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Welcome to Gateway to Freedom - A Note from the Pastor

Welcome to Gateway To Freedoms Ministries’ website. We trust your visit with us will edify you in the Word and your faith.  We have tried to make the teachings, prophecies and booklets easy to view, print, listen to and download yourself.  It is our desire to freely give forth the word(s) that the Lord has shared with us.  To that end we have made available PDF booklets and audio files you may download.*  Feel free to reproduce these materials, but we would ask that you do so in its entirety so that there are no errant quotations.  If you want to quote parts for publication, please request permission stating the purpose, publication and content you wish to reproduce.

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With Our Blessings,
Randy Schroeder

Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement

Torah_teaching

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is considered the holiest and most awesome day by both the Messianic Hebraic faith and traditional Judaism. However, both traditional Judaism and Christendom has so distorted the teachings of YHVH so as to negate the substance behind the commandment to observe this most holy Feast of the Lord.

 

Leviticus 16:1-34 & 18:1-30, Numbers 29:7-11

 

Haftorah

Isaiah 57:14-58:14

B'rit Chadashah

Romans 3:21-26, II Corinthians 5:10-21

 

Introduction:

Instead of following our traditional line by line study of the Torah passages, today I'd like to use an expository format in order to illuminate the subject matter more fully. The Lord's feast of Atonement, called Yom Kippur by the Jews, has been twisted into a doctrine by the Jewish rabbis and mostly ignored by the Christian church. By doing so, both parties have twisted G_d's plan of salvation into to man's plan of salvation and led many astray. 

The Day of Atonement

The Day of Atonement is considered the holiest and most awesome day of both the Messianic Hebraic faith and traditional Judaism. It is preceded by Trumpets and the ten days of awe - a time of serious introspection and prayers of repentance. It is always celebrated on the 10th day of Tishrei, the seventh month. On this day, Jews of all backgrounds and beliefs attend the local synagogue, to ask Yahweh for forgiveness for sins committed during the past calendar year. Traditional Jews believe that this is the day when Yahweh determines once and for all who will live and who will die in the upcoming year. Traditional Jews remain in the synagogue most if not all of the day. 

Jewish Deception:

In modern times, this is the day where the man made salvation formula is invoked by Jews to appease Yahweh. This formula simply stated is good deeds, plus prayer, plus repentance = salvation, thus averting the evil decree! Thus, when the temple was destroyed, this doctrine decreed that prayer was the acceptable sacrifice instead of the blood offering!

This custom is a sad, man-made substitute for biblical atonement. According to Lev. 23:26-32, Numbers 29: 7-11 and most importantly Leviticus 16, this day was the national Day of Atonement for all the children of Israel through the blood sacrifice of the bull and the goat. The blood of atonement was used to cleanse the priests, the altar, the people, the priestly garments and all the holy items of temple sacrificial worship. Leviticus 17:11 speaks of the blood of atonement as the only divine means for the atonement of the human soul. The Book of Hebrews talks much about the blood of Yeshua as the only eternal means of atonement, as well as the blood that conclusively gives us the way of removing sin forever, in the life of a believer. His blood ushered in the new and everlasting covenant between Yahweh and man. Yahweh never switched His requirements or criteria through which a man's justification can take place.

A modern day traditional Jew who willfully rejects Yeshua has no means of blood atonement for his sins and is forced to buy into the spiritually bankrupt salvation system of traditional Judaism, instituted by Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zaki at the Council of Yavneh, in 70 AD.

G_d prophesied and allowed the temple to be destroyed so that people would turn to the Jewish Messiah for forgiveness. But then, Rabbi ben Zaki and his contemporaries sold the Jewish people a new bill of goods along with a new formula for forgiveness instead of embracing and teaching the New Covenant of blood atonement that Yahweh foretold in the Torah. While prayer, good deeds and repentance are all very necessary, they cannot replace Yahweh's eternal requirements for a blood sacrifice as commanded by the Torah.

However, lest we get condemning about the veil over the Jews that has blocked Yeshua's atonement from their eyes; let's recognize that church teachings have negated the call of the saints to righteousness, lawfulness and good works – good works as in walking in the Spirit to follow the true way as a reflection of the image of Christ and His righteousness.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)

The Commandment:

Tanauch/Old Testament as illuminated by the B'rit Chadashah/New Testament:

Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. (Leviticus 23:27-28)

And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (Romans 5:11)

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: (Hebrews 9:22-24)

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (Hebrews 10:19-20)

For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. (Leviticus 16:30)

Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. (Leviticus 25:9)*

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:7-9)

Christ's atoning work was the fulfillment of the law and the Old Testament sacrifices (Heb 9:22-24). His blood cleanses us from all sin which we've committed. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:25) Also, we know that, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.. (1 John 1:9)

Christian Deception:

However, Yeshua did not come to simply forgive us our sin and place us in heavenly realms that we might overcome it in our lives. He came to take away our sins and deliver all creation. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) We also have this shadow shown to us by the filthy garments of Joshua, the high priest. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. (Zechariah 3:4)

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Our sin is ever before us (because it has not been taken away from our personalities yet). Improper teaching says Yeshua's blood covers all our sin. We've been taught that it is Jesus' righteousness, or covering, through which God doesn't see our sin because Messiah has fulfilled the legal blood substitution required by YHVH righteousness, right? But is the blood atonement really a covering or rather a blotting out of our past and confessed sins?

Covering or blotting out – Old Versus New Testament Concepts

O.T. Psa 85:2 Thou has forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin.

N.T. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; (Colossians 2:13-14)

This is an interesting verse that anti Torah folks say see... the law has been blotted out! But what has been blotted out is not the ordinances themselves but those sins written in YHVH's book of life that were against us as we violated His Torah. Look at the rest of the verse. What was nailed to the cross? Was it YHVH's law or our sin? Of course it was our sin. The book of Acts confirms this understanding: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; (Acts 3:19)

What is this time of refreshing that comes from the Lord referring to? Remember, that when Peter spoke these words, the Lord Yeshua had already arisen from the dead and the Ruach HaKodesh had been given to the saints at Pentecost. Yet the sins will be blotted out - when? They will be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Again, Peter was walking in the glory of his risen Savior (Acts 1:9) under the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4) to heal the lame man at the gate Beautiful (Acts 3:11). It is later recorded that he was used to heal those who were overshadowed by the Shekinah glory of his radiance (Acts 5:15). But he is talking about a future time of refreshing by the presence of the Lord, himself upon His return.

Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. (Leviticus 25:9) The trumpet of jubilee (blown of old as a foreshadow) is the time when the slaves are set free and the land (earth) is restored to its original benefactors. In the final Atonement, Yeshua will judge, reward and restore all things. Concerning the first resurrection of the believers, the scriptures say: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (2 Cor 5:10) Isn't this the time, at the end, when our sins will be blotted out - in His presence, at the judgment seat of Christ?

The blood atoning, once forever, sacrifice of our Lord made a way for us to approach the throne of grace - by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (Hebrews 10:19-20) This new and living way is a process whereby we "work out our salvation daily" by faith in the promises which are ours by the blood of Yeshua. We are to continually crucify our Adamic nature (flesh/spirit of sin) and walk by the Holy Spirit to overcome the sin within. It is through faith and patience that we look toward the promises and salvation of God. As the writer of the book of Hebrews says, "...be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:12)

Passover vs. Atonement

Because most of Christendom has been taught that Yeshua's blood sacrifice is the fullness of their salvation, let us summarize the differences represented by these two feasts. Understand the foreshadowing pictures that YHVH gave to our inferior minds. The true Passover was observed in Egypt as the last of the plagues to defeat the gods of Egypt. The Atonement sacrifices were not enacted until Israel went through the baptismal waters of the red sea, received the law, established the temple and separated and anointed the priesthood. 

  • As the Passover blood that protects us from the judgment of G_d as it falls on the gods of this world.
  • As the blood of appeasement that cancels the debt of guilt incurred because of our sins. (Heb 8:22, 10:22)
  • As the blood of deliverance and restoration, through which the Holy Spirit of G_d is enabled to 1) remove the tendencies and repair the consequences of the sin in us, 2) to give us the strength to resist sin, and 3) to fill us with the indestructible resurrection Life of Christ so we are lifted above the realm where sin abounds.
  • As the blood of the covenant that we drink when we receive the body and blood of Christ in the Communion service, the Lord's Table.
  • As the blood of union with Christ so we live in Him as He lives in the Father.

Atonement is a process of sin removal until that time (which we observe prophetically on this Day of Atonement) that Jesus returns and removes all sin from the earth by:

1) Changing us so that this body of flesh, which strives against the Spirit of holiness within us, is changed, (1 Cor 15:51,52) Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

2) Throwing the chief sinner, (Satan) into chains for a 1000 years and his cohorts (beast, false prophet) are thrown into the lake of fire. This parallels the ceremony YHVH instituted in the wilderness tabernacle: The sins of the children of Israel were confessed by Aaron and laid on the head of a living goat (Leviticus 16:21). The scapegoat was removed from the camp, bearing away "all their iniquities to a land not inhabited" (Leviticus 16:22).

3) Bringing into submission the whole world under His kingship. (Rev 11:15) And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.

4) Receiving rewards and punishments given out at the judgment seat of Christ. (2 Cor 5:10 NIV) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Summary:
Understanding the Day of Atonement is vital to our understanding of G_d's salvation plan as laid out in the Feasts of the Lord. It should be the motivation for our walk of cleansing, suffering and holiness to which we've been called.

Our observation of this day is a prophetic testimony of future events standing against the doctrines of man - whether traditional Judaism or Christianity. It is a statement of faith (trust) and patience toward the promises YHVH has given through the blood of Yeshua.

We are exhorted by the apostle Paul: "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; (1 Thess 1:3) Our observation is likewise an exhortation to trust in His promises even when others say, "Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:3-4)

Listen to the testimony of the fourth angel of Revelation:

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12)

On this most special day,

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Shabbat Shalom,

Randy

*In Jewish thought, Scripture speaks of three trumpet blasts: the first, last and the final or great trumpet. The first trumpet sounded on Shavuot (Pentecost) at Mount Sinai (Exod 19:19), the last trumpet blast would occur on Yom Teruah (the Day of Trumpets) and the final or great trumpet blast announcing the Jubilee Year would occur on Yom Kippur as we previously read (Day of Atonement, Lev 25:9).