Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashana

THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS / FALL FEASTS OF THE LORD

You will notice that I will intentionally be somewhat repetitive in the study that follows. I do this because the information is vital to our day and age and repetition is the best way to remember important information. Please bear with me. I believe you will be blessed and informed. Thank you.     

WHY STUDY THE FEASTS?

      Many non-Jewish Bible believers wonder why they should study and observe the feasts. I believe there are many good reasons. First, although all Bible believers love God with all their heart and seek to serve Him daily, most Bible believers do not have an in-depth understanding of the Bible and do not understand the deep depth of the personal relationship that God desires us to have with Him.  Most believers follow the same pattern that has been handed down for generations: Attend the local congregation of your choice faithfully and regularly, and be a good, moral, honest, and decent person in living your daily life.
However, if you are a Bible believer and you desire to understand God in a greater way than you do today, the festivals will help reveal to you the deeper things concerning your personal relationship with Him.

First we must understand one very important truth; the festivals are God's feasts and His appointed times that we are to observe (Leviticus 23:1-2,4). They have been mistakenly called the Feasts of Israel  and therefore many Christians have felt justified in relegating them to the old Testament system of Laws and not relevant to the Church today.  This is a terrible mistake!
·       Even if this labeling was correct….and it is not, the Feasts would still have bearing on us today.  According to Paul if you are bought by the blood of the Messiah and have accepted His salvation you are grafted into the commonwealth of Israel and a child of Abraham. Israel is the root and we are wild branches and Paul reminds us in Romans 11 that “the roots supports us, we do not support the root”. We are accepted as, but do not replace, Israel.
I cannot stress enough that we need to get one thing absolutely clear; according to Leviticus  23  the Feasts are the FEASTS OF THE LORD, they are His and belong to Him and He takes them seriously.  He did give them to Israel (since we are grafted in they were given to us also) but they remain His.  With that clarified we can do away with the subtle but damaging theology  that relegates the Feasts to “legalism and Jewish old doctrine”.

God gave the festivals to teach about the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah; the empowering of the believers by the Holy Spirit; the resurrection of the dead; the coronation of the Messiah; the wedding of the Messiah; the tribulation; the second coming of the Messiah; the millennium (the Messianic age); and much, much more.
      The Bible provides several powerful reasons for Christians to study and understand the seven festivals of the Messiah:

1.    The feasts are in the Bible, and all the Scripture is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). .  What Scripture is he talking about? The gospels which had not been written yet?  His own epistles? Did he know they were Scripture? (Peter did as evidenced in First Peter). Even if he did, which is doubtful;  No….He was speaking of the OT, the Tanach; the Law, Prophets and Writings. These were the Scriptures Jesus used to teach the two men on the road to Emmaus about His ministry, identity and the plan of redemption. Since the Feasts are a very prominent part of the OT (and the NT…of the 879 verses in John’s Gospel, 660 are directly related to events involving Jesus at a Feast), Jesus very probably used the Feasts as part of the enlightenment the two travelers.  Therefore, we are very justified (and wise) to consider them and what they have to reveal to us.
2.    The feasts are a shadow of things to come that teach us about the Messiah (Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 10:1).
3.    The feasts are prophetic types and examples foreshadowing significant events in God's plan of redemption (1 Corinthians 10:1-6,11) .
4.    God gave the feasts so we could learn and understand His plan of redemption for the world and our personal relationship to Him (Romans 15:4).
5.    The feasts, as part of the Torah (which means "instruction"), are as a schoolmaster or tutor that leads us to the Messiah (Galatians 3:24).
6.      As mentioned, Yeshua (Jesus) came to fulfill all that was written in the Old Testament, which consists of three parts: the Torah, (including the Festivals), the prophets, and the writings ( personified by the Psalms) concerning Him (Luke 24:26-27,44-45; John 5:46-47).
7.    The feasts set forth the pattern of heavenly things on earth (Hebrews 8:1-2,5; 9:8-9,23; Exodus 25:8-9,40; 26:30; Numbers 8:4; Ezekiel 43:1-6,10-12).
8.    By studying the natural, we can understand the spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:9-13; 2 Corinthians 4:18).

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE WORD FEAST IN THE BIBLE?
      Two important Hebrew words appear in Leviticus  chapter 23, and each word is translated as feast and or convocation in English. In verse 2, the word for feast is the Hebrew word mo'ed, as it is written, "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, concerning the feasts [mo'ed] of the Lord...." The word mo'ed means "an appointment, a fixed time or season, a cycle or year, an assembly, an appointed time, a set time or exact time.²   By understanding the Hebrew meaning of the English word feast, we can see that God is telling us that He is ordaining a "set time or exact time or an appointed time" when He has an appointment with humanity to fulfill certain events in the redemption. In fact, Yeshua (Jesus) came to earth at the exact time ordained by God (Galatians 4:2,4), and God has an exact time or set appointment when, in the future, He will judge the world (Acts 17:31).
      In verse 2 of Leviticus 23 it says; “the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations..”  the word in Hebrew translated as “convocations” is miqra  which means “rehearsal”. God therefore gave the Feasts to be yearly rehearsals of future events in the redemption. 
From our perspective now that the first four Feasts have been fulfilled, we can say that the Feasts are;
·       Historical
·       Prophetic
As the Hebrew reveals, a Feast was a “set time” when the people of Israel had an appointment with God in Jerusalem and God had an appointment with Israel to fulfill events in the redemption on that specific day.

THE ORDER AND SYMMETRY OF THE FEASTS

 Although there are a total of seven feasts (the divine number for perfection or completeness in the Bible), God divided the seven festivals into three major festival seasons.
Three is the number of complete and perfect testimony and witness (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; Matthew 18:19-20; Luke 24:44-45; 2 Corinthians 13:1;  1 Timothy 5:19; 1 John 5:8).

THE THREE FESTIVAL SEASONS
ONE                                     SPRING
·       Passover                              Fulfilled by Jesus on the Cross
·       Unleavened Bread             Fulfilled with Jesus in the Tomb
·       First Fruits                          Fulfilled by Jesus Resurrection

Fifty Days Between
TWO

·       Pentecost                          Fulfilled by the Baptism of Holy Spirit

Three Months Between

THREE                                                   FALL

·       Rosh HaShanah  or Yom Teruah >        Yet to be fulfilled
·       Yom Kipppur The Day of Atonement >  Yet to be fulfilled
·       Tabernacles     Sukkot  >                       Yet to be fulfilled   

As seen above: The first four have been fulfilled, the rehearsal is over and that part of the play has been performed by Jesus on the very day of the Feast as it was rehearsed.
·       He was the Passover Lamb  sacrificed at the exact day and hour
·       He was in the Tomb during Unleavened Bread..hidden away
·       He rose from the grave on First Fruits..the first fruits from the dead
·       He baptized the believers with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost; the day traditionally accepted (with good scriptural reasons; see my post on the Feast of Weeks) as the day that the Law was given on Mt Sinai. The Law was given with signs of thunder which Exodus 20:18 declared were voices (the actual Hebrew meaning which was translated as thunderings  by the KJV). The rabbis believed this represented the 70 languages of the world. Also, the rabbis teach that a flame went into the camp and touched every Hebrew as they swore to follow the Covenant of the Law.  On the Pentecost following the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit fell with the sound of wind, and the tongues of the nations present in Jerusalem that day, and with fire that touched each believer…signifying the New Covenant of Grace superseding the Old. Pentecost also symbolized the Wheat Harvest.

·       From Passover to Pentecost; FIVE months of summer….Five is the Hebrew number for Grace.
Then the final three Festivals occur during the fruit harvest beginning with Rosh Ha Shanah  (YOM TERUAH, The Feast of Trumpets).
The Final Three Feasts are still rehearsals (miqra ) for a future set time (moed )  and will complete the perfect plan of redemption.

REVIEW
·       The feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits are in the Hebrew month of Nisan, which is the first month of God's religious calendar in the spring of the year. (The lesson here is our new life begins with Jesus death, burial and resurrection.)
·       The Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), or Pentecost, is observed in the third month, which is the Hebrew month of Sivan.(Three is the number of witness; the coming of the Holy Spirit confirmed (was witness to) or sealed our redemption and empowerment)  Pentecost also portrays the beginning of the Wheat Harvest, symbolizing the birth of the Church and the age of grace.. the time to harvest souls
·       The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Ha Shanah, Yom Teruah), Atonement (Yom Kippur), and Tabernacles (Sukkot) are observed in the seventh month of Tishrei,(the month of completion which is in the fall of the year , the fruit harvest and  prophetically, the autumn of the age of man )(Exodus 23:14-17; 34:22-23: Deuteronomy 16:16-17). Rosh Ha Shanah is also the governmental New Year for Israel, (The rabbis believe that the earth was created on Rosh HaShana) which speaks prophetically of God’s Kingdom coming to earth at the time of the Fall Feasts.. The fact that it also falls on the fruit (grape harvest) is symbolic of the gathering in of the fruit of our labors during the summer of grace. Also notice that it is the Fifth Feast…so, as mentioned, grace is definitely part of the theme..

IN SUMMARY
There are three cycles of Festivals as seen above; Spring, Pentecost, Fall.
 As said previously; Three is the number of complete and perfect testimony and witness (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; Matthew 18:19-20; Luke 24:44-45; 2 Corinthians 13:1;  1 Timothy 5:19; 1 John 5:8).

NOTE:
According to scripture there were approximately 4000 years from Adam to Jesus. Add 2000 years and we should be coming to the time of the millennium!  Also, the rabbis were looking for the Messiah after 4000 years and Yeshua came right on schedule (see Daniel 9:25).! We are very near the seventh day of millennial peace, very near the rapture of the church which will take place on the Feast of Trumpets, according to the miqra   (rehearsal) of the Feasts, when the last trump sounds. No one can know the exact day or hour, as one cannot know the exact day or hour of the new moon signaling the beginning of the festival, but one can know the season!  

1Corinthians 13:9 says “for we know in part and prophesy in part.”

1Corinthians 13:12 says “for now we see in a mirror dimly.”
The Word tells us that we are in the light so the time will NOT come for us as a thief in the night. (A term used by many to signify the rapture’s timing).

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-10
Now as to the times and epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the Day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.....
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us , that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.
Could God have made it any more plain? For believers it WILL NOT come as a thief in the night, THAT IS RESERVED FOR THE UNGODLY…WE are NOT DESTINED TO FACE THE WRATH. Taking verses out of context, both scripturally, linguistically and culturally can, and has, caused many poor interpretations and dogmas to enter the Church and mislead many.

SUMMARY CONTINUED
·       The Spring Feasts begin with Passover in the month of Nisan, the religious New Year for Israel, symbolizing the beginning of our redemption.
·       The Fall Feasts begin on the first of Tishri  with the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah) which is the governmental new  year, symbolizing the beginning of the rule of the Messiah’s kingdom and the final days of history. Also notice that it is the Fifth Feast…so grace is forefront.
With all this in mind let’s examine The Feast of Trumpets.

Rosh HaShanah (Yom Teruah):  Names, Themes, and Idioms
1.   Teshuvah (repentance)
2.   Rosh HaShanah (Head of the Year, Birthday of the World)
3.   Yom Teruah (the Day of the Awakening Blast [Feast of Trumpets)
4.   The Resurrection Of The Dead (rapture, natza1)
5.   Yom HaDin (The Day of Judgment)
6.   The Wedding of the Messiah
7.   Kiddushin/Nesu'in (the wedding ceremony)
8.   Yom Hakeseh (the hidden day)
9.   The Coronation of the Messia
10.              The Enthronement Ceremony of the King
11.              The Time of Jacob’s Trouble (Birthpangs of the Messiah)
12.              The Opening of the Gates
13.              The Last Trump

TESHUVAH
 A special season known as Teshuvah, which in Hebrew means "to return or repent," begins on the first day of the month of Elul and continues 40 days, ending with Yom Kippur. Thirty days into Teshuvah, on Tishrei  l, comes Rosh HaShanah. This begins a final ten-day period beginning on Rosh HaShanah and ending on Yom Kippur.

1.   Trumpets
2.   Second Day of Trumpets
3.   Beginning of The Awesome Days
4.   Day Two
5.   Day Three
6.   Day Four
7.   Day Five
8.   Day Six
9.   Day Seven
10.              Yom Kippur  / Day of Atonement
 These are known as the High Holy Days and as the Awesome Days (Yamim Nora'im, the days of awe). The sabbath  that falls within this ten-day period is called Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath of Return. It is of note that Tishri  is the seventh month, the sabbatical month, which is of great significance to those who follow the Torah.
The Jews of Jesus time believed that Rosh HaShanah  was the time God judged mankind.  The thirty days before were for repentance, preparing for the judgment. The Books in Heaven were opened and judgment was pronounced. We shall examine this in detail as we examine the idioms further.
Teshuvah (repentance) speaks to all people. Those who believe in the Messiah are called to examine their lives and see where they have departed from God. It is a call to examine the Scriptures and the evidence that the Messiah was who He said He was.

 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the Lord is coming,
For it is at hand:..
“Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm. Joel 2:1, 12-13
      God has always had a heart to warn people before He proclaims judgment. 

We shall see that the Awesome Days are also called the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, or as we know it; The Great Tribulation.

HEAD OF THE YEAR/ BIRTHDAY OF THE WORLD
 Rosh HaShanah  marks the Jewish New Year and is a part of the season of repentance. Rosh in Hebrew means "chief or head" and Shanah  means "year." Rosh HaShanah , therefore is the head of the year on the civil calendar, and is also known as the birthday of the world since the world was created on this day (Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 11a).
      Jewish tradition believes that Adam was created on this day (Mishnah, San Hedrin 38b). How did they decide that this was the day of the year the world was created? Because the first words of the Book of Genesis, "in the beginning," when changed around, read, Aleph b'Tishrei, or "on the first of Tishrei." Therefore, Rosh HaShanah is known as the birthday of the world, for tradition tells us that the world was created then. 

 YOM TERUAH/ THE DAY OF THE AWAKENING BLAST
      In Psalm 98:6 it is written, "With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the Lord". The blessing we receive from God when we understand the meaning of Rosh HaShanah and the blowing of the trumpet (shofar) is found in Psalm 89:15,
"How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound [blast of the shofar]...".
      Rosh HaShanah is referred to in the Torah as Yom Teruah, the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar (or the Day of the Awakening Blast). On Yom Teruah, the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar, it is imperative for every person to hear (shema) the shofar. The mitzvah (or biblical commandment [John 14:15], of the shofar is to hear (shema) the shofar being blown, not actually blow it yourself, hence the blessing, "to hear the sound of the shofar."
      Teruah means "an awakening blast." A theme associated with Rosh HaShanah is the theme "to awake." Teruah is also translated as "shout."
The Book of Isaiah, chapter 12, puts the shouting in the context of the thousand-year reign of Messiah;

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
    for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” Isaiah 12: 6
. The Messianic era and shout is mentioned in Isaiah 42:11;

11 Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices;
    let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela sing for joy;
    let them shout from the mountaintops. Isaiah 42:11


 Isaiah 44:23;
Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
    shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
    you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
    He displays his glory in Israel.
 Jeremiah 31:7
This is what the Lord says:
“Sing with joy for Jacob;
    shout for the foremost of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
    ‘Lord, save your people,
    the remnant of Israel.’
 Zephaniah 3:14.
Sing, Daughter Zion;
    shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
 The first coming of Jesus is associated with a shout in Zechariah 9:9;

 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.

 The ultimate shout is the rapture in First Thessalonians 4:16-17.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

      Whether it is by the blast of a shofar or the force of a supernatural shout, God's goal is to awaken us! For this reason it is written, "... Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14 NAS).

THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD
      Isaiah 26:19 speaks of the resurrection. "Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn, and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits" Isaiah 26:19.
According to Jewish belief  The resurrection of the dead will take place on Rosh HaShanah (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah l6b).
Rosh Hashanah is also called Yom Hazikaron-Day of Remembrance and  Yom Teruah- Day of Awakening as we have seen.

“Awake, sleeper and arise from the dead" Ephesians 5:14.


"Awaken from sleep, for salvation is near",Romans 13:11.


According to Judaism, on Rosh Hashanah, the Books of Life and Death are opened by God in heaven. They are shut by him on Yom Kippur 10 days later. It is also believed that the gates of heaven are opened on Rosh Hashanah and closed on Yom Kippur.

"Open to me the gates of righteousness. I shall enter through them. I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord. The righteous will enter through it." Psalm 118:19-20,

Open the gates,
That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. Isaiah 26:2.

In First Corinthians 15:52-53, the apostle Paul tells us that the resurrection of the dead will be "at the last trump."
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”[a]

 In the first century, the last trump (shofar) meant a specific day in the year. In Judaism, there are three trumpets that have a name. They are the first trump, the last trump, and the great trump.
 Each one of these trumpets indicates a specific day in the Jewish year.
 The first trump is blown on the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) 
Exodus 19:19;
As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

 The last trump is synonymous with Rosh HaShanah. On Rosh HaShanah 100 trumpets were blown from the Temple,. The blasts were of varying lengths and tones, with the final being a long, sustained blast on the shofar. This blast was called “The Last Trump”.  Since Paul was very familiar with this, it is easy to see what he meant by the last trump in 1 Corinthians 15.
      In Jewish tradition, many reasons have been offered for the sounding of the shofar:
·       The ram's horn is identified with the ram that became the substitute sacrifice for Isaac in Genesis 22:1-19.
·       The giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai was accompanied by the sounding of the shofar (Exodus 19:19).
·        The proclamation of the Jubilee was heralded by the blast of the shofar  Leviticus 25:9-11
·       The commencement of the Messianic age is to be announced by the sound of the great shofar  Isaiah 27:13.
      When the rabbis saw the phrase, "Awake, O Israel," they would identify those verses with something concerning Rosh HaShanah. The blowing of the shofar took place at the temple on Rosh HaShanah  

 All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.
2 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. Nehemiah 8:1-3.

 This day Nehemiah brought the Law back to the people and reinstated the Covenant! As it was Yom Teruah, the people would have realized through the Law what was required and blown the shofars.

       There are two types of trumpets used in the Bible:
·        The silver trumpet, and
·        The shofar, or ram's horn.
      On the sabbath, there was within the temple a sign on the wall that said, "To the house of the blowing of the trumpet [shofar]." Each sabbath two men with silver trumpets and a man with a shofar  made three trumpet blasts twice during the day.
On Rosh HaShanah, it is different. The shofar is the primary trumpet. On Rosh HaShanah, a shofar  delivers the first blast, a silver trumpet the second, and then a shofar  the third.
      According to Leviticus 23:24 and Numbers 29:1, Rosh HaShanah is the day of the blowing of the trumpets. According to the Mishnah (Rosh HaShanah 16a; Rosh HaShanah 3:3), the trumpet used for this purpose is the ram's horn, not trumpets made of metal as in Numbers Chapter 10.

 

Yom HaDin: The Day of Judgment

30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin Ezekiel 18:30

Another name for Rosh HaShanah  is Yom HaDin, the Day of Judgment. It was believed that on this day, The Lord would sit in court and all men would pass before Him to be judged. Three great books will be opened as each man is weighed in the balance and placed into one of three categories (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 6b). It has been taught that the rabbinical school of Shammai  teaches that there will be three classes on the final Day of Judgment;
·       The wholly righteous,
·        The wholly wicked
·       The intermediates.
The wholly righteous are at once inscribed and sealed for life in the world to come; in the Book of Life.
The wholly wicked are at once inscribed and sealed for perdition  in the Book of Death. (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 16b-17a).

      The righteous are separated and will be with God. (This is known to Bible believers as the rapture, which in Hebrew, is the natzal.)
The wicked will face the wrath of God during the tribulation period, known in Hebrew as the Chevlai shel Mashiach, (birthpangs of the Messiah) and will never repent.
 The average person (the intermediate) has until Yom Kippur  till his fate is sealed forever. In other words, the average person will have until the end of the seven-year tribulation to repent and turn to God. The average person on Rosh HaShanah  is judged by God and is neither written in the book of life or the book of the wicked. His fate is yet to be decided. The average person and the wicked have to go through the "Awesome Days," the tribulation, until they reach Yom Kippur (the end of the tribulation when their fate is sealed forever). Once you are written in the book of the wicked, you can never get out of it (Revelation 17:8). These are people who never, ever, will accept the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).

       There are 12 months in the year and there are 12 tribes in Israel. Every month of the Jewish year has its representative tribe. The month of Tishrei is the month of the tribe of Dan. This is of symbolic significance, for when Dan was born to Bilhah, Rachel's maid, Rachel said, "God hath judged me [dannani], and hath also heard my voice..." (Genesis 30:6). Dan and din (as in Yom HaDin, Day of Judgment) are both derived from the same root, and to the rabbis this symbolizes that Tishrei  is the time of Divine judgment and forgiveness. Similarly, every month of the Jewish calendar has its sign of the Zodiac (in Hebrew, Mazal). The sign of the Zodiac for Tishrei  is Scales. This too is symbolic of the Day of Judgment.

ROSH HASHANA/ THE WEDDING OF THE MESSIAH

      The Bible is a marriage covenant. Both the Old Testament and the(New Testament describe how God through the Messiah, the Bridegroom, is in the process of marrying His bride; the believers in Him who will ultimately live and dwell with Him forever.
      God ordained and established marriage and its divine sanctity in the Torah. This is made very clear in the very first book of the Bible, Genesis, where we see that He brought Adam and Eve together to become one flesh; 

 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:21-24

 In this passage  we have a vivid foreshadowing of the Messiah being married to those who would believe upon Him. Let's examine this closer:
      Adam is a type of the Messiah Yeshua. Adam was made after the likeness of Yeshua (Romans 5:14). Yeshua (Jesus) was made in the likeness of Adam (Philippians 2:8). In fact, Yeshua is called the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-47). In Genesis 2:21, God had a deep sleep fall upon Adam. Sleep is synonymous with death (Daniel 12:2; John 11:11-14; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; Ephesians 5:14). The deep sleep that God caused to fall upon Adam is a picture of the crucifixion and death of Yeshua, as Messiah ben Joseph, The Suffering Messiah.. God brought a deep sleep upon Adam so He could take a rib from the side of his flesh. This required the shedding of blood. This is a picture of Yeshua who was pierced in the side of His flesh, shedding His own blood when He hung on the tree (John 19:34).
      From the rib of Adam, God made Eve. Likewise, by the death of Yeshua and faith in Him, God established the assembly of believers. The believers in the Messiah, His bride, become wedded to Him by faith. This marriage can be seen in the (Old Testament) as well as in Jeremiah 23:5-6,

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;
A King shall reign and prosper,
And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6 In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will dwell safely;
Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.[a]

In Jeremiah 33:15-16, we see something fascinating;

‘In those days and at that time
I will cause to grow up to David
A Branch of righteousness;
He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
16 In those days Judah will be saved,
And Jerusalem will dwell safely.
And this is the name by which she will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Jeremiah 33:16).

 Did you see that?  Both passages, almost are word for word with one amazing exception; In Jeremiah 23 it is said that HE will be called the Lord our Righteousness. However, in Jeremiah 33  it is recorded that SHE will be called by that Name. I believe God painted a picture of the unity of the Messiah and His bride in the Old Testament, a part of the mystery that Paul referred to in Ephesians 5: 30-32 ;

For we are members of His body,[d] of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”[e] 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

So from these passages in Jeremiah, we can see that a betrothal is taking place. Therefore, by accepting, trusting, and believing in the Messiah, the bride of Messiah, His followers, become one with Him.

       God gave the wedding customs, service, and ceremonies to the Jewish people;

Who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; Romans: 9:4;
 This was done by the grace of God to teach us about the Messiah Jesus (Colossians 2:17)

These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

 With this in mind, let us examine the next idiom;  the biblical wedding ceremony that God gave to the Jewish people.

THE WEDDING CEREMONY OF THE MESSIAH

Marriage Covenant and Bride Price
When a young man desired to marry a young woman in ancient Israel, he would prepare a contract or covenant to present to the young woman and her father at the young woman's home. The contract showed his willingness to provide for the young woman and described the terms under which he would propose marriage. The most important part of the contract was the bride price, the price that the young man was willing to pay to marry the young woman. This payment was to be made to the young woman's father in exchange for his permission to marry. The bride price was generally quite high. Sons were considered to be more valuable than daughters since they were physically more able to share in the work of farming and other heavy labor. The bride price compensated the young woman's family for the cost to raise a daughter and also indicated the love that the young man had for the young woman -- the young woman was very valuable to the young man! The young man would go to the young woman's house with the contract and present his offer to the young woman and her father.

Jesus' Fulfillment: Marriage Covenant and Bride Price

Jesus came to the home of His bride (Earth) to present His marriage contract. The marriage contract provided by Jesus is the new covenant, which provides for the forgiveness of sins of God's people. Jesus paid the bride price with His life. At the last supper, when breaking bread, He spoke of the price He was paying:
"...This is my body given for you..." Luke 22:20.
 In Hebrews 8:15 it makes clear that Jesus died as the price for the new covenant: "...Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance -- now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. Other Scripture references include 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Acts 20:28 and John 3:29. 
The marriage contract, the new covenant, is described throughout Scripture: "...This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people... they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Jeremiah 31:31-34

 Ancient Wedding Practice: Two
The Cup
If the bride price was agreeable to the young woman's father, the young man would pour a glass of wine for the young woman. If the young woman drank the wine, it would indicate her acceptance of the proposal. At this point, the young man and young woman would be betrothed. Betrothal was legally binding, just like a marriage. The only difference was that the marriage was not yet consummated. A typical betrothal period was 1-2 years. During this time the bride and bridegroom each would be preparing for the marriage and wouldn't see each other.

Jesus' Fulfillment: The Cup

Just as the bridegroom would pour a cup of wine for the bride to drink to seal the marriage contract, so Jesus poured wine for His disciples. His words described the significance of the cup in representing the bride price for the marriage contract: Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying,
"Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." The disciples drank of the cup, thus accepting the contract. Matthew 26:28-29

 Ancient Wedding Practice: Three
Gifts for the Bride
Next, the bridegroom would present the bride with special gifts. The purpose of these gifts was to show the bridegroom's appreciation of the bride. They were also intended to help her to remember him during the long betrothal period.

Jesus' Fulfillment: Gifts for the Bride
The gifts that Jesus gave us are the gifts of the Holy Spirit:
We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit  1 John 4:13.
Jesus described this gift in John 14:26:
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 Ancient Wedding Practice: Four
Mikveh :  The bride would next partake of a Mikveh, or cleansing bath. Mikveh is the same word used for baptism. To this day in conservative Judaism a bride cannot marry without a Mikveh.

Jesus' Fulfillment:  Mikveh
The Mikveh, or baptism that Jesus provided for His bride was baptism in the Holy Spirit. On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."Acts 1:4

 Ancient Wedding Practice: Five
Preparing a Place
During the betrothal period, the bridegroom would prepare a wedding chamber for the honeymoon. This chamber was typically built in the bridegroom's father's house or on his father's property. The wedding chamber had to be a beautiful place to bring the bride. The bride and groom were to spend seven days there. The wedding chamber had to be built to the groom's father's specifications. The young man could go for his bride only when his father approved. If the bridegroom was asked when the wedding was to be, he might well say "it is not for me to know, only my father knows".

Jesus' Fulfillment: Preparing a Place
Just as a bridegroom would have told his bride that he would go to prepare a place for her as part of the betrothal ceremony, so Jesus told His disciples:
 "...In my Father's house are many rooms or mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am “John 13:1-3.
 In ancient Israel the bridegroom could get his bride only after his father approved. Similarly, Jesus said: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert ! You do not know when that time will come”  Mark 13:32-33.

 Ancient Wedding Practice: Six
A Waiting Bride Consecrated
While the bridegroom was preparing the wedding chamber, the bride was considered to be consecrated, set apart or "bought with a price". If she went out, she would wear a veil so others would know she was betrothed. During this time she prepared herself for the marriage. She likely had saved money all her life for this time. She would purchase expensive cosmetics and learn to apply them to make herself more beautiful for the bridegroom. She wouldn't know when her groom would come for her, so she always had to be ready. Since bridegrooms typically came for their brides in the middle of the night, to "steal them away"(the groom would often come like a “thief in the night”, often around the midnight hour), the bride would have to have her lamp and her belongings ready at all times. Her sisters or bridesmaids would also be waiting, keeping their lamps trimmed in anticipation of the late night festivities.

Jesus' Fulfillment: A Waiting Bride Consecrated

We, God's people, are now consecrated  or set apart, waiting for the return of our bridegroom at The Rapture. We should be spending this time preparing ourselves for Jesus' return. Jesus used a parable of ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom to describe the need to be alert for His return. "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom...The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are gone out.' "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' "But He replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."  Matthew 25:1-13

 Ancient Wedding Practice: Seven
Bridegroom Comes for His Bride
When the bridegroom's father deemed the wedding chamber ready, the father would tell the bridegroom that all was ready and to get His bride. The bridegroom would abduct his bride secretly, like a thief at night and take her to the wedding chamber. As the bridegroom approached the bride's home, he would shout and blow the shofar (ram's horn trumpet) so that she had some warning to gather her belongings to take into the wedding chamber. The bridegroom and his friends would come into the bride's house and get the bride and her bridesmaids.

Jesus' Fulfillment: Bridegroom Comes for His Bride
Just as the bridegroom would come for the bride in the middle of the night, with a shout and the sound of a shofar, so the Lord will come for us.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.  1 Thessalonians 4:16-17a

 Ancient Wedding Practice: Eight
Seven Days in the Wedding Chamber
The bridegroom would take his bride to the wedding chamber where they would spend seven days. The bridegroom's friend would wait outside the door of the wedding chamber. When the marriage was consummated, the bridegroom would tell his friend through the door, and the friend would announce it to the assembled guests. The guests would celebrate for seven days until the bride and bridegroom emerged from the wedding chamber. At this time the groom would bring his wife out and introduce her to the community.

Jesus' Fulfillment:Seven Days in the Wedding Chamber

Ancient Jewish eschatology taught that a seven year "time of trouble" would come upon the earth before the coming of the Messiah. During that time of trouble, the righteous would be resurrected and would enter the wedding chamber where they would be protected from the time of trouble. Today that seven year period is referred to, by Christians, as the Tribulation, and as Birth Pangs of the Messiah by the Jews. After 7 years in Heaven the Groom, Christ, will bring His wife to Earth and at the time of His Second Coming He will introduce her to the community on Earth.

 Ancient Wedding Practice: Nine
Marriage Supper
After seven days in the wedding chamber, the bride and bridegroom would emerge and participate in a feast with friends and family. There would be joyous celebrating during this feast. The feast would conclude the wedding celebration.

Jesus' Fulfillment: Marriage Supper
As the bride and bridegroom celebrated with a joyous wedding supper, so Jesus and His bride, the church will celebrate the marriage.

 “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints) Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'". Revelation 19:6-9

 Ancient Wedding Practice: Ten
Depart for Home Jesus' Fulfillment: Depart for Home

Just as the bride and bridegroom left the marriage supper to go to the home that the bridegroom had prepared, so Jesus and His bride will depart for their new home.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes... One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me,
"Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. Revelation 21:1-4

From the pattern of the ancient wedding practices, we see that, like the bridegroom of ancient times, Jesus came to the home of His bride for the betrothal, made a covenant with His bride and sealed it with a glass of wine, paid the bride price with His life and sent His bride gifts of the Holy Spirit.
We, the betrothed (Christ's Church ) currently await the return of our Bridegroom to take us to the wedding chamber (the rapture ) to spend seven years (while the tribulation occurs on Earth ). We will then celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and depart with our Bridegroom for our new home, the New Jerusalem. ~ Revelation 21:1-4,

 FUTURE DISCUSSION:  Is Rosh HaShana The Rapture?

Moses Maimonides stated that the thirteenth article of the Jewish faith was, "I believe with perfect faith that there will be a resurrection of the dead."

The Talmud states that the resurrection of the dead will take place on Rosh Hashanah. Many Jews therefore put shofarim (trumpets-rams horns) on their tombstones. "Your dead will live, their corpses will rise... you who live in the dust awake and shout for joy...the earth will give birth to the departed spirits" Isaiah 26:19.


"The messianic hope, resurrection and immortality of the soul are intertwined with the shofar on Rosh Hashanah." This is an excerpt  from the Machtzur, the Jewish prayer book for High Holy Days.

According to tradition, the blowing of the first trump or shofar, was the left horn of the ram Abraham sacrificed instead of Isaac at Sinai, Exodus 19:19.  The last trump, the right horn of the ram sacrificed at Sinai, and spoken of in 1Corinthians 15:52 will be blown at the rapture of the body of Messiah and the resurrection of the dead.

Jews read the 27th Psalm on Rosh Hashanah
"For in the day of trouble (the tribulation, Jacob's trouble), He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent, He will hide me." Psalm 27:5.
"Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the Lords anger." 
Your dead shall live;
Together with my dead body[b] they shall arise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust;
For your dew is like the dew of herbs,
And the earth shall cast out the dead.

20 Come, my people, enter your chambers,
And shut your doors behind you;
Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment,
Until the indignation is past.
21 For behold, the Lord comes out of His place
To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
The earth will also disclose her blood,
And will no more cover her slain. Isaiah 26:19-21 
This portrays the bride as hidden from the "indignation" lit. "wrath" of God poured out on the earth; it is a theme developed in the NT;

1 Thessalonians 1:10, "who delivers us from the wrath to come."
1 Thessalonians 5:9, "for God has not destined us for wrath". 
Revelation 3:10, "I also will keep you from the hour of testing"

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last shofar (trump), for the shofar will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable and we shall be changed",1Corinthians 15:52.

"For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the shofar (trumpet of God); and the dead in Christ shall rise first. then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and thus we shall always
be with the Lord". 1Thessalonians 4:16-18.


 One major problem in the discussion of the timing of the rapture is that many Christians are confusing the “last trump” with the “Great Trumpet”.
The Great Trumpet is blown on Yom Kippur, which will herald the final physical return of the Messiah Yeshua  back to earth, stepping onto the Mount of Olives. This is seen in Matthew 24:31.

 “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

 Notice that the elect are gathered from “the four winds” from “one end of the heavens to the other” NOT from the four corners or ends of THE EARTH. This is the gathering of the armies of heaven, the clouds that will come with Him on His final return!
Of course there is always the argument that “No man knows the day or hour”. (Matthew 24:36).Does that mean that Rosh HaShana cannot be the rapture? 

YOM HAKESH/ THE HIDDEN DAY
Yet another name for Rosh HaShanah is Yom HaKeseh, "The Day of the Hiding" or "the Hidden Day." The term keseh or keceh is derived from the Hebrew root kacah, which means to "conceal, cover, or hide." Every day during the month of Elul, a trumpet is blown to warn the people to turn back to God, except for the thirtieth day of Elul, the day preceding Rosh HaShanah. On that day the trumpet is not blown, and is therefore silent. This is because the Jews feel so much about Rosh HaShanah  is concealed and shrouded in mystery. The mystical aspect of Rosh HaShanah is indicated in Scripture:
"Sound the shofar on the New Moon, in concealment of the day of our festival" (Psalm 81:3).
(The Festival could only begin on new moon when two witnesses agreed on the sighting and the head of the Sanhedrin agreed; thus each year nobody knew the exact day or hour).
Believers never said when the day of Rosh HaShanah  was; they simply said, "Of that day and hour no one knows, only the Father."One of the reasons most often given to disclaim that the resurrection of the dead and the catching away of the believers is on Rosh HaShanah is the statement given by Jesus in Matthew 24:36, ,

  "But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only."

Because Rosh HaShanah was understood to be the hidden day, this statement by Jesus is actually an idiom for Rosh Hashanah. Thus it should be given as proof that He was speaking of Rosh HaShanah  because Rosh HaShanah is the only day in the whole year that was referred to as the hidden day or the day that no man knew.

THE CORONATION OF THE MESSIAH
When a king begins to reign, he is heralded with trumpets. That is why Psalm 47 precedes the blowing of the shofar;  it is a call to the nations:

God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding.
8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.
9 The princes of the people have gathered together,
The people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.

It was mentioned earlier the shofar  blown on Rosh HaShanah  is known as the last trump, which the apostle Paul mentioned in First Thessalonians 4:16-17. At this time, the believers in the Messiah who are righteous according to Yom HaDin  (the Day of Judgment) will escape the tribulation on earth and will be taken to Heaven in the rapture along with the righteous who had died before this time. What happens to the believers in the Messiah when they are taken to Heaven at this time other than the wedding of the Messiah?
 One of the events that will take place is the coronation of the Messiah Yeshua  as King, which will happen in Heaven (Revelation 5). Yeshua, who had come to earth during His first coming as the suffering Messiah, Messiah ben Joseph, will be crowned as King over all the earth in preparation for His coming back to earth to reign as King Messiah (Messiah ben David) during the Messianic age, the Millennium, (Revelation 19:16; 20:4).

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit...the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 

 This is Rosh HaShanah, Yom HaDin, the Day of Judgment. The books are the book of the righteous, the book of the wicked, and the book of remembrance] ... I saw... one like the Son of man [this is understood to be the Messiah Yeshua (Matthew 24:30; 26:64)] coming with the clouds of heaven [the clouds are the believers in the Messiah (Hebrews 12:1; Revelation 1:7)]...And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:9-10,13-14).

John saw this same thing in the Book of Revelation 4:1-2

 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven (as was mentioned the gates of Heaven are opened on Rosh HaShanah, according to Isaiah 26:2 and Psalm 118:19-20]: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me [Rosh HaShanah is known as Yom Teruah, the Day of the Awakening Blast or loud shout(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)]..And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne”.. [this is HaMelech, the coronation of the Messiah; the coronation ceremony is described in Revelation 5].

The description given here in Revelation matches the account in Daniel ;
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read[a] the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose[b] its seven seals.”
6 And I looked, and behold,[c] in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.(see Isaiah 11: 1-2) 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us[d] kings[e] and priests to our God;
And we[f] shall reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”[g]
14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four[h] elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever”  Daniel 7:9-14

 Did you notice that the Lamb stood in the “midst of the Throne”, as well as before the Throne? This is an Old Testament picture of the Trinity. This event is the coronation of the Messiah as seen by Daniel.

                     The Enthronement Ceremony of a King
There are four parts to the enthronement of a Jewish king.
1.   The giving of the decree. Associated with this is a declaration. This can be seen in Psalm 2:6-7, as it is written, "Yet have I set my king upon My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree...." Next, a rod/scepter is given, which is an emblem of a king. Scriptures that refer to the scepter include Genesis 49:17; Numbers 24:17; Esther 4:11; 5:2; 8:4; Psalm 45:6; and Hebrews 1:8. Scriptures that refer to a rod are in Psalm 2:9; Isaiah 11:1,4; and Revelation 2:27; 12:5; 19:16. The scepter is an emblem of a king or royal office and a rod refers to the king ruling and reigning righteously in all matters (Isaiah 11:1,4-5). Yeshua is the King Messiah (Isaiah 11:1,4-5; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Zechariah 9:9; Luke 1:32-33; John 1:47-49).
2.    The ceremony of the taking of the throne (Revelation 5). The king sits on the throne and is anointed as king. The word Christ  in English comes from the Greek word Christos and in Hebrew is Mashiach, meaning "the anointed one." Jesus  came as a prophet during His first coming (Deuteronomy 18:15), was resurrected as the priest (John 20:9,17), and is coming back to earth again as King.
3.    The acclamation. During the acclamation, all the people shout, "Long live the king!" (1 Kings 1:28-31). Next, all the people clap (Psalm 47:1-3)
Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
2 For the Lord Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth.
3 He will subdue the peoples under us,
And the nations under our feet.

 Psalm 47 is a coronation psalm. Psalm 47:5 is understood to be the shout and trumpet of Rosh HaShanah. Verse 6 is the shouting and praising of the king. Verse 8 is the ceremony of the throne. In verse 9, the believers in the Messiah Jesus are gathered in His presence.

God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding.
God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.
9 The princes of the people have gathered together,
The people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted. Psalm 47: 5-9
4.   Each of the subjects coming to visit the king after he has taken the throne. In this, they will acknowledge their allegiance to him and receive their commissioning from him as to what their job will be in the kingdom 

(Isaiah 66:22-23 “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,
“So shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.;

Zechariah 14:16-17 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain.”

THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE
(The Birthpangs of the Messiah)
      The English phrase, birthpangs of the Messiah, or the Hebrew Chevlai shel Mashiach, is a major theme of the Bible. It is commonly known as the seven-year tribulation period.
 In Matthew 24:3-8, 21  Jesus describes the signs of the end.
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all[a]these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences,[b] and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
Jesus said that these days are the beginning of sorrows (Matthew 24:8) The Greek word translated as sorrows here is odin. This word means "birthpangs."  Then would follow the Great Tribulation. “such has never been nor ever will be”.

The birthpangs of the Messiah are also spoken of in Jeremiah 30:4-7

Now these are the words which the Lord spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah, "For thus says the Lord, 'I have heard a sound of terror, of dread, and there is no peace. Ask now, and see, if a male can give birth [travail with child?]. Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth [odin]? And why have all faces turned pale? Alas! for that day is great, there is none like it; and it is the time of Jacob's distress [trouble], but he will be saved from it' "(Jeremiah 30:4-7 NAS).

The birthpangs are also mentioned in First Thessalonians 5:1-3:
Now as to the times and the epochs [seasons], brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs [odin] upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 NAS).

It can also be seen in Revelation 12:1-2,:
And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars [this is Israel (Genesis 37:9)]; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor [odin] and in pain to give birth .
The Scriptures reveal two synonyms:
1.    The birthpangs = the time of Jacob's trouble.
2.    The time of Jacob's trouble = the seven-year tribulation.
This period of time will be Israel's most trying time ever. This period of time is known as the Great Tribulation. Jacob is Israel.
There shall be great tribulation in Israel such as never was since there was a nation .  Daniel 12:1
 It will also be a time when God will ultimately judge sin and all the nations on the earth. Through it, the nation of Israel will be physically saved from total destruction the Lord, and will, as a nation, accept Yeshua  (Jesus) as the Messiah
"...But he shall be saved out of it" (Jeremiah 30:7)
 In Hosea  5:15  it is written,
"I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face: in their affliction [the Chevlai shel Mashiach /tribulation] they will seek Me early."
      Israel will face genuine crisis during the time of Jacob's trouble. The prophet Zechariah prophesied that two of every three inhabitants of Israel will perish during this time, with a remnant of only one third of the population being saved (Zechariah 13:8-9).

In the whole land,” declares the Lord,
    “two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
    yet one-third will be left in it.(P)
9 This third I will put into the fire;(Q)
    I will refine them like silver(R)
    and test them like gold.(S)
They will call(T) on my name(U)
    and I will answer(V) them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’(W)
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.(X)’”

In Isaiah 13:6-8 it is written:
Wail, for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man's heart will melt [see Luke 21:26]. And they will be terrified, pains and anguish will take hold of them, they will writhe like a woman in labor; they will look at one another in astonishment, their faces aflame .”
 Isaiah 13:10 corresponds to Matthew  24:29; Mark 13:24; and Revelation 6:12. Other passages that speak of the birthpangs include Genesis 3:16; 35:16-20; 38:27-28; Isaiah 26:16-21; 54:1; 66:7-9; Jeremiah 4:31; 6:24; 13:21; 22:23; Micah 4:9-10; and John 16:21-22. Please check out these references..space does not permit them to be opened here.

      There are several stages to Israel's birthing the Messiah.
1.    Isaiah 66:7 is a birth before travail. "Before  she [Israel] travailed [received the Messiah, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child"  This happened during the first coming of Yeshua, the Messiah. The birthpangs that Israel experienced during Jesus’ first coming came 40 years after His death with the destruction of the temple and the dispersion of the Jewish people out of Israel by the Romans in A.D 70.
2.    Isaiah 66:8 is a birth after  travail, "...as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." This will happen before Jesus returns to earth to set foot on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) as Israel experiences the hardest time she has ever experienced since she was a nation (Daniel 12:1). The tribulation and the birthpangs of the Messiah are one and the same thing. What we are seeing in these days is the woman (Israel) becoming larger and larger, coming closer and closer to the time when she is about to give birth.

THE OPENING OF THE GATES
 The gates of Heaven are opened on Rosh HaShanah  so the righteous nation may enter (Isaiah 26:2; Psalm 118:19-20). Because the gates of Heaven are understood to be open on Rosh HaShanah, this is further evidence from rabbinic understanding that the rapture of the believers in the Messiah Jesus will take place on Rosh HaShanah.

THE LAST TRUMPET
 In First Corinthians 15:52, the apostle Paul tells us that the resurrection of the dead will be "at the last trump."
      We cannot go to the Book of Revelation and say that the voice of the seventh angel (Revelation 11:15) is the last trump as many scholars do. As mentioned before, in the first century, the last trump (shofar) meant a specific day in the year.

  In review, we see that in Judaism, there are three trumpets (shofarim) that have a name. They are the first trump, the last trump, and the great trump.  As mentioned before,each one of these trumpets indicates a specific day in the Jewish year.
The first trump is blown on the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) (Exodus 19:19). It proclaimed that God had betrothed Himself to Israel. The last trump is synonymous with Rosh HaShanah, according to Theodore Gaster in his book, Festivals of the Jewish Year, in his chapter on Rosh HaShanah.
 Herman Kieval also states the same thing in his book, The High Holy Days (Volume I, Rosh HaShanah, Chapter 5, Footnote 11), in the chapter on the shofar. The great trumpet is blown on Yom Kippur, which will herald the return of the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) back to earth (Matthew 24:31).
As said previously, the first and last trump relate to the two horns of the ram, which according to Jewish tradition, was caught in the thicket on Mount Moriah when Abraham was ready to slay Isaac and offer him up as a burnt offering. This ram became the substitute for Isaac even as Yeshua  became the substitute for us and provided life for us through His death.
      In Pirkei Avot (the sayings of the fathers), Rabbi Eliezer tells us that the left horn (first trump) was blown on Mount Sinai, and its right horn (the last trump) will be blown to herald the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah 18:3 and First Thessalonians 4:13-18 speak of the resurrection of the dead.

SUMMARY THOUGHTS

 The festivals, if properly understood in the light of Hebrew understanding will, beyond a shadow of a doubt, reveal and illustrate the prophetic plan to finalize the redemption of man and all creation. As we saw in the overview of the Festivals at the beginning of our discussion, the Moedim  and Miqra  give insight into the historical and prophetic nature of the revelation inherent in the Lord’s Feasts.
We have seen that Rosh HaShanah  portrays in graphic nature the beginning of the end of the “times of the gentiles” and ushers in the final seven years of judgment and the restoration of Israel, preceded by the  resurrection of the dead and the rapture of the Church (made up of both Gentile and Jewish believers in the Messiah).
Understanding the historical, cultural and linguistic context of the Scriptures eliminates many errant understandings of prophecy and God’s plan for the nations.  As Paul said the root of our faith is Hebrew, it supports us and without it the words of a Jewish Messiah become westernized and lose their impact and often their true meanings.

 17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now  share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. Romans 11:17-18
We can only share in the nourishing sap if we seek it out with an open mind and discern the Scriptures from their original viewpoint, testing the historical, linguistic and cultural meanings of the words.  There is great bread here to found and devoured if we have “eyes to see”.

Next::  Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement)



















Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)