By Shelley Neese
Welcome to Bible Fiber, where are we encountering the textures and shades of the biblical tapestry. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel or follow Bible Fiber wherever you listen to your podcasts!
On October 1st, the first Bible Fiber book launched! It is a 52-week study of the Twelve Minor Prophets, going through each book. This comprehensive companion provides thoughtful commentary for every chapter, making these ancient texts accessible to all readers. Grab your copy of Bible Fiber today! It is available on Amazon as a Paperback and on Kindle!
Second, we are pressing pause on the Ezekiel study during the Jewish High Holidays for a miniseries we are calling “High Holidays for the Goyim.”
When is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day in the Jewish calendar. It falls on the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tishrei, exactly 10 days after the celebration of Rosh Hashanah. That means Yom Kippur is the climactic day of atonement following a long reflective period. This year, on the Gregorian calendar, Yom Kippur starts at sundown on October 11th and ends at sundown on October 12th.
Where is Yom Kippur Mentioned in the Bible?
The biblical basis for Yom Kippur is found in Leviticus 23:26-32. God instructed Moses:
The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present a food offering to the Lord. Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people. I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day. You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath. (Lev. 23:26:32)
In this passage, God refers to Yom Kippur in Hebrew as the Shabbat Shabbaton which is often translated as “Sabbath of Sabbaths.” All Sabbaths are special, but Yom Kippur is the holiest day of all.
The commands in Leviticus outline the requirement for the Israelites to fast and abstain from work on this holy day. Those continue to be the primary means of observing Yom Kippur for the Jewish people today.
The Torah also has a lot to say about the priestly rituals that must be performed on Yom Kippur. Leviticus and Numbers describe the basic structure of the day’s observances and list the required sin offerings (Lev. 16 and 23; Num. 29).
As mediator between God and the people, the High Priest had a critical role to fulfill on Yom Kippur. As we learn from God’s instructions to Aaron, the first High Priest, the job was even dangerous because of the proximity of the priest with the spirit of God (Lev. 16:2). On Yom Kippur, the High Priest wore special white linen garments.
He would first offer a bull as a sin offering for himself and his household, entering the Holy of Holies to sprinkle its blood. Then, two goats were selected: one for the Lord and one as the scapegoat. The goat for the Lord was sacrificed as a sin offering for the people, and its blood was also sprinkled in the Holy of Holies. The High Priest would then lay his hands on the head of the live goat, confessing the sins of the people over it. This scapegoat was then sent into the wilderness, symbolically carrying away the sins of the nation.
Throughout the day, the High Priest would offer additional sacrifices, including rams for burnt offerings and various grain offerings. He would also recite prayers and confessions on behalf of the people. The ritual was intricate and precise, with the High Priest entering the Holy of Holies multiple times. Yom Kippur was the only day of the year that the High Priest was permitted entry into the Holy of Holies. Throughout the ritual sacrifices, the people were required to afflict their souls, typically through fasting and refraining from work.
We know a good deal about how Yom Kippur was observed in the Second Temple period, and the time of Jesus. Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, described the Yom Kippur rituals in his work Antiquities of the Jews. His accounts help bridge the gap between biblical texts and later Rabbinic literature. The Mishnah, particularly tractate Yoma, also provides extensive details about the Yom Kippur service not found in the Bible. It describes the High Priest’s preparations, the precise order of the rituals, and additional practices that developed over time. Later rabbinic literature, including the Talmud, further expands on these details, offering interpretations and discussions about the minutiae of the observances.
It’s important to note that while the biblical account is considered the most authoritative, the later sources help fill in gaps and provide a more comprehensive picture of how Yom Kippur was understood and practiced in different historical periods. The rabbinic texts reflect the evolution of Jewish thought and practice after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, when the biblical rituals could no longer be performed as described.
Beyond the Torah, the significance of Yom Kippur is reinforced in other parts of the Hebrew Bible. The book of Isaiah, for instance, condemns the notion of Yom Kippur being observed through superficial means, emphasizing instead the need for genuine repentance and righteous living. Isaiah, speaking for God, said, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6)
How is Yom Kippur Celebrated Today?
For the last 2,000 years, there has not been a Temple to perform most of the biblical requirements for the Day of Atonement. Still, the Jewish people maintain observance through a variety of solemn rituals and spiritual practices. It is customary for all Jews, no longer just the High Priest, to wear white clothing on Yom Kippur, as a symbol of their desire to be cleansed of sin. The traditional greeting on the day is “G’mar Chatimah Tovah” which means “May you be sealed for a good year.” It refers to the symbol of God sealing the names of the righteous in the Book of Life. I have sweet memories of being in Israel on Yom Kippur and seeing families all dressed in white out for walks. Because no one dares drive on Yom Kippur, everyone goes out for a walk on major interstates and highways.
One of the most well-known Yom Kippur traditions is the 25-hour fast that begins at sundown on the eve of Yom Kippur and continues until nightfall the following day. This fast abstains from all food and drink, focusing the mind on repentance and spiritual renewal.
During the fast, Jews attend long synagogue services that include readings from the Torah and special prayers. The structure of the service emphasizes themes of atonement, forgiveness, and the seriousness of the day. During the afternoon service, the book of Jonah is read. With its themes of repentance and God’s mercy, Jonah is closely associated with the spirit of Yom Kippur.
Central to the service are the confessional prayers. These include individual and communal recitations of sins, wrongdoings, and transgressions committed over the past year. The goal is to take full responsibility for one’s actions toward each other. Yom Kippur is also a time for the Jewish practice of teshuvah, or repentance and return to God. This involves not only confessing sins but also committing to a renewed connection to God in the coming year. At the conclusion of Yom Kippur, a final shofar blast signals the end of the fast and the attainment of forgiveness. This absolution is seen as a divine pardon.
What Does Yom Kippur Mean for Christians?
As a Christian, I believe that Jesus’ death and resurrection provide the means for my atonement. I know that because of the language and ideas set forth in the Jewish rituals and the Hebrew Bible. Without the Levitical explanations of Yom Kippur and the Jewish teachings of substitutionary sacrifice as a means of communion with God, I would have no context for the salvific qualities of Christ’s shed blood. In case the Messianic overtones of the Yom Kippur service were lost on Gentile believers, the writer of Hebrews spelled it out. Describing the animal sacrifices conducted in the Tabernacle, Hebrews states, “the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” /Hebrews concludes that if the blood of goats and bulls sanctified the children of Israel year after year, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”
Next week, we will learn about the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot. Until then G’mar Chatimah Tovah!