Elul 20, 5778

Elul 20, 5778.

Day 20 and counting up to 40, to Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement, which will be on the 10th day of Tishrei, the  7th month of the Hebrew calendar. It will be on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 of the Gregorian calender. However the Hebrew day is from sundown Tuesday, September 18th to sundown Wednesday September 19th. The date and month was fixed by Yahweh our Elohim, as told to Mosheh and written in Leviticus 23. That is why the festivals are actually the Appointed Times of Yahweh. And no one may change the dates of these Appointed Times of Yahweh to suit man's convenience. He has commanded us to observe and to have the set apart assembly on these Appointed Times.

Yom HaKippurim or the Day of Atonement,  is the most sacred day in the Hebrew calendar. It is the only day in the year that the High Priest can enter into the most holy place to make atonement for his sins and the sins of the people, with the blood of the animals sacrificed. And the atonement is only for unintentional sins! There was no atonement for willful and intentional sins.

When John the Baptist saw Yeshua the Nazarene, he declared, " This is the Lamb of Elohim!" You see, John was the son of Zechariah the Priest, and was  competent to declare "the Lamb" as fit for the sacrifice. Why was Yeshua the "Lamb of Elohim" and not the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah"? This was because He came to be the sacrificial lamb to make atonement for the sins of the whole world. When He returns at the Feast of Trumpets, He will return as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

The Book of Hebrews tells us that Yeshua the Nazarene is the High Priest according to the order of Malek Zaddek. He is the Royal Priest appointed by Yahweh under oath. And as the High Priest, Yeshua shed His own blood to make atonement for the sins of the whole world. But only once and not every Yom Kippur as done in the Temple by the Aaronic High Priest. And He sprinkled His blood in the most holy place in the heavens and not in the Temple which was only a copy of the real Tabernacles in the heavens.  And the atonement by the precious blood of the "Lamb of Elohom" was for all kinds of sins, whether unintentional or intentionally. But if we treat the blood shed by Yeshua as common and refused to repent and stopped from sinning, there will be no further sacrifice for sins and the unrepentant sinners has only themselves to blame on the day of judgment.

That is why Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement is very very important.  But if you wonder, why celebrate Yom Kippur when Yeshua the High Priest has already made atonement for us? Well, Yom Kippur also has a prophetic message. It tells us about the coming judgment of the nations when Yeshua retuns to rule the earth from Yerusalem. Also, the prophets said that the 3rd Temple will be rebuilt. And when the Temple is rebuilt, there will be sacrifices! Really? Read what the prophets has written. We will discuss that another time.

Truly, these are days of Teshuvah (Hebrew), Metanoia (Greek) and Repentance! When the last shofar is sounded, and you're not ready, it'll be a tiny bit too late. He is coming for a holy and set apart people. It is not just to stop sinning, but to be transformed to live in righteousness.  Shalom Aleichem!