Why are the biblical feasts - our Heavenly Father's appointed times - not kept ? There is a huge misconception that these feasts are Jewish feasts. THIS IS NOT TRUE, these feasts are meant for everyone.
The scripture and our Father's instructions to Moshe and to us, His children, is very clear -- we MUST keep these appointed times. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is a day of selflessness where we approach the King of Kings. It is a day of setting aside our own desires in favour of His. We offer thanks for the atonement He has given us in YAHushua our Messiah and pray for strength that in this next year we might be more conformed to Him. Leviticus 23:26 - 32: And YHVH spoke to Mosheh, saying, “On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a set-apart gathering for you. And you shall afflict your beings, and shall bring an offering made by fire to YHVH. And you do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before YHVH your Elohim. For any being who is not afflicted on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. And any being who does any work on that same day, that being I shall destroy from the midst of his people. You do no work – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It is a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your beings. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you observe your Sabbath.” Although all YHVH's appointed feasts are important, the Day of Atonement is considered the holiest day of the year - it is set apart even from the other appointed feasts. All other Sabbaths and holidays are times of feasting and celebration. However, on the Day of Atonement, everyone is commanded to afflict himself through fasting and abstinence. Leviticus 16:2 And YHVH said to Mosheh, “Speak to Aharon your brother not to come in at all times to the Set-apart Place inside the veil, before the lid of atonement which is on the ark, lest he die, because I appear in the cloud above the lid of atonement." After the deaths of the two sons of Aaron, YHVH warned Aharon not to enter the Holy of Holies but once a year. On that day, Aharon alone (or the high priest after him) was to enter in order to make atonement for Yisra'el, the holy place and the altar. The day on which the high priest entered the Holy of Holies was called the Day of Atonement. Even then, Aharon was to enter only with blood and under the cloud of incense. Leviticus 16, the Torah reading for the Day of Atonement, describes the Tabernacle/Temple ceremony of the Day of Atonement: the two goats—the sin offering and the scapegoat—the incense, the sprinkling with blood and the high priest's entrance into the Holy of Holies. In Leviticus 16 we read about the intersection of three spheres of holiness. On the holiest day of the year (the Day of Atonement), the holiest man in the world (the high priest of Israel) goes into the holiest place in the world (the Holy of Holies). The high priest had to enter in order to make atonement for Yisra'el, atonement for the Holy of Holies, atonement for the Tabernacle and atonement for the altar. Because these things remained continually in the presence of YHVH, they needed to be atoned for. Without atonement they could not remain in the presence of YHVH. According to the writer of the book of Hebrews, YAHushua ha Mashiach has become our High Priest. He entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven—the actual throne room of YHVH—and applied His own blood for atonement. He entered into the presence of YHVH for us so that he might usher us in as well (Hebrews 9:11-12). "But Messiah, having become a High Priest of the coming good matters, through the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, entered into the Most Set-apart Place once for all, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, having obtained everlasting redemption." Hebrew 8:1 - 2: "Now the summary of what we are saying is: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Greatness in the heavens, and who serves in the set-apart place and of the true Tent, which YHVH set up, and not man." Therein He applied his atoning blood. Therefore, the ceremony of the Day of Atonement uniquely patterns the work of Messiah: His death, His sacrifice and the atonement of His blood. We boldly enter the presence of YHVH because the blood of Messiah covers us. Today he stands interceding on our behalf before the throne of YHVH our Elohim, just like a high priest. Comments are closed.
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