The Day of Atonement: What Are We Missing?
As we approach the High Holidays, many in the Jewish community focus on making things right with God through fasting, prayer, and good deeds. Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, is seen as the pinnacle of this process, where we seek forgiveness from those we've wronged and from God. But while these traditions are deeply rooted in Jewish culture, have we fully grasped what Yom Kippur is truly about according to the Scriptures?
Yom Kippur in Scripture
The instructions for Yom Kippur come from Leviticus 16:29-30:
"And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins."
Rituals and Reflections
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This passage is eye-opening. The focus of Yom Kippur is on the Lord, not on us. There is no mention of the people bringing their own sacrifices. Instead, it was the High Priest who performed this sacred act on behalf of the entire nation of Israel. He entered the Holy of Holies alone to make atonement for the sins of the people.
The ritual involved the casting of lots over two goats, as described in Leviticus 16. One goat was chosen as a sacrifice for the Lord, while the other became the Azazel or scapegoat, symbolically carrying the sins of Israel into the wilderness.
The Two Goats – Yoma 4:2
The Mishnah, the oral tradition recorded by the rabbis, gives further insight into this ritual in Yoma 4:2:
"He tied a scarlet wool thread on the head of the goat that was to be sent away [for Azazel], and positioned it opposite the Gate where it was to be sent away, and he placed the goat that was to be slaughtered opposite the slaughtering area. He came to the bull and laid his two hands on it and recited the confession. And this is what he said: 'Please, O Lord, I have sinned, transgressed, and rebelled against You, I and my household. Please, O Lord, grant atonement for the sins, transgressions, and rebellions that I have sinned, transgressed, and rebelled against You, I and my household, as it is written in the Torah of Moses Your servant: For on this day He will grant atonement to cleanse you from all your sins; before the Lord, you shall be cleansed.'”
The scapegoat was to be led away into the wilderness, taking with it the sins of the people. The High Priest would confess the sins of the nation over the goat, transferring the guilt onto it. This idea of transferring sins onto a substitute resonates with many prayers still read in synagogues today during Yom Kippur. "Al Chet" (For the sin) is a key prayer, in which the congregation confesses a comprehensive list of sins, seeking atonement and purification.
The tradition held that a scarlet thread would be tied to the scapegoat's horns and another thread would be placed at the entrance of the Temple. If the people's sins were forgiven, the scarlet thread would miraculously turn white, symbolizing that God had accepted their atonement.
A Miraculous Change – Yoma 39B
However, something extraordinary is recorded in the Talmud about the period just before the destruction of the Second Temple. In Yoma 39B, it says:
"Our Rabbis taught: During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the lot for the Lord did not come up in the High Priest’s right hand at all; nor did the scarlet-colored strap become white; nor did the western-most light shine; and the doors of the Hekal [Temple] would open by themselves, until Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai rebuked them, saying: 'Temple, Temple, why do you frighten us? We know that you are destined to be destroyed, for Zechariah ben Ido has already prophesied concerning you: Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars!'"
The Southern steps leading up to the Temple Mount.
This is remarkable! For 40 years leading up to the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the scarlet thread stopped turning white, the menorah’s western-most light failed to stay lit, and the doors of the Temple would mysteriously swing open on their own.
What could have happened 40 years prior to 70 AD? That takes us back to the time of Yeshua (Jesus) and His crucifixion and resurrection. This isn’t just some legend from Christian sources; it’s documented in the Jewish Talmud itself.
At the exact moment of Yeshua’s death, the gospel of Matthew 27:51 tells us:
"And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split."
Why would the curtain be torn, and why would these miraculous signs stop happening? We believe this points to the ultimate fulfillment of the Yom Kippur sacrifice. Yeshua is the High Priest who entered the Holy of Holies, not with the blood of bulls or goats but with His own blood, making atonement for all.
A Deeper Atonement
The traditions of Yom Kippur, as rich and meaningful as they are, point us to a deeper truth. The Mosaic system—the sacrifices, the Temple, the scapegoat—was always meant to foreshadow something greater. According to the New Testament book of Hebrews, Yeshua (Jesus) has fulfilled the role of the High Priest. As it says in Hebrews 8:1-2, 6:
"We have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man… Messiah has obtained a ministry that is much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises."
This “better covenant” was prophesied by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31:31-33, where God promised a New Covenant, one that is not based on our works but written on our hearts through faith in the Messiah.
Yeshua as Our Scapegoat and High Priest
Just as the High Priest would transfer the sins of Israel onto the scapegoat, Yeshua has taken on the sins of the world. Isaiah 53:6 says:
"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
He bore our sins, once and for all, bringing us reconciliation with God. The Temple curtain was torn, and the doors flung open—symbolizing that access to God is now available to all people through Yeshua’s sacrifice.
This Yom Kippur, as prayers are offered and sins are confessed, may we reflect on the ultimate atonement made for us by the Messiah. It is no longer the blood of animals or the works of our hands that bring us near to God, but the perfect sacrifice of Yeshua, who lives to intercede for us.
As it says in Hebrews 7:24-27:
"He holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."
May your fast be meaningful, and may your soul find rest in the finished work of Yeshua, our High Priest and atonement.
