Archbishop Michael-John
28th September 2009, 01:51 PM
Shalom, Привет, Greetings on this the Day of Atonement and…
“May Your Name Be Inscribed In The Book of Life!”
Today, the Day of Atonement, is a High Sabbath and marks the tenth day after the Biblical Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShana) and is one of the most important Biblical Feasts of the Arian Catholic Ecclesiastical Year. It represents the coming Judgment Day.
Yom Kippur in the time of the Messiah Yeshua
When the first and second Temples were standing in Jerusalem, the High Priest (Kohen Gadol) would remove his ordinary priestly robes and take a ritual bath, then he would put on special white clothes.
After offering the ordinary morning sacrifice, he would offer a young bullock to atone for his own sins, as he could not intercede for the people of Israel until his own sins were atoned for. He would then carry incense into the Holy of Holies, and then return to the altar to get blood from the sacrifice, which he would sprinkle on the lid of the Ark of the Covenant (Mercy Seat) and seven times on the ground in front of the ark.
After this he would sacrifice a goat for the sins of the people, and sprinkle its blood on the ark and in front of it, as he had done with the blood of the bullock. This made atonement for the Holy of Holies. Next, he provided atonement for the tabernacle by sprinkling the blood of both animals on the horns of the altar once, and seven times on the ground around it.
The Scapegoat (Azazel) – the Messiah Yeshua was our Scapegoat
After this, the high priest would go out into the Temple court and lay his hands over the head of the scapegoat, confessing over it the sins of the people of Israel.
Then the goat would be taken outside the city and released into the wilderness. This symbolized the removal (carrying away) of the sins from the people of Israel. According to the Talmud, a scarlet cord was tied around the neck of the scapegoat. This cord was reported to have turned white as the goat was led away from the city.
The Babylonian Talmud records that for the last forty years before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD – that would have been just about the time Yeshua was offered up as the final sacrifice – the scarlet cord around the neck of the scapegoat failed to turn white.
In Yeshua, all our sins are carried away “as far as east is from west” (Psalm 103:12). Yeshua is not only our High Priest, but He is also the final sacrifice who has taken away our sins. Because of that, Your Name is Written in the Book of Life!
The Day of Atonement as a High Sabbath
The Day of Atonement points to a great host of people, Jews and Gentiles, who will be saved when the Messiah, the Angel of Great Counsel, returns to earth. Four main elements comprise this significant feast:-
A Holy Convocation
The purpose of the “holy convocation” was to draw the focus of the people to the altar of divine mercy. The Lord called the people of Israel to gather in His presence and give their undivided attention to Him.
Prayer and Fasting
The people of Israel were to humble (afflict) their souls (Leviticus 23:27). This was explained by later tradition to indicate fasting and repentance. Israel understood that this was a day for mourning over their sins. The seriousness of this requirement is repeated in Leviticus 23:29: “If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people” (Leviticus 23:29).
Offerings
Offerings are central to the Day of Atonement; in fact, the Bible devotes an entire chapter (Leviticus 16) to them (also see Numbers 29:7-11). In addition to these, when the Day of Atonement fell on the Sabbath, the regular Sabbath offerings were offered.
Prohibition from Labour
The Day of Atonement was a “Sabbath of rest” (Leviticus 23:32), and the Israelites were forbidden to do any work period. If they disobeyed, they were liable to capital punishment! (Leviticus 23:30)
Readings
Traditional readings for the Feast Day of Atonement includes the following verses:
Leviticus 16, 23:26, 27-36; Numbers 29:7-11; Isaiah 57:14 - 58:14; Hebrews 7 - 10 (esp. 9:7) and Acts 27:9.
Origin
• The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. (Leviticus 23:27)
• Only once a year on Yom Kippur, the High Priest (nobody else) may enter the Holy of Holies, and meet there the glory of the LORD (the Shekinah). (Hebrews 9:7)
• The High Priest makes atonement for himself and for the people of Israel (Leviticus 16)
• Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat. (Leviticus 16:9-10)
Fulfilment
• The bible uses the number 10, as well as the number 40 for a time of trial. Through Yeshua’s death at the cross, the way to the Father is free for everybody at anytime: “With a loud cry, Yeshua breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:37-38)
• When Yeshua will arrive on planet earth for the second time, he will come out of the Holy of Holies (heaven).
• When he returns, beside other functions, he will come as the High Priest to his chosen people Israel (Zechariah 12:10)
• After a Jewish tradition, the scapegoat did return from the desert at Yom Kippur, which followed Yeshua’s crucifixion.
• At his Passion and Crucifixion, Yeshua became our Spiritual scapegoat!
YaHWeH be with you!
The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) – The Kingdom Banquet
Please note that the Biblical Feast of Tabernacles occurs from sunset on Friday 2nd October 2009 until nightfall on Friday 9th October 2009. This is our Harvest Festival, please join us! Watch out for our next Arian Catholic e-Bulletin.
“May Your Name Be Inscribed In The Book of Life!”
Today, the Day of Atonement, is a High Sabbath and marks the tenth day after the Biblical Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShana) and is one of the most important Biblical Feasts of the Arian Catholic Ecclesiastical Year. It represents the coming Judgment Day.
Yom Kippur in the time of the Messiah Yeshua
When the first and second Temples were standing in Jerusalem, the High Priest (Kohen Gadol) would remove his ordinary priestly robes and take a ritual bath, then he would put on special white clothes.
After offering the ordinary morning sacrifice, he would offer a young bullock to atone for his own sins, as he could not intercede for the people of Israel until his own sins were atoned for. He would then carry incense into the Holy of Holies, and then return to the altar to get blood from the sacrifice, which he would sprinkle on the lid of the Ark of the Covenant (Mercy Seat) and seven times on the ground in front of the ark.
After this he would sacrifice a goat for the sins of the people, and sprinkle its blood on the ark and in front of it, as he had done with the blood of the bullock. This made atonement for the Holy of Holies. Next, he provided atonement for the tabernacle by sprinkling the blood of both animals on the horns of the altar once, and seven times on the ground around it.
The Scapegoat (Azazel) – the Messiah Yeshua was our Scapegoat
After this, the high priest would go out into the Temple court and lay his hands over the head of the scapegoat, confessing over it the sins of the people of Israel.
Then the goat would be taken outside the city and released into the wilderness. This symbolized the removal (carrying away) of the sins from the people of Israel. According to the Talmud, a scarlet cord was tied around the neck of the scapegoat. This cord was reported to have turned white as the goat was led away from the city.
The Babylonian Talmud records that for the last forty years before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD – that would have been just about the time Yeshua was offered up as the final sacrifice – the scarlet cord around the neck of the scapegoat failed to turn white.
In Yeshua, all our sins are carried away “as far as east is from west” (Psalm 103:12). Yeshua is not only our High Priest, but He is also the final sacrifice who has taken away our sins. Because of that, Your Name is Written in the Book of Life!
The Day of Atonement as a High Sabbath
The Day of Atonement points to a great host of people, Jews and Gentiles, who will be saved when the Messiah, the Angel of Great Counsel, returns to earth. Four main elements comprise this significant feast:-
A Holy Convocation
The purpose of the “holy convocation” was to draw the focus of the people to the altar of divine mercy. The Lord called the people of Israel to gather in His presence and give their undivided attention to Him.
Prayer and Fasting
The people of Israel were to humble (afflict) their souls (Leviticus 23:27). This was explained by later tradition to indicate fasting and repentance. Israel understood that this was a day for mourning over their sins. The seriousness of this requirement is repeated in Leviticus 23:29: “If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people” (Leviticus 23:29).
Offerings
Offerings are central to the Day of Atonement; in fact, the Bible devotes an entire chapter (Leviticus 16) to them (also see Numbers 29:7-11). In addition to these, when the Day of Atonement fell on the Sabbath, the regular Sabbath offerings were offered.
Prohibition from Labour
The Day of Atonement was a “Sabbath of rest” (Leviticus 23:32), and the Israelites were forbidden to do any work period. If they disobeyed, they were liable to capital punishment! (Leviticus 23:30)
Readings
Traditional readings for the Feast Day of Atonement includes the following verses:
Leviticus 16, 23:26, 27-36; Numbers 29:7-11; Isaiah 57:14 - 58:14; Hebrews 7 - 10 (esp. 9:7) and Acts 27:9.
Origin
• The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. (Leviticus 23:27)
• Only once a year on Yom Kippur, the High Priest (nobody else) may enter the Holy of Holies, and meet there the glory of the LORD (the Shekinah). (Hebrews 9:7)
• The High Priest makes atonement for himself and for the people of Israel (Leviticus 16)
• Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat. (Leviticus 16:9-10)
Fulfilment
• The bible uses the number 10, as well as the number 40 for a time of trial. Through Yeshua’s death at the cross, the way to the Father is free for everybody at anytime: “With a loud cry, Yeshua breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:37-38)
• When Yeshua will arrive on planet earth for the second time, he will come out of the Holy of Holies (heaven).
• When he returns, beside other functions, he will come as the High Priest to his chosen people Israel (Zechariah 12:10)
• After a Jewish tradition, the scapegoat did return from the desert at Yom Kippur, which followed Yeshua’s crucifixion.
• At his Passion and Crucifixion, Yeshua became our Spiritual scapegoat!
YaHWeH be with you!
The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) – The Kingdom Banquet
Please note that the Biblical Feast of Tabernacles occurs from sunset on Friday 2nd October 2009 until nightfall on Friday 9th October 2009. This is our Harvest Festival, please join us! Watch out for our next Arian Catholic e-Bulletin.