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The Antitypical Day of Atonement

Part Nine: YOM YHWH

“Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD (YOM YHWH! Why do you long for YOM YHWH? That day will be darkness, not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him.” (Amos 5:18-19) The “Day of the LORD” and the events illustrated within the Yom Kippur ceremony are one and the same. It reveals to its viewers a unique progression of events that lead to the final end of mankind. When this time period begins, there will be no stopping until our sinful flesh has returned to dust; save the 144,000. 


The term “Day of Atonement” typically conjures up a mental image of the high priest placing hands upon the scapegoat. But the church needs to awaken to the fact that this is only one of about at least 30 ceremonial images we need to store in our minds (See Leviticus 16). Each depiction is representative of events that are to occur throughout the course of the Anti-typical Day of Atonement. Among the verses specified in the ceremony is the gathering of three types of animals at the beginning of the ceremony which are the bull, the goats and the ram. 


Now I am blessed to live in the Pacific North West where the final migration of the salmon occurs each year. Their end of life process is quite similar to that of Mankind. Previous to their return, the salmon have had free range throughout the ocean waters. (Man was also told to fill he earth) But at the end of their season, they (the Salmon) are called back to the place of their birth. So no matter where they have roamed throughout the earth, a day arrives when the spirit calls them back and the salmon obey the spirit’s call. 


At first the salmon congregate at the bay and wait to enter the rivers and streams of their birth. But these fish do not proceed into the streams whenever they please. On the contrary, the spirit has determined that each variety of salmon wait their turn and enter the headwaters in an orderly fashion; first the King Salmon are called, then the Silver Salmon and finally the Chum Salmon. Unfortunately, only one in a thousand of these salmon will reach their native stream to extend life for another generation. Many are destined to be destroyed by predators along the way.


This illustration of nature is quite similar to the events of the Day of YHWH when judgment for all mankind is set to occur. Just as the salmon congregate in the bay as one species, so will all races of mankind will be alerted by the spirit that the end of all flesh is at hand. After this message has been proclaimed, three specific people groups will be segregated. One by one, each people group will fulfill the promise proclaimed to Adam in the garden, “From the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till you return to the ground; for…dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19). 


This message of the sanctuary teaches that man, who is also made up of different kinds, will be segregated and each kind, like the salmon, will meet their end in an orderly fashion. Paul mentions this progression in the following passage, “There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile”. (Romans 2:9) Although Paul often lumps together Jews and Gentiles as one, here Paul does not. 


The Jews, in fact all twelve tribes of Israel, hold the place of the first born among the nations (See Exodus 4:22). This means that judgment is executed upon Israel first for their wickedness in order to lead the nations to repent of their sins. So Israel, represented by YHWH's Goat, is set upon the Alter first, followed by the Gentiles represented by the Ram. The remains of all are taken to a holy place outside the camp where they are turned to dust, thus fulfilling the final requirement demanded by Atonement. After this takes place, the wrath of God against mankind will cease and the bodies of the faithful will be restored.


So far I have been writing about the end of all flesh, but the God of Israel has promised that a remnant will escape the wrath to come. “Yet in spite of this … I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am YHWH Elohim.” (Leviticus 26:44) Just as the majority of the salmon perish as they march their way back to their native streams, so mankind will perish throughout the course of the end of days.


Few will be spiritually and intellectually prepared to survive the ordeal, save the remnant. This is why we sound the alarm on Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets). These are the events we must consider as mankind draws closer to the Anti-typical Day of Atonement.

 

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