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Friday, September 13, 2013

Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism begins tonight (Sept. 13, 2013)

Shabbat Shalom. Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism begins tonight

Messianic Bible news@biblesforisrael.com via icontactmail4.com 
7:41 AM (19 minutes ago)


Jerusalem
 

Shabbat shalom!

Today is Erev Yom Kippur, the eve 
of the Day of Atonement, which is, 
Biblically speaking, the holiest day of the year.



Blowing the shofar

By mid-afternoon, all the businesses and shops will be 
closed, not even one gas station will be open.

By nightfall, there will not be a car on the street.

All that will be playing on the television tonight will 
be a still photo of a shofar calling the people of 
Israel to fast and pray. Even Jewish radio stations 
will be shut down.

If Christians unfamiliar with Yom Kippur were 
here in Israel for the first time, they might think 
that the Rapture had taken place and that they 
were left behind.



The streets of Tel Aviv, the city that never sleeps, 
are deserted on Yom Kippur. Throughout Israel the streets
are empty of cars.

Tonight as the sun sets, the Jewish People here in Israel 
and all around the world will attend their local synagogue.

With its themes of atonement and repentance, the tenth 
of Tishri is so significant that it’s observed by many 
secular Jews who don’t observe other Jewish holidays.

“It shall be a statute to you forever: in the seventh month, 
on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, 
and shall do no kind of work, the native-born, or the 
stranger who lives as a foreigner among you.” (Leviticus 16:29)

The month of Tishri is the seventh month on the Jewish 
calendar—the month we add another number to the 
year (we are now in the year 5774) and the month 
we make atonement for sin.



Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur,
by Maurycy Gottlieb, 1878.


Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
Leviticus 16:1–34; Isaiah 57:14–58:14

Yom Kippur is a solemn fast day.

Because of that, all kinds of preparations are
 underway during the day in order to keep 
Yom Kippur properly, including two festive 
meals today.

On Yom Kippur, for nearly 26 hours, we 
“afflict our souls” in the following five ways:

We don’t eat or drink;
We don’t wash;
We don’t use lotions or perfumes;
We don’t wear leather footwear; and
We abstain from marital relations.
Despite this afflicting of ourselves, the 
observance of Yom Kippur is characterized 
by a sense of peace because of our 
confidence in our relationship with God 
and His provision for atonement.



The beautiful Hebrew calligraphy of Kol Nidre in the Machzor
Worms, which is one of the oldest ritual festival prayer books
in existence. It was used by the Jewish community of Worms,
Germany from 1272 until the synagogue’s destruction on
Kristallnacht, November 1938.


Before the sun sets tonight, the Jewish People will 
gather in their synagogues to hear the cantor chant 
Kol Nidre (All Vows) and recite penitential 
prayers from a special prayer book called 
the Machzor.

Tomorrow morning, we will return to our 
synagogues for the Shabbat service.

During the afternoon service, the entire 
Book of Jonah will be read.

This service concludes shortly before sunset 
with the Ne’ila (Closing of the Gates)prayer, 
which is the last moment for repenting before 
God seals His judgments in His Book.

Yom Kippur will end at nightfall tomorrow 
with the blowing of the shofar, and we will 
return home to enjoy a festive meal. Tomorrow
 night, many of us will also begin building our 
Sukkah for the holiday of Sukkot, which 
begins next Wednesday night.



Orthodox Jewish man praying Selichot, Jewish 
penitential prayersand poems, in preparation 
for Yom Kippur, at the Western (Wailing) Wall 
in Jerusalem.


Making Atonement During Temple Times

“Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come 
whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place 
behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover 
on the ark, or else he will die.” (Leviticus 16:2)

Yom Kippur was the one day in the year that the 
Cohen HaGadol (High Priest)could enter the 
Holy of Holies to make atonement for the
 nation of Israel.

In order to minister before the Lord on this
 holy day, the priest first bathed in water 
(immersed himself in the mikvah) and then 
put on a special linen tunic.

In the Holy of Holies, the high priest was 
not to wear his usual golden garments, 
designed for splendor and beauty; instead,
 he was to wear simple, white linen clothing 
that represented purity and humility, which 
befits this most sacred of all days.



Many Jewish men wear a kittel, 
a white robe-like garment, for evening prayers
 on Yom Kippur. It is also worn on 
their wedding day.


Wearing White on Yom Kippur

Tonight and tomorrow, many religiously observant 
Jewish men dress in simple, white linen when 
attending Yom Kippur services. They also wear
 rubber soled sneakers instead of leather shoes, 
in remembrance of Yom Kippur’s animal sacrifice.

And women will wear elegant dresses 
while wearing canvas running shoes.

The rabbis give another reason for wearing 
white on this holy day. Israel comes before 
God, not in drab clothing like a penitent sinner, 
but arrayed in white as if going to a feast, 
confident that they will be pardoned as they 
come in sincere repentance.

In the Book of Revelation, we see a connection
to the tradition of wearing white and the Book of Life:

“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white 
garments, and I will not blot out his name from
 the Book of Life, but I will confess his name
 before My Father and before His angels.” 
(Revelation 3:5)



Kapparot is a ritual some Jews perform 
before Yom Kippur, where a chicken is
waved over the head three times in order 
to symbolically transfer one's sins to the chicken. 
The chicken is then slaughtered and donated to the poor.

Since the Holy Temple is no longer standing and no 
sacrifices for sin can be offered, those who know 
Yeshua (Jesus) can trust in the sacrifice that He 
made for our atonement.

However, about 99% of the Jewish people today 
do not believe that Yeshua is the Messiah.

With no Temple in Jerusalem for the past 2000 years,
 they have replaced the animal blood sacrifice 
with prayer (tefilah), repentance (teshuvah), and 
charity or good deeds (tzedakah).

Perhaps we have to give credit to the 
Ultra-Orthodox Jews who perform a 
ceremony called kapparot where one's sin
 is placed upon a sacrificial chicken before
 it gets slaughtered. In this ritual, at least
the need for a blood sacrifice is still acknowledged, 
even though a chicken is not the animal prescribed
 in the Torah for sacrifice.

And as we are now in the End Times, maybe this 
sacrifice will make it easier for these 
Ultra-Orthodox Jews to recognize the atoning 
sacrifice Yeshua accomplished on our behalf 
as the Messiah.



The Nubian ibex is a desert-dwelling goat 
species found in Israel.


The Azazel

"But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be
 presented alive before the Lord to be used for 
making atonement by sending it into the desert as 
a scapegoat." (Leviticus 16:10)

On Yom Kippur, the High Priests cast lots for two goats.

One was offered as the sacrifice, but the other 
goat was chosen as the Azazel (the scapegoat).

Azazel is a very special Hebrew noun meaning 
dismissal or entire removal.

The entire removal of the sin and guilt of Israel
is symbolized by the High Priest laying both 
his hands on the head of this live goat, confessing 
over it all the transgressions of the children of Israel.

The goat would then be released into the wilderness, 
thus physically carrying the burden of Israel’s sin 
into the wilderness.



The Golden Gate, which is called 
Sha'ar Harachamim (Gate of Mercy)in Hebrew, 
is located on the eastern side of the Temple Mount. It's
thought that the Azazel was led through this 
gate to the wilderness. It's also thought that Messiah 
will come through this gate. Suleiman wanted to 
prevent this and had the gate sealed in 1541. A Muslim
cemetery was placed in front of it to defile the area.



The Azazel and Messiah Yeshua

“He is to lay both hands on the head of the 
live goat and confess over it all the wickedness 
and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and 
put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat
away into the wilderness in the care of someone 
appointed for the task. The goat will carry on
 itself all their sins to a remote place; and the
 man shall release it in the wilderness.” 
(Leviticus 16:21–22)

There are striking similarities between
 Leviticus 16:21–22 and Isaiah 53:

"And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity 
of us all… For He shall bear their iniquities."
 (Isaiah 53:6, 11)

Rabbis of ancient times viewed Isaiah 53 
as a Messianic prophecy. Most agreed
that it speaks of the Messiah of Israel.

This Messianic prophecy has been effectively
 hidden from most Jewish people, even those 
who faithfully attend synagogue services, by 
omitting the entire chapter from the proscribed 
selection of Sabbath readings.

Why? Because these verses so perfectly 
describe the atonement Yeshua made for us 
through the sacrifice of His own life as
 the Suffering Servant.

This is why we so desperately need to
 make the Messianic Prophecy Bible 
available to the Jewish People!




Please click here now to support our 
Bible Project this YOM KIPPUR

The current rabbinical interpretation of 
Isaiah 53 proposes that this passage does not
 speak of the Messiah but of the nation of Israel.

This interpretation seems to have gained 
serious adherents only in the 13th century.

It is, in truth, a complete lie that is promoted
 throughout the Jewish community to blind 
Jewish people from seeing that Isaiah 53
 perfectly describes Yeshua who
suffered for our sins.

Not all rabbis have agreed with this willfully 
wrong interpretation. In a strongly worded 
14th century commentary, 
Rabbi Moshe Kohen ibn Crispin 
responded to this theory:

“[In contrast to those] having inclined after 
the stubbornness of their own hearts and 
their own opinion, I am pleased to interpret 
the parasha [Isaiah 53] in accordance with 
the teachings of our rabbis, of the King Messiah
… and adhere to the literal sense. Thus I shall 
be free from forced and far-fetched
interpretations of which others are guilty.”

Moses Alshech, a 16th century rabbi, 
preacher, and Bible commentator, ignores 
the possibility that Isaiah 53 refers to the
 nation of Israel.

He said, “Our rabbis with one voice accept 
and affirm the opinion that the prophet [Isaiah] 
is here [chapter 53] speaking of the Messiah.”



This Siddur (Jewish Prayer Book) is resting 
on a table at the Western Wall adorned with a 
velvet tablecloth that is embroidered with an image 
of the Second Temple. The fringed garment is a 
folded tallit (prayer shawl).

Numerous Rabbinic commentators do, in fact, take 
for granted that Isaiah 52:13–53:12 refers to the Messiah.

The following quotes are gleaned from traditional
 rabbinic sources, such as the Talmud (oral law):

“He, Messiah, shall intercede for man’s sins, 
and the rebellious, for his sake, shall be forgiven.” 
(Jerusalem Targum on Isaiah 53:12)

“And when Israel is sinful, the Messiah seeks for
 mercy upon them as it is written, ‘By his stripes 
we were healed,’ and ‘he carried the sin of many 
and made intercession for the transgressors.’” 
(Genesis Rabbah on Isaiah 53:5, 12).

In a limited sense, however, the claims that Israel
 has suffered as an azazel or "scapegoat" for the 
nations is true. Yet, Israel is not able to justify and
 bear the iniquities of its own people (Isaiah 53:11). 
The Messiah did that when the Lord crushed Him 
and made Him an offering for sin (v. 10).

On the execution stake, "His appearance was 
disfigured beyond that of any human being and 
His form marred beyond human likeness." (Isaiah 52:14)

And although the Jewish People have not seen 
that Yeshua fulfilled the many prophecies of Isaiah 
and other prophets, this blindness is only temporary, 
and will soon come to an end:

"For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be
 ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise 
in your own opinion, that blindness in part has 
happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles
 has come in… and so all Israel shall be saved." 
(Romans 11:25–26)



Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak 
comforts a bereaved mother at a memorial service 
for soldiers who died in the Yom Kippur War, when
Israel's Arab neighbors invaded Israel on the 
holiest day of the Jewish calendar, in 1973, 
while the nation was fasting and in prayer.


A Lasting Atonement

"And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity [avon] 
of us all." (Isaiah 53:6)

In Hebrew, the word iniquity is avon.

This word differs from the Hebrew word for 
sin which means to fall short and miss the mark
 as this word is rooted in the Hebrew verb avah 
meaning to twist and to distort.

It signifies an inner crookedness or spiritual state 
of being bent—in other wordsperversity, as well 
as a willful departure from the law (Torah) of God.

Ordinarily, while the sacrifices were limited to 
atoning for involuntary or unintentional sins, 
this special sacrifice on Yom Kippur atoned for willful sin.

The blood of bulls and goats can never fully 
remove sin and iniquity; it can only cover it for a time.



Jewish men at the Wailing Wall praying for forgiveness.

A perfect, absolutely sinless sacrifice was required to 
pay the price for our rebellion and uncleanness. Only 
Yeshua the Messiah could fulfill this role.

As the Divine Messiah, His body and blood are the 
Kapparah (atonement) andKorban (sacrificial offering)
for our sins.

And when He rose on the third day, He revealed the 
absolute holiness of His life and the effectiveness of 
His sacrifice on the execution stake for all mankind.

Rabbinic tradition states that on Yom Kippur the 
Cohen (Jewish priest) would tie a scarlet cloth to
the horn of the Azazel and that when the sacrifice 
was fully accepted, the scarlet cloth became white.

This wonderfully symbolized God's gracious promise
in Isaiah 1:18: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.”



Rabbi with two Torah scrolls in the 
Aron Kodesh (Torah Ark) in the background.


Assurance of Atonement for Sin

“Sins overwhelmed me, but You atoned for 
our transgressions.” (Psalm 65:3)

The rabbis recognized that every man is in need of
 atonement for his sins, for it is written, “There is
 not a righteous man on earth who does what is
 right and never sins.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20)

A Talmudic story is recorded in which 
Yohanan ben Zakkai's disciples gather around
 his deathbed and find him weeping.

They ask, “Rabbi, you are the light of Israel, 
the pillar on which we lean, the hammer that 
crushes all heresy. Why should you weep?”

In answer, the rabbi confesses that he is 
afraid to die because he is not sure whether he 
will end up in heaven or hell.

Although God has provided atonement for all 
of our sins through the blood of the Messiah Yeshua, 
many Jewish people today are completely
 unaware of God's Plan of Salvation through 
the Jewish Messiah.



A Jewish man prays at the Western
(Wailing) Wall, which is at the base of the
Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where the
Holy Temple once stood and the High
Priest offered the atoning sacrifice on
Yom Kippur.


During this Holiest Day in Judaism the Jewish People 
are prayerfully thinking about repentance, 
forgiveness and atonement.

Could there be a better time to contemplate the
 problem of iniquity and sin, or share how 
Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled the Messianic prophecies
 and became the atoning sacrifice?

Today, please make a difference for Eternity 
and help us reveal Yeshua as the atonement 
(kapparah) for the Jew first, and also 
power of God for the salvation of everyone who
believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (Romans 1:16)

All of us here at Bibles For Israel
send heartfelt wishes to you for
a blessed Yom Kippur!

Bibles For Israel | P.O. Box 8900 | Pueblo, CO 81008

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Thanks for sharing. Blessings on your head from the Lord Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach.

Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People
Charlotte, NC USA