The Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur

Leviticus 23:26-32 and Yahuah spoke to Moses, saying, “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 Yahuah. “And you do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), to make atonement for you before Yahuah your Elohim. “For any being who is not afflicted on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. “And any being who does any work on that same day, that being I shall destroy from the midst of his people. “You do no work – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ‘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.”

This was and still is, the most somber day of the year.  It is a feast only for those whose sin is forgiven by the blood of Messiah.  It was the day that the High Priest went into the most set-apart place, where the Ark of the Covenant was, and where the presence of Yahuah dwelt, to present the blood of a goat, for the covering of the sin of the nation for that year.  (Leviticus 16)  It was the day of national salvation.

Ten days after the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), begins Yom Kippur (Feast of Atonement).  This pictures the first action of Messiah after His marriage and the wedding Feast.

When speaking of Yahusha (Jesus) sanctifying or making the unsaved sinner righteous through the offering of his body once and for all at the time of one’s conversion (Hebrews 10:10 by that desire we have been set apart through the offering of the body of Yahusha Messiah once for all). The writer of Hebrews is speaking of Passover, which is symbolized by the red heifer altar that is outside the door of the tabernacle – read Hebrews 13:10–13 we have an altar from which those serving the Tent have no authority to eat. For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the Set-apart Place by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. And so Yahusha also suffered outside the gate, to set apart the people with His own blood. Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

This altar points to the stake (cross) upon which Yahusha shed his blood, to which one must first come in order to enter into the tabernacle. Only those who were spiritually purified could legally enter into the Tabernacle of Moses.

Today, only those who are spiritually cleansed can enter into a spiritual relationship with Yahuah. The tabernacle is a picture of that relationship. However, just because one has entered into the tabernacle of relationship with Elohim by the blood of the lamb and has had their past sins washed away, this does not mean the newly redeemed believer stops at this point in their spiritual journey growing in intimacy with their Creator. The sections of the tabernacle are a picture of the stages we go through in our spiritual growth. From the outer court of the tabernacle Yahuah invites one to enter into the holy place and eventually into the inner most part of the tabernacle, the holy of holies where the very Presence of Yahuah abides signifying the deepest and most intimate spiritual relationship with Yahuah possible. The writer of Hebrews encourages believers not just to stay in the outer courtyard where they have entered by the blood of the Lamb, but to boldly enter into the holiest place by the blood of Yahusha as well. Hebrews 4:16 therefore, let us come boldly to the throne of favour, in order to receive compassion, and find favour for timely help. Hebrews 10:19 so, brothers, having boldness to enter into the Set-apart Place by the blood of Yahusha...

On the 10^th day of the 7^th month, the high priest lays both hands upon the goat of Yahuah while he confessed the sins of the people. The goat was then killed, and the blood of the goat for Yahuah was sprinkled before the mercy seat, and on the mercy seat in the most Set-Apart place (Holies of Holies). The mercy seat was the cover of the Ark where the blood was sprinkled, and it was actually called the Atonement Cover.

Atonement is often described as “covering,” and that is an aspect of atonement. The blood of the sacrifice covers our sins so that our sins are not in Yahuah’s face.

What does it mean to afflict our souls (being)?

Most people fast on this day in obedience to the command to afflict yourself. Afflicting our souls is often simplified as mere fasting. But it runs far deeper than food and water. Should we play games, throw a party or go shopping on Yom Kippur? NO! This affliction is as mush, or more, about the spiritual and internal things, as it is about depriving our flesh. It is about dying to oneself and ones own desires, so Yahuah can then fill you up and replace your desires with His desires. It is not just about “putting your time in,” and then going about your business as soon as the sun goes down. It is a matter of the heart, and often times when dealing with the heart, you get out of the experience what you put into it. This is about seeking and developing a relationship with Yahuah, not just going through the motions.

The Day of Atonement is when the high priest would enter into the qodesh place (presence of Yahuah) to make atonement for Israel’s sin. Please read Hebrews chapter nine and Leviticus chapter sixteen to get the clearest picture of the Messiah and the ritual that took place. “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, 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. 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” - Hebrews 9:11-13.

The Day of Atonement shows us that the Messiah atones for mankind’s sin. Through His faithfulness to his Father, he has redeemed mankind, making a way for us to have direct fellowship with Yahuah (John 14:6). He has become our High Priest and our Mediator!

“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. For Messiah has not entered into a Set-apart Place made by hand – figures of the true – but into the heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of Elohim on our behalf, not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters into the Set-apart Place year by year with blood not his own. 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. And as it awaits men to die once, and after this the judgment, 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”- Hebrews 9:23-28.

We all have to appear before the great white Throne Judgment (Day of Atonement). Everyone who has believed and obeyed, Yahusha Messiah will be found innocent. Our High Priest, Yahusha has atoned for our sins and will surely accomplish this task on Yom Kippur beginning Jubilee Year 120!

Prophecy of Messiah

Deuteronomy 31 and Hosea 14:1-9, Micah 7:18-20 + Joel 2:15-27 that goes with this week’s portion is amazing reading especially in this period of Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot.

I have read this portion many times before and every time I read it, something new is seen within Yahuah’s words. If I may share parts of this portion and others I believe fits in with this portion! Please read for yourself.

Deuteronomy 31:3, “Yahuah your Elohim Himself is passing over before you……….. Joshua (Yahusha) himself is passing over before you, as Yahuah has spoken.

Hosea 14:4-7 “I shall heal their backsliding, I shall love them spontaneously, for My displeasure has turned away from him. “I shall be like the dew to Israel. He shall blossom like the lily, and cast out his roots like Lebanon. “His branches shall spread, and his splendour shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon. “Those who dwell under his shadow shall return….

Micah 7:14 Shepherd Your people with Your rod, the flock of Your inheritance,… Verse 19 He shall turn back, He shall have compassion on us, He shall trample upon our crookednesses! And You throw all our sins into the depths of the sea!

Joel 2:1 & 15 Blow a shofar….

Joel 2:17 it says “Spare Your people, O Yahuah,… Verse 27“And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Yahuah your Elohim and there is no one else. And My people shall never be put to shame.

John 5:43 “I have come in My Father’s Name……

Luke 1:68-74 “Blessed be Yahuah Elohim of Israel, for He did look upon and worked redemption for His people, and has raised up a horn of deliverance for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His set apart prophets, from of old – deliverance from our enemies and from the hand of all those hating us, to show compassion toward our fathers and to remember His set-apart covenant, an oath which He swore to our father Abraham: to give to us, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, to serve Him without fear,…….

John 17:26 “And I have made Your Name known to them, and shall make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me might be in them, and I in them.”

Matthew 15:24 And He answering, said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Luke 1:32-33 “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And Yahuah Elohim shall give Him the throne of His father David. “And He shall reign over the house of Jacob (ISRAEL) forever, and there shall be no end to His reign.”

Hosea 14:9 Who is wise and understands these words, discerning and knows them? For the ways of Yahuah are straight, and the righteous walk in them, but the transgressors stumble in them.

Proverbs 30:3-4 And I have not learned wisdom that I should know the knowledge of the Set-apart One. Who has gone up to the heavens and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who established all the ends of the earth? What is His Name, and what is His Son’s Name, if you know it?

Feast of Trumpets/Yom Teruah

Leviticus 23: 23-25 and Yahuah spoke to Moses (Mosheh), saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you have a rest, a remembrance of blowing of trumpets (Yom Teruah), a set-apart gathering. ‘You do no servile work, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to Yahuah.’ ”

Numbers 29:1 ‘And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work, it is a day of blowing the trumpets for you.

Instead of grains as per the previous Appointed Times, we will see the fruit harvests.

This Appointed Time relates to the restoration of all things.

Many call this Appointed Time “The feast of Trumpets,” but it is not a pilgrimage Feast, rather it is a day of blowing (Yom Teruah). The blowing of trumpets and shofars on day 1 of month 7 has been associated with the day that Yahuah will rise the righteous from the dead.

The Hebrew word teruah, literally means “blast or blowing.” It is not the instrument of blasting that is noted, but the sound. We know that Elohim created with His voice – sound. The voice of Yahuah is a mighty sound – Psalm 29. The sound could actually been seen.

When we think of this day we think of a mighty blast that gets the attention of all of the people. It is the voice of the Trumpet that we heard at Sinai. We remember Sinai, but we also remember that the covenant was thereafter broken. Moses had to intercede, and he prayed that the children of Israel not be blotted out from His book (scroll) – Exodus 32:32-33. Think about this scroll, will Yahuah remember this day. We are trying to get His attention on this day so that He will remember us.

The scroll is connected with judgment and the covenant people. Read Malachi 3:1-18, about this important issue: “See, I am sending My messenger (John the Baptist), and he shall prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Master you are seeking comes to His temple, even the Messenger (Messiah) of the covenant, in whom you delight. See, He is coming,” said Yahuah of hosts. “And who is able to bear the day of His coming, and who is able to stand when He appears? For He is like the fire of a refiner, and like the soap of a launderer. “And He shall sit as a refiner and a cleanser of silver. And He shall cleanse the sons of Lewi, and refine them as gold and silver, and they shall belong to Yahuah, bringing near an offering in righteousness. “Then shall the offering of Yahudah and Jerusalem be pleasant to Yahuah, as in the days of old, as in former years. “And I shall draw near to you for rightruling. And I shall be a swift witness against the practisers of witchcraft, and against adulterers, and against them that swear to falsehood, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages and widows and the fatherless, and those who turn away a sojourner and do not fear Me,” said Yahuah of hosts. “For I am Yahuah, I shall not change, and you, O sons of Jacob, shall not come to an end. “From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My laws and did not guard them. Turn back to Me, and I shall turn back to you,” said Yahuah of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what shall we turn back?’ “Would a man rob Elohim? Yet you are robbing Me! But you said, ‘In what have we robbed You?’ In the tithe and the offering! “You have cursed Me with a curse, for you are robbing Me, this nation, all of it! “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, and let there be food in My house. And please prove Me in this,” said Yahuah of hosts, “whether I do not open for you the windows of the heavens, and shall pour out for you boundless blessing! “And I shall rebuke the devourer for you, so that it does not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor does the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” said Yahuah of hosts. “And all nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a land of delight,” said Yahuah of hosts. “Your words have been harsh against Me,” said Yahuah, “but you have said, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ “You have said, ‘It is worthless to serve Elohim. And what did we gain when we His Charge, and when we walked as mourners before Yahuah of hosts? ‘And now we are calling the proud blessed – not only are the doers of wrongness built up, but they also try Elohim and escape.’ ” Then shall those who fear Yahuah speak to one another, and Yahuah listen and hear, and a book of remembrance be written before Him, of those who fear Yahuah, and those who think upon His Name. “And they shall be Mine,” said Yahuah of hosts, “on the day that I prepare a treasured possession. And I shall spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. “Then you shall again see the difference between the righteous and the wrong, between one who serves Elohim and one who does not serve Him.

This chapter speaks of a time of restoration when the people of Yahuah return to Him. It is a time when Yahuah opens up the scroll and remembers His people. Both of these events, the blowing and the opening of the scroll, deal with remembrance.

This Appointed Time commemorated the blowing of the silver trumpets and the shofar to gather the people together for set-apart convocations in the wilderness. This Appointed Time pictures the meeting with Messiah in the air, as He comes with the wrath of the Father upon the wicked, and comes to resurrect all those who have died in Him, and all who are still alive on the earth at His coming.  This is what He calls the “harvesting of the earth” - Matthew 13 = the sower.

He has a definite path of return--Matthew 24:27-31; Isaiah 63:1-6; Habakkuk 3, Deuteronomy 33:2-3 and others. Therefore, “no man knows the day or the hour” in which the third trumpet (a shofar/ram’s horn) will be blown.  Three trumpets are blown, and everyone waits for the “last trump” to be blown, which signals the opening of the gates of heaven, and the descent of Messiah to gather those in who are righteous.  This is the hope among the believers in Messiah.

Messiah gives us a sign when this day is approaching, by telling us, a man, a world ruler, will set up his reign on the Temple Mount.  He does not come as a “thief in the night” to those watching, praying, and hearing the Ruach (Spirit) of Yahuah.

That is clear from I Thessalonians 5:1-10 now, brothers, as to the times and the seasons, you do not need to be written to. For you yourselves know very well that the day of Yahauh comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then suddenly destruction comes upon them, as labour pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. So, then, we should not sleep, as others do, but we should watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But we who are of the day should be sober, putting on the breastplate of belief and love, and as a helmet the expectation of deliverance. Because Elohim did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain deliverance through our Master Yahusha Messiah, who died for us, so that we, whether awake or asleep, should live together with Him.

Therefore, the children of light know the seasons by the Appointed Times. I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-58; Revelation 11:15-17; Philippians 3:20-21; Revelation 19:11-16; Zechariah 14:1-5; and Jude 14-15 are scripture of Messiah’s second coming.

 

He comes at the “last trump”—the 7th trumpet of the tribulation.  This is clear from both, I Corinthians 15:51-52 See, I speak a secret to you: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Revelation 11:15-19 and the seventh messenger sounded, and there came to be loud voices in the heaven, saying, “The reign of this world has become the reign of our Master, and of His Messiah, and He shall reign forever and ever!” And the twenty-four elders sitting before Elohim on their thrones fell on their faces and worshipped Elohim, saying, “We give You thanks, O Yahuah El Shaddai, the One who is and who was and who is coming, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. “And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead to be judged, and to give the reward to Your servants the prophets and to the set-apart ones, and to those who fear Your Name, small and great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” And the Dwelling Place of Elohim was opened in the heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His Dwelling Place. And there came to be lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail. 

It is quite plain from the Scriptures that Yahusha Messiah comes with the wrath of the Father, which is so severe that no one can withstand it without His protection.  So, the Feast of Trumpets is the celebration of our gathering together unto Him, but also of judgment on the wicked.  It is a day of separation and justice.

We need to remember what His people did after hearing and seeing the sound from the mountain. As we remember, our prayer should be that we be remembered by Him, the Almighty Creator.

Pray & Rejoice – Psalm 5

Give ear to my words, O Yahuah (Heavenly Father), consider my meditation. Attend to the voice of my cry, my Sovereign and my Elohim, for unto You I pray - Psalms 5:1-2.

When you pray to Father in Heaven, ask Him to hear your prayer, ask Him to consider your requests, cry out to Him as He is the Almighty Creator of all things.

But remember Father will not hear your cry and your prayer, if you are living or partaking in sin as Psalms 5:4-6, says Father does not partake or dwell in wrong and evil.

In fact He says He hates all workers of wickedness and He destroys falsehood.

Enter into His presence, allow His Set Apart Spirit (Holy Spirit) into your temple (your body is the temple) to guide and teach you.

Dwell with Him in loving-commitment. Bow down and praise Him in fear and worship.

Ask Him to lead you in His righteousness and make you walk in a straight path - Psalms 5:7-8.

Declare them guilty, O Elohim, the wicked, the mouth that is not stable, the tongue that spreads sin, let them fall by their own counsels, because they have rebelled against You - Psalms 5:9-10.

The one that takes refuge in You, rejoice; let's shout for joy, because You shelter us; we exult in You, because we know Your Name, You bless the righteous, O my Yahuah; You surround us with favor (grace) as with a shield - Psalms 5:11-12.

Yahuah, please hear my cry and my prayer

Arise

I want to share the heaviness I have in my heart over the wickedness of people that do horrible things in secret to the innocent ones. This world is becoming more wicked by the day and I feel as David felt when he spoke these words to the Almighty in Psalm 9:19-20 and Psalm 10.

Arise, O Yahuah!

Do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged before Your face. Put them in fear, O Yahuah, Let the nations know they are but men. Why, O Yahuah, do You stand far away? Will You hide in times of trouble? The wicked in his pride will pursue the poor; they will be caught in the schemes which they have devised. For the wicked boasts of his soul's desire, and the greedy one cursed and despised Yahuah. In the pride of his face the wrongdoer does not seek Him, in all his thoughts there is no Elohim! His ways are perverted at all times.

Your judgments are high from his sight; as for all distressing him, he puffs at them. He has said in his heart, I shall not be moved! From generation to generation never will I be in evil. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud; under his tongue is trouble and wickedness.

He sits in the hiding places of the villages; in the secret places he murders the innocent; his eyes watch against the poor. He lies in wait secretly like a lion in his den; he lies in ambush to catch the poor; he seizes the poor, drawing him into his net; and he crouches, he lies low, and the helpless fall under his strength. He has said in his heart, El has forgotten; He hides His face; He will not see forever.

Arise, O Yahuah! O El, lift up your hand; do not forget the lowly ones.

Why does the wicked one despise Elohim? He has said in his heart, You will not require it. You have seen it, for You observe trouble and grief, to pay back with Your hand.

The poor commits himself to You; You are the helper of the orphan.

Break the arm of the wicked and evil one; search out his wickedness until You find none.

Yahuah is King forever and ever; the nations have perished out of His land.

O Yahuah, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will fix their heart; Your ear will hear. To defend the orphan and the hurt one; so that man who is of the earth no longer oppresses!

I cry out to Yahuah, Come, Yahusha, come! Please do not delay any longer.

The Secret

Matthew 15:25 and Matthew 10:7-8: Messiah came only to redeem the lost sheep of the House of Israel. He sent His disciples only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.

The promise of redemption and the rejoining of the whole House of Ya’cob (Jacob) are found in such passages as Jeremiah 31:31-34 – speaking of the “renewed covenant.”

This is the main subject of the Word – the redemption of the whole House of Ya’cob (Israel)!

Ezekiel 37:15-28 and Jeremiah 32:41, for examples, give us the passion of the heart of Yahuah (Heavenly Father)-the reason why Messiah came--to gather together into one family all the tribes of Ya’cob (Jacob).

Therefore, during times to come, as Jeremiah 30:7 tells us, all of Ya’cob’s family will go through the time of “Ya’cob’s (Jacob's) troubles.” It is not just Judah’s troubles. The purging of the whole House of Ya’cob--all the family of Yahuah, and those who have joined the family by faith--is imminent.

The message of salvation is called a secret because Yahuah hid Messiah’s redemption-salvation of all the tribes, and who-so-ever will (with conditions) from satan and his demons -- the evil, sinful, rebellious, disobedient, wicked, and violent, along with all of the descendants of Ya’cob who have aligned with satan through the ages.

I Corinthians 4:1 Let a man regard us as servants of Messiah and trustees of the secrets of Elohim. Do you treasure and guard your salvation? Are you sharing this eternally valuable secret with those lost ones He brings to you? Are you reaching out with this message which is for all of His servants? If you are keeping it to yourself, think of the day you stand before the Savior who died for you! Not sharing the salvation of Yahusha (Jesus) with the “lost” can be a form of “denying Him,” “hiding your light under a bushel basket,” or being “ashamed” of Him.

I Corinthians 15:51: This speaks of the secret/mystery of the resurrection of the just--of the earthly body becoming immortal at His coming--at the “last trumpet,” when He descends, death is swallowed up in victory!

Again, the secret has to do with our total redemption – spirit, soul (mind/emotions/will), and body.

Colossians 1:26-27: “…the secret which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His set-apart ones, to whom Elohim desired to make known what are the riches of the esteem of this secret among the nations, which is Messiah, through His Spirit in you, the hope of glory…”

Colossians 4:3: “…praying at the same time also for us, that Elohim would open to us a door for the Word, to speak the secret of Messiah, for which I am also in chains.”

Amos 3:7: “For the Master Yahuah does nothing unless He first reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”

As we find in Scripture, the revelation of Messiah’s redemption begins in Genesis 3:15, and continues all the way through the Old Testament, through the words of His prophets!

He just hid the complete revelation for good reason! The secret of the ages that Elohim kept back, because of His enemies, but hid in the words of the Prophets, was about the salvation of Messiah Yahusha!

Soon, as the Word reveals, people will refuse to repent. As with Esau, the “gift of repentance” will be removed from those perishing. (Hebrews 12:16-17) They will refuse to acknowledge Yahuah as Elohim, as the Creator, as the means of salvation - (Revelation 9:20-21; 16:11).

Are you doing all you can to proclaim the salvation of Yahusha while we have a little time left?