September 28-30 is Rosh Hashana, Feast of the Trumpets: The Jewish New Year. Does this mean anything to the Christian? Don't worry ... I certainly wouldn't presume to set dates, but many prophecy students have found the Feasts of Israel to be extremely significant to the Church. The conversion of many Jews to Christianity over the past decade or more has been a great boon to the Church in understanding how the Old and New Testaments are so integrally connected. An entirely new set of information has opened up prophecy of the end times.
Leviticus 23 contains the instructions God gave to the nation of Israel concerning certain feasts they were to observe throughout the year. When we examine the first four feasts it becomes obvious that they typify the vicarious sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ and the formation of His Church. These feasts are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First fruits, and Pentecost.
Passover, observed on the 14th day of Nisan, the first month, is symbolic of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as He shed His precious blood to atone for the sins of His people.
Unleavened Bread began on the 15th day and continued for a week. It is symbolic of the sinless perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ in His life, death, and burial.
First fruits was observed on the 16th day and is symbolic of His resurrection from the dead on the third day (1 Cor.15:4 and 20).
Pentecost. Exactly fifty days later during the month of Sivan, the Holy Spirit descended upon believers and the Church was born.
Thus the first four feasts foreshadowed the Christian faith and the founding of the Church. So, what about the last three feasts?
Next in chronological order is Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, which occurs a full three months after Pentecost. Since the four feasts preceding it typify the formation of the Church, there is a probability the time gap represents the Church Age. I believe it does - and that Rosh Hashanah—the Jewish New Year -- during which rabbis around the world blow the ceremonial ram’s horn trumpets (called shofars)—is a symbol of the Church departing this world. Notice that the Apostle Paul made a connection between the use of a trumpet and the Rapture:
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Some insist this has to be during the Tribulation Period because of the reference to the “last trumpet” and is therefore the last of the seven trumpet judgments in Revelation 11:15. This creates confusion, because there is a “last trumpet” which is strictly associated with the Feast of Trumpets! There are two types of trumpets used by observant Jews today: one is made of silver and the other—the shofar—from a ram’s horn. And various types of short blasts on those trumpets are used during the celebration, but the last blast signaling the end of the feast is on the shofar trumpet and distinctively different from the rest.
The first instance in the Old Testament where the word “trumpet” is used is in Exodus 19:13 and refers to God’s long trumpet call (Hebrew yobel—a trumpet blast and not the trumpet itself) to Israel from Mt. Sinai. (The second and third instances of the word “trumpet” are found in verses 16 and 19, where the instrument itself is in view and the Hebrew word is shofar). So when Israel heard that long call on the trumpet of God they came up to the mountain:
“…when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount” Exodus 19:13
“And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled” Exodus 19:16
“And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. Exodus 19:18-19
Many believe that this typifies the Rapture, when the Church is going to “come up” to meet the Lord in the air at the conclusion of Rosh Hashanah.
For this to be true, the last two feasts must also typify future prophetic events, so let's see if they do.
The Feast of Trumpets begins on the first day of Tishri, and nine days later, on the tenth of Tishri, the Day of Atonement is observed. The last three feasts all occur during the seventh month; the number seven is God’s number of perfection and completion.
In Lev.23:27 God commanded the children of Israel to “afflict your souls” on the Day of Atonement. While six of the feasts were to be joyous occasions, this one was a very somber event. What did God intend for this to represent? Rabbinic tradition refers to Rosh Hashanah as a day of judgment . If it doesRosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement Interestingly, the Bible mentions only one day being set aside for the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, but modern Judaism stretches it out to two days—which leaves a seven day period between it and the Day of Atonement. Could it be that these seven days represent the seven years of Tribulation Period, to be followed by the Day of Atonement, at which Israel will mourn for the One they pierced, their Messiah (Zech.12:10)?
If this is the case, the next/last feast would represent the Millennial Reign of Christ; and this Feast of Tabernacles does just that. It was celebrated five days after the Day of Atonement and was the most joyous of the feasts and depicts Israel living in “booths” - temporary shelters designed to remind Israel of its 40 years in the wilderness and deliverance into the Promised Land. Their entry into Canaan was a type of the Promised Land in the Old Testament, but will be fully realized when their Messiah, Jesus Christ, rules during the Millennium.
There is much more that could be said about this, but I thought that today - the first day of Rosh Hashanah - would be a perfect time to list the basics.
ROYAL HEIR
Posts
