Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement
Sept. 27, 2009 FBC, Chester Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction
A Rosh Hashanah’s greatest significance is found in being a period of preparation for Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement.
1 Days of Awe (3 books)
a After the 3rd day, Fast of Gedaliah, the high priest would enter a secluded chamber, preparing for Yom Kippur.
2 Yom Kippur falls on the 10th day of Tishri (today is the eve of Yom Kippur).
a It’s the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
b It is a day of fasting for the nation of Israel, & they stood all day in the temple courts seeking the face of God.
aa On this day, Israel would either be forgiven of their sin, or would face judgment.
3 This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you;30 for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the Lord.31 "It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute.32 "So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement: he shall thus 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. Lev 16:29-33 (NASB)
a The high priest would perform four primary procedures in the temple on Yom Kippur (cf. Lev. 16:2-22):
aa He’d take fire from the altar of incense
bb To offer sacrifices, and place the blood of the sacrifices in a bowl.
cc Sprinkle blood in the holy place & on the Ark of the Covenant seven times.
dd Last was to pronounce, “It is done”.
I Taking fire from the altar of incense.
A The bible tells us that incense is symbolic of the prayers of the saints (Psalm 141.2)
May my prayer be counted as incense before You . . .. Psalms 141:2 (NASB)
1 This incense may have also been a “smoke screen” to protect the imperfect priest from the devastating effect of the full glory of the Lord on mercy seat. (Lev. 16.13)
a God had promised to appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.
aa Mercy seat is on top, covering the Ark of the Covenant.
bb Two cherubim angles with wings folded marking the spot for the place where God’s glory/presence was manifested.
cc The Jewish legend was that when the priest entered the temple, they could hear the cherubim wings brushing up against one another.
dd Ezek. 10.5 describes the sound of angles wings “5 Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks. Ezek 10:5 (NASB)
b In the wilderness the presence hovered over the ark (Cloud/pillar of fire)
c Shikinah glory of God. The manifest, visible, tangible glory of God’s presence that is associated with the Ark.
B In Jeremiah 3, a wayward Israel is told that a time was coming when the ark wouldn’t be present any longer. (Came to pass just prior to the Babylonian captivity, around the 6th century B.C.)
1 "It shall be in those days when you are multiplied and increased in the land," declares the LORD, "they will no longer say, ’The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again. Jer 3:16
a Can you imagine a nation not remembering God’s presence? Glory?
b Not just not remembering, but not even missing Him?
2 How many Christians, Churches have gone so long without being in God’s presence that they don’t even miss it little lone remember it.
a We need fresh fire from the altar! We need some Shikinah glory to fall!
II The priest would then offer sacrifices and place the blood of the sacrifices in a bowl
A There were two identical goats chosen from the area of Jericho, one belonged to the Lord and other would carry Israel’s sins into the desert/wilderness.
1 Commonly, in the ANE, the Romans would release a notable prisoner just prior to the feast of Passover.
a Pilate brought “Jesus” & “Barabbas”, and the crowd cheered “Give us Barabbas.”
aa Barabbas is an aramic word “Bar Abbas” Son of the Father.
bb We know “abba” Rom 8.15 (cf. Gal. 4.6)
b Some older Greek manuscripts, & early church fathers tell us Barabbas first name, “Yeshua” Both Christ & Barabbas shared the first same name!
c What a scene: Jesus the Son of the heavenly father; Barabbas the son of an earthly father; both sentenced for execution.
aa Barabbas (Luke 23.19) was guilty of insurrection and guilty of murder. (Some see him as the ringleader and his main two accomplices where the men who hung beside Jesus. The cross in the middle probably belonged to Barabbas.)
bb Jesus replaced him, substituted, fulfilled the pattern found in Yom Kippur.
2 Jesus Christ died on the cross, representing the goat sacrificed while Yeshua Barabbas was released but carried his sins with him. . . just as the scapegoat w/ the sins of Israel.
3 The blood atonement was vital in the spiritual life of Israel.
a Legend has it that God provided a sign to the Jews to let them know that there sins had been forgiven.
aa According to the Sefer Aggaday (Book of Legends) that on the Day of Atonement, a scarlet thread was hung over the temple door, after the blood was applied the red thread would turn white as a sign that their sins had been forgiven for another year, it was safe to come into His presence.
bb According to the same book, this miracle ceased to occur about forty years (a generation) before the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
b We know that is about the time that Christ died, rose again, and made eternal atonement for sin.
B Today, blood atonement is still a concern of Orthodox Jews.
1 It’s hard with no priesthood, temple, sacrifices.
a Modern religious Jews practice “Kapparoth” (Covering) which involves the transference of one’s sins onto a fowl/bird, like the High Priest transferring sins of Israel on the goat.
b A fowl is waved over the penitent’s head 3 times with the words,
“This bird is a sacrifice in my stead; this is my ransom, this is my atonement (Kapparoth.) This foul shall meet death, but we shall find a long and pleasant life of peace.”
c The birds are then given to the poor to eat. (Charity) “Love covers a multitude of sin”
2 We know that LOVE covers a multitude of sin!
III He would sprinkle the blood in the Holy Place and upon the mercy seat of the Ark seven times.
A The priest could only say the name (Hasem, The Name) was Yom Kippur & the only day of the year the priest could enter the Holy of Holies was on Yom Kippur.
1 The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. Lev 16:2 (NASB)
a Can you imagine the fear, trepidation, anxiety that this poor guy must have had as he slipped behind the veil that stood 80 foot high, 20 foot wide, & 18 inches think?
b When the priest entered the holy of holies, the sound of the wings stopped and Jewish history tells us that there was a span of silence lasting about 30 minutes.
2 The priest would apply blood to the Ark of the Covenant seven times.
a Face, Head, Back, Left hand, Right hand, Feet, Sid . . . each splatter of blood was a type of bleeding suffered by Jesus Christ!
b Are you washed in the blood?
B Hebrews 9.12,24
1 Rev. 11.19, In heaven there is Temple.
a In this temple is an Ark of the Covenant that has had the blood of Jesus applied to it.
b Our priest is still alive making intercession for us!!!
2 He’s coming back!
IV He would pronounce “It is done!”
A At Passover, the priest would say “It is finished” when the last lamb had been slain, but on Yom Kippur, the High Priest would say “It is done” after all the sacrifices were accomplished the priest had completed his task.
1 Israel knew that they their sins were forgiven for one more year, enter His courts in the temple.
2 The same decree also comes at the end of the age by a voice out of the Temple of God in heaven.
a Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done." Rev 16:17 (NASB)
B There is a connection between the redemption of Passover & Atonement of Yom Kippur.
1 All who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb are under the atonement & protection of the blood.
2 All those who rejected Him are subject to the judgement/wrath of God.
Conclusion
We’ve seen four primary tasks of the High Priest on Yom Kippur.
1 Fire 2 Sacrifice 3 Blood 4 It is done
A All this was done to get their name from the book of the intermediate to the book of righteousness.
1 At the end of HGHF, each character is wanting to know “Angel, is my name in the book?”
a During Rosh Hashanah, Jews greeted one another with the words, “may your name be inscribed in the book of life.”
b After Yom Kippur, the greeting changes to, “may you be ‘sealed’ in the book of life.”
aa After the blood was shed, the covenant was sealed.
bb Nothing but the blood . . . not your righteousness, good deeds, anything you’ve done.
2 Today do you need . . .
a Fresh fire
b Blood applied (Forgiveness, victory) HGHF tickets
c It is done!!!
B Pray
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Mike Fogerson
