Leviticus 16-17/23   The Day of Atonement.  Chapter 16 gives the procedures and law for this important religious festival.  Again there is great significance in every procedure and we must go below the surface to gain spiritual insights.   Every day there were atonement offerings brought to the tabernacle, but on this one certain day.. on the 10th day of the seventh month, there was a special observance to be held once a year.  This was the only time that the priest was allowed to enter into the holy of holies.  He had to bring an atonement sacrifice for himself, his household, and for the rest of the assembly of Israel.  He made atonement for the holy place, for the tent and for the people.

On this day the Lord required His people  to " humble your souls".  The offerings were presented, the blood was shed, and atonement was made... every year.

In Chapter 23 the Lord speaks to Moses about these "appointed times".  
The seventh day, the sabbath - was an appointed time of the Lord.
On the 14th day of the 1st month the Passover was to be observed. This was an appointed time of convocation.
On the 15th day and for 7 days - The Feast of Unleavened Bread was to be observed.
When the harvest time began then the people were to bring an offering of first fruits before the Lord before they ate any of the new produce.  Then they were to count 7 sabbaths/50 days and then present a new grain offering.  This was an appointed time. ( The Feast of Pentecost)
On the first day of the 7th month they were to observe a day of rest - a trumpet was blown as a reminder of this holy convocation .
Then on the 10th day of the same month the day of atonement was to be observed with a humbling of their souls.
And on the 15th of the same month there would begin 7 days of the Feast of Booths.
"So Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed times of the Lord." 

There are different calendars - Jewish and English.  There are also two different ideas for the Jewish calendar - civil and sacred.   But,  on the sacred calendar the seventh month is roughly September/October on ours.  Rosh Hashanah ( which is being celebrated this week )  is  now considered the "Feast of Trumpets" or new year - although that is not recorded in Leviticus.  10  days later would come the Day of Atonement - which was a solemn and holy day of mourning and repentance.   Then the "Feast of Tabernacles", also called the feast of ingathering would begin on the 15th day of the month.
So the sequence is :
A trumpet is sounded.
Atonement is made.
The final harvest is celebrated.

So again we need to hear what the Shepherd is saying to us through His Word.
The Lord has appointed times for us...  He knows each of our minutes, hours, days, and years.  David wrote in Psalm 139:16-17 " Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. "

I went to a funeral this morning and the pastor talked about this very same concept.  Though the death of this child of God was unexpected by his family.. it was appointed by the Lord.  "And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after that the judgement." ( Hebrews 9:27)

There is also an appointed time when the trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ will rise.. those who believe will be raptured, changed in a twinkling of the eye and taken to heaven forever.   Some believe  that this day is approaching quickly.  Only the Lord knows whether our appointed time to come before Him will be through our death or through His coming... but either way, we need to be ready.  We need to know Him as our Savior and Lord.  We need to be walking in obedience and faith. We need to have humbled our souls...to  have mourned over our sins and to have the atoning blood of Christ wash us clean from all our sins.

Only then will be ready for the appointed times of the Lord.

Father in Heaven,  forgive us our sins, deliver us from evil,   cleanse us and make us ready in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Open our ears to hear and our eyes to see You.  We need You Lord.  Amen.