Day 10 – Today is the Day of Atonement!
Dear Friend,
Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ forever,
it’s finally here! I’m talking about
the moment we have been anticipating:
Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement!
This is God’s “High Holy Day” when once a year, the High Priest was invited into the Holy of Holies to
sprinkle the blood of a spotless lamb before the
Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant when the Lord, our Creator,
met with humanity’s representative
only this one time every year.
Seven times, the High Priest sprinkled the blood of the lamb in God’s presence. I believe this is
an ancient prophetic reflection of completion. But I also believe it represents the 7 places your Bible mentions Jesus
shed His blood the days leading up to His crucifixion; the 7 exchanges the Lord Jesus made for you from the Cross; and the
7 blessings of the atonement from Joel 2!
The symbolic atonement performed by Israel’s ancient High Priest had to be performed once a year, and repeated year
after year. In contrast, Jesus’ atonement — Himself — only needed to have taken place once for all so you
and I could be forever released from the penalty of sin and death.
Of course, you and I could never earn the Atonement. And we could never atone for ourselves. It took someone from eternity,
spotless, sinless blood. I hear the song resounding in my spirit—
Jesus paid it all.
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain.
He washed me white as snow.
Israel’s ancient High Priest then left God’s presence, not to return to the Holy of Holies for another year.
The Lord Jesus Christ took His throne in the heavenly temple and sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12), decreeing
forever, “It is finished!” That's why we must honor His sacrifice.
Leviticus 23:27 says, “Be careful to celebrate the Day of Atonement ... You must observe it as an official day
for holy assembly, a day to deny yourselves and present special gifts to the LORD.”
I want to encourage you to take a step of faith and discover what He does when
you stand in obedience to His word
and
we stand in agreement with each other. Send me your prayer needs now. Celebrate the feast. And watch heaven
open over your life.
Join me today, on the Day of Atonement, in honoring the Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest, as the Scripture commands.
Yours for the harvest,
Pastor Rod Parsley
