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Of all the Biblically Appointed Times, Yom Kippur can be the most confusing Set-apart time for the Believer.
Knowing that the blood of Yeshua (Jesus) atones for sins and that the temple and Levitical priesthood are no longer active, it is common to wonder WHY and HOW a Believer might observe this very special holy day.
In fact, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is actually considered a "Sabbath of Sabbaths." This makes it the holiest of all the Appointed Times!
Leviticus 16:31
"It is a Sabbath of rest for you, and you shall afflict your beings-a law forever."
BUT AREN'T WE UNDER THE NEW COVENANT, A BETTER COVENANT?
Hebrews 8: 6-13
But now He has obtained a more excellent service, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a BETTER covenant, which was constituted on BETTER promises. For if that first had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. ...By saying, 'renewed,' He has made the first one old. Now what becomes old and growing aged is near DISAPPEARING.
First, we need to ask, "What does this verse refer to as 'disappearing'"?
Is this verse saying that THE HOLY COMMANDS that are intended to set Israel apart and make her His bride are DISAPPEARING
OR
is the verse saying that THE BRIDE'S (ISRAEL'S) INABILITY TO UPHOLD her side of the covenant is DISAPPEARING?
To answer this, we need to ask WHAT IS THE OLD COVENANT?
The OLD COVENANT is a MARRIAGE CONTRACT, a type of ketubah, between Adonai and His Set-Apart Bride, Israel.
When it was given at Mount Sinai in the form of the TEN COMMANDMENTS, we see Adonai's Set-Apart People (Israel) saying "I DO" as His BRIDE.
Exodus 19:8a
And all the people answered together and said, "All that Adonai has spoken we shall do."
The Set-Apart Bride is the one COMMITTING to the UPHOLDING of the MARRIAGE COVENANT with the Bridegroom. She agrees to the marriage covenant, and she ABIDES by what she has agreed to do.
In this case, the Bride (Israel) agreed to OBEY THE COMMANDS Adonai laid out through Moses in the form of the Ten Commandments given at Mt. Sinai.
THIS aspect of the covenant (agreeing to obey the commands) HAS NOT CHANGED (as we see in the sermon on the mount) but has been REINFORCED on the BETTER PROMISES (Hebrews) of the New Covenant, RENEWED by the blood of Messiah.
WHAT ARE THE BETTER PROMISES?
Scripture tells us that the Spirit is given to His Set-Apart People to EMPOWER HIS BRIDE TO UPHOLD HER SIDE OF THE COVENANT.
Ezekiel 36:27
"And put my Spirit within you. And I shall cause you to walk in My laws and guard My right-rulings and shall do them."
Now we must ask, COULD IT BE POSSIBLE that the whole reason Messiah came to die for our sins was to make us white as snow to REDEEM US AS HIS BRIDE so that the Ruach (Holy Spirit) could THEN INDWELL within us to EMPOWER US TO OBEY AND UPHOLD THE BRIDE'S END OF THE COVENANT made at Mt. Sinai-the same covenant agreed to by Israel of whom we are grafted into?
We should meditate on and REMEMBER that the REASON the Ruach (Holy Spirit) came to live inside us was to EMPOWER US TO HONOR OUR MARRIAGE COVENANT through our OBEDIENCE to Adonai's commands, the TEN COMMANDMENTS.
The Messiah's sacrifice was the plan or remedy to wash us clean and impart the ability (through the Spirit) to OBEY and uphold OUR SIDE OF THE MARRIAGE COVENANT.
Because WE HAVE THE RUACH (SPIRIT), we OBEY the COMMANDMENTS.
Because we OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS, WE OBSERVE HIS APPOINTED TIME OF YOM KIPPUR.
On Yom Kippur, we meditate on Messiah's perfect atoning sacrifice and the giving of the indwelling of the Ruach (Holy Spirit) within us INTENDED TO MAKE US INTO A HOLY AND SET-APART PEOPLE.
Believers should then use this sacred day to MEDITATE on the BREECHES OF COVENANT WE HAVE MADE on OUR PARTS so that THROUGH MESSIAH'S BLOOD and BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, we can be made clean, pure, restored, and REALIGHNED WITH OUR PURPOSE- to be a light to the nations, a priesthood for His own possession, a bride made ready with oil in her lamp!