THE DAY OF ATONEMENT PART I – JEWISH TRADITIONS CAN NOT ATONE FOR SIN

The LORD said to Moses, "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. I will destroy from among his 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 Sabbath of 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." Leviticus 23:26-32

CEREMONY SYMBOLIZING CASTING AWAY SINS

Rosh Hashanah (Yom Teruah - The Day of Trumpets) is held on the first day of the seventh month. Ten days later, on Tishri 10, the Day of Atonement is observed. Some Jews observe a ceremony on the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah called Tashlich, which means “you will cast.” It comes from a saying of the prophet Micah: “… and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the sea.” Those observing this tradition go to a river, pray, empty their pockets of lint and bread crumbs. As they throw these into a river, they believe that the water will carry their sins away.

THE TEN DAYS OF AWE

The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are commonly known as the Ten Days of Awe. During the Ten Days of Penitence (in Hebrew, Asseret Yemey Tshuva, which, literally translated, means ten days of return), prayers of penitence are included in the daily synagogue services.

THE YOM KIPPUR SYNAGOGUE SERVICE

Yom Kippur is the most holy, most solemn day for the Jewish people. It is the last day of the High Holy Days which began on Rosh Hashanah. Many Jewish people spend the entire day in the synagogue, praying and fasting in the hope that their sins will be forgiven and that they will be written in the Lamb's Book of Life for the coming year. The synagogue service begins with Kol Nidre which means “all vows.” This special prayer in Aramaic asks forgiveness for promises made to God which have been broken by accident. Kol Nidre was used by Spanish Marranos, Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity during the Spanish Inquisition, yet who secretly maintained their original faith.

THE BOOK OF JONAH

During the afternoon service, the Book of Jonah is read. At the close of the evening service, the shofar is blown for one long blast, the first and only time on Yom Kippur.

Not only is the Book of Jonah a picture of God's grace and salvation being offered to the Gentiles, but it also foreshadows the miraculous sign that identified Israel's true Messiah:

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:38-40

The most solemn and holy day for the Jewish people is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), when the entire Book of Jonah is read. Jesus, the Lamb of God, proved He was the one true acceptable atonement offering when He rose from the dead on the third day.

GOOD WORKS CANNOT ATONE FOR SIN

Since the destruction of the Second Temple, traditional Judaism has substituted the study of the Torah, repentance (tshuva), prayer (tfilah), charity (tzedakah) and good deeds (mitzvoth) for the blood sacrifices that are required to cover sins. Instead of substitutionary sacrifice (a type of grace); modern Judaism is a religion of works. Some Chasidic Jews (ultra-orthodox) as well as some Orthodox Jews practice Kappa rot, the practice of swinging a fowl over their head seven times and asking that the fowl be considered as an atonement offering for sins.

All of the good works of traditional Judaism are bloodless and cannot cover sin, let alone provide atonement for sin. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm122:6), also pray that Jewish people will place their trust in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) as both Lord and Savior.

As a Jewish believer in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Son of God and Messiah (Christ), I am sharing my understanding of the natural and spiritual fulfillments that are foreshadowed in the Festivals of Yehovah in a series of posts. If you missed any of my first seven posts, please use the links below:

WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS STUDY THE FESTIVALS OF THE LORD?
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/why-should-christians-study-the-festivals-of-the-lord

JESUS IS THE PASSOVER LAMB WITHOUT BLEMISH
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/jesus-is-the-passover-lamb-without-blemish

SYMBOLS OF CHRIST IN THE PASSOVER
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/symbols-of-christ-in-the-passover

SANCTIFICATION OF THE BELIEVER IN CHRIST
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/sanctification-of-the-believer-in-christ

HOW WAS JESUS ABLE TO CELEBRATE PASSOVER AND YET BE CRUCIFIED ON PASSOVER?
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/how-was-jesus-able-to-celebrate-passover-and-yet-be-crucified-on-passover

CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED, ENTOMBED, AND ROSE FROM THE GRAVE ON THE FESTIVALS OF YEHOVAH
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/christ-was-crucified-entombed-and-rose-from-the-grave-on-the-festivals-of-yehovah

THE FEAST OF WEEKS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
https://steemit.com/christianity/@lastdays/the-feast-of-weeks-and-the-holy-spirit