Yom Kippur: the Last Call to Repent Before a Big Trumpet Blast!
This is the most solemn day on the Jewish calendar: the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. Yom means “day” and Kippur comes from a root that means “to atone,” related to the covering of the Ark (the kapporet). As the scripture says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Observing the Day of Atonement
Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed. The Jewish people will be fasting until sunset this evening September 25. This is because Yom Kippur is a day to “afflict the soul” according to Leviticus 23: 27. Ideally, the fast is a complete fast, without food or water, but exceptions are made for the elderly, infirm and pregnant women.
Many secular Jewish and Israeli friends do not consider themselves to be religious; nevertheless they honor this day in some way, by abstaining from work, by fasting for 25 hours or attending synagogue services. Today there is a stillness in the streets of Israel unlike any other nation experiences. No other nation that I know of engages in a total fast annually, humbling themselves before God in deep national and individual repentance.
The Last Appeal and Repentance
The Jewish people believe that on this day God enters his verdict in books which are sealed. According to “Judaism 101,” today is essentially your last appeal, your last chance to change a verdict, to demonstrate your repentance and to make amends. It is interesting that the Jewish people believe that on this day only sins against God are dealt with, not sins against another person. The rabbis teach that reconciliation with other individuals must be done before Yom Kippur.
In the synagogues the cantors sing the Kol Nidrei (“All vows”), a fascinating disclaimer, with its touching melodic phrases: “All personal vows we are likely to make, all personal oaths and pledges we are likely to take between this Yom Kippur and the next Yom Kippur, we publicly renounce. . . . Let our personal vows, pledges and oaths be considered neither vows nor pledges nor oaths.”
The leader and the congregation then say together three times, “May all the people of Israel be forgiven, including all the strangers who live in their midst, for all the people are in fault.” This is corporate prayer–holy activity that many evangelical churches need to learn more about when seeking God’s favour and forgiveness for our increasingly disturbing and great national sins.
A Judeo-Christian Perspective
I describe myself as a Judeo-Christian. Without my Hebraic roots, Christianity cannot be explained or understood. The Cross is history’s centrepiece. Followers of Rabbi Jesus/Yeshua believe He died to make Atonement as God’s sacrificial Lamb upon the altar of the Cross at Passover. We choose to look by faith to the judgment of our sin on his Cross for all time and eternity. Every Yom Kippur I am especially grateful that the Lord made Atonement for me and I do not need to attempt to trust in my own insufficient righteousness!
The following table illustrates the distinction between these significant observances:
| Observance | Focus | Key Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Passover | Personal salvation | Sacrificial Lamb upon the altar of the Cross. |
| Yom Kippur | National salvation | Day of Atonement; the "National Day of Prayer." |
| Yom Teruah | Day of alarm/shouting | Feast of Trumpets; shofar sounded 100 times. |
The Book of Life and the Shofar Blast
The Jewish people have a saying for this day, “May your name be inscribed favorably in the Book of Life.” Born-again Christians are eternally grateful to our Jewish Saviour that because of the merit of his finished work on the Cross, our names are indeed inscribed and sealed in the Lamb’s Book of Life– when we put our faith in Him. Thank God, as long as the Gospel door of hope is open, a peron’s name can still be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life whenever he or she repents and believes the Good News!
As Yom Kippur ends this evening, there will be a long shofar blast in synagogues. Ten days ago, Yom Teruah, the “day of alarm/shouting,” also called the Feast of Trumpets, saw the shofar sounded 100 times. Now a long and loud shofar blast will mark the end of the fast. The Almighty will pour out the spirit of grace and supplication as prophesied in Zechariah 12:10. Amen!