The Fall Festivals of Israel – Prophecy As Yet Unfulfilled
Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets
Leviticus 23:24: In the seventh month, on the first of the month, you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
God himself named the appointed feasts. – the Sabbath, the Passover, the Day of Atonement. But this day received no title. It was simply “Yom T’ruah” – the day of blowing. It came to be known as the Feast of Trumpets.
The blowing of the trumpets was a memorial, but a memorial of what? The scriptures do not say. The ram’s horn [Shofar] was used, as distinct from other new moon celebrations [although it is also a new moon]. All servile work is to cease, which made it distinct from other first days of Hebrew months – it was less stringent than they were.
Messianic Christians teach that the Feast of Trumpets represents the second coming of the Lord, and for those who are not pre-tribulation, the first Resurrection and Rapture. Let’s look at the information about the feast to see what evidence there is.
The Shofar
The Ram’s horn has always held a prominent place in Jewish tradition. It was created for the welfare of Israel. The Torah was given to Israel with the sound of the Shofar. Israel conquered in the battle of Jericho with the blast of the Shofar. Israel will be advised of the advent of the messiah with the sound of the Shofar [Zech 9:14]. And the Holy One will sound the Shofar at the time of the ingathering of the exiles of Israel to their place in Israel [Isa 7:13]. The Bible also shows the Shofar was blown to signal the assembly of Israelites during war, and the watchmen that stood upon Jerusalem’s walls blew the Shofar to warn the people of impending danger.
But it was also blown at the start of the Jubilee year, when slaves were freed and all debt was forgiven. The accession of a new king was also announced with the Shofar. It is a reminder to the people that God is sovereign.
The scriptures also predict the role of the Shofar in the future restoration of Israel. Zechariah writes that the Lord Himself will blow the Shofar on the day when He delivers His people from attacking heathen armies Zech 9:14: Then the Lord will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning; and the Lord God will blow the trumpet, and will march in the storm winds of the south.
Traditionally the Shofar has also been a reminder of the faithfulness of the Lord to Abraham. The ram’s horn is a reminder of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac and God’s provision of a ram as a substitute.
Rosh Hashanah is the second most solemn day of the Jewish year, and incorporates the themes of redemption, restoration, judgment and sovereignty. Nowhere in scripture is the first of Tishrei [the seventh month] called Rosh Hashanah, and in fact the month of Nisan was declared by the Lord to be the first month of the [religious] year. Rosh Hashanah means “The Head of the Year”, but it is in the seventh month – the sacred month of the religious calendar. It is now regarded as the Jewish New Year, because it is also the first month of the civil calendar. The Jews however, keep a distinction between the religious year and the civil year. Exodus 23:16 refers to Tishrei as at the end of the year – so it is both the end and the beginning – similar to our New Year’s Eve celebrations. Actually, there are four different years: the first of Nisan was the new year for kings and for festivals. The first of Elul [[July-Aug] was the new year for animals. The first of Tishrei [Sept] was called the new year for the years, for sabbatical years, for Jubilee years, for planting of fruits and of vegetables. The first of Shevat was the new year for trees [Pentecost]. By the time of Christ, Rosh Hashanah was celebrated as the beginning of the fiscal [civil] year, and was celebrated for two days. It was also considered to be the anniversary of Creation. Our Lord is most exact in his timing. If He intended to return after six thousand years, it will be to the day. We just don’t know which day that is.
The Rabbi’s book called the Gemara, a commentary on the traditions written by the rabbis of Jerusalem and Babylonia during the third through fifth centuries of the Christian era, comments that there are three books that are opened in the heavenly courts during the feast of Rosh Hashanah:
Three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah, one for the completely righteous, one for the completely wicked, and one for the average persons. The completely righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life. The completely wicked are immediately inscribed in the book of death. The average persons are kept in suspension from Rosh Hashanah to the Day of Atonement [Yom Kippur]. If they deserve well, they are inscribed in the book of Life; if they do not deserve well, they are inscribed in the book of death.
Those in the ‘in-between’ category – most of mankind – were given the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to repent. The traditions say that on Rosh Hashanah, each person will pass before the Lord for judgment.
Note the parallel to Matthew 24 and 25. In Matt 24, the Lord returns with the sound of a trumpet and gathers his people from heaven and from earth. Then in Matt 25, the Lord separates the sheep from the goats, and the goats are thrown into hell. The sheep are allowed to live and to enter the Millennial Kingdom – including all the Jews who recognized him as He returned and prayed for Him to save them. If the sheep had been Christians they would have been raptured. They are those who treated Jews and Christians kindly during the Tribulation, who did not take the mark of the Beast, but who also had not made a decision for the Lord. This will include all small children, who will populate the world for the Millennium. Again, the Lord has been faithful to draw a picture for us to see His truth before it comes to pass. Please re-read Matthew 24-25 to see this in context as the judgment prior to the millennium.
The Shofar and the Blowing
The Shofar itself was to be bent, which is a reminder of our attitude of contrition before the Lord. Hearing of the Shofar blast was obligatory on Rosh Hashanah; an open ear signified an open heart to the word of the Lord. Rosh Hashanah would begin with three trumpet calls. There are three kind of trumpet calls, the sustained note, the quavering note and the wailing note. The sustained note is three times longer than the quavering note, which is three times longer than the wailing note. They represent the three themes, sovereignty, remembrance, and the sound of the Shofar. The emphasis is of the Feast in on repentance to avert judgment, and on God’s mercy. Sovereignty represents the kingdom of God, remembrance is an appeal for God to remember His covenant with Israel, and the Shofar recalls the scriptural sounding of the Shofar, a symbolic look forward to the final trump of God when He gathers His people.
It was already common Jewish teaching that the Shofar would announce the Resurrection of the Dead, and we see that in Revelation where John records the blowing of the seventh [last] trumpet, John also heard loud voices proclaiming: “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever. This is a clear description of Jesus taking possession of the Kingdom, as the breaking of the seals of the deed to the universe gave Him the right to do in Revelation Chapter 6. God indeed restores His sovereignty at the sound of the Shofar.
The Jewish New Year is not celebrated with parties and revelry, as the world celebrates its secular new year. As mentioned earlier, the completely righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life. The completely wicked are immediately inscribed in the book of death. And the rest are kept in suspension from Rosh Hashanah to the Day of Atonement [Yom Kippur]. Then the books of judgment are sealed and the sentence decreed for the year cannot be changed. Jewish teaching emphasizes works, and repentance. It is believed that a sincere repentance will justify a favorable judgment on the coming Day of Atonement.
So important is this high Holy Day, that it is prepared a month in advance, during the month of Elul. Prayers of repentance are said for the entire month to prepare the proper attitude for the ten Days of Awe, the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Remembrances
Jewish tradition teaches Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of creation, and that it is also the day Adam was made. It is also believed to be the day Adam sinned and was cast out of the Garden of Eden. It’s also taught that this was the day that Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. Moriah. There is a prophecy/teaching that the sons of Isaac would transgress the Lord’s will, and on this day the Lord would judge them. Further, the tradition states that if they appeal to God’s leniency, He would let them blow the Shofar in remembrance to remind the Lord that He had provided a substitute for Isaac, and to be as merciful to them as well. It is also believed that the Torah was given to Moses on this day. But with all that is past, the traditions also recognize the prophecies of Zechariah and Isaiah that the Day of the Lord is a day of trumpet and battle cry, and that the trumpet also is blown to signify the resurrection of the dead. The Rabbis teach that the sound of the Shofar will win over the heart of the Lord, causing Him to rise from His Throne of Judgment and be seated on the Throne of Mercy.
Other events believed to have occurred on Rosh Hashanah are: Joseph’s release from prison, the release form bondage in Egypt and the Exodus, Hannah’s prayers were heard by God and/or Samuel was born.
The Jewish ceremonies are conducted with several blasts of the trumpet, followed by prayers of repentance. This is repeated several times. The prayers reflect the three themes – the proclamation of God’s Kingship over Israel, prayers for mercy from God’s Judgment, and a reminder that it is the sound of the Shofar that heralds all these events. Do you see the picture??
The Akedah, the Binding of Isaac
Rosh Hashanah is considered the anniversary of the Akedah, the offering of Isaac as a sacrifice to the Lord. The faith and obedience of Abraham is remembered by Jews and Christians alike as a model for us all. Isaac, his son, is a representation and foreshadowing of Christ. First, Isaac was born miraculously, of a father too old to sire a son, and of a mother who had already experienced the change of life that should have made conception impossible [except for God!] His father was willing to sacrifice him, although it must have torn his heart out. Isaac himself was both innocent, and obedient. He did not fight his father’s or God’s will, even though it would cost him his life. Abraham continued to believe that this son would have offspring according to the promise of God, despite the plan to sacrifice his son. Therefore he must have believed his son would be resurrected from the dead after the sacrifice.
Gen 22: 1-14: 1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. a 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou love, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fear God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
Note Abraham’s faith – read again verse 5. Abraham did not say “If we return”, but “when we return.” Hope of Resurrection must have been central to Abraham’s faith. How else could he have resolved the conflict between God’s command to sacrifice his son and the divine promise that was rooted in Isaac? By slaying his son, he was not only slaying the desire of his heart but seemingly frustrating the promise of God. His hope in the Resurrection enable him to obey God, even when it seemed that all would be destroyed.
Look again at verses 6 and 8. “and they went both of them together.” Why is this phrase repeated? If there are no idle words in scripture, then there must be a reason to repeat these word, although they seem almost incidental to the story. What did Isaac ask in between these two verses? “7 And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? “ There came a moment in time where Isaac understood. It is at this point, that Isaac understood what was to transpire when they reached Mt. Moriah. And they walked on together, the second time with Isaac’s full knowledge of what was planned, and in obedience.
Also note that this event took place on Mt. Moriah, which is the mountain on which Jerusalem now sits. It is also called Mt. Zion, and would be the place where God’s own son, Yeshua, was sacrificed in atonement for our sins. Mt. Moriah is composed of two words meaning, ‘the manifestation of Jehovah’, and Abraham’s name, ‘Jehovah Jireh’, means, ‘God will provide’. Mt. Moriah would be the place of God’s Holy Temple, the one place on earth where acceptable sacrifice could be offered and where His Shekinah presence would dwell. The binding of Isaac prefigures the entire sacrificial system as ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Isaac lived from that time on as having been resurrected, a Type of the New Testament believer. And one day, the Shofar will blow, and we will all be resurrected by the greater Son of Abraham, to live with Him forever.
