A brief look at "Yom Kippur" (Leviticus 16:1-32)

[BenAvraham]

YOM KIPPUR     (Leviticus 16:1-32)

This year Yom Kippur, started September 24 (Sunday) and ended September 25 (Monday evening).  On The Hebrew calendar, it is always on the 10th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei.  It is a time of fasting and prayer, a time of getting right with God again, and with our family, and neighbors, those around us, it is the holiest time of year. 

The Hebraic belief was that on Yom Kippur, God's books were closed and those whose names were written in the "Book of Life" were "safe".  Those whose names were NOT written would have to wait until next Yom Kippur.  Yom Teruah, the day of Trumpet sounding was a reminder and a wake-up call, to start getting right with God, because on Yom Kippur, the destiny of each person would be "signed and sealed" sort of.

Yet, as believers, we know that the mercy of God is always there.  His "book of Life" is open 24-7 to whoever would repent and accept Jesus/Yeshua as LORD and Savior.  As long as the breath of life is within us, as long as our hearts beat, we still have a chance. 

Yom Kippur was the time when the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies, in the Tabernacle, and in the Temple, Only once a year could he do this, and offered a bull for himself and for his family, for the atonement of their sins, a bull represented strength, and the ancient symbol of God was shown by the outline of a bull's head with horns, that was the ancient Hebrew letter "alef"

He also took two goats.  One he would sacrifice, and, like with the bull, sprinkle the blood on the altar and on the covering of the Ark of the Covenant (Ha Aron Ha Kodesh) and on the altar, and the other, he would place his hands on its head and symbolically placed all of the sins of Israel, on that goat, then let it go into the wilderness, never to return.

These spoke of two things, Messiah Yeshua paid our price in full on Calvary, by His one-time sacrifice and atonement, of His own blood, and our sins were "cast into the sea, never to return" and "as far as the East is from the West, so our sins are separated from us" never to meet.

But the Yom Kippur (Yom Ha Kippurim) "Day of Coverings" had to go on year after year, and so, sins were only "covered" for one year at a time, but when Messiah Yeshua took our sins to himself on Calvary, our sins were paid for and atoned once and forever, so, his one-time-only sacrifice was good for all time. Even the Apostle Paul said that we are "under a better covenant" which is based on the blood of Yeshua and not on the blood of animals.

In the Tabernacle and Temple times, a red cord was tied on the horns of the "scapegoat." When the scapegoat was taken to a cliff and pushed over so it would die, the scarlet cord turned white, stating that God accepted the sacrifice.  However, 40 years before the destruction of the temple by the Roman Emperor Titus in 70 C.E. that cord stopped turning white, it stayed red.  This indicated that the sacrifice was no longer valid. The only "valid" sacrifice was that of YESHUA, who was the "sacrifice Lamb" once and forever.

 God has reached down to you through YESHUA,  have you reached up to him?

 "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
 

Ben Avraham

[Fenris]

Aaaand he's back to lecture us with another hit and run post.

[Fenris]

The Hebraic belief was that on Yom Kippur, God's books were closed and those whose names were written in the "Book of Life" were "safe".  Those whose names were NOT written would have to wait until next Yom Kippur. 

Ummm no. Those whose names were not written in the "Book of Life" would die that year. "Book" of "life", get it?

He also took two goats.  One he would sacrifice, and, like with the bull, sprinkle the blood on the altar and on the covering of the Ark of the Covenant (Ha Aron Ha Kodesh) and on the altar, and the other, he would place his hands on its head and symbolically placed all of the sins of Israel, on that goat, then let it go into the wilderness, never to return.

Actually, the goat "for Azazel" for throw off a cliff. You're a rabbi, how do you not know this?

But the Yom Kippur (Yom Ha Kippurim) "Day of Coverings"

"Day of Atonement".

In the Tabernacle and Temple times, a red cord was tied on the horns of the "scapegoat." When the scapegoat was taken to a cliff and pushed over so it would die, the scarlet cord turned white, stating that God accepted the sacrifice.  However, 40 years before the destruction of the temple by the Roman Emperor Titus in 70 C.E. that cord stopped turning white, it stayed red.

If you're going to tell the story, at least tell it right.

In the Talmud tractate of Yoma, which is primarily legal and discusses the services in the Temple on Yom Kippur, a tale is told. The High Priest called Shimon Hatzadik, Simon the Just, took over the Jewish leadership after Ezra. He was born around 300 BCE. He served as the High Priest for 40 years. During his tenure, the people of Israel were very good, and so merited various miracles that took place during the Yom Kippur service.

Those miracles included:

When casting lots for the scapegoat, the lot "For the Lord" would always appear in the High Priest's right hand.

The strip of scarlet wool would turn white during the service.

The western most lamp of the Menorah would remain lit until the following day

The flames on the altar would continue burning the entire day, without any additional wood being added.

After his death, the spirituality of the people fell. Sometimes the above listed miracles would happen, and sometimes they wouldn't. When we arrive at the time of 40 years before the Temple's destruction by the Romans, those miracles had ceased entirely...

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
 

Why not quote it in context?

Wash and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
    stop doing wrong.
 Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.

 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
    you will eat the good things of the land;

Ben Avraham

What happened to "Rabbi"?

[Athanasius]

Aaaand he's back to lecture us with another hit and run post.

He replied in his other thread so, let's see.

[Fenris]

He replied in his other thread so, let's see.

I am shivering with anticipation.