Yom Kippurim - The Light of Torah Messianic Congregation

(Day of Atonements)
Prepared by Phyllis R. Reid
September 16, 2025

Yom Kippurim 2025

Lev. 23:26-32: “YaHaVah spoke to Moshe, saying: ‘also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement (הַכִּפֻּרִ֣ים ). It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your soul and offer an offering made by fire to your Elohim. You shall do no work on that day, for it is the Day of Atonement (כִּפֻּרִים֙ ), a time to make atonement for you before YaHaVah your Elohim. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest. **See also Lev. 16, 17, and 18: 1-7

Let’s pause for a moment to establish the definition of the terms used in The Fathers instructions for keeping the Day of Atonement.

The first Hebrew word to examine is “kippur” (כִּפֻּר ) which simply means atonement. This word is used eight times in the Tanakh which implies that only those in a covenant relationship with The Father will receive atonement, since the number eight speaks to The Covenant of Pieces.
Kippur stems from the root word “Kaphar,” (כָּפַר ) which means to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation or cover over with pitch.
With a subtle change in vowels a parallel word is “kopher,” ( כפר ) which means a redemption price or ransom ( S3724). In is ancient form this word would read: “To be covered means to speak praise of He who was from the beginning.” The numerical value is 300; 3. The number three speaks to Yeshua, His death, burial and resurrection.
One last word to examine is “afflict,” (anah – עָנָה ) which means to be humble or to bow down. In its ancient form this word would read: “Watch for the heir of YaHaVah who will be revealed.” The numerical value is 125; 1 + 2 + 5 = 8. Eight is the number of covenant.
The definitions of Yom Kippur tell us that only those with a humble spirit should expect their sin to be covered. Also, this appointed time can be said to be a Day of Redemption and Reconciliation.
We can see that Yom Kippurim is plural however the actual name of this appointed time is in the singular form, Yom Kippur. The reason for the “plural form” is because there is more than “one” atonement being given on this day.
The instruction tells us to “afflict our soul.” Every year it seems the main question is whether or not the word “afflict” means to “fast” on the appointed time of Yom Kippurim. This question bears some examination.
The Hebrew word for “afflict” is עָנָה which is defined as to base self, afflict(-ion, self), answer (by mistake for H6030), chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing (by mistake for H6030), speak (by mistake for H6030), submit self, weaken, × in any wise.
What exactly does it mean to “humble our self?” In my opinion, I believe it means to literally take “self” out of the equations of life. In fact, I believe it means the exact opposite of 1 Jn. 2:16: “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”
Perhaps to be humble in spirit means to think only of The Father and not of the world. The first mention of “afflict” (עָנָה ) is recorded in Ge. 15:13: “Then He said to Abram: ‘know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict (עָנָה ) them four hundred years.” **It was the intention of YaHaVah to “humble” the descendants of Abraham for 400 years. I would say He had to take the “self” or “self reliance” out of them. We often think of our self as being able to take care of our own self but I think He would rather we include Him in everything we think and do.
Moses was considered a most “humble” man. Num. 10:35: “So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: ‘rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You. And when it rested, he said: Return, O LORD, to the many thousands of Israel.’” **The letter Nun represents Yeshua as the life, heir and continue. With the Nuns being inverted the Scripture is taking our eyes away from him, Moses, and placing them where they belong, on Messiah Yeshua.

There is also a prophecy which speaks to the One who comes after Moses, who is even more humble.

Zechariah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” (ESV)

Context: Zechariah was a prophet (6th century BCE) speaking to the returned exiles in Jerusalem.
The prophecy contrasts the expected militaristic kings of the era with a king who embodies humility, righteousness, and peace.
Riding a donkey, rather than a war horse, symbolized servant leadership and the pursuit of peace, not conquest (Haran, The Israelite Monarchies). (seekandfindtruth.com)
As I said, the word for “afflict” is anah, עָנָה. This is not the Hebrew word for “fast.”
Ezra 8:21: “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our El, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.”
The Hebrew ford for “fast” is tzom, צוֹם , which means just that, fast or fasting. The Hebrew word for “humble” is anah, עָנָה.
Ezra asked Am Israel to “fast” to only bring about their own “humble” attitude so they could seek YaHaVah; fasting was the means to an end.
A second witness can be found in Ps. 35:13: “But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled (עָנָה ) myself with fasting (צוֹם ); and my prayer would return to my own heart.”
Fasting does not afflict our soul, rather it afflicts our flesh. How then, do we “afflict our soul?” This takes us back to the “lust of the flesh.”
My recommendation to you is to use the ten days between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippurim, also know as the Ten Days of Awe, to reflect inwardly. This is the time of year when we make certain we are harboring no unforgiveness, grudges or the like. This is the season of repentance.
Scripture provides specific instructions to the High Priest, Aaron, on this very special day.
Lev. 16:1 – 8: “Now YaHaVah spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before YaHaVah, and died; and YaHaVah said to Moses: ‘tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat. Thus Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering.
He shall put the holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body; he shall be girded with a linen sash, and with the linen turban he shall be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore he shall wash his body in water, and put them on. And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering. Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall take the two goats and present them before YaHaVah at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for YaHaVah and the other lot for the scapegoat.”
What are the specific “atonements” being offered up to YaHaVah?
Aaron is instructed to offer a “bull” as a “sin” offering. Why a bull?
The “bull” being offered is for his own participation in the golden calf incident. In the eyes of YaHaVah, the golden calf signifies Israels’ broken covenant agreement. Every single year the High Priest would follow these same instructions as The Father would not forgive this sin, the sin of the golden calf, until the completed word of His own Son, Yeshua, paid the ransom price.
Every year on Yom Kippurim Aaron was also instructed to sacrifice a ram as a burnt offering. Why a ram?
The ram offering goes all the way back to creation. Let me explain. The first mention of a “ram” is found in the Covenant of Pieces, Ge. 15:9: “So He said to him, ‘bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’”
The ram as part of the Yom Kippurim ritual takes Israel back to the Abrahamic covenant. Essentially, the Israelites were mocking Yahs covenant of pieces as well as The Fathers name. Recall they said, “This is your god, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.” (Ex. 32:4)
Not only did Israel greatly sin with the golden calf, because it was formed to replace YaHaVah, but it also said to Him that they had turned their back on Him entirely. They became ritually unclean, tamei. Aaron is making this required offering because he was instrumental in the following spiritual condition of Am Israel.
Finally, we have the two goats.

Lev. 16:9 – 10: “And Aaron shall bring the goat on which YaHaVahs lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before YaHaVah, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.”

Lev. 16:21: “Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.”
What was accomplished by sending the goat into the wilderness?
This was a public ceremony and everyone saw Aaron symbolically place the sins of the people on the goat’s head. They would watch as the goat carried the sins of the people into the desert and away from the camp and away from God.
Scripture tells us that “sin” cannot dwell within the camp of Israel because…
Deut. 23:14 explains why we must remove sin from the camp. “For YaHaVah your Elohay walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.”
A second witness is found in Lev. 26:12 “I will walk among you and be your Elohay, and you shall be My people.”
I would submit to you that this is as valid today as when it was written and applies to your camp which consists of your social circle, your home, and your personal space.
Recall that the bull and the goat, with the lot cast for YaHaVah, were both sacrificed separately. The blood from the bull was brought inside the veil and sprinkled on the mercy seat to make atonement in the Holy Place because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel. Then the blood of the bull was sprinkled on the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar to make atonement for them. The same was done with the blood of the goat.
Why wasn’t the blood of the goat used first?
Then some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, was put on the horns of the altar to cleanse it, and sanctify it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
What just took place??? Did you follow the steps from death to life?
The sins, for both individual and for the community, were confessed to YaHaVah by the Rabbi, the mediator in this case.
The Rabbi offers payment (the offering) on behalf of the offender (Israel) in order to restore the relationship with the offended (YaHaVah).
The offering becomes the payment required by the offended party in order to heal the broken covenant relationship.
Did you notice that the blood did not provide forgiveness of sin but only provided for cleansing the temple. (Leviticus 16:16) Blood alone does not save us.
After a change of direction in our lives (repentance), YaHaVah provides forgiveness, through Yeshua, that we may enter into His Presence.
Lev 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.”
Heb. 9:22: “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission (forgiveness).”
But what about???
Lev. 5:11-13: “If, however, he cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, he is to bring as an offering for his sin a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering.”
Jonah 3:1-10 tells us that YaHaVah forgave them because He simply saw the works of the people of Nineveh. Works alone will not provide forgiveness so what YaHaVah saw was that they repented, sending the evil from their midst and so YaHaVah forgave them.
Matthew 9:2: “Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Yeshua saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you. But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.”
1 Kings 8:38-43 tells us that, after repenting, one need only to pray to YaHaVah for forgiveness and YaHaVah would forgive their sin.
1^st Corinthians 3:16: “Do you not know that you are the temple of YaHaVah and that the Spirit of YaHaVah dwells in you”?
1^st Corinthians 6:19-20: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from YaHaVah and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify YaHaVah in your body and in your spirit, which are YaHaVahs.”
Where does Yeshua’s death and resurrection fit into this?
The verses from Luke 1:68-69, Matthew 15:24 and Acts 5:30-31 tell us, Yeshua was raised up to enable the family of YaHaVah, Israel, and those grafted into her to be restored –not the whole world.
Matt. 15:24: Yeshua said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Ezek. 37:16-17: “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.”
On May 15, 1948, Israel became a nation, a physical nation, not a spiritual nation. I make this claim because Judaism today practices Pharisaic Talmudism, a man made oral traditional doctrine.
At His first advent, Yeshua was the ransom price that atoned for the sin of Israel and opened the door to return them to royal covenant Torah, however, spiritual Israel remains scattered throughout the nations.
At Yeshua’s return He will gather spiritual Israel from among the nations and judge them.
John 10: 3-16: “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep. Other sheep (The Northern Kingdom) I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Ezekiel 37:21: “Thus says YaHaVah Elohay: ‘surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land.’”
Ezekiel 37:22: “I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them.”
Ezekiel 12-14: “Thus says YaHaVah Elohay: ‘behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am YaHaVah , when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, YaHaVah, have spoken it.’”
1^st Thes. 4:14-17: “For if we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, even so Yah will bring with Him those who sleep in Yeshua. For this we say to you by the word of YaHaVah, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Yeshua will by no means precede those who are asleep. For Yeshua Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of Yah. And the dead in Messiah will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet Yeshua in the air. And thus we shall always be with Yeshua.”
We have seen that the blood of sacrificed animals cleansed the temple.
We have seen that we are the temple of YaHaVah.
The blood of the Lamb, Yeshua, cleanses the Temple within us.
After repenting and seeking forgiveness of our sin the Holy Spirit dwells within our Temple along with the Book of the Royal Covenant.
There is only one that can defile this Temple, us.
1^st Corinthians 3:17: “If anyone defiles the temple of YaHaVah, YaHaVah will destroy him. For the temple of YaHaVah is holy.”
Yeshua’s life was an exchange, the atonement price paid once and for all to restore Spiritual Israel to her rightful place of intimacy with YaHaVah as it was experienced in the Garden.
John 14:6: Yeshua said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 10:7-9: “I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”
FYI The Book of Hebrews is all about Yom Kippurim. In preparation of Yom Kippurim, we are within the Ten Days of Awe so I would recommend you all read through this very informative book.
The celebration of Yom Kippurim is not one of pageantry and blood sin sacrifice, rather it is a time set aside by the Father to meet with him. A time to look within ourselves and answer the questions; have I forgiven those who have wronged me, is my temple clean, has my sin been removed?
1^st Peter 2:9: “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
Heb. 7:17: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Heb. 9:11-15: “But Yeshua came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Yeshua, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to YaHaVah, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”
After His resurrection, He ascended to Ha Shamayim where He sits at the right hand of YaHaVah and is the Cohen Gadol, High Priest after the order of Melchi-Tzedek.
As such He is our mediator, and our Kinsman Redeemer.
In conclusion, our observance of Yom Kippurim is to direct us into an internal examination. Our goal is to become like Yeshua as He is our model.
Yeshua tells us in Mt. 11:28 -30: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly (humble) in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
The point of our walk with Yeshua is exactly this, to find rest, i.e. to enter into the seventh millennia, His Shabbat rest, to serve Him for 1000 years.
I have one more final observation for you to consider. In last weeks teaching on Yom Teruah we read “…there shall be a rest day for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts.”
I wondered at the time, what was I and by extension you all, supposed to remember. I believe the Ruach gave me the answer. We are enjoined to remember the Covenant of Pieces and how truly significant it is to the Father and for our own benefit. His entire character is set forth in this covenant. He is telling us that He is faithful to keep His word, He will not forget us and only asks that we hold Him in the esteem He is due. He is our creator, we owe Him everything. He is majestic in His supremacy, all the while He is teaching humanity His simple rules. Like Yeshua said, His yoke is easy and His burden is light.