Leviticus 23: 26-32
"And The LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto The LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before The LORD your G-d. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath."
"...a day set aside to "afflict the soul", to atone for the sins of the past year." - http://www.jewfaq.org/
Yom kippur is the most sacred day of Israel's calendar. Back in the day, the high priest would ritually bathe 5 different times. This was the only day of the year he would enter the holy of holies. He would wear white linen garments, not the usual priestly "golden vestments". The daily sacrifice would be made along with the burning of incense and candles. The special Yom Kippur rituals would then begin and the high priest would intercede on behalf of the entire nation. He would confess his sins and the sins of all the priests, sacrifice a young bull, then enter the holy of holies to place a censer of incense on "the foundation stone" and pray. He would come out again to sacrifice a goat "marked for Yahweh", then enter the holy of holies again to ceremonially cleanse the sanctuary, veil, and the holy place from the defilement of priests and worshipers. The high priest would come out again and lay his hands on the scapegoat along with the sins of the nation. The goat would be led far ouside of camp and over a cliff. After this was done the high priest would declare "as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12)
-portions taken from Israel's Holy Days In Type and Prophecy by Daniel Fuchs
"Because on Yom Kippur we are guaranteed to be forgiven if we repent. And that is the primary Mitzvah of that day: to repent. And if we repent, we are forgiven. That's all there is to it."
-www.beingjewish.com
"When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here. He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve The Living G-d!"
---Hebrews 9:11-14
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