The Day of Atonement ── A Prophetic Significance

 by Leonard V Johnson

Welcome everyone! From sunset on September 20 through sunset on September 21 is the Day of Atonement. Welcome also to our friends in Cajicá, Colombia; Amman, Jordan; Noida, India; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Newcastle, South Africa! Welcome to the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries, here in West Central Florida.

Indeed, the majority of our peoples around the world have not even heard of the Day of Atonement. And most who have don’t properly understand its great prophetic significance. Yet, this holy day pictures for us some things that are quite profound and humbling.

Let’s begin in the Book of Leviticus 23, where the LORD our God is revealing to Moses to speak to the children of Israel, His feasts──

“’ Also the TENTH DAY of this SEVENTH MONTH shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall AFFLICT YOUR SOULS, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. 28) And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make ATONEMENT for you before the LORD your God.’” – Leviticus 23:27-28.

The Hebrew word here for “afflict” is ‘ānâ (Strong’s #6031), meaning “to stoop down, to be concerned about, to be worried about, humbled.”

As we’ve pointed out so many times, this is a very poor translation of this verse. The Hebrew phrase – the root of this phrase which I have underlined above, the meaning of it is “you shall HUMBLE yourself before the LORD your God.” Notice the New American Standard Bible version in the Key Word Hebrew-Greek Study Bible ──

“’ On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; 3725 it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall HUMBLE your souls 5315 and present an offering by fire to the LORD. 28) Neither shall you do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement 3722 on your behalf before the LORD your God.’” – Leviticus 23:27-28, NASB.

Does this mean that we must fast? A great many people say, “Yes!”

However, notice the LORD God’s living words ──

“’ Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. YOU WILL NOT FAST AS YOU DO THIS DAY, to make your voice heard on high. … Is this not the fast that I have chosen: TO LOOSE THE BONDS OF WICKEDNESS, TO UNDO THE HEAVY BURDENS, TO LET THE OPPRESSED GO FREE, AND THAT YOU BREAK EVERY YOKE?’” – Isaiah 58:4-6.

The Old Covenant ── Historically

Indeed, the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, was one of the children of Israel’s most solemn feasts. It was observed on the tenth day of the seventh month of Tishri──which is actually called Ethanim in God’s living word (1 Kings 8:2). The high priest performed a detailed ritual: he bathed, dressed in linen, offered a bull for his own sin, sacrificed one goat for the people’s sins, and also sent a second goat──a scapegoat──into the wilderness to carry those sins away. This ceremony aimed to purify both the sanctuary and the community annually.

When I spoke to AI concerning Leviticus 23:26-28 ──

The Day of Atonement on the tenth day of the seventh month, calling it a holy convocation. The children of Israel were to “afflict” themselves──likely through fasting, self-examination, and humility before the LORD God──and bring a fire offering. That same day, no ordinary work was permitted, emphasizing total focus on repentance and atonement. In Leviticus here, the word “afflict” carries the sense of humbling oneself before the LORD God. The dictionary notes “to humble” as one of its definitions. Commentators explain it as “submit themselves humbly,” often expressed through fasting or self-examination.

“Isn’t it true that traditionally the Jewish people fasted on the Day of Atonement?”

Yes──Leonard, traditionally JEWS fast on Yom Kippur, refraining from food and drink from sunset until nightfall the next day. The ‘affliction of one’s soul’ was commanded by the LORD God. It’s observed for nearly 26 hours, with additional prohibitions on washing, leather shoes, and marital relations.

“That’s right, if you are of the Jewish religion──Judaism. But we are Christian, and we are of the New Covenant today, not of the Old Covenant.”

Indeed──Leonard, in the New Covenant, fasting is not a commanded ritual as in Judaism. Our Lord Jesus and His early Church treated fasting as a voluntary practice for humility and prayer preparation. He teaches us that fasting isn’t a means to earn any favor, just a way to acknowledge our great need and focus ON CHRIST. The Book of Acts does record believers fasting before missions and at times of crisis, showing us that it is still done today AS A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE ── not as a legal requirement of any kind.

“Yes, that is all true, but it’s also true that fasting should be private ── just between the LORD God and yourself. And one shouldn’t let the whole congregation know that they’re fasting.”

Yes. Fasting is primarily a private act of humility before the LORD God, not meant to be displayed for others. Yet Scripture also records communal fasts for us, so it isn’t exclusively private all the time.

So, again, fasting isn’t a required law in our New Covenant with our Lord Jesus; it’s voluntary. It can be used as a voluntary way to humble yourself before God. Our Lord Jesus never commanded us to fast, describing it as a personal humility practice rather than a mandated ritual or law.

“Let’s briefly go over some of these passages within God’s living word ──”

Yes. Matthew 6:16-18 ──

“’ Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites [He uses the word hypocrites, the same word He often used for the Pharisees and the Sadducees of His day who were ritualistically fasting on Yom Kippur], with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

17) But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18) so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.’”

Let’s also note Isaiah 58:6, which defines the kind of “fast” the LORD God requires, a fast that loosens yokes.

“That’s right. In fact, our Lord Jesus Christ has told us that fasting isn’t required (note that keyword, required) while He is with us, comparing us to the wedding guests who celebrate instead of mourning. He used the new-wine and new-cloth images to show us that the old ritual isn’t imposed in the New Covenant. Yes. Our Lord Jesus tells us that fasting isn’t required. But that His followers will fast (as a voluntary practice for humility) when the bridegroom is taken away (Matthew 9:14-17). If the LORD’s Spirit is within us, our Lord Jesus Christ is with us!”

Absolutely, Leonard! When the Holy Spirit indwells in us, Jesus is spiritually with us today; His Spirit brings Christ’s presence into believers.

“’ And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that It may abide with you forever ── 17) the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot receive, because it neither sees It nor knows It; but you know It, for It dwells with you and will be with you.’” – John 14:16-17.

“Sadly, there are many splinter groups of Worldwide that continue to fast on the Day of Atonement as a requirement ── the Old Covenant way.”

Yes ── Leonard. You’re right ── those splinter groups cling to Old Covenant fasting rituals, yet our New Covenant, as Hebrews chapter 8 shows us, makes such fasting optional and stresses to us inner humility instead of an external ordinance.

“Hebrews is the epistle that really drives the point home ── its whole thrust is about our Lord Jesus Christ’s superiority and the New Covenant’s inner humility, again, not external ordinances or rites. Our Lord Jesus is now our great High Priest and calls believers to draw near to the LORD God’s thrones of grace and mercy.

Sadly, those splinter groups continue annually to talk about the scapegoat. And they act as if that is doctrine. One doesn’t have to completely understand that scapegoat ritual to find the glorious salvation of our Lord Jesus!”

You’re right ── Leonard, those churches continue to treat the scapegoat ritual, the Old Covenant ritual, as doctrine, even though the practice was just a symbolic way to transfer sin in ancient Israel. Many cultures have analogous scapegoating rites, sending away collective guilt onto an animal or person. One doesn’t need to master that Old Covenant story to receive Jesus’ salvation. Faith in Christ is what matters. 1

Now, many claim that Acts 27:9 “proves” that the Apostle Paul fasted on the Day of Atonement. Again, our Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 9:14-17 that His followers wouldn’t fast while He was with them, but the Apostle Paul’s warning here in Acts 27:9 wasn’t about requiring true Christians to fast. He was just simply noting that the Jewish fast of Yom Kippur had already passed, signaling the end of the safe sailing season in the Mediterranean Sea. This verse doesn’t support reading anything about true Christians having to fast; sadly, people are reading something into this passage that is not actually there.

Our beloved Apostle Peter – under the divine inspiration of God’s Spirit, writes ──

“ … you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received BY TRADITION FROM YOUR FATHERS.” – 1 Peter 1:18.

He is speaking of Jewish tradition. Because if you’re going to be JEWISH, then Jewish tradition says that you must fast. If you’re going to be Jewish or a Jewish follower, then on the Day of Atonement you must fast. But you had better also not wear shoes made out of leather, not bathe, not wear any cologne or perfume, no lotion, and no marital sex! There is a whole list of things that you cannot do – if you want to be of the Jewish faith ── Judaism!

It is true that our Lord Jesus Christ would be our Atonement – it was prophesied – we often read this during the Passover – or the Lord’s Supper.

“Now all things are of God, who HAS RECONCILED US TO HIMSELF THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation [atonement], 19) that is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them [the LORD God does not hold true Christians' sins against us because our sins have been imputed, or credited, to our Lord Jesus. In Christ Jesus, God Himself became the ultimate Atonement], and has committed to us the word of reconciliation [atonement].” – 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.

Indeed, in the Old Covenant, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would go into the temple and sprinkle blood for the sins of the people. And he was the only one who was allowed to go into the Holy of Holies – the inner sanctuary of the temple. Now, if you want to continue living under that system with its symbolism – you, the individual – will never have access to God Almighty or Jesus Christ! However, in the New Covenant, ANYONE ANYTIME ANYWHERE has access to Jesus Christ if they will only humble themselves before the mighty throne of God Most High! And seek to change their lives and submit to God!

Prophetically ── the Day of the LORD

PROPHETICALLY ── a time of deep and disturbing trouble. A time of trauma. A time of the seven last plagues, which include the death of millions and even hundreds of millions of people. And it will include the utter destruction of the false Mother Church, false ministers and priests, and false doctrine. Which will include the binding, a spiritual prison, of Satan the Devil and his imps. The clearing of the deck of evil and spiritual darkness.

The Day of Atonement should be a time of humility, personal reflection, and a most somber time ── again, a time when on this Earth hundreds of millions of people will die by the hand of the returning powerful Jesus Christ. Think upon that! It looks forward to a time, prophetically, when we’re told that the blood in and around the streets of Jerusalem will be up to the horses' bridle! That’s a pretty somber thing!

So, what end-time event ── prophetically future event ── does the Day of Atonement picture?

The WRATH OF GOD (the Day of the Lord) is prophetically linked with the Day of Atonement. Single most prophesied event in the Bible – bar none. Not even the Return of Jesus Christ is prophesied as much as the Day of the Lord is prophesied. The Fall Holy Days picture, in a prophetic sense, some of the major events, major stages, major progressions of the end-times. The SEVEN SEALS of the Book of Revelation are the symbolic, prophetically, of the early ‘troubles’ which will befall this world, and in particular, the House of Judah and the House of Israel. And the FIRST SIX of the SEVEN TRUMPETS are a progression of those ‘troubles.’ And the SEVENTH TRUMPET of the seven trumpets is indeed directly related to the concept of the resurrection of the saints. The blowing of the SEVENTH TRUMP! And following that, in the Book of Revelation –

Chapters 15 & 16 – you read about the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES.

Chapter 15 ──

“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.” – verse 1.

The seven last plagues are directly linked with what the Lord God calls the “Day of the Lord.” And the Day of the Lord is prophetically linked to the Day of Atonement. Remember – SEVEN SEALS, SEVEN TRUMPETS – THE SEVENTH TRUMPET IS THE RESURRECTION TRUMPET!

“...We implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” And that’s sort of the concept of the word ATONEMENT. Reconciliation.

Turning to the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 20. We truly cannot fully understand the meaning(s) of the Day of Atonement unless we understand these things. Because the Day of Atonement does not mean “at-one-ment.” The theme is, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay.”

The soon-coming Day of the LORD ── a Day of Reconciliation! □

1. Amazon.com, 16 Sept. 2026.