Day of Atonement

 Day of Atonement Basics for Believers in Jesus

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Yom Kippur Begins in the Evening. New Days Start around Sunset in Genesis

The story of God’s great rescue of mankind from destruction begins in the Old Testament.  There the preeminence of Jesus Christ is foreshadowed throughout His Story. Hidden among many other nuggets pointing to Christ are the annual Jewish Appointed Times that take place in the Spring and the Fall Seasons.  Considered by practicing Jews as the most holy of all, the Day of Atonement is one of them.  It’s also called Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur 2022 begins Tuesday evening October 4.

The book of Leviticus specifies that on this special day the Israelis are to gather at the temple in Jerusalem, rest from all of their work, afflicted themselves, and cleanse their souls from sin. Back when there was a temple in Jerusalem, the priests would offer animal sacrifices on Yom Kippur as specified, including two male goats. The goats were sin offerings of one sort or another. (See Leviticus 16: 7-22).

Here’s what happened back then with the goats: A priest would offer up one goat as a sin offering at the temple in the usual way and use its blood to cleanse certain places as well as all the people from their uncleanness.

Later Aaron would put his hands on the second goat’s head and confess the people’s sins, imputing their sins into that goat. Then the goat would be dropped off in some remote wilderness area. It would not be able to find its way back to their camp and probably would not survive. This practice of shunning and casting away one goat that is bearing the sin of the group is where the term “scapegoat” came from.

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Fall Feasts Basics for Christians

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Link to watch on YouTube

How Old Testament Fall Feasts are Relevant Today.

We’re mid-stream between two of three major annual Old Testament Fall Feasts; moving away from the first toward the second. The first was the Feast of Trumpets, (which corresponds with the Jewish Civic New Year). It’s called Rosh Hashanah, began at sundown on September 25th and ended at sundown on September 27, 2022. According to the Jewish Civic Calendar we have now entered the year 5783. The next major appointed time is Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, which begins on October 5, 2022. After that comes Sukkot, also called the Feast of Tabernacles. Sukkot 2022 will begin in the evening of Sunday, October 9 and ends the evening of Sunday, October 16. It has 6 plus days, and the 8th is also celebrated.

The Feast of Trumpets is the first major biblical appointed time of the Fall Season. It corresponds to the Civic New Year. According to scripture, on that day the Jewish people were to rest from work, make a food offering , shout and blast shofars,  and present themselves to the Lord for his blessing; not necessarily in that order.

For Christians the Feast of Trumpets, can be considered a call to look for Jesus Christ’s return. It’s also possible the blasts and shouting specifically foreshadow the catching away of the church, with the marriage supper of the Lamb to follow. This feast reminds us to be awake, watch and live ready.

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