Tag: Parashat Acharei Mot

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

In the world but not of it: How ancient wisdom guides modern sexual ethics (Leviticus 18; Genesis 2–3; Romans 1; 1Corinthians 5–6)

Palette-knife oil painting by ChatGPT of two contrasting paths viewed from above: a wide, chaotic route in jagged red and black strokes and a narrow, peaceful path in cool blues and whites, with a lone figure stepping toward the narrow way. Text overlay: “In the world but not of it: How ancient texts guide modern sexual ethics (Leviticus 18; Genesis 2–3; Romans 1; 1Corinthians 5–6).” Hallel.info watermark.

What’s the point of the Torah’s stark language about nakedness, sexuality and child-sacrificing pagan worship in Leviticus 18? It’s really about something deeper: exploiting the vulnerable, crossing God-given boundaries and confusing shame with holiness. Tracing themes from Leviticus, Genesis, 1Corinthians, Hebrews and James, we explore how “naked and not ashamed” became fearful hiding — and how Messiah becomes our true covering. Discover how sanctification, judgment and grace meet in a God who refuses to leave us in our damage.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

What the Liberty Bell, Leviticus, and Jesus have in common — freedom (Leviticus 17; John 6)

Digital oil palette-knife painting showing a symbolic journey from the Exodus to liberty: people cross the desert beneath the pillar of cloud and fire on the left, blending into a radiant light that leads toward a modern skyline with Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, representing God as Redeemer and the source of true freedom. Text overlay says, "Freedom: What the Liberty Bell, Leviticus, and Jesus Have in Common. (Leviticus 17; John 6)." Created with ChatGPT.

This year, the Fourth of July lands on Shabbat (Sabbath) — a day that each week celebrates how God sets people free and gives them rest. As we commemorate 250 years since the Declaration said we’re “endowed by our Creator,” we’ll explore what real, God-given freedom and redemption look like in everyday life.

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Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Atonement Discussions Torah

Day of Atonement: A simple guide to Yom Kippur, forgiveness and Jesus (Leviticus 16; Titus 3; Hebrews 9–10; Luke 18)

This ChatGPT-created digital painting in an oil palette knife style depicts Yeshua's parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9–14. A proud Pharisee stands praying confidently in the foreground while a humble tax collector bows with head lowered in the background inside the Temple, illuminated by warm golden light. The image includes the text overlay, "Day of Atonement: A simple guide to Yom Kippur, forgiveness and Jesus (Leviticus 16; Titus 3; Hebrews 9–10; Luke 18)," and a Hallel.info watermark in the lower left corner.

Discover how Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) brings to fullness Leviticus 16 and is detailed description of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). We connect Titus 3; Hebrews 9–10; and Luke 18 to show how Yeshua, our merciful High Priest, provides Heaven’s ultimate covering, removing and purposefully forgetting our sin, transgression and iniquity. Trace the journey from each of our “house of bondage” to the Promised Land of freedom and the meaning of Yom Kippur’s two goats. And we learn what it means to humbly trust (have faith) in His finished work.

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Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Atonement Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

From guilt to glory: Yom Kippur & the believer’s transformative journey

"From guilt to glory: Yom Kippur and the believer's transformative journey." Adobe Firefly AI palette knife-style image of men and women walking from left to right from gloom to joy.

This study explores יוֹם הַכִּפֻּרִים Yom Kippurim, the Day of Atonement in the Bible, which stands as a pivotal moment in the redemptive story, bridging the gulf between Heaven and Earth. Rooted in Leviticus 16 and echoed in Hebrews 3–10, this sacred day reveals the Messiah’s eternal work of covering sins, transgressions and iniquities.

From the Passover lamb’s blood on the doorpost to block the LORD’s destroyer to the high priest’s incense-shrouded entrance into the Holy of Holies, the themes of Yom Kippur point to the ultimate sacrifice of Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ), the Melchizedek priest who cleanses our consciences from the stain of a life separated from the presence of the Creator (Heb. 9:14).

Confronting the depths of the human heart, as seen in Genesis 4, Psalm 51, Isaiah 1 and Matthew 5, Yom Kippur calls us to a posture of brokenness and contrition, that we might experience the transformative power of forgiveness and restoration.

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Apostolic Writings Atonement Discussions Torah

Heaven’s firewall: How Yom Kippur teaches us to filter thoughts through Yeshua (Leviticus 16–18; 1Corinthians 5–6)

Heaven's firewall: How Yom Kippur teaches us to filter thoughts through Yeshua (Leviticus 16-18; 1Corinthians 5-6). Adobe AI artwork of a woman with exposed brain divided between dark and bright hemispheres.

This study of Torah reading אַחֲרֵי מוֹת Acharei Mot (“after the deaths,” Leviticus 16–18) with 1Corinthians 5–6 explores complex modern moral issues, including organ donation, gender identity and spiritual decay. The seemingly paradoxical dual character of God as “high and lifted up” and “God with us” helps us understand the Messiah’s role as high priest and the two covering-removing offerings of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).

These passages emphasize the need for spiritual discernment. Like a firewall against cyberattacks, we must filter thoughts and experiences through God’s words and recognizing whose voice we are listening to as we navigate the complexities of life, be they ancient or modern.

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Apostolic Writings Discussions Torah

Toward a more relevant Torah for today’s world (Leviticus 16–20)

Toward a more relevant Torah for today's world (Leviticus 16-20). Image of a mezzuzah at an angle above a Torah text.

Some are concerned about making the Bible more relevant to modern society, by playing down or sidestepping the “icky” or seemingly backward depictions and instructions in it. However, among the key lessons from the dual Torah reading אחרי מות Acharei Mot (“after the deaths”) and קדושים Kedoshim (“holies/holy”) (Leviticus 16–20) is that the what seems obsolete is anything but that — especially for how they undergird the gospel of Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus).

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Atonement Torah

Why Christians should still celebrate Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16)

Get over it!: Why Christians need the Day of Atonement now more than ever (Leviticus 16). A woman walks across a cable foot bridge while looking at a lake at sunset.

The Torah reading מות Acharei Mot (“after the deaths,” Leviticus 16–18) takes us through the mysterious and somber rituals of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).

Some may read the Letter to the Hebrews in the Apostolic writings and think that because Yeshua (Jesus) was offered once for all sins, transgressions and iniquities then Yom Kippur is a relic of the “old covenant” between Heaven and Israel.

Instead, we learn throughout the Bible that this annual memorial is really an essential lived-out reminder of Yeshua’s “new covenant,” through which Heaven transforms the whole world into a land of peace. Let’s explore four reasons why Yom Kippur is even more important for believers in Messiah Yeshua to celebrate.