Yom Kippur
About Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur means "Day of Atonement." It is the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar.
The biblical foundation of the day is found especially in Leviticus 16. Once each year, the high priest carried out a special ceremony for himself, the priesthood and the people of Israel.
Two goats had an important place in the ceremony. One was offered as a sacrifice. The high priest confessed the sins of Israel over the other goat, which was then sent into the wilderness. This pictured the removal of the people's sins.
The high priest also entered the Holy of Holies. This was the innermost part of the sanctuary and the place most closely associated with the presence of God.
Modern Yom Kippur no longer includes these sacrifices. Instead, the day centers on fasting, prayer, repentance and seeking forgiveness from God and from other people.
Origin
Yom Kippur comes directly from the Torah. Its fullest description is found in Leviticus 16.
The chapter describes a special annual ceremony of cleansing and atonement. Aaron, the high priest, first had to make atonement for himself and his household. He then performed rites on behalf of the people.
The high priest entered the Holy of Holies with sacrificial blood. He also dealt with two goats. One was offered to God. The other was sent into the wilderness after the sins of the people had been confessed over it.
Leviticus 23 identifies the tenth day of the seventh month as the Day of Atonement. The people were commanded to rest and practice self-denial.
Yom Kippur therefore began as both a sacred day for the people and a unique day of priestly service before God.
Biblical Basis
Leviticus 16 provides the main biblical instructions for the Day of Atonement.
The high priest could not enter the Holy of Holies whenever he wished. On this special day, he entered according to God's command and carried sacrificial blood with him.
A bull was offered in connection with atonement for the high priest and his household. Two goats were then presented for the people. One was sacrificed. The other was kept alive.
The high priest placed his hands on the living goat and confessed over it the sins of Israel. The goat was then sent away into the wilderness. In this way, it symbolically carried the people's sins away.
Leviticus 23 commands the people to observe the day with rest and self-denial. Numbers 29 gives additional instructions concerning the sacrifices offered on that day.
Together, these passages present Yom Kippur as a day of cleansing, atonement and humble approach to God.
Explore This Festival
Open any topic below for additional history, observance, customs and Scripture.
Jewish Meaning
Yom Kippur is a day for facing wrongdoing honestly and seeking forgiveness.
Jewish teaching places great importance on teshuvah, or repentance. Repentance involves more than feeling sorry. A person recognizes what was wrong and seeks to turn away from it.
Wrongdoing against another person also requires attention. Yom Kippur is not treated as a substitute for making things right with someone who has been harmed. People are encouraged to seek forgiveness from one another.
The day is serious, but its message is not hopeless. Repentance is possible. Forgiveness can be sought. Relationships can be repaired.
Yom Kippur therefore joins humility with hope. The worshiper acknowledges failure while trusting that a new beginning is possible.
Jesus and the New Testament
The Day of Atonement provides some of the most important Old Testament background for the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews describes the high priest entering the inner sanctuary with sacrificial blood. It then compares this repeated priestly ministry with the work of Jesus.
According to Hebrews, Jesus serves as the greater high priest. He does not enter an earthly sanctuary with the blood of animals. He enters the heavenly presence of God on the basis of His own sacrifice.
Hebrews also stresses that the sacrifices of the old covenant had to be repeated. The sacrifice of Jesus is presented as different. It was offered once and does not need to be repeated year after year.
The New Testament therefore does not merely borrow a few symbols from Yom Kippur. Hebrews builds an extended explanation around the sanctuary, priesthood, sacrifice and access to God that were central to the Day of Atonement.
Christian Relevance
Yom Kippur gives Christians important background for understanding what the New Testament means by atonement.
Leviticus 16 shows that approaching a holy God was not treated casually. Sin and impurity mattered. The high priest entered the Holy of Holies only under carefully prescribed conditions.
The book of Hebrews uses this setting to explain Jesus. It presents Him as the great high priest who provides access to God. His sacrifice does not have to be repeated each year.
The Day of Atonement also helps Christians understand biblical language about cleansing, forgiveness and the removal of sin.
At the same time, Christians should understand Yom Kippur first as a Jewish holy day with its own continuing meaning. Learning about it allows us to read Leviticus and Hebrews with greater understanding while respecting the place Yom Kippur holds in Jewish life.
Why It Matters
Yom Kippur takes us to the heart of the biblical ideas of sin, forgiveness and atonement. Once each year, the high priest entered the innermost part of the sanctuary. Sacrifices were offered, and the sins of the people were confessed before God.
The day also helps us understand the difference between ancient Temple worship and Jewish worship today. After the Temple was destroyed, sacrifice could no longer be part of Yom Kippur. Prayer, repentance and fasting became the central expressions of the day.
For Christians, Yom Kippur is especially important because the book of Hebrews uses the Day of Atonement to explain the work of Jesus. Understanding the ancient ceremony makes these New Testament passages much easier to understand.
© 2026 AVisitWithJesus
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
