DAY
OF ATONEMENT / YOM HAKIPPURIM
We now come to the second of the Fall Feasts, the
Festival following Rosh Hashanna. This is the sixth of the seven great Festivals of the Lord.
As we have seen, numbers have played an important part
in the witness of the Feasts;
· Seven
Festivals: seven the number of perfection and completion
· Three
groupings: Spring, Pentecost, Fall; three the number of perfect witness
and testimony
· The
Spring and Fall Festivals separated by five months; five the number of grace
So then, does the number six have any meaning in Hebrew thought?
The letter Vav
is the sixth letter of the
Hebrew alphabet and has the value of six in Hebrew thought:
The word Vav (not
the letter) is used in Exodus 27:9-10
to refer to the hooks or pegs of silver fastened to posts that held the curtain
that enclosed the Tabernacle. Silver
always represents redemption in the Scriptures (the bride price, the thirty
pieces of silver that was the price for the Messiah). This is a beautiful
picture of the redemption that allows us entrance into the Holy Place of God’s
Presence.
Since Vav represents the number six it has
also long been thought of as the number of man:
· Man
was created on the sixth day
· Man
works for six days, but rests on the seventh
· There
are believed to be six millennia before the coming of Messiah
· The
“beast” is identified with the number 666, “the number of a man” Revelation 13:18
The
Mystery of the Broken Vav
Soferut,
the laws concerning the transcribing of the Torah, requires that all Hebrew
letters be correctly formed. In other words, no letter can touch other letters;
no letters can be malformed, broken or illegible. In fact, the Hebrew has over 400 Laws for the precise copying of a sacred scroll.
If a scribe made a mistake in making a Scroll copy, it couldn't be
"fixed" it had to be taken out and buried. BUT there are exceptions.
If there is an "oddity"
in the original it had to be left there! This brings us to the Vav that appears in the word “Shalom” Numbers
25:12.
“Behold,
I am giving to him my covenant of peace (shalom)”
Figure 1
Note the broken Vav; the third letter from the right in the word Shalom
This broken letter was left in the text and was always
copied as written.
Why the broken Vav?
Because it is an “oddity” it MUST BE LEFT THERE. Why would God make certain
that this broken letter was carefully and lovingly copied in all the Torah
versions preserved?
I believe it is because in
the covenant of peace ratified in the blood of the Messiah our Vav,
the body of the "man Christ JESUS" had to
be broken:
"My body broken
for you"1
Corinthians 11:24
Another amazing “coincidence” regarding numbers in the
Hebrew Bible is as follows;
Vav is
the fourth letter in the sacred Name of
God which only the high Priest was allowed to pronounce once a year on The
Day of Atonement;
Pronounced Yod Hey Vav Hey (remember Hebrew is read from right to left) this is known as the
tetragrammaton, and is now
spoken correctly as YAWEH, though it was
originally translated as Jehovah by the scholars that gave us
the King James version of the Bible.
The Name of God is
referred to as 'the Name of four letters',
each letter signifying a different stage of the process of creation.
There are also four
levels of Torah interpretation: the
literal, the allusion, the allegory and the secret (or concealed).
(What we are
seeing in these examples of the numerical value of the Hebrew letters is the “secret” or “concealed” level of
interpretation.)
2 It
is the glory of God to conceal
a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings Proverbs 25:2
Since we are now a “kingdom of priests”
it is our glory to seek out these
wonderful “fingerprints of God” in the Scriptures.
So, let’s
continue;
With Vav
being the fourth letter in the Sacred Name, we will now examine the Hebrew
significance of four.
Dalet means door. Significantly, the Hebrew word for religion is dat; (written
Dalet Tav) which, if written in Paleo
Hebrew pictographs would read “the door of the covenant”. (as
seen below in the chart)
Notice that the pictograph for Tav ;“covenant” (or
mark/sign) is a cross.
In John 10: 7-10
we read;
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most
assuredly, I say to you, I am the door
of the sheep. 8 All
who ever came
before Me are thieves
and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door.
If anyone enters by Me, he will be
saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The
thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come
that they may have life, and that they may have it more
abundantly.
Here very
clearly Jesus portrays Himself as the dalet (door) of the New Covenant,
sealed with His blood on the cross. This
is the true “religion” of the Scriptures.
Additionally, the bent shape of the dalet also traditionally
symbolizes a needy person who is bent over with care.(The word Dalet
comes from dalah, which means poor and impoverished.) We can see
this portrayed as well in the Son of Man Jesus;
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty you might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
IN SUMMARY
1.
The Vav (man, number 6) Jesus becomes the
2.
Dalet (door, number
4) bringing our
3.
Vav ( the word
not the letter; redemption ; pictured by the silver pegs holding the Door, Dalet,
to
the Tabernacle, as seen in Exodus 27:9-10 Mishkan).
The picture is thus revealed completely in three witnesses, which we know is the
number of perfect testimony (see previous study on Rosh HaShanah; overview of
the Feasts).
We also see through the broken Vav in
the word shalom of Numbers 25:12 that the man (Vav) Jesus would be broken for our peace.
And we see that the man (Vav) of our redemption would be a part of the Sacred Name of God, thus being equal with God.
However though being equal He, the door (Dalet) would become
poor and impoverished for our sakes, that we might be rich through Him.
Remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees?
You search the Scriptures,
for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which
testify of Me. John 5:39
We can see, as
the Lord alludes to, that in all four
levels of interpretation;
· Literal
· Allusion
· Allegory
· Secret/Concealed
Jesus is revealed
and glorified in all His beauty and wonder.
With these beautiful types and shadows as introduction,
we can now turn to the rituals and types of the sixth Feast of the Lord.
FEAST
SIX: DAY OF ATONEMENT /YOM HAKIPPURIM
As the sixth Feast we see that this
Festival is designed for man as its focus is completely on
Israel’s atonement for sin.
For it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to
cleanse you; and you shall be clean from
all your sins before the Lord. It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for
you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute (Leviticus
16:30-31 NAS).
On exactly the tenth day of this
seventh month is the day of atonement...for
it is a day of atonement, to make
atonement on your behalf before the Lord your God.... You shall do no work
at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your
dwelling places. It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall
humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until
evening you shall keep your sabbath (Leviticus
23:27-28,31-32 NAS).
YOM KIPPUR
The Day of Atonement, Yom
Kippur. More properly; Yom Hakippurim, The Day of Covering.
The Priestly Service for Yom Kippur:
Leviticus chapter 16,
specifies the tenth of Tishrei as the date on which the
high priest shall conduct a special ceremony to purge defilement from the
shrine and from the people. The heart of the ritual is that the high priest
shall bring a bull and two goats as a special offering.
·
First, the bull is sacrificed to purge the shrine from any
defilement caused by misdeeds of the priest himself and of his household (Leviticus 16:6).
·
Secondly,
one of the goats is chosen by lot to be sacrificed to purge the shrine of any
similar defilement stimulated by misdeeds of the whole Israelite people (Leviticus 16:7-8).
·
Finally, the second goat is sent away, not sacrificed, to cleanse
the people themselves. The goat is marked for Azazel and is sent away to wander in the wilderness (Leviticus 16:10). Before the goat is sent out,
the high priest lays both his hands upon its head and confesses over it all the
iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their misdeeds, and
so putting them on the head of the goat. Thus, the Torah adds, "The goat shall carry on it all their
iniquities to an inaccessible region..." (Leviticus 16:20-22).
This
a rather brief overview of the rituals involved in this Day’s Observance; the rituals and preparations were extremely
involved and had to be followed exactly or the high priest would be declared
unclean and disqualified from performing his duties. No mistake could be made,
no offering omitted, no word misspoken.
This was to demonstrate to Israel the awesome Holiness of YaWeh and the utter sinfulness of the
people. It spoke clearly of the need for a sacrifice of blood to atone for the
sins of the people. This was a life and death matter and no deviation of
omission could be allowed.
We
will now examine the Day in much greater detail;
THE PREPARATION
The
high priest was at the center of this Festival. It was absolutely critical that
he made himself ritually clean and not allow himself any activity of mistake
that would make him unclean, thereby disqualifying himself from fulfilling his
duties.
To
make certain that this did not happen, the high priest would leave his home one
week before Yom Kippur and move into the high priest quarters inside the Temple
gates. He was then in solitude for the week and was sprinkled twice with the ashes
of a red heifer (Numbers 19:1-10) to
circumvent the possibility that he had unknowingly become unclean in some way.
As
another precaution, an alternate was selected to fulfill the duties of the high
priest in the event that an unexpected death or illness would prevent the high
priest from performing his duties. This alternate was usually the man who was
next in line to become the high priest, who had great influence and power as
the “Captain of the Temple” (see Acts
4:1; 5: 24-26).
All
the prescribed duties were diligently followed including, such as sprinkling
blood between the thumb and forefinger, burning incense and lighting the
menorah. There could be NO mistakes or omissions. Any misstep would be a
monumental catastrophe and humiliation for the entire nation. The night before
the service the high priest was kept awake by reading Scripture and having
obscure passages from the more minor prophets read to him so as to keep his interest. He ate very little, if at all,
to keep spiritually sensitive and put down the flesh in preparation for his
sacred duties.
THE MORNING SERVICE
The
Jewish day begins at sunset. The Temple service for Yom Kippur however, did not
begin until dawn, the half way point of the day.
The
ashes on the altar were cleared away and
for fires were kindled (instead of the usual three, which highlighted the
special significance of the day).
On
a normal day the high priest would wash his hands and feet from the bronze
laver when preparing for the morning sacrifices. On Yom Kippur the high priest
would immerse himself in a special golden bath that was located near the Court
of the Priests. This occurred behind a large linen curtain which revealed only
the shadow of the priests’ movements to the public. This was done so that
everyone knew no changes were made to the required procedures.
The
high priest would then put on his linen and golden garments with special
attention to detail and with great care. His purple robe was hemmed with tiny
golden bells so that the people could follow his movements as he performed his
duties and represented them before God. Over the top of his robe he wore a
golden breastplate studded with twelve precious stones-the representation of
the twelve tribes of Israel, reminding the high priest that he held the spiritual
fate of all the people in his hands.
After
dressing, the high priest washed his hands and feet as prescribed so he could
perform the regular daily sacrifice. Following these morning sacrifices he
would return to the bath chamber to change into his white linen garments for
Yom Kippur. Five times during the day he makes clothing changes and five times
he follows the same cleansing rituals;
·
Each
time he washes his hands and feet
·
Removes
his garments
·
Totally
immerses his body
·
Puts
on a new change of clothes
·
Washes
his hands and feet a second time
THE AFTERNOON SERVICE
The
afternoon Temple service was the main focus of the Yom Kippur observance.
Through the sacrifices of this service atonement was made for the sins of the
priesthood and the people of Israel for the preceding year.
The Confession
of the High Priest
The
high priest began the afternoon service by moving to the Court of the Priests
where a young bull was waiting for him between the altar and the Temple porch.
This
bull was the SIN OFFERING for the
high priest and all the priesthood.
This
ceremony took place near where the priests normally ministered. The high priest
would press both of his hands on the head of the bull as a sign of
identification with the animal as his substitute and make confession of his sin. This
pressing was a very strong pressure, not just a laying on of his hands but a
pushing down on the animal, “burdening it
with his sins”.
Three
times during this confession the high priest would pronounce the covenant name
of God, pronounced YaWeh (as we have previously discussed). Under Jewish oral law,
this holy name is forbidden to be spoken on any other occasion, as that would
be “taking it in vain”.
Each
time the high priest would utter the Name the people and priests would fall on
their faces in worship and repeat the following;
Blessed be His Name whose glorious kingdom is forever and
forever!
The Two Goats
The
high priest was then escorted by two other priests to the eastern side of the
altar. On his ride would stand the alternate or Deputy High Priest. On his left
was the Chief Priest of the division of priests chosen to minister that
particular week.
Two
goats also stood at that place, side by side. They had to be identical in size,
color and value or they would be unfit for the ceremony. The goats faced the
Temple and would be watching the high priest as he approached.
Two
golden lots (dice or stones) were place inside a golden vessel sitting on the
stone pavement near the goats. One lot was inscribed with “For YaWeh” and the other
with “For Azazel “. The high priest would take the vessel and shake it
and randomly take one lot in each hand. He would hold the lots to the foreheads
of the goats, determining their outcome, declaring them both to be a sin
offering to the Lord. It
was considered a good omen if the lot marked for YaWeh was drawn by the
priest in the right hand, but for 40
years prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD the lot for YaWeh was drawn by the
priest on the left hand (Talmud, Yoma
39a)
The
goat upon which the lot for Azazel fell was immediately identified by a crimson strip of wool tied to
one of its horns.
Note: In connection with this ceremony, an interesting tradition
arose that is mentioned in the Mishnah. (The Oral Law compiled in written form
finally in the Second Century AD. Its 63
volumes and its commentary the Gemara, were then eventually
compiled into the Talmud in the fifth century AD). The widely accepted account stated that a portion of the crimson sash
was attached to the door of the temple before the goat was sent into the
wilderness. The sash would turn from red to white as the goat met its end, signaling
to the people that God had accepted their sacrifices and their sins were
forgiven. This was based upon Isaiah
1:18;
“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like
crimson,
They shall be as wool.
After the sash was tied, the goat was then
turned to face the people whose sins would later be ritually placed upon its
head. (There is some debate as to the exact meaning of the word Azazel.
Some believe it refers to Satan
because Jewish tradition held that Azazel was the name of a fallen
angel. However, most scholars believe it comes from the Hebrew word azel which
means “escape”. This line of reasoning led to the calling of this goat the “scapegoat”
since it escaped death and was instead driven into the wilderness).
The
goat for YaWeh was left to face the large stone altar where it would
soon be offered as a sin offering.
The Sin
Offering for the Priesthood
After
this casting of lots, the high priest returned to the young bull a second time
and again pressed his hands forcibly on its head.
This
time he confessed the sins of the entire priesthood (remember that earlier he
had only confessed his personal sins).
The
bull was then slaughtered by the high priest and the blood collected in a
golden bowl. One of the attending priests was given the bowl and the task of
stirring the blood so it would not congeal.
The Burning of
Incense
Next
the high priest took a golden fire pan (censer) and walked up the ramp to the
altar. He would then very carefully fill the censer with live coals from the
fires burning on the altar. He would take two handfuls of incense and place
them in a golden ladle. With the fire pan in his right hand and the incense in
his left, he would ascend to the Temple, pass through the Holy Place, passing
the lampstand, table of showbread and altar of incense which were located at
the rear of the Holy Place, before the veil.
He would then pause at the veil for a moment, then make his way into the
Holy of Holies. Before him stood the Ark of the Covenant with the Shekinah
Glory
above it, lighting the room which otherwise would have been in total
darkness.
Seven pour the incense from the ladle onto the
fire pan and wait for the smoke and aroma to fill the room. (It should be noted
that only coals from the altar of sacrifice could be used….nothing could enter
the Holiest Place without the shedding of blood).
He
would then exit through the veil.
Sprinkling the
Blood
The
high priest would then take the carefully stirred golden bowl of blood from the
attending priest and re-enter the Holiest Place.
Here
he would carefully sprinkle the blood before the Ark of the Covenant. He would
sprinkle it once upwards, then seven times downward in a motion as if he were
cracking a whip. All the while he would count aloud to make certain there were
no errors.
The
high priest would then exit and place the bowl in a golden stand. Continuing
outward, he would enter the Court of the Priests to slaughter the goat set
aside for YaWEh. He collected its blood in a smaller golden bowl called a
mizrak.
He
then entered the Holy of Holies a third time and sprinkled the blood of the
goat in the same manner as that of the bull.
Exiting
through the veil he would then turn and sprinkle the veil with the blood of the
bull, then he would repeat the process with the blood of the goat.
Finally,
he would pour the blood from the bull and goat together and mix them. He would
then sprinkle the horns of the altar in the courtyard.
The Scapegoat
Attention
then turned to the remaining goat. The high priest would lay his hands heavily
on the head of the goat and confess the sins of the people over it. The goat
was then led through the Eastern Gate and taken more than ten miles into the
wilderness. It was never seen again.
In
the days of Herod’s Temple (The Second Temple) the scapegoat was actually
killed so there was no chance it could wander back into an inhabited area. It
was usually killed by being pushed backwards over a cliff by the priest.
While
the goat was taken away the people waited in the Temple for word that the act
was accomplished. During this time
regular afternoon sacrifice continued. The high priest finished sacrificing the
bull and the goat on the altar and the remaining parts were taken outside the
city gates and burned.
The
high priest then addressed the people. He entered the Court of the Women and
read the Yom Kippur passages from Leviticus
and quoted the passage from Numbers
by heart to verify that all the commandments had been duly accomplished. All of
Israel breathed a collective sigh of relief and gratitude.
As
the sun set in the west, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies a final
time to remove the fire pan and incense ladle. He would then bath for the fifth
time and change into his golden garments. As the day officially ended he
performed the regular evening sacrifices and drew Yom Kippur to a close for
another year.
Note: You have perhaps
noticed that I did not capitalize the title of high priest in the previous
section. This was done intentionally in honor of the one true High Priest, Yeshua
(Jesus) our Messiah, Priest and King.
Sacrifices
There
was no other day in the year that God allowed entry into the Holy of Holies,
and the sacrifices offered were the only
sacrifices for Israel as a community.
All
other sacrifices were to be offered outside the Tent of Meeting and are individual sacrifices. All sacrifices
described in Leviticus 1-5 atoned
for the sins of the individual person.
Those sacrifices;
·
The
Burnt Offering
·
The
Grain Offering
·
The
Peace Offering
·
The
Sin Offering
All
of these did not do away with the need for the Yom Kippur sacrifices,
nor did the Yom Kippur sacrifices do away with the necessity of individual
sacrifices. All these sacrifices were not mutually exclusive, they each had
their purposes and worked in conjunction with each other. God, in His grace made provision to cover
the sins of the person and the nation. The literal Hebrew for this Festival
is Yom
Hakippurim; The Day of Covering.
FULFILLMENT OF THE FEAST THROUGH THE MESSIAH
The Passover Connection
The connection between Yom
Haikippurim and Passover is
obvious; the blood.
In considering Passover first we must recall the words of Jesus;
For this is My blood
of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26:28
According to the Law,
the blood of Passover did not, and
could not atone for sins. That was not the purpose of the Passover
Lamb.
The original purpose of the Passover Lamb was for its blood to
be splashed on the doorposts and lintels of each of the households of the
children of Israel on the night that the Lord struck the first born of all
Egypt but, because of the blood, the angel of death passed over homes of the Israelites.
Because of the blood, the children
of Israel (specifically the first born)
were covered
from the penalty of death. However, there was no mention of sin or atonement at all.
The Passover Lamb did not institute any covenants, its sole
effect was deliver from death.
The Law, instituted
at Mount Sinai, provided for the atonement for sin through Yom Kippur and the daily
sacrifices.
We see however, in the statement of
Jesus cited above a combination of the two Festivals, Passover and Yom
Kippur. Also, a an additional witness, John the Baptizer, Jesus cousin, combined the two when he said;
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29
The combination of the lamb of Passover,
the High Priest and the rams of Yom Kippur are combined in one
Person; Yeshua (Jesus)!
Not only does
the Blood of Jesus the Lamb protect us from God’s judgment of death, but He is
the perfect substitute sacrifice for our sins because He is sinless. Because of His
perfection He is also the True and
Perfect High Priest who offers the
ultimate Yom Kippur sacrifice for the sins of His people.
And every priest stands ministering daily and
offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.12 But this Man, after He had offered one
sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till
His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are
being sanctified. Hebrews 10:11-14
This
brings us to question of The Priesthood; as we have mentioned Jesus, through
His sacrifice became the true High Priest.
Did this mean that Jesus broke God’s Law?
MELCHIZEDEK OR LEVITICAL?
When
Jesus walked this earth in the flesh he was not entitled to be a priest as He
was of the tribe of Judah.
14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke
nothing concerning priesthood
Hebrews 7:14
All priests, including of course the high
priest, had to be of the tribe of Levi, as had been Aaron. Only those of this
line could offer sacrifices to God, on penalty of death.
This
order God changed through the Messiah Jesus. Why?
Therefore, if perfection were
through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law),
what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of
Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being
changed, of necessity there is also a change
of the law. 13 For He of whom these
things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at
the altar.
15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the
likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not
according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For He testifies:[b]
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”[c]
18 For on the one hand there
is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and
unprofitableness,19 for
the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. Hebrews 7: 11-19
Notice verse 18; the former commandment was
weak and unprofitable. What? God instituted a weak and unprofitable system from
Mt Sinai that, if it was not followed brought death? A system that lasted
almost fifteen hundred years? The Law
given by God now needing to be annulled?
The
answer; Yes!
The
reason is clear; the Law made nothing perfect…the priesthood system did not perfect
anything…there was a covering of sin but
there was no real atonement, the
sins were not taken away, only covered, which explains the actual name of the Feast; Yom Haikippurim lit. The Day of Covering.
Let me
explain it like this; if a vandal comes at night and spray paints offensive and
profane graffiti on your house with black paint, you would take the paint that
you used originally to paint your house and brush over the graffiti, covering it. The words
are still there, you just can’t see them.
In the
same manner, the Levitical sacrifices covered the sins of the people (the
Hebrew word is kaphar, as used in the pitch to cover the ark of Noah to
protect those inside..not to remove anything).
Hebrews 10:4 explains it very clearly;
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away
sins.
The
Levitical system was never intended to last forever; it was, as part of the Law,
a shadow of the real;
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves.
For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year
after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Hebrews 10:1
Only a perfect
sinless sacrifice equal to the person being atoned for can do away with sins.
But Christ came as High Priest of
the good things to come,[a] with the
greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this
creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with
His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained
eternal redemption. 13 For if
the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean,
sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this
reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for
the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who
are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
26 For such
a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up
sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did
once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as
high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after
the law, appoints the Son who has been
perfected forever. Hebrews
7:11-28
The Messiah has the credentials
of an eternal perfect life, holy, blameless and perfect. He is the fulfillment
of the prophetic type of Melchizedek, the king of righteousness who blessed
Abraham;
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest
of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the
kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a
tenth part of all, first being translated “king
of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” 3 without father, without mother,
without genealogy, having neither
beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a
priest continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the
patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. 5 And indeed those who are
of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive
tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren,
though they have come from the loins of Abraham; 6 but he whose genealogy is
not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the
promises. 7 Now beyond all contradiction the
lesser is blessed by the better. 8 Here mortal men receive tithes,
but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he
lives. 9 Even Levi, who receives
tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, 10 for he was still in the
loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Hebrews 7: 1-10
Abraham was blessed by
Melchizedek after the patriarch acknowledged His priesthood and paid tithes,
before the Law as instituted. The blessing involved the promise of the “Seed”
that would bless all the world:
Now to Abraham
and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of
many, but as of one,“And to
your Seed,”[i] who is Christ. 17 And this
I say, that the law, which was four
hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed
before by God in Christ,[j] that it
should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the
law, it is no longer of promise; but
God gave it to Abraham by promise. Galatians
3:16-18
So, the reality
is, the promise came first and the Law was added 430 years later;
What purpose then does the law serve? It was added
because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was
made;
But before faith came, we were kept under
guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our
tutor to bring us to
Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come,
we are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3: 19, 23
Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled all the types and shadows of
the priestly service of Yom Haikippurim and became the true
high Priest after the order of Melchizedek. This did not contradict the Law it fulfilled
it. The order of Melchizedek
came first and the Law then was added because of sin to lead Israel back to the
Promise of the Seed of Abraham.
The true blood
was shed and offered upon the heavenly altar, taken by Jesus and put on the
heavenly mercy seat;
Not with the
blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy
Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls
and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the
purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who
through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 7:12-14
Now sins are not just
covered, they are done away with forever! Jesus remains our High
Priest forever, having truly atoned for
sins once for all for all time!
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the
heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, 2 who was faithful to Him who
appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His
house. Hebrews 3:1-2
And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who
obey Him,10 called by God as High Priest “according
to the order of Melchizedek Hebrews 5:9
Therefore, since we have a great high priest(A) who has
ascended into heaven,[a](B) Jesus the Son of God,(C) let us hold
firmly to the faith we profess.(D) 15 For we do not have a high
priest(E) who is
unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted
in every way, just as we are(F)—yet he
did not sin.(G) 16 Let us then approach(H) God’s throne of
grace with confidence,(I) so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews
4:14
MESSIANIC FULFILLMENT OF OTHER TYPES AND SHADOWS
Sprinkling of Blood
As
mentioned the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the bull and goat in a
prescribed manner; with his forefinger he would sprinkle once upward and seven times downward, forcibly as if he was cracking a whip.
He did this three times in the Holy
of Holies.
The
significance of this is clear:
· Seven is the number of perfection: this was a type
of the perfect sacrifice that was to come; the Messiah. His blood was the completion or perfection of the atonement.
· Three is the number of perfect testimony and witness as well as the Trinity: The sacrifice was a type
of the perfect testimony of salvation witnesses and affirmed by the GodHead.
· The sprinkling was done in a forcible, violent manner, as if cracking a whip. The Messiah was
scourged with a whip and his blood sprinkled violently.
The High Priests’ Garments
Rather than wearing his usual robe
and colorful garments (described in Exodus
28 and Leviticus 8:1-8), Aaron was commanded to wear special garments of
linen while entering the Holy of Holies, Leviticus
16:4.
He shall put the holy linen
tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen
sash
Tunic: Made of pure white linen in a box-stitch (similar to the
setting of a ring). It extended from the neck
to the toes and wrists, modestly covering the entire body.* Thanks
to http://www.aish.com
Yeshua was seen wearing the same thing, with one
difference, in Revelation 1:13-15.
and in the midst of the seven lamp stands One like the Son of Man, clothed
with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
Daniel also saw this and described it in Daniel 10:5-6.
I lifted my eyes and
looked, and behold, a certain man
clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his
face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms
and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the
voice of a multitude.
The White linen of the Day
of Atonement has, added to it, the golden
sash or belt (girdle) of the royal office of the High Priest. This
indicates to us that the sacrifice is over and Jesus is now ministering as High
Priest for us in Heaven.
Though we have discussed Jesus as
High Priest extensively previously, it bears noting that Jesus was resurrected
as the High Priest; this can be proven from events that transpired at, and
shortly after, the resurrection.
In
John 20:17, Yeshua said
to Mary at His resurrection;
"Touch
Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father, and to My God and your God.’..."
Note: These were similar words that the high priest spoke before
he ascended the altar with the blood of the sacrifice.
Why was Mary forbidden to touch her Lord at this emotional
moment?
This is clearly previewed and
explained by Numbers 19:11; if
you touched a dead body, or any unclean thing, you were unclean for seven days. The high priest could not be unclean when
he presented the blood for the sin offering!
So the answer is; Jesus
had yet to ascend to the Heavenly Temple and the mercy seat and present His
blood for us all;
But Christ came as High Priest of
the good things to come,[a] with the
greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this
creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with
His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained
eternal redemption ….
Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the
heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with
better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made
with hands, which
are copies of the
true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the
high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— 26 He then would
have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away
sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And as it is appointed for
men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once
to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a
second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Hebrews 9: 11-12;
23-28
The Scapegoat
As we previously discussed, there were two identical goats
chosen from the area of Jericho, one designated as belonging to the Lord and
other (for Azazel) would carry Israel’s sins into the desert/wilderness.
This symbolism was fulfilled in the trial and death of Jesus:
We know historically
that, as a concession to the Jews, the Romans would release a notable prisoner
just prior to the feast of Passover.
Pilate brought “Jesus”
& “Barabbas” before the crowd (the correct translation, not “the Jews”), and the crowd
cheered “Give us Barabbas.”
BARABBAS was
a Jewish terrorist in the custody of the Roman police in Jerusalem at the
time Jesus was arrested and tried for sedition. (Luke 23.19) Barabbas was guilty of insurrection
and guilty of murder. (Some theologians have theorized that Barabbas was the
ringleader and his main two accomplices were the men who hung beside Jesus. The
cross in the middle therefore could have possibly been meant for
Barabbas).
As mentioned,
it was customary at Passover that a prisoner would be released by the Roman
prelate. And since Pilate saw no valid capital guilt in Jesus, he offered to
release him. At the instigation of Jesus' enemies among the Temple authorities,
the crowds demanded Barabbas be freed
instead. They got their wish. Pilate gave them Barabbas in place of Jesus of
Nazareth. Therefore, Jesus replaced Barabbas and died
for his sins, while Barabbas was released and went away, carrying his sins with
him, fulfilling the scapegoat
ceremony.
However ,there are two ironies in the story that
don't appear on the surface of English Bibles.
The
Missing Name
In this episode involving these two Jewish radicals there is a variant in
several Greek manuscripts of the Gospel of Matthew. The traditional text of Matthew 27:16-17 reads as follows in
the New American Standard Bible (NASB):
At
that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas So when they
the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to
release for you?Barabbas, or Jesus who is called
Christ?"
Several
ancient manuscripts (the Syriac for one example), however, name the terrorist "Jesus
Barabbas" and have Pilate ask:
Whom do you want me to release for
you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?
(v. 17)
Father's
Son
The second and deeper irony in the reading "Jesus Barabbas" appears when we note that "Barabbas"
(or "Bar Abbas") is the
Hellenized form of the Aramaic name Bar Abba, meaning "son of the father." And the name
"Jesus" (Greek, Yesous) is the Hellenized form of the Hebrew name Yeshua.
Thus, in a
seemingly inconsequential legal decision that still quakes through the
centuries, Pilate was in essence asking the Jerusalem crowd:
"Which one do you want me to
release to you:
Yeshua son of the father or Yeshua son of the father,
the One whom his followers call Messiah?"
Pilate gave up one Jesus for another Jesus, one "son of
the father" in place of another. He exchanged
an assassin for an innocent man who died in his place. This decision surely has
the fingerprint of God. Remember;
the two goats had to be totally similar in appearance for the sacrifice to be
valid!
As a final note on this ceremony and
it’s fulfillment we recall the scarlet sash tied to the horns of the goats and
the door of the Temple. As you remember, after the sacrifice was completed, the
sash would turn white signifying the acceptance of the sacrifice. Amazingly, the Mishnah tells us that 40 years before the destruction of the temple
the sash stopped turning white. (This was the same time the lot began to
fall into the left hand rather than the right). This, of course, was the year when Yeshua
(Jesus) was slain on the cross, though little
if any attention was paid to this fact by the rabbis.
This also opens a picture of the
ceremony that has prophetic significance, and which was graphically fulfilled
that 40 years later. The goat chosen
for the Lord was slain and it’s blood sprinkled to purify the veil and
the horns of the altar. The goat chosen for Azazel then had the sins
of the people placed on it’s head and was released into the wilderness. In the Torah this goat was not slain (the
priests added that themselves to make sure it would not come back). We see in this the picture that would soon be
acted out in reality as Jesus died for the atonement that would open the veil
and fulfill the altar of sacrifice. Barabbas was released and would carry his
sins away, still in rebellion, into the wilderness, as Israel would be carried
away in 70 AD by Rome, the Temple destroyed and the priesthood done away with
after refusing their Messiah. Fulfilling the vow, (though involuntarily), the
priests and crowd made when they said “his
blood be upon us and our children” when the cried out for the death of Jesus.
Please, do not use this as an excuse for anti-Semitism, as not all Jews
called for this, just a crowd (probably
small, as the area of the viewing would not support a large crowd, not as
portrayed in the artwork or films commonly seen) brought together by the priests
and leaders probably made up of followers and paid rabble rousers… remember
many thousands of Jews followed the Messiah and were the first Church!!!)
The Sadducees were finished, (they were the ruling priestly class).. and the
power of the rabbis would be born, a situation that lasts till this day.
Prophetic Implications; Past and
Future
We have seen that all the Festivals (moedim) are appointed
times of revelation (miqra) of events past and future in
the plan of redemption. When they were
first established by the Lord they were all rehearsals (miqra) of future events.
The first four, or Spring Feasts, have been fulfilled in the death, burial and
resurrection of Yeshua as well as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost. Generally speaking, the final
three Festivals are considered to be prophetic of future events. Yom Haikippurim is unique in that it
is both historical and
prophetic.
· Historically: Jesus
fulfilled the Festival as the goat chosen for the Lord, His blood was the
sacrifice that atoned for the sins of the people and was sprinkled violently on
the mercy seat. He was the ultimate and True High Priest that carried that
blood into the Heavenly Sanctuary and sprinkled it on the Heavenly Mercy Seat.
He thereby obtained our eternal redemption through the ultimate and forever
atonement, connecting Passover and Yom Kippur (our covering from judgment and
final ultimate doing away with our sin). This is out of sequence with the other
Fall Festivals which portray totally future events.
· Prophetically: In the sequence of the Fall Feasts Yom
Haikippurim is seven days after Yom Teruah, the Feast of
Trumpets. Yom Teruah, or Rosh
HaShanah is a two day Festival followed by 7 days of mourning and
repentance. On the 10th day is Yom Haikippurim .
Day 1 Yom Teruah
D
Day 2 Yom
Teruah A
Day 3
Y
Day 4
S
Day 5
Day 6 OF
Day 7
Day 8
A
Day 9
W
Day 10 Yom
Haikippurim E
These 10 days are called, as seen
above, the Days of Awe. During this
time Israel was to mourn for her sins and the people were to repent and fast (the
actual day of Yom Haikippurim is often called The Fast). Following the Days
of Awe comes the final Feast, Sukkot or Tabernacles.
Another name for this period of time
among the Jews is The Birthpangs of the Messiah.
Christians call this period The Great Tribulation or the 70th
week of Daniel.
The book of Daniel tells us:
“Know and understand this:
From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until
the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there
will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two
‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of
trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One
will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of
the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will
come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been
decreed.27 He
will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’In the middle of the
‘seven’he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up
an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out
on him. Daniel 9:25-27
·
The “seventy weeks”
prophecy is one of the most significant and detailed Messianic prophecies of
the Old Testament. It is found in Daniel 9. The chapter begins with Daniel
praying for Israel, acknowledging the nation’s sins against God and asking for
God’s mercy. As Daniel prayed, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and gave him a
vision of Israel’s future.
The Divisions of the 70
Weeks
In verse
24, Gabriel says, “Seventy ‘sevens’
are decreed for your people and your holy city.” Almost all commentators
agree that the seventy “sevens” should be understood as seventy “weeks” of years, in other words, a period of 490 years. These verses provide a sort of “clock”
that gives an idea of when the Messiah would come and some of the events that
would accompany His appearance.
The prophecy goes on to divide the 490 years
into three smaller units:
·
one of 49 years,
·
one of 434 years,
·
and one 7 years.
·
The final “week” of
7 years is further divided in half. Verse
25 says, “From the time the word goes
out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes,
there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’” Seven “sevens” is 49
years, and sixty-two “sevens” is another 434 years:
49 years
+ 434 years = 483 years
The Purpose of the 70
Weeks
The prophecy contains a statement concerning
God’s six-fold purpose in bringing these events to pass. Verse 24 says this purpose is 1)
“to finish transgression,” 2) “to
put an end to sin,” 3) “to atone for wickedness,” 4) “to
bring in everlasting righteousness,” 5)
“to seal up vision and prophecy,” and
6) “to anoint the most holy.”
Notice
that these results concern the total eradication of sin and the establishing of
righteousness. The prophecy of
the 70 weeks summarizes what happens before Jesus sets up His millennial kingdom. Of special note is the third in the
list of results: “to atone for wickedness.” Jesus accomplished the atonement for
sin by His death on the cross, Passover, and taking his blood into
the Heavenly Sanctuary, Yom Haikippurim (as seen above) (Romans 3:25;Hebrews 2:17).
The Fulfillment of the
70 Weeks
Gabriel said the prophetic clock would start at
the time that a decree was issued to rebuild Jerusalem. From the date of that
decree to the time of the Messiah would be 483 years. We know from history that
the command to “restore and rebuild
Jerusalem” was given by King Artaxerxes of Persia c. 445 B.C. (see Nehemiah 2:1-8).
The first unit of 49 years (seven “sevens”)
covers the time that it took to rebuild Jerusalem, “with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble” (Daniel 9:25). This rebuilding is chronicled
in the book of Nehemiah.
Using the Jewish custom of a 360-day year, 483 years
after 445 B.C. places us at A.D. 30, which would coincide with Jesus’
triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-9). The prophecy in Daniel
9 specifies that after the completion of the 483 years, “the Anointed One will be cut off” (verse 26). This was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified.
Daniel 9:26 continues with a prediction that, after
the Messiah is killed, “the people of the
ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.” This was
fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The “ruler who will come” is an apparent
reference to the Antichrist, who, it seems, will have some connection with
Rome, since it was the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem.
The Final Week of the
70 Weeks
Of the
70 “sevens,” 69 have been fulfilled in history. This leaves one more “seven”
yet to be fulfilled. Most
scholars believe that we are now living in a huge gap between the 69th week and
the 70th week. The prophetic clock
has been paused, as it were. The final “seven”
of Daniel is what we usually call the Great
Tribulation.
Daniel’s prophecy reveals some of the actions of
the Antichrist,
the “ruler who will come.” Verse 27 says, “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’” However, “in the
middle of the ‘seven,’ . . . he will set up an abomination that causes
desolation” in the temple. Jesus warned of this event in Matthew 24:15. After the Antichrist breaks the covenant with Israel, a time
of “great tribulation” begins (Matthew 24:21, NKJV).*
*Thanks to :http://www.gotquestions.org/seventy-weeks.html#ixzz2jjDyAdyx
As you see in the above discussion,
the prophecy given to Daniel wraps up in a few verses the final plan of
redemption, including a clue to the date
of the Messiah’s advent, His death and the fate of Jerusalem shortly after,
as well as the purpose for His death; atonement! We see in these
verses Passover, Yom Haikippurim, The Great Tribulation and the final
fulfillment of Sukkot, The Millennial kingdom.
So, Yom Haikippurim is the
final day of the Tribulation in type. What does this mean for Israel? The
Feasts, remember, were given to Israel first, then to the world. In prophetic picture we need only to look to Zechariah 12:
12 A prophecy: The word of the Lord concerning Israel.
The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a
person, declares: 2 “I am going to make Jerusalem a
cup that sends all the surrounding
peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. 3 On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an
immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. 4 On that day I will strike every
horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye
over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. 5 Then the clans of Judah will say
in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’
6 “On
that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will
consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain
intact in her place.
7 “The Lord will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the
house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of
Judah. 8 On that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like
God, like the angel of the Lord going before them. 9 On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.
10 “And I will pour out on the house of
David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn
son. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem
will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, each clan by
itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and
their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of
Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the
clans and their wives. Zechariah 12:1-14
The timing is
very clear; “On that day…” what day?
From the context it is obvious that it is referring to the end of the
Tribulation, when all the world is gathered against Israel and Jerusalem. The
Lord Himself will intervene and will reveal Himself to Israel. Their
reaction? They will “mourn
and look on Him whom they have pierced.” They will see Him as “an only child, a first born son.”
Who will
they recognize as the One they pierced? Who
was the only child, a first born son?
Only one person fills the
prophecy; Yeshua, the Messiah.
The ultimate Day of Atonement, Yom Haikippurim for Israel will be
at the end of the Tribulation when as Daniel says:
“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people
and your holy city to finish transgression,
to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness,
to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up
vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. Daniel 9: 24
The “sevens” are the complete story of the
redemption of Israel after they were returned from Babylon. As seen above, those
years (weeks of years) were the Lords’ plan to:
· Finish transgression
· Put an end to sin
· Atone for wickedness
· Bring in everlasting righteousness
· Seal up vision and prophecy
· Anoint the Most Holy Place
In the sequence of the Fall
prophetic Feasts, Yom Teruah (Trumpets; the
Rapture) is followed by 7 days that, followed by Yom Haikippurim make up
the Days of Awe (The Great Tribulation). After concluding “those days” comes Tabernacles
(Sukkot)
the type of the thousand year reign of
the Messiah.
Israel will see the end of
transgression and sin, all wickedness will be atoned for, the King of everlasting
righteousness will be finally recognized by His people and take
up His Throne in Jerusalem, all vision and prophecy will be fulfilled and the
new Temple will be anointed so all of the surviving world can come and worship.
Paul speaks of this and Israel’s
place in the plan of redemption for the world in Romans 11:11-12; 25-27:
Again I ask: Did they (Israel) stumble so as
to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because
of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel
envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the
world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he
will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them
when
I take away their sins.”
The seven years of Tribulation (The 70th Week of Daniel)
will bring the final atonement to
Israel and bring in the Messianic kingdom, fulfilling all the promises of God
to Israel, with a Son of David ruling the earth from Jerusalem.
The Lord swore an oath to David,
a
sure oath he will not revoke:
“One of your own
descendants
I
will place on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and
the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
on
your throne for ever and ever.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion,
he
has desired it for his dwelling, saying,
14 “This
is my resting place for ever and ever;
here
I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.
15 I will bless her with abundant
provisions;
her
poor I will satisfy with food.
16 I will clothe her priests with salvation,
and
her faithful people will ever sing for joy.
17 “Here I will make a horn grow for David
and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
18 I will clothe his enemies with
shame,
but
his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”
Psalm 132: 11-18
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6-7
IN SUMMARY
· We saw revealed in the number values
and meanings of the Hebrew language, as well as the sequence and timing of the
Hebrew Festivals, a type and rehearsal of the fulfillment of the Festivals
which God completed through the life of the Messiah Jesus (Yeshua).
· We looked closely at the ritual and
services of the Levitical priesthood during Yom Hakipurrim and
discovered wonderful types and symbols of the true High Priest, Jesus the
Messiah.
· We saw how the fulfillment of these types brought an end to the Levitical
system, both figuratively and ultimately tangibly, replacing that
system with the Melchizedek priesthood.
· We discussed how our redemption
began at Passover, which covered
our sins, and was then completed with the resurrection of Jesus and the sprinkling of His blood on
the Heavenly mercy seat for the atonement of our sins…no
longer just covered, but done away with forever.
· We saw how God gave signs to the
nation of Israel that the old system was now null and void. God no longer turned the scarlet sash white
and the lot fell always in the left hand of the High Priest beginning with the
year that Jesus was slain at Passover.
The final proof being the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, removing the
ability to offer the Levitical sacrifices as commanded by
the Law.
· We saw how God literally fulfilled
the Scapegoat type through Yeshua Barabbas who was released, carrying his sins away, while Yeshua
the Messiah was offered to the Lord as a sin offering.
· After seeing the historical
fulfillment, we then discussed the prophetic nature of the Feast, it’s timing
in the cycle of Moedim and how the
rehearsal (miqra) will be fulfilled
in the 70th week of Daniel.
The final great Day of Atonement will end the Tribulation and save Israel as
the remnant of the people will see and realize who their Messiah is, repenting
and accepting Him, completing the atonement for Israel.
This Festival has and will set the
stage, historically and prophetically, for the next great Feast, Sukkot. Sukkot, or Tabernacles, celebrates God’s provision and presence with Israel in
the wilderness of the Exodus and looks forward to the final fulfillment of all
the promises of God to Israel regarding the eternal nature of David’s Throne
over all the earth.
God has accomplished our redemption and salvation once and
for all, atoning for us now and forever through the blood of His Son. We need
not mourn on the day of this Festival, as Israel does, but rejoice in the great
salvation of God. It is a day to give thanks, remembering our need for a Savior
and God’s sending His Son to accomplish all the miqra of Yom Haikippurim for us!
