“Gates of Prayer”
The Day of Atonement
My sister asked me something that caught my attention. She said, “Why do Christians not know about the Day of Atonement?” My quick response was, “Because they have not found out by Bible Study.” She did not like that answer and she was correct not to. She wanted to know why we haven’t been made aware of this in Church. The Christian faith does not appear to acknowledge it as Holy.
The day of atonement is something from the days of the Law. It is observed by the Jewish faith but it is not just a Jewish Holiday. The Law is laid down by God for the atonement of sins annually. It is found it the Old Testament.
So in Honor of the Day of Atonement I decided that I would put some information together for Christians. Then we can decide if we will follow up on learning more about these traditions. And also learning more about Leviticus and Numbers in the process.
Sabbath of Sabbaths
The day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, is the day that we officially ask God to forgive our Sin. This was a direction from God to Moses as part of the original Law. It is the tenth day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Also known as the “Sabbath of Sabbaths”.
The modern day Jewish faith still respects this Law. The Holy Days are usually observed with a day long fast and intensified prayer services.
Holy Day Rules
Their are a number of restrictions as observance of the Holy day:
- no eating and drinking
- no wearing leather shoes
- no washing/bathing
- no anointing (no perfumes, oils or lotions)
- no marital relations
Returning to Purity
Observance of these things represent returning oneself to purity, a spiritual renewing which is the objective of the Holy Day. Traditionally to dress in white clothing for the day of atonement representing the purification. It is to feel discomfort to realize the discomfort of others.
The Timing
Beginning at sundown and ending the following day at sundown.
The Process
Additionally, it is believed that you must:
- Pray for forgiveness
- Repent from sin
- Give a charitable contribution
The official Repentance consists of: the regret of ones sins, resolving not to commit further sin and traditional confession of ones sins.
The Dates
The dates of Yom Kippur are determined based on the Hebrew and Gregorian Calendars. It varies annually but falls within either September or October.
The Gates of Prayer
It is also believed the special “Gates of Prayer” are opened at sunset on the first day and the “Gates of Prayer” are closed at sunset on the second day.
The Laws of Yom Kippur
Leviticus 16:1-34 {KJV}
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died; 2 And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. 3 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. 5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. 7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself: 12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: 13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:
14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. 15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. 17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.
18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. 19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
23 And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there: 24 And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people. 25 And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.
26 And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp. 27 And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung. 28 And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that so journeth among you: 30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.
31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. 32 And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: 33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.
Leviticus 23:26-32(KJV)
26 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. 28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the Lord your God. 29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. 31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
Numbers 29:7-11(KJV)
7 And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein: 8 But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord for a sweet savour; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish:
9 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram, 10 A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: 11 One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings.
Day of Atonement History
The Golden Calf
After God’s chosen people left Egypt Moses went up Mount Sinai. When he did not return in a timely manner the chosen people began to worship a graven image. They constructed a Golden Calf and began to worship it in place of God. When Moses returned and saw them in his rage he smashed the tablets containing the ten commandments. Because the people atoned for their actions God forgave them and gave Moses a second set of tablets. After Moses periods of prayers ultimately God granted forgiveness and restored his divine favor.
God’s Forgiveness
The Day of Atonement is considered the date that Moses received the second set of commandment tablets. After his second forty days of God’s instructions. The Israelites were granted God’s forgiveness for their sin of the Golden Calf. They were able to atone for their sins.
There began the Day of Atonement…
For the Love of God,
Sparks
