27/09/2020
*An Excerpt from my teaching about Yom Kippur last year*
The day of Atonement has a special connotation, it's significance is very deep and mysterious. In this day Yahweh revealed his plan for final redemption of man. As we know, it is a day to atone for the sins of Israel, but the question remains, if Passover represents the redemption of Israel which was fulfilled in Messiah who came to redeem us from sin, and gave us his holy spirit during the feast of First fruit (Shavout). Why would he come back at the end of days to start talking about forgiveness of sins again? Everything about sin is believed to have been settled when we received Yahoshua as our personal Master and saviour, why then are we talking about Atonement when we should be expecting his second coming? It is not possible that Yahweh who has dealt with our sin through the death of his son should come back to the same matter settled already according to the sequence of events in the biblical program for man's salvation. Then this should send us a message that the Atonement day is pointing towards something deeper than our carnal sin. What could this be?
On the fulfilment of this prophetic day, something tremendous will happen, Yahweh will end a raging battle within every soul. The battle between the spirit and the flesh. I want you to know that the scripture clearly states that the flesh wrestles against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, the question is; why would this battle exist in the first place? Are we not born again? Now get this, when we got born again it was our spirit that got born again, "that which is born of spirit is spirit..." This implies that the body and soul were not born again. In other words, the spirit man was brought back to life (John 5:24-25) but the soul and body (flesh) was still carnal. That is why we were told to Present our body as a living sacrifice, if it was born again then there would be no need for that plea, and saint Paul said, "I put my body under...that I be not a cast away..." The body is to be subjected and the soul be renewed by the word of Yahweh through the help of the recreated spirit. So our spirit and flesh are in different realms, they do not agree at all, one is spiritual and the other is carnal, this is why continual battle would continue until we put off the flesh. But when will this battle end? It will only end if the flesh and soul are made spiritual too, or rolled away. The major task of every born again is to ensure that the flesh does not rule over the spirit. No one can be 100% spiritual at all times, often our emotions, desires, love and hatreds, dreams and goals tends to contrast the demands of our spirit. We only need to strengthen the spirit at all times to always win this battle. Like I said, on the Atonement day, Yahweh would deal with the root cause of sin in man, it is a day this body and soul would finally get born again too just like our spirit man, it is a day we will put on the celestial body and appear like angels. The Bible says, "Flesh and blood will not enter the kingdom of Yahweh but we shall all be transformed", mortality shall put on immortality, and corruptible will put on incorruptible(1Cor. 15:50-54) Man would be set free from this body of sin (Room 7:24). The major problem of man is this body, one day it is going to drop off from you and you shall put on a glorious body (2Cor.5:1). No wonder Yahweh said they must afflict their soul, this is to remind us that our soul and body is the trouble we must overcome in order to be sealed on that last day. As we fast and suffer this body, it is worthwhile to keep in mind that you must overcome your flesh to be part of the glorious family on the last day. Now we need to know that Atonement day is not meant for sinners, it is meant for those who have overcome their sin through Messiah and are willing to continue in this race until flesh is completely dethroned (until the battle is over). Atonement day should be a day you fast and pray that Yahweh should continue to strengthen you as you continue to win the battle over the flesh
Evang. Basil Onyekayahweh