On Yom Kippur, the Messiah will move his throne to Jerusalem (Matt 24.30-31). Yom Kippur is known by the following names and idioms: Day of Atonement; Yom ha Pedut (Day of Redemption-Eph 4.30); Yom ha Din (Day of Judgment); Shofar ha Gadol (the “great trumpet”-Matt 24.30-31, Isa 27.12-13); the “fast”(Acts 27.9; Joel 2.15) and the “day Adam sinned.” We will see Yom Kippur terms in Joel 2.15-18 like a shofar; a fast; solemn assembly (the other solemn assembly is Yom Teruah); the bride and groom are coming out of their wedding chamber and weeping between the porch and the altar. Yom Kippur is the only day when there are services there.
Micah 5.4 has another Yom Kippur term, “And he (Messiah) will arise and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.” There is only one day during the year when the High Priest did this, Yom Kippur. There are other terms and phrases associated with Yom Kippur like: the sanctification of the Name; a day of sealing; closing the gate; Azazel; face to face and Yovel (Jubilee).
In Isa 26.1-2 it’s Yom Teruah/Rosh ha Shannah because the gates are opened and the righteous nation enters in. Isa 26.16-18 is the birth-pains because it is a time of distress like a woman in labor (Jer 30.1-8). Alluding to Yom Teruah/Rosh ha Shannah, we see in Isa 26.19-20 a resurrection and the people are entering into their rooms (chedar) and are being hidden (Zeph 2.1-3) until the indignation (the Birth-pains) runs its course. Then, on Yom Kippur, we see them coming out of their rooms (Joel 2.16; Matt 24.30-31).
Isa 27.1 talks about Leviathan. In Jewish eschatology, Leviathan is a seven headed creature that arises out of the sea. We see this in Rev 13.1, and Leviathan is a term for the false messiah. Isa 27 will take us through the birth-pains (Yom Kippur to Yom Kippur). Isa 27.12-13 talks about a “shofar ha Gadol” or “great trumpet” being blown and the people are being saved, and they are coming to the Lord in Jerusalem. So, Isa 26 and 27 gives us an overview of the seven year Birth-pains. In Matt 24.30-31 we have the “shofar ha Gadol” or “great trumpet” being blown again. In a prayer book for Yom Kippur called a Machzor, there is a service called “Neilah” and it is the “closing of the gates” of repentance. Remember, the gates of repentance are open on Yom Teruah or Rosh ha Shannah, in fact, “open the gates” or “a door is open” is an idiom for Yom Teruah. In the same way, the “closing of the gates” coincides with the “shofar ha Gadol” or “great trumpet” on Yom Kippur. Eph 4.30 talks about being sealed until the day of redemption, and “day of redemption” is Yom ha Pedut, another name for Yom Kippur, and Yom Kippur is the day when Yeshua returns.
Most of us have heard of the phrase “signed, sealed and delivered” at one time or another. This phrase alludes to Yom Teruah/Rosh ha Shannah where everyone is judged (assigned). If you have not repented and sealed yet as a believer, you have until Yom Kippur to repent because it, too, is a “day of judgment” or Yom ha Din. So, on Yom Kippur you are sealed and delivered to your fate by Sukkot. Dan 7.9-10 alludes to Yom Teruah/Rosh ha Shannah (Rev 4). Dan 7.13-14 alludes to the coronation of the Messiah as seen in Rev 5. Dan 7.19-22 refers to a Yom ha Din. Judgment is rendered on Yom Kippur and everyone is judged who survived the Birth-pains. The righteous (tzaddikim) go into the kingdom, and the unrighteous to Tophet. In Matt 25.31-46, we have the same idea being taught. Yeshua has returned on Yom Kippur, a Yom ha Din. You will see Yom Kippur imagery in this passage such as the deciding between the two groups, one on the right (“L’Adonai” or “to the Lord”) and the other on the left (L’Azazel” or “to Azazel”). The righteous on the right will go to the Temple for Sukkot, the unrighteous to the left to Tophet for death. That means that Yeshua will be sitting on the Mount of Olives for this judgment. These two groups and two gaots also allude to Yeshua Barabbas and Yeshua Barabbas at the trial before Pilate. We know that Yeshua the Messiah is the son of the Father (Barabbas). But, the first name of Barabbas was Yeshua, and just looking at the two men you could not see a difference, just like the two goats of Yom Kippur. One went “to the Lord” and the other went “to Azazel” and was never heard from again.
Another term for Yom Kippur is “face to face.” We see an allusion to the fall festivals from Gen 31.1 to Gen 33.17. Jacob wrestles with ” God in the form of a man sent from God” face to face in Gen 32.24-32 and is changed. This alludes to Yom Kippur when Israel will come face to face with “God in the form of a man sent from God” when Yeshua returns on Yom Kippur. Another allusion to “face to face” and Yom Kippur is seen when the High Priest goes into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. Jewish tradition says that Adam sinned on Tishri 10 (God began creation of Tishri 1, the first Sabbath was Tishri 7 and Adam sinned three days later), which was to become Yom Kippur, and God made a “covering” for him (Gen 3.21).
We could go on and on all of these things, but the issue is that we have “keys” to drive the car that gets us where we need to go. These “keys” unlock the door so we can get in and drive along the roadways of the Scriptures. We can read the road signs, which is using the languages in the Scripture like Hebrew and Aramaic. But, we can also use the sub-languages like agriculture, the Temple, the calendars, the festivals, eschatology, spiritual warfare and many, many more. What we are saying is that you can learn these languages and sub-languages, too, and discover the joy of finding the truth God has for yourself. It is one thing to see pictures someone else took of a vacation, but it is another thing to go on the vacation and see the things for yourself. Learn these things, and you will read a different Tanach, Gospels and Epistles. That is the “key.”
Sources used in this study include:
The book “The Gospel of Matthew According to a Primitive Text” by George Howard
NASB/KJV Bibles
Strong’s Concordance
The Lost Key tape series by Hatikva Ministries
The book “Legends of the Jew”s by Louis Ginsberg
The Jewish Encyclopedia
The Rosh ha Shannah Machzor by Mesorah Publications
The Mishnah
Personal notes
Leave a Reply