"And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." Romans 5:11.
Many bible readers and believers have no problem agreeing with the apostle Paul's above statement. Yes, I am sure they will zealously profess that Jesus made atonement for their sins, by dying on the cross. However, if you asked them the meaning of atonement or what day represents it, some would stutter and others would stare in disbelief. This immediately brings to mind another statement Paul made "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. (Romans 10:2)
Atonement means to make amends or payment for past sins or errors and this is to be acknowledged on The Day of Atonement, which is known as Yom Kippur (Yiddish) to the world. Sure, Jesus did make Atonement for our sins and it is important that we know when to celebrate this act of repayment made by our God." Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement. It shall be an holy convocation (gathering) onto you, and ye shall afflict (fast) your souls ... Leviticus 23:27.
God is omnipotent, therefore, he knew from the beginning that Jesus would die for our sins and he had Israel celebrate this act even before it happened. Read Leviticus the 16th chapter and you will learn that the death and resurrection of Jesus was acknowledged (and still is to be) every year on this Holy day. Each year on the day of atonement the high priest would kill a goat for the sins of the people and sprinkle his blood on the mercy seat. The priest would then take a living goat and lay all the sins upon it, afterwards, letting him go into a land not inhabited. This all represented Jesus.
Jesus is now our high priest who sacrificed himself and who bore our sins. "But Christ being come an high priest... "Hebrews 9:11 "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews I 0: I 0) " Surely he hath borne our grief, and carried our sorrows..."Isaiah 53:4 and again..... The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) Instead of raising a goat from the dead God used two, one to represent the death of Jesus and the live goat to represent his resurrection because Jesus had to be living to take our sins upon himself. "For if, when we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life" (Romans 5: 10) Paul also said in I Corinthians 15:17 "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins" - You see how Jesus resurrection (live goat) is just as important as his death (dead goat). Now if you believe in Jesus, how then can you reject the holy Day of Atonement, which is a sign of Jesus and who he is to us? This is why God said celebrate it forever. Leviticus 23:31,32 says "ye shall do no manner of work it shall be a statue forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a Sabbath. It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even. From even unto even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath." Nevertheless, many would be believers must not believe that forever means forever because they won't be celebrating the Day of Atonement.
However, they will be celebrating Halloween (all saints day), which the Lord speaks nothing about. Many will go out and buy pumpkins, make pumpkin pie and trick or treat but how many will afflict their souls as the Lord commanded.
Afflicting your soul doesn't mean cutting or physically harming yourself but only fasting and abstaining from usual pleasures. This should be no problem for those who truly believe that Jesus made atonement for our sins by being afflicted. "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7)
The prophet Joel told us how to observe this holy day (holiday ) saying "Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord. (Joel: 1: 1 4)
With all this information on The Day of Atonement, it's a wonder that hardly anyone observes it. Maybe, just Maybe, it's like we said earlier, simply a lack of knowledge, however, if you're reading this you have no more cloak for your sin.
