Posted on 09/20/2006 10:14:32 AM PDT by Buggman
As many of you already know, we are entering into the fall High Holy Days, comprised of the Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. Just as the spring Feastdays celebrate the First Coming of Messiah Yeshua, and Shavuot (Pentecost) celebrates the giving of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) to the Ekklesia in between the visitations of Yeshua, the Fall Feastdays look forward to His Second Coming—and in particular, the Feast of Trumpets looks forward to His Glorious Appearance in the clouds of heaven!
The day which this year falls on September 23 (beginning at sundown the previous night) is known by many names, but is little understood. The most commonly used today is Rosh Hashanah, the Head of the Year or New Year, and is regarded as the start of the Jewish civil calendar. (The religious calendar begins on the first of Nisan, fourteen days before Passover, in accordance with Exo. 12:2.) For this reasons, Jews will greet each other with the phrase, “L’shana tova u-metukah,” “May you have a good and sweet new year” or simply “Shanah tova,” “A good year.” In anticipation of this sweet new year, it is customary to eat a sweet fruit, like an apple or carrot dipped in honey.
The Talmud records the belief that “In the month of Tishri, the world was created” (Rosh Hashanah 10b), and its probably due to this belief that it became known as the Jewish New Year. The belief that the world was created on Rosh Hashanah came out of an anagram: The letters of the first word in the Bible, “In the beginning . . .” (B’resheit) can be rearranged to say, “1 Tishri” (Aleph b’Tishri). Perhaps because so little is directly said in Scripture about this day—unlike all of the other Feastdays, there is no historical precedent given to explain why Rosh Hashanah should be celebrated—the rabbis also speculated that Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Samuel were all born on this day.
However, that’s not it’s Biblical name, which is Yom Teruah, the Day of the [Trumpet] Blast:
And YHVH spake unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing (Heb. zikrown teruah) [of trumpets], an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto YHVH.’” (Lev. 23:23-25)In each of these passages, I’ve placed “trumpets” in brackets because it’s not actually in the Hebrew text; however, teruah can and usually does mean to sound the trumpet (though it can mean to shout with a voice as well) and the use of a trumpet on this day is considered so axiomatic that there is literally no debate in Jewish tradition on the matter. Specifically, the trumpet used is the shofar. The shofar is traditionally always made from the horn of a ram, in honor of the ram that God substituted for Isaac, and never from a bull’s horn, in memory of the sin of the golden calf.And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing (teruah) [the trumpets] unto you. (Num. 29:1)
The shofar first appears in Scripture as heralding the visible appearance of God coming down on Mt. Sinai to meet with His people (Ex. 19:16-19). It is also linked with His Coming in Zec. 9:14 and with Him going up (making aliyah) to Jerusalem in Psa. 47:5. Small wonder then that Yeshua said He would Come again with the sound of a trumpet, a shofar, in Mat. 24:31, which is echoed by Sha’ul (Paul) in 1 Th. 4:16 and 1 Co. 15:52. Indeed, many commentators have recognized that by “the last trump,” Sha’ul was referring to the final shofar blast, called the Tekia HaGadol, of the Feast of Trumpets.
This visitation by YHVH is closely associated with the second of this Feastdays names: Yom Zikkroun, the Day of Remembrance. This is not primarily meant to be a day when the people remember God, but when God remembers His people—not that He has forgotten them, but in which He fulfills His promises to them by Coming to them. In Isa. 27:13, it is the instrument used to call God’s people Israel back to the Land. In Psalm 27, which is traditionally read in the month leading up to Yom Teruah, we see the Psalmist looking forward to God rescuing him from his enemies:
Among the rabbis, the shofar is often associated with the Coming of the Messiah and the Resurrection of the Dead as well. “According to the Alphabet Midrash of Rabbi Akiva, seven shofars announce successive steps of the resurrection process, with Zechariah 9:14 quoted as a proof text: ‘And Adonai the Lord will blow the shofar’” (Stern, David H., Jewish New Testament Commentary, 489f). “And it is the shofar that the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to blow when the Son of David, our righteous one, will reveal himself, as it is said, ‘And the Lord GOD will blow the shofar’” (Tanna debe Eliyahu Zutta XXII). It’s interesting that the rabbis, without the benefit of the New Covenant writings, have come to the same conclusions as the Apostles: That YHVH would visit His people in the person of the Messiah and raise the dead on Yom Teruah (also in the Bablyonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 16b). On Yom Teruah, the shofar not only rouses the people from their complacency, but the very dead from their graves. (See Job 19:25-27, Isa. 26:19, and Dan. 12:2 for the Tanakh’s primary passages on the Resurrection.)Though an host should encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear:
Though war should rise against me,
In this will I be confident . . .For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion:
In the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me;
He shall set me up upon a rock. . .
The shofar is an instrument that is very much associated with war (Jdg. 3:27, 2 Sa. 20:1, Neh. 4:18-22, Ezk. 33:3-6). It was used to destroy the walls of Jericho (Jdg. 6:20). In Joel 2:1, it sounds the start of the Day of the Lord, the time in which God will make war on His enemies: “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the Day of YHVH cometh, for it is nigh at hand” (cf. v. 15). This again matches perfectly with the NT, where Sha’ul describes the Lord’s coming with a trumpet immediately preceding the Day of the Lord (1 Th. 4:16, 5:2).
This brings us to the next name for this Feastday, Yom HaDin, Judgment Day. Not only did the shofar sound the call for war, but also the coronation of kings (2 Sa. 15:10; 1 Ki. 1:34, 29; 2 Ki. 9:13, 11:12-14). Therefore, the rabbis have always associated this day with God’s sovereign Kingship over all mankind: “On Rosh Hashanah all human beings pass before Him as troops, as it is said, ‘The LORD looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; He considereth all their works’” (Rosh Hashanah 6b, quoting Psa. 53:13-15). To remember God’s Kingship, it is traditional to eat round objects to remind us of God’s crown (oriental crowns being shaped as skullcaps instead of circlets). For example, challah is made to be round instead of braided as it normally is.
Because this day is associated with God’s judgment, it is also considered a time of repentance (t’shuva) in preparation for Yom Kippur. The Casting (Tashlikh) Ceremony, in which observant Jews gather together at the shores of oceans, lakes, and rivers and cast in stones and/or crumbs of bread to symbolize “casting off” their sins, is performed on this day to a prayer comprised of Mic. 7:18-20, Psa. 118:5-9, Psa. 33 and 130, and often finishing with Isa. 11:9.
The Talmud (ibid.) goes on to say that on this day, all mankind is divided into three types of people. The wholly righteous were immediately written in the Book of Life (Exo. 32:33, Psa. 69:28) for another year. The wholly wicked were blotted out of the Book of Life, condemned to die in the coming year. Those in between, if they truly repented before the end of Yom Kippur, could likewise be scribed in the Book of Life for another year. For this reason, a common greeting at this time is “L’shana tova tikatevu,” which means, “May you be inscribed [in the Book of Life] for a good new year.”He will turn again,
He will have compassion upon us;
He will subdue our iniquities;
And Thou wilt cast all their sins
Into the depths of the sea.
(Mic. 7:19)
The Bible, of course, is clear that one is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (cf. Php. 4:3; Rev. 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, and 21:27) not by one’s own righteousness, but by receiving the Messiah’s righteousness by faith, trusting in Him, and that there is no in-between; one either trusts God or one doesn’t. Nevertheless, a great eschatological truth is preserved for us in this rabbinical tradition. At the time of Yeshua’s Second Coming, all mankind will be divided into three groups. Those who have already trusted in the Messiah will be Resurrected and Raptured to be with Him immediately upon His Coming on the clouds of the sky. Those who have taken the mark of the Beast and have chosen to remain with the Wicked One will be slated to die in the Day of the Lord, which for reasons that are beyond the scope of this essay to address, I believe will last for about a year.
However, there will also be a third group, who neither had believed in the Messiah until they saw Him Coming on the clouds but who also had not taken the mark of the Beast. Many of these will be Jews, who will mourn at His coming and so have a fount of forgiveness opened to them (Rev. 1:7, Zec. 12:10-13:2)—most prominently, the 144,000 of Rev. 7 and 14. Others will be Gentiles who will be shown mercy because they showed mercy to the children of God (Mat. 25:31ff). These are given the opportunity to repent during the period between the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonment, called the Days of Awe—a reference, I believe, to the Day of the Lord.
Finally, this day is known as Yom HaKeseh, the Hidden Day. It was a day that could not be calculated, only looked for. Ancient Israel kept its calendar simply by observing the phases of the moon. If a day were overcast, it might cause a delay in the observance of the beginning of the month, the new moon (Rosh Chodesh), the first tiny crescent of light. Every other Feast was at least a few days after the beginning of the month so that it could be calculated and prepared for in advance. For example, after the new moon that marked the beginning of the month of Nisan, the observant Jew knew that he had fourteen days to prepare for the Passover.
Not so Yom HaKeseh. In the absence of reliable astronomical charts and calculations (which were made only centuries after God commanded the Feasts to be observed), the Feast of Trumpets could be anticipated, estimated to be arriving soon, but until two or more witnesses reported the first breaking of the moon’s light after the darkest time of the month, no one knew “the day or hour.” Therefore, it was a tradition not to sleep on Rosh Hashanah, but to remain awake and alert, a tradition alluded to by Sha’ul: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (1 Th. 5:4-6).
Because of the difficulty of alerting the Jews in the Diaspora when the Sanhedron had decreed the start of the Feast to be, it became traditional to celebrate the first and second day of Tishri together as Yoma Arikhta, “One Long Day.” Is this meant to remind us, perhaps, of when another Y’hoshua (Yeshua) won against his enemies because God cast down great hailstones (like the hailstones of Rev. 16:21) and called upon the Sun to stand still so that they would not escape (Jos. 10:10ff)?
Yom Teruah is a day which ultimately calls all of God’s people together in repentance in anticipation of the glorious Second Coming, in which He will once again visit His people in the Person of the Messiah Yeshua to Resurrect the dead, awaken the living, and judge all mankind together.
Shalom, and Maranatha!
Really? Then why do you worship on the first day of the week/Sunday, instead of the seventh day as sanctified?
Isaiah 66
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith YHWH, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith YHWH.
They kept the feasts and the sabbath in the past. They will be kept in the future. Why do you think there is a 'temporary' reprieve taking place, now?
This wasn't directed to me, but I found these verses which indicate that when Gentiles do keep the sabbath and the covenant, it is pleasing to YHWH.
Isaiah Chapter 56
(1) Thus saith YHWH: Keep ye justice, and do righteousness; for My salvation is near to come, and My favour to be revealed. (2) Happy is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that holdeth fast by it: that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
(3) Neither let the alien, that hath joined himself to YHWH, speak, saying: 'YHWH will surely separate me from His people'; neither let the eunuch say: 'Behold, I am a dry tree.' (4) For thus saith YHWH concerning the eunuchs that keep My sabbaths, and choose the things that please Me, and hold fast by My covenant: (5) Even unto them will I give in My house and within My walls a monument and a memorial better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting memorial, that shall not be cut off.
(6) Also the aliens, that join themselves to YHWH, to minister unto Him, and to love the name of YHWH, to be His servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and holdeth fast by My covenant: (7) Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon Mine altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (8) Saith the Lord YHWH who gathereth the dispersed of Israel: yet I will gather others to him, beside those of him that are gathered.
What are you suggesting?
1) The matter is not knowable with any certainty. God intentionally left this a jump ball.
2) The matter is knowable but you are not certain at this time.
3) The matter is an issue of personal taste or preference.
4) God moves different people in different directions on this matter, that perhaps truth is relative.
5) ???
Actually, that's not necessarily true. If you don't celebrate the feasts, its neither here nor there. Just because someone does something that is pleaseing to YHWH doesn't mean that YOU have displeased YHWH. Why would YHWH judge you based on what Buggman did?
Will you baptize your chidren, when and if you have them?
Where did that come from? Are we getting into Baptismal Regeneration now?
Do you still beat your children? Do you still kick your dog?
What does this have to do with Rosh Hashanah and the Second Coming?
This was part of a side discussion which you haven't been participating in, as far as I can tell, regarding baptism. I pinged you because your name ended up in the original post.
Buggman was kind enough to answer my question which was brought up by 1000silverlings.
Buggman acquits himself just fine. He doesn't appear to need your constant defense when no one is attacking.
It's an interesting question. Does a Messianic Jew baptize his children? I have no idea.
If you are asking if I believe in or practice infant baptism, the answer is no. A Jew is circumcised eight days after birth because he is born a Jew. Christians are not born; we are reborn. Therefore, baptism into Yeshua should wait until the person is born again in the Spirit, receiving their circumcision without hands.
Thank you. So your children will be baptized?
At some point in their lives. I didn't mean to restrict the baptism to childhood.
At some point in their lives your children will be baptized?
"Half of all Republicans believe we are in the last days.
"Half of all women believe we are in the last days.
"Nearly half of all senior-citizens believe we are in the last days."
And research tells us that 50% of all married people are women. That excludes Muslim women, of course.
Just a little humor, Quix. Love your posts.
By the way, I really appreciate that you are asking questions instead of making assumptions and attacking me on the basis of those assumptions.
I'm off to bed, so I'll have to get to any further questions in the morning, probably after I write a response to ET. Goodnight, and God bless.
Hi Invincible, good to see you! :)
"No, as long as you don't know who is on it."
Well, at least you spelled my name on the unlist right this time.
If we seek to understand water immersion (baptism in the Greek)b'shem Y'shua
as practiced by John the Immerser, we need to understand the
Jewish culture of Mikvah at the time of Y'shua. MikvahImmersion in the mikvah has offered a gateway to purity ever since the creation of man.
The Midrash relates that after being banished from Eden, Adam sat in a river that flowed from the garden.
This was an integral part of his teshuvah (repentance) process, of his attempt at return to his original perfection.Before the revelation at Sinai, all Jews were commanded to immerse themselves in preparation for coming face to face with G-d.
Immersion in the mikvah has offered a gateway to purity ever since the creation of man
In the desert, the famed "well of Miriam" served as a mikvah. And Aaron and his sons'
induction into the priesthood was marked by immersion in the mikvah.In Temple times, the priests as well as each Jew who wished entry into the House of G-d had first to immerse in a mikvah.
On Yom Kippur, the holiest of all days, the High Priest was allowed entrance into the Holy of Holies,
the innermost chamber of the Temple, into which no other mortal could enter.
This was the zenith of a day that involved an ascending order of services, each of which was preceded by immersion in the mikvah.from chabad.org
Mat 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
This is mostly all above my head, and baptism has always been sort of a mystery to me (along with lots of other things). I was baptized at the same time both my parents were when I was 12 yrs. old (they were in their 30's). - Then life happened and as I messed up royally in my life, as it seemed to me, I began to think, "well, maybe I was too young and didn't approach baptism with the proper repentance, so maybe I need to be baptized as an adult". So, I tried to repent as best I could and was then baptized again in my 30's. . although in the Southern Baptist Churches I attended there was more emphasis placed upon "accepting Christ or making a decision for Christ" than on repentance - so, I muddled along until I finally left SBC churches altogether. (Not to say ALL are like that; just in my limited experience.)
I know people in SBC's who have been baptized 6 or 8 times in their lives, and I think it is simply because they aren't getting much scriptural MEAT taught to them by career preachers who for the most part preach exclusively the SALVATION message over and over week after week to a room full of SAVED PEOPLE and never move on to more mature things. Many times the preacher in the pulpit and down front begging and pleading and laying on guilt trips keeps his people constantly in doubt of their salvation and him baptizing them over and over and adding significantly to his "baptism bragging numbers list". A lot of them don't really want the fathers in the congregation to take some spiritual responsibility for the teaching of their children as heads of their families but position themselves as the central power; I think too many preachers get on power trips and some even into mind games and tactics to keep control and to "keep the numbers up".
So, I've done the best I knew about baptism at the time, and here I stand.
Because the focus of that warning is "this generation", i.e., the events of AD70 when the armies of Rome marched against Jerusalem and destroyed the temple.
The 7th say Sabbath was still very much in place as a cultural artifact in Judea. Jewish believers would have been aware of those conditions.
Once the temple was destroyed the 7th day Sabbath lost it significance in and around Judea. Of course the church was already following the lead of the apostles by meeting and worshipping on the first day of the week.
I know many believers of Jewish background who baptize their children in keeping with the promise made to Abraham.
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