Finding Jesus in Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Leviticus 23:26-27

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 27 "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.

NKJV

Ten days following the Feast of Trumpets, we have the next Jewish fall feast, the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur.  This feast, unlike the other feasts that call for celebration is not referred to as a feast but a day of atonement.  It is the holiest day of the Jewish year and a time for one to acknowledge their shortcomings and sins before God. 

Since Romans 3:23 tells us we have all sinned, it is symbolic of what we all must do first before receiving salvation; acknowledge our need of a savior.  Fortunately, we do not now need to wait for a specific date on the calendar to receive salvation but can call upon God for salvation at any time.  For this reason, before going any further with this posting, I believe I must give those of you reading this who acknowledges you have fallen short of God’s standard for your life an opportunity to receive salvation by praying with me.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Some facts about the Day of Atonement

1)      The High Priest presents two flawless goats.  One is presented as a sacrifice for the sins of Israel and the other one is prayed over by the High Priest with all of the sins of Israel being placed upon it.  It is then turned lose in the wilderness symbolizing the carrying away of the sins of the nation.

2)      Since the destruction of the Temple by Rome in 70AD, the sacrifices have been replaced with simple acts of prayer, good deeds, and repentance.  However, this system is not scriptural for atonement of sins requires a blood sacrifice (Leviticus 17:11).

3)      People from all over the world traditionally gather in places of worship and recite traditional liturgies, believing the recitation of these words will atone for sin.  (1)

Jesus in Yom Kippur

1)      Jesus fulfills the role of both goats for He not only represents the ultimate flawless blood sacrifice for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21), but he also took our sins upon him and did not just take them out to the wilderness, but took them to the heavenly tabernacle never to be seen again (Hebrews 8-10). 

2)      There is no longer a need for an earthly building in which to offer the blood sacrifice for sin because Jesus once and for all offered Himself on the cross and His blood is all we need for atonement (Hebrews 9:11-15).  With the blood sacrifice now eternally completed, one must only repent of their sins and pray to accept Jesus as savior.  Good works are no longer necessary to receive salvation but are a reflection of our faith and love for what our savior, Jesus Christ, has done (Ephesians 2:8-9).  However, a living faith in God will be demonstrated by good works (James 2:20).

3)      Similar to the modern Jewish tradition of gathering in places of worship to recite traditional liturgies, salvation is now available by publically confessing Jesus as Lord and acknowledging his death, burial, and resurrection (Romans10:9-10).  The difference, however, is that confession of the Lord Jesus as savior is an acknowledgement of his blood sacrifice for our sins and not a replacement for an annual blood sacrifice now impossible since there is no Temple or Tabernacle.  (1)

After the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets with the rapture of the church, Israel and the rest of the world will experience a time of Great Tribulation.  It is at this time the prophecy of Zechariah12:10 will come to fulfillment.  It was this day Jesus prayed for in Matthew 23:37-39.  It is this day Jeremiah prayed for Jeremiah 31:34 a prayer God will answer during this time of Great Tribulation. 

It will be soon after the fulfillment of these prophecies and the answer to Jesus prayer that the world will witness the glorious return of Jesus Christ to establish his Millennial Kingdom on earth.  This leads us to the sixth and final Feast, the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot, which we will look at next Saturday. 

1. A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days. Bloomington MN 55438 : Chosen Books, 2013.