We are fast approaching one of the High Holiday, Yom Kippur, of the Jewish people, which is this year from evening of 17 September to evening 18 September 2010. Many people does not understand Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement. Let us then take a look firstly at Atonement and then the Day of Atonement. I hope this will help those who want to take part in this celebration.

To Christians, atonement means the way in which a perfect YAHVEH and sinful humans were brought together again. The word comes from Anglo-Saxon words meaning “making at one,” or “at-one-ment.” To believe in atonement, one must already believe that there is separation between humans and YAHVEH. This gulf must be bridged if human beings are to know YAHVEH and have fellowship with Him. The ideas of reconciliation and forgiveness are also bound up in the idea of atonement. In the classic King James Version of the Bible, the word “atonement” occurs many times in the Old Testament, but only once in the New Testament (Romans 5:11). Modern translations generally and more correctly, use the word “reconciliation.” The idea of atonement is important to every part of the New Testament however and is one of the basic ideas found in Scripture. Atonement is the work of YAHVEH, who makes it possible for sinful humans to receive His forgiving grace. For sinners, who cannot bridge the gap between themselves and YAHVEH, atonement opens a “new and living way” to Him. The total sinfulness of humans creates our need for atonement. The Scriptures everywhere describe the hugeness of our sin and the depth of it. The prophet Isaiah affirmed, “All we like sheep have gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6).

According to another prophet, Jeremiah, “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). David the psalmist cried, “there is none that does good, no not one” (Psalm 14:3). Paul pictured the depths of sin to which humans have fallen (Romans 1:18-32) and summed it up: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of YAHVEH” (3:23). Elsewhere Paul described humans as enemies of YAHVEH (5:10), as “hostile to YAHVEH” (8:7), as “estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds” (Colossians 1:21). Adam’s race is just like Adam: “As sin came into the world through one man and death through sin and so death spread to all men because all men sinned” (Romans 5:12). The problem of the sinfulness of humanity is made much larger and more frightening by the holiness of YAHVEH, who cannot bear to look upon sin. Isaiah saw the holy YAHVEH in the temple and drew back because of his own sinfulness (Isaiah 6:1-5). Not only are we terribly sinful; YAHVEH is fearfully holy. Humans dread YAHVEH and can do nothing to change this situation. Humans are lost, helpless, standing under the awful judgment of our King Elohim. We cannot justify ourselves to YAHVEH and we cannot earn YAHVEH’s respect.

The possibility of atonement then, belongs only to the Most High. The nature of that atonement, shown to us in the Bible, tells us truly what YAHVEH is like and what humanity is like. The Hebrew term frequently translated “atone” has the basic meaning to wipe out, to erase, to cover or perhaps more generally to remove. In the King James Version it is translated by such expressions as to make atonement, forgive, appease, pardon, put off and reconcile. The most common Old Testament example of the idea of atonement was the sacrifice and offering up of the blood of a victim. In a sacrifice the shedding of blood was the central act. Life was in the blood (Leviticus 17:11); in the pouring out of the blood, life was given up; that is, the sacrificed animal died. Elsewhere blood may be a symbol for life, but in the sacrifice of animals, it meant death. There are, however, places in the Old Testament where atonement does not mean the shedding of blood. On the Day of Atonement one of two goats was slain, but the other was “presented alive before Adonai to make atonement” (Leviticus 16:10). That “scapegoat” was driven out into the wilderness bearing the sins of the people. The goat was banished instead of killed and the goat, bearing the sins of the people, suffered the fate of the sinner who is banished from God.

The goat was a substitute for the people. Money offered for the temple was also said to make atonement (Exodus 30:16). In another text Aaron and Moses prevented the spreading of a plague by carrying incense: “He put on the incense and made atonement for the people” (Numbers 16:47). Those few special expressions do not change the basic Old Testament idea of atonement through the sacrifice of a substitute animal. The New Testament sums up the Old Testament idea of atonement by saying that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22). Throughout the New Testament it is clear that HaMashiach’s death on the cross is what provides atonement. Old Testament language for atonement is still used in the New Testament, especially the term “blood,” but with new wrinkles and shades of meaning. Thus in the New Testament we have the “blood of the covenant” (Matthew 26:28) and the “new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:20) as well as the “blood of HaMashiach” (Ephesians 2:13) and the “blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). But in the New Testament, passages about blood also refer to the death and resurrection of Yeshua HaMashiach. The New Testament is the “new covenant” of Yeshua HaMashiach, sealed by His blood

WHAT DID THE OLD TESTAMENT SACRIFICES MEAN?

BLOOD MEANT AN EXCHANGE OF ONE LIFE FOR ANOTHER.
“The life of any creature is in its blood. I have given you the blood so you can make atonement for your sins. It is the blood, representing life that brings you atonement.” (Leviticus 17:11) How does blood make atonement for sin? When offered with the right attitude, the sacrifice and the bloodshed from it made forgiveness of sin possible. On the one hand, blood represented the sinner’s life, infected by his sin and headed for death. On the other hand, the blood represented the innocent life of the animal that was sacrificed in place of the guilty person making the offering. The death of the animal (of which the blood was proof) fulfilled the penalty of death. YAHVEH therefore granted forgiveness to the sinner. It is YAHVEH who forgives based on the faith of the one sacrificing.

HOW DOES YESHUA’S DEATH OFFER ATONEMENT FOR OUR SIN?

IN HIS DEATH YESHUA TOOK UPON HIMSELF OUR PUNISHMENT.
“YAHVEH sent Yeshua to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy YAHVEH’s anger against us. We are made right with YAHVEH when we believe that Yeshua shed His blood, sacrificing His life for us. YAHVEH was being entirely fair and just when He did not punish those who sinned in former times.” (Romans 3:25) After all this bad news about our sinfulness and YAHVEH’s condemnation, Paul now gives the wonderful news. There is a way to be declared not guilty; by trusting Yeshua HaMashiach to take away our sins. Trusting means putting our confidence in Him to forgive our sins, to make us right with YAHVEH and to empower us to live the way He taught us. YAHVEH’s solution is available to all of us regardless of our background or past behaviour.

YESHUA’S DEATH SECURED FORGIVENESS FOR US.
“He does not need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Yeshua did this once for all when He sacrificed Himself on the cross.” (Hebrews 7:27) In Old Testament times when animals were sacrificed, they were cut into pieces, the parts were washed, the fat was burned, the blood was sprinkled and the meat was boiled. Blood was demanded as atonement for sins and YAHVEH accepted animal blood to cover the people’s sins (Leviticus 17:11). Because of the sacrificial system, the Israelites were generally aware that sin costs and that they themselves were sinful. Many people take HaMashiach’s work on the cross for granted. They don’t realize how costly it was for Yeshua to secure our forgiveness; it cost Him His life (1 Peter 1:18-19). These verses help explain why Yeshua had to die. As we better understand the Jewish sacrificial system, we see that Yeshua’s death served as the perfect atonement for our sins. His death brings us eternal life. How callous, how cold, how stubborn it would be to refuse YAHVEH’s greatest gift.

DAY OF ATONEMENT

The Day of Atonement is known as Yom Kippur, the most important day in the religious calendar of Israel. It is suppose to fall on the 10th day of Tishri (the Hebrew month corresponding to mid-September through mid-October). Historically, on that day the high priest entered the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle (or temple) to atone for the sins of all Israel. Atonement was a “covering” of their sins. The purpose is to accomplish reconciliation between man and YAHVEH. In the New Testament the Day of Atonement was referred to as the “fast” (Acts 27:9). To the Rabbis, it was the “Day” or the “Great Day.” Although many additional rites were added over the centuries, the original Day of Atonement Leviticus 16 focused on complete atonement by sacrifice. First, the high priest removed his official garments, made for beauty and glory. He clothed himself in white linen as a symbol of repentance and went about the duties of the day. Next, he offered a bull calf as a sin offering for the priests and himself. That done, he entered the Holy of Holies with a censer of live coals from the altar of incense, filling the area with incense. He sprinkled the bullock’s blood on the mercy seat and on the floor before the Ark of the Covenant. Then he cast lots over two live goats brought by the people.

He killed one of the goats as a sin offering for the nation, taking the blood inside the veil and sprinkling it as before, thus atoning even for the Holy Place. He confessed the sins of the nation over the live goat as he placed his hands on its head. Finally he sent the live goat, called the scapegoat, into the wilderness. Symbolically it carried away the sins of the people. Then the high priest clothed himself in his usual apparel and offered a burnt offering for himself and one for the people with the fat of the sin offering. Outside the camp the flesh of the bull calf and goat was burned. Other Old Testament references to the Day of Atonement include Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 23:26-32, giving the date in a list of all the annual feasts; Leviticus 25:9-16, stating that each jubilee year began on the Day of Atonement; and Numbers 29:7-11. The Day of Atonement became so central to Judaism that it survived the destruction of the temple in AD 70 and the end of the sacrificial system. It is the highest holy day of Judaism now. In biblical times, celebration of the Day of Atonement showed that Israel believed the cleansing of their sins was accomplished by the rites commanded by YAHVEH. The forgiveness and grace of YAHVEH were granted them and were the basis for their continued fellowship with YAHVEH as His covenant people.

Because it was designated as a Shabbat of solemn rest (Leviticus 16:31; 23:32), all work was forbidden on that day as on the weekly observance of the Shabbat. As with all the prescribed sacrifices throughout the year, the question arises as to the need for a special time for atonement. It is clear that the ritual was meant to avert YAHVEH’s wrath for sins already committed as well as to guarantee the continued presence of YAHVEH. The sacrifice of the first goat and the sending away of the scapegoat were intended to cleanse the nation, the priesthood and the sanctuary from sin. The intent of the whole sacrificial system reached its highest expression on that day, called by some the “Good Friday of the Old Testament.” The daily, weekly and monthly sacrifices left something undone, so that the high priest could not enter the holiest place throughout the year. On that one day however, he was permitted to enter with sacrificial blood as he solemnly represented the nation before the bloodstained mercy seat. The high priest acted as a mediator between the nation and YAHVEH. The underlying reason for the day was that other offerings for sin could not provide for unknown (“secret”) sins. Because of such sins the sanctuary, the land and the nation remained ritually unclean. The Day of Atonement was instituted by YAHVEH for the complete atonement of all sin (Leviticus 16:33)