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Yom Kippur in 2008 is on Thursday, the 9th of October. Yom Kippur is considered the most important day in the Jewish year. In fact, persons who observe little or nothing of their Jewish heritage year-round often attend the synagogue on this one day. Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, is important to God as well.

He said "On this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins" (Lev 16:30). In Leviticus 23:26-32 we find, "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves..." Three times in these verses the children of Israel are commanded to deny themselves. The most common interpretation for this (in Israel) is to fast from food and water.

In ancient times, one day of the year, the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies to put the blood of the sacrificed animal on the altar as a sin offering. Through faith, obedience to God's precise instructions resulted in atonement, or covering, for sin. Today, Yom Kippur is a day of fasting and reflecting upon one's sin.

The name "Yom Kippur" means "Day of Atonement," and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to "afflict the soul," to atone for the sins of the past year. On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in the  books is sealed. This day is, essentially, your last appeal, your last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate your repentance and make amends.

Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and God, not for sins against another person. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible. That must all be done before Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. It is well-known that you are supposed to refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur. It is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur.

Most of the holiday is spent in the synagogue, in prayer. In Orthodox synagogues, services begin early in the morning (8 or 9 AM) and continue until about 3 PM. People then usually go home for an afternoon nap and return around 5 or 6 PM for the afternoon and evening services, which continue until nightfall. The services end at nightfall, with the blowing of a long blast on the shofar.

It is customary to wear white on the holiday, which symbolizes purity and calls to mind the promise that our sins shall be made as white as snow (Is. 1:18).  

Yom Kippur or The Ten Days of Awe.  

These 10 days are called the Days of Awe because each man's destiny hangs in the balance as he goes about asking forgiveness from God for sins committed against Him (violations of His Law) and from friends and neighbors for wrongs done to them. A common greeting among Jews during the Days of Awe is, "May your name be written in the Book." On Yom Kippur, the judgment entered in these books is sealed and the books are closed for another year. So this day is, essentially, their last appeal, their last chance to change the judgment, to demonstrate their repentance and make amends. Yom Kippur is a Holy Sabbath; no work can be performed. Jews refrain from eating and drinking even water. It is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur.

Lev 23:28 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.

Lev 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. (KJV)

Man’s Sin has separated him from God. Yet the Lord though it important to restore that relationship.

The single most important day of the Jewish year is the Day of Atonement.

The theme of holiness is central to the Day of Atonement.

The word HOLY comes from the Hebrew word (KODOSH) Holy is used more than 80 times.

The word KODOSH means "to set apart" or "to cut apart."

Lev 19:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

Lev 20:26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine. (KJV)

The sacrificial system and especially the Day of Atonement are an expression of God’s compassion and grace.

The sacrificial system declares god’s grace and His willingness to forgive the sins of His people.

God set an entire day to make atonement for their soul, one gracious day each year when every individual could find forgiveness for past sins and be restored to fellowship with his Maker.

Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul. (KJV)

The biblical name for the Day of Atonement is YOM HAKIPPURIM, meaning "the day of covering" or "concealing".

This sacrificial system was designed to cover sin, until it was finally put away through the death of Jesus Christ.

THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF YOM KIPPUR

HOLD A CONVOCATION (assembly).  Lev 23:27 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. (KJV)

HUMBLE YOUR SOULS

Fasting and repentance is a requirement on Yom Kippur.

Judges 20:26Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. (KJV)

PRESENT AN OFFERING  Read Lev. 16 all.

Num 29:7 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. (KJV)

DO NOT WORK This day is a Sabbath of Sabbaths.

Lev 23:31 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. (KJV)

Heb 4: 8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (KJV)

Exodus 22:1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. (KJV)

In ancient times, Yom Kippur was the only day of the year when it was permissible to speak the Name of God. During a great and solemn ceremony at the Temple two goats were brought before the High Priest. One was a goat "for the Lord" to be presented as a peace offering as commanded in Lev. 25:27. The other was called "the scapegoat" because all the sins of the nation were symbolically placed upon its head, and it was led outside the city to be destroyed. The scapegoat had done nothing to deserve this but was killed to remind the people that only the shedding of innocent blood could atone for their sins. The death of the two goats symbolically set aside the sins of the nation, made their offering acceptable and gave them another year of peace with their Creator. Lying prostrate before Him the people spoke the Name of God in heartfelt thanks.

The blood:  Is a token of the New Covenant.  Matt 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (KJV)

Gives life.      John 6:54 Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (KJV)

Brings redemption.  Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (KJV)

Makes propitiation (compensation). Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (KJV)

Justifies man. Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (KJV)

Provides access through forgiveness. I Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (KJV)

For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (KJV)

Provides cleansing. I Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. (KJV)

Makes us over comers. Rev 12:11 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. KJV