Yom Kippur or Day of At-One-Ment with God

I wanted to post this because Jerry usually send me important information that needs to be seen by all who consider themselves to be 'Followers of Christ' as opposed to Christian, which has come to mean any religion that claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ. This holiest of holy days is celebrated this year (2008) beginning at sunset of September 27.

This would be a good time to ask for the forgiveness of all, and there are many that I have offended with or through this site, those who have received responses that were less than courteous or even just an unreadable page! I can only say that through the hope that I have in Jesus, I plan and hope to do much better. Here is the message from my friend, Jerry:

Dear Family & Friends,

According to the Jewish calendar, sunset this evening marks the beginning of the holiest day of the year according to God's instructions for keeping the LORD's appointed times in Leviticus 23. This day is the culmination of the days of awe and reconciliation, especially reconciliation between ourselves and the God of creation and King of the universe. This is the high day of at-one-ment or yom kippur, a Sabbath of Sabbaths (Lev. 23:32), a perfect Sabbath. God commands that no work is to be done on this day, that we are to fellowship with others who come together to be reconciled with our God, and is a day of fasting and prayer. Of all the festivals of the LORD described in Leviticus 23, this is the only day on which eating is not done. Leviticus 16:29-31 tells us this day of reconciliation is to be observed for all time. It is the day on which all sins are symbolically removed from God's people when they humble themselves in obedience to His instructions.

This shall be an everlasting ordinance to you, that in the seventh month on the tenth of the month you shall humble yourselves, do no work whatever, neither the native nor the foreigner who lives among you, because on that day reconciliation shall be made for you to cleanse you. You will be cleansed from all your sins in the presence of the LORD. It shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for you; you shall humble your souls. This is an everlasting ordinance. Leviticus 16:29-31

Christians say this is part of the "ceremonial law" that was done away with at the cross, but God said twice in this passage and more times elsewhere that this is an everlasting ordinance. Rather than being done away with at the cross as the Catholic Church and most Christians teach, the holiness of this everlasting covenant is confirmed by the events of the cross. Just as the weekly Sabbath is held sacred by the Seventh-day Adventist Church because Jesus rested in the tomb on the weekly Sabbath, so the annual Sabbaths continue to be sacred because Yeshua rested in the tomb over the Passover, an annual Sabbath that was on the fifth day of the week that year.

Today in my reading I noticed that Joel 2:15 says "Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast day; proclaim a solemn assembly." This expresses the Jewish tradition of blowing the trumpet for the feast of trumpets on the first day of the seventh month. This is also called Rosh Hashanah. This is followed by a sanctified fast day, which would be yom kippur or the Day of At-one-ment. It is also for this day that a solemn assembly is proclaimed where all the LORD's people are to gather together to honor their God, the King of the universe.

I hope you can join me in celebrating this holiest day of God's appointed times by fasting, study of His word, and prayer.

Shalom,

Jerry