The Feast of Atonement
 The Significance of The Feast of Atonement
Summary
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is celebrated as a day of confession to cleanse the soul from sin. “For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.” (Leviticus 16:30-32 NKJV)
It was the one day of the year when the high priest would go into the tabernacle, behind the veil into the Holy of Holies, and sprinkle the blood of the covenant sacrifice over the Mercy Seat. From within the cloud of God’s glory over the ark, God would see the sacrificial blood as evidence of man’s atonement of sin; reversing His judgment, and transforming it to one of mercy.
Messiah came as our High Priest! His blood was poured out as a sacrifice forever reversing God’s judgment of sin for everyone who calls upon His name, believes in the heart, and receives His redemption.
But when the Messiah appeared as cohen gadol (high priest) of the good things that are happening already, then, through the greater and more perfect Tent which is not man-made (that is, it is not of this created world), 12 he entered the Holiest Place once and for all. And he entered not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of his own blood, thus setting people free forever. 13 For if sprinkling ceremonially unclean persons with the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer restores their outward purity; 14 then how much more the blood of the Messiah, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself to God as a sacrifice without blemish, will purify our conscience from works that lead to death, so that we can serve the living God! 15 It is because of this death that he is mediator of a new covenant [or will]. Because a death has occurred which sets people free from the transgressions committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.
(Hebrews 9:11-15 JNT)
Life Application Questions
How do you apply God’s Word and prepare your heart to appropriate the victory over sin and death that Messiah has won for you?
Scripture References
Leviticus 23:26-31; Psalm 51; Matthew 4:17; Acts 2:38; 3:19; Romans 5; Hebrews 2:14-3:6
Book References
Faith and Fables: p. 29-30; 85-94; 178-80
Sons and Servants: p. 71-76; 105-109
The Practice of The Feast of Atonement
Summary
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is celebrated by afflicting one’s soul by fasting, confessing sins, and repenting before God. This provides for making amends with God, and reconciling one’s standing before God.
Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ, became our atonement. He is the atonement. We receive the grace of His redemption by appropriating His atonement. Paul provides instruction on this subject.
In the same way, consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God, by your union with the Messiah Yeshua. 12 Therefore, do not let sin rule in your mortal bodies, so that it makes you obey its desires; 13 and do not offer any part of yourselves to sin as an instrument for wickedness. On the contrary, offer yourselves to God as people alive from the dead, and your various parts to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will not have authority over you; because you are not under legalism but under grace. (Romans 6:11-14 JNT)
Messiah’s atonement is settled forever! He has wiped away all the spiritual and legal requirements and charges that were—and could ever be—set against us. In union with Him, we are free from all traces of guilt and condemnation!
Also it was in union with him that you were circumcised with a circumcision not done by human hands, but accomplished by stripping away the old nature’s control over the body. In this circumcision done by the Messiah, 12 you were buried along with him by being immersed; and in union with him, you were also raised up along with him by God’s faithfulness that worked when he raised Yeshua from the dead. 13 You were dead because of your sins, that is, because of your “foreskin,” your old nature. But God made you alive along with the Messiah by forgiving you all your sins. 14 He wiped away the bill of charges against us. Because of the regulations, it stood as a testimony against us; but he removed it by nailing it to the execution-stake (cross). (Colossians 2:11-14 JNT)
Life Application Questions
How do you appropriate Messiah’s atonement in your life? Do you know in your heart that Messiah has performed total atonement for you?
Scripture References
Psalm 119:57-176; Romans 1-6
Book References
Faith and Fables: p. 29-30; 88-90; 95-110; 123-132
Sons and Servants: p. 33-38; 119-126; 156-159
Messiah's Fulfillment of The Feast of Atonement
Summary
The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was established as a sacred day to afflict the soul and confess sins before God. It was the one day of the year when the high priest would go into the tabernacle, behind the veil into the Holy of Holies, and sprinkle the blood of the covenant sacrifice over the Mercy Seat. From within the cloud of God’s glory over the ark, God would see the sacrificial blood as evidence of man’s atonement of sin; reversing His judgment, and transforming it to one of mercy.
It has become apparent, however, that the daily, weekly, and monthly animal sacrifices made to atone for sin were insufficient to satisfy God’s wrath and judgment of sin and establish one’s right standing before Him.
Therefore, this feast points forward to the human sacrifice of Messiah, who became the permanent substitute sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
The writer of Hebrews in 10:5-7, therefore, quoted Psalm 40:6-8, which speaks prophetically about the Messiah’s sacrifice:
Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come --In the volume of the book it is written of Me --To do Your will, O God.’
This feast, therefore, served as a shadow pointing forward to Messiah’s eternal atonement for sin.
Life Application Questions
Have you settled the issue in your heart that Messiah’s single sacrifice has permanently established your position of right-standing, or justification before God?
Scripture References
Leviticus 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11; Hebrews 10:1-10; Colossians 2:13-17
Book References
Faith and Fables: p. 29-30; 98-100; 142-147
Sons and Servants: p. 18-23
The Believer's Heartfelt Response to The Feast of Atonement
Summary
Messiah became the atonement for our sins; and is the atonement. We appropriate His atonement by receiving His sacrificial blood for the remission of our sins. We then come under the law of grace, and receive the operative power of the Holy Spirit; thus living in the freedom of the law of the Spirit.
Our natural fleshly tendencies, however, are inclined towards satisfying carnal desires, and therefore subject to the sway of sin. Giving into sin—lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life—brings guilt upon us, and puts us under the operative power and consequences of the law of sin; which leads to spiritual death. Repentance—the active turning back towards God—and receiving the mercy of Messiah’s forgiveness, restores the operative powers of the law of grace—the liberty of God’s Spirit.
Life Application Questions
Review Paul’s monologue in Romans 7. How do you relate to what he is describing? Then read Romans 8. Meditate about what Paul is relating. Compare the benefits and values of life as a child of God vs. life under the sway of sin.
Scripture References
Romans 7-8; Galatians 3:21-29; 5:16-26
Book References
Faith and Fables: p. 22-27; 165-173
Sons and Servants: p. 9-12; 15-18; 33-35; 65-66; 80-81
The Spiritual Reality Behind The Feast of Atonement
Summary
Messiah is our atonement for sin. His obedient death on the cross reconciled man back to God, restoring the fullness of the covenant relationship lost in the Garden of Eden due to sin, disobedience and assertion of independence from God. His sacrifice satisfied God’s wrath.
As we have been united together in the likeness of His death, we have, likewise, been united with Him in the likeness of His resurrection. We, therefore, have a new capacity to resist the tendencies to sin. We have the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit. As a result, sin no longer has dominion over the believer, for we are under the law of grace. Therefore, it is up to us to walk in the newness of this new life in Messiah. If we stumble, we repent, and receive Messiah’s forgiveness without retribution or condemnation.
Freedom from the guilt of sin, however, does not give us license to sin. In fact in Messiah, we have been raised to a higher standard of moral excellence and accountability. Therefore, we must “submit to God” and “resist the devil” by drawing near to God, purifying our heart, and apprehending the “mind of Messiah.”
(James 4:7 and Philippians 2:5) In addition, by reckoning to be dead to sin and alive to God, we can serve our fellow man in the “newness of the Spirit.”
(Romans 6:5-6 and 7:6)
In gratefulness for Messiah’s love and precious promises, Peter, therefore, charges believers to cultivate character traits above and beyond basic faith: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.
For if you have these qualities in abundance, they keep you from being barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 9 Indeed, whoever lacks them is blind, so shortsighted that he forgets that his past sins have been washed away. 10 Therefore, brothers, try even harder to make your being called and chosen a certainty. For if you keep doing this, you will never stumble. 11 Thus you will be generously supplied with everything you need to enter the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah. (2 Peter 1:8-11 JNT)
Life Application Questions
Having received Messiah’s atonement, how have you diligently pursued advancing your walk with Messiah to be a partaker of the divine nature? What fruits of the seven character traits do you regularly bear? Which of these character traits will you ask God to manifest in your life to a greater extent? In what ways can you see yourself growing further?
Scripture References
Romans 5-7; 2 Peter; Philippians 2:5-15; 2 Corinthians 4; 1 John
Book References
Faith and Fables: p. 100-105
Sons and Servants: p. 65-73; 122-123
The Covenant Values of The Feast of Atonement
Summary
The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, remembers the one day of the year when the high priest would go into the tabernacle, behind the veil, into the Holy of Holies to atone for the sin of the people. On the Mercy Seat covering the Ark of the Covenant, the priest would sprinkle the blood of the covenant sacrifice. From within the cloud of God’s glory over the ark, God would see the sacrificial blood as evidence of man’s atonement of sin, reversing God’s judgment, transforming it to mercy.
The sacrificial blood of Messiah was poured out once and for all reversing God’s judgment of sin. As much as we need to allow the Holy Spirit to convict our heart of sin, we also need to allow our heart to receive with conviction the Father’s love and the grace of Messiah’s mercy. As we receive God’s forgiveness purchased with Messiah’s blood, we can forgive others. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14)
As we value Messiah’s sacrifice and His forgiveness, we are able to cast off condemnation, allowing the Holy Spirit to fill and refresh our heart. Such liberty enables us to walk free from guilt; and empowers us to set others free from our judgment. In a similar sense, as we take the “log” out of our eye (Matthew 7:4) and stop judging others, God cleans our eye, and clears our vision—so that we can see with His open vision.
Living free from the guilt of sin and judgment truly transfers us into a new realm. For, when you receive the liberty of the Spirit, you are transferred from the realm of the guilt and condemnation of sin to the realm of freedom in the Spirit.
We often find it difficult to shake off guilt. Therefore, we need to embrace Paul’s exhortation. “Therefore, there is no longer any condemnation awaiting those who are in union with the Messiah Yeshua. 2 Why? Because the Torah of the Spirit, which produces this life in union with Messiah Yeshua, has set me free from the “Torah” of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2 JNT)
Life Application Questions
Have you fully received the love of the Father? Do you know the mercy of Messiah? He you fully received the Holy Spirit’s comfort? How easily do you freely extend Messiah’s love to others—even difficult people? How do you extend mercy and grace to others?
Scripture References
1 John 4:16; Psalm 19:7-14; 27; 136; Hebrews 6:13-20
Book References
Faith and Fables: p. 29-30; 39-41; 135-139
Sons and Servants: p. 74-76; 90-94; 114-118
Real Life in Messiah: I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life
Towards the end of His earthly ministry, Messiah was sharing a Passover meal with His closest disciples. He shared many key truths about the kingdom of God, and demonstrated the kind of way his disciples would share His love and serve one another by washing their feet. If that didn’t startle them, Messiah said something that startled them even more.
“I AM the Way — and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me.”
(John 14:6 JNT)
Messiah revealed that He not only is the true way or path to eternal life, but IS eternal life—and the true atonement fir sin, opening the way of eternal life. What did He really mean? The apostle, Paul, shed light on the meaning of this.
4 Through immersion into his death we were buried with him; so that just as, through the glory of the Father, the Messiah was raised from the dead, likewise we too might live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was put to death on the execution-stake with him, so that the entire body of our sinful propensities might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For someone who has died has been cleared from sin. 8 Now since we died with the Messiah, we trust that we will also live with him. 9 We know that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, never to die again; death has no authority over him. 10 For his death was a unique event that need not be repeated; but his life, he keeps on living for God. 11 In the same way, consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God, by your union with the Messiah Yeshua. 12 Therefore, do not let sin rule in your mortal bodies, so that it makes you obey its desires; 13 and do not offer any part of yourselves to sin as an instrument for wickedness. On the contrary, offer yourselves to God as people alive from the dead, and your various parts to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will not have authority over you; because you are not under legalism but under grace. (Romans 6:4-414 JNT)
As we allow our carnal sinful tendencies (lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and pride of life) to die, put our faith in Messiah, and trust in the Holy Spirit to enable us to rule over those tendencies, we become united with Messiah in His resurrection, and live IN HIM—the power of His resurrection—HIS WAY, HIS TRUTH and HIS LIFE.
Truly, no single day of atonement or collection of mitzvot—works of righteousness or commandments—nor confession can satisfy God’s wrath and fulfill God’s requirement of a blood sacrifice for the remission of sins. There is no way to reconcile our sins with a righteous, perfect God and make amends for transgressing His law; except coming before Almighty God with brokenness of heart and humility, receiving the sacrificial blood atonement of Messiah.
In Messiah, we truly know El Gibbor—The Mighty God, who has gone before us in triumph over death, and gives us strength through His Spirit; not only for today, but for eternity. Truly, He is El Olam—God Everlasting.
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