The Blood Atonement (of Yom Kippur) that We Need to Understand a LOT Better
Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is the most important and solemn High Holy Day in the Bible. This is NOT a tradition; it is a Commandment and must be followed.
Even today, though Christ has suffered, bled and died for all sins, this remembrance is yet still alive and well. No, not the killing of the animals, etc., but the recall and humbling.
When the Messiah returns, some very specific and notable things will take place. One of them is, those who are and have been faithfully His (dead and alive) will meet Him in the air and go with Him to Jerusalem (Heaven/Canaan Land – Israel).
Those who remain must endure the next phase of testing. It will be a tough go! However, at the end of that period, the Great White Throne will be set up, and the Lamb’s Book of Life will be presented and read. If yours or my name is not THERE…
With all of “this”, there was “that.” …Yom Kippur, Englishly speaking, the Day of Atonement.
Why is this a big deal? Why do we still remember this ancient Holy Day even today, after Jesus, the Passover Lamb of GOD has already been consumed. Let’s dig in. I pray some clarity will be given to those who care to understand and know. …and for the rest of you, let’s hope that you will not be standing waithing to hear if your name will be in that Book.
NOTE: Its Biblical origin is illustrated primarily in Leviticus 16:29-31 and Leviticus 23:27. The date it occurs on the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishri for EVERYONE.
This is not only the Holiest Day of the Biblical year, back then it was the only day of the year the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies inside the Tabernacle or Temple to make atonement for the sins of the entire nation.
NOTE: The priests had specific requirements, as they were the ones ritually cleansing the people and subsequently, themselves – Leviticus 16:32-34
32 So the priest who is anointed and intended to serve as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall put on the linen garments, the holy garments, 33 and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. 34 Now you shall have this as a permanent statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year,” and just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so he did.
If you see in Scripture, EVERYONE was to do this. This is a sin thing. The Loving Elohim implemented Yom Kippor (the Day of Atonement) as the best method for cleansing, reconciliation, and preserving His dwelling place among His people.
Per Scripture, sin is not just a moral failure; it transfers physical and spiritual defilement that accumulates over time. That is why our Merciful GOD implemented THIS day!
Just like TODAY, the Israel of then had a sin issue! Sin and ritual impurity literally contaminated the Tabernacle. If the defilement became too great, their Holy GOD could no longer dwell in the midst of an unholy people. Well, it eventually happened — He departed.
Yom Kippur functioned as an annual spiritual deep-clean. By purging the Holy of Holies, the altar, and the sanctuary with blood, the environment was restored so Elohim's Shekinah Presence could remain.
Per numerous Biblical references throughout the TANAKH, GOD addressed unconfessed and hidden sins (this is what drove the “humbling (anah)” of the people. It was IMPARATIVE for them to KNOW what they had done and have worked diligently to cover up!
Fasting is not going to clean that up or make them aware of their own sin and debauchery. …this includes the priests and High Priest.
Throughout the year, Israelites brought individual sacrifices for sins they recognized.
However, Yom Kippur was implemented to cover all residual, forgotten, or hidden sins of the entire nation. It ensured that no unaddressed transgression would cause Elohim to abandon the camp.
The Hebrew root word for atonement is kaphar, which literally means to cover or wipe away. GOD established this day to provide a legal and spiritual covering for His Covenant people. It bridged the infinite gap between a perfectly Holy Creator and a flawed humanity, resetting their relationship for the upcoming year.
Thank Him for His Passover Lamb, Yeshua, Who was going to take this to another level.
The Command for EVERY person to a collective humility (anah), is undoubtedly a chore (individually). Who would WANT To do THAT?
Elohim Commanded His people to “humble” (anah) themselves. Some translations render this Command as, "afflict their souls" (anah nephesh).
Some would say, fast. I am not saying don’t fast, but the word here in (Leviticus 23:27) is anah. …not fast, but humble (deeply examine) your self.
I pulled this information out of the Blue Letter Bible database for additional clarity. It is mainly for the individual(s) who “want to understand.”
עָנָה ʻânâh, aw-naw'; a primitive root (possibly rather identical with H6030 through the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive (in various applications, as follows):—abase self, afflict(-ion, self), answer (by mistake for H6030), chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing (by mistake for H6030), speak (by mistake for H6030), submit self, weaken, in any wise.
I decided to go a bit further into the Root Word (Etymology) of anah, to get a “beginning.” That required me to click on the hot link of H6030. This is what I found:
עָנָה ʻânâh, aw-naw'; a primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announce:—give account, afflict (by mistake for 6031), (cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for 6031), cry, hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, sing (together by course), speak, testify, utter, (bear) witness. See also H1042, H1043.
What “humbling” ourselves would resemble would look lie is… A person looking deep inside themselves for any and all things that would be unrecognizable and detestable before the Holy GOD. The Spirit of GOD (Truth) wants US to SEE what we have INSIDE.
If we are HONEST, we WILL SEE these hinderers and repent in BRUTAL HONESTY. That will take some HUMILITY. Would it NOT?!
Here are some added details of the of H6030.
When we look (inside) our own selves, we would be expected to do this before GOD.
Today, maybe you would want to also do this with another trusted and non-gossiping brother.
to answer (ADONAI) in “What do you see in there?”
to answer, respond to (the Spirit)
to testify (against one’s self)
to respond as a witness (against one’s self)
to sing, utter tunefully (with hope of deliverance and forgiveness)
to dwell (on the mess we know our SELF)
NOTE: Again, some would call this word anah as “fasting,” but that is not what the word actually means. …EVEN THOUGH, not eating food for a whole day would be quite a humbling affliction.”
NOTE: In many areas, “afflicting you soul” is said to mean a total fast from food, water, and physical comforts.
The big picture that is offered for our maturation, growth and understanding is… Our Elohim implemented this self-examination to teach that true reconciliation with Him (and our neighbors) requires absolute humility, genuine repentance, and a recognition of dependency on His Mercy alone.
It is my understanding that the Holy One implemented the TOTAL termination of work on THIS day so that His people would focus entirely on repentance and the soul’s restoration.
NOTE: On regular days, human labor is how we sustain our physical lives (farming, cooking, earning a living). However, on Yom Kippur, the people were Commanded to completely step away from the physical world. This proved that their survival and future depended solely on Elohim’s grace that opened the door and gave the opportunity for the atonement (see Jesus’s acts later) – not on their own efforts.
FUN FACT: In Leviticus 23:29–30, GOD attaches a specific, severe penalty to anyone who works or refuses to humble themselves on this day:
"Anyone who does not humble themselves on that day must be cut off from their people. I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day."
By removing the option to work, Elyon established that Covenant alliance with Him takes absolute priority over all earthly concerns. This sounds a WHOLE lot like a relationship with Yeshua, His Son. Does it not?
Does the faithful servanthood with Jesus not require us to align with Him, after realizing (looking deep within) that we have a sin problem that we would then go to the priest with our sacrifices (us) and to the High Priest for the sprinkling of the Blood on the Mercy Seat of Atoning forgiveness?
While Yom Kippur was originally given to Israel, Biblical prophecy reveals that Elohim’s final goal was always to use Israel’s priesthood to bring atonement and reconciliation to the entire world. Tikkun Olam would be the phrase Israel would use for this. It means, “Heal the World.”
We are here. You and I have the next move. Shall we choose to look inside to see and recognize the need for repentance and the shed Blood of the Atoning Savior?
I hope this is the choice we make.