Yom HaKippurim or the Day of Atonement/s

by Gregory Smith

The Day of Atonement has some mystery and challenge for many who are learning about the things of the Father in Heaven.

The scriptural basis for Yom Kippur is found in Lev:23:27: 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 YHWH...Lev:16:29,30: 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: 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 YHWH..

"Afflicting your souls"

A common theme of Yom Kippur is to afflict the soul.  It is during the days between the Day of Trumpets and the day of Atonement that we are to look inward and repent from sin. On the day before the final day, it is traditional to fast and afflict the soul in other ways. The House of Judah has always had its method of afflicting including :

The idea of afflicting ones soul is firmly established in the scriptures in places such as when the Messiah told his disciples that when he left them, then they would "fast." (Mt:9:15: And Yahshua said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.)  At this time Yahshua is in the Heavens and is not here physically present with us. We do have the Ruach Ha Kodesh/Holy Spirit to comfort us (Jn:14:26) during this time on the earth. However, we are strangers in a strange land (1Pt:2:11), where there are many trials and troubles we must face. In order to overcome them, we must afflict ourselves by fasting, and pray for Heaven to move on our behalf.  Some may wonder why we would be afflicting ourselves if Yahshua died on the tree and then paid for all our sins anyway.  They may think that all one has to do is pray the prayer of repentance with nothing more. But Yahshua's death on the Tree did not remove all rebellion from our lives. We may have justification in the blood of Yahshua, but we are not perfect. We mourn for those who are still blind to the Torah and who continue to violate it by ecclesiastical creeds of men. The bible sets the standard for sin, when it says in 1Jn:3:4: Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. YHWH is desiring that we continue to go forward in works that are righteous, and in sanctification, that we might become "Kadosh/holy."  As the scriptures say in 1Pt:1:16 "Be ye holy; for I am holy."   The answer is that Yom Kippur is not just about atonement, which Yahshua surely provided for us (Baruch Ha Shem!), but Yom Kippur is about purifying ourselves from works that are "dead." (Heb:6:1: Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of MESSIAH, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward YHWH,) Afflicting our souls has to do with Purifying them. When we afflict our souls, YHWH HIMself purifies our souls, so that we may stand before Him and make our requests. Ezek:36:25: Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

"Repentance and Atonement"

Other themes of this day are repentance and atonement for sin. Yom Kippur is kept on the Tenth day of the Seventh month of the ecclesiastical year. According to the Sages of the House of Judah, YHWH inscribes each persons fate into a book from the time of Yom Teruah, the trumpet blast, to the Day of Atonement when the books are shut. During these "days of awe" each soul should soberly consider their sins committed the previous year and sincerely repent before the books are closed at the day of Atonement when our fates are sealed, in accordance with our own deeds. Who shall live, and who shall die; Who shall be comforted and who shall be troubled; Who shall prosper, and who shall grow destitute. This "space" to repent is echoed in the book of Revelations in chapter 2 verse 21 where YHWH is rebuking the church of Thyatira for "tolerating" that woman Jezebel and other sins, and says that YHWH is giving the church Thyatira "space to repent." This "space to repent" is paralleled to the ten days of Awe where each individual is given a certain amount of time for introspection into the deepest recesses of our hearts to see is there is anything that needs cleansing inside. We know that this process of inward heart searching has been done by some of the most notable bible figures. King David said himself "Search me, O YHWH, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:" - Ps:139:23:  and again "Examine me, O YAH, and prove me; try my reins and my heart." Ps:26:2:  So the sages of the House of Judah have rightly seen the day of Atonement as marked by sincere inward looking, and repentance during the short "space of time," up until the books are closed, and no more repentance can be done. 

Some may wonder about the concept of an all knowing EL keeping things like "books" in Heaven, as the idea of a book seems to have earthly human invention, far from the mystery of what goes on in Heaven. But the bible does mention several books that YHWH keeps in the heavens. Some of these books are :

(1) The book of life (Re. 20:12; Lk. 10:20).

Rv:20:12: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before YHWH; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works... Lk:10:20: Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven....Exodus 32:30-33 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto YHWH; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned unto YHWH, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin -; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And YHWH said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

(2) The book of tears (Ps. 56:8). 

Ps:56:8: Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

(3) The book of remembrance (Mal. 3:16).

Mal:3:16: Then they that feared YHWH spake often one to another: and YHWH hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared YHWH, and that thought upon his name.

 (4) The book of births (Ps. 139:16). 

Ps:139:16: Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

MORE SCRIPTURES THAT SHOW YHWH KEEPS BOOKS

These books are mentioned because I believe YHWH wants us to know that He knows what is going on and He doesn't forget. YHWH is not like humans who have imperfect memories that time erases. He is the ultimate organizer and keeps a record of every action and "every word."-( Mt:12:36)  A further example of YHWH keeping track of things is the story of Cornelius in the Book of Acts. As the story goes in Acts Chapter 10, "There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared YHWH with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to YHWH alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of YHWH coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Master? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before YHWH." It is obvious here that that YHWH does keep every act and happening on record, even so much as someone giving a cup of water to someone who is thirsty (Mk:9:41) is recorded,  and YHWH stores these things in the many books in Heaven. Yom Kippur then is YHWH's method of dealing with our bad deeds, getting us to look inward and then repent sincerely of them before the "space of time," is over. 

"A good healthy dose of fear/respect"

Yom Kippur is also a time to get a good healthy dose of respect for our Almighty YHWH. He loves us this is true. But he also wants obedience out of his children. Yom Kippur is a time for us to have great AWE and RESPECT for our Father. We know that he is able to punish and reward accordingly. And we know that we cant come to him without a good dose of respect. Prov:16:6: By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of YHWH men depart from evil. Nadab and Abihu tried coming before YHWH without the required respect and the bible records a horrible fate for them. (Lev:10:1)  We can see that YHWH is both a Father and a Judge. Yom Kippur is that time when the Judge decides what to do with us.  This should instill in us a healthy does of respect/fear for our Creator. Job:28:28: And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of YHWH, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding

The fact that humans are adept at hiding matters, is addressed in the scriptures where David inquires if there is any place to high or too low to escape from YHWH. We know that YHWH searches the hearts and souls of everyone no matter where they are, but it is better for us to search our own hearts and make the changes we need to make in order to "choose life." Deut:30:19 & 1Cor:11:31,32: For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of YHWH, that we should not be condemned with the world.  

"Looking inside and outside ourselves "

If we are honest with ourselves we can find either sin or fleshly unprofitable works in our life. Aside from the fact that in Rom:3:23 it says all have sinned, we can look into ourselves and see our shortcomings, our failures, our fleshly works working against our spiritual race.(Heb:12:1)  If you are convicted by the Ruach Ha Kodeah/Holy Spirit on personal maters in your life, take the opportunity of Yom Kippur to get all those things straightened out before YHWH. If you have offended your brother or sister, go to them and attempt to make it right. If someone has done you wrong, go to them and try to explain why you are hurt from something they did or said.  And together we can also pray in unity for YHWH's forgiveness over our failures as a people as it says in 2Chron:7:14: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  The ultimate Day of Atonement nationally will be realized when The commonwealth of Israel will be completely restored, as it says in the scriptures - Zechariah 12:10-13:1 , Romans 11:25-27  This is a picture of the outward aspect of the result of the Atonement for the entire commonwealth of  Israel.  We are blessed to be living in these days as YHWH is gathering up the exiles from the lost house of Israel,  as we are recovering the roots of our faith and striving to walk out more of the Torah every year. 

Blessings,

Brother Gregory

HMI Administrator

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