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Called “the fast” in Scripture, Yom Kippur is a difficult day to keep one’s mind on anything except food and water. As we go through this day and work to understand its meaning, there are areas in the Bible that are hard to visualize or picture because it was no longer done the way it was written in the Torah.
In Lev. 23:27, the name of the day in Hebrew is יוֹם הַכִּפֻּרִים Yom haKippurim, literally, “day of coverings.” That emphasizes multiple “coverings” (Lev. 16:21): of חַטָּאת khatta’t (Strong’s lexicon No. H2403b) sin (“missing the mark” or mistakes), פֶּשַׁע pesha’ (H6588) transgression (willful disobedience) and עָווֹן ’awon (H5771) iniquity (rebellion against God). The blood of the goat that was killed for the house of Israel covers all three. It covered both the east and west sides mercy seat, a massive golden cover on the Ark of the Covenant (Testimony). It was also used, along with the bull, to cover everything in the outer Tabernacle.
The book of Hebrews discusses the duties and the themes of the Day of Atonement. There was no Tabernacle, no Ark, no mercy seat when it was written. After Nebuchadnezzer destroyed it, they were never rebuilt. In Herod’s time, it was just a room with a veil over it. I think God removed it permanently from the First Temple for a reason.
Why do you fast on Yom Kippurim? Do you have an answer? How do you explain it to someone who asks you?
Yeshua said “I am the way, the truth and the life.” When we go to God’s word, we can find out why we do this. We may have inherited ideas and thoughts from others, of traditions of men, but we need to go to Devarei Elohim (words of God) to find the answer.
Since the Messiah came and fulfilled completely the Day of Atonement, why do we observe it? Since the Messiah fulfilled the duties, the functions of the Day of Atonement, did He also fulfill the Passover function? I find myself saying Yes. Is the Passover fulfilled? The Apostle Paul says so because he said the Messiah died once for all.
Isaiah 58 addresses Yom haKippurim, at least as it pertains to the fasting part of that day. Yeshua said, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is coming.” He didn’t say “Repent, because I love you,” or “Repent, because you need to.” He wants us to be ready for the Kingdom of God.
In Exodus when our ancestors in Israel arrived at the base of Mount Sinai, they became terrified by the thundering sounds of the presence of God, so much so they could not speak. Israel told Moses to speak to God for them. So he went up and during that 40 days, the people of Israel sinned by making the golden calf.
The reason the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers were added to the Torah was because of the transgression of the Golden Calf. These teachings were to show them what sins, transgressions and iniquities are and the remedy for those sins. Yeshua is in all the sufferings that are written in the law of the Torah. Yeshua is the one who God called a “sweet smelling aroma to me.” Yeshua took the sins and paid the price for those who “God loved so much that He gave His only begotten son.”
If we are Torah-observant, what does that mean? If you don’t make sacrifices for all your sins before a priest, as the Torah says, you are not Torah-observant. Even if we lived during the time of Moses or the time of the first Temple, we would still fall short of being Torah-observant.
What part of the Torah is Yeshua? He is part of all of it (John 5:39–40). He was cast out of Jerusalem and then killed. He died for those who were cast out.
When Messiah comes to rule in Jerusalem, will the sacrifices be the same as we read in Torah, the same offerings which he already fulfilled? Yeshua said, “You have searched the Scriptures and you say there is life in it. It is about me.” Yeshua is the Torah, the Word of God (John 1:14). He is the Prophet (John 1:19–36). They didn’t see it. We may see it intellectually but do we really see it?
Leviticus 16 tells us what the High Priest does on this day. It tells us about the covering of iniquities, transgressions and then sins.
Do we observe this day because we are scared of being killed? Are we scared of being cast out?
Isaiah 58 show us that afflicting our selves by not eating or drinking is only a part of the fast:
“Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing 1one’s head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” (Isa. 58:5-7)
We can’t do this but Yeshua did. Yeshua fulfilled Isaiah 58, not us. Yeshua’s work is all over this chapter. What we could not do for ourselves or others, Yeshua did for us and all mankind.
The inner tabernacle was a very fearful place to go. There was a certain formula and procedure to follow, otherwise you would die. Every article in the Temple was made to minute specifications. The Tabernacle that Moses and Aaron made was not just a duplicate of the heavenly tabernacle architecturally but functionally. God told Moses the purpose of everything in the Tabernacle, including the goats.
When the one trumpet was blown on the Day of Trumpets, the leadership would come to the tabernacle to meet with Moses to find out what they were to do.
There were two goats: the one for slaughter and the scapegoat. We have one goat that dies and the goat that lives, which is called the scapegoat. Although the scapegoat lives, it doesn’t get away with anything. He had to take away the sins of the community.
The dead goat covers with its blood for one reason. It covers the uncleanliness. The other goat was cast out of the community, out of the house of Israel to take the sin away from the people altogether.
Hebrews 8 expounds on the first time the Israel rebelled, the holy of holies was taken away, when they continued to rebel, the entire temple was taken away.
There are those who say that the feast days have no value, because they were only added in response to Israel’s sin. The most wonderful part of Hebrews 8 is the large quotation from Jeremiah 31. The New Covenant of Jer. 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8 could not occur until after the death and resurrection of Yeshua. Yeshua said the wine represented the blood of a New Covenant.
All of the Torah speaks about Yeshua. In remembering Yom haKippurim, we see Yeshua as the High Priest, the goat that was slain and the goat that was cast away.
We fast because this is a little token, it’s the least we can do in response to the immeasurable sufferings of the Messiah Yeshua. It’s not a day of darkness, but of hope, not just for me but for all mankind, because, “Behold, the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.” We become at one with the Creator, the Father Himself.
Hebrews 9 reassures us that the evidence against us is gone. Sins only exist as long as God remembers them. When God decides to forget them, they are gone for good. God will wipe away all sorrow, fear, pain and death.
Speaker: Richard. Summary: Tammy.
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