24/09/2026
WHY ARE WE CELEBRATING THE FEAST OF ATONEMENT LIKE THE
FEAST OF TABERNACLES?
A CRY OF SORROW, REPENTANCE AND WARNING
By: Paul Papacy, Son of Babylon
There are days when the heart should rejoice. And there are days when the heart should weep. There are days when we lift our voices in celebration. And there are days when we must bow our heads, examine our lives, and cry before Yahuwah. (To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens) Ecc. 3:1
THE FEAST OF ATONEMENT IS ONE OF THOSE SOLEMN DAYS.
Why, then, are we turning a day of affliction, repentance and reconciliation into an occasion of ordinary celebration? Why are we laughing when our hearts should be searching? Why are
we dancing when our souls should be trembling? Why are we celebrating outwardly when there may still be sin, hatred, unforgiveness and disobedience hidden within us? Shalom
MY HEART CRIES.
I cry because we have forgotten what that day means. I cry because we can gather in holy clothing while carrying unrepented sin in our hearts. I cry because we can sing beautiful songs while refusing to reconcile with our brothers and sisters. I cry because we can speak about forgiveness while holding bitterness against one another. And I cry because we can call upon the mercy of Yahuwah while refusing to turn away from the very things that sparate us from Him. My God, Yahuwah Forgive us.
AFFLICT YOUR SOULS
Yahuwah did not describe the Day of Atonement as an ordinary feast of happiness. He commanded: It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls. (Leviticus 23:27) Read those words again:
AFFLICT YOUR SOULS.
Not entertain your souls. Not satisfy your flesh. Not turn the day into a festival of worldly pleasure. Afflict your souls. Search your heart. Remember your sins. Repent. Humble yourself. Seek mercy. Seek reconciliation. Cry before Yahuwah.
WHY SHOULD WE WEEP?
Because sin is serious and dangerous. The prophet Joel cried out: Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. (Joel 2:12) why are not doing the same why, why, why. With weeping. With mourning. With a broken heart. This is not empty sadness. This is godly sorrow.
Paul writes:
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation. (2 Corinthians 7:10) There is a sorrow that destroys. But there is also a sorrow that brings us back to Yahuwah. That is the sorrow we need.
I CRY FOR SOME OF THE BELIEVER
I cry for the believer who has forgotten how to repent. I cry for the believer who wants the blessing but refuses the correction. I cry for the believer who wants mercy but will not show mercy to others. I cry for the believer who wants heaven but does not want obedience. I cry for the believer who knows Scripture but refuses to allow Scripture to examine their heart. I cry for the congregation that can organize a beautiful program but forget the purpose of the sacred day. I cry because we have sometimes learned how to perform religion without experiencing repentance.
And the question comes: What is the condition of your soul?
DO NOT CONFUSE ATONEMENT WITH TABERNACLES PLEASE AM BEGING YOU.
The Scriptures give different instructions for these appointed times. Regarding the Feast of Tabernacles, Yahuwah commanded: And ye shall rejoice before Yahuwah your Elohim seven days (Leviticus 23:40) There is rejoicing.
But regarding Atonement:
Ye shall afflict your souls. (Leviticus 23:27) There is affliction. Therefore, we must understand the spiritual character of each appointed time. Tabernacles says: Rejoice. Atonement says: Examine yourself. Tabernacles says: Celebrate Yahuwah's provision. Atonement says: Repent of your sin. Tabernacles points toward joy. Atonement confronts us with the seriousness of sin and reconciliation. There is nothing wrong with joy. But every sacred day has its purpose. Masa
THE CRY OF JOEL
Joel gives us the picture of a people returning to Yahuwah: Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Yahuwah your Elohim. (Joel 2:13) Not merely your clothes. Your heart. Not merely your appearance. Your heart. Not merely your public worship. Your heart. Yahuwah is not looking only at what people see. He sees what is hidden. He sees the secret sin. He sees the secret hatred. He sees the secret injustice. He sees the tears nobody sees. He sees the wounds nobody knows about. And He calls His people: RETURN TO ME.
THE QUR'ANIC CALL TO REPENTANCE
The Qur'an likewise calls believers toward repentance: And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed. (Qur'an 24:31) Repentance is therefore not merely an outward religious ceremony. It is a turning of the heart.
The Qur'an also declares:
Do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives the sins altogether. (Qur'an 39:53) So even while we mourn our sins, we must not lose hope. We weep because we recognize our condition. We repent because Yahuwah is merciful. We humble ourselves because we need His forgiveness. Our tears should lead us back to Him.
I CRY, BUT I DO NOT DESPAIR
My tears are not the end I have many to say. My tears are a cry: Yahuwah, have mercy upon us. My sorrow is a cry: Yahuwah, cleanse our heart. My repentance is a cry: Yahuwah, teach us to walk in Your ways. My brokenness is a cry: Yahuwah, restore us. For the purpose of Atonement is not simply to make us sad. It is to bring us into reconciliation.
RECONCILE WITH YOUR BROTHER
Yahushua taught: First be reconciled to thy brother. (Matthew 5:24) How can we cry for forgiveness from Yahuwah while refusing to forgive others? Mmmmm .How can we ask for mercy while showing no mercy to others? How can we ask Yahuwah to cleanse our hearts while deliberately keeping hatred inside them? The Day of Atonement should make us ask: Whom have I wounded? Whom have I refused to forgive? Who is waiting for an apology from me? What wrong have I done that I need to correct?
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT AND THE HIGH PRIEST
Leviticus 16 gives the historical foundation of the Day of Atonement. The high priest entered the Most Holy Place and performed the prescribed rites for the sins of Israel. Leviticus declares: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before Yahuwah. (Leviticus 16:30) Think about that. Clean from all your sins before Yahuwah. This was not entertainment. This was not a casual gathering. This was a solemn encounter with the problem of sin.
THE DAY THAT MAKES US LOOK INTO THE MIRROR
Atonement is a spiritual mirror. When I look into that mirror, I should not first look at my brother. I should look at myself. Am I obedient? Am I truthful? Am I forgiving? Am I humble? Am I walking according to Yahuwah's commandments? Have I truly repented? And when I discover my failures, I should not hide. I should cry. I should kneel. I should repent. I should return.
DO NOT LET THE HOLY DAY BECOME EMPTY CEREMONY
Believers, please forget what they are say about me and hear this cry. Do not allow Atonement to become merely another program on the religious calendar. Do not let the microphones become louder than the voice of repentance. Do not let the music become louder than the cry of the broken heart. Do not let beautiful clothing cover an unrepentant soul. Do not let celebration replace confession. Do not let tradition replace obedience. Let the heart return to Yahuwah.
A FINAL CRY
Today I do not want to shout. Because I don’t want to speak in the Congregation anymore, I don’t want to teach anymore I want to be silent, but I can’t. I want to weep. I do not want to boast. I want to humble myself. I do not want to condemn everybody else. I want Yahuwah to examine me first. Why because am a sinner (A law breaker) Search me, Yahuwah. Search my heart. Search my thoughts. Search my words. Search my actions. Show me because I have done wrong. Show me because I have failed. Show me because I have wounded others. Show me because pride has entered my heart. Show me because I have become disobedient. And when You show me, give me the courage to repent. Yah Let my tears not be empty tears. Let my sorrow become repentance. Let my repentance become obedience. Let my obedience become reconciliation. And let my reconciliation bring me closer to You. Father Please
REMEMBER
Atonement is not a day to hide from our sins. It is a day to confront them. It is not a day to pretend that everything is well. It is a day to make things right. It is not a day for empty celebration. It is a day for humility. It is not a day of hopelessness. It is a day to seek mercy. So, believer... Let us bow our head. Search our heart. Forgive. Repent. Reconcile. Seek Yahuwah. And if your heart must cry, CRY. For sometimes the deepest prayer is not a loud song. Sometimes the deepest prayer is a tear falling silently before Yahuwah. Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Yahuwah your Elohim: for he is gracious and merciful. (Joel 2:13)
LET ATONEMENT BE A DAY OF A BROKEN HEART, A REPENTANT SOUL, AND A RETURN TO YAHUWAH. SELAH
By: Paul Papacy, Son of Babylon
(THE WATCHER)
