09/24/2023 S A L V A T I O N… The evening of September 25th on our 2023 Gregorian calendar begins the 10th day of God’s 7th month, the anniversary of the very date the Almighty appropriated a blood sacrifice to cover the sins of His people: The Day of Atonement.

God revealed the foundation for His plan of salvation in Leviticus 16 when He said, “The Day of Atonement will be on the tenth day of the seventh month…This special day of rest continues from that evening until the next evening.”

“Yom Kippur”, Day of Atonement, was appointed by God during the wilderness Exodus of the Israelites. “Yom” means day, from sunset to sunset, as marked by God in Leviticus 23:32. “Kippur” is from the Hebrew word “kaphar”, “to cover”. Our English equivalent is the word “atonement”. Put the two together: Day of Covering or Atonement.

The covering or atonement was first appointed by God as the blood sacrifice of an innocent animal. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement (covering) for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” Leviticus 17:11.

Hebrews 9:1-28MSG binds the “Old” with the “New”, pointing us straight to Jesus as the Perfect Blood Sacrifice! He did away with the need for atonement for our sins. His precious blood blotted them out entirely!

(1-5) “That first plan contained directions for worship, and a specially designed place of worship. A large outer tent was set up. The lampstand, the table, and "the bread of presence" were placed in it. This was called "the Holy Place." Then a curtain was stretched, and behind it a smaller, inside tent set up. This was called "the Holy of Holies”. In it were placed the gold incense altar and the gold-covered Ark of the Covenant containing the gold urn of manna, Aaron's rod that budded, the covenant tablets, and the angel-wing-shadowed mercy seat. But we don't have time to comment on these now."

(6-10) "After this was set up, the priests went about their duties in the large tent. Only the high priest entered the smaller, inside tent, and then only once a year, offering a blood sacrifice for his own sins and the people's accumulated sins. This was the Holy Spirit's way of showing with a visible parable that as long as the large tent stands, people can't just walk in on God. Under this system, the gifts and sacrifices can't really get to the heart of the matter, can't assuage the conscience of the people, but are limited to matters of ritual and behavior. It's essentially a temporary arrangement until a complete overhaul could be made."

(11-15) "But when the Messiah arrived, high priest of the superior things of this new covenant, he bypassed the old tent and its trappings in this created world and went straight into heaven's "tent"—the true Holy Place—once and for all. He also bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead using his own blood as the price to set us free once and for all. If that animal blood and the other rituals of purification were effective in cleaning up certain matters of our religion and behavior, think how much more the blood of Christ cleans up our whole lives, inside and out. Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God."

 (16-17) "Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant was put into action at Jesus' death. His death marked the canceling the old obligations and accompanying sins and summoning the heirs to receive the eternal inheritance that was promised them. He brought together God and his people in this new way.

(18-22) "Even the first plan required a death to set it in motion. After Moses had read out all the terms of the plan of the law—God's "will"—he took the blood of sacrificed animals and, in a solemn ritual, sprinkled the document and the people who were its beneficiaries. And then he attested its validity with the words, "This is the blood of the covenant commanded by God." He did the same thing with the place of worship and its furniture. Moses said to the people, "This is the blood of the covenant God has established with you." Practically everything in a will hinges on a death. That's why blood, the evidence of death, is used so much in our tradition, especially regarding forgiveness of sins."

(23-26) "That accounts for the prominence of blood and death in all these secondary practices that point to the realities of heaven. It also accounts for why, when the real thing takes place, these animal sacrifices aren't needed anymore, having served their purpose. For Christ didn't enter the earthly version of the Holy Place; he entered the Place Itself and offered himself to God as the sacrifice for our sins.  He doesn't do this every year as the high priests did under the old plan with blood that was not their own; if that had been the case, he would have to sacrifice himself repeatedly throughout the course of history. But instead he sacrificed himself once and for all, summing up all the other sacrifices in this sacrifice of himself, the final solution of sin.

(27) "Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences. Christ's death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever.

(28) “And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation.”

God’s salvation plan for ALL mankind is clear when we look through the lens of Leviticus 23. Jesus fulfilled God's spring Holy Days with His death on Passover (Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. l Corinthians 5:7); His burial during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven…the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.” John 6; 51); His resurrection on Firstfruits, which guarantees our resurrection (Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  1 Cor. 15:20); His promised Holy Spirit fell upon those celebrating Pentecost 50 days (7 weeks +1 day) after the  Day of Firstfruits   (All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:4)

The fall Holy Days have yet to be entirely fulfilled by Jesus. The Day of Trumpets, on the 1st day of God’s 7th month, began the evening of September 26-27 on our 2023 calendar with the sound of “shouting trumpets”, calling us to “Watch” for Jesus’ imminent return.

On the 10th day of God’s 7^th month, beginning the 25^th day on our calendar, God appointed a blood sacrifice to cover the sins of His people on the Day of Atonement. Here we can definitely see the precision details of God’s Holy Days, as the Passover Lamb was also selected on the 10th day of God’s 1^st month, in spring, and began a time of inspection so that everyone could see it was “without blemish” (Exodus 12:1-6)

“The precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect…chosen before the creation of the world… revealed in these last times for your sake.” 1 Peter 1:18-20 The Lamb of God not only takes away the sin of the world but will also rule His earthly kingdom with His faithful, resurrected followers. “…The Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” Revelation 17:14

The 7-day Feast of Tabernacles is appointed to begin on the 15th day of this 7th month on God’s calendar, beginning the evening of September 30 on our 2023 calendar. “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God…‘I am making everything new’ ” Revelation 21:3-5

Our lesson closes with the eternal punchline of Hebrews 9:28: And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is precisely: “S A L V A T I O N.” (Salvation is transliterated "Alive without their sins" in Ancient Aramaic.)