“The tenth day of this seventh month is Yom-Kippur; you are to have a holy convocation, you are to deny yourselves, and you are to bring an offering made by fire to Adonai. You are not to do any kind of work on that day, because it is Yom-Kippur, to make atonement for you before Adonai your God. Anyone who does not deny himself on that day is to be cut off from his people; and anyone who does any kind of work on that day, I will destroy from among his people.“-Leviticus 23:27-30
On the day of YOM KIPPUR, we are commanded to “AFFLICT ourselves“.
Other translations say we are to “DENY ourselves“.
I think the latter rendering is more accurate because this is not a call to physically harm ourselves.
We are NOT to slash our body with knives or have nails driven through our hands, or have a crown of thorns forcibly placed on our heads until the blood starts dripping as they do in some cultures.
The primary idea being communicated here is to deny oneself those everyday comforts we are accustomed to.
In terms of practical implementation, this normally translates into refraining from food or fasting.
And what are we told are the consequences if we don’t do this?
The person who refuses to afflict himself shall be cut-off (KARET) from his people, just as the one who does any work on the Sabbath shall also likewise be cut off!
Man, that’ severe!
Recall from the book of Exodus and other passages in the Bible that the main purpose for YOM KIPPUR was to “purify the sanctuary“.
In this context, it means purifying the “tabernacle” but later it will be applied to the “temple“.
This is interesting and again illustrates the tremendous gap that exists between man and the Lord.
Here’s the thing.
The physical place where God dwelled among men would gradually become impure and dirty due to its nearness to IMPERFECT and SINFUL men.
Even physical contact by the priests would also eventually dirty the tabernacle.
Hence, it was the purpose of the YOM KIPPUR rituals to purify it all, so that God would be able to continue dwelling there.
Now let’s fast forward approximately 2000 years to our day and age.
What do the apostolic scriptures tell us?
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple
and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?”
-1 Corinthians 3:16
Does this not say that believers today have literally (NOT symbolically) become the sanctuary of God?
Does this not imply that the Spirit of God currently dwelling in every believer purifies us and makes us CLEAN?
Unfortunately, of course, our bodies have not been perfected as we still get old and die.
And we still are tempted and do sin.
It is not until our resurrection when Yeshua returns, that these corrupted and stained shells we are currently dwelling in will be replaced with pure ones that will be utterly incapable of being defiled.
In other words, just as the High Priest purified the temple on YOM KIPPUR, so will our sanctuary (our bodies) be purified on that Great and Terrible Day.
I don’t know about you but I’m starting to get goosebumps just thinking about this.
Leviticus 23:26 “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 27Also 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. ”
The word (Afflict) in the Hebrew translation is th. anah # 6031 in the Strong’s Concordance and the definition of the word anah means to humble oneself, or to be put down or become low, be lowly submissive, be depressed, downcast.
So we see here deny is not listed however what is listed also is to afflict as a discipline (God agent) which means that God is speaking of humble heart felt sorrow in repentance, yet the affliction as discipline is revering to the discipline from sin. as repentance is twofold. If a person is lowly and humble and sincere in repentance for their sins to God he will also discipline the body from sin.
Has nothing to do with fasting.
Thanks for sharing Vicki.
Verse 29 does say “to deny yourself”, which is most likely pertaining to food. It is traditional to fast corporately on Yom Kipour, for corporate forgiveness
Psa35:13 David humbled his soul with fasting.
Isa58:3- A treatise on fasting
Neh1:4 Fasting precedes prayer
Joe2:12 The LORD expects fasting
Zec8:18-19 Has everything to do with fasting on the 7th month — YOM KIPPUR
Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.’
Mat4:2 Jesus fasted
Mat16-18 Jesus tells us how to fast
Act13:2;13 Disciples fasted
Luk18:12 Luke fasted
Fasting is one of the ways by which we humble ourselves before the LORD. The Jews have understood this to be so.
Fasting would certainly be an appropriate response to denying oneself. But I believe that there is more to it than that. Recall that Yeshua told the rich, young, ruler that he was to deny himself and take up his cross. I don’t believe that Yeshua was telling him to fast; but rather to deny himself the world and then to follow Yeshua. The rich, young, ruler is also told to take up his cross which can be taken to mean to do the will of the Father as the Son does and to follow him. Fasting is the easy part. Yom Kippur is a call for corporate repentance. The body of believers is called to be separate from the world and to do the will of the Father. This is true repentance.
Mark, Your two responses with reference to the importance and the place of fasting as well as the message the Lord gave the rich young ruler seem spot on to me. Also, the response that Vicki gave on the word or name that is translated afflict plays a most important insight into the intent of the Lord in giving us these instructions.
If you would be so kind, I would very much enjoy and appreciate your response to my comment.
Very important truth to understand as fully as is possible for us to do! On the day of YOM KIPPUR, we are commanded to “AFFLICT ourselves“. and to “DENY ourselves“. In the context of YOM KIPPUR as has been so aptly presented, please consider the following scriptures: Acts 3:19,20 Hebrews 8:1,2 10:16-23,26,27,31,35-39 Here we see that Jesus is our great High Priest in the Heavenly Sanctuary after which the Hebrew sanctury was modeled Then we see that Daniel 8:14 is referring to the cleansing of that heavenly sanctuary, or we could say applying the rites of Yom Kippur to the heavenly sanctuary and the high priestly ministry of the Son of God and the Son of man. Using Daniel 9:20-27 and Ezra 7:21-28 to discover the starting point of the 2300 day prophecy of Daniel 8:14. This starting date for the 2300 Day prophecy of Daniel 8:14 based on the decree of King Artaxerxes is generally acknowledged by historians to have been 457 BC. This brings the prophecy of Daniel reguarding the cleansing of the sancturary to the mid 1800s. Thus in the truths stated in Revelation 14:6,7 11:19 15:5-8 22:6,10,11 we see that even now the final decisions are being made prior the the return of Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thus we are currently living in very solemn times. And last but not least Isaiah 27:5. Thus we have every reason to be hopeful as we cooperate with Adonai our God for the cleansing of our body temples as we are living in the time that we are to afflict ourselves before our God, cooperating with Him in the cleaning of our body temples prior to His return in glory to receive His people. I am most interested in your thoughts on the application of the rites of Yom Kippur to last day events.