The Hebrew word kāp̄ar appears many times throughout the Old Testament scriptures and in many facets. In one such passage it is used to describe the day in which Israel would long for all year. It was the day of atonement or Yom Kippur. Leviticus chapter 16 has a detailed description of the days prescribed events. The main focus was the fact that the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies and the Lord would make atonement for the sins of Israel. The symbolism here is amazing. It carried with it a past significance (God covering the very first sin committed), a present significance (the needs of Israel to be covered), and a future significance (looking to the ultimate covering made on the cross in the person of Jesus). And kāp̄ar means just that…a covering.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
God has been covering us from the beginning, but perhaps there is no greater example than the covering He provided through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our sins, which are many, could never be dealt with through the shedding of the blood of goats and sheep. The high priest was powerless to atone for anyone. Our good deeds, which are dirty rags (Isaiah 64), in comparison to God’s beauty and perfection. All of us have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God (Romans 3).
“”Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
Isaiah 1:18 ESV
What hope these words bring to lowly broken and imperfect people such as us. God spoke these words of promise, as a reassurance to His continued plan to cover us with His goodness. As believers in Jesus, we walk in that rich fulfillment of God’s atoning goodness. We celebrate being covered and cleansed. We walk free because that freedom was purchased for us.
If you want to know more about how Jesus is represented in Yom Kippur, read on. The Bible Project does a great job highlighting the theme of atonement in this Video. God is so good and He’s been showing that from the very beginning.
Here are five of the key ways Jesus is connected to Yom Kippur:
- The Sacrificial Lamb • On Yom Kippur, in ancient Israel, a high priest would enter the Holy of Holies to offer sacrifices for the people’s sins. One of the central elements was the sacrifice of a goat, whose blood was used to cleanse the people from their sins. Jesus, through his crucifixion, became the ultimate “sacrificial lamb.” His death on the cross was a once-and-for-all atonement for the sins of humanity, fulfilling and replacing the need for continual animal sacrifices.
- The High Priest • In Jewish tradition, the high priest plays a central role in Yom Kippur, acting as an intermediary between God and the people by making sacrifices on behalf of the nation. Jesus is the perfect high priest (as described in the book of Hebrews in the New Testament), not only offering the sacrifice but also being the sacrifice himself, mediating between God and humanity.
- The Scapegoat • Another central Yom Kippur ritual involved the “scapegoat,” which was sent into the wilderness, symbolically carrying the people’s sins away from them.Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of this ritual. He bore the sins of humanity and removed them once and for all through his death and resurrection. This idea of Jesus taking upon himself the sins of others resonates with the role of the scapegoat in Yom Kippur.
- Atonement and Reconciliation • Yom Kippur is fundamentally about atonement and reconciliation with God. It is a day dedicated to repentance and seeking God’s forgiveness. Jesus’ death is the act that provides atonement for sin, enabling reconciliation between humanity and God. This echoes the purpose of Yom Kippur but is a permanent and universal solution rather than an annual event.
- The New Covenant • Yom Kippur, under the Old Covenant, required continuous sacrifices year after year. Jesus’ sacrifice established a “new covenant” with God, as prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures, which removed the need for repeated sacrifices. According to the New Testament, Jesus’ sacrifice was final and perfect, fulfilling the law and the rituals of atonement under the Old Covenant (Hebrews 9-10).
Peace in the covering of Christ brothers and sisters.
For Common Ground 