Please read the one page article “God’s Festivals: An Historical Perspective” for an introduction to the subject of God’s Holy Days.
Lev. 23:27-32 and Numbers 29:7-11 The Day of Atonement is observed on the 10th day of the 7th month of the Hebrew Calendar. The Day of Atonement pictures the putting out of sin from our lives and from the world. It pictures a time when Jesus has conquered sin and paid the ultimate price through His death for our reconciliation from sin. He has taken the sins of the world upon Himself and He has conquered sin and now gives us, His children and heirs (Rom. 8:6-18) the full opportunity of eternal life AT ONE with Him. It is the Day of AT-ONE-MENT with God.
“Atonement” is a reparation for an offense or injury. Atonement satisfies the need for reparation and reconciliation from our many sins. Jesus Christ took our sins upon Himself and conquered sin thus allowing us to conquer sin through Him.
Lev. 16:29 and 34 we see how to observe this Holy Day of God. We “afflict” our souls, meaning to fast (do not eat or drink anything) from sunset to sunset. There shall be no work, food or drink and we must keep this day holy forever. Jesus Christ is our propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins. Romans 3:25, 1 John 2:2 and 1 John 4:10.
The early first century Church of God continued to observe this Holy Day but with the new understanding that Jesus Christ Himself took the yearly sacrificial place of lamb and became our permanent sacrifice to remove sin from the world. In Acts 27:9 Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles mentions the “fast” as having already past. Paul in writing to the Gentile church of Rome wrote, “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:11-12). Jesus Himself is our reconciliation to God and our sacrificial atonement for salvation. Paul tells the Gentile church of Corinth that Jesus Christ is our atonement and we are saved by His death and sacrifice. He is our reconciliation to God replacing the downfall of Adam with the Life of Jesus Christ, our atoning sacrifice (II Cor. 5:14-19). Jesus is our redeemer, our redemption from sin, our reconciliation back to God. It is the total holy righteous spiritual SACRIFICE of His shed blood for our sins and the sins of the world which makes our redemption possible. Jesus Christ made the atonement manifest in our lives to redeem us from death (Hebrews 9:7-28).
The Day of Atonement is observed and kept holy by the church with the understanding that Jesus Christ is our atonement for sin. The Day of Atonement points to the time when we will be at one with God.
