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Yom HaKippurim - The Day of Atonements
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is a day of contradictions and contrasts: joy and sorrow. Rewards for the righteous and judgments for the wicked rebels. Joy for the righteous when Satan and his demons, death and Babylon are destroyed by the King of Kings.

This day, perhaps the most solemn day of the year, culminates a 40-day period of self introspection and repentance (teshuvah) on the part of the Believer as he seeks to draw closer spiritually to the Creator of the Universe—YHVH Elohim. It is the time when the the bride of Yeshua (i.e., Believers who keep YHVH's commandments and who have faith in Yeshua the Messiah, Rev. 12:17 and 14:12), after having prepared for 40 days for the return of Yeshua the Bridegroom move spiritually from the Altar of Incense located in the Holy Place in the Tabernacle of Moses into the Holy of Holies, which is the place reserved only for the bride and Bridegroom and which is a shadow-picture of the chuppah in the Jewish wedding.

There is much yet that we have to learn about the prophetic and spiritual significance of the Day of Atonement, but what YHVH has revealed to us we share in our comprehensive teaching articles on this subject.

Articles:

Torah Scriptures:

“This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you; for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before YHVH. It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute. So the priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as priest in his father's place shall make atonement: he shall thus put on the linen garments, the holy garments, and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. Now you shall have this as a permanent statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year.” And just as YHVH had commanded Moses, so he did.

Vayikra/Lev 16:29-34

YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, “On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to YHVH. You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the YHVH your Elohim. If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath.”

Vayikra/Lev 23:26-32

“You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, forty-nine years. You shall then sound a shofar abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a shofar all through your land. You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.”

Vayikra/Lev 25:8-10

“Then on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall humble yourselves; you shall not do any work. You shall present a burnt offering to YHVH as a soothing aroma: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs one year old, having them without defect; and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, a tenth for each of the seven lambs; one male goat for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of atonement and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.”

B'Midbar/Numbers 28:7-11


Preparing for the Fast

Yom Kippur is a day of a complete fast and all work is strictly forbidden. If you prepare ahead physically for the fast, you will be better able to participate and concentrate on the spiritual. We suggest that you begin to cut back on the caffeine and sugar and begin drinking more water the week before Yom Kippur. Caffeine and sugar withdrawal and dehydration can make you miserable. Here are links to helpful articles to help you to prepare physically for the Fast:

Fasting For Yom Kippur (from a Medical Perspective) by Michael M. Segal, MD, PhD

Tips for Surviving the Fast by Mark Mietkiewicz

Tips for Yom Kippur Fasting by Tracey R Rich (Judiasm 101 /Jewish FAQ website)

Tips on Fasting by Richard Israel (Jewish Outreach Institute)

Yom Kippur Fast Prep Sheet by Lisa Katz (About.com:Judaism)