What is the day of atonement?

Question

I'm just curious, and I never heard of it before.

Answer 1

Yom Kippur begins this Friday at Sundown and lasts until after sundown on Saturday, during which time we fast. It is a total fast, meaning absolutely no food OR drink of any kind for 25 hours. We spend a lot of this time in Synagogue praying that G-d will atone our sins of the past year. On Rosh HaShana, 10 days BEFORE Yom Kippur, we ask our family and friends to forgive us for any misdeeds we may have committed against them during the year. On Yon Kippur, we ask G-d to forgive us for any misdeeds we may have committed against Him. We promise to try to do better during the coming year. It is a very solemn "holy day", but a very beautiful one as well. A few days after Yom Kippur, we celebrate the joyous holiday of Sukkot, where we build makeshilft huts and eat and sometimes even sleep in them for 8 days- it is one of the harvest festivals and lots of fun after the solemn "Days of Awe". The last day of Sukkot is Simchat Torah- rejoicing in the torah, which is also full of singing and dancing and is a wonderful holiday! So, these few weeks are very full for Jewish people and run the gamut of emotions! Hope this answered a few questions!!!!

Answer 2

Yeah, it's Yom Kippur, it's when you seek atonement for all your past misdeeds - basically you go and apologize to those you've wronged. Isn't that better than going to a darkened phone booth and whispering your sins to a priest who wasn't involved in the sins in the first place? I'm not trying to promote a religion here but it does seem like a reasonable sort of holiday. An annual reminder that you probably need to stay current on that atonement.

Answer 3

You'll see explanations of this day in Leviticus 16, verses 29-34, and also Leviticus 23 verses 26-32 and Numbers 29 verses 7-11.
This day is for the people of Israel (all Jews) to have a sacred day and not work. They were also told to deny themselves, their comforts. In Biblical days, they had to bring sacrifices before the Lord so that He would forgive their sins. (atoning for their sins)
The Day of Atonement is on the 10th day of the 7th month, Tishri, in September-October. It is not for the non-Jewish people.

Answer 4

Yom Kippur, as I understand it, is actually two days.
The first day, you go around, apologizing to everyone you have wronged, and where possible, paying debts and/or making amends.
Having made things right with parties injured by you (insofar as you have been able to do so), on the second day, you are entitled to bring a gift to the Temple (or place of worship), and be forgiven.
It is a very beautiful ceremony...
Too bad Christianity does not have something similar.
Perhaps we ought to.....

Answer 5

In the days before Christ’s death & resurrection, the high priest was required to offer a sin offering, an animal of the first born & the best they had without blemish, for an atonement of their sins. He, the priest, would offer it upon the altar & if God accepted this offering the sins it represented were forgiven.

How this all started was with the fall of Adam & Eve. While in the Garden of Eden, Adam & Eve did not obey God as he commanded and they disobeyed by straying from the way he told them to walk & followed after a deceiver. When this happened God was not happy & he punished them. He punished them both separately with hardships & sufferings & then together with death because they were exiled from Eden & the Tree of Life.

To be forgiven what they had done, they had to do as they were suppose to do in Eden, be good & if not they had to have the high priest offer sacrifices for their sins & the offering accepted by God.

Well this went on throughout all the ages until a perfect sin offering could be offered worthy of atoning, paying, our debt we inherited from Adam & Eve.

Jesus, the first born of Mary, lived a perfect life, in our stead, without sin. Just for Jesus to live perfectly was not enough to save us from the gift of Adam, He had to offer Himself as a sacrifice to God & be accepted by Him. It took great love for Jesus to suffer as a man & God to watch Him suffer & die a shameful death.

Jesus lived, died & was accepted by His Father thus paying the debt owed & conquering death we inherited thru Adam & Eve.

Although death has been defeated it still is present until God destroys the origin of sin & death, Satan. Satan knows he is defeated & now he is not happy so he is pitching a fit & trying his best to hurt God by hurting his people He died for.

The Jews do not believe Jesus was God, so they still keep this day of atonement as they wait for their King to come. Jesus lived a perfect life & sacrificed Himself washing away our sins, He is our atonement & our King.

Answer 6

"The time when all will be forgiven of their sins. When the paradise we have long dreamed for will arrive. After the judgement and atonement... an eternity of bliss. The world you wanted is nearly here. I wish only for the salvation of mankind but for that to happen... the world must first be re-made."

-Unknown.

Answer 7

Yom Kippur (sept 21, 2007)

Answer 8

The hour of atonement is fast approaching.
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come"
There are however some trespasses that cannot be atoned for.