|
Jewish
Heritage Revival

One
Heritage United by Messiah
Yom
Kippur - Day of Atonement
- History and
Prophecy
Israel's
Day of Redemption
Our journey continues
through the Feasts of God given first to Israel with Yom Kippur (Day
of Atonement). This is the holiest day of all the Feasts.
It is also one of the most somber days on the Jewish calendar. In
this article, we will cover:
-
An historical
biblical account of this day, as well as the days that lead up to
Yom Kippur, following the Feast of Trumpets, known as the Days of
Awe.
-
A present day
account of how this holy day is celebrated
-
The prophetic
meaning of this Day and how the events that are to come will
likely happen.
Outside of the Jewish
faith (within the church), there is very little understanding of this
Day, primarily because, throughout it's history, the church has
distanced itself from its Jewish roots. These end time events,
relating to Yom Kippur, that are yet to happen, will focus on the nation
of Israel during the second coming of our Messiah.
We have demonstrated
through our other articles that God provides more than one meaning for
each Feast. This Day is no different. It was not only the
Day of Atonement (covering) for the nation of Israel, by the shedding
of an innocent animal's blood for a yearly atonement, but it will also
be the final atonement for the nation through our Messiah's blood.
Historical
Biblical Account
The historical biblical
account of Yom Kippur will cover the following:
-
10 Days of Awe
-
The ordinances
given by God to Israel regarding this day
-
The importance of
this day
-
The High Priest
-
Preparation leading
up to this day
-
Events that
transpire on this day
10 Days of Awe
Ten days after the
blowing of trumpets (Tishri 1), we arrive at Yom Kippur - The Day of
Atonement (Tishri 10). Based on Jewish tradition, the books have been opened
(see Feast of Trumpets for more information).
Israel now has 10 days of time to reflect upon the past year, confess
all transgressions, and pray for another year of life.
A ten day period
leading up to the one day that as a nation they could atone for their
transgressions of the past year. The impact of this somber day
is further emphasized by the fact that any joyous events are
forbidden. Events such as weddings are postponed until after Yom
Kippur.
The Ordinances
Given by God to Israel Regarding This Day
The first account in
Torah, relating to Yom Kippur is found in Leviticus 16 when God gives
Moses instruction regarding the High Priest and the sacrifices
required for this day. (more on that later).
"And
this shall be to you a law for all time. In the seventh month,
on the tenth day of the month you shall practice self denial; and you
shall do no manner of work, neither the citizen nor the alien who
resides among you. For on this day atonement shall be made for
you to cleanse you of all your sins; you shall be clean before the
Lord. It shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you
shall practice self denial: it is a law for all time."
Leviticus 16:29 - 32
The commandment
regarding Yom Kippur is found in Leviticus 23:26 - 32
"The
Lord spoke to Moses saying, 'Mark, the tenth day of this seventh month
is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a sacred occasion for
you: You shall practice self-denial, and you shall bring an
offering by fire to the Lord; you shall do no work throughout that
day. For it is a Day of Atonement, on which expiation is made on
your behalf before the Lord your God. Indeed, any person who
does not practice self denial throughout that day shall be cut off
from his kin; and whoever does any work throughout that day, I will
cause that person to perish from among his people. Do not work
whatever; it is a law for all time, throughout the ages in all your
settlements. It shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and
you shall practice self denial; on the ninth day of the month at
evening, from evening to evening, you shall observe this your
Sabbath'"
Regarding
the sacrifices:
"
'On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You
must deny yourselves and do no work. Present as an aroma pleasing to
the LORD a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male
lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bull prepare a grain
offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil;
with the ram, two-tenths; and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth.
Include one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the sin
offering for atonement and the regular burnt offering with its grain
offering, and their drink offerings. Numbers 29:7 - 11
The Importance of
This Day
Yom Kippur is not a
Feast in that it is a celebration, but rather a Day set aside by God
for the sole purpose of atoning for the transgressions committed by
the nation of Israel during the past year. It is a day whereby
we are commanded to afflict our souls (Leviticus 23:27 &
23:32) It was understood that affliction of one's soul meant
fasting. By denying one's body of what it needed, being food,
caused affliction (suffering).
"Then
I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble
ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and
our little ones and all our possessions." Ezra 8:21
In addition to fasting,
it was a day for repentance. During the 10 days leading up to
Yom Kippur, beginning with Feast of Trumpets, began a period of time
that would become known as the Days of Awe. It was during this
time that the nation of Israel would access their lives and repent
(turn away from) transgressions against the Lord God of Israel.
More on this time period can be read in our article on Feast of Trumpets.
This day is also a
Sabbath as commanded by God in Leviticus 23:32
It shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and
you shall practice self denial; on the ninth day of the month at
evening, from evening to evening, you shall observe this your
Sabbath'"
Anyone within the
nation who didn't do as was commanded in God's Word, regarding this
day, would have been separated from the nation, should they not devote
themselves to fasting and repentance or keep this Sabbath:
Indeed, any person who
does not practice self denial throughout that day shall be cut off
from his kin; and whoever does any work throughout that day, I will
cause that person to perish from among his people. Leviticus
23:29 - 30
The High Priest
"The Lord spoke to
Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they drew
too close to the presence of the Lord. The Lord said to
Moses: 'Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come at will
into the Shrine behind the curtain, in front of the cover that is upon
the art, lest he die; for I appear in the cloud over cover. Thus
only shall Aaron enter the Shrine: with a bull of the heard for
a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering - He shall be dressed in
a sacral linen tunic, with linen breeches next to his flesh, and be
girt with a linen sash, and he shall wear a linen turban." Leviticus
16:1 - 4
A mediator (single) was
set apart by God for all in Israel. This individual was
responsible for both himself (including his family) and the entire
nation of Israel on this extremely important day in which the
atonement for the nation was presented to God.
It is this mediator
that is the only one permitted to enter what is known as the Holy of
Holies and stand in the presence of God and His glory. Not only
was he the only person permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, but this
day was the only day in which he was allowed to enter.
A complete account of
all the Priest's garments are found in Exodus
28
We will read more about
the High Priest throughout this article.
Preparation Leading
Up To This Day
This day was not to be
taken lightly. As a result of the seriousness of this day for
Israel, there were preparations made in advance to protect against the
possibility of the High Priest becoming "unclean" prior to
performing his responsibilities.
In order to minimize
the chances whereby the High Priest might become unclean, he would
leave his home and family one week prior to the Day. In doing
so, he would reside in the quarters of the High Priest located in the
Temple. During the week that he would reside at the Temple, he
would be sprinkled twice a day with the ashes of a red heifer to
prevent the possibility of becoming unclean by coming in contact with
a dead body. This method of cleansing is found in Numbers 19:1 -
13
"Now
the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
“This
is the ordinance of the law which the LORD has commanded,
saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red
heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and
on which a yoke has never come.
You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may take it
outside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him; and
Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and
sprinkle some of its blood seven times directly in front of the
tabernacle of meeting.
Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight: its hide, its flesh, its
blood, and its offal shall be burned.
And the priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet, and cast them
into the midst of the fire burning the heifer.
Then the priest shall wash his clothes, he shall bathe in water, and
afterward he shall come into the camp; the priest shall be unclean
until evening.
And the one who burns it shall wash his clothes in water, bathe in
water, and shall be unclean until evening.
Then a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the
heifer, and store them outside the camp in a clean place; and
they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for
the water of purification; it is for purifying from
sin. And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash
his clothes, and be unclean until evening. It shall be a statute
forever to the children of Israel and to the stranger who dwells among
them.
‘He
who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean seven days.
He shall purify himself with the water on the third day and on the
seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify
himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be
clean. Whoever touches the body of anyone who has died, and does
not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. That person
shall be cut off from Israel. He shall be unclean, because the water
of purification was not sprinkled on him; his uncleanness is
still on him.
In addition to the High
Priest being set apart from his family and preparing for this Day of
Atonement, the next in line for the position of High Priest was also
identified and ultimately went through preparations. If anything
were to happen to the High Priest, prior to the Day of Atonement,
would mean the sins of the nation would not be atoned for, and would
go uncovered.
During this time of
preparation, the High Priest would conduct the Temple service.
Responsibilities included:
Every aspect leading up
to this Day was practiced. There could be no mistakes.
Everything had to be performed without flaw, for fear of the
sacrifices being rejected and the sins of the nation not being
covered.
This preparation time
was even more important, in that the High Priest would not normally
perform the weekly services, therefore just as any athlete or
musician, honing one's skills or talents was needed.
If the High Priest wasn't prepared for this day, the thought of the
nation's sin not being covered would not only be a disaster, but
humiliation for the High Priest himself.
Events That Transpire
On This Day
It is on this day, that
the atonement for the transgressions of the Nation of Israel
occur. This day is not only very busy but also very long,
beginning at dawn with the morning service.
Morning Service:
The morning service
would begin with the altar being cleaned of any leftover ashes from
the previous day.
Four fires would be
lit, instead of the customary three fires during any other
service. As with the Passover whereby three matzahs and four
glasses of wine were added to the Feast to set it apart from all other
meals, so to was the addition of a fourth fire added during the morning
service on Yom Kippur.
In preparation for the
morning service, the High Priest would be fully immersed in a special
golden bath (mikvah) that would be near the Court of the Priests at the
Temple. During any other service, the High Priest would wash his
hands and feet with water from the priestly laver. His
preparation happened behind a linen curtain, keeping him separated
from all other people, while at the same time showing his movements in
a silhouette form, ensuring that the required procedures were being
performed.
Afternoon Service:
The afternoon service
at the Temple would be the center of attention
during Yom Kippur. It would be during this time that the
sacrifices were made, to make atonement for the sins of the past year for the
priesthood and for the congregation of Israel.
In order that the sins
of the people could be atoned, the High Priest must first atone for
his own sins (and that of the priesthood). In the Court of the Priests, near the Temple, the
High Priest would take a young bull for a sin offering:
"Thus
only shall Aaron enter the Shrine" with a bull of the herd for a
sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering" Leviticus 16:3
Prior to offering this
bull for the atonement of the High Priest and the priesthood, the High
Priest would place his hands on the head of the young bull's head,
identifying it as his substitute and confess his sins.
After that, he would speak the name of the Lord - YHWH three
times for which the congregation would respond by falling on their
faces in worship and recite "Blessed be His name whose glorious
kingdom is forever and ever"
Note - the young bull
had not yet been sacrificed. More on that as we go in the order
of the Yom Kippur service.
Two goats:
The High Priest would
then focus on the two goats that were selected. Both goats were
identical in color, size and worth.
"Aaron
is to offer his own bull of sin offering, to make atonement for
himself and his household. Aaron shall take the two he-goats and
let them stand before the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and
he shall place lots upon the two goats, one marked for the Lord and
the other marked for Azazel. Aaron shall bring forward the goat
designated by lot for the Lord, which he is to offer as a sin
offering; while the goat designated by lot for Azazel shall be left
standing alive before the Lord, to make atonement with it and to send
it off to the wilderness for Azazel" Leviticus
16:7 - 10
A golden vessel
contained two golden lots. One lot was inscribed "for YHWH"
and the other "for azazel". The High Priest would then
shake the golden vessel and would take each lot and place it, one in
each hand. He would then hold the lots (in his hands) to the
foreheads of each goat, determining the outcome for each goat.
The goat with the lot inscribed "for Azazel" would be deemed
the "scapegoat" and the goat with the lot inscribed
"for YWHW" would be the sin offering.
The goat for Azazel was
garnered with a crimson strip of wool tied to one of its
horns. It would be placed in front of the congregation and
face the people whose sin would be placed upon its head. More on
that later.
From the Jewish study
bible:
Azazel: The
Rabbis cleverly divided this name into two words "ez" and
"azel", "the goat that goes away", from
which the traditional "scapegoat" is derived. It
literally means "fearce god" and as intimated by the
medieval exegete Abraham Ibn Ezra is evidently the name of a demon or
deity believed to inhabit the wilderness. Thus the sins of the
people are symbolically cast into the realm beyond civilization, to
become the property of a being who is the antithesis of the God of
Israel. Though Azazel accepts the goat bearing Israel's sins as
a sacrifice to him, this is no disloyalty to God since He Himself
commands it.
Sin Offering for the Priest:
The young bull spoken
of earlier in this article would be taken by the High Priest and he
would press his hands upon its head and would confess the sins of
the priesthood. The first time, the High Priest had only
confessed his own sins.
"Aaron
shall then offer his own bull of sin offering, to make atonement for
himself and his household. He shall slaughter his bull of sin
offering," Leviticus 16:11
The bull would then be
slaughtered by the High Priest and he would collect its blood in a
golden bowl. In order that the blood would not dry and stiffen,
another priest would stir the blood until the High Priest would take
it into the Holy of Holies.
Burning of Incense:
In preparing to enter
the Holy of Holies, the High Priest would then take glowing coals from
the altar that would be used to burn the incense.
"and
he shall take a panful of glowing coals scooped from the altar before
the Lord, and two handfuls of fine ground aromatic incense, and bring
this behind the curtain. He shall put the incense on the fire
before the Lord, so that the cloud from the incense screens the cover
that is over the Ark of the Pact, lest he die."
Leviticus 16:12 - 13
Once inside, the High
Priest would pour the incense of the amber coals and waited for the
aromatic cloud of smoke to fill the Holy of Holies.
Inside the Holy of
Holies would reside the Ark of the Covenant, whereby "God's
Shekinah Glory would reside. The Ark would reside in Solomon's
temple until the Babylonian captivity, whereby the Ark was taken and
lost, never to be seen again, to this day.
Sprinkling of Blood:
Once the High Priest
had begun burning the incense, He would leave the Holy of Holies to
retrieve the golden bowl of blood from the sacrifice of the bull.
He would sprinkle the
blood before the Ark of the Covenant. A precise motion of once
upward and seven times downward was performed with the High Priest
counting aloud, so as to not make a mistake.
"He
shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his
finger over the cover on the east side; and in front of the cover he
shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven
times." Leviticus 16:14
The High Priest would
once again leave the Holy of Holies, this time to slaughter the goat
of the people.
"He
shall then slaughter the people's goat of sin offering, bring its
blood behind the curtain and do with its blood as he has done with the
blood of the bull: he shall sprinkle it over the cover and in
front of the cover." Leviticus 16:15
He would also collect
the blood in a golden bowl and reenter the Holy of Holies for a third
time. He would sprinkle the blood of the goat in the same manner
as he did the bull previously.
Afterwards, the High
Priest would sprinkle the outside of the veil with the blood of the
bull and then do the same with the blood of the goat. With the
blood that remained of the bull and goat, He would combine the two
bowls of blood into one and then sprinkle the horns of the altar in
the courtyard of the Temple (or Tabernacle).
Of special note, when
the High Priest was in the Holy of Holies, attached to the bottom of
his garments were bells made from pomegranates. These bells
would sound with his movement. In addition to the bells, a rope
was fastened around his waist. The purpose was that should
anything happen to him while he was in the Holy of Holies, the priests
on the outside would be able to pull him out, because no one would be
able to enter the Holy of Holies to retrieve him and live.
Therefore if the bells stopped making noise, the priests on the
outside would know that something wasn't right, likely, that the High
Priest had entered the Holy of Holies having not completely atoned for
his own sin, therefore being struck dead.
Remember, God's Glory
was on the other side of the curtain and no one can be in the presence
of God with unconfessed sin. The High Priest had to atone for
his own sin before entering to atone for the sins of the nation.
The Scapegoat:
One goat
remained. This is the scapegoat.
“And
when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle
of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. Aaron
shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it
all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their
transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of
the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a
suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities
to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the
wilderness." Leviticus 16:20 - 22
During the time when
the Temple was standing, the scapegoat would be led by the priest
through the Eastern Gate, outside of the city, into the
wilderness. During the time of the second Temple, after the
captivity, the scapegoat was actually killed, to prevent it from
wandering into an inhabited village or city.
The people would wait
for word that the scapegoat had been led into the wilderness.
Once this was accomplished, the afternoon service would be complete.
“Then
Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of meeting, shall take off the
linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place,
and shall leave them there. And he shall wash his body with
water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his
burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make
atonement for himself and for the people. The fat of the sin
offering he shall burn on the altar. And he who released the
goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in
water, and afterward he may come into the camp. The bull for
the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood
was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be
carried outside the camp. And they shall burn in the fire their skins,
their flesh, and their offal. Then he who burns them shall wash
his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come
into the camp."
Upon completion of all
the sin offerings, the High Priest would address the
congregation. He would quote from Leviticus 16 and Numbers 29:7
- 11 to verify to the people that all the requirements for this day of
atonement were complete.
In concluding the Yom
Kippur day service, the final burnt offerings were offered. As
the day drew to an end, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies
to remove the fire pan and incense ladle. He would then bath for
a fifth and final time that day and would then perform the regular evening service
at the Temple.
Current
Celebration of Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is
celebrated on the 10th day of Tishri, throughout the world in the
synagogue today, just as it was done in biblical times. Yom
Kippur is far from a day of
celebration, but rather a day for sincere, heart felt repentance for
one's past years transgressions. It is a mere remnant
of the biblical account we have just presented.
The somber, repentant
mood of this Feast is probably the only thing that still resembles its
origins.
What changed?
The primary, and by no
means insignificant event that transformed this Day, as well as the
other Feasts of God was the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by
the hands of the Roman empire in 70 AD. Without this center of
Judaism, you have no means for performing the sacrifices
required. The genealogical records were also destroyed,
therefore identifying the priestly order would be rather difficult.
The
remaining rabbi's of the time were presented with an enormous crisis -
"How do we continue to keep this Feast as God that He has commanded in
His Word without the temple?" These rabbis expanded the liturgy
of the synagogue, suggested new traditions and shifted the emphasis of
this holy day for a people that were without a home and without a
Temple. What was done, was done out of necessity and for the survival
of a nation, a faith and a people, that were ordered out of their homeland
and dispersed amongst the nations.
One
Rabbi in particular can be identified with changing the focus of Yom
Kippur from atonement through blood sacrifice to a works based
theology of performing good works known as mitzvot. Rabbi
Yohanan ben Zakkai in a dialog with Rabbi Joshua responded to the
following statement:
"Woe
unto us! That this place where the iniquities of Israel were
atoned for is laid waste!"
by
stating...
"Be
not grieved; we have another atonement as effective as this. It
is the acts of loving kindness, and quoted Hosea 6:6 - "For
I desire goodness, not sacrifce..."
Now,
you pray for another year of life, hoping you have done enough mitzvot
(good works) and that your name is written in the book of life.
Kaparot
In
some factions of Judaism, primarily the orthodox sect, a blood
sacrifice is still performed, however, it is quite different from what
we have seen in the historical biblical account of this day.
This
ritual involves the killing of an innocent animal. Instead of
bulls and goats, an animal such as a chicken is typically selected.
There
is controversy surrounding this ritual in that God's Word is very
specific as to where blood sacrifices could be performed.
“But
you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all
your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you
shall go. There you shall take your burnt offerings, your
sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed
offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds
and flocks." Leviticus 12:5 - 6
The intent of this
ceremony was to recognize the importance of 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 atonement for your souls; for it is
the blood that makes atonement for the soul."
yet differentiate it
from other sacrifices by using an animal not listed.
This
"ritual" is therefore an attempt to offer an atonement
with blood, without the Temple and the system of sacrifice found in
Leviticus chapters 1 - 7.
Yom Kippur
Services
The Yom Kippur service
in the synagogue of today is probably the most attended service of the
year (along side Rosh Hashanah). In many synagogues your seat
must be purchased for these services in that the attendance dwarfs all
other services. Even if you are a tithing member of the
synagogue, there will likely be an additional charge for your seat
during what are known as the High Holidays.
From what I remember as
a child attending synagogue, you could purchase a High Holiday seat
only. The sanctuary would be packed in addition to the two
overflow rooms. Regardless of your position in the synagogue,
whether faithful attendant or High Holiday only attendant, the place
would be standing room only.
The evening service,
known as Kol Nidre at sundown at the beginning of the 10th day of
Tishri was the first service of as many as five held by some
congregations. (my personal recollection was three services - Kol
Nidre, morning service and afternoon service)
During the Kol Nidre
service, the book of Jonah would be read, preparing the congregation
for repentance. Prayers would be sung, setting the tone and mood
for the evening service. From the prayer book I still have from
my bar mitvah, the evening service consisted of an entire liturgy of
Psalms and various scriptures setting the tone for the evening service
as well as the services to come.
The morning service was
the longest whereby many prayers (Psalms) and passages from Torah and
the Prophets would be read. The afternoon service was similar,
but not as long in duration.
When I was a child, I
didn't understand what it was truly all about. However, now,
looking back, with the advantage of having both our Messiah and
hindsight, it all makes sense. Unfortunately, I also understand
what was missing then and today within the Jewish congregation for
this day.
The significance of a
blood sacrifice for the remission of sin, is no less important today
then it was then. God's Word has not changed. His people
have. Their circumstances have. And their means to do so
have. That missing element - Our Messiah is
that one piece that reconciles everything and everyone, yet the nation
of Israel is still blinded of this truth. (more to come)
Prophetic Meaning
of Yom Kippur
Unlike
the other Feasts, that apply both to the Jewish and Non-Jewish
believers in Messiah, the fulfillment of this Feast will focus solely
on the "lost sheep" of Israel. Those that have been
blinded to the truth of Messiah.
Rabbi
Paul quoting Isaiah in his letter to Roman believers, who were
primarily non-Jewish in that he is called the Apostle of the Gentiles,
conveying to them, that when our Messiah returns, Israel (the original
branches) shall receive their Messiah.
"For
I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness
in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has
come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “
The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness
from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take
away their sins.” Romans
11:25 - 27
“The
Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from
transgression in Jacob,” Says the LORD. “As for Me,” says
the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you,
and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from
your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth
of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this
time and forevermore.” Isaiah 59:20 - 21
The
blindness that God had placed on Israel:
"What
then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have
obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written: “ God
has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear, To this very day.”
Romans 11:7 - 8
and
"For
I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness
in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has
come in." Romans 11:25
Will be remove at our
Messiah's second coming during the Feast of Trumpets.
Now let us compare what
our Messiah did, in relation to what was done on a yearly basis in the
Tabernacle / Temple. The writer of Hebrews compares and
contrasts in detail what our Messiah did in relation to the sacrificial
system.
The Earthly
Sanctuary: Hebrews 9:1 - 5
"Then
indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine
service and the earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was
prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand,
the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; and
behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the
Holiest of All, which had the golden censer and the ark of the
covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the
golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the
tablets of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory
overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in
detail."
Limitations of the
Earthly Service - Hebrews 9:6 - 10
"Now
when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into
the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.
But into the second part the high priest went alone once a
year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for
the people’s sins committed in ignorance; the Holy
Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not
yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.
It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and
sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service
perfect in regard to the conscience— concerned only with
foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed
until the time of reformation."
The limitations were a
human High Priest that was conceived into sin and was not separate
from it. Our Messiah was not conceived in the same manner as we
were, through the seed of a man, but through the seed of the Ruach Ha
Kodesh (Holy Spirit). Then there was the sacrifice. It was only an
atonement (a covering) that required yearly sacrifices. Our Messiah's
sacrifice is everlasting, once and for all.
We will now learn that
the earthly sanctuary and service were copies of that which is in
Heaven.
The Heavenly Sanctuary
- Hebrews 9:11 - 15
But
Messiah came as High Priest of the good things to come, with
the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is,
not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves,
but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all,
having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls
and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean,
sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall
the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself
without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve
the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the
new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the
transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may
receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
We are now able to see
the true comparison between our Messiah and the sacrificial system.
Our Messiah was both our High Priest and the perfect sacrifice - A man without sin, who need not
first atone for his own transgressions, was the perfect sacrifice,
whose blood would be shed and presented in the heavenly sanctuary.
The Need for Our
Messiah's Death - Hebrews 9:16 - 22
For
where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death
of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead,
since it has no power at all while the testator lives. Therefore
not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. For
when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the
law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool,
and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the
people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God
has commanded you.” Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the
tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to
the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without
shedding of blood there is no remission.
Many tend to believe
that the two covenants are unrelated when in actual fact they are
founded on the same basis. Both covenants are based on the fact
that true repentance requires the shedding of blood. Without the
shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sin, according to
God's Word. The first covenant was the blood of animals, while
the second was the blood of our Messiah.
The Promise could not
be enacted until after our Messiah had died.
The True Significance
of Our Messiah's Sacrifice - Hebrews 9:23 - 28
Therefore
it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should
be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better
sacrifices than these. For Messiah has not entered the holy
places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven
itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He
should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy
Place every year with blood of another— He then would have had
to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at
the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but
after this the judgment, so Messiah was offered once to bear the
sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a
second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
As the writer of
Hebrews conveys, the sacrificial system that used animals was a
precursor of what was to come. The order of the High Priest has
been fulfilled by our Messiah. He went into the Holy of
Holies in God's Tabernacle and presented the blood of a spotless lamb
(Himself) as not just an atonement (covering), but a full remission
for our sins. As the writer of Hebrews states - "once and
for all"
Conclusion
Year in and year out,
within the Jewish community the trumpet will sound at Rosh Hashanah,
calling Israel to repentance, leading up to Yom Kippur, the day of
atonement, whereby, there is no Temple, no blood and unfortunately, no
remission of sin. What is missing is our Messiah, which is there
Messiah, who is Yeshua.
Isaiah foretold of what
our Messiah would endure, first for Israel and ultimately for the
world, who would receive:
Who has
believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD
been revealed?
For He
shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry
ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There
is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is
despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with
grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was
despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely
He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him
stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
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.
All we
like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own
way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
He was
oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was
led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is
silent, So He opened not His mouth.
He was
taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His
generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For
the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
And
they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His
mouth.
Yet it
pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His
seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the
LORD shall prosper in His hand.
He
shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall
bear their iniquities.
Therefore
I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide
the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of
many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:1 - 12
Many believe that this
day doesn't apply to the church. From a prophetic stance, this
day is for Israel. However, notice the first verse that this day
is not only for Israel, but also for the stranger (alien) who dwells with
Israel.
“This
shall be a
statute forever for you:
In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you
shall afflict your souls,
and do no work at all,
whether a
native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you.
For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse
you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your
souls. It is a statute forever. And the priest, who is anointed
and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall
make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments;
then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make
atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he
shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the
assembly. This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make
atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a
year.” And he did as the LORD commanded Moses." Leviticus
16:29 - 34
This stranger (alien), is the
gentile (better known as the church) who was grafted into the vine,
becoming a branch that has received the promise and inheritance of
God, given first to Israel:
"Yeshua
said to her, “Woman,
believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain,
nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not
know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the
Jews." John
4:21 - 22
Also, notice that it
states that this is a statute forever. It doesn't say that you
are to only recognize this day until our Messiah came and died for
us. Even though there are no more sacrifices, in that our
Messiah was that final sacrifice for our sins, we can still
recognize this day as believers in our Messiah by keeping this day as
a Sabbath, and afflicting our souls through fasting...as commanded.
What better
way to draw closer to our Messiah then through honoring Him through
this day that was commanded to be a statute forever.
| Color
Type |
Indication |
| Blue |
Bible
Text |
| Red |
Bible
Text referencing Jesus speaking |
| Black |
General
Text |
1
| Sources of
Reference for this Article |
| The Jewish Study
Bible - Oxford |
| Scofield Study
Bible - King James Version |
| The Feasts of The
Lord - Kevin Howard & Marvin Rosenthal |
|