DAY OF ATONEMENT

 

Lev 16.33 In addition to atonement for the nation of Israel, there are atonements for the altar, the priests, and more. Sin and uncleanness must be cleansed. On this day it is blood atonement that is necessary.

 

Lev 16.6-10 Aaron offers a sin offering for himself and family, then the nation.

There are two goats for sacrifice at this time. The first goat is sacrificed for sin and the second goat is the “scapegoat” that is released in the wilderness for sin. The scapegoat is called Azazel, “the goat that goes away”. Lots are drawn to see which goat is used for which sacrifice.  If the Azazel goat’s lot falls in the right hand that is considered a good omen. This goat is released into the wilderness with a red ribbon on its horn. It symbolizes the Lord taking away our sins. It is taken far from the camp and pushed over a cliff so that it doesn’t return. A red ribbon is also attached to the temple door and if that ribbon turns white, that signifies the sins being forgiven. (Scarlet sins become white as snow.)

 

The Day of Atonement is also called “The fast” as it is the only day Hebrews are required to fast. It is a day of repentance from sin. It is a day of affliction--so the fast. This feast is also called Yom Kippur.

 

The first Pentecost was when Moses went up the mountain and received the ten commandments. When he came down the people were already sinning. They had made the golden calf and were worshipping it. Moses had to go back up the mountain when he broke the ten commandments in anger. (Exodus 32) While up there the second time Moses was concerned for the “great sin” of the people and begged God to forgive them or to blot Moses out of the Book of Life! Moses was that concerned for the people he was ready to die for them.

 

The month of Elul was when Moses went up the second time for 40 days. A biblical month is 30 days. Moses came down on the tenth day of Tishrei, which is the Day of Atonement. This is why Elul is a month of reflection and repentance. The first day of Tishrei is the Feast of Trumpets, the warning blast of the shofar, warning that the Day of Atonement is coming on the 10^th of Tishrei.

 

When Moses came down 40 days later, that was the first Day of Atonement. He told them that God was going to give them a second chance--or new beginning--this is symbolic of the new birth which also is a new beginning. This was the time when Moses’ face shined with the glory of the Lord because he had been “face to face” with God interceding for the people.

 

Five days after this is the Feast of Tabernacles where God comes to dwell among us. It is a celebration of the forgiveness shown on the Day of Atonement where God is forgiving His people for their sins and coming to live or tabernacle with them. So, after that first Day of Atonement, the people gathered offerings to bring before the Lord for five days to build the Tabernacle or tent for God. This was the first Feast of Tabernacles.

 

We see the grace of God all through the Old Testament. The people were not cursed by the law, but the law led them to atone for their sins. The Day of Atonement is a great day of God’s grace towards his people. It was a “born again” experience for the entire nation as atonement was made for them--a new beginning. Just as a credit card covers you until you can make a payment, so the atonement covered the people until the coming Messiah redeems them and pays off the balance. The Messiah takes away our sins. Micah 7.19 says our sins are cast into the sea. The blood atonement is required for forgiveness of sin--this is Jesus the sacrificial lamb. God redeems us. Psalm 49.15--Galatians 3.13

So we see the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, as the day that the nation of Israel is redeemed. Passover was individual redemption--Yom Kippur is national redemption. This is a coming future event at the end of the age!

 

The priest wore white linen (the righteousness of the saints) when he performed his sacrificial duties. Two kids were sacrificed for a sin offering. As the priest performed his duties his clothes became soaked in blood, scarlet sins, so he would wash and change into fresh white linens, white as snow. God takes our sin and turns them white as snow. Our sins are “etched” in stone (the tablets of the ten commands). Jesus comes to save us and our love for Him allows us to now write His law on our hearts. We want to walk righteously because we love him. We joy in it, as our burden is light and our yoke is easy when the law is written on our hearts. Ezekiel 31.31-34

 

So the scapegoat had the red ribbon tied to it and one was also on the temple door. The goat is led into the wilderness and pushed over a cliff so he won’t come back. The red ribbon on the temple door would turn white and the people knew their sins were forgiven.

 

The Talmud says that for forty years prior to the destruction of the temple by the Romans the lot for the scapegoat kept coming up in the left hand, a bad omen. The ribbon on the temple door did not turn white, the temple doors began to open by themselves, and the western light on the Menorah kept going out. They knew something terrible was about to happen. What the Talmud doesn’t mention is that forty years prior to this Jesus was crucified! He had said the temple would be destroyed. Why? Because there was no need for animal sacrifice anymore because Jesus’ death on the cross was “once and for all.” (The Jewish historian Josephus also writes about these omens in his history.)

 

The fifty year event of the Year of Jubilee also takes place on a Day of Atonement every fifty years. Lev 25.9-10. The jubilee trumpet is blown on this day. This is a day of forgiveness of debt. It is a redemption and new beginning where all is restored every fifty years. Those in dept are given a fresh start. It is a proclamation of liberty to captives as spoken of in Isaiah 61.1-2. This is the scripture Jesus read in the synagogue in Luke 4.14-21 on a year of Jubilee! He had just come out of His forty days of testing in the wilderness. After He read this scripture and told the people He was fulfilling this prophecy they took Him outside and tried to throw Him over a cliff--just like they do to the scapegoat! Jesus was the Yom Kippur scapegoat and this event took place on the Day of Atonement.

The Feast of Trumpets (or Teruah which is a shofar blast) is the opening of the book and Yom Kippur is the closing of the book. Jesus opened the book, read the verse, closed the book and sat down.

 

BOOK OF REVELATION AND DAY OF ATONEMENT SIMILARITIES

 

In Leviticus 16 the priest takes burning coals off the altar and puts incense on the mercy seat, sprinkles blood on the mercy seat (eastward, the direction the Messiah will enter the East Gate in Jerusalem). Psalm 141: prayers are incense--Rev 6.9 we see prayers of saints. After the Day of Atonement vengeance is meted out. In Rev 8 and Lev 16 we see prayers as incense. There are seven angels, seven trumpets, seven seals in Revelation. Isaiah 61.1-2 speaks of the day of vengeance. Jesus did not read this part because he was coming as the humble servant. When he comes the second time He is coming as our dread champion. The Book of Revelation is vengeance on the wicked.

 

In Rev 11.15-19 the nations are angry. Vengeance is coming on the wicked. The heavens are opened and we see the ark of God--this is Yom Kippur--entrance into the Holy of Holies. In the spring feast of Passover the people offer a barley offering. At Pentecost there is a wheat offering and at Tabernacles there is a fruit offering. The harvest is at the end of the world. In Matt 13.38-50 we see the gathering of the wheat and tares. The reapers are the angels.

 

In Exodus 23.16 and Rev 14.18 we see the grape harvest, gathering in the harvest at the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, Rosh Ha-Shana

In Lev 16.16-17 there is an atonement for the Holy Place, etc--no one but high priest goes in. In Rev 15.8 no one is allowed in until the seven plagues are fulfilled. In Rev 19 the whore is judged--blood is avenged. The wicked are compared to grapes in the winepress. God is dealing with the wicked here.

 

Prophetically what else happens? This is going to be the day Israel realizes Yeshua is the Messiah. It will be a day of national redemption. (2 Corinthians 3.13-16) The veil will be taken away. An unveiled face sees into the eternal purposes of God. Isaiah 25.7-8 says there is a veil over all of us. Rev 21.4 is still to be fulfilled.

 

God has an eternal purpose and plan for the Jews which the church does not understand. During Yom Kippur God speaks to the high priest face to face. Not all sacrifices in the O.T. were for sin--some were for thanksgiving. Lev 16.34

 

Ezekiel 20.33-35 is a Yom Kippur event. God is going to bring the Jews out with a mighty hand. Also compare Zechariah 12.10 with Rev 1.7, seeing the one whom they have pierced.

 

Hosea 5 is very prophetic. It has been 2 days since Messiah came (two thousand yrs) and on the third day he will raise us up. God is going to His place and won’t come back until the Jews acknowledge their Messiah. We need to pray for the national redemption of Israel so this will happen. On the third day there will be rain--the blessing of God. In Matt 23 Jesus said he won’t come back again until his people say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” They would not at that time and their house was made desolate. Romans 11 says they will be blind until the time of the gentiles is complete. Then all Israel will be saved when as a nation as they mourn, repent and accept Him. When is this day? It is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement!

 

In Romans 10 it says Israel will be saved. In Acts 3 Peter told them to repent and be converted, then the time of refreshing will come. Until Israel accepts the Messiah heaven is holding Jesus back. Romans 11.5 life from the dead.

 

The New Covenant is not just with the gentiles--it is with Israel--we have been grafted in. Before the law was given in stone because the people had hearts of stone--now it is to be written on our hearts. Jeremiah 31.31-34. We should love to obey His commandments and walk it out in the spirit. God has a covenant with Israel that is everlasting.

 

JOSEPH AS A TYPE OF YESHUA

 

In Genesis 42.8 Joseph’s brothers did not recognize him because he looked like a pagan Egyptian. Today the church is presenting a “pagan” Jesus to Jews--it is time to recognize our Messiah is a Torah observing Jew!

Joseph’s brothers hated him and in John 15.18-19 we see Jesus was hated.

Gen 37.18 Joseph’s brothers want to kill him--Matt 26.4

Gen 37 Judah says let’s sell him for 30 pieces of silver--Matt 26 Jesus sold, Zechariah 11

Gen 37.23 Joseph stripped--Matt 27 Jesus stripped

Gen 39 Potiphar’s wife falsely accuses Joseph--Jesus was falsely accused.

Gen 41.38 Spirit of God in Joseph--spirit in Jesus.

Gen 41.55 Go to Joseph and do what he says--Mary at wedding at Cana--go to Jesus do as He says.

Gen 42.7-8 Joseph knew his brothers, but they did not know him--Jesus came to his own and they knew Him not.

Gen 42.3-9 Judah takes responsibility--”You shall not see my face until--let his blood be on me.” Jews said “let his blood be on us.”

Gen 44 “How do we clear ourselves?” in silver goblet incident. Judah says “let me abide.” Jesus says abide in Me.

Gen 45 When Judah repented, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. “I am Joseph.” When the Jews repent on that day Jesus will reveal Himself to them, “I am Messiah.” The brothers were speechless. So Israel shall mourn.

Joseph says, “Come near I am your brother, this was allowed for good. God sent me before you.”

In Exodus 12.6 the Passover lamb is killed in the evening. Let’s look at the Jews killing Jesus in the light of Joseph telling his brothers not to feel guilty--this happened for a purpose. So Jesus may say to His brothers about His death at their hands, “You were killing the lamb just as you were to do on Passover. You were commanded to kill the lamb. I was that lamb, it was your responsibility to kill me--it was all for good--for the salvation of the world.” Aren’t you glad it didn’t fall on us to kill the lamb? This is the incredible love and grace of God towards Israel.

 

TABERNACLES

 

Tabernacles is five days after the Day of Atonement. It is also called the Feast of the Nations. In Gen 10.1-32 we see the beginning of nations. Deut 32.8 says the borders were set according to the children of Israel. In Gen 10 there were 70 original nations. Israel was to be a nation of priests--intercessors. In Numbers 29.13-32 there are to be 70 bulls sacrificed during Tabernacles. This was to make atonement for the nations! If the gentiles would have known would they have destroyed the temple in 70 AD?

 

Israel makes atonement for themselves on the Day of Atonement and during Tabernacles they make atonement for the nations. This was their priestly duty. In Matt 25 the Lord talks about the sheep and goat nations on the day of judgment. How nations treated Israel will determine whether or not they are allowed into the millennial kingdom where they are going to be taught by the resurrected saints.

 

In Zechariah 14.4 we see the nations observing the Feast of Tabernacles. If they don’t come up to celebrate they will not be blessed. Israel is the apple of God’s eye and this will be a blessed time for them and all the true saints. The church needs to understand they are grafted in. The end times will focus on Jerusalem and the Jews. The church is going to have an important role during this tribulation time.

 

In closing, in 3 John 9-10 John is writing about a Greek who already will not receive Jews in his church--gentiles who received Jews were kicked out of the assembly. Jesus said the gentiles like to lord it over the people, Luke 22.25-26. We need to return to our Hebraic roots and “provoke the Jew to jealousy.”