Yom Kippur is a hebrew phrase that can be loosely translated as day (Yom) of atonement (kippur). Yom Kippur is one of a series of set-apart-days that Adonai invites his beloved children to share an intimate moment with him; wherein profound mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are literally lived out. We find the revelation of this day in Leviticus 23:27-28, as follows, "....on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 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."

Now it is worthy to note how the introduction to this series of set-apart-days in the very first verses induces the person into attendance. Verse two of this chapter 23 of Leviticus invites us as follows "....say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts." The English translations state that one is being called to a feast; and sure enough, though the original hebrew word moed is popularly taken to mean an appointment, it is only courteous that when you cause someone to meet you, you will ensure that there will be a ready table of union to seal the commitment to the implementations of the resolutions made for the way forward. I say 'cause' because these Moadim (fixed appointments) were fixed at creation and so we don't deliberate with Elohim on when they shall be; he essentially causes us to meet him at pre-fixed points in time. Nevertheless a true boss treats the attendants to his meeting to a party as a gesture of, "I trust you are with me in this walk of my empire to greatness." It is therefore no wonder that all feasts of Adonai are set-apart-days of literal feasting except one: Yom Kippur. For this feast of Yom Kippur, we are told to afflict our souls. Why?

The feast days of Adonai (Leviticus 23) usually start with Pesach and end with Simchat Torah which is the eighth day of the Feast of Sukkoth. Now Sukkoth is taken to be a Party in the Palace of our heavenly king. It will be dining of its own kind, where we, mortals will dine with the immortal even Adonai, for it will be the welcoming party into his realm. Now lest I deviate into the climax of Sukkoth, allow me to address Yom kippur that leads to Sukkoth.

There is an interesting aspect of our relationship with food and our Elohim. It seems Adonai gave us food to teach us how to walk in the living way: Torah. He says in Exodus 16:4 "...Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you...that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no." He furthermore warns as follows in Deuteronomy 8:12-14, "...Lest when thou hast eaten and art full...Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God..." As much as we were blessed to eat and drink, it is obvious that we were not created to be slaves to food. Romans 14:20 categorically states, "...For meat destroy not the work of God." It is sad that we sometimes fail to understand this and have to learn it the hard way. The sons of Aaron failed to have self-discipline and got imbibed with wine, reckless of their high calling. They went to serve Adonai when drunk and died on the spot for failing the test to walk in the way of Adonai. This incidence of how food robbed Aaron his two sons is hinted in Leviticus 10:1-10 as follows "...And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron...offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD....And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying...Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die.."

This theme of our relationship with food and holiness, that caused the sons of Aaron to die, is the major aspect of Yom Kippur. Leviticus 16:1, 29, 31 explains as follows, "...And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died...in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all....It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls..." Again, we see Adonai relating the recklessness of Abihu and Nadab to food and drinks. He therefore sets a day, tenth of the seventh month when we should let go our attachment to food and make our souls an offering to him as Romans 12:1-2 explains. Why?

We were created to abide in the ohel (tent or tabernacle) of Adonai as David states in Psalms 61:4 "...I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah." Therefore the feast of Sukkoth, that falls from fifteenth to twenty-second of the seventh month actually heralds what will take place in the near future. As such, every believer gets ready for the grand reception and feast that will ultimately take place in the dwelling place of Adonai.

But who can access such a glorious loftiness to dine with the holy one who never eats and drink as we do: David poses the same question in Psalms 23:4, "...Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?" David then goes on to explain the kind of person who can ascend and abide in such a set-apart loftiness of Adonai in Psalms 15 and says "...He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent." 

Now to understand this opportunity to dine with the king, it is good to consider that Yom Kippur is the climax last day of Yomim Noraim popularly translated as days of awe. Why are they called days of awe? Because on the first of these ten days, first of the seventh month, on Yom Teruah, a person realizes how much trash is in his or her heart. The person realizes she/he might miss the grand dining, which is only two weeks away if he or she does not work on own heart. Therefore, one sets out on a thorough, no turning back standing in the presence of Adonai who never misses any chaff, but burns all as it is explained in Luke 3:17, "...Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable." David explains this standing as follows in Psalms 4:4 "...Stand in awe, and sin not..."

Ten days reveal a period of decision. For instance, during Passover, the owner would see many goats or sheep as a flock, with the prospect Pesach lamb among them. However, it was not until the tenth day when an irretractable decision would be made. After standing in the consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24) for ten days of awe a final answer to the following question should be available in the heart of every believer, "...The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Isaiah 33:14. So Yom Kippur, which is the climax of the ten days period of making decision to let go all the comfort of complacency, is the spirit of true Teshuvah or turning back from the downward fall into vanity. In a true show of faith in the ways of Adonai, one let's go of the comfort of food and drinks and accepts what is set on the table by the king of kings: fasting; liberty from materialism enslavement. YomKippur, therefore, is an act of faith to affirm what Moshe preached in Deuteronomy 8:3 "..man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."

To expound on how Adonai will not condone compromises henceforth, Adonai had commanded the following to be done when the tabernacle then the temple was still standing. On this Yom Kippur, two goats should be provided by the assembly as Leviticus 16:5-22 explains. Lots should be cast on them and one lot should be designated 'ADONAI' and the other 'TO AZAZEL". It is the blood of the one designated as ADONAI that would be a kaphar (covering) upon thekapporeth (mercy seat). The other goat TO AZAZEL would receive all the sins of the assembly and take them to the wilderness. Now, in a typical offering, be it a sin or guilt offering the animal upon whom one confessed sins would be killed as an atonement. However, Yom Kippur had a very interesting side view to the nature of sin and reconciliation. Adonai would receive a pure goat without sins while the sinful goat would go to the wilderness; to azal/wander away from people.

The message was home! Before the lots that makes decision, that is before now, Yom Kippur, you and sins, represented by the two goats were pals and you did not care to differentiate between holy and unholy. But after now, once lots of determination have been cast, see, you have gotten rid of your sins. This getting rid of sins is your effective death to sins. You are now sinless and acceptable before Adonai. Your blood signifying your life, would be sprinkled to the east of the kapporet heralding a new beginning has dawned upon you; and you will never be the same again in your new-found enlightenment in the Sun of righteousness as Malachi 4:2 explains, "....But to you who fear My Name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings. And you shall go out and leap for joy like calves from the stall." The sins are cast far away.in the wilderness where there are no people meaning where time ceases to exist. Actually, Psalms explains that you and sins will never meet henceforth because "...As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.." Psalms 103: 12. Therefore as we enjoy our feasts, let us understand that it is a no turning back sanctification for our High Priest, even Yahshua, is already in the Most Holy place waiting for us as Hebrews 9:24 explains, "...For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us..."

By Bro Bonface Muthii.