AtonementWitness

      This Sabbath, according to some calendars, is the observance of the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kipur, which is one of the fall feasts of the LORD. Believers in Jesus Messiah/Christ know that He IS the atonement for our sins, covering and obliterating our sins with His own blood made as a sacrifice, thus fulfilling this feast (see Mt. 26:27-28, 1 Jn. 2:1-2, Rom. 5:10-11, Rom. 3:23-25). This is a one-day feast commanded by the LORD in Leviticus 23: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement (Kipur/kapar - atonement, expiation, redemption/atonement, purge, reconciliation, forgive, cleansed, pardon, pitch, obliterated, to cover over [with pitch], to expiate, be merciful). It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict (see below) your (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. And you shall do not work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God..." (v. 26-28).

     Before we leave the Hebrew word meanings above connected to Yom Kipur, I would like to look more closely at the Hebrew word ana, translated to mean "afflict", regarding our souls. Most traditionally treat the affliction of our souls as a day of fasting and repentance, however, the Hebrew meaning goes deeper than that. The Hebrew word ana means "afflict, humble, be bowed down, to stoop, to weaken oneself, submit oneself, concern oneself with one's soul, be labored or exercised over one's soul." There is an additional meaning to the word ana, or afflict, that requires an action: "to answer, respond as a witness, make answer, testify, speak, give account, sing, cry out, praise song, the shout of soldiers in battle, a witness giving evidence." This powerful day of "affliction" is not only to include a humbling examination of our souls, but it is a day that requires us to take an action, and to give evidence.  We will see this in the next few examples.

     The root word of Kipur (Atonement) is kapar as shown above. The root word kapar first appears in scripture during the account of Noah's building of the ark. As we see above, kapar means "atonement, purge, reconciliation, forgive, cleansed, pardon, obliterated, cover over (with pitch), to expiate, be merciful." The LORD had told Noah that "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood...and cover it (kapar - see above) inside and outside with pitch (koper/kapar - ransom, satisfaction, price of a life, redemption price)." (Gen. 6:13-14). All mankind was to be destroyed except for one family: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." (v. 8). How would you feel to have seen by revelation from God the deserved total destruction of all mankind and then to have been told that you and your family would be the only exception? How would you feel to have received this unearned gift? Would you bow down in humility and submission before this awesome gift and mercy of God? This is what the LORD is looking for in His people because we have received the undeserved atonement in the blood of Jesus Christ, who, while we were yet sinners, died for us. Do we understand the utter destruction from which the atonement blood shields and delivers us? Why would we think that this day is about food or the abstaining from food? The LORD corrected this false perception in Isaiah 58. We don't want to reduce an act of God's transformative power and mercy into a religious ritual.

     In this account of the ark, scripture remarks upon Noah's genealogy and generations. Noah is described as a just man, perfect (tamim/tamam - without blemish, perfect, upright, without spot, whole, complete, full, innocent (see Mt. 27:3-5), complete or entirely in accord with truth and fact/end, finished (see Jn. 19:30), clean, perfect, done, be completed, completely crossed over) in his generations, as well as the remark that "Noah walked with God." (Gen. 6:9). The LORD was looking at Noah's generations, calling them "perfect". What He saw in those generations is found in the statement: "Noah walked (halak/yalak - depart, die, live, carry, cause to walk, take away, vanish) with God (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega Ha-Elohim)." To me, this is saying that Noah's generations or descendants contained the Messiah/Christ. In the same way as the later case of David, the seed of the Messiah, who is the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega, was in Noah. This was a very humbling thought for David (see 2 Sam. 7:18-22), and it must have been for Noah also. All of these things is enough to cause a person to bow down before the LORD in thanks and awe.

     Noah, as a witness and a testimony to the atonement, followed God's will and prepared a place (see also Jn. 14:1-6) which was the ark. That place was covered inside and out with the koper/kapar atonement (pitch) that protect from the destruction of judgment. Noah applied the pitch (covering atonement inch by inch, foot by foot, inside and outside of the very large vessel.

     Another Atonement witness or testimony is found in Num. 16:41-50. There had been a terrible rebellion among the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness. As a result of this rebellion, all involved in it died, having been swallowed alive by the earth, or consumed by fire from heaven. After these deaths, the people turned against Moses and Aaron, falsely accusing them of killing God's people (Num. 16:41). The glory of the LORD covered the tabernacle and Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle as the LORD said: "Get away/Get ye up (ramam - exalted, lifted up, mount up, to rise, to be high) from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell (napal - fall down, be offered, cease, die, perish, smite out) on their faces." (v. 42-44). Notice how Moses and Aaron fell down on their faces, as the LORD commanded them to "Get ye up".  The lower you humble yourself or your soul, the higher you are lifted up in the Spirit. "So Moses said to Aaron (aharon - "light bringer"), 'Take a (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) censer (mahta/mehita/hata - fire-holder, censer, firepan, a pan for live coals, implement or vessel in which burning coals are carried/destruction, ruin, terror, a breaking/to take hold of, seize, take away, snatch up [coals], to pick up fire) and put fire in it from the altar, put incense (qetoret/qatar - odor of burning sacrifice, perfume/fumigation, a smoke of sacrifice) on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement (kapar - atonement, purge, reconciliation, reconcile, forgive, cleansed, merciful, pardon, pitch, to cover over, overspread) for them; for the wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague (negep/nagap - blow, striking, plague, stumbling of the foot/smite, hurt, slain, struck, stumble, beaten, defeated) has begun." (v. 45-46). Aaron did so, "...standing between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped." (v. 48). Aaron ran into the middle of a deserved plague of judgment with the atoning fire from the altar. Before the plague was stopped by Aaron's atonement witness, 14,700 people died (v. 49). 

     In describing the Messiah/Christ who would come, John the Baptist said: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Mt. 3:11).

     We experienced a terrible plague in the past few years. Millions were sickened and many died. What was our atonement witness in the midst of the plague? Was it the same as Aaron's? By definition, we, the believers in Christ, understand what it means to be a people who were undeservedly spared (see Rom. 5:8) from utter destruction because of the Atonement blood of Jesus. Did we apply the atonement for the sins of the people in the midst of the plague?

     Jesus, the Person of the Atonement, gave humbling testimony of the ministry of atonement. We think of the atoning work of the cross, which is true, but the atonement didn't start there. Jesus first dropped His atoning blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, meaning an olive oil press, located at the foot of the Mount of Olives, where His soul was so deeply troubled and sorrowful that His sweat became great drops of blood that fell to the ground (see Lk. 22:44), and where His testimony was the submission of His will to the will of His Father. (Mt. 26:36-39, 42). This is the perfect picture of the affliction (ana, see above) of the soul associated with the Day of Atonement.  If you are in this sorrowful place of pressing and wrestling in your soul, Jesus left His atonement blood in that place for you. He left the answer in that place for you also: "Not my will, Father, but Your will."

     The next place that Jesus shed blood was at the house of Caiaphas the high priest. He was accused of blasphemy (see Isa. 50:6), and they spit in His face, beat Him, and slapped Him. (Mt. 26:65-68). If your religion has separated you so far from God that you can no longer recognize Him when He is standing before you, Jesus left drops of His atoning blood in your house also if you will receive it.

     From there, Jesus was taken for the first time to Pilate's palace, where He must have continued to drop blood from the beating, and then He was sent to the palace of Herod, where He also must have left drops of blood on the floor. He was then returned to the judgment court of Pilate, where He was crowned with thorns, scourged, and beaten. (Jn. 19:1-3). There must have been great streaks of blood left at Pilate's judgment seat. If you think that government is the answer to problems, a provider of equity, and the dispenser of justice separate and apart from God, or you are a member of government who panders to power and wealth rather than righteousness, Jesus left drops of His atoning blood in your house too if you will receive it.

     Then Jesus began the walk with the cross through the streets of Jerusalem, where His blood must have trailed on the ground on the way to the place of crucifixion. Simon a Cyrenian (a place in Libya, Africa), a passerby not involved in the horrible proceeding, was forced to carry the cross for Jesus (Lk. 23:26-27). Simon must have gotten smeared with that atoning blood as well. Jesus does not remain confined to a church building but walks the streets of our communities (see Prov. 8:1-10), where He leaves drops of His atonement blood. If you think that the atoning blood of Jesus is only for certain racial, ethnic or cultural groups and not for you, He left drops of His blood just for you. 

     Finally the Atonement and the Atonement Witness, Jesus, came to Golgotha (golgotha/gulgolet/galal - skull/every man, census count or poll to determine the price of redemption/roll away, remove, flow down) where He was crucified (Mt. 27:33-35). Here, of course, His blood would have dripped upon the ground of "the Skull" (every man, see gulgolet, above). However, His blood would also have gotten upon the soldiers who laid Him on the cross, took hold of His arms and legs to nail Him and later stood below Him as they pierced Him in His side (Jn. 19:33-34). The Word of Isaiah 53 tells us that there was never a man whose face and form was so marred as this man. A person doing such a job as those soldiers did on Golgotha couldn't help but come into contact with His blood. If you think that you have done something so offensive to God that you cannot be covered and forgiven by the atonement blood of Christ, Jesus left drops of His atoning blood for you if you will receive it.

     Before the day of His resurrection, Jesus left drops of His blood on the burial cloth that laid beneath and over His body in the sepulcher in which He was buried. If or when you are facing death, Jesus left drops of His atoning blood for you. It is the shed blood that has overcome death.

     Under the law of Moses, on the Day of Atonement in the tabernacle of God, the high priest would enter into the Holy of Holies with a basin of the blood of the sacrifice, dip his finger, rather than a utensil, into the blood and sprinkle the blood of atonement on the Mercy Seat, also called the Throne of God according to Jewish tradition, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people. It is the only day of the year when the priest could enter that holiest part of the tabernacle and come out alive. The atonement must be applied with our hands, not just for our own benefit, but on behalf of others. The Atonement requires an answer, a witness, a testimony, an action. Now, the Book of Hebrews says, we can enter into that holiest place through the torn body of Christ and approach (Heb. 10:19-25) the Mercy Seat, the place where the blood of atonement is applied on behalf of the sins of the people. 

     If you would like to learn more about the Atonement, you can join me in prayer: "Merciful Father, as we come to the Day dedicated to Your provision of Atonement, which is the blood of the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus, lead me by Your Spirit and Word into a deeper understanding of what it means to be a witness giving evidence of this powerful and costly Atonement. As Noah "walked with the aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega God", show me how to walk and apply Your Atonement upon Your Mercy Seat.  It is not by my will, Father, but by Your will. Help me to humble and search my heart and soul until like Noah, Aaron and Jesus, I walk in the application or ministering of Your Atonement especially in these trying times. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."

     *NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as Α Ω , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.