Day of Atonements (Yom HaKippurim)

YAHUAH’s Sabbath morning, the Sabbath between Yom Teruah (the Day of Blowing) and Yom HaKippurim (Day of Atonements) has been full of blessings. My husband had taken down some verse references from a reading he had done the past week. They are listed below if you would also like to read them for yourself.

Exodus 30:1-10

Numbers 29:7-11

Leviticus 16

Leviticus 23:27-31

Leviticus 25:9

I am going to type them out here for this sharing of what we learned – HalleluYAH!

Exodus 30:1-10:

“And you shall make an altar to burn incense on, make it of acacia wood, (2) a cubit long and a cubit wide – it is a square – and two cubits high, its horns of the same. (3) “And you shall overlay its top, and its sides all around, and its horns with clean gold. And you shall make for it a moulding of gold all around. (4) “And make two gold rings for it, under the moulding on both its sides. Make them on its two sides, and they shall be holders for the poles to lift it with. (5) “And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. (6) “And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Witness, before the lid of atonement that is over the Witness, where I am to meet with you. (7) “And Aharon shall burn on it sweet incense, morning by morning. As he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. (8) “And when Aharon lights the lamps between the evenings, he shall burn incense on it – a continual incense before YHWH throughout your generations. (9) “Do not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. (10) “And Aharon shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement – once a year he makes atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most set-apart to YHWH.”

On this portion of our reading, some things we saw were – Yahuah is speaking about our prayers to Him. The altar of incense represents the prayers, the prayers of the children of the covenant. The altar of incense is an important part of the Day of Atonements because the High Priest makes atonement upon its horns once a year. There is another altar with horns – the altar of sacrifice (the Brazen altar) in the outer court of the Tent of Meeting, but more on this later.

The altar of incense (our altar of prayer) is to be no strange (unholy) language, no sacrifices, no offerings. This altar is MOST SET APART UNTO YHWH. I propose this altar of incense is pure praise and worship! Our Father Himself tells us that to obey is better than sacrifice and He would that there never be sacrifices and only praise and worship. But because of His Great Holiness, and our lack thereof, He provides a way for us to draw near to Him. He provides a covering, a covering of blood.

Also, that Aharon was to put the altar before the veil that is before the ark of Witness, before the lid of atonement that is over the Witness, WHERE I AM TO MEET WITH YOU. I knew I had to understand this part especially. Where is my Father going to meet with me (and you)?

Literally, there no longer is a veil. We can read in Matthew 27:51

And see, the veil of the Dwelling Place was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth was shaken, and the rocks were split.

Also, the ark of Witness has been hidden away. But we know that all the figures of the Temple exist in Heaven – the True Temple, of which the earthly figures are a copy – the ark of Witness, the presence of Elohim, resides in Heaven.

Aharon burning sweet incense on that altar morning by morning. Likewise, I am to offer up my prayer of praise and worship on the altar, rising early every morning.

Atonement is made by blood. The lid of atonement is where the High Priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrificed animals. Starting westward (opposite his body) and sprinkling eastwardly (towards himself). Then sprinkling in front of the ark of Witness. Did this make a tau in blood? The Hebrew letter tau? The blood on a cross?

The Messiah, Yahusha atoned for the sin of the world.  1 John 2:1-2

“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, Yahusha Messiah, a righteous One. (2) And He Himself is an atoning offering for our sins, and not for ours only but also for all the world.”

So now, can you see it? Partial fulfillment of good things to come from all the way back to the Children of Israel in the wilderness at Mt Sinai. Praise and worship, morning by morning unto YAHUAH, in a direct manner covered by the atoning blood of a sinless Messiah who allows us to meet with our Holy Creator.

That was only the first portion…….

Numbers 29:7-11

“And on the tenth day of this seventh month you have a set-apart gathering, and you shall afflict your beings, you do not work. (8) ‘And you shall bring near a burnt offering to YHWH, a sweet fragrance: one young bull, one ram, seven lambs a year old, perfect ones they are for you, (9) and their grain offering: fine flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, (10) one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, (11) one male goat as a sin offering, besides the sin offering for atonement, the continual burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.”

This is how the Day of Atonements (Yom HaKippurim) would have started when the Children of Israel were in the wilderness learning to serve, worship, and draw near to a Holy Elohim. This day is a specially, appointed day in the eyes of our Creator. He says it and He does not change. Here in this portion, He is telling us when this special appointed time is – it falls on the 10th day of the 7th month. We CANNOT use the Roman calendar to get this time right. Our Creator gets to create the timetable – we do not. He does not want us to work, He wants us to gather together in a sanctified way – a Holy Assembly if you will, He wants us to humble ourselves before Him in praise, worship, and service, and finally to bring a burnt offering. This is our complete selves – heart, soul, mind, body, the living sacrifice.

I know there is a lot here to take in. Keeping in line with the truth that the Feasts of YHWH are “shadow pictures of good things to come” What is the shadow picture that the Day of Atonements represents? First off, it is safe to say that this observance is part of the “Fall Feasts” or occurs in the Autumn of the year. It is commonly believed and I also hold to the fact that all the commanded observances of YHWH have initial, intermediate, and final fulfillments. There is a feeling to me, and evidently among many believers, that the understanding of what it is Our Father desires us to glean from this Holy Rehearsal eludes us. Even the “Jewish” sages had/have little to no understanding of the two goats and the meaning of Azazel.

Leviticus 16 (I know what you are thinking…. is she going to type the whole chapter?! – YES I AM!! because it is so very important to me sharing what we saw)

So…..

And YHWH spoke to Mosheh after the death of the two sons of Aharon, as they drew near before YHWH, and dies. (2) And YHWH said to Mosheh, “Speak to Aharon your brother not to come in at all times to the Set-apart Place inside the veil, before the lid of atonement which is on the ark, lest he die, because I appear in the cloud above the lid of atonement. (3) “With this Aharon should come into the Set-apart Place: with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering. (4) “He should put on the set-apart linen long shirt, with linen trousers on his flesh, and gird himself with a linen girdle, and be dressed with the linen turban – they are set-apart garments. And he shall bathe his body in water, and shall put them on. (5) “And from the congregation of the children of Yisra’el he takes two male goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering. (6) “And Aharon shall bring the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house. (7) “And he shall take the two goats and let them stand before YHWH at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

Now – a right ruling straight out of the Torah with this same wording…..

In Deuteronomy 19:16-19 “When a malicious witness rises up against any man to accuse him of turning aside, (17) then both men who have the dispute shall stand before YHWH, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. (18) “And the judges shall diligently search and see if the witness is a false witness, who has falsely accused his brother, (19) then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from your midst.

(8) “And Aharon shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for YHWH and the other lot for Azazel. (9) “And Aharon shall bring the goat on which the lot for YHWH fell, and shall prepare it as a sin offering. (10) “But the goat on which the lot for Azazel fell is caused to stand alive before YHWH, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness to Azazel.

Here is where there remains many questions even from the Rabbis and teachers. What do the goats mean, and there is no “TRUE” explanation of what this Azazel means. It appears nowhere else in all of scripture. I wonder if the limited understanding that remains within Judaism is due to the unbelief in the Messiah Yahusha, the Gospels, and the Book of the Revelation. I am going to try to show you how the language is much the same as judgement day and the Day of YAHUAH. I am going to suggest that the following rehearsal is not only that of the Day of Atonement when Yahusha our Messiah entered into Heaven as our High Priest and made atonement for the world, but a rehearsal for what will happen at the first judgement upon the earth, and the final at the Great White Throne judgement upon HaSatan and those who do not repent.

“And Aharon shall bring the goat on which the lot for YHWH fell, and shall prepare it as a sin offering.

Clearly, this offering, as the Word states, is the sin offering. Its blood will be part of that blood used by the High Priest to make atonement for the altar unto YHWH, the altar of incense, the lid of atonement, the Tent of Meeting, and all the people. The lot for YHWH fell on this goat, in other words, this goat is YHWH’s choice. This goat of YHWH’s choice is the sin offering. Its blood will be shed, it will be sacrificed. This goat is Israel, this goat is anyone who is part of the covenant of YHWH, this goat is us. This goat is YHWH’s choice, but it is a sin offering and must be sacrificed for transgressions. Only blood atones (covers) for the forgiveness of sins. In the passage of time, YAHUSHA became this blood atonement in our place. Our blood would still be required of us, but for our Messiah paying that price for our sin. Clearly, this is representative of the sin offering Yahusha made in His own, pure and sinless blood and entered into Heaven and atoned (covered) all.

Now….. the other goat.

(10) “But the goat on which the lot for Azazel fell is caused to stand alive before YHWH, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness to Azazel.

This goat is not for YHWH. The text would not read “but” if we were not to understand there is a contrast coming. “But the goat…” This goat is for something else – but not YHWH. Why is this goat “caused to stand alive before YHWH?” We could not help but think of the judgement, the day of judgement, the Day of YAHUAH (Day of the LORD). Who is it in the scriptures that will stand alive before YHWH? Let us see……

As we already saw earlier in Deuteronomy, a false accuser will stand before YHWH (or judges). Who is the supreme false accuser? Is it not HaSatan, the adversary?

“And I heard a loud voice saying in the heaven, “Now have come the deliverance and the power and the reign of our Elohim, and the authority of His Messiah, for the accuser of our brothers, who accused them before our Elohim day and night, has been thrown down.” Revelation 12:10

Back now to Leviticus 16

(11) “And Aharon shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall slaughter the bull as the sin offering which is for himself, (12) and shall take a fire holder filled with burning coals of fire from the altar before YHWH, with his hands filled with sweet incense beaten fine, and shall bring it inside the veil. (13) “And he shall put the incense on the fire before YHWH, and the cloud of incense shall cover the lid of atonement which is on the Witness, lest he die. (14) “And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the lid of atonement on the east side, also in front of the lid of atonement he sprinkles some of the blood with his finger seven times. (15) “And he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, and shall bring its blood inside the veil, and shall do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the lid of atonement and in front of the lid of atonement. (16) “And he shall make atonement for the Set-apart Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Yisra’el, and because of their transgressions in all their sins. And so he does for the Tent of Meeting which is dwelling with them in the midst of their uncleanness. (17) “And no man should be in the Tent of Meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Set-apart Place, until he comes out. And he shall make atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the assembly of Yisra’el. (18) “And he shall go out to the altar that is before YHWH, and make atonement for it. And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. (19) “And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and set it apart from the uncleanness of the children of Yisra’el.

The High Priest, in this portion, is Aharon. Our High Priest today is Yahusha The Messiah. Aharon is to make atonement for the Tent of Meeting, the altar (on the horns), the Set-apart Place, and the altar of incense (on the horns), for himself, and for all the children of Israel – using the blood of a bull, a ram, and a goat. Yahusha makes atonement for all the world with His own, pure blood. This, I suggest is the initial fulfillment of this beautiful rehearsal. Read the words of Shaul (Paul) from the book of Hebrews Chapter 9:

“Now the first covenant indeed had regulations of worship and the earthly set-apart place. (2) For a Tent was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, and the table, and the showbread, which is called the Set-apart Place. (3) And after the second veil, the part of the Tent which is called Most Set-apart, (4) to which belonged the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that held the manna, and the rod of Aharon that budded, and the tablets of the covenant, (5) and above it the kerubim of esteem were overshadowing the place of atonement – about which we do not now speak in detail. (6) And these having been prepared like this, the priests always went into the first part of the Tent, accomplishing the services. (7) But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for sins of ignorance of the people, (8) the Set-apart Spirit signifying this, that the way into the Most Set-apart Place was not yet made manifest while the first Tent has a standing, (9) which was a parable for the present time in which both gifts and slaughters are offered which are unable to perfect the one serving, as to his conscience, (10) only as to foods and drinks, and different washings, and fleshly regulations imposed until a time of setting matters straight. (11) But Messiah, having become a High Priest of the coming good matters, through the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, (12) entered into the Most Set-apart Place once for all, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, having obtained everlasting redemption. (13) For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the defiled, sets apart for the cleansing of the flesh, (14) how much more shall the blood of the Messiah, who through the everlasting Spirit offered Himself unblemished to Elohim, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim? (15) And because of this He is the Mediator of a renewed covenant, so that, death having taken place for redemptions of the transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called might receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance. (16) For where a covenant is, it is necessary for the death of the covenanted one to be established. (17) For a covenant over those dead is firm, since it is never valid while the covenanted one is living. (18) Therefore not even the first covenant was instituted without blood. (19) For when, according to Torah, every command had been spoken by Mosheh to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, (20) saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which Elohim commanded you.” (21) And in the same way he sprinkled with blood both the Tent and LAL THE VESSELS OF THE SERVICE. (22) And, according to the Torah, almost all is cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is not forgiveness. (23) It was necessary, then, that the copies of the heavenly ones should be cleansed with these, but the heavenly ones themselves with better slaughter offerings than these. (24) For Messiah has not entered into a Set-apart Place made by hand – figures of the true – but into the heaven itself, no to appear in the presence of Elohim on our behalf, (25) not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters into the Set-apart Place year by year with bold not his own. (26) For if so, He would have had to suffer often, since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the offering of Himself. (27) And as it awaits men to die once, and after this the judgment, (28) so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to those waiting for Him, unto deliverance.”

Back again to Leviticus 16……..

(20) “And when he has finished atoning for the Set-apart Place, and the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat.

“And when he has finished atoning for all, he shall bring the live goat.” This goat has nothing to do with atonement! So what is this goat for?

(21) “Then Aharon shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and shall confess over it all the crookednesses of the children of Yisra’el, and all the transgressions in all their sins, and shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a fit man. (22) “And the goat shall bear on itself all their crookednesses, to a land cut off. Thus he shall send the goat away into the wilderness.

Walk with me now to the book of the Revelation when we read about the dragon, the serpent, Revelation chapter 13

(5) And he was given a mouth speaking great matters and blasphemies, and he was given authority to do so forty-two month. (6) And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against Elohim, to blaspheme His Name, and His Tent, and those dwelling in the heaven. {there is the accuser again AND those who do likewise!} (7) And it was given to him to fight with the set-apart ones and to overcome them. And authority was given to him over every tribe and tongue and nation. (8) And all those dwelling on the earth, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the slain Lamb, from the foundation of the world shall worship him.

A common, popular, and well known brotherly and sisterly wish during this time of Atonements in Judaism is this “May your name be written in the Book of Life” I wonder if they know this is in the Book of the Revelation of YAHUSHA The Messiah!

Let us read some more about what YHWH is going to do to this serpent.

Revelation 17

(1) And one of the seven messengers who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying to me, “Come, I shall show you the judgment of the great whore sitting on many waters {peoples, crowds, nations, and tongues}, (2) with whom the sovereigns of the earth committed whoring, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her whoring.” (3) And he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast covered with names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

Continuing the reading through the rest of Revelation chapter 17 and 18, the whore is Babylon. Most of Chapter 18 tells the story of her fall and judgment, but for this study on the Day of Atonements I am going to Revelation 18:20 for the comparative words.

(20) “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you set-apart emissaries and prophets, for Elohim has completely avenged you on her!”

And also in Revelation 19:2

“Because true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great whore who corrupted the earth with her whoring. And He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.“

This is the end of the “judgment” of the great whore of Babylon, the counterfeit religions of the world. The goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel. She looks similar to the true assembly, she claims a Christ, she claims a day of worship, she claims holidays of observance. But they are all false. The only way to know the difference is to know the Torah and have the testimony of the True Hebrew Messiah, YAHUsha. Directly following this judgment is the battle of beast and the sovereigns of the earth with YAHUsha where HE slays them all with the sword of HIS mouth.

Revelation 19:21-20:6

(21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

(1) And I saw a messenger coming down from the heaven, having the key to the pit of the deep and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he seized the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, (3) and he threw him into the pit of the deep, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should lead the nations no more astray until the thousand years were ended. And after that he has to be released for a little while. (4) And I saw thrones – and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them – and the lives of those who had been beheaded because o the witness they bore to YAHUsha and because of the Word of Elohim, and who did not worship the beast, nor his image, and did not receive his mark upon their foreheads or upon their hands. And they lived and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years. (5) (and the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended) – this is the first resurrection. (6) Blessed and set-apart is the one having part in the first resurrection. The second death possesses no authority over these, but they shall be priests of Elohim and of Messiah, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

This in the intermediate fulfillment of Yom HaKippurim in its rehearsal. Let us continue to the final fulfillment. Revelation 20:7-15

(7) And when the thousand years have ended, Satan shall be released from his prison, (8) and he shall go out to lead the nations astray which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. (9) And they came up over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the set-apart ones and the beloved city. And fire came down from Elohim out of the heaven and consumed them (10) And the devil, who led them astray, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur where the beast and the false prophet are. And they shall be tortured day and night forever and ever. (11) And I saw a great white throne and Him who was sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to their works. (13) And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. (14) And the death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And if anyone was not found written int he Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The final fulfillment of this Yom HaKippurim, Day of Atonements, Day of YAHUAH!!

(23)” Aharon shall then come into the Tent of Meeting, and shall take off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Set-apart Place, and shall leave them there. (24) “And he shall bathe his body in water in the set – apart place, and shall put on his garments and shall come out and prepare his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people, (25) and burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. (26) “And he who sent away the goat to Azazel washes his garments and shall bathe his body in water, and afterward he comes into the camp (27) and the bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Set-apart Place, is brought outside the camp. and they shall burn their skins, and their flesh, and their dung with fire. (28) “And he who burns them washes his garments, and shall bathe his body in the water, and afterward he comes in the camp. (29)” And this shall be for you a law forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you afflict your beings and do no work, the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. (30) “For on that day he makes atonement for you, to cleanse you, to be clean from all yours sins before YHWH. (31) “It is a Sabbath of rest for you, and you shall afflict your beings- a law forever. (32) “And the priest, who is appointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and shall put on the linen garments, the set apart garments (33) and he shall make atonement for the Most Set- apart Place, and make atonement for the Tent of Meeting, and for the altar, and make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. (34) “And this shall be for you a law forever, to make atonement for the children of Yisra’el for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as YHWH commanded Mosheh.

These final two portions are more of the instructions that ABBA gave to us on how He desires for us to observe, serve, and obey Him.

Leviticus 23:27-32

“On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a set-apart gathering for you. And you shall afflict your beings, and shall bring an offering made by fire to YHWH. (28) And you do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before YHWH your Elohim. (29) “For any being who is not afflicted on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. (30) “And any being who does any work on that same day, that being I shall destroy from the midst of his people. (31) “You do no work – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. (32) “It is a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your beings. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you observe your Sabbath.”

Leviticus 25:9

“You shall then sound a ram’s horn to pass through on the tenth day of the seventh month, on the Day of Atonement cause a ram’s horn to pass through all your land.”

It is right to humble ourselves on this day. We have a High Priest who has atoned FOR us with His precious blood on our behalf. All our sins and transgressions are laid upon the head of our accuser. Our accuser receives all that he has done to us, a repayment. We are bystanders in this drama while our King and Redeemer accomplishes all His good work for us. In truth, there is nothing we can do – He alone does all. And HE HAS DONE AND WILL DO IT ALL.

Let us Seek the Father while He may yet be found. Repent, humble  ourselves for He will humble the proud, and lift up the lowly.

Amein!