 11:25-27
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.) All Israel will shout “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD” when they see Jesus. (Psalm 118:26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.) (Matthew 23:39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.)
Just as the trumpet is sounded for the rapture of the bride of Jesus to meet him in the air on the feast of trumpets, the trumpet is sounded again on the day of atonement. The Israelites were to sound the trumpet on this day. (Leviticus 25:9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.) Two of the many reasons that the trumpet was sounded in Biblical days were for a call to assemble and another was for Israel to move out. The trumpet will sound once again to announce the coming of Jesus at the end of the tribulation on the day of atonement and Jesus will finally gather all of Israel to him as the whole nation gets saved as they look upon Jesus whom they have pierced. He will then move them into the literal thousand year Millennial kingdom.
In conclusion the day of atonement is the day to show all Jews that they are sinners in need of a Saviour and that Jesus is that Saviour. The day of atonement also points Jews to the second coming of Jesus at the conclusion of the tribulation. May all Jews as well as anyone listening who is not saved call upon Jesus today and have Jesus be the atonement for your sins and to come back with him at his second coming to meet the now repentant saved Jewish nation. (Revelation 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.) The feast of trumpets and the day of atonement remind us that Jesus is coming soon.
