John Gill Commentary Leviticus 16:31

"It is a sabbath of solemn rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls; it is a statute for ever." — Leviticus 16:31 (ASV)

It [shall be] a sabbath of rest to you
From all servile work, as before observed; typical of a cessation from the performance of sinful works, at least from a sinful course of life, and from a dependence on works of righteousness, when a man is brought to believe in Christ, and in the atonement which he has made, see (Hebrews 4:3Hebrews 4:10) :

and you shall afflict your souls by a statute for ever :
as long as the ceremonial law, and its statutes and ordinances lasted, which were to be until the time of reformation; and till that time came, once a year, on the day of atonement, they were to keep a severe fast, here called an afflicting of their souls; and in this respect this day differed from the seventh day sabbath, which was rather a festival than a fast, and is what led some of the Heathen writers ^F26 to the belief that the Jews fasted on the sabbath day.

The time of Christ's sufferings, and of his being a sacrifice for the sins of his people, was a time of great affliction to his disciples; then it was the children of the bridegroom fasted, he being taken from them; and true humiliation for sin, and repentance of it, are occasioned and influenced by a view of a suffering Saviour, and atonement by him;

and this may denote also, that such that believe in Christ, and in his atonement, must expect afflictions and troubles in this world.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F26: Martial. l. 4. Epigram. 4. Justin. e Trogo, l. 36. Suetonius in Vita Octav. Aug. c. 76.