The Day of Atonement

The appointments of our Father in Heaven have always been for both the Israelite and the Gentile according to our God-breathed scriptures:

Exo 12:48  If a stranger (gentile) shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. 
Exo 12:49  There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.” 

The God-breathed scriptures that we hold in our very hands tell us a very different story than what today’s modern-day denominational charters of men would have us believe… and because the commandments, precepts, Sabbaths, and appointments are so very different… each one of us needs to decide whether we will follow the commandments of our Father in Heaven and the God-breathed scriptures that he has provided us… or will we follow after the commandments of men?

Mat 15:7  You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 
Mat 15:8  “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 
Mat 15:9  in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” 
Mar 7:13  thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” 
Mat 23:24  You blind guides, straining out a gnat, and swallowing a camel! 
Mat 23:25  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 
Mat 23:26  You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. 
Mat 23:27  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 
Mat 23:28  So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 

Let there be no confusion in any Christian’s mind… that these appointments that have been laid down by our Father in Heaven do indeed include both Jew and Gentile:

Lev 16:29 “And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger (Gentile) who sojourns among you.

There has NEVER… been two laws… one for the Jew and one for the Gentile: Num 15:15  For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger (Gentile)who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the LORD. 

Num 15:16  One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger (Gentile) who sojourns with you.” 

Mat 5:17  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 
Mat 5:18  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 
Mat 5:19  Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 
Mat 5:20  For I tell you unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Our Messiah says that not the crossing of a “T” or the dotting of an “i” will pass from his Father’s law until and I quote: “Heaven and earth pass away”. So when does “Heaven and earth” pass away according to the scripture? Not until Revelation chapter 21:

Rev 21:1  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 

Mat 23:1  Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 
Mat 23:2  “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 
Mat 23:3  so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach but do not practice. 

Clearly, we are to do as the “Scribes and Pharisees” tell us. What were they telling us? They were telling us the Torah… and the writings of the Prophets (The Old Testament). The “New Testament” had not even been written as of yet. Here my friends is a direct commandment from our Messiah to do the Torah… the laws, commandments, precepts, Sabbaths, and appointments of his Father.

And so the question remains… who will you serve on this holy commanded day of rest?

God… or man?