On the third recitation, the one for their own sins, they knew that the high priest had just before on this one occasion in all the year-entered the Holy of Holies, the inmost room of the temple into God’s Presence. He entered it three times, and only then came out to confess on behalf of all the people and put their sins upon the head of the goat for Azazel.
The result of this triple entry into the Holy of Holies, this triple recitation of God’s most holy name, and this triple prostration by the entire people, was an utterly awesome sense of God’s Presence making atonement for the people, cleansing them of all their sins, permitting them to begin the year afresh, renewing their lives. So total was this sense of transformation that, after it, the mood of the people shifted from solemn awe to joyful celebration. The young, unmarried men and women went to dance in the fields and to choose spouses for them. Yom Kippur and the fifteenth of the month of Av were the only days in the year when this kind of mass public espousal would take place.
Yom Kippur became known by the phrase “face to face.” “Face to face” is an idiom for Yom Kippur. It was on Yom Kippur that the high priest had to go behind the veil of the temple. At that moment, the nation had to hold its breath because the nation’s fate depended upon God’s accepting the sacrifice. At that point, the high priest was “face to face with the mercy seat of God.”
When the high priest entered the Holy of Holies, he saw the Lord’s presence as a brilliant cloud hovering above the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:2).
The word for mercy seat in Hebrew is kapporet. It comes from the root word “kaphar” (Means to cover) which is the same word used for “atonement.” The mercy seat can also be translated as the “Seat of atonement.” The mercy seat is described in detail in Exodus 25:17-22 and 37:6-9. This is the place where Moses met and spoke with God face to face (Exodus 25:22; 30:6).
3) “The Fast” and “The Day.”
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, comes on the tenth day of the Jewish month of Tishrei (September/October). It is the last day of the Ten Days of Repentance that started on Trumpets. It is believed that those who have not been good enough to be written in the Book of Life immediately on Feast of Trumpets are given ten days to repent, pray for forgiveness, until Yom Kippur, when their fate will be decided. The entire Day of Forgiveness (Yom Kippur) is spent fasting and praying. Because this day is the most solemn day in the year, it is known as “The Day.”
Fasting is one of the most important of the commandments leading to atonement. The Torah says three times, “And this shall be to you a law for all times: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month you shall practice self-denial” (Leviticus 16:29; 23:27; Numbers 29:7) Tradition (the Jewish understanding) interprets self-denial as fasting. For this reason, Yom Kippur is known as “The Fast Day.”
The fast, the penitential prayers, the Bible readings, the formulas of confession, and every part of the Atonement Day ritual, acknowledging the transgressions, declaring repentance through a process of confession, and then making atonement before YHVH in order to obtain His forgiveness and relieve the congregation of the weight of their sins, transgressions and iniquity.
Yom Kippur is a time to atone for sin. While fasting is not explicitly mentioned, the Bible ordains for this day, “You shall afflict your souls” (Lev. 16:31; 23:27-32; Num. 29:7), and from early times the rabbis interpreted this to mean fasting.
In Biblical times, rending one’s garments and putting on sackcloth and ashes were further signs of distress, accompanying abstention from food (Jonah 3:6; 2 Sam 12 v 16).
4) The Great Shofar
There are three primary trumpets to the Jewish people and these three trumpets are associated with specific days in the year. The Trumpet mentioned would be the Shofar or Rams Horn. These three trumpets are:
(a) “The First Trump,” blown and associated with Shavuot (Pentecost);
(b) “The Last Trump,” blown and associated with Feast of Trumpets;
(c) “The Great Trump,” blown and associated with Yom Kippur and announces the Jubilee year.
It is on Yom Kippur when the Great Trumpet, known in Hebrew as the Shofar HaGadol is blown. This is referred to in Isaiah 27:13. In Isaiah 52:13-15, the suffering servant, Yeshua, Messiah is seen sprinkling many nations. In Ezekiel 36:24-26, it is the Jews returning to Israel from the Diaspora whom God will sprinkle clean water upon when they return back to the land of Israel.
5) The Jubilee year is announced
The most unusual observance that God commanded the Israelites through Moses was the keeping of the year of Jubilee. It only occurred once in their lifetime, as it occurred only once every 50 years.
At this year of jubilee all Israelites who had sold themselves into slavery were set free, and all land that had been sold reverted to its original owner. This meant that no Israelite could ever be in permanent slavery; nor could any Israelite permanently lose his inheritance.
The English word jubilee comes from the Hebrew word Yobel meaning a trumpet or “ram’s horn”. These rams horns were blown on the Day of Atonement to announce the start of the year of jubilee. Leviticus 25 v 8-55. Count off Seven Sabbaths of years — seven times x seven years — so that the seven Sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years.
Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land.
Lev 25 v 10-14 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.
Like the day of Pentecost, the year of jubilee is a Sabbath of Sabbaths. It is a special year among special years. Its climax was the great Day of Atonement. Trumpets were sounded throughout the land of Israel, and amazing things took place.
- · All Hebrews slaves were set free.
- · All land returned to its original owner’s family.
- · The Land was left fallow to rest.
The historical background is that the Israelites had been slaves in the land of Egypt, without freedom and without possessions. When they reached the land of Canaan, Joshua divided the land among their tribes and their families, so that each had his own inheritance. Every adult male among them became a landowner. This land was a permanent possession that could never depart from his family. If a man became poor, he could sell part or all of his land, but only temporarily. It would always revert to him or his descendants at the year of jubilee. If he became even poorer and was unable to pay his debts, he could sell himself into slavery, and work to pay off his debts. Again that slavery could only ever be temporary. When the great Day of Atonement in the year of Jubilee came he became a free man once again, and repossessed his inheritance.
This fiftieth year is to be a jubilee year for you: you will not sow, you will not harvest the ungathered corn, you will not gather the untrimmed vine. The jubilee is to be a holy thing to you; you will eat what comes from the fields.” Leviticus 25 v 10-14. Even the land rested.
I believe Yeshua announced His ministry during a Jubilee year. Luke 4 v 17 – (Quotes Isa 61:1) The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; “
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor. Jesus presents himself as the One who brings the old Jubilee to completion, because he has come to “preach the year of the Lord’s favor” (Isaiah 61: 1-2).
In Luke 4 v 28-30 Those that heard him were filled with anger and they led him to the edge of a Hill, that they may throw him down. The Lamb of God (who took away the sins of the world) nearly met the same fate as the Azazel goat did each atonement.
