Messiah's Testing and Yom Kippur Fulfillment

The 40 days from Elul 1 to Tishrei 10 is known as the time of testing, and we find prime examples of its true meaning and intent in the Holy Scriptures. At the beginning of Messiah's earthly ministry, we see how the time of testing connects with the Feast of Yom Kippur. The time of testing commenced on Elul 1 and ended on Tishrei 10, which is the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. How do we know this? Luke records Messiah going into the synagogues on Yom Kippur to teach after His time of testing, which fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy.

It is written, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn." Messiah partially fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy right after His temptation by Satan in the desert on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

Luke 4:1-2: "Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing. And afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry."

In Luke 4:14-21: "Then Yeshua returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out throughout all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.' Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant. And He sat down, and the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'"

In Isaiah 61:1-2, the prophet declares, "to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God." However, in Luke 4:14-21, Messiah concluded with, "to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." And then He closed the book. He did not finish by declaring "the day of vengeance of our God." This explains the Day of Vengeance, which is Messiah's second coming events, will culminate on the Feast of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Just as Moses atoned for the sins of the nation of Israel, the first Yom Kippur at Mount Sinai, Messiah will also redeem the nation of Israel at His second coming events on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

So, that's why He did that. Remember, Isaiah wrote "the day of vengeance." Yeshua did not quote that at His first coming events because it wasn't the appointed time. So, in your Bible, there's a comma that separates about 2,000 years. Because He closed with "the acceptable year of the Lord," not "the day of vengeance of our God," because that was going to be later on. He wasn't there to do that yet. He's coming back to do that with the second coming events.

Remember, Messiah has atoned for all of mankind's individual sins on Passover. However, as a corporate nation, Israel will not be completely redeemed until Messiah's second coming events, when He meets them face to face at Mount Sinai with the ultimate destination in sight: Holy Mount Zion. As Luke records, he provides another confirmation that the event occurred on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

It is written, "So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath; and they rose up and thrust Him out of the city, and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which the city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff." Then, passing through the midst of them, He went His way. As the people heard Yeshua proclaim that Isaiah 61:1-2 was fulfilled in their hearing, they were filled with wrath and wanted to throw Yeshua over the cliff. The attempt on Yeshua's life signifies this event was on Yom Kippur because only on the Day of Atonement would the people throw over the scapegoat for the redemption of national sins.

In Leviticus 16, we find the statute to be completed on one day and one day only, which is the Day of Atonement. In Leviticus 16:6-10: "Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. Then he shall take two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and one for Azazel. And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord, and use it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel."

Now let us explore and discover the prophetic foreshadows of Yom Kippur and the Torah and the biblical prophets, and how this feast correlates with the Book of Revelation and Messiah's second coming events. It is important to note that the High Priest was only allowed to go into the Holy of Holies once a year, which occurred on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. The High Priest followed the instructions in Leviticus 16, which are specifically designed for that day only, the Day of Atonement.

So, my friends, when we read the Book of Revelation, there are going to be a couple of chapters where we have to understand Leviticus 16, or we're not going to understand the trajectory of what John was writing. To understand the High Priest and what was going on with heaven and on earth, because as we do it here, they're doing it up there.

Okay? Just like with the trumpets, as we're blowing trumpets down here, they're blowing trumpets up there, rehearsing it because it's a dress rehearsal. It's a holy convocation for the angels to prepare for those. Okay? So, one day it's all going to go heaven and earth are going to collide. Right? What does the Lord's prayer say? "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done where? On earth as it is in heaven." Okay? So, again, there's a connection between heaven and earth. Yeshua is that connector. As they're blowing, we're blowing. And one day it's going to come together. Kind of like the feast of atonement when the high priest is doing what they're doing, then the ultimate high priest is doing as well. And you're going to see that in Leviticus 16 and also in the book of Revelation on what we're about to go through now. In Leviticus 16:12-15, it says, "Then he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from the altar before the Lord with his hands full of sweet incense beaten fine and bring it inside the veil.

And he shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord and the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the testimony lest he die." In the book of Revelation, we find a similar correlation of this event at Messiah's second coming. In Revelation 6:9-10 and 8:3-6, let's look at what it says. "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who have been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?'" Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, the prayer of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand.

We can see the similarities of the high priest ceremony in the book of Leviticus to the ultimate fulfillment in heaven which is found in the book of Revelation, where the same ritual is being performed as well. This is an incredible event. The one and only high priest Yeshua will be performing on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Additionally, the high priest will wear only white linens on Yom Kippur, and their garments would get stained with blood as they sacrifice the animals for the atonement of the nation. Isaiah and John give us great wisdom and knowledge as they both prophesy about Messiah the high priest staining his white garments at his second coming events, from the Feast of Trumpets through the Ten Days of Awe to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Isaiah 63:1-4 describes a Feast of Trumpets event where He comes by Himself to pour out His wrath. "Who is this?" the prophet asks, "Who comes from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah?