God’s Appointed Feasts – The Day of Atonement
The Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, comes ten days after the Day of Trumpets, on the tenth day of Tishri, the seventh Hebrew month.
In 2026 the Day of Atonement starts at sundown on Sunday 20th September, and ends at sundown on Monday 21st September. Jewish people look on the Day of Atonement as the holiest day of the year.
SCRIPTURES
“Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” Leviticus 23:27-28, 31-32 NKJV
“So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.” Leviticus 16:16 NKJV
“But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.” Hebrews 9:7-8 NKJV
HOW TO KEEP THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
We are called to ‘afflict our souls’ or deny ourselves, which includes fasting. We can repent and ask God to cleanse us from sins we are still battling with, also to reveal sins we might not even be aware of (including severity of them) yet. This day points to the complete, for all time and eternity atonement that Jesus accomplished for us. He is our High Priest and our sacrifice. We can consider how we would’ve been hopelessly lost for ever, without the sacrifice of God’s Son. We can share and discuss relevant Scriptures. We can remember how we are redeemed and reconciled to our Father God through Jesus.
SCRIPTURES
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ” John 14:6 NKJV
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” Hebrews 4:14 NKJV
“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10 NKJV
THE YEAR OF JUBILEE
This starts on the Day of Atonement, every fiftieth year.
SCRIPTURE FOR THE YEAR OF JUBILEE
“And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family.” Leviticus 25:8-10 NKJV