GOD GIVES CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS FOR OBSERVING THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
God gave Israel clear instructions for observing The Day of Atonement.
If your congregation has not thrown these pages of the bible away; let’s please turn to the scriptures found in Leviticus Chapter 16.
I would like to begin the with a verse from the very end of this chapter from Leviticus 16, which is verse 34;
“This is to be a lasting ordinance for you, atonement is to be made once a year for all of the sins of the Israelites.”
Leviticus 15 also describes even more regulations that God set for the people in order that they could remain “clean” before Him.
If you haven’t already read Leviticus 14 and 15; I suggest you read them now before moving ahead to these things we are considering in Chapter 16.
My first question today is:
Are you a Christian?
Then, you are a spiritual Israelite.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ADOPTED?
No; being a “spiritual Israelite” DOES NOT mean that you have replaced Israel in the eyes of God simply because you have come into the true Church; it only means that the love of Christ has provided a way for you too to be allowed to enter into God’s Kingdom. I’m speaking about the kingdom that He originally designed to give to the house of the Children of Israel; then the rest of the world. We who were not born to Israel are a part of “the rest of the world.” God extends his invitation to us through His chosen people, connecting the family down through the ages.
If you are not originally a native from the land of Israel; it is very possible that you are still considered to be an adopted son, and God considers His adopted sons to be equal to any of His natural born sons.
Let’s consider the fact that nations can become clean before God. It is possible.
NATIONS CAN BECOME CLEAN BEFORE GOD
Way back before there were any “adopted sons” God was instructing Moses and Aaron on how to conduct and observe The Day of Atonement with all of the “original” sons.
Prior to these instructions God clearly stated that all of the people of Israel were to remain “clean” before Him.
Of course that is totally impossible with humans; and God knew this.
That is why He provided a way through the Day of Atonement to keep the nations “clean” in order that they could exist before Him and He could dwell among them.
We have spent many articles on this blog discussing how individuals can become clean before God.
Today we will talk about how a whole nation can become clean before God.
During the time of the wilderness tabernacle, each person was encouraged to practice God’s ways individually; and then they were also encouraged to practice God’s ways in a more corporate manner.
This corporate observance was to take place on The Day of Atonement.
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT OBSERVANCES
In 2023, The Day of Atonement (called by the Jewish name of Yom Kippur on your current day calendars) takes place on the secular calendar’s dates of Sunday, 9/24 at sunset through Monday, 9/25 at sunset. God’s calander days begin at sunset and last until the next sunset. God’s days have a pattern of movement from dark to light. In the creation story we hear the words “evening and morning” in that order.
The Jewish people have kept careful records that record times and seasons from year- to- year since the Exodus of Israel. Their records go all the way back to the times of the life of Moses.
This is how we know that the dates on the Jewish calendars are accurate; and we can understand that they are in line with the same dates that God originally set apart to meet with us concerning certain things at certain times.
SETTING A CLOCK FOR THE WORLD THROUGH A GROUP OF CHOSEN PEOPLE
God has used His chosen people as the clock for the world. They have done a wonderful job of keeping His time for us.
Why does this matter?
Can’t we just pick any day and call it the right name and do the things that God instructed on that day?
No; we really can’t because God set aside specific sacred times to be observed.
Though God is with us in EVERY day of our time on this earth; He is especially present on the days He has decreed special High Sabbaths.
The Day of Atonement is considered to be the most sacred day of the whole year on God’s calendar.
Why?
Because; without atonement we cannot be one with God.
From hence comes the word At-One-Ment.
WILL YOU MISS YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH GOD?
So, as you may already realize, many Christian organizations are missing this very important time.
I pray that they will one day open their eyes and see that it is just as important for us to observe this day (in honor of the fact that Jesus has now became our atonement) as it was for those ancient Israelis to follow the instructions of God during their own times.
The first thing is simply a shadow of the second thing.
I was so pleased to know back a few years ago that this time was being officially observed by many at our nation’s capitol.
An important event called THE RETURN was lead by Jonathan Cahn at the Washington Mall.
I thought THE RETURN was an amazing and anointed event. It seemed to be very timely. Maybe it was different for me than a lot of people; because I have wanted to see the Christian Church unite under the appointed days of God for a long time now. THE RETURN was the first time I have ever seen the Christian churches of America unite under one of God’s appointed Days. The appointed time I speak of way during The Days of Awe, which are bookended by The Feast of Trumpets and The Day of Atonement.
What an outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit I saw take place on the grounds of our nation’s capitol! People were there from all walks of life and many denominations.
I could not believe my eyes. It certainly felt like an answer to a long-time prayer.
This amazing event of the past gave me the hope of the Christian Church finally seeing, agreeing, opening up to and holding the feasts and festivals that come from God’s Holy Days listed in the Old Testament (Torah.)
These are God’s appointed days. For the first time in American history (in my lifetime) I have seen a movement to recognize this fact. History was being made in so many ways on that day.
I WILL give a lot of credit to the ministry of some sects of The Church of God, and also the faithful ministry of John Hagee for being used by God to help many people to see the significance of these days. These have given many efforts toward trying to duplicate the Christian reasons for still observing these days.
For this particular event though God had sent someone who actually understood it all from a Hebraic perspective. This perspective really brought the message home. Many thanks go out to Jonathan Cahn’s willingness to keep preaching to all who will open their hearts to listen to God’s will for our nation and our people.
The whole event was just perfect timing as national repentance happened publicly right before The Day of Atonement began. I’m still thanking God for offering hope for our nation through that event. Much time has passed; but I will not forget this time of turning for our nation.
God showed the Israelis the rites of Atonement in the wilderness sacrifices. He painted another portrait for us from their shadows and types. These things all relate to the fact that we now have Jesus Christ as Messiah and High Priest over “spiritual” Israel; or over those who have God’s Holy Spirit living and residing inside of them today.
The seeds Christ planted in the tree of Israel have grown and grown and now provide shelter to many nations. Those I speak of are those who have become citizens of The Kingdom of God.
Again, this isn’t replacement – it is transformation.
Many of those who have been transformed are from the original nation of Israel; some even have no knowledge of this fact; but it is still true.
Remember the “lost” tribes?
Some are grafted-in and adopted; but ALL who have entered through the door of Jesus Christ are now a part of God’s great Kingdom which began with Israel. No one may enter this Kingdom without first receiving the atonement that brings salvation and leads to fulfillment with God’s Holy Spirit, which in turn brings joy evermore and everlasting.
OBSERVANCE OF THE POWER OF ATONEMENT
The Day of Atonement “officially” started with instructions from God to Israel in the wilderness (though we were given hints and suggestions all the way from the days of Creation.) The very first Day of Atonement took place right there in the Garden of Eden; when God “covered” the bodies of Adam and Eve with the coat of a Lamb that shed his blood for them in order to cover their shame.
The Jewish people who have celebrated this day for millenniums have called it Yom Kippur.
How very odd to know that they have celebrated the Atonement of Messiah without realizing there IS a Messiah named Yeshuah whom many call by the English name; Jesus Christ.
One day the eyes of devout Jews will be opened to the truths that they have ironically preserved; and they will begin to see the whole story that God has clearly spelled out in a million different ways from the Old Testament Torah that they love so much.
WHY OBSERVE THIS DAY WHEN WE ALREADY OBSERVE THE PASSOVER?
In some ways, the time of Passover is also symbolic of the Day of Atonement.
However, the Passover is more about atonement for our individual sins; The Day of Atonement is more about the corporate sins of the world as a whole.
Passover focuses on love, grace and forgiveness.
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) focuses more on the aspect of judgment being eminent.
Judgement Day wasn’t called off when Jesus died on the cross. Those who have followed Messiah will be saved from it; but there will still be such a day.
Judgement Day IS coming and the shofar sounds it’s warning across the land just days before the final Day of Atonement arrives.
We hear the sound of the shofar during the time of The Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah; which leads us up to The Day of Atonement.
The sound of the shofar is a warning to get ready for The Day of Atonement.
For Christians across the land, the sound of the trumpet on Rosh Hashanah declares “The LORD is returning soon!”
All of these preliminary events and sacred times are only leading up to The Day of Atonement; the day that we, as a people and a nation of believers, must have all of our sins confessed. We must be ready to stand worshiping God with clean and holy hands.
MOST DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE
When will America wake up and see the significance of The Day of Atonement?
What could be more important for our people or our nation?
We must return to “one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”
God intends to give those who respond properly to His commandments this blessing!
Are we responding?
Until THE RETURN; I wasn’t sure that our nation was capable of responding to this message. After watching THE RETURN; I know there are still those who want to respond eagerly to God’s will. Whether their response is on target or out of ignorance doesn’t matter. That they are responding to God’s Word in ANY way, gives hope. We serve a merciful and loving God. He is listening to our cries.
There is hope!
Yet……
SO MANY SOULS ARE STILL IN BONDAGE
So many of us are like Israel before their times of bondage in Egypt; deceived by the world with a need for materialism and led astray by false doctrines that pull us into idolatry.
All across this nation we have churches that are full of those who want to be entertained instead of participating in true worship.
We have churches who want to “buy” their congregation’s loyalty. They think they can win them over by furnishing them with trips and festivities that SEEM spiritual; but are really not all in the will of God.
Many churches are full of luke-warm rituals, false worship, evil, death and lust. Satan’s tools against God’s people remain consistent with each passing generation.
Actually today most of us are no different from the People of God before they fell into the punishment of slavery which they brought upon themselves by turning away from the ways of God.
THERE IS A DIFFERENT WAY
We must wake up and respond; very much like the Children of Israel in the Wilderness Tabernacle.
God is listening for this response on The Day of Atonement. Of course He listens everyday; but this day is one He chose to FOCUS on listening to our national repentance.
Our ears and hearts must hear the voice of God through the scriptures that speak of The Day of Atonement and obey what the Word of God is saying. The message never changes from generation to generation. God’s ways are always consistent.
Israel responded well back during the days of the wilderness tabernacle.
The oral traditions of Israel have helped us to remember. They continue to remind us that on Rosh Hashanah (The Feast of Trumpets) the doors of heaven are opened.
This is God focusing specifically on communicating with us (nationally) again.
He is saying; “My Children; come closer to me!”
Just as back in those olden days; in order to come closer to God; one must be clean. This requires repentance.
Those of us who have God’s Holy Spirit residing inside our spirits are constantly being urged to come before God and confess our sins.
Many of us have observed the customs of the season and have been through that process of examination and repentance and returning to God.
It is the turning that is the proof.
God gives us the good sense to know that we can never be perfect. It takes the blood covering of Jesus and His righteousness to make us whole and acceptable for The Kingdom of God.
Turning puts us on the correct road or pathway for this atonement which leads us into God’s Kingdom.
HAS THE CHURCH FORGOTTEN THE BASIC CONCEPT OF REPENTANCE?
Some though, even when hearing the truth; have not yet repented.
Perhaps some of us have failed to teach them the basic steps of repentance?
We call ourselves God’s Church; but where are the ways of God in what we say and do?
Why have so many not been taught repentance for generations?
Now is the time that The King is in the Field.
In other words; God has his ears focused. He is now listening carefully to the prayers of the people. The doors to heaven are wide open. Sounds of silent listening is very clear.
God is still listening for some to start a conversation; waiting on them to say “I repent; please forgive my sins and blot them out of your book!”
He is waiting on America to say “please forgive us for the horrific sins we have done against You as a nation.”
GOD IS A GOOD ACCOUNTANT
The books are open and ready.
Anyone who acts will be heard.
All sins can be forgiven; all it takes is one simple conversation with God and the sins will be blotted out forever.
Atonement is available!
Many of us are so blessed to already know that our sins have been blotted out of the book.
Isn’t it amazing?
What more could we ever ask?
Only to share this freedom with others along the way.
A TIME TO THINK OF OTHERS
We have received the gift of a loving Messiah and we have received Atonement and freedom.
With all of these blessings in mind; this is the time for the faithful Bride of Christ to be thinking of others who have not yet found this place in their lives.
During the days that lead up to The Day of Atonement, it is said that the gates of heaven are opened and God is listening. It is a perfect time for intercessions to be offered up for those who have not yet repented.
When is the last time you spent hours in prayer interceding for your brothers and sisters and for the nations of the world?
We have the same opportunity as those old Levitical priests who stood in the Holy Place and prayed for the deliverance and salvation of their nation.
The whole church should be praying for God to forgive the sins of our nation and the sins of the WHOLE world – daily.
We are called to a purpose and a mission, much like those “ordinary” priests of old, who daily took the sacrifices of the common people and offered them up to God.
Then once a year, as God instructed Moses; the High Priest (Aaron in the days of the wilderness tabernacle) came before God into the Holy of Holies with intercessions for the people; asking for atonement from God on their behalf.
Today, our High Priest, Jesus Christ, carries those intercessions from all of us into the Presence of God The Father.
Because of our Messiah, God has heard our prayers through our High Priest, Jesus Christ, and our High Priest has sprinkled His own blood on the mercy seat to provide for our atonement.
WHEN “IT IS FINISHED”
So are you beginning to see how God set the pattern for The Day of Atonement to become the time of intercession and atonement for the sins of the world?
As much as some churches would choose to ignore it; Judgment Day IS coming!
The sages of old speak of a time when the doors to heaven will be closed. It happens at sunset on The Day of Atonement. At that time whatever God has written in His book for the next year is sealed and closed. There will be no changing things after the last minute of The Day of Atonement.
To repeat the words of Jesus on the cross; “It is finished.”
DIVISION AND SEPARATION OR A WEDDING FEAST
On the FINAL day of Atonement; at the end of time; you will either be separated into the fold of the sheep or the place for the goats.
The Good Shepherd will know where you belong. He will designate your final place. How will He know? He is the one who receives your prayers and carries your petitions straight to God.
There will be a time of judgment after the last and final seal is sealed. The sheep and the goats will then be divided and separated.
The sheep; those who know Christ and are covered by His atonement. They will be invited to The Marriage Supper of The Lamb.
Those who have not heeded God’s calling; nor have they repented or received atonement from the blood of Christ, will be forever separated from God.
These will be cut off from the people. They will no longer be a part of the camp.
They will NOT be invited to the Marriage Supper of The Lamb; the doors of Heaven will be shut to them and anyone without a wedding garment (the proper covering of atonement) will not be allowed back inside.
They will miss the Great Banquet of God; and they will be banished from the Kingdom of Heaven forever.
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Luke 13:28)
Do not let this happen to you!
Repent now and be saved by the blood of Christ while the doors to God’s Kingdom are still open and welcoming and beckoning for you to enter and come inside.
WE ALL ARE DESTINED ACCORDING TO OUR OWN CHOICES
In the Jewish traditions of this day called Yom Kippur, the “Books of God” are often discussed.
The tradition goes that the destinies of the righteous are written down inside the Book of Life. The destinies of the eternal wicked are also noted in The Book of Death. God waits until he knows we are totally hopeless to write down these names.
There is no reason to have anyone written in that book. All we have to do is listen, obey, turn and rest in God’s mercy and forgiveness.
If your name is recorded in the Book of Life; every sin that you have ever committed has been blotted out with the blood of the atonement of Christ.
It is His precious blood that covers our sins. Nothing that we do ourselves can achieve this Atonement; it is all the work of Christ and how we respond to His calling.
10 DAYS OF AWE
In the traditional observances (which come from God’s instructions to Moses during this time in the wilderness, the time from The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) until the time of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is called the Days of Awe.
The Days of Awe are 10 days total. Rosh Hashanah/The Feast of Trumpets is the first day of the days of Awe. The Day of Atonement is the last or 10th day of The Days of Awe.
During these 10 Days of Awe between The Feast of Trumpets and The Day of Atonement, it is said that people can be reassured (by talking to God in prayer, repentance and turning) that their sins have been forgiven and Atonement has been applied.
I’m reminded of a Baptist term here; when they say that people “rededicate” their lives to God.
In a way, the Day of Atonement is basically the same concept.
If you have come clean and realized your past mistakes of the last year, and you have “rededicated” the path of your life toward the ways of God again; you will be able to begin the new sacred year with a clean slate.
This is also known as a traditional time for every follower of Christ to be praying for deliverance for those who have not yet repented and those who do not yet have the gift of Atonement.
We can quickly come to realize that many people still living are not yet written into either book; the Book of Life; and/or The book of Death (called the book of the incorrigible wicked.)
God is very patient with us.
Every year we are reminded of his loving kindness and how merciful God is and how he never wants one soul to be left outside the Kingdom of Heaven.
God is still listening closely during this time of the ten Days of Awe to see if these do pray the prayer of repentance and ask for the atonement to be applied to blot their sins out of His book.
GOD GIVES US ALL FREE-WILL
God has given everyone free-will.
Everyone has their own final decision to make.
Many have not yet committed themselves to God’s Kingdom and its ways.
We can plead with them and do everything that we know to open their eyes to the truth; but in the end it isn’t our decision to make.
Everyone gets to decide their own fate.
In this respect, God is like a lover. He will not force his affections on anyone; but he will freely love those who want to come to him.
Many of our Jewish brothers and sisters walk this path of not believing that there is already a Messiah that has come to save and atone for their sins.
The scriptures assure us that in the end they will change. Their eyes will be opened and they will morn for the one which they have pierced; (Zechariah 12:10.) This means that they will repent and turn to Christ as Messiah. Perhaps their eyes will be opened by the observance of these very same days that they have preserved for all true believers; all the way from the times of Moses until now.
THE FIRST WILL BE LAST AND THE LAST WILL BE FIRST
How ironic that they cannot see first!
God has let this happen so that the rest of us will open our eyes and be grafted in. They gave us the knowledge of The Word; and we in turn must intercede for their souls. Both of God’s people groups depend on the help of the other. One day we all will be one under God.
In the meantime – we must be interceding.
This is an important time for intercession for all of the nations to come to the saving grace and knowledge of Christ.
I urge you dear brothers and sisters to pray like you have never prayed before.
Be prayed up before The Day of Atonement arrives this year.
LIVING IN A TIME OF GRACE
The 10 Days of Awe before the end of The Day of Atonement are comparable to the days of grace that the Churches of today have been given.
The time of grace will not last forever.
Judgment Day is coming whether the world is ready or not. The grace period of history will eventually reach its end.
The Day of Atonement that we are told to observe annually as a “lasting-ordinance” from God is all about “getting ready.”
It is a time to be looking for the Groom and purchasing plenty of oil for your lamp.
Christ WILL return again and there is to be a great battle on the earth when it happens. Those who belong to Him must be ready and prepared. The Day of Atonement is a reminder of this time that will come.
The sound of the shofar is also a warning for war.
When that very last person repents; the doors of heaven will close. The writing of the books will be finished and sealed. The final battle will be fought and all evil will be removed by Christ as He takes His millennial reign on the earth for 1,000 years.
Will you be a part of that great Kingdom?
Are you ready?
GOD WAS PREPARING US FOR THE FUTURE EVEN IN ANCIENT TIMES
It all started back in those days of the wilderness tabernacle when God explained all of these things to Moses.
God began right then to prepare His people for their future.
The scriptures clearly state what happened; but we still have churches existing today that do not understand the significance of The Day of Atonement. They still refuse to heed the Word of God and set aside this very special time for all of the nations to get prepared to meet God.
The very God that spoke to Moses in the wilderness is the very God that true Christians worship today. He never changes. He is the same, yesterday; today and tomorrow.
The things that He instructed to the nation of Israel still apply to us today. The church did not do away with Israel; it only followed the pattern that God gave to Israel and it evolved into the place where we stand today.
If every church in America would set aside their politics and their wrong associations with the ways of the world and come before God on this day that He declared we should observe so long ago, and bow down before God with prayer and fasting and intercession; there would be hope for our nations.
Our brothers and sisters would be delivered from their sins and the true Church would be fulfilling the commandments of God The Father.
GOD’S WORD LASTS FOREVER
God says what he means and He means what He says.
His Word will last forever.
He always keeps His promises.
Let the red colors of the fall foliage remind us of the atoning blood of Christ; and let us all bow humbly before Him in worship.
It is time to intercede for the people of the world, and it is time to get ready for the return of Christ!
May God hear his people as they fast and pray this year on The Day of Atonement.
May God heal our land and begin to bring his everlasting peace to this earth.