The day of atonement is a day of prayer and a day of helping others. It is a day when one needs to humble themselves.
We read in Leviticus 23 where the option was given to all if they wanted to follow Yahuwah on this day or they wanted to follow man. The verse below is quite sobering when you think upon its meaning.
26 And Yahuwah spoke to Moses, saying,
27 “Also the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble yourselves and present an offering by fire to Yahuwah.
28 You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before Yahuwah thy Elohim.
29 If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people.
30 If there is any person who does any work on this same day, I will destroy that person from among the people.
31 You shall do no work at all [on that day]. It is a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you may be.
32 It is to be to you a Sabbath of complete rest, and you shall humble yourselves. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening you shall keep your Sabbath.”
Leviticus 23 tells us that if the people will not observe this day then that person shall cut off and destroyed from among the people.
Today people follow the Gregorian calendar, and have removed the calendar which tells them when these appointed times are. They use the sun in conjunction with a man made date line to tell them when a day starts and ends.
Many of these people attend church. The word church comes from the word Circe. In Greek mythology, the witch Circe was the daughter of the sun god Helios and the ocean nymph Perse (or Perseis). According to legend, Circe lived on the island of Aeaea, where she built herself a palace and practiced spells that enabled her to turn men into animals. This is a reflection of its solar only focus.
The calendar we find in His word is a Luni-Solar. The difference between a Luni-Solar calendar and a solar calendar is in where it starts each month.
A solar calendar starts each month (and day) upon the international date line. Because it only uses the sun, it is a continual calendar. We read about this in Daniel 8:9-14.
9 And from one of them came forth a little horn which became superior and very great toward the south and toward the sunrise and toward the glorious (land).
10 And it (the little horn) became great (against) the sun, moon and stars in the visible sky and causes them to waste away such that they become inferior , the sun, moon and the sparkling stars to the surface of the earth and trampled upon them (thus destroying the knowledge of their function).
11 And he made himself of great importance, magnifying himself as the Ruler of rulers of the continuously without interruption (cycle of weeks) and caused himself of be exalted and shown as powerful and Yahuwah’s dwelling place the temple was cast down.
12 And the Sun Moon and the stars were delivered up and given to the continuously without interruption as a transgression against Yahuwah which cast away the truth to the ground which bought about prosperity and success (for the little horn).
13 Then I heard a certain Holy One speaking to another Holy One who said to that certain one which spoke “(Until when) the vision of the continuously (without interruption) transgression which stuns, stupefies and makes desolate will be permitted to be set apart from Yahuwah such that the Sun, moon and stars are trodden upon?
14 And he said unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then the separation of Yahuwah will be justified and made righteous.
– This translation may be confirmed by viewing the end of this article where each word is linked to its meaning
A Luni-Solar calendar however uses the sun and the moon. A Luni-Solar calendar starts each month upon the sighting of the new moon. This causes the date line for a Luni-solar Calendar to move over the surface of the earth each month.
The new moon is not seen directly above the international date line as it is a curve shape as shown in figure 1.
Figure 1 – The fixed date line in red and the curved Luni-Solar line in blue.
Within Leviticus 23 we are told that the day of Atonement was a day to humble ourselves. But what does that mean? Some groups will explain this as a d.ay in which you fast. But we read in Isaiah 58 that was not a fast that Yahuwah wanted. He wanted us to help others and to pray.
2 Yet they seek Me daily,
And delight to know My ways,
As a nation that did righteousness,
And did not forsake the ordinance of their Elohim.
They ask of Me the ordinances of justice;
They take delight in approaching Elohim.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?
Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’
“In the day of your fast you find pleasure,
And instead exploit all your labourers.
4 You fast for strife and debate,
And strike with the fist of wickedness.
You will not fast as you do this day,
To make your voice heard on high.
5 But was this the fast that I have chosen?
A day for a man to afflict his soul (by not eating)?
Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush,
And to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Is this what you would call this a fast?
And an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 “Is this not the fast that I have asked for?
To loose the bonds of wickedness.
To undo the heavy burdens.
To let the oppressed go free.
To break every yoke.
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry?
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out?
When you see the naked, that you cover him?
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Leviticus 16 is all about the Day of Atonement. In it we see fire (which represent the way of purification) going into the censor and the smoke coming out of it. The smoke represented the prayers of the people coming before Yahuwah that He might forgive those who love Him and provide atonement (purification through His fire) for them. This was done in front of the mercy seat which was behind the veil.
12 Then he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before Yahuwah, with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine, and bring it inside the veil.
13 And he shall put the incense on the fire before Yahuwah, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the Testimony, lest he die.
In Revelation 8 we read of what is to occur on the final day of Atonement. Here we see the censor which holds the prayers in the smoke coming before Yahuwah who is upon the throne.
After the atonement is made we see the result of those who ignored His appointed times, choosing rather to follow their own way. The trumpets start to sound and the fulfillment of Leviticus 23:28-30 (listed above) is made clear.
1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before Yahuwah, and to them were given seven trumpets.
3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before Yahuwah from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
In Revelation 8 we see the trumpets being blown which are during the tribulation. In Revelation 12 we see another view of the start of this time. We see the sign in the sky spoken of like this:
1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
In Revelation we see two women. One which has the people being mislead and the other one a pure and clean woman. This woman represents the truth and it is not surprising that this woman is clothed with the sun and has the moon at her feet. Symbolism is used heavily in Revelation . This woman represents the appointed people of Yahuwah. That is the saints.
These people see the Light (sun). The Light is His word, and the sun is clothing this woman. These people walk after the appointed times which Yahushua did (moon). The moon is at the feet of this woman. The woman sees the Father (the sun), the truth, the Light He provides us with and walks after the son as He did (the moon).
Psalms 104:19 says
He made the moon for the appointed times. The sun knows the place of its setting.
The 12 stars represent the months of the calendar He provided us with.
14 Then Elohim said, “Let there be light-bearers (sun, moon, stars) in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be useful for signs, and for marking appointed times and for days and for years;
In Revelation 12:2 we read:
2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
It is not going to be an easy time, but the Father promises that after it all he shall wipe away every tear and death shall be no longer.
4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrow and anguish, or crying, or pain; for the former order of things has passed away.”
So will you follow His appointed times? Will you take the time to see what He shows us in His word? I pray all who read this will.
May Yahuwah they Elohim Baruch (bless) you.