Written by: Damien Powell
The second of the Fall Appointed Times (Moedim) commanded by YHWH is approaching this week. We celebrated Yom Teruah on the 30th of last month which was a joyous time of shouting and blowing the shofar (rams horn) to YHWH Elohim. Starting on October 8th at sundown to October 9th sundown is the Holiest (Kodesh) Day of the year, Yom ha’kippurim (Yom Kippur) The Day of Atonement.
YHWH commands us in Leviticus 23:26-32 saying:
"The tenth day of this seventh month is Yom ha'Kippurim (ha-kee-pur-eem) the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to YHWH by fire. Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before YHWH your Elohim. Anyone who does NOT deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. I will destroy (karat) (pronounced ka-rot) from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. You shall do no work at all. This is to be a LAW for the generations to come, wherever you live. It is a Sabbath (Shabbat Shabbaton) complete rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your Sabbath."
As mentioned in the last blog/broadcast there are two Shabbat Shabbaton’s which means a complete rest, complete stopping, no working, cooking, cleaning, buying or selling; which are the weekly 7th Day Sabbath and The Day of Atonement. On this Holy Day we are commanded not to work and to completely deny ourselves, which means a 24 hour fast of no food or water. We can deny ourselves through fasting because we need food and water to live and in doing so we are denying our being for the day. We are to afflict our souls.
Anah (ah-nah) - means to bow down or afflict
Nefesh (neh-fesh)-soul or yourself
Example in Psalms 35:13
"I humbled my being (soul) with fasting" I anah my nefesh with fasting.
The same applies for Isaiah 58:3
"Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our beings (anah our nefesh), and You took no note?"
2 Chronicles 20:3-4
“And Yahoshapat was afraid, and turned his face to seek YHWH, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered to inquire of YHWH, even from all the cities of Judah they came to seek YHWH.”
What is involved in a fast?
Some examples include weeping, mourning, and fasting:
Joel (Yo’el) 2:12
“Yet even now,” declares YHWH, “turn to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
2 Chronicles 34:27
“Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before Elohim when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your garments and wept before Me, I also have heard,” declares YHWH.”
Esther 4:15-16
“And Esther commanded to reply to Mordekai, “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I too, and my young women shall fast in the same way, then I shall go to the king, which is against the law. And if I shall perish, I shall perish!” As we know their prayers were answered because they did not perish. They humbled and afflicted their souls for 3 days with no food or drink.
YESHUA is now our High Priest
Most importantly surrounding Yom ha’kippurim is our Messiah YESHUA and how everything points to Him. In ancient times the high priest (kohen ha’gadol) would enter into the Tent of Meeting once a year, behind the veil, into the holy of holies and make atonement for himself, his household, and for the community of Yisra’el. He would sprinkle blood on the mercy seat that sat above the Ark of The Covenant (Leviticus 16:14-17). Then the high priest would confess the sins of Yisra’el onto the forehead of azazel (scapegoat) and send him into the wilderness to die with the sins. While atonement was being made; the high priest did all the work and the community of Yisra’el did not need to do anything.
This was a shadow of what was to come with YESHUA who would be the final atonement for us all and He has already done all the work! YESHUA is our High Priest and unlike the human priests He does not have to make a sacrifice for His own sins because He is sinless and He makes continual intercessions for us because unlike humans He does not die, which makes Him a permanent High Priest forever and does not have to make continual sacrifices because His blood covers them all. Hebrews 7:26-27
“For it was fitting that we should have such a Kohen ha’Gadol (High Priest)-kind, innocent, undefiled, having been separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens, who does not need, as those high priests, to offer up slaughter offerings day by day, first for His own sins and then for those of the people, for this HE did ONCE FOR ALL when He offered up Himself.”
Why is YESHUA from Judah and not tribe of Levi? Micah 5:2
“But you, Beyth Lehem Ephrathah, you who are little among the clans of Judah, out of you shall come forth to Me the One to become Ruler in Yisra’el. And His comings forth are old, from everlasting.
1 Chronicles 28:4
“Yet YHWH Elohim of Yisra’el chose me above all the house of my father to be sovereign over Yisra’el forever, for He has chosen JUDAH TO BE THE RULER.”
YHWH has chosen Judah to be The Ruler out of all the 12 Tribes which is why YESHUA came from Judah and not the Tribe of Levi. Remember YESHUA was born a Jew (Yahudi) and died King of The Jews (Yahudim). Which is also why we had the change of The Levitical Priesthood because YESHUA became our High Priest (Kohen ha’Gadol).
Hebrews 7:13-15
“For He of whom this is said belongs to another tribe, from which no one had attended at the altar. For it is perfectly clear that our Adon (Master) arose from Judah, a tribe about which Moses never spoke of concerning the priesthood, and this is clearer still, if another Priest arises in the likeness of Malkitsedeq.” As we see the Levites are the ones who attended at the altar, but YESHUA rose from another tribe which makes His atonement so crucial because the Levites served many functions in the House of YHWH.
YESHUA can relate with humanity because He was Elohim in the flesh yet completely human and tempted in every way just as we are, but yet was without sin. Hebrews 4:15-16
“For we do not have a Kohen ha’Gadol (High Priest) unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who was tried in all respects as we are, apart from sin. Therefore, let us come boldly to the throne of favour, in order to receive compassion, and find favour for timely help.”
YESHUA being Elohim The Son gave up His authority as King and humbled Himself to die for us. That is love and we need to follow that example by giving up ourselves and denying our existence and follow our Master YESHUA's example. Yom Kippur teaches us to die to self, deny ourselves, afflict our souls, and live for Him.
1 John 2:1-2 says:
"My little children, I write this to you, so that you do not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Intercessor with the Father, YESHUA ha'Mashiach, a righteous One. And He Himself is an atoning offering for our sins, and not for ours only but also for all the world.
1 John 4:9-10:
"By this the love of YHWH was manifested in us, that YHWH has sent His only brought-forth Son into the world, in order that we might live through Him. In this love, not that we loved YHWH, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be an atoning offering for our sins."
As we remember to deny, humble, and afflict ourselves during Yom ha’Kippurim let us use YESHUA our Messiah as the perfect example of how He completely denied His own existence for our sake when He said in Mathew 26:39
"My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
YESHUA died so that we may live and freed us from the law of sin and death, by breaking the chains of Satan so that we do not have to suffer eternal torment! YHWH poured out His wrath upon His Son so that we do not have to face what we are deserving of. We have been redeemed by His blood, so let us put our lives and fleshy desires to the side and do our Father YHWH's will and be obedient in our walk with YESHUA, HalleluYAH!