By Carl
Worline
Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Feast of
Trumpets (and by many other
names as we shall soon see) is the fifth of seven Jewish
holy days known as
moedim (plural for moed).
It is also the
next moed to be fulfilled.
Rosh
Hashanah is
unique because there is no explicit reason given in the
Torah for its
observance, other than to “rest” and to sacrifice. It was a “mystery”
that was only revealed in
the Bible much later when Paul said:
Behold, I show you a mystery;
We
shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment,
in a twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet. For
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise
incorruptible, and we shall be
changed. (1
Corinthians 15:51-52).
Rosh
Hashanah is a
day of rest where no ordinary labor is to be performed. It is considered
to be the day to rest in the
finished work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in our
lives. It is
the day when all of our earthly
struggles are over.
Rosh
Hashanah
marks the beginning of 10 days of intense spiritual
preparation for the Day of
Atonement.
Jewish
tradition
holds that Adam and Eve were created on Rosh Hashanah, which
is Tishrei 1. Some
also believe that this was the day on
which Jesus was born.
Rosh
Hashanah is
known as the birthday of the world since the world was
created on this day
according to the Talmud (Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 11a). The first words of
the Book of Genesis (Bereishit),
“in the beginning,” when changed around reads, Aleph b’
Tishrei, or “on the
first of Tishrei”. Therefore,
Rosh
Hashanah is known among the Jews as the birthday of the
world.
Some
traditions
hold that the gates of heaven are opened on Rosh Hashanah
for a short time so
that the righteous nation may enter.
There
are 4 New Years
on the Jewish calendar.
Rosh Hashanah
occurs on Tishrei 1 and is the New Year of years. Rosh Hashanah is
also the New Year for sabbatical years and
jubilees, as well as for the
sowing and harvesting of crops.
Rosh
Hashanah came
to be known as the Feast Where No Man Knows the Day or Hour
because it
commences on a new moon rather than a full moon. A new moon is when
the moon is totally dark,
giving off no illumination.
With
anything less than an absolutely clear sky it is impossible
to tell when the
moon is at its darkest and it takes at least 2 visual
sightings of the first
thin crescent to confirm the new moon. Therefore,
it is difficult to predict when this actually takes place.
The
new moon was
sanctified when two witnesses saw the first sliver of the
new moon and attested
to it before the Sanhedrin in the Temple.
This sanctification could happen during either of two
days, depending on
when the witnesses came to the Temple.HHH
Rosh
Hashanah is observed over
the two-day period of Tishrei 1 and Tishrei 2 due to
uncertainty about
celebrating it on the correct day. These
two days are regarded as yoma arikhta, one long day.
If
you were to say
to any good American “Come on over on Turkey Day and we will
watch the game
together on TV,” he would immediately know you were
referring to Thanksgiving.
Mention the day that nobody knows the day or
hour of to any good Jew and he would instinctively know what
day you were
referring to as well. That
day would be
Rosh Hashanah.
Jesus
referred to
the day that no man knows the day or hour of 4 times during
the Olivet
Discourse in reference to His return:
·
Matthew
24:36
·
Matthew
24:42-44
·
Matthew
24:50
·
Matthew
25:13-15
Since
Jesus repeatedly
used variations of the phrase that no man knows the day or
hour in connection
with His return, many believe that the rapture will occur on
Rosh Hashanah of
some year.
Jesus
also
repeatedly used the analogy of the Jewish wedding to the
Rapture of the Church.
In Jewish wedding tradition it is customary
to respond to a question of when the wedding will occur with
“I do not know the
day or the hour. Only
my father
knows.” This is
because the bride’s
father sets the date of the wedding when he is satisfied
that all things are
ready. When the
wedding day approaches
the father gives the all clear and the groom comes with a
shout and a trumpet
blast to claim his bride.
Then the groom
takes her away to their new home for 7 days of rejoicing.
Rosh
Hashanah is
the only Jewish feast (moed) where the moon is hidden. The moon is an
allusion and represents the
Bride of Christ. The
moon does not give
off any light of its own.
It only reflects
the light of the sun.
Rosh
Hashanah is
the only feast where the blowing of trumpets is a central
theme.
Paul
told us very
clearly in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 that the rapture will
occur “at the Last
Trumpet.” In
the Bible, Pentecost is
known as the first trumpet.
Yom Kippur
is known as the great trumpet.
Rosh
Hashanah is known as the last trumpet.
Because
the last
trumpet is only blown on Rosh Hashanah and because the
apostle Paul
specifically mentions that the Rapture of the believers in
Christ will take
place at the Last Trumpet, Paul was giving a clear
understanding (I believe)
that the Rapture of the believers will happen some year on
Rosh Hashanah.
Behold, I tell 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 trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the
dead will be raised
imperishable, and we shall be changed (1 Corinthians
15:51-52).
During
Rosh
Hashanah trumpets are blown for 30 days leading up to the
feast, and finish
with the blowing of “the Last Trumpet.” On
each of these 30 days, the shofar is blown 100 times (3
distinct sounds blown
in sets of 9 and repeated 11 times, for a total of 99). The last sound is
a long blast, and is always
referred to as “the Last Trumpet.”
Another
name for
Rosh Hashanah is “The Day of the Awakening Blast.” Here, the word
“blast” is referring to, I
believe, the blast of the Trumpet of God.
But I
would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow
not, even as others
which have no hope. 14 For
if
we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also
which sleep in
Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For
this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which
are alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them
which are
asleep. 16 For
the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise
first: 17 Then
we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord. 18 Wherefore
comfort
one another with these words.
1
Thessalonians 4:13-18
In
addition to
blowing trumpets on this day and on each day leading up to
this day, Jewish
beliefs, customs, and traditions also include shouting on
Rosh Hashanah. Rosh
Hashanah is known as Yom Teruah, The Day
of Shouting. Notice
in the verses above
from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 that the Lord will descend from
heaven with a
shout and with the voice of an archangel.
Jewish
beliefs,
customs, and traditions are important because the Bible
tells us that the Jews
are God’s chosen people.
Jesus was a Jew
and, in the Bible, He told us that He was sent to the Jews
first and then to
the Gentiles. We
must also keep in mind that
the Jews do not believe that Jesus is their Messiah (except
for a small minority
of messianic Jews). Therefore,
it is
very significant to note that when Judaism confirms
something in Christianity,
it should be considered a special confirmation.
As
I mentioned
above, Rosh Hashanah is known by many names.
One of these traditional names is “The Day of the
Resurrection of the
Righteous Dead.” I
find the idea of the
Jews believing in a day for the resurrection of the
righteous dead to be very
interesting. They
know that this day
will come. They
just do not realize that
it will be that of the Rapture of the Church.
Another
traditional
name for Rosh Hashanah is The Hidden Day, The Day of
Concealment,
or The Day of Hiding (as in hiding the bride from the
tribulation).
Your dead will live;
their corpses will rise.
You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for
joy, for your dew is the dew of dawn, and the earth will
give birth to the
departed spirits. Come,
my people,
enter into your rooms, and close your doors behind you;
Hide for a little
while, until indignation runs its course.
For behold, the Lord is about to come out from His
place to punish the
inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; and the earth
will reveal her
bloodshed, and will no longer cover her slain (Isaiah
26:19-21).
Rosh
Hashanah is
sometimes referred to as The Day of Remembrance, The Day of
the Opening of
Books, and The Day of Judgement. All of
these Jewish beliefs and customs fit perfectly with the
Christian idea of a yet
future Rapture of the Church.
Lastly,
there is
one more aspect of Rosh Hashanah that strongly implies a
rapture on this Jewish
holy day. Rosh
Hashanah is known among
Jews as The Day of the Wedding of the Messiah (Ha
Kiddushin/Nesuin) and The Day
of the Coronation, or Crowning of the Messiah (Ha Melech). Likewise, Jesus
and Paul both likened the Rapture
of the Church to a Jewish Wedding.
So,
why is it that
we are only now beginning to put all of the pieces of the
puzzle together? Why
are we only now beginning to understand
this End Times mystery?
It would seem
that nobody before us was clever enough.
Even the prophets who were the first to record them
did not fully
understand. The
prophet Daniel
complained about this to the angel Gabriel, who was the one
who revealed them
to Daniel:
As for me, I heard but
could not understand; so, I
said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” And he said, “Go
your way, Daniel, for these
words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be
purged, purified and refined; but
the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will
understand, but those
who have insight will understand.” (Daniel 12:8-12).
Daniels
words (and
I believe the words of many others) were concealed and
sealed up until the End
Time. We are
now in the End Time.
I
believe that
Jesus and Paul told us both directly and indirectly to look
for the Rapture of
the Church, the Blessed Hope, to occur on Rosh Hashanah of
some year. Will
it be this year? I
dearly hope so. There
are so many signs of an imminent
rapture in front of us at this very moment that it has
become practically
impossible to see the road ahead of us.
Every indication says we are in the very Last Days of
the End Times.
Rosh
Hashanah for
2019 begins at sundown in Jerusalem on September 29th. It ends at sundown
in Jerusalem on October 1st.
Are
you ready??
Carl
Worline
Paladin3168@gmail.com
August
14, 2019
Anyone
who would
like to distribute or use this article (or any portion
thereof) has my
expressed permission to do so.
Credit
for me as the author is certainly appreciated, but not
required.