YOM KIPPUR | THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
The Lord's Forgiveness


The holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur translates as the Day of Atonement. It is the culmination of the ten day period initiated on Rosh HaShanah known as the Days of Awe. “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the Lord by fire. Do not work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God” (Leviticus 23:27-28). One senses from these words the solemnity of that day. It is a day marked by fasting, by soul-searching and by repentance.

Every individual needs their sins atoned for “…for no one living is righteous before you” (Psalm 143:2b). The prophet Isaiah said it this way: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;” (Isaiah 64:6). Both King David and Isaiah knew that before a Holy God no one is righteous. Our best actions and intentions are tainted. God knew it most of all and set aside a day for Israel’s sins to be atoned for. In His goodness He would not leave His people without remedy, without help. A day for Israel’s sins to be atoned for was His solution.

On this momentous day, the High Priest was to enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple. It was the only day He might do so, and only He could enter. After confessing his own sins and sacrificing a bull for them, cleansing himself, and putting on special garments he would enter the awesome presence of God. There would be blood sprinkled on the altar and he was to confess the sins of the people. Two goats were involved in the ceremonies that day. One would be sacrificed. The other was to serve as a scapegoat: “He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites-all their sins-and put them on the goat’s head” (Leviticus 16:21). Then the goat was to be driven away into the wilderness with Israel’s sins on its head.

Of course, the Temple was the one place this sacrifice could take place. Upon its destruction in 70 CE, there could be no more Day of Atonement, no more blood atonement. How tragic unless God should provide some other remedy. That is exactly the case. “But now has He (Messiah) appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Messiah was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him” (Hebrews 9:26b-28). A further reading of the entire ninth chapter of Hebrews is encouraged to those seeking to understand in greater measure the efficacy of Messiah’s atoning blood.

Because Yeshua (Jesus) shed His blood, all who would have their names written in the Book of Life may have the assurance of their salvation. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. “These things are written that you may know that you have life.” God has provided remedy for sin; sin has been atoned for and because of Yeshua we have been granted eternal life!