Ten Days of Communal Repentance
Seventh-day Adventists believe we’re now living during the cosmic yom hakippurim, the cosmic Day of Atonements. We believe the heavenly tribunal has subpoenaed the records and is reviewing earlier verdicts regarding God’s self-identified worshipers. Just as traditional Judaism teaches that on rosh hashana, on New Year’s Day, destinies for the coming year are determined, but not finalized until yom hakippurim, so we Seventh-day Adventists believe that past verdicts are under judicial review with a view to being irrevocably fixed. Traditional Jews believe that during the ten days between rosh hashana and yom hakippurim, undesirable destinies for the coming year can still be averted by sincere repentance, prayer, and almsgiving. They wish one another “may you be inscribed and sealed [in the Book of Life].” Seventh-day Adventists similarly believe that repentance can overturn the earlier decision of the court. We believe in a sealing time which finalizes our eternal destiny.
Our understanding of the cosmic yom hakippurim is based on Daniel chapter 8. Our calculations lead us to believe that the heavenly court was seated at the end of the prophesied 2300 evening-mornings and that judicial review commenced in 1844. That was 167 years ago. The question has to be raised is, “What’s taking so long up there?” Even assuming the heavenly records are in real time, that there’s no fast-forward button for when sinners are fast asleep, 167 years should be more than ample time to adequately review the life of any individual. Review shouldn’t take longer than the actual events. If the investigative judgment were only about individuals, than the only excuse would be a case backlog. But case backlog is hardly a problem for a heavenly court!
What I want to teach this is that the investigative judgment is not primarily about individuals. Individuals are already acquitted or convicted by their own confession. Matthew 10:32-33
“Consequently, everyone who confesses me before men and women, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men and women, I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus knows who has confessed him and who has denied him. It doesn’t require multiple, back-to-back lifespans to confirm the record. Like the Gospel according to Matthew, the Gospel according to John also teaches that the individual who trusts and obeys God has already won his or her acquittal in the heavenly tribunal. John 5:24
“Amen, Amen I say to you that the one obeying my word and trusting the One who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into condemnation, but passed from death to life.”
Now as regards rewards and punishments — that’s another matter. 1Corinthians 3:11-15
“For no one can set another other foundation than that which is laid, which is Yeshua Mashiach. But if somebody builds gold, silver, precious stones, wood, straw or reeds on the foundation ― the work of each will be manifest, for the Day will disclose it. For it will be revealed in fire, and the fire will prove the manner of each one’s work. If somebody’s work, which he built, remains, he will receive reward. If somebody’s work is burnt up, he will suffer loss, though himself he will be saved, but such as through fire.”
According to the Apostle Shaul, rewards and punishments are a matter of individual achievement. Individual achievement will be tested in fire, and quality work will receive commensurate reward. But reward and acquittal are two separate things. Reward is incremental and achievement-based, while acquittal is a free gift of God. Of course, those condemned by the court wouldn’t be available to collect their reward for whatever they’ve built on the foundation of Mashiach! Tough break for apostates. But other than that sad exception, rewards and punishments are determined quite independently from the verdict of the heavenly tribunal. We can safely say the heavenly court hasn’t been busy sorting out rewards and punishments for the past 167 years. That’s not their job. That’s the fire’s job on the Day of the L-rd.
So what on earth has the court been adjudicating and deliberating? We can take our clue from the Book of Daniel. Daniel 7:1-27.
“In the year one of Belshazzar King of Bavel, Daniel viewed a dream, and the visions of his head on his bed. Then he wrote the dream. He wrote the 'head' words. Daniel answered and said, 'I was viewing in the visions by night, and behold the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had wings of an eagle. I was viewing until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth. And on its feet like a man it was stood up. And the heart of a man was given it. And behold, another beast, a second, similar to a bear. And toward one side it stood. And three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. And thus they said to it, ‘Rise, eat much flesh!’ And after this I was viewing, and behold, another, like a leopard. And it had four wings of a bird on its back. And there were four heads to the beast. And dominion was given it. After this I was viewing in the visions of the night, and behold a fourth beast, fearful and dreadful, and extraordinarily strong. It had great teeth of iron. It ate and pulverized and the residue trampled with its feet. It was different from all beasts which were before it. And it had ten horns. I was watching the horns, and behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them. And three of the former horns were uprooted before it. And behold, eyes like the eyes of a man on that horn and a mouth speaking great things. I was viewing until thrones were placed and the Ancient of Days was seated. His garment was white as snow. The hair of his head was pure like wool. His throne was flames of fire, its wheels were burning fire. A river of fire issued and went forth from before him. A thousand thousands served him and a myriad of myriads stood before him. The court was seated and the books were opened. I was viewing then due to the voice of the great words which the horn was speaking. I was viewing until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and given to the burning fire. As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a time and an era. I was viewing in the visions of the night, and behold with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Adam was coming. And at the Ancient of Days he arrived. And they brought him before him. And to him was given dominion and honor and kingship. And all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is a dominion of eternity, which will not be removed, and his kingship will not be destroyed. My spirit was distressed, I Daniel, in my midst, and the visions of my head disturbed me. I approached one of those standing and asked the truth from him concerning all this. He told me and made known to me the interpretion of these things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings who rise from the earth. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom for eternity, for ages of eternity. Then I wished the truth concerning the fourth beast which was different from all of them, exceedingly fearful, teeth of iron, claws of bronze. It ate, pulverized, and the residue trampled with its feet. And concerning the ten horns on its head, and the other that came up, before which three fell, namely the horn that had eyes and a mouth speaking great things, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. I was viewing, and the same horn was making war with the saints and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came and gave a verdict for the saints of the Most High, and the time arrived. Then the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, ‘The fourth beast — a fourth kingdom shall be on earth, which shall be different from all kingdoms. It will devour all the earth, and thresh it, and pulverize it.’ The ten horns — from it the kingdom ten kings will rise. Another will rise after them, and he will be different from the former, and three kings he will subdue. And words against the Most High he shall speak, and the saints of the Most High he shall wear out, and suppose to change times and law, and they were given into his hand for an era, two eras, and half an era. But the court sat, and they took away its dominion to annihilate and destroy it until the end. And the kingdom, the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under all heaven was given to the people who are the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.”
When the heavenly court session in Daniel 7 is finished, the monster which had trampled previous empires and was engaged in persecution is punished. The people of the saints of the Most High are vindicated. In other words, the celestial court serves sentence on institutions, whose longevity extends beyond the lifespan of any individual. Of course, in every generation there are individuals associated with those long-term institutions. Institutions can’t operate unmanned. Nevertheless, at the end of the investigative judgment in Daniel 7, whichever individuals are vindicated or punished, are vindicated or punished for their institutional involvement, not for their personal deeds or misdeeds.
The investigative judgment is about evaluating the contribution of communities, of spiritual movements, of long-term institutions to the plan of salvation. The investigative judgment looks at how human societies have functioned as God’s partners in rehabilitating the damage caused by sin. How did various human societies help or hinder God in repairing broken relationships? This is infinitely more complicated than evaluating the confession or denial of lone individuals. We can easily understand how the heavenly court might take more than a single human lifespan to thoroughly investigate institutional behavior. Responsibility for an action may extend far beyond the immediate situation which originally prompted it. There are causes and effects that weave through the lives of multiple individuals in multiple generations. Institutional decisions ripple through the stream of time. Establishing legal liability for a long-term institution is a major undertaking. No human court has ever attempted such a thing.
The closest thing to it would be a war crimes trial. But even in a war crimes trial we only prosecute a few of the most prominent culprits whose involvement can be documented. No war crimes trial pretends to be comprehensive. War crimes trials are about symbolic justice.
So what does this mean for Christians interested in the universal significance of yom hakippurim, in the universal significance of our Torah’s Day of Atonements? On yom hakippurim individual sin-offering and individual guilt-offering weren’t accepted in the sanctuary. On all other days of the year they were most welcome, but on yom hakippurim the deadline is past. In fact, according to the Mishna, individual guilt-offerings were not accepted the day after yom hakippurim either. [Mishna karetot 6.3 אמרו עליו על בבא בן בוטי, שהיה מתנדב אשם תלוי בכל יום, חוץ מאחר יום הכפורים יום אחד. אמר המעון הזה! אילו היו מניחים לי, הייתי מביא. אלא אומרים לי: המתן עד שתכנס לספק.]
By the way, the very term for this unique day in Israel’s annual worship cycle, contains a clue that it is not about individual forgiveness. The term is plural. yom hakippurim literally means the day of expiations or the day of atonements. In Leviticus chapter 16, which describes the ritual, expiation is made on the officiating priest together with his household, expiation is made on the worshipers, expiation is made on the sanctuary, and expiation is made on the altar. It is a day of multiple expiations. Pointedly, none of these expiations are individual. Leviticus 16:30 summaries the day’s activity:
“For on this day he shall expiate on you to cleanse you from all your sins. You shall be cleansed before HaShem.”
The “you” pronouns in this summary verse are entirely 2nd person plural.
On yom hakippurim, and the ten days leading up to it, the children of Israel confess their collective sins, their failings as a group. Again the Book of Daniel provides the clue. In chapter 9, where the prophet Daniel is concerned that Israel’s punishment should end on schedule, he records his prayer. The prayer of Daniel is not in the 1st person singular; it is in the 1st person plural. The prayer of Daniel is not about “me;” it is about “us.” Daniel 9:1-19.
“In the year one of Darius son of Achashverosh from the seed of Media who reigned over the kingdom of the Chaldeans. In the year one of his reign, I Daniel understood in the books the number of years which was the word of HaShem to Jeremiah the prophet for fulfilling the ruins of Jerusalem, seventy years. And I set my face to the Lord God to request by prayer and supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes. I prayed to HaShem my God, and I confessed. I said, ‘Please, Lord, the great and awesome El, keeper of the covenant and the loyalty to those who love him and keep his precepts. We have sinned, and committed iniquity, and done wickedly, and revolted, and by turning from your precepts and your judgments. And we have not listened to your servants the prophets who spoke in your name to our kings, our officials, and to our fathers, and to all the people of the land. Yours, O Lord, is the rightness, and ours the shame of face as this day, to the man of Judah, and to the dwellers of Jerusalem, and to all Israel those near and far in all the lands where you have driven them for their treachery which they committed treacherously against you. HaShem, ours is the shame of face, and to our kings, to our officials, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. Yours, HaShem our God, are the mercies, and the forgivenesses, for we have revolted against him. And we have not listened to the voice of HaShem our God to walk in his torahs which he set before us by the hand of his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your torah, by turning to not listen to your voice. And you have poured out on us the curse and the oath which are written in the torah of Moshe, servant of God, because we have sinned against him. And he has accomplished his word which he spoke to us and to our judges who judged us to bring on us great evil which has not been done under all heaven, as it was done in Jerusalem. As it is written in the torah of Moshe, all this evil will come on us, but we have not placated the face of HaShem our God to turn from our iniquity and to become knowledgeable in your truth. And HaShem has kept watch on the evil and brought it on us, for HaShem our God is righteous in all his deeds which he does, and we did not listen to his voice. And now, HaShem our God, you who brought your people out from the land of Egypt with a strong hand and made yourself a name as of this day. We have sinned, we have done wickedly. HaShem, according to all your rightness turn back your anger and your wrath from your city Jerusalem the mountain of your holiness, for because of our sin and because the iniquity of our fathers Jerusalem and your people are a reproach to all around us. And now, hear, our God, the prayer of your servant and his supplications, and may your face shine on your desolated sanctuary for the sake of the Lord. Incline your ear, my God, and listen. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city which your name is called over it. For not on our own rightness are we casting our supplications before you, but on your many mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, heed and act! Do not delay for your sake, our God, for your name is called on your city and on your people.’”
When Daniel confesses the sins that drove Israel into exile 70 years previously, the culprits have long since died. Daniel confesses sins committed before his time. Daniel never personally took part in the persistent rebelliousness that caused God to abandon his dwelling place in Jerusalem and hide his face from his people. And yet Daniel repents.
The hyper-individualists among us say, “I’ve already got enough on my plate confessing and forsaking my own sins. Other people’s sins are none of my business. The culprits need to do their own repenting.” It’s not so much that hyper–individualists lack a sense of responsibility, they suffer rather from a weak sense of community.
Even though Israel’s punishment was scheduled to end, Daniel knew God had not spared himself the punishment of exile and he had not spared Daniel either. Daniel knew there’s no special treatment for Jews of exceptional obedience. Daniel knew his personal destiny is tied to that long-term institution called God’s covenant with Israel. That’s why Daniel is fasting with sackcloth and ashes.
In Judaism the prayers for yom hakippurim, and the prayers of repentance for the ten days leading up to it, are “we” and “us” prayers. They’re about group responsibility. This is something Christians can learn from our Jewish brothers and sisters. God holds us responsible for our group behavior.
Of course, we’re not all responsible to the same degree; those with more influence are relatively more responsible. But since Jesus has constituted us kings and priests to God, we all bear some responsibility for our group behavior. We’ve all been entrusted with a certain measure of influence. What happens within our family, our circle of friends, our congregation, our community, is partly up to us. We are true partners with our Creator in repairing his broken world. Although none of us bears sole responsibility, our shared responsibility is very real.
What’s the difference between communal repentance and individual repentance? Because communal sin is shared, communal repentance is more complicated. Because a community is more than just the sum total of individuals, we cannot forsake communal sin on a purely individual basis. Let me give an example.
Individually we’ve received the precept of the Decalogue “You shall not steal.” A Jew or Christian who violates this precept feels guilty. If the thief in question takes the Giver of the Torah’s authority seriously, he or she will repent. Repentance of this particular sin entails restitution of the stolen goods to the rightful owner plus a substantial user’s fee. In the Torah a repentant thief who’s stolen a sheep makes restitution with four sheep [Exodus 22:1]. Those three additional sheep are the user’s fee. A verbal apology alone doesn’t cut it. The offender needs to help with the damage. Helping with the damage helps restore the offender’s self-respect. In the case of individual theft we all understand the process of repentance.
But how do we repent of communal theft? Those of us who live in North America comprise 5% of the world’s population and consume 30% of the world’s non-renewable resources. Collectively, we’re engaged in theft. But how do we go about repenting? Obviously, we need to stop taking more than our share. It’s not fair that we maintain our standard of living at the expense of others. But how to make restitution? We can’t replenish non-renewable resources. By definition they’re non-renewable.
Unlike the sheep-stealer in the Torah, our compensation needn’t necessarily be repaid in kind. Perhaps mentoring and technology transfer will make restitution for stolen resources. Until we pay some sort of reparation or compensation to those we’ve robbed, we’ll feel guilty.
If you and me alone make restitution, this will set a good example, but lone individuals can’t achieve communal repentance. We must encourage our fellow thieves to join us. We’ve sinned together and we must repent together. When we confess and forsake our sin, God has promised to forgive us. He’s also committed himself to help us mend the damage we’ve caused. To us the damage may appear irreparable, but the Creator is still king of the universe. He has his ways to make our repentance effective. God gives his gift of repentance with abundant generosity. Repentance for communal theft is possible.
Let me give another example. Individually we’ve accepted the commandment in Leviticus 19:29 “You shall not profane your daughter by putting her up for prostitution.” A Jew or Christian who violates this commandment feels guilty. Even in the case where the family livelihood depends on the daughter’s earnings, repentance entails forsaking this particular source of income. In the Torah earnings from prostitution are not acceptable in the sanctuary [Deuteronomy 23:19]. The priest must hand them back to the donor.
Unfortunately, in our contemporary society the commercialization of sex is all-pervasive. Sex appeal is the foundation of mass marketing. We sell everything from motor vehicles to cosmetics to beverages with promises of sexual attractiveness and sexual pleasure. Sex sells. Collectively, we’re guilty of prostituting others for commercial gain.
How do we repent of our communal pimping? Again, communal repentance is not as straightforward as individual repentance. You didn’t fall into this sin by yourself, and you can’t repent of this sin by yourself.
For starters, as informed consumers we can boycott products being hawked by sexually provocative campaigns. But we also need to convince our fellow consumers that the commercialization of sex is dehumanizing and demeaning. In the face of incessant marketing attempts to associate brand identity and sex, we need to convince consumers that applying a certain brand of whitener to your teeth or driving a certain model car does nothing whatsoever to enhance your sex life. Human sexuality is vastly complicated with many variables, but we can safely rule out the soda in your fridge. There’s no connection between the products being hawked and sexual gratification. It’s simply false advertizing.
Realistically, we can’t expect instant repentance. It took Christians several centuries to convince Mediterranean civilization that gladiatorial fights to the death in the arena are not an acceptable form of public entertainment. It took abolitionists decades to convince the British Empire and later the American government that slaves are not an acceptable commodity of trade. Those efforts took longer than the lifespan of any one individual. Societies change more slowly than individuals. But persuasion finally paid off. Social redemption is possible. If it’s any encouragement, we need to keep in mind that even now, the commercialization of sex is by no means universal on planet earth. Unlike in the secular West, this sort of exploitive advertizing has never been publically acceptable in Islamic culture. A century ago it wasn’t our practice either; there once was a time when mass marketing was somehow possible without titillation. Repentance for communal pimping is possible. Not easy, but not impossible.
Let me give another example of communal repentance. Individually we’ve received the precept of the Decalogue “You shall not murder.” A Jew or Christian who violates this precept feels guilty, and rightly so. Contemporary societies have an elaborate apparatus in place to apprehend, try, and punish individuals who commit murder. We all recognize individual life-taking is a crime.
But how do we repent of institutionalized violence? Like all other nation-states in history, the United States of America is based on institutionalized violence. Our nation is a vast industrial-military complex. Our ability to get what we want on favorable terms depends on power projection, which is a nice euphemism for death-threats. As Christians we realize it is Satan who subjugates others by the fear of death. That’s clearly taught in the Epistle to the Hebrews chapter 3 [Hebrews 3:14-15]. To control others by death-threats is to play by Satan’s rules. Our participation in institutionalized violence runs contrary to Jesus’ redemption of human relationships. Jesus went to the cross rather than resort to violence to bring God’s kingdom.
Certain individuals have protested institutionalized violence by becoming conscientious objectors. But whatever their personal scruples, conscientious objectors still enjoy the material benefits of communal violence. In a nation which resorts to violence it’s nearly impossible to be a citizen without being an accessory to murder, however remote and impersonal the murder. In an industrialized society, combatants who pull the trigger are only the tip of the sword. Citizens in all walks of life contribute to institutionalized violence. Economic institutions profit from war. Universities teach the engineering skills required to design the weapons. Transportation systems carry military supplies. The food industry manufactures the rations which allow armies to be positioned independent of foraging opportunities. Medical personal rehabilitate the wounded for further action. When an industrialized nation goes to war, no one who is gainfully employed is untainted.
So how do we repent? Sinful group norms must be replaced, not by individual protest, but by moral group norms. The only adequate response to the murderous pursuit of national interest is participation in God’s kingdom.
The church is the community called out of the present evil age to be the vanguard of God’s kingdom. The church is the new community which already operates by the norms of God’s future. Among Christian families and Christian congregations all forms of coercion, however subtle, are non-normative. Insofar as violence and hatred do break out among us, they are an intrusion from the present evil age. They don’t express who we are. As Christians we can’t manage to be ourselves, let alone pursue our best interests, by coercive means. Jesus has risen from the dead and we cannot be controlled by death-threats, neither can we control others by death-threats. For Christians to enforce death-threats would be to capitulate to the kingdom of darkness.
The world has given us much trouble over renunciation of violence. The world accuses us of irresponsibility. In every generation there have been martyrs for non-violence. But Christians know that the world will only be redeemed by nonconformity to its idolatrous demands. Christians must make it clear that bloodshed in the national interest is idolatry. We must not worship at this idol.
Repentance, restitution, and renunciation of communal sin is more challenging than repentance for individual sin. Perhaps the reason we prefer to talk about individual repentance is because it’s so much more straightforward! But we serve a great God. His provisions are great. His mercy is great. His mercy extends to groups. God calls churches, synagogues, and mosques to repentance. God forgives long-term institutions as well as private individuals. Communal repentance and rehabilitation is truly possible.
When we as Jews and Christians read Daniel’s vision of the heavenly tribunal we must see ourselves being judged. Our redeemed communities are God’s answer to the alienation of the human family, but we’re also part of the problem. Sometimes we act more like the four oppressive monsters in Daniel 7 than the saints of the Most High. We’re a mixed bag. We are both perpetrator and victim. It will require the full wisdom of the heavenly tribunal to sort us out. But in order for us to serve as the vanguard of his new creation, God must set us right. In order for us to carry out our calling, some of us need to be rescued from others of us. We sorely require God’s judgment.
During the ten days of repentance and on yom hakippurim God is calling us to communal responsibility. Let’s be full partners during the new year.
