That’s a good question- why should we celebrate Yom Kippur when we have already been saved by the blood of Yeshua the Messiah?
Well, the obvious answer is…because God said we should. Duh!
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Christianity has taught that salvation is something akin to a “Come as you are” party- all you have to do is believe in Jesus (whatever that is supposed to mean), love your neighbor (again- what’s that mean?) and be a good person (even Yeshua refused to be called “good”, so how can we be good?).
Do all that and you get to go to heaven.
However, the Bible doesn’t even confirm we go to heaven, since Revelation tells us we will be on the new Earth.
So, with all that Christianity has told us that we need to do, which the Bible doesn’t really confirm, if you want to do what pleases God then it makes sense the best thing to do is go back to the beginning and start all over again, correctly, by learning what God said he wants us to do, and then doing that.
And when you get to Leviticus Chapter 23, you will see that God demands we afflict our souls (generally believed to mean fasting) on the 10th of Tishri, which is from sundown to sundown.
Yes, it’s true, because of Yeshua’s sacrifice we can have our sins forgiven, which is (after all) what being “saved” means- we are saved from the eternal consequences of the sins we commit. Otherwise, come Judgement Day, we will be told we cannot be in God’s presence throughout eternity.
Whatever hell is, whether it is a hot place with little demons stabbing you in the tuchas with pitchforks, or a cold and dark place where people gnash their teeth, or having to sit in the US Senate during a filibuster, the bottom line is that hell is not the place you want to spend eternity.
Of course, Christianity has gone out of the way to reject every single one of God’s Holy Days, and replace them with man-made holidays that are pagan rituals rebranded to celebrate Yeshua instead of the pagan gods they originally were about.
And you now what? That’s OK, as far as I am concerned, because when something is recreated in a way that honors God or his Messiah, I figure that is acceptable. After all, weren’t we all sinners deserving of death?
Yet, when we accepted Yeshua (Jesus) as our Messiah, confessed and repented of our sins asking forgiveness by means of Yeshua’s sacrifice, weren’t we recreated as new beings?
Even though we are essentially the same person, physically, we are spiritually a new creation, right?
And, as a new creation, what we were before is no longer held against us. So, why not apply that same forgiveness and acceptance to holidays that used to be sinful, but are now recreated to be honoring God and Messiah?
But, then again, that’s a different message, so let’s get back to Yom Kippur.
I fast during this Holy Day (I define a Holy Day as one commanded by God, whereas a holiday is a man-made ceremony) and I read my machzor (special prayer book for the High Holy Day celebrations), I pray and I reflect.
I am not associated with any synagogue right now, so I do this on my own.
In case you didn’t know, Yom Kippur is not a pilgrimage celebration, so no one has to be in synagogue. Only Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot require us to be in a holy convocation at the place where God put his name. Of course, no one can go there now because the temple Solomon built is no longer there, and that is the last place God put his name.
To be honest, I do watch TV during the day while I am afflicting my soul. And let me tell you this, here and now- there is no greater affliction than watching TV while fasting because every other stinkin’ commercial is about food!
So, as always, I won’t tell you what you should do, and I can’t speak for God (Job’s friends learned how much God doesn’t like that), but I believe it is safe to say that God would much rather you do what he says than what some Pope or Rabbi or Minister tells you to do.
Fast, or don’t fast- it’s up to you. But if you decide not to fast, remember that one day you will have to explain to God why you rejected his commandment.
Thank you for being here and please share these messages with everyone you know to help this ministry continue to grow. Subscribe to my website and YouTube channel, buy my books, and join my Facebook group called “Just God’s Word” (please read and agree to the rules).
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That’s it for now, so l’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!
Oh, yes, I almost forgot to wish you the traditional Yom Kippur greeting…may you have an easy fast.
