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Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
Meaning
In Judaism the “Day of Atonement” called “Yom Kippur” occurred every tenth day of the seventh month of the year. And it’s one of the most important and solemn feast days on the Jewish calendar. This was the one day during the entire year where the High Priest only could go into the Holy of Hollies. He carried with Him the blood of the sacrifice and he used this to make an atonement for the people of Israel. This atonement covered (not removed) the sins of the people for the year. This atonement made the people right with God and was needed to carry on the cycle of feasts and sacrifices of the following year. Without this atonement the nation as a whole and her people would be at enmity with God. The High Priest would spend many days ahead of time preparing for this day, which was the most important day of the year.
The High Priest had special garments to wear along with special duties to carry out. These were for the purification of himself and the tabernacle. The purification was needed because it was part of the process of preparing the Temple and the people for the following years sacrifices. This was the one day of the year where the High Priest would first make a sacrifice for himself, then one on the behalf of the people. And it was this event which allowed the cycle of sacrifices and atonement to continue for the following year.
This was the one day out of the entire year where the High Priest could go through the veil of the Temple. He entered into the Holy of Hollies, which was before the presence of God. There he alone would atone for the sins of the people. This is the very same veil which was torn into when Jesus died on the Cross for our sins. Jesus through His death on the Cross made atonement for the sins of all those who place their faith in Him alone. That’s why the New Testament calls Jesus our faithful High Priest. Because Jesus through His death on the Cross gave us access to God the Father because of our faith in Him. Whereas the High Priest alone could go into the presence of God and only once a year. Jesus through His sacrifices gave us this privilege anytime. Jesus once and for all by His sacrifice for us atoned for our sins past, present and future. And God tore the veil in two, in order to signify the importance of Jesus work on the Cross. A work which established our relationship with God as His children by faith.
“Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house. ‘He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness. And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself.” (Book of Leviticus 16:6-11)
“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness. There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. And he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord, and make atonement for it, and 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. Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” (Book of Leviticus 16:15-19)