Day of Atonement

Leviticus 23:26-32 [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 forever 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.

Numbers 29:7-11 [7] And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein: [8] But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD for a sweet savour; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish: [9] And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram, [10] A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: [11] One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings.

This year the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) falls on a Sabbath making it a High Sabbath. Nowadays we don’t have to perform the offering section of it since Jesus has made the perfect perpetual offering for us, but the honoring of the day remains. It is a day that we afflicting our souls (Fasting) and we are to keep this day as a Sabbath. We use this time also to reflect on our lives of what the LORD has done for us and to remember how much He sustains us not just physically, but also spiritually.

We are to keep it throughout our generations, but many have forsaken it as if it was some done away with Holy Day. While the Christian society has for the most part changed what God has put in order and substituted pagan and worldly holidays for God own sanctified days, it is sad and disheartening. These days that God has made for us not to just celebrate; but to point to events that would take place as time went on. This month we have the last three Holy Days that yet to be fulfilled. Not only do we look forward to observing them, but we look forward to their prophetic fulfillment that ushers in the Kingdom of God.