This Saturday, October 12th is the Jewish Holiday of Yom Kippur. Yom means “Day” and “Kippur” means atonement. It is the end of the Jewish year. A time of reflection on how you lived your life in the preceding year. Kippur means “covering” and points to the covering on the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant.
Remember the Ark was placed in the Holy of Holies (the most holy place in the temple) where only the high priest could enter. He could only enter there on Yom Kippur. The holiest person (High priest) would enter the Holy of Holies (holiest place) on this day, the holiest of days. He did this to sprinkle the blood of the lamb, a spotless sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people.
Even today in our world there is a holy (set apart, different) atmosphere. No cars on the road, no shops are open, even the airport and seaports are closed. It is a time for everyone to take time to be quiet and self-examine our lives.
Services are held in the synagogue where Jews worship. Jews commemorate this time with a fast and services of worship. There are times of confession for sins committed in the last year.
Worshippers seek God’s forgiveness on this Holy Day. The priest will do the sacrifice by collecting the sacrifice blood from the censor. He will change from his ceremonial clothes to a white robe/ephod. He will then go into the Holy of Hollies. He will place incense on the altar and pray. Following these rituals, he will take the censor and sprinkle blood on the Ark of the Covenant.
The night before he does this ritual, he will stay up reading scripture and praying for his sins. If he hasn’t taken the time to prepare himself or the sacrifice correctly God will kill him for his lack of holiness. We don’t have any record of this happening, but it is a warning.
After the ritual, he will return through the Holy place to the outside. Putting back on his ceremonial robes the bells at the bottom the ringing will tell the people the high priest is alive, and God has accepted the Yom Kippur sacrifice.
People will greet each other with the words “Yom Kippur – Germar Chatimah Tova” which translates to a wish for friends and family to find redemption and have their names signed and sealed in the Book of Life.
We know from our reading of Romans and Revelation that this was a precursor to the redemption that Jesus sacrificed on the Cross. His blood purchases for us eternal salvation. –
He is the true Yom Kippur
Hebrews 10:10 “
…by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.”
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