29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. 32 And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: 33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an 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
What is Yahweh telling us about this holiday:
- It is a permanent regulation (mentioned twice)
- We are to afflict ourselves.
- It is for the Israelite and the Gentile believer.
- The priest makes an atonement through a blood sacrifice.
- It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest.
I mentioned it in my blog about Yom Teruah, but it bares repeating. The spring holidays proscribed by Yahweh pointed to the coming messiah and were fulfilled by Yeshua Ha’mashiach (Joshua, the Redeemer) the Passover lamb that was killed to take away the sins of the world, rose again, and gave us holy spirit. The Fall holidays point to the return of Yeshua in glory as ruler of heaven and earth and judge of mankind.
The instructions to observe Yom Kippur are repeated later in Leviticus:
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.
Leviticus 23:26–32
Once again, Yahweh is telling the believers:
- It is a special (“high day”) Sabbath that is to be observed no matter the day of the week it falls on.
- We are to afflict ourselves (mentioned twice).
- The priest makes an atonement through the sacrifice.
- It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest.
- If we don’t afflict ourselves, we are to be destroyed.
- If we don’t rest, we are to be destroyed
- It is a permanent regulation.
- It is to be a complete day, from sunset to sunset.
Yahweh commands us to “afflict” (ânâh / aw-naw’ [H6031] – abase self, chasten, or submit) ourselves and to do no work. During the Days of Awe, we are to reflect upon our lives, but on the Day of Atonement, we are to thoroughly examine ourselves and ask forgiveness for our shortcomings. This introspection is our last chance to change our outcome.
This is not to be equated with a New Year resolution (as many do) – NYRs seek an earthly benefit (e.g, weight loss). On Yom Kippur we seek change that will align us in the Father’s Will. Failure to maintain a NYR is not seen as a tragedy – “I’ll try again next year.” There may not be another chance to atone a year later.
On the Judgment Day, Christ will judge us – the judgment entered in these books is sealed. On Yom Kippur, this day is, essentially, one’s last appeal, one’s last chance to change the judgment, to express your repentance and make amends. Another Yom Kippur may not avail itself.
The Day of Atonement is a foreshadowing of a future event (as all the holy days were / are) and we, as believers, are to prepare ourselves. This life is not the only existence we have to look forward to, but failure to live it according to the dictates of Yahweh could mean your second life could end very quickly in a lake of fire. Yom Kippur is a yearly reminder that judgment is coming, and we want to prepare ourselves.
Yom Kippur is the only day that a priest could enter the holy of holies and submit a burnt offering for the sins of the people. It is a foreshadowing of the Day of Judgment when Christ will judge all.
The life blood of the sacrificial animal was required in exchange for the life blood of the worshiper (the symbolic expression of innocent life given for guilty life). Yeshua, however, as our High Priest (in heaven – he is not of the family of Aaron, nor a Levite), shed his innocent blood once for an atonement for all people (Hebrews 9:23–25). Unfortunately, few accept his sacrifice.
The choice is to accept Christ as your Savior (i.e., do as he commands) and live life everlasting, or to face Christ as your judge and possibly die in the Lake of Fire. I believe that those who never knew Christ can be judged as honorable based on whatever standard he chooses, in their cases. Ultimately, Yeshua will be just in whatever manner he adjudicates.
The “once saved, always saved” theology must reckon with Christ’s proclamation that few will enter into the kingdom (Matthew 7:13-14, see also 1Peter 4:17-19). A doctrine that is almost universally accepted amongst Christians sounds more like the “broad way that leadeth to destruction” than the “narrow way which leadeth unto life”.
When you examine (afflict) yourself, you will, no doubt, come up lacking (if you don’t, then you are not serious about chastening yourself) – welcome to the club. We are not trying to achieve perfection; we are trying to make commitments to being better. Failure to do so questions your confession of Yeshua as “Lord” in your life (see my blog, Born Again?). When one hires on as a servant, they do not get to choose how they want to serve their Lord; they agree to serve as the Lord wants and endeavor to do the best they can.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Yeshua will not be mocked. He knows what we don’t confess, so we might as well deal with sin in our lives before we are judged for those sins.
Traditionally, Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. Orthodox Jews refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur (one of the meanings of afflict is “ravish”). It is a complete, twenty-five-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. These restrictions, however, can be lifted where a threat to life or health is involved.
Do not mistake a fasting as the affliction. Fasting is a form of affliction, but Yahweh desires that we afflict our souls, not our bodies – to get honest with yourself and truly repent unto life. Fasting is okay if you want, at any time, but it is neither a substitute for, nor a heightening of your taking an assessment of your walk with Yahweh.
Isaiah warns against seeking attention by using a fast to advance your image as better than others because of your ‘affliction’:
3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. 4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Isaiah 58:3-7
Isaiah speaks of feeding and clothing the poor on Yom Kippur. As it is a complete Sabbath, prepare food and collect clothes beforehand to distribute. We can (and should) do good even as we take the time to assess our relationship with the Father and His Son.
I once gave blood on Yom Kippur – the timing and the imagery of the sacrificing of blood, yet giving of life shouted out to me.
Remember that Yeshua told us, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).