The Lord Shall Blow The Trumpet And Go With Whirlwinds Of The South The Feast of Trumpets

There is no other feast with more FUTURE prophetic overtones than the Feast of Trumpets! It’s interesting to note that Rosh Hashanah actually does not commemorate any historical events of Israel’s past, yet portrays all events YET in the future for both National Israel AND the church. The next great event on God’s prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church when the Trump of God shall sound, the dead in Christ shall rise FIRST, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord and be with Him forever and forever.

 

By Chris McDonald


TEXT: Leviticus 23:23-25  - And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, [24] Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. [25] Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. 

Numbers 29:1-6  And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. [2] And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savoir unto the Lord; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish: [3] And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram, [4] And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: [5] And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you: [6] Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savior, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord. 

 

On September 22, 2006 we began year 5767 on the Hebrew Calendar. The fall is arguably the most important time of the year in Judaism and in reality it's also the most prophetic significant time of the year for the Christian as the Lord has implemented His prophetic calendar within the Feasts outlined God Himself outlined to Moses in Leviticus 23. Three of Israel's holiest days are celebrated during the Autumn season, and all in the space of 15 days; Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, followed 10 days later by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and 5 days after that the Feast of Tabernacles.

 

This time on Israel's calendar usually takes place between mid September and mid October due to the differences between the Jewish (lunar) calendar and the western (solar) one.


It cannot be understated that each of these holy days has both historical and prophetic significance, the prophetic fulfillment to occur on the day itself. Therefore Christians study them for glimpses into God's past redemptive plan as well as God's plan for the future; understanding the Feasts of the Lord increases our understanding of the Jewish culture as well but more importantly helps us understand end time events concerning the rapture, the rise of the Antichrist, the Great Tribulation, Israel's fight for survival, and her ultimate salvation at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Israel is God’s prophetic time clock and both His past and future efforts and plan for Israel’s communion with Him, He implemented celebrations known as “The Feasts of the Lord,” in Leviticus 25.

 

Of the 7 feasts mentioned in Leviticus, four took place in Spring - Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and Shavuot (Pentecost) and were a prophetic foreshadowing of Messiah's FIRST COMING and His Redemptive work on the Cross; the three fall feasts - Rosh Hashanah, Day of Atonement and Yom Kippur – speak of the rapture of the Church, Israel's time of travail and ultimate atonement during the Great Tribulation, the Second Coming of Christ and the Millennial Kingdom. Two other feasts – Hanukkah and Purim – while not specifically mentioned in the list in Leviticus are mentioned in Esther and John 10:22 and offer further remendously important prophetic pictures of Israel’s future deliverance and salvation.

 

In summary, the four Spring Feasts portrayed the Lord’s death, burial, perfect sinless life, resurrection and the advent of the Holy Spirit upon the church of the Lord Jesus:

 

Ø       Passover - The Messiah's Death

Ø       Unleavened Bread - The Messiah's Burial and Sinless Life

Ø       Firstfruits - The Messiah's Resurrection

Ø       Pentecost - The Messiah's Promise of the Holy Spirit and Giving of the Law To Israel

 

Israel's THREE autumn feasts, Rosh Hashanah, (Trumpets), the Day Of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and the Feast Of Tabernacles (Sukkot), the subject of this journal, were celebrated about 4 months after the end of the spring festivals during the Jewish month of Tishri, usually our September and October on the Roman Calendar. Prophetically speaking, we see a beautiful picture in each of the Rapture of the Church by Messiah, Israel's National Day of Atonement after the outpouring of God's wrath, and the Millennium Kingdom typified by the branches of peace used in the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles.

 

Between Pentecost and Tabernacles there was an interval of time of 3 months, these being the 4th, 5th and 6th months, speaking of the current interval between the current church age and the rapture of the Church which will herald the end of world Gentile domination and God turning His attention fully once more to Israel’s salvation. Passover and Pentecost were linked together by a few weeks but Tabernacles stands alone at the end of the sacred year on Israel's holiday calendar; So will the Millennium stand alone in God's prophetic plan for man. The months in between were historically the driest months of the year for Israel. There were no holy convocations when the nation gathered before the Lord and His sanctuary.

 

Some Bible scholars call the Fall Feasts (Trumpets, Tabernacles and Atonement) the FEASTS OF PROPHECY that is, feasts that yet to have found their fulfillment. These feasts are both literal feasts celebrated in Israel every year and TYPES of God's prophetic calendar of events for Israel, the Church, and the world.

 

Rosh Hashanah means "Head of the Year," and is a time of new beginnings. Jewish tradition holds that the creation was completed on Rosh Hashanah, and therefore Adam was born on that day as well. Many students of prophecy place the birth of the Messiah on Rosh Hashanah, giving the day its first prophetic fulfillment, and believe that the beginning of Daniel's 70th week and 7 years later the Lord's Second Coming will also occur on Rosh Hashanah.
 

Others believe that the Rapture of the Church will happen on Rosh Hashanah as well, but this writer is convinced that the Rapture is a number specific event rather than a date specific one, meaning that the Church will be raptured when "the full number of gentiles has come in" making the day and hour unknown to us in advance, except that it will precede Israel's re-awakening (Romans 11:25) and Daniel's 70th week. (Acts 15:15-16)

 

Romans 11:25  - For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Acts 15:15-16  - And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, [16] After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

 

The Feast of Trumpets probably carries greater significance for both the CHURCH and ISRAEL for we are waiting for the Rapture of the Church that will be heralded by the sound of a trumpet which will raise the curtain on Israel’s greatest time of travail in her history – the Great Tribulation Period. After the trump sounds and the Church is taken out, National Israel, along with the entire world, will face the wrath of God through the advent of the Antichrist, and awaiting the sound of another trump - the trump that will herald the actual, literal, physical return of Christ to Earth. The Day the Lord Jesus steps foot on Mount Olivet will literally be Israel's Day of Atonement, and usher in the FEAST OF TABERNACLES - the Millennium.

 

The Feasts of the Lord are a beautiful fulfillment of Christ, the Church and Israel:

 

·         Passover was fulfilled in Christ.

·         Pentecost is being fulfilled TODAY in the Church.

·         Tabernacles will be fulfilled in the national atonement of ISRAEL.

 

The Biblical Observance Of Rosh Hashanah, Feast of Trumpets

 

The Meaning of Rosh Hashanah 

 

Although Rosh Hashanah has its roots firmly planted in the Bible, it is never known by that name in Scripture. It is referred to as Zikhron Teruah or the “Memorial of Blowing of Trumpets." <Lev. 23:24> and Yom Teruah (Day of Blowing Of Trumpets) <Num. 29:1>. The "Feast of Trumpets" is a day of sounding trumpets in the Temple and throughout the land of Israel.

The designation "Head of the Year," was not applied to this feast until at least the second century A.D., more than 1,500 years after the institution of the holiday. Following the A.D. 70 destruction of the Temple, its observance was radically altered. For the holiday, it was a matter of survival in the midst of a tragic situation. Continued observance of the Feast of Trumpets was threatened due to the absence of the Temple and its sacrificial system. As a result, synagogue liturgy was enlarged, new traditions were suggested, and emphases were shifted in an attempt to preserve and adapt the observance of this holiday for the people scattered outside their homeland and stripped of their Temple. The timing of the ancient feast coincided with the beginning of Israel's civil New Year. After the A.D. 70 destruction of the second Temple, the two observances became connected. 

 

The Feast of Trumpets finds fulfillment in the future regathering of long-dispersed Israel. The interval between Pentecost and Trumpets is likened to the present dispensation and the work of the Holy Spirit. When the present era is ended and the church or "Pentecostal" period expires, then the elect of Israel will be gathered to keep the Feast of Trumpets in Jerusalem. This feast also finds its fulfillment of the "catching out" of the church and then the regathering of Israel at the Second Coming of Christ:

 

The Time of Rosh Hashanah

 

Rosh Hashanah is observed in the autumn of the year occuring on the first day of Tishri, the seventh Hebrew month (usually mid-September to early October) on the Hebrew calendar. Israel's two other autumn holidays occur only days later: Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) on Tishri 10 and the Feast of Tabernacles beginning on Tishri 15. In the Bible, the Feast was celebrated as a one-day holiday. For Jewish communities living outside the land of Israel many holidays were and still are celebrated for an additional day. The reason is rooted in the uncertainty of the Jewish calendar. The beginning of each month was originally dependent upon the sighting of the New Moon. The precise timing of the New Moon was not always easily determined due to weather conditions and a lack of witnesses. The holiday even to this day is now celebrated as a two-day feast to decrease the chance for error. 

 

The Biblical record for Rosh Hashanah observance is neither lengthy nor complicated. Israel was simply commanded to memorialize the day by blowing trumpets and to keep the day as a Sabbath day of rest: <Lev. 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1>

 

Leviticus 23:23-25  - And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, [24] Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. [25] Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. 

Numbers 29:1  - And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. 

 

The bible record concerning the Temple sacrifices is equally simple:

 

Numbers 29:2-6  - And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the Lord; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish: [3] And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram, [4] And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: [5] And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you: [6] Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord. 

A special burnt offering was offered consisting of a YOUNG BULL, a RAM and SEVEN LAMBS. A kid goat was also sacrificed as a sin offering. Both of these offerings were in addition to the daily-required sacrifices (Numbers 28:1-8) and those for the new moon (Numbers 28:11-15), which were also offered on that day.

 

The actual observance of the Feast of Trumpets is recorded only once in Scripture. Ezra, the scribe, related that it was during the Feast of Trumpets that the Temple altar was rebuilt, and sacrifices were reinstituted by those who returned from Babylonian exile (Ezra 3:1-6). Nehemiah recorded that sweeping revival also took place in Israel that same day as Ezra rehearsed God's law in the ears of the people (Neh. 7:73-8:13)

 

Ezra 3:1-6  - And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. [2] Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. [3] And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord, even burnt offerings morning and evening. [4] They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required; [5] And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the Lord that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the Lord. [6] From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. 

 

Neh. 7:73; 8:1-13 - So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.   [9] And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. [10] Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. [11] So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. [12] And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.  [13] And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law. 

 

The Importance of the Feast

 

In relation to the New Moon, Rosh Hashanah is unique. It is the only Jewish holiday that occurs on the first day of the month, at the New Moon, when the moon is DARK and only a thin crescent. All other Jewish holidays occur later in their respective months when the moon is bright.  Even as the seventh DAY and the seventh YEAR were holy under Mosaic Law, so, too, was Tishri, the seventh MONTH. Significantly this feast occurs on the first day of the SABBATH MONTH in which all three of Israel's autumn feast and holidays occur. In ancient Israel, the New Moon was normally announced by short blasts of the trumpet, but the NEW MOON OF THE SEVENTH MONTH was celebrated by long blasts, emphasizing its solemnity and uniqueness among months.

 

Numbers 10:1-5  - And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, [2] Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. [3] And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. [4] And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. [5] When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.

 

According to Scripture, there are Eight Feasts of Jehovah:

 

1. The weekly Sabbath feast (Leviticus 23:2-3)

2. The yearly Passover feast (Leviticus 23:4-5)

3. The yearly feast of unleavened bread (Leviticus 23:6-8)

4. The yearly feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14)

5. The yearly feast of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-21)

6. The yearly feast of trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25)

7. The yearly feast of atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32)

8. The yearly feast of tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-34)

 

There were three main commands by God concerning His Feasts:

 

1.         Speak to Israel concerning the feasts of Jehovah (Leviticus 23:2).

2.         Proclaim My feasts to be holy convocations.

3.         Proclaim the feasts in their proper seasons (Leviticus 23:4).

 

Out of these eight feasts, there were THREE feasts that the Lord required ALL males to appear before HIM:

 

1. The Feasts of the Passover, unleavened bread, and Firstfruits were observed in the same season at the same gathering (Exodus 12; Exodus 23:14-17).

2. The Feast of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-21; Exodus 23:16)

3. The Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-44; Exodus 23:16; Exodus 34:18-22).

 

This was preceded by two other feasts which all males attended. By gathering fifteen days earlier they could attend all three which required a total of twenty-one days—the feast of trumpets, the great Day of Atonement, and feast of tabernacles (Leviticus 23:23-44; 2 Chron. 8:13).

 

There were several commands concerning the actual blowing of trumpets recorded in Scripture:

 

  1. Make two trumpets of silver; of a single piece you shall make each one.

  2. Use them for calling assemblies, for war, for journeying, and for making camps (Numbers 10:2-10).

  3. When both are blown all Israel shall assemble at the door of the outer court (Numbers 10:3).

  4. When one is used, then the princes of Israel shall gather (Numbers 10:4).

  5. When you blow an alarm the three camps on the east (Judah, Issachar, Zebulon) shall go forward (Numbers 10:5; Numbers 2:3-9).

  6. When you blow the second time, the three camps on the south (Reuben, Simeon, Gad) shall take their journey (Numbers 10:6; Numbers 2:10-16).

  7. When you blow for a general assembly it shall not be a sound of alarm (Numbers 10:7).

  8. The priest shall blow the trumpets (Numbers 10:8).

  9. This shall be an ordinance to you forever in your generations.

  10. If you go to war, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets (Numbers 10:9).

  11. In the day of gladness, in your solemn days and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow with your trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over your peace offerings as a memorial to the Lord (Numbers 10:10).

 

The blowing of Trumpets celebrated the Jewish New Year and foreshadowed Israel’s future restoration and regathering as a nation after her fall and rejection because of unbelief. Thus, it is, in this writer’s opinion, one of the most prophetic and relevant feasts of this hour we live in. All of Israel’s feasts were actually prophetic pictures of Christ, who fulfilled the Spring feasts through His Death, Burial, Resurrection; He will fulfill the Fall Feasts when He returns a second time – once FOR the Church at the rapture and once WITH the Church and armies of heaven to rescue Israel at the Battle of Armageddon.

 

To illustrate the prophetic significance of the feasts, one need only look at the months these festivals take place. Passover took place in the first month, signifying the number one, which is the number of beginning, or commencement. Israel began their first experience with the Lord in the FIRST MONTH after placing blood on the doorposts in Egypt prior to their deliverance from 430 years of slavery and bondage; Israel’s “exodus,” from Egyptian bondage, was a prophetic type of the believer who first experiences Christ through FAITH in the Passover Lamb and as a result makes an “exodus,” from the slavery of sin.

 

The Feasts Of Perfection

 

The Feast of Pentecost took place in the third month, prophetic since the number three is the number of complete testimony and the number of Divine witness. Associated with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, we see a prophetic type of the Divine witness in the heart of every believer – the HOLY GHOST – the THIRD PERSON in the eternal Godhead. After the believer experiences Christ the Lamb, he can experience the fullness and blessedness of the indwelling and infilling of the Holy Spirit. Fifty days after Egypt, Israel received HER witness – the Law, or Torah, from God at Mount Sinai. Fifty days after Calvary, the CHURCH received HER witness – the HOLY GHOST – from God on the Day of Pentecost. Pentecost and Sinai occurred on the same day on the Jewish calendar!

 

The Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles take place in the SEVENTH month, prophetic since the number seven is the number of perfection and fullness.  The number “seven” is distinctly the number of the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Covenant, revealing God’s prophetic plans for Israel as well as His last days warnings to the church prior to its exodus from this world at the rapture! Revelation shows us the PERFECTION and FULLNESS of God’s plan for man as we see all things lost in Genesis restored and recovered in Revelation. We start with the tree of life and the result of sin from Adam and Eve partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In Revelation, the curse and results of that sin are seen in its full ugliness in the form of Antichrist, but also the full CURE of sin and FULL RESTORATION spiritually and physically that Christ’s return brings to the Earth and to Israel!

 

The number “seven,” is used over 600 times in the Bible. Because the Feast of Trumpets took place in the seventh month several Biblical incidents show its symbolic significance.

 

SEVEN priests with the Ark of God in the midst marched with seven trumpets around the wall of Jericho for 6 days. ON the SEVENTH DAY they marched around SEVEN TIMES. At the close of the march the trumpets were blown, the people shouted and God caused the walls of Jericho to collapse. The victory was COMPLETE.

 

Seven priests blew trumpets at the bringing up of the Ark of the Covenant into the Tabernacle of David:

 

1 Chron. 15:24-28  - And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obed-edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.  [25] So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obed-edom with joy. [26] And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. [27] And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen. [28] Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps. 

 

Seven messengers blow SEVEN TRUMPETS in the book of Revelation, while at the blast of the SEVENTH TRUMP the Ark of the Covenant is seen in the heavenly sanctuary (Revelation 8-11)

 

All these events are prophetic shadows of the Lord Jesus Christ’s second return to Earth. The Day of blowing the trumpets begin the first day of the seventh month introducing and calling Israel to the SOON COMING DAY OF ATONEMENT on the 10th Day (TRIBULATION) then the Feast of Tabernacles on the 21rst day. (REST, MILLENNIUM)

 

    Thus the summary:

 

 

The Service of Rosh Hashanah

 

In the days of Israel's Temple, Rosh Hashanah was celebrated with silver trumpets which were sounded for the burnt offerings or peace offerings. This was in harmony with the Mosaic command, "You shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings." (Num 10:10). As the sacrifices were brought and offered on the altar, the priests blew the silver trumpets, a fact historically confirmed by the Bible and by Josephus. (Antiquities of the Jews 3.12.6)

 

2 Chron. 29:27-28  - And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel. [28] And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 

 

On the Feast of Trumpets, an additional priest was employed to sound a shofar. He stood in a row of priests with the silver trumpets facing the altar. The shofar sounded long, sustained blasts while the silver trumpets sounded short blasts over the sacrifices of the day. More than 100 priests officiated during the Feast of Trumpets due to the many morning, evening, new moon, and festival sacrifices. As the festive drink offerings were poured on the altar, the Levitical choir sang PSALM 81, the Feast of Trumpets Psalm: 

 

Psalm 81:1-16  - To the chief Musician upon Gittith, a Psalm of Asaph. - Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. [2] Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. [3] Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. [4] For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. [5] This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not. [6] I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots. [7] Thou called in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah. [8] Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; [9] There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god. [10] I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. [11] But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. [12] So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. [13] Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! [14] I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. [15] The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured forever. [16] He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee. 

 

The Days of Awe

 

In Jewish tradition, the 10-day period from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur (the two high holy days of Judaism) is called the "Days of Awe." Jewish tradition holds that, during this 10-day period, divine judgment is rendered to determine whether a person will continue to live or die in the coming year. It is believed that God reviews the books of judgment on Rosh Hashanah (Tishri 1) and metes out final judgment on Yom Kippur (Tishri 10). Then 10 days are believed to be the last chance to repent before God's judgment is finalized for the coming year.

 

According to Jewish tradition, three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah:

 

 

According to Jewish tradition, as the Judge of the Universe reviews mankind deeds for the past year, He inscribes the name of every individual in one of these books. Judgment against the wicked is final and irrevocable; they will have life cut short in the coming year. The Lord will mercifully grant those recorded in the book of the righteous another year of life and prosperity. For the remainder (those not written in either of these books), the sealing of their fate is deferred and hangs in the balance until Yom Kippur. If they sincerely repent during the DAYS OF AWE, tradition holds God will grant them life until the following Yom Kippur. 

 

Reflecting this tradition, the common greeting during the Days of Awe is "leshanah tovah tikatevu" which means "May be you inscribed (in the Book of Life) for a good year!" This judgment-book tradition, although greatly embellished, finds its origin in the Bible as King David penned the words of one of his famous prayers:

 

Psalm 69:28 - Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. 

 

There is no recording in Scripture where God mentioned a “book” of life in the Old Covenant, yet Moses pleaded with the Lord the following:

 

Exodus 32:32-33  - Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. [33] And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. 

 

Many religious Jews believe that in Heaven books recording the deeds of mankind are opened on Rosh Hashanah for an annual review of man's behavior. The truth is that there IS a book of life but one’s name is written down or taken out NOT because of one's works, but because of one's FAITH or lack thereof in CHRIST and HIM CRUCIFIED!

 

To this end, many religious and orthodox spend the previous month in a sincere effort to right all the wrongs they may have committed during the year just ending. When the books are opened, the names of those whose life has been exemplary in every respect are entered into the book for another year of life, while those who have demonstrated no redeeming qualities are scheduled for death. Since normal bell curve distribution would indicate that very few fit at either extreme, the majority are given 10 days until Yom Kippur to "get right with God." These 10 days are called the Days of Awe where each man's destiny hangs in the balance as he goes about asking forgiveness from friends and neighbors. A common greeting among Jews during the Days of Awe is, "May your name be written in the Book." There again is part of this ceremony that we as believers can agree with in that EVERY Man's eternal destiny - whether heaven or hell - will be determined whether one's name is written in the Lamb's BOOK OF LIFE.

 

Rev. 22:18-19 -For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: [19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

 

Rev. 21:27 -And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Rev. 20:12-15 - And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. [13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
 

Prayers of Repentance and the Casting Ceremony

 

Beginning at midnight the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah the recitation of heart-rending, penitential prayers called “Selihot” (forgiveness) and are in preparation for the Days of Awe,

 

The Rosh Hashanah ceremony, known as “Tashlikh,” ("cast off") symbolizes self-purification and the shedding of one's sins. It arose during the Middle Ages and is still widely observed today. According to tradition, on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, observant Jews congregate near a body of water such as the ocean, a river, or even a well, to recite the Tashlikh prayer. In Israel, thousands of worshipers, with prayer book in hand and dressed in their holiday attire, can be seen on the beaches of the Mediterranean or in Jerusalem at the Pool of Siloam, reciting the Tashlikh prayer on Rosh Hashanah. The brief prayer is composed of several Hebrew Scriptures in the following order:

 

  1. Micah 7:18-20 - Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoned iniquity, and passed by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retained not his anger for ever, because he delighted in mercy. [19] He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. [20] Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. 

 

  1. Psalm 118:5-9 - I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place. [6] The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? [7] The Lord takes my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. [8] It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. [9] It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. 

 

  1. Psalm 33:1-9 - Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. [2] Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. [3] Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. [4] For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. [5] He loved righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. [6] By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. [7] He gathered the waters of the sea together as a heap: he lays up the depth in storehouses. [8] Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. [9] For he spoke and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. 

 

  1. Psalm 130:1-8 A Song of degrees. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. [2] Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. [3] If thou, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? [4] But there is forgiveness with thee, that you may be feared. [5] I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. [6] My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. [7] Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. [8] And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. 

 

  1. Isaiah 11:9 - They shall not hurt nor destroy in my entire holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. 
     

After these prayers, the worshipers will often shake their pockets or cast breadcrumbs into the water symbolically “ridding” them of clinging sins so that their sin may be carried away and remembered no more. This is only a TYPE and picture of what CHRIST does in reality for ALL who come to Him in Faith. No ceremony – no celebration – no ritual – can cleanse from sin; only the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ can set the captives free and purge the heart of man from all unrighteousness and ungodliness.

 

Judgment Time
 

On Yom Kippur judgment is rendered, the books are closed and everyone's fate is sealed for another year.  Yom Kippur was the only day of the year when it was permissible to speak the Name of God. During a great and awe inspiring ceremony at the Temple two goats were brought before the High Priest. One was a goat "for the Lord" to be presented as a peace offering as commanded in Lev. 16:7-10. The other was called "the scapegoat" because all the sins of the nation were symbolically placed upon its head, and it was led outside the city to be killed. The goat had done nothing to deserve this but was chosen to demonstrate the fact that only the shedding of innocent blood could atone for the sins of the people. The death of the two goats symbolically set aside the sins of the nation, made their peace offering acceptable and gave them another year of peace with their Creator. The people spoke the Name of God in heartfelt thanks.
 

Here are a couple of interesting tidbits from Jewish tradition. When the goats were brought before the High Priest, their respective roles in the ceremony were determined by lot. Two golden lots were placed in a golden bowl and as he placed his hand upon the head of each goat, the High Priest reached into the bowl and pulled out one of the lots. Before the cross of Christ the goat that was to be presented to the Lord as a peace offering was always on the right hand of the High Priest. After the cross of Christ it never was.
 

While the scapegoat was symbolically receiving the sins of the people upon its head a scarlet ribbon was tied from one of its horns to the door of the temple. As the goat was taken into the wilderness the ribbon was cut, leaving some on the horn and some on the door. At a predetermined location outside the city, the goat was pushed off a cliff and fell to its death. All the years before the cross, at the moment of the scapegoat's death, the remnant of ribbon on the temple door turned from red to white symbolizing the passage from Isaiah 1:18, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow." After the cross this never happened again. The One Who sits at the right hand of the Father and Who had fulfilled the role the goats had only symbolized had come and forever taken away the sins of all who would accept Him.

 

Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
 

The Law Is Only A Shadow
 

In Christendom a view holds that the Lord Jesus began His ministry on Yom Kippur announcing in effect that the judgment that was due mankind was to be borne by Him (Luke 4:16-21) and that man no longer need live in fear of judgment nor have to endure the 10 Days of Awe every year.

 

Luke 4:16-21
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. [17] And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, [18] The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, [19] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. [20] And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. [21] And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
 

It's easy to see the Lord in the role of our scapegoat, whose shed blood purchased our pardon forever (Hebrews 10:1-4) but He was also our peace offering. "He is our peace, Who has broken down every wall." (Eph. 2:14) and it is this role as our scapegoat that He will reveal Himself to National Israel at the end of the Great Tribulation period.

 

Eph. 2:14
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Hebrews 10:1-4
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. [2] For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. [3] But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. [4] For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
 

In the prophetic sense, Israel's national day of Atonement will take place when Jesus reveals Himself and she is saved in one day! Zechariah says a fountain will be opened in Jerusalem and cleanse the Jewish remnant left from the Tribulation from sin and uncleanness.

 

Zech. 13:1 - In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.  [2] And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. [3] And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shall not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesies. [4] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: [5] But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. [6] And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
 

Isaiah 4:4
When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
 

Isaiah says the "spirit of judgment" will PURGE the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof and by the "spirit of burning." That is a type of the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of every single believer today who has come to the foot of the Cross, repented of their sins, and accepted Christ as their Saviour. The blood once applied to our hearts opens the access for the work of the Spirit to take place through "purging," "burning," and "judgment."

 

John 16:7-11
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. [8] And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: [9] Of sin, because they believe not on me; [10] Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; [11] Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged

 

The Spirit's work of conviction is going to be seen on an unprecedented NATIONAL level during the Great Tribulation period as it relates to National Israel. Matt. 19:28 the Lord told His disciples that surviving Israel's judgment would take place then, too.  For those of all ages who reject the Lord's vicarious atonement, the prophetic fulfillment of Yom Kippur will come at the end of the Millennium in the so-called Great White Throne judgment, when all the unsaved dead are brought back to life to be judged for their works. (Rev. 20:11-15).

 

Rev. 20:11-15
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. [12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. [13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

The Shofar and Satan's Doom

 

Rosh Hashanah was often referred to as Yom Ha-Din (Judgment Day) by the rabbis since it began the Days of Awe, the traditional time of God's judgment. Consequently, repentance has always been foremost in the Jewish mind at this time of their religious calendar. Beginning with the Sabbath before the new moon of the sixth Hebrew month and continuing throughout the month, the shofar is blown every morning after the “Shakharit” (Morning Prayer service). It serves as a call to repentance and a solemn reminder that the most awesome holy days of the entire year in Judaism are approaching.

 

Jewish tradition also teaches that, on Rosh Hashanah, Satan appears before the Almighty to accuse Israel as the books of judgment are opened. The ancient rabbis, therefore, suggested the traditional purpose for the shofar on Rosh Hashanah was to confound Satan: "Why do they blow (the shofar?) In order to confound Satan" (Rosh Hashanah 16a). They believed that the many blasts of the shofar lead him to believe that the Messiah had arrived and his authority had ended. Based upon this tradition, it is customary to sound a total of 100 shofar blasts on each day of the Rosh Hashanah synagogue services.

 

Both Christian and Jewish theology views Satan (Hebrew for "the Adversary) as the great enemy of God and His people. In the Bible, Satan is often seen in the role as an accuser of God's people:

 

Job 1:6-2:7 - Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. [7] And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comes thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. [8] And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and eschewed evil? [9] Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for naught? [10] Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land

 

Zech. 3:1  - And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 

 

Rev. 12:10 - And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 

 

As interesting a tradition as this is in Jewish celebration, let this writer make it clear to the reader that it takes more than a shofar blast by HUMAN hands and lips to confound Satan. Satan’s power is only broken over fallen humanity by one thing and one thing alone – the power and majesty of the CROSS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST and what He accomplished for us ALL 2,000 years ago on Golgotha’s Hill. It’s the BLOOD that destroys the powers of darkness in one’s life, not the blowing of a trumpet. Yes, the blowing of a trumpet is prophetic in a sense, but it’s only a ritual.

 

One day and one day soon, the Lord Himself will blow a trumpet and believe me; Satan’s confusion will be for real. The dead in Christ shall rise first and we which are alive and remain will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air and be with him forever and forever. The trumpet blast will not only confound Satan but it will set this world on a course with one of its darkest hours of history – the Great Tribulation period. Israel will face the wrath of Antichrist until she stands on the brink of destruction at the Battle of Armageddon, crying out to Jesus Christ for salvation. He will hear her cry and come with 10,000 upon 10,000 of His saints splitting the Eastern Sky and destroying the Antichrist and False Prophet with the brightness of His coming.

 

The Service Theme

 

Rosh Hashanah's services are some of the longest of all the feasts; only Yom Kippur lasts longer. The synagogue liturgy of prayers and readings for Rosh Hashanah are built around the theme of God's “kingship.” For two thousand years, the Rosh Hashanah liturgy has been structured around three Hebrew benedictions: “Malkhiyot” ("Kingships"), “Zikhronot” ("Remembrance"), and Shofarot (Ram's horns"). After each benediction, the melancholy blast of the shofar is heard: one long blast, three short blasts, nine staccato blasts, and one final sustained blast.

 

 

"May all the inhabitants of the world realize and know that to thee every knee must bend, every tongue must vow allegiance...The Lord shall be King forever and ever."

 

 

"Remember in our behalf, Lord our God, the covenant, the kindness, and the solemn promise which thou did make to our father Abraham on Mount Moriah."

 

 

"The whole world trembled at thy presence, creation shook in awe before thee, when you, our King, did reveal Yourself on Mount Sinai...amid the blasting of the SHOFAR did you appear to them."

 

The benediction also speaks of the days when God will again reveal Himself through fire and the sounding of the shofar as He sends the Messiah: "The Lord shall appear over them; his arrow shall go forth like lightning. The Lord God shall sound the SHOFAR and march amid the storms of the south." (Zech. 9:14)

 

Zech. 9:14 - And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

 

Because of the connection between Rosh Hashanah and the Shofar, the assigned synagogue reading for the second day of Rosh Hashanah is Genesis 22 where Abraham bound Isaac on the sacrificial altar. In this great passage the Lord provided the substitutionary RAM (A Type of the Ram's Horn) in the place of Isaac.

 

Jehovah Shammah - The Lord Is There


After Yom Kippur, Israel celebrates the Feast of Tabernacles , a harvest celebration and the inspiration for the American Thanksgiving Day. It began as a seven-day feast, later expanded to eight, when all the tithes the Israelites had set aside during the year were brought to Jerusalem for a joyous time of national celebration and thanksgiving for the Lord's bountiful provision. (Deut. 14:22-26).

 

Deut. 14:22-26
Thou shall truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. [23] And thou shall eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always. [24] And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: [25] Then shall thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shall go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: [26] And thou shall bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desires: and thou shall eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shall rejoice, thou, and thine household,

 

Historically it commemorates the time of God's dwelling with the Israelites in the wilderness and its prophetic fulfillment comes in the Millennium when the Lord will once again dwell among His people; with the Church in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21) and Israel in Jehovah Shammah, the new name of the Holy City in the Promised Land. (Isaiah 62:2 & Ezekiel 48:35)

 

Isaiah 62:2
And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.

Ezekiel 48:35
It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.


Following the thought that events that were external and physical in the Old Testament are often internal and spiritual in the New, there is a sense in which these holy days also reflect the life of the believer.
 

As He came to live in the world at His birth (Rosh Hashanah), so He comes to live in our hearts at our new birth. As He required the shedding of innocent blood to reconcile Himself with Israel (Yom Kippur) so He shed His own Blood to reconcile Himself with us. As He dwelt with the Israelites in the wilderness of Midian (Tabernacles), so He dwells with us in the wilderness of Earth.  "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age," He promised. (Matt 28:20)

 

Matthew 28:20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 

The Fall Feasts of Israel is a cry in our souls and hearts today to "Even so, Come Lord Jesus. (Rev. 22:20)

 

Rev. 22:20
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

 

During this festive season in Israel, we can almost hear the sound of the trumpet! I pray you know this Christ today and as you seek to learn more about these prophetic feasts your heart is drawn closer to the One each Feast points to and fulfills. The message of the Fall Feasts as they relate to Israel is too fold. One, we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the salvation of the Jewish people. Israel will continue to get squeezed more and more as this prophetic time clock clicks ever faster towards the rapture of the church. Two, we need to make sure our hearts are ready for the sound of the trump of God which can sound at any moment. When the trump sounds, the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up with them to meet to the Lord IN THE AIR and be with Him forever and forever! I pray you're ready today. Praise God.
 

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Happy Rosh Hashanah - May the Lord Jesus Christ be REAL to you this coming Jewish New Year. He IS the Messiah Israel longs for yet does not see

 

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