The first Sunday of Advent was Novemebr 28, 2010

Advent: Means “To come” in Latin.

Advent originally was a time of instruction, prayer fasting and self-reflection, in preparation to be baptized in the new year. Then in the mid-300s Constantine the Great declared Jesus' birthday a national holiday. The exact day of Christ's birth is unknown, it was probably in the spring, some time around Passover. But Julius, bishop of Rome, set the date as December 25 because, at the time, this was the highest pagan festival of ancient Rome, called "sol invictus.” As soon as the days began to lengthen, the Romans would celebrate what they called the “The day of the unconquered sun,” because it was coming back to vanquish the cold, dark winter. So the early Church decided to use this heathen holiday to proclaim the coming of Jesus Christ, the true Unconquered Son, Who came to vanquish the power of death and the darkness of hell.

For centuries the "coming" that was celebrated was not the birth of Jesus, but His Second Coming. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that the church began using the Advent season to prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth. And even then, this newer sense of the Baby Jesus’ "advent" or coming did not replace the older sense—the Second Coming.

Pagans had traditionally decked their halls with boughs of holly, evergreens and mistletoe to symbolize winter's inability to prevent the renewal of life. Many ancient people, including the Egyptians and later the Romans, believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well.

Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return. That’s where our Christmas colors come from: red for holly berries and green for evergreens. For the church, purple (and/or blue) for the royalty of Christ, and rose, for joy, not red and green, are this season's colors. That’s why the candles in the Advent wreath are traditionally purple and pink

The Advent wreath: Pre-Christian European people groups used wreathes of evergreens with lit candles during the cold and dark December days as a sign of hope for the days of Spring. Prayers were offered to the god of light to turn “the wheel of the earth” back toward the sun to lengthen the days and restore warmth.

As Christianity spread among the peoples of pagan lands, many of the practices of the winter solstice were blended with those of Christianity. In the dead of winter a celebration of rebirth of life was symbolized in the birth of Christ. The time of the winter solstice, when days grew longer again--the return of the light--became the hope of the world in the birth of Christ, "the light of the world." Who came to dispel the darkness of sin and to radiate the truth and love of God

As the church continued to appropriate pagan customs and practices for God, Christmas celebrations got rowdier and rowdier, until there was a lot of feasting and singing, drinking, carousing, costume parties, wild dances, and carrying on. By the 1500's there was nothing really left of Christ in Christmas partying.

The Puritans reformers intended to bring Christ back into their cultures. In Scotland, John Knox put an end to Christmas in 1562. In England the observance of Christmas was forbidden by act of Parliament in 1644. It was illegal to write Christmas carols. It was illegal to hold festivities of any kind. Instead, Christmas had to be treated like any other day. There were even mincemeat sniffers who walked up and down the streets of every town making sure nobody was secretly making mincemeat pies. Pro-Christmas and anti-Christmas factions rioted.

Xmas. The word “Xmas” is one of the oldest symbols of Christmas. X is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Xristos. By the fifteen hundreds, "Xmas" was the most popular way throughout Europe of writing Christmas.

Christmas Trees are relatively new – German people began to bring whole evergreen trees into their houses around the 1600's. It wasn’t until Prince Albert and Queen Victoria that Christmas came back to England, in the mid 1800's. Because Prince Albert was German, he brought the tradition of the Christmas tree with him, and set up the first one ever in England during his first Christmas there. Those pretty glass ornaments were originally all made in Germany.

Because much of the original United States was settled by Puritans, Christmas was for a long time outlawed in America, and even when it was no longer illegal, it wasn’t until Queen Victoria’s time that Christmas started getting popular. 150 years ago people were already complaining about the commercialization of the celebration of Jesus’ birth with present buying, Christmas trees, decorations, parties and so on.

But in the 1880's President Grover Cleveland had made Christmas a federal holiday, as it is to this very day.

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The origin of Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday of November

The following is from an e-mail friend, Paul Trimiar ~

The history of Thanksgiving is very clear. From the very first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims gave thanks to God for His provisions. The Pilgrims braved the stormy seas, to get here, and a very harsh winter. About half of those that came here lost their lives. Can you imagine the grief and sorrow there must have been at that time? But they gave thanks. Not just because their lives were spared, but because God had gotten them through this hard time. And not that they would not have hard times to come, but they understood that in everything give thanks:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)

Is there something that they understood and we don’t? I think so. I believe that they knew God is still God through all that they had to endure. We go through difficulties and ask, “where is God?” Now I am not trying to minimize difficulties in our lives. The loss of my mom this year was very difficult to me, and still is, but thanking God is not an option to me. It is essential.

Maybe you have lost everything that you own. Or you have an abusive spouse. You know someone who is struggling with a serious health issue. Maybe you just lost your child to war, or you know someone who is struggling with drugs and you are unable to help. I am sure you can think of many more struggles.

The point is, just because your football team may lose does not mean that we should not give thanks. We should give thanks everyday. It’s in the thanksgiving that we find that God satisfies the soul:

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. Psalm 107:8-9

In the Old Testament, Job suffered plenty. I cannot imagine losing my children as he did, but his response was:

Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said:

Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 1:20,21

What was Job doing? Job was giving Thanksgiving to the Lord, wasn’t he?

Abraham Lincoln said to a friend, after he gave the Gettysburg Address; "When I left Springfield [to assume the Presidency] I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ."

Not only did he get saved, but he was thankful and in 1863 set aside the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.

I hope you all enjoy yourself and be thankful, not only on this day but everyday because this is GOD’S HEART for you through CHRIST JESUS our Lord.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

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Thanksgiving Proclamation

Thanksgiving Proclamation
[New York, 3 October 1789]

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor -- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be --

That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks -- for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation -- for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war -- for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed -- for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted -- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions -- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually -- to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed -- to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord -- To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us -- and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington



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Happy Thanksgiving

Someone sent this to me, author unknown, and it was so good I just have to share it with you all!

"To Everyone Attending Thanksgiving Dinner....

"Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I'm telling you in advance, so don't act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming, I've made few small changes.

"Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

"Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and fall foliage I had planned to make. Instead, I've gotten the kids involved in the decorating by having them track in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard. The mud was their idea.

"The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas.

"Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey.

"We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds.

"As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming, or that the tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

"We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We've also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like.

"In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door.

"Now I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private" meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed.

"It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat.

"I would like to take this opportunity to remind my young diners that "passing the rolls" is not a football play. Nor is it a request to bean your brother in the head with warm, tasty bread. Oh, and one reminder to the adults: For the duration of the meal, and especially while in the presence of young diners, we will refer to the giblet gravy by it's lesser-known name: Cheese Sauce. If a young diner questions you regarding the origins or type of Cheese Sauce, plead ignorance.

"Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small finger prints. You will have a choice: take it or leave it.

"Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. She probably won't come next year either. I am thankful.

"HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!!!"

The amazing grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with you, Joanne

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Yom Kippur

The most important day of the year for the Old Testament Jew was the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, when God accepted the symbolic shedding of animals’ blood as atonement for the sins of all the people, and gave everyone a new beginning.

The deaths of Nadab and Abihu [Leviticus 10] had been a shocking reminder of how important it was to approach God on His terms.

Sin is an outrage against God and the source of terrible harm to ourselves and others. At this point Aaron and his other sons must have felt some fear about entering the tabernacle, knowing that was where Nadab and Abihu had been consumed by the wrath of God.

Now God gave careful instructions to Aaron so that he wouldn't die when he approached God. God made it clear that Aaron and future high priests did not need to be afraid to serve, but there was only one way to approach God. Only the high priest could enter the most holy place, the Holy of Holies, and then only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, and never without the shedding of blood.

God gave instructions in Leviticus 16 on how Aaron was to prepare himself before offering atonement for Israel:
Verse 3 he was to present a bull as a sin offering for himself and his family, and have a ram ready for a burnt offering, also for himself and his family, and in verse 5 he was also to bring two goats as a sin offering for the people, and another ram as a burnt offing for the people.

Verse 4 He had to take off his beautiful outer garments, wash at the basin and put on the simple, white linen garments of an ordinary priest. He had to leave his high priestly robes in the holy place. Laying aside his glorious robes was an act of humiliation, and washing in the basin was an act of sanctification. He was setting himself apart to serve the Lord, and the Lord’s people on this special day.

Remember the night that Jesus took off His outer robe, took a basin of water and became a servant to each of His disciples, as He washed their feet? In a much greater way the Lord Jesus Christ set aside His glory and took on the ordinary body of a little baby, and humbled Himself to die on the cross.

After making atonement for himself and his family, Aaron then made atonement for the people. Verse 7, Aaron presented two goats as a single sin offering. One goat was killed,

Leviticus 16:15-16 "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses."

Remember that the atonement cover was also called the mercy seat, the place where God’s presence dwelt.

Underneath the mercy seat were the ten commandments, each one broken many times by the people. Paul the apostle wrote (quoting from the Psalms, Ecclesiastes and the prophet Isaiah) in Romans 3 that everyone is a sinner, and that sin has so pervaded human nature that "there is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God," [Romans 3:11-12] all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.

The shed blood sprinkled on the atonement cover, covered over the sins of the people. By grace God was willing to show mercy for the people’s sin, and not demand the just penalty of their deaths for breaking His commandments.

The second goat was symbolic of the total removal of sin and guilt from the people,

Leviticus 16:20-22 "And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness."

The man did not come back to the camp until he was sure the goat was gone into the desert; the people’s sins were lost forever in the desert.

Jesus Christ is called the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. He not only covers you and me with His righteousness, He forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness [1 John 1:9]. There is no need to carry onto our guilt. In Christ you and I are completely forgiven every time we repent. Thankfully, because of the Lord Jesus Christ, you and I don’t have to wait a whole year, we don’t even have to wait for the next minute.

Verses 23-24, Only after the sin offerings had been made could Aaron and the other priests come back into the camp, symbolically wash away the old year and put on their clothes to start afresh. This symbolized their total disassociation with that sin anymore. We are too, completely separated from our sin, we too can put on Christ’s righteousness and start fresh.

Verses 24-25 Finally, the burnt offerings were sacrificed, symbolizing the surrender of the people’s lives to be used by God in anyway that He pleased.

Once our sins have been atoned for, you and I are also to give our lives over to God. Forgiveness and reverence for God go hand in hand. The privilege of forgiveness carries with it the responsibility of commitment and obedience. The Lord Jesus offered Himself up to the Father in total obedience, and you and I are called to do no less.

What Jesus did was not symbolic. What He did was for real. The Bible says He became sin for us [2 Corinthians 5:21], and thereby satisfied all the wrath of God for all the sin. All of sin was transferred onto Jesus, who was taken outside the city gate to be crucified. He took the penalty of sin, but also the guilt of sin. Jesus then literally became the way for you and me to enter into the real Holy of Holies in heaven to stand before God cleansed completely from sin, clothed in pure linen of Christ’s righteousness.

Because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, there is forgiveness of sins.

Sin subjects us to the wrath of God. So God prepared a ceremonial Day of Atonement when the people could symbolically confess their sins and be completely cleansed of them.

Leviticus 16:29-30 "And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you. For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the LORD from all your sins."

God wanted His people to be clean so they could be with Him, and He with them, together.

Never believe there are many ways to God. There aren’t. God has said, over and over again in His word, that there is only one way to come to Him, and that is through Christ. The whole Levitical system of priests and sacrifices was intended to be a One Way sign for everyone to recognize the Lord Jesus, Messiah.

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Erev Yom Kippur

In order to put the Day of Atonement in perspective, we need to look at the annual festivals God ordained for His people. The sacrifices spoke of the blood that saves and the feast spoke of the food that sustains. Both are of God.

(1) Leviticus 23:4-6 "These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the LORD’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread."

Passover is about redemption, commemorating God’s redemption of His people from bondage and slavery to Egypt. It took place every spring and celebrated the night when the Lord passed over the homes of the Israelites who put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. The angel of death did not kill the firstborn in that house. Each household was to eat the lamb for strength for the journey from Egypt, through the desert, to the Promised Land.

The Feast of Passover is fulfilled in the sacrifice of the Son of God, the Lamb Who takes away the sins of the world. Those who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are redeemed from the bondage and slavery to sin and death. Believers take in the life of Jesus first through salvation, then through Bible study and prayer, which gives us strength for our journey through life to the promise of heaven.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is about sanctification and justification. It commemorated the Israelites departure into the desert, not bringing the yeast of Egypt with them into their new lives. Sanctification is seen in the purging of yeast, symbolizing sin, from their lives.

The Feast Unleavened Bread is fulfilled in every believer who is made free, through repentance and cleansing, from the yeast, or sin, of the old life. This process of purging sin is called sanctification. This Feast was also fulfilled when the Lord Jesus Christ, Who was sinless, became sin for you and me, so that you and I could experience His righteousness in ourselves [2 Corinthians 5:21] This is justification, “Just as if” it were me who paid for my sin.

(2) Leviticus 23:9 -10 "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the people of Israel and say to them,(A) When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.'"

First Fruits is about resurrection. It was also held in the spring, and was the dedication of the entire crop that would come, to God – saying that all harvest, all bounty, comes from and belongs to the Lord.

The Feast of First Fruits is fulfilled in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is called the first fruits in the New Testament [1 Cor 15:20-22], because He was the first one to be raised from the dead. The risen Jesus is the guarantee of bodily resurrection and eternal life for all those who would come after Him.

(3) Leviticus 23:15-16 "You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD."

The Feast of Weeks is about the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church. It took place in late spring, seven weeks after Passover, which is why it was also called Pentecost, which means “fifty days.” It commemorated the wheat harvest, the first harvest of the year, with thanksgiving to God. Oral tradition holds that this was also the time that God delivered His law to Moses.

Pentecost was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, which is when the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in every person who is saved began. The Holy Spirit now writes God’s word into the hearts of every believer [Hebrews 10:16]

(4) Leviticus 23:23-24 "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In(A) the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.'"

The Feast of Trumpets, called Rosh Hashanah, happened in early autumn and was a day of rest, occurring half way through the Jewish year. Trumpets indicated the Lord’s judgement and will precede the second coming of Christ.

This feast has not yet been fulfilled

(5) Leviticus 23:26-27 "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD.'"

Ten days after the Feast of Trumpets came The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, which was a time of self-examination and repentance and forgiveness. It was the only day of the year they were to fast, they were to deny themselves, and spend the day in worship.

It was a yearly reminder that God's presence among them was based on His grace, His mercy, His love for them, and not on their ability to earn favor with God. God loved His people and wanted them to be reconciled to Him. God wanted them to know forgiveness for their sins.

Erev Yom Kippur, the eve before Yom Kippur, begins at sundown tonight

The Day of Atonement was fulfilled when the Lord Jesus Christ brought His sacrifice of Himself to the real Holy of Holies in heaven. The Day of Atonement will be fulfilled in another way when Israel as a people will turn to their Messiah, repent and be reconciled to God through Christ [Zechariah 12-13]

A post on Yom Kippur will appear here on Friday, September 17

(6) Leviticus 23:33-34, 42-43 "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD...You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43that(B) your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.'"

Five days after The Day of Atonement came The Feast of Booths, late in the fall after the final harvest. The Israelites would make homemade tents out of tree branches and live in them for a week to commemorate how God faithfully provided for them in the desert.

This was typically a very joyful time when all Jews came to Jerusalem to celebrate. The fulfillment of this feast will come in the future, when God establishes His kingdom on earth and the Lord Jesus Christ reigns as king.

Holy days help us remember what God has done for us, and what He will do

Holy days, and special days like anniversaries and birthdays, help you and me commemorate the important things in life that God has done for us. How do you see holidays? Is it a great time to shop the sales, or do you focus on what the Lord has done and is doing, and look forward to what the Lord is going to do? What can you do to bring the focus on God, and to celebrate with thanksgiving?

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Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah begins today at sundown, and in ten days public schools across Maryland will be closed in honor of Yom Kippur. You can study these important festivals in the Jewish calendar in Leviticus.

Leviticus 23:24-25, "Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD."

Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year,” and is the first of the High Holidays, sometimes called the "Days of Awe,” or “The Ten Days of Repentance.” These ten days are specifically set aside every year to focus on repentance that conclude with the holiday of Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is the start of the Hebrew new calendar year and commemorates the creation of human beings. According to the Jewish calendar, this year is number 5,770.

Rosh Hashanah is characterized by the blowing of the shofar, a trumpet commonly made from a ram's horn, intended to awaken the listener from his or her "slumber" and alert them to the coming judgment. Now it makes sense to read what Paul wrote about the second coming of Christ in

1 Corinthians 15:52: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”

Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement”, and is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holidays.

Leviticus 23:27-31 "Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD. And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places."

Leviticus 25:9 "Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land."

Numbers 29:7-11 "On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves. You shall do no work, but you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old: see that they are without blemish. And their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, a tenth for each of the seven lambs: also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of atonement, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings. Yom Kippur’s central themes are atonement and repentance."

Jews have traditionally observed this holiday with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer.

Yom Kippur is considered one of the holiest of Jewish holidays, and its observance is held even among the majority of secular Jews who may not strictly observe other holidays. Many secular Jews will fast and attend synagogue on Yom Kippur, where the number of worshippers attending is often double or triple the normal attendance. Yom Kippur is the climax of the"Days of Awe,” and with Rosh Hashanah forms the Jewish High Holy Days.

Just like Christians have Christmas Eve, there is a Yom Kippur Eve called Erev Yom Kippur The day is commemorated with a festive meal, giving of charity, and visiting others to seek or give forgiveness. Virtually all Jewish holidays involve a ritual feast, but since Yom Kippur involves fasting, Jewish law requires a person to eat a big feast on the afternoon before Yom Kippur. Many Orthodox men immerse themselves in a mikvah, which is a special pool of water for purification, on the day before Yom Kippur.

Before sunset on the eve of Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"), the congregation gathers in the synagogue. The Ark is opened and two people take from it two Torah scrolls, and the congregation begins a service held only once each year.

Total abstaining from any food or drink usually begins a half hour before sundown and ends after nightfall the following day, and on the day of Yom Kippur it’s traditional to wear white clothes to symbolize one's purity.

Having an understanding of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur gives deeper and richer meaning to what the Lord Jesus Christ has fulfilled in Himself

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation

If this post got you to thinking, please leave a comment and join the conversation