Rosh Hashanah also called the Feast of Trumpets begins sundown on Friday, Sept. 15 and ends at sundown Sept. 17 2023.
The first month of the civil year, Tishri, began with the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah). It was one of seven holy convocation days. Tishri, the seventh month of the Biblical calendar, is a holy time to seek God like the Sabbath. As Friday is Shabbat preparation, Elul is the month before. This season is for introspection, contemplation, and repairing our relationship with God.
This holiday has no name, unlike Sabbath, Passover, Day of Atonement, etc., which God named. Yom Teruah (the day of the shofar) became the Feast of Trumpets to draw attention to the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The Feast of Trumpets service includes blowing the shofar.
Leviticus 23 calls trumpeting a remembrance but does not specify what. Many think it commemorates God's mercy to Abraham when He slaughtered a ram instead of Isaac (Gen. 22). Jews and Christians believe it commemorates the creation of the universe, when God's sons shouted in gladness (Job 38:7). On New Year's Day, people delighted in God's blessings and asked for His blessing for the year ahead.
The blowing of trumpets is a sign of the return of Christ and a memorial of God’s grace to Abraham when He substituted a ram to be sacrificed instead of Isaac (Gen. 22).
Trumpets were used to give signals of war. Jesus is the commander of the army of God. The Jewish people sought a deliverer to defeat the Roman army.
Jesus came, the first time, to defeat the work of Satan and the sin in men’s hearts. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Col. 2:15).
In the same way, this feast speaks to the Christian about spiritual warfare. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Jesus is our armor because He defeated Satan. When we put on Christ, we will triumph over evil forces (Eph. 6:11-13).
The Feast of Trumpets can be an extraordinary time for believers in Christ. Our sins are not forgiven just when we “believe.” James 2:19 says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” To be forgiven, we must have a repentant heart.
We must submit to our Heavenly Father, asking for forgiveness, knowing He will forgive us, as a father forgives his child. That forgiveness that we seek has been guaranteed–bought and paid for by Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the tree.
Forty Days
These forty days may parallel the forty-day season called Teshuvah (return or repentance). Some believe that this is when Jesus began His ministry, at the end of the forty days when he started to declare His message. From that time, Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matt. 4:17).
Prophetic Significance
The Feast of Trumpets is a major festival. The three major festivals are Passover, Pentecost and Feast of Trumpets. We know Passover represents the sacrifice of Christ, and Pentecost represents the coming of the Holy Spirit, so it stands to reason that the Feast of Trumpets represents an exceptional time.
The trumpet signaled the field workers to come into the Temple. The high priest actually stood on the southwestern parapet of the Temple. He blew the trumpet so it could be heard in the surrounding fields. At that instant, the faithful would stop harvesting, even if there were more crops to bring in, and leave immediately for worship service (Levitt 1979, 12).
The Feast of Trumpets could be the Rapture or the Second Coming of Christ. You’ll have to study and decide for yourself.
On Rosh Hashanah, a series of one hundred trumpet blasts is sounded to announce the setting up of the eternal court, with the trumpets heralding God as the all-seeing, all-knowing Judge of the Universe. Jewish tradition says that this court date is to find out who are righteous and have their names in the Book of Life through the Messiah. All other people are a mixture of good and bad, and God in His mercy, will delay their court date for a period of time to allow them to try and prepare a proper defense. The second court date is on Yom Kippur
The Wedding
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: 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 (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
Rosh Hashanah may be fulfilled when the Messiah comes on the clouds, the dead in Christ rise to meet the Lord in the air, and those who are alive are changed in an instant in the blinking of an eye to an eternal, immortal body. All of those whose names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life have open and shut cases and are righteous, not by their own deeds, but by the blood of the Lamb (Wagner 1995).
An inexpensive booklet with illustrations titled Unlocking Prophecy: Jesus Fulfills the Seven Feasts of Israel is available. This popular theory purports that Jesus will fulfill the fall holidays by coming on the Feast of Trumpets to catch away His Bride, the ChurchChurch to celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Heaven, then return to earth seven years later on the Day of Atonement to establish His Kingdom beginning on the Feast of Tabernacles.
A portion from the booklet Unlocking Prophecy: Jesus Fulfills the Seven Feasts of Israel:
Rabbis have taught that after being resurrected on the Feast of Trumpets, the righteous would enter the chupah, or wedding canopy, to spend seven years while the “day of trouble” [tribulation], the seven years of judgment, occurs on earth. By examining an ancient Jewish wedding, we can more clearly see the picture of the union of the Church (the bride) with the Messiah.
When a man in ancient Israel married, he went to the bride’s house with a “bride price” and made a contract (covenant) with the girl’s father. If the father accepted the man and his bride price, the man would pour a glass of wine. If the girl drank it, it would indicate that she accepted the man’s proposal and they were betrothed.
The man would go away and prepare a wedding chamber for his bride. When the man’s father deemed that the wedding chamber was ready, usually one to two years later, the man would return to the bride’s house and “steal” her away “like a thief in the night” at an hour when no one would suspect. He would take her to the wedding chamber for seven days. During this time, the groom’s father would hold a party to announce the marriage. At the end of the seventh day, the married couple would emerge from the chamber and partake of the marriage supper.
The ancient Jewish wedding is a picture of Jesus the Bridegroom and His bride, the ChurchChurch. The contract (covenant) was sealed at the Last Supper when Jesus shared the covenant cup with His disciples. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many (Mark 14:24).
Jesus, in speaking to the Disciples after the last supper said the same words that any Jewish man would tell his betrothed. In my father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also (John 14:2, 3). And, of course, Jesus paid the “bride price” with His life.
The marriage of the ChurchChurch to Jesus is described in several Bible texts. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints (Rev. 19:7-8).
The Jewish wedding ceremony is another beautiful shadow of Christ’s return.
This post is from the book A Family Guide tot he Biblical Holidays.
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Listen to a teaching from Baruch Korman on Torahclass.com He has a PhD. in Greek and in the Septuagint. A Believer, he lives in Israel, speaks Hebrew fluently, and has teaching videos in English and in Hebrew.
Click here to download a Free Printable Rosh Hashanah Card
