YOM KIPPUR

THE BIBLICAL JEWISH WORDS

THE BIBLICAL JEWISH WORDS 'YOM KIPPUR', ACTUALLY MEANS, 'DAY OF ATONEMENT' (OR, COVERING), WHICH COMES FROM TORAH (THE BOOKS OF MOSES), SPECIFICALLY, IT IS FOUND IN:

LEVITICUS 23: 26 - 32

26: 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.

YOM KIPPUR

YOM KIPPUR, FALLS, ACCORDING TO THE MODERN DAY JEWISH CALENDAR, ON THE TENTH DAY OF TISHREI (THIS YEAR, IT FALLS ON THE NINTH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2008).

IT IS ONE OF SEVEN 'FEASTS OF THE LORD' THAT ARE FOUND IN THE TWENTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. HERE IS A LIST OF THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR ORDER:

1) SHABBAT, ALSO KNOWN AS, 'THE SABBATH'

2) PESACH, ALSO KNOWN AS, 'PASSOVER'

3) BIKKURIM, ALSO KNOWN AS, 'FIRST FRUITS'

4) SHAVUOT, ALSO KNOWN AS, 'PENTECOST'

5) ROSH HA-SHANAH, ALSO KNOWN AS, 'HEAD OF THE YEAR'

6) YOM KIPPUR, ALSO KNOWN AS, 'DAY OF ATONEMENT'

7) SUKKOT, ALSO KNOWN AS, 'THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES'

THE ACTUAL SCRIPTURES

NOW, LET US LOOK INTO THE ACTUAL SCRIPTURES THAT REVOLVE AROUND YOM KIPPUR.

FIRST OF ALL, THE ABOVE HOLY DAY IS CELEBRATED AND OBSERVED THROUGHOUT WORLD JEWRY AS A VERY SACRED AND SPIRITUAL EVENT THAT EMBODIES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ALMIGHTY GOD AND HIS EARTHLY PEOPLE, ISRAEL. IT HAS BEEN PART AND PARCEL OF JEWISH LIFE SINCE THE DAYS OF MOSES, FOR ALMOST THREE AND A HALF MILLENNIUM.

SECONDLY, WE FIND THAT IN OUR SCRIPTURAL TEXT, THE WORD 'ATONEMENT' IS FOUND 'THREE TIMES', WHICH GIVES US AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE THAT GOD PLACES ON BEING CLEANSED AND FORGIVEN. NOW, BEFORE WE CONTINUE, WE WOULD LIKE TO OFFER A CLEAR CUT RECIPE THAT IS FOUND IN THE WORD OF GOD THAT TELLS US IN ALL SIMPLICITY AS TO THE REQUIREMENTS AS RECORDED IN THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS, CHAPTER 17 AND VERSE 11,

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.

DID YOU NOTICE

DID YOU NOTICE THAT THE ABOVE SCRIPTURE REQUIRES THE ADHERENT THEREOF TO, BRING BEFORE THE LORD A 'BLOOD SACRIFICE' IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE COVERING OR ATONEMENT NEEDED. WELL, AS WE CONNECT THE DOTS, IT IS VERY EASY TO SEE THAT IN ORDER FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO HAVE AND RECEIVE FORGIVENESS FROM GOD THERE NEEDS TO BE THREE THINGS, ACCORDING TO OUR PASSAGES:

1) A BLOOD SACRIFICE

2) A PRIEST TO OFFER THE ATONEMENT

3) AN ALTAR (THAT IS PRESCRIBED BY LAW)

THE GOOD AND NOT SO GOOD NEWS

THE NOT SO GOOD NEWS IS THIS: SINCE THE YEAR 70 A.D., WHEN THE ROMANS DESTROYED THE CITY OF JERUSALEM, THE THREE BASIC SCRIPTURAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECEIVING 'THE ATONEMENT' HAVE BEEN LOST, THAT IS, IN THE PROCESS OF DESTROYING THE HOLY CITY;

1) THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED

2) THE PRIEST HOOD WAS ABOLISHED

3) THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM CEASED

THEREFORE, A TRUE AND BIBLICAL 'ATONEMENT' HAS BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE, BUT, LIKE IN ALL LIKE MINDED SITUATIONS, SUBSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN CREATED BY MAN. TODAY WITHIN THE STRUCTURE OF WORLD JEWRY, THREE THINGS HAVE 'MAGICALLY' REPLACED GOD'S REQUIREMENTS, AND THEY ARE:

1) TEFILLAH (PRAYERS)

2) TESHUVAH (REPENTANCE)

3) TSEDAKAH (GOOD DEEDS)

THE PROBLEM IS

THE PROBLEM IS, HOW MANY 'PRAYERS', AND HOW MANY TIMES OF 'REPENTANCE', AND HOW MANY 'GOOD DEEDS' MUST A HUMAN BEING BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN ORDER TO RECEIVE 'THE ATONEMENT'. WELL, THE ANSWER IS CLEAR, IT CAN NEVER BE DONE.

THE GOOD NEWS

THE GOOD NEWS HAS ALWAYS BEEN BEFORE US, SINCE THE DAYS OF Y'SHUA HA-MASSHIACH ADONAI (THE LORD JESUS CHRIST). HE ALONE BECAME OUR PERFECT ATONEMENT, WHEN HE FULFILLED THE REQUIREMENTS AS SET FORTH BY GOD HIMSELF. IN OUR SUBJECT MATTER, 'THE DAY OF ATONEMENT', A BLOOD SACRIFICE IS REQUIRED, AND AS WE KNOW, THE MESSIAH OF ISRAEL, SHED HIS BLOOD TO COVER OR ATONE FOR ALL OF OUR SINS, WHEN HE IN JERUSALEM, ISRAEL DIED ON A CROSS, WAS BURIED AND ON THE THIRD DAY ROSE FROM THE DEAD.

GLORY TO GOD

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, THAT WE CAN BE SURE THAT YOM KIPPUR IS OURS TO ENJOY, BECAUSE, THE PAYMENT HAS BEEN PAID AND THE PRIZE HAS BEEN WON, NAMELY, LIFE ETERNAL, 'THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD' (ROMANS 6: 23B).

THERE IS NO NEED TO WONDER

THERE IS NO NEED TO WONDER IF 'THE ATONEMENT' IS OURS, FOR WE HAVE THE ASSURANCE FROM GOD HIMSELF, AS RECORDED IN:

ROMANS 5: 11, 'AND NOT ONLY SO, BUT WE ALSO JOY IN GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY WHOM WE HAVE 'NOW' RECEIVED 'THE ATONEMENT'.'

THANK YOU LORD THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE TO WONDER OR GUESS WHETHER WE HAVE COMPLIED WITH ONE OF YOUR FEAST DAYS, CALLED, 'YOM KIPPUR', FOR NOW WE KNOW, THAT OUR SINS ARE FORGIVIN AND WE HAVE THE JOY OF THE LORD.

Y'SHUA (JESUS) OUR LORD HAS BECOME OUR, PRIEST AND SACRIFICE TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER.

HEBREWS 9: 11-12

11: But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
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.

MAY THIS YOM KIPPUR BE YOUR DAY AND TIME OF ATONEMENT BEFORE EL SHADDAI (THE ALMIGHTY) GOD. AMEN.