This month is referred to as the “ingathering” at the end of the year or the end of the cycle of seven appointments with God, the “feasts to the Lord.” What do these times mean? How do we give an answer to someone when they have questions?
Category: Atonement
Day of Atonement, or Yom haKippurim in Hebrew for “Day of Coverings”
Leviticus 16 provides us an “insider’s view” of the Day of Atonement. We can know what the High Priest is doing on that day, even though the common person was not allowed to witness most of of the tasks required of the High Priest on that day. Most of the priests activities are “covered” away from the general public. The people of Israel had to believe by faith that the High Priest was doing his job on their behalf properly and that God would accept the High Priest’s offerings on their behalf.
Yom Kippur, also called the Day of Covering or the Day of Atonement, has two meanings to the people of God. When God “reasons” with mankind, it is not a conversation of compromise and obfuscation. God judges the sin of each man, woman and child and no one has a defense against God’s judgement, except the defense provided by Yeshua.
The fall appointed times of God are called the “feasts of ingathering” and are associated with the apocalyptic Day of the LORD. What are the lessons of these festivals that point toward our preparation for what Messiah is going to do?
In part two of a discussion of the seventh month of God’s calendar, Richard looks into the parallel between the construction of Solomon’s Temple in time for one Sukkot (Tabernacles) and the preparation of God’s people for the final Sukkot. Like the stones for the first temple that were cut to size elsewhere then moved into location, the people of God will be “trimmed” to the right “size” before being moved to the final site of the LORD’s dwelling place on Earth.
Yom haKippurim (the Day of Coverings/Atonement) is seen as a time of self-reflection. Yes, in Leviticus 16 God teaches that one is to “afflict your souls,” which is taken to be a call for a fast, as seen in Isaiah 58. However, the apostolic letter to the Hebrews shows that the day is about reflection on the High Priest Who atoned God’s people once and for all time with His own blood.
Yom haKippurim, commonly called the Day of Atonement, in the Bible comes between Yom Teruah, the Day of Trumpet Blasts as warning, and Sukkot, the celebration of dwelling with God. It looks to the day God brings the fallenness of the world to a close. Thus, it’s a day of hope.
Richard Agee connects the solo work of the high priest in the tabernacle of Israel on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippurim in Hebrew for “Day of Coverings” ) with the solo work of Messiah Yeshua in covering over our sins (not living up to God’s instructions), transgressions (willfully disobeying God) and iniquity (outright rebellion against God). His doing so prepares us for God’s presence to be among us, as celebrated during the Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot in Hebrew for “booths” or “shelters”).