Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. (Isaiah 58:3)
29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30 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 the Lord. 31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. (Leviticus 16:29-31)
27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:27)
In Daniel 8:14 there is a record of prophetic time culminating in the cleansing (atonement) of the sanctuary, which is described here. As people living since that time the Day of Atonement (cleansing) is particularly relevant to us, and unsurprisingly that ritual is connected to Isaiah 58. This is the ritual of the Day of Atonement; where the High Priest would go into the inner sanctum of the temple for the only time that year and would enact a unique ritual. This ritual included casting lots over two sacrificial goats and driving one (misnamed "scapegoat") away to die in the wilderness instead of killing it on the spot. This happened after the sanctuary was ritually cleansed and the ritual corruption of sin was put on the goat that would be led into the wilderness. This is quite different from the other sacrifices which were killed to represent Jesus' death and their blood used to represent Jesus' blood which was spilled to save us from sin (the Christian Scriptures (NT) make it clear that it is Jesus' blood that saves).
The other goat did not have it's blood spilled, and so can't represent Jesus' sacrifice; the identity of this goat can be found in his original title: The Goat of Azazel. Azazel was the name attributed to the Devil who was thought to live in the wilderness. The scapegoat is actually the Goat of the Devil, and his part of the ritual shows that the Devil will be revealed as ultimately culpable for sin and be punished accordingly. God commanded his people to have a time of thorough repentance, abstaining from things like food and business and this was for their good. The Jews were fasting and afflicting their souls as commanded in Leviticus but according to Isaiah it was only superficial.
Modern spiritual Israel has been called to figuratively fast, afflict our souls and rest as if on Sabbath while our Great High Priest in heaven makes atonement for us (Hebrews 9:11 etc). The Jewish Day of Atonement was meant to point forward to this time at the end of Earth's history just like the Passover pointed to the cross. But what does this mean for us? Are we not allowed to work? Or eat? That doesn't make sense. There must be some significance to the Sabbath for this time, but from these texts I can't see much more than that. Fasting carries the idea of going without good things for a time. I think Christians in this day ought to be willing to go without many good things in order to show that we really believe this world is nearing its close.
Probably the easiest to understand for me at the moment is the reference to afflicting our souls. It means searching our hearts and by the power of the Holy Spirit being cleansed from sin. It means resolving that nothing will get between me and my Saviour. It means quitting anything that might be dragging you down spiritually, even if you are not sure. Oh there are some things in my life I am thinking of. It means running the race to win (1 Corinthians 9) and not letting anything become an excuse for holding on to sin. With man all this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Revelation 3:21)
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:19)
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