Yom Kippur 

Why is Yom Kippur important for Christians - isn't that just an Old Testament thing?

Actually, ALL encouragements and admonishments in the New Testament to study, read and search the Scriptures were referring to the Old Testament -- yes, ALL, because the New Testament was not yet canonized. 

The Old Testament is rich with metaphors that illustrate patterns of both the fulfillment of salvation as well as a prophetic architectural timeline. In fact, when Moses gave a "big picture summary" of the commandments and all the details, he said something like this,

“OK guys, remember, in this order, "Love The Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (and your neighbor as yourself), tithe, keep the Sabbath and observe the Lord's Feasts! OK, got it?, now head to the  Promised Land!"

By the way, this priority has not changed!

The New Testament describes the birth, life, death and resurrection of the Son of God and in a short-hand style begins to break down for us the fulfillment of the types and shadows represented within the Old Testament, such as that Jesus was the very Embodiment of the Tabernacle, He was and is the Door, the Light, the Offering, the Veil that was torn SO THAT we could enter the Holy of Holies.

In kind, He was, is, and will be the fulfillment of the The Lord’s Feasts. For example, every time we take Communion, we are acknowledging His fulfillment of Passover as the Passover Lamb. The Feast of Pentecost, or Shavuot (the giving of the Torah), is fulfilled in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit -- Him Being The Word written on our hearts as described in the New Covenant. And every time we pray for and anticipate the return of the Lord, it is an expression of faith that He will fulfill the three Fall Feasts: Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and Feast of Tabernacles! Whether we realize it or not, we are within The Lord's architectural prophetic trajectory. That is why Yom Kippur is important to Christians!

Yom Kippur is absolutely dripping with metaphor, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that the entire Book of Hebrews was written to explain the depths of Yom Kippur. But I would like to bring attention to the first Yom Kippur Day as a type and shadow, a metaphor, of what is to come.

First, the big picture context: Israel has been delivered from Egypt, and they are now camped beneath the mountain. Israel has accepted The Lord's betrothal, they have encountered The Voice of The Lord speaking from Heaven to Earth and Moses has ascended  the mountain to receive the written Word of God (written by The Lord's finger), only to return and find the Children of Israel had sinned against The Lord by making a golden image and they were in all kinds of revelry. They had quickly turned aside from the ways of The Lord. Moses, burning hot, broke the tablets in hand that he brought down from God.

Let's pause for the big picture fulfillment of this type and shadow...

Just as we accept The Lord in all our good intentions, vowing to serve Him in moments while experiencing His Presence, or even an individual who has been in His Presence, left alone to our own demise, we end up distracted and yield to our lower natures. The Lord Jesus came down to us as the Embodiment of the Word made flesh and dwelt among us, teaching us the true heart of God, and was broken for us.

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Heb 7:25

OK, we are still not to the first Day of Atonement in Israel's experience.

After ministering a few serious consequences, Moses returns up the mountain to make intercession on behalf of Israel for another forty days and forty nights -- this time Israel is more attentive and intentional to behave, knowing Moses will return. Moses does return, with the Word that God rewrote with His finger, and unbeknownst to Moses, his face was shining -- this was the first Day of Atonement!

The many rituals and concepts of this Day would follow in the coming annual observances, such as, the one sacrifice taking on the sins of the people, while the other sacrifice went free, the Judgement in the Courtroom of God, the inscription of names in the Book of Life, and the reset button of the Year of Jubilee with the sounding of the great trumpet, just to name a few -- all being connected to the Day of Atonement.  All of these came after, and would explain this one big picture FIRST Day of Atonement.

Just as Moses ascended the mountain to seek atonement for the Children of Israel, The Lord in His Resurrection, ascended into heaven and lives there to make intercession for us -- anyone who will accept His offer of atonement! And He will return for those who are attentively and intentionally waiting for Him! Just as Moses returned with a Light -beaming face, so will The Lord return with His Face shining brighter than the sun,  His Word, ablaze as a two-edged sword coming from His mouth! That is my take on the big picture fulfillment of the Day of Atonement!

His Second Coming will be as a Bridegroom coming for His Bride, for those who are intentionally waiting for Him, choosing to be in right alignment with Him, having accepted His Atonement (AT-ONE-MENT). In fact, the Bible describes our salvation in marital terms – which continues to be an amazing and thrilling belief in my heart! But for those who do not choose right alignment within His Atonement, He will come as a Judge, to those found guilty of rebellion against Him.

We get to choose; there is an offer on the table -- His Atonement! Will this be your first Day of Atonement?

Blessings to all, because He died for all, and may your name be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life!

“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matt 24:30-31

He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. Rev 1:16

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Rev 19:11-16