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[A Unique Messiah with Two Appearances][God's Chosen People][The Jewish Festivals][The Two Calendars]
[The 7000 Year Plan of God][Rosh HaShanah][Teshuvah][The Day of the Lord][Separation of Believers and Non-Believers]
[The Rapture][Coronation of the Messiah][Marriage of the Messiah][Summary]

The first century A.D. was a time of great expectation in the Jewish community; a great expectation for the Messiah.  Much was already in the scriptures concerning this person; where he would be born, his lineage, nature, etc.  The prophet Daniel told them that the Messiah would come forth during the middle of the fourth kingdom from the time of the prophecy; these were the Babylonians, Mede-Persians, Greeks, and the Romans.  Daniel also told them that the time of the messiah's coming would be approximately 400 years after the return of Nehemiah and Ezra.  By the time of John the Baptist, expectation had reached a feverish pitch,

"And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Messiah, or not, John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed immerse you with water, but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose.  He shall immerse you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."  (Luke 3:15-16).

The Conquering King Messiah was known as Messiah ben David is immortal, while the Suffering Servant Messiah, whose ancient name was Messiah ben Joseph, has his life end in death.  In ancient Jewish literature known as the Midrash, the Suffering Servant Messiah is informed by God of what awaits Him on the earth:

"Their sins will be upon you like a yoke or iron.  They will choke your spirit.  Because of their sins, your tongue will cleave to the roof of your mouth.  Do you accept this? If not, I will remove the decree from you."
"The Messiah replies, Master of the world, how long will this last?"
"God replies, Ephraim, my true Messiah, ever since the six days of creation you have taken this ordeal upon yourself.  At this moment, your pain is my pain."
"Messiah replies, Master of the world, I accept this with gladness in my soul, and joy in my heart, so that not a single one of the house of Israel should perish.  Not only for those alive, but also the dead.  it is enough that the servant be like the Master."

"Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Messiah to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?  (Luke 24:25,26).

God's Chosen People

My assertion is that God chose the Jewish people as having a particular destiny; a particular job to perform.  God does not love Israel more than any other nation, just like He does not like any individual person more than any other.  He has chosen various nations to have a particular job to perform.  The particular destiny of the Jewish people will now be discussed.

Origins of the Jewish people.  About 3500 years ago, God called a particular man out of the Ur of the Chaldees.  Abram was at that time a pagan in a region steeped in paganism.  God would call Abram to believe in him, to have faith in the promises of the Lord, and for this Abram would be rewarded with the land of Canaan and descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky.  God would later give the same promise to Jacob, Abraham's grandson.  At that time, God changed Jacob name (meaning "Supplanter" to Israel (meaning "A Prince with God").  Israel then had twelve sons, the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel.  These sons later went down to Egypt where they were at first protected by a Pharoah, but then after several hundred years became so numerous that the leaders of Egypt feared them and so made slaves out of them.  Moses led them out from Egypt where they were formed into a nation under God at Mt. Sinai.  While there, God not only gave them the Ten Commandments, but also government, other laws, customs, and moral codes.  It was there that God made Israel into His chosen people.  The other nations of the world would have their own pagan religion, customs, and governments; Israel alone would be identified with the Lord.  Eventually, Israel would be a light unto the nations by which they might come to know, see, fear, obey, and be saved by God,

"Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statues and unto the judgments which I teach you, for to do them, that ye might live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you.  Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you.  Keep therefore and do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.  For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great that hath statues and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day. (Deut. 4:1-2, 6-8).

"What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God."  (Romans 3:1,2).

"I say the truth in Messiah.  I like not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great heaviness and continue sorrow in my heart.  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Messiah for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the promises.  Whose are the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh Messiah came.  Who is over all, God blessed for ever.  Amen."  (Romans 9:1-5).

God would give Israel many things; their law, customs, dress, food, government, clothing, music, holidays, and most importantly, the Messiah.  God would do this to set Israel apart from other nations, for it would be a unique nation that would produce the Messiah.

It should be somewhat humbling that the famous, Sermon on the Mount, was given to a Jewish audience - and not to a Gentile audience.  In this address, Christ discussed how God had called Israel apart from other nations to be an example unto them, and to reveal His redemption and His Messiah through the Torah and their life,

"Ye [Israel] are the sat of the earth, but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted?  It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be case out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light until all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  (Matthew 5:13-16).

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days.  Which are a shadow of things to come, out the body is of Messiah."  (Col. 2:16-17).

Many have thought that Paul departed from Judaism after he also became a Christian - but nothing could be further from the truth.  This thought is not consistent with the Bible, nor with the historical record of early believers in the Messiah.

Many years after receiving Christ, Paul went to Jerusalem to keep the feast of Shavuot along with a number of other believers from many congregations in Asia Minor.  These believers were both Jewish as well as Gentile,

"And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly, and the day following Apostle Paul went in with us unto James, and all the elders were present.  And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry, and when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe, and they are all zealous of the law, and they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.  (Acts 21:12-21).

"What is it therefore?  The multitude must needs come together for they will hear that thou art come.  Do therefore this that we say to thee.  We have four men which have a vow on them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads."  (Acts 21:22-24a).

The phrase, "be at charges with them" refers to sharing in the expenses necessary for the sacrifices listed in Numbers 6. Additionally, the Christian Jews continued to sacrifice at the Temple even after the resurrection of Christ.  They did not believe that these sacrifices had anything to do with the removal of sin, because it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to remove sin - only the blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:4).  Rather, the five different types of animal sacrifice (burnt offering, guilt offering, sin offering, peace offering, and bread offering) each taught a different aspect concerning the Messiah.  Finally, the offering of these sacrifices in no way compromised their belief that salvation is by faith in Christ and not through the blood of animals or the keeping of commandments.

Paul was an observant Jew, as indicated by the following aspects of his life as portrayed in the Epistles and Acts,

a.  Paul attends the synagogue in every community he visits
b.  Paul keeps the festival of unleavened bread (the Hag ha Matzah) in Acts 20:6,
c.  Paul conducts a Havdolah service (concluding service for the Sabbath inaugurating the first day of the week (Acts 20:7-12).
d.  Paul instructs the Roman governor that he had come to Jerusalem for the festival of Shavuot, to worship God, and to bring Temple sacrifices and alms (Acts 24:11,17).
e.  Paul spoke of himself as a Pharisee (Acts 23:6).
f.   Paul professes to the Jewish leaders in Rome that he had done nothing against his people (the Jews) or their customs (Acts 28:17).

The average Christian today, however, has little appreciation of their Jewish heritage.  Certainly, they recognize that Christ was Himself Jewish, and that the Old Testament is essentially a Jewish document.  However, many believe that the ordeals and persecutions the Jewish people have suffered over the past two thousand years indicate a rejection from God of the Hebrew people.  Nothing, however, could be further from the truth.  Certainly, the Jewish people might deserve such a rejection, for they rejected God throughout the entire Old Testament.  Additionally, the Jewish people did not recognize their own Messiah and even killed Him in a most horrible manner, taking upon themselves and their children  blame for this deed.  However, eschatology indicates God remembers His part of the covenant made with the Jewish nation during the time of Moses, and that He will bring them back to Him in the future.  In fact, this gathering has already begun in the nation of Israel that we see today.  No, God has not rejected the Jewish people.

What history indicates, however, is that Christians have tried to ignore the Jewish contribution to their religion.  Shortly after the death of Paul, the Jewish nation was crushed from the Roman Empire under Titus after they rebelled in a hopeless bid for independence.  Jerusalem was leveled and the Temple was destroyed.  At that time, anything Jewish was considered unpatriotic to Rome.  Later, in 135 A.D., there was another revolt of the Jewish people which was treated even more harshly than the first - millions of Jewish people were killed.  As the Jewish contribution was necessarily stifled due to these depopulations, Christianity ripped out all trades of Judaism from its midst.  There was a substitution of Jewish religious festivals by pagan festivals; Pesach was replaced by Easter (the Babylonian fertility goddess), and Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles, was replaced by Christmas (the Roman birthday of the sun god).  By the time of the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., Constantine had taken over the church, and laws were issued which forbade Jewish believers from exercising the Jewish portion of their beliefs; for example, they were forbidden to circumcise their children.  Finally, the gospels themselves were "gentilized" when they were translated from the original Greek into other languages, and were given common Gentile names and idiomatic thoughts, causing people to miss the essential "Jewishness" of the New Testament.  Unfortunately, as we will see, this caused many believers to miss many important facets of their religion, especially as pertains to future events which tie in so intimately with Jewish festival, holidays, and customs.  It is in these festivals that God explains, defines, and demonstrates important ideas which relate to future events; it is a lack of understanding of these Jewish festivals that has caused such confusion and difficulty in the Christian understanding of eschatology. 

The Jewish Festivals

The festivals and feasts of ancient Biblical Judaism seem to be unrelated and certainly unimportant to the modern Christian.  However, such an assertion could not be further from the truth.  The festivals were instituted to teach the "Chosen People" about the Messiah who would some day be born into their midst.  Leviticus 23 is certainly one of the most important Biblical pages with respect to the Jewish Festivals, for many of them are first presented there; and it therefore becomes one of the key chapters of hte Bible for understanding the rest of the book.  Many of the festivals look to the first appearance of the Messiah when He came as the Suffering Servant, while others look toward the second coming of the Messiah when He will come as the Conquering King.

There are seven festivals, and they are celebrated in two different seasons.  The four spring festivals pertain to the first coming of the Messiah and take us from Passover to the ingathering of the barley harvest - they are tied to agricultural events in Israel.  The three fall festivals begin at the time of the ingathering of wheat.  Naturally, these agricultural festivals depend upon rain - a rare commodity in the Middle East.  In Israel, there is a time of rain in the Spring (the "former rain") and a time of rain in the Fall (the "latter rain").  This division of the two groups of festivals relates to the two comings of the Messiah,

"...and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." (Hosea 6:3c).

Passover (Pesach).  As anybody who has any contact with Judaism could attest, the Passover is certainly one of the most important times of the year.  It is a time when the Jewish people remember how the Lord freed them from their bondage to Egypt - and it would come to commemorate how the Lord would free all His people form the bondage of sin.  When the Jews were slaves in Egypt, they cried out to the Lord for deliverance.  They could not understand how they, god's chosen people, could have become slaves to another power.  But it would be through this slavery that the Lord would work a great miracle, not only the miracle that would free the Jews from their masters, but also foreshadow the far greater miracle of the redemption of mankind from slavery to sin and suffering.  When Israel cried out for help, the Lord raised up Moses - a great deliverer who would demand to Pharaoh that he would release the Jews to let them go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to hold a feast and make sacrifices to God (Ex. 3:18, 5:3, 9:27).  Notice the very important fact that initially Moses was not asking for Pharaoh to totally free his people - only to let them to on a three hour pass whereupon they would voluntarily return to Egypt.  Pharaoh refused, and God gave Moses the authority to call down the ten progressively worsening plagues upon Egypt.  After the first nine plagues, Pharaoh still would not let his slaves go, and finally God decreed that on the tenth day of the month of Aviv, each Jewish household would take an unblemished male lamb, one year old (mature but young), and keep this lamb in their house for four days.  During this time, each house was to inspect the lamb to be sure it was perfect, and free from all blemishes or imperfections (Ex 12:3-4).  On the fourteenth day of the month of Aviv, at three o'clock in the afternoon precisely, the father of the house was to take the animal to the doorway of the house, and the lamb was then to be killed in a very specific and precise way,

"And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening."  (Ex. 12;6).

In the doorway, the father of the household would lay his hands upon the lamb, thereby symbolically identifying with the animal.  This "laying on of hands" would become one of the fundamental doctrines of faith in Jesus,

"Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Messiah, let us go on unto perfection: not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of immersions, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.  And this we will do, if God permit."  (Hebrews 5:1-3).

That night, the Jewish people captive in Egypt ate the lamb with bitter herbs and unleavened bread (matzah) (Ex. 12:8).  They were to eat while symbolically ready to leave immediately - each ate with a staff in his hand and sandals on his feet (Ex 12:11).  The people were forbidden to go outside their homes for that night the tenth and greatest plague would visit Egypt.  The angel of death would slay the firstborn son of every house - whether animal, Egyptian, or Jewish, royal or slave, rich or poor.  But, God made a promise that he would personally hover over those houses with the lamb's blood on the door to prevent entry by the angel of death; they would be saved.  The angel of death would "pass over" those houses, hence the name for the holy day - "Passover."  The Jewish people were still only going to be going out into the desert for three days.  They were literally owned by the Pharoah himself and not by Egypt (Gen. 47:13,26). With the death of the Pharaoh, ownership of the Jews would cease thus freeing them to continue to the promised land.

The first part of their journey carried them to Sukkot, probably to secure the body of Joseph (Ex. 13:19-20).  The people pitch their tents there (Num. 33:5) while Moses gets the coffin of Joseph, possibly between sunrise and noon - still Aviv 15.  Then, they continue on to Etham (NUm. 33:6) where the people camp for a second night on Aviv 16.  On the next morning - still on Aviv 16, they move camp to Pi Hahiroth next to the sea (Num 33:7).  It is here while they are camped next to the sea that Pharaoh approaches the Hebrew camp (Ex. 14:9).  The armies of Pharaoh are held at bay by God while Israel crosses through the sea.  Pharaoh then enters the sea during the morning watch (Ex. 14:23-24), the morning watch being the last watch of the night between 3 AM and 6 AM: it is there that God allows the waters to close killing the Egyptian army (Ex. 14:25-31).

Moses had gotten the coffin of Joseph on the way to the sea.  Joseph had been a picture of the Messiah: he was hated by his brothers, cast into a pit, sold as a slave, and then raised up to be the ruler of Egypt second only to Pharaoh.  In his later years, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and even though he holds the power of life and death in his hands, he extends mercy to his brothers who had sold him into slavery.

To summarize, the lamb was slain on Aviv 14 (Thursday), visited the grave of Joseph on Aviv 15 (Friday), crossed the sea on Aviv 17 (Sunday morning).  Thus, it should be no surprise that Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection would not only parallel those dates but be on the same day of the week.  Traditional misunderstanding that Jesus was slain on Friday is from the following verse,

"The Jews therefore, because it was the Preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath-day was an high-day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away."  (John 19:31).

I have placed a discussion regarding the proper timing of Jesus' Crucifixion on a Thursday rather than a Friday in another article as it is somewhat tangential to consideration of end time events and how they relate to Jewish festivals.

Firstfruits of the Barley Harvest.  The third festival that is actually held during the week-long celebration of Hag HaMatzah is firstfruits of the barley harvest.  This holiday is held on the day after the weekly Sabbath (Saturday) - the first Sunday after Aviv 15.

During the first century A.D., the actual date of this holiday was contested.  The Pharisees maintained that the proper date would be Aviv 16, while the Sadducees thought it would be the Sunday following the weekly Sabbath. This debate concerned interpretation of Leviticus 23,

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it."  (Lev. 23:9-11).

The issue is settle by two means.  First, Jesus is called "the firstfruits of those that rise from the dead." (1 Cor 15:20-23) which connects him to the Firstfruits of the Barley Harvest holiday.  Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday; therefore, it is likely that the correct date for the original holiday would also be a Sunday.  The other way the correct date for the holiday can be established is from Scripture,

"And ye shall count unto you form the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete; even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering to the Lord."  (Lev 23:15-16).

It would be on this day that Israel went down into the depths of the sea and emerged alive on the other side.  However, the Egyptians also entered into the water but were killed (including Pharoah) so his rights to ownership of Israel also ended.  The death of the Pharoah ended his right to own the children of Israel so they could proceed to the Promised Land.  Similarly, Christ was killed (went down into the sea) but arose alive, and Satan's ownership of mankind ended.  God commanded His people to bring the firstfruits of their barley harvest as a wave offering (Lev. 23:11) before Him on this day. (Lev. 23:10).

Journey to Mount Sinai.  It took three days for Israel to reach the Red Sea, and it would take 47 more days to reach Mount Sinai (Lev. 23:16-22).  The people were told to purify themselves for three days (Ex. 19:10-15).  On the 50th day after coming up alive out of the sea, they were allowed to approach the mountain; that day became known as the Revelation of God at Mt. Sinai.  It would be there that the Lord would reveal Himself to the people.  A shofar sounded louder, fire was seen on the mountain, the wind roared, and the ground shook.  The voice of the Lord brought forth the Torah (Ex. 20:1-17).  According to Jewish tradition, the voice of the Lord not only spoke in Hebrew, but also in every tongue at the same time as well.  Later, 50 days after the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit would be given to the believers during the Pentecost.

Shavuot.  Rabbi Joseph Hertz notes,

"The revelation at Sinai, it was taught, was given in desert territory, which belongs to no one nation exclusively, and it was heard not by Israel alone, but by the inhabitants of all the earth. The Divine Voice divided itself into the seventy tongues then spoken on earth, so that all the children of men might understand its world-embracing and man-redeeming message." (Authorized Daily Prayer Book, p. 791).

A term in Hebrew for festival is mo'ed, which means a "set time," or an "appointed time."  (Lev. 23:4).  God appointed seasons during the year during which time men would be required to present themselves in Jerusalem (Deut. 16).  These times are called the appointments of hte Lord; the implication here seems to be that God has an appointment to do something special special with Israel on these days.  Another word often used in connection with these festivals is "mikrah" which is translated as "convocation" or "rehearsal" in many Bibles (Lev. 23:2).  The implication is that God uses these festivals as a rehearsal for preparing Israel for another appointment with God.  Indeed, the appointments set by God during the origination of these festivals during the time of Moses would be met 1500 years later with Christ.  During Jesus' last week, on Aviv 10, He would look down upon Israel from the Mount of Olives and weep,

"And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.  For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a branch about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with theg round, and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."  (Luke 19:41-44).

"Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead."  (John 12;1).

"Oh Lord, please save us, Oh Lord, please save us, Oh Lord send us prosperity, Oh Lord, send us prosperity.  Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord."

"Hosanna - Save us.  Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!  Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the Highest!"

"For even Messiah, Our Passover (Lamb), is sacrificed for us."  (1 Cor. 5:7b).

As we have seen, Jesus died at 3:00 in the afternoon - the same time as the lamb was slain in the Temple.  The Jewish leaders then hurried to place Him in the grave by sunset (John 19:31-42) at which time the next festival and Sabbath - Unleavened Bread - would begin.  The first day of the festival was marked by eating the lamb, along with bitter herbs and unleavened bread.  During this meal, a ceremony was rehearsed whereby a piece of Matzah is broken, wrapped in linen, and buried.  This small portion of matzah was called the "afikoman."  Half of the matzah is retained, while the other half is wrapped in a linen bag and buried.  The children then try to find the buried afikoman and hold it for ransom from their father.  The sedar meal cannot continue until the father retrieves the broken matzah.  In Jerusalem, the afikoman would be the last thing eaten during the meal, and became a substitute for the lamb itself.  After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the afikoman became the last thing eaten in the sedar, representing the Passover lamb which could no longer be slain since there was no longer a Temple.

Jesus said,

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh; which I will give for the life of the world."  (John 6:51).

"But now is Messiah risen from the dead, and become the First Fruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Messiah the First Fruits; afterward they that are Messiah's at His coming." (1 Cor. 15:20-23).

"And He said unto them; These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Torah of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me.  Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Messiah to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And ye are witnesses of these things.  And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."  (Luke 24:44-19).

"And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting, and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."  (Acts 2:1-4).

Thus, each of the four great festivals of the "spring rain" has already been fulfilled about 2000 years ago.  But, God still is far from finished with mankind and the earth, for we still have to account for three major festivals that occur in the fall months - the "latter rain."

The Fall Festivals.  The fall festivals take place in the seventh month of the religious year - the first month of the civil year - Tishri.  As it was seen that the festivals of the spring rain talked about the events surrounding the first coming of the Messiah, so do the festivals of the fall rain present events to take place at the time of Christ's second coming.

Rosh HaShanah - Yom Teruah.  The Feast of Trumpets is also known as Rosh HaShanah (Literally, "Head of the Year." - the Jewish New Year).  This day teaches about the coronation and wedding of the Messiah, the Rapture, the Day of Judgement, the beginning of the Messianic kingdom, Jacob's Trouble, the resurrection of the dead, Teshuvah, and the birthday of the world.

Yom Kippur - The Day of Atonement.  This day is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year.  In the days of the Temple, Yom Kippur was celebrated by two goats; one to be slain, and one to be led off into the wilderness symbolically taking away the peoples' sins.  The blood of the killed goat was taken by the High Priest into the Holy of Holies of the Temple in Jerusalem and sprinkled on the mercy seat of God.  This was the only day of the year this inner portion of the Temple could be entered, and then only by the High Priest.  On Yom Kippur, God would grant or deny atonement for the next year.  On this day, there would be a temporal atonement, but the Scriptures discuss of a day that the Messiah will have returned and will have redeemed his people.  The future appointment of Christ foretold by this holiday is the literal Second Coming of Christ, and there will be a judgment of those people who have survived the seven year tribulation period.  It is on Yom Kippur that the shofar is blown to gather in the surviving believers from the tribulation period; the interval between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur is also known as the Days of Awe, but truly awesome events will transpire.

Sukkot - The Feast of Tabernacles.  This day commemorates the time when Israel traveled in the wilderness and they lived in tabernacles or temporary homes.  These temporary dwellings were called Sukkot in Hebrew.  It would be during this time that God would live with His people in His own Tabernacle.  There was a cloud that covered and shaded the people by day, and warmed them by night.  God provided food and water for the people, and God commanded the people to live in a temporary shelter annualy for the week of this festival.  The major prophetic themes for Sukkot are the Messianic Kingdom (Millennium), the birth of the Messiah, the dedication of the Temple, the pouring out of living water, and the future protection of Israel in the wilderness.

During Sukkot, the people sang Isaiah 12:3,

"Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation."

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."  (John 7:37-38).

"A glorious high throne form the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.  O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters."  (Jer. 17:12-13).

Sukkot was also known as the "Feast of Dedication" as it was also the day that Solomon finished the Temple.  Also, Sukkor was known as the "feast of lights' because there was a custom of putting four lights within the midst of the Temple during this season.  The importance of this name is that it was on the day after Sukkot, the "eighth day" which is also connected to the holiday, that Christ proclaimed Himself as the "light of the world."  Finally, Sukkot is also referred to as the "Season of Our Joy" and probably represents the actual time of Christ's birth.  The angels declared to the world the fact of Christ's birth using liturgy from the ancient Sukkot ceremony,

'And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior..."  (Luke 2:10-11)

"Devout men and men of (good) deeds would dance before them with the flaming torches {that were} in their hands and would utter before them words of songs and praises, and the Levites with harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets, and countless musical instruments (stood) on the fifteen steps that descend from the Court of the Israelites to the Women's Court - corresponding to the fifteen Songs of Ascent in Psalms..."  (Sukkah 5:4).

"And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one."  (Zechariah 14:9).

"And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jersualem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of Sukkot.  And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.  And if the family of Egypt go not up and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewth the Lord will smite the heathen that come  not up to keep the feast of Sukkot.  This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of Sukkot."  (Zechariah 14:15-19).

The Two JewishCalendars

The Jewish people have two calendars; the religious and the civil.  The religious calendar starts in the spring with the month Aviv (about March or April), while the civil calendar starts in the fall with the month Tishri (about September of October).  Leviticus uses the religious calendar, or the one that starts with the month of Aviv.  This concept of the two Jewish calendars is very important in understanding the Jewish festivals.  During the time of Abraham, there was only one calendar; the one that is now called the civil calendar beginning with Tishri.  However, when the Passover lamb was slain as the Israelites were preparing to exit Egypt, the calendar was changed.  While both calendars are used throughout the Bible and continue to the present time, only the religious calendar is used with respect to Jewish festivals.

An example of this disparity in dating occurs with the following example.  Noah's ark came to rest on Mount Ararat on the seventeenth day of the seventh month (Gen. 8:4).  Since this occurred before Egyptian captivity, it should be understood that this event happened on Aviv.  Alternatively when Hezekiah enters the Temple to make sacrifice after it had been cleaned on the seventeenth day of the first month, it should be understood as Aviv 17 as well.  Interestingly, both of these events occurred on the same day as Christ's resurrection.

God is omnipotent, and outside of the time that He created.  God is not controlled by time, for He can see the end from the beginning

"Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure."  (Isaiah 46:10).

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."  (Gen 1:1).

"And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days." (Gen. 7:24)

"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened." (Gen. 7:11)

"And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat" (Gen. 8:4-5)

Today, there are 354 days in the Jewish year, with a corrective month being added seven times every nineteen years.  The current calendar was instituted by Hillel 11 in 360 A.D. The Civil Calendar

1.  Tishri (Ethanim)	7.  Nisan (Aviv)
2.  Cheshvan (Bul)	8.  Iyar (Zif)
3.  Kislev	9.  Sivan
4. Tevat	10.  Tammuz
5.  Sh'vat	11.  Av
6.  Adar	12.  Elul

 God also added a second calendar - the religious one,

"And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, "This month (Aviv or Nisan) shall be unto you the beginning of months: It shall be the first month of the year to you."  (Exodus 12:1-2).

God created the Universe in Genesis 1, in six days.  It would certainly have been possible for God to have created the Universe in an instant, so that fact that it was created in six days must have some significance.  Furthermore, on the seventh day, God rested.  Certainly, God did not need a day of rest in the same sense as we do, so again this "day of rest" must also carry some significance.  In Col. 2:16-17, God told us that the picture of a weekly Sabbath is a picture of something more to come, and that it would be centered on the Messiah.  This is then further developed in Hebrews 4, where the Sabbath is interpreted three ways: (a) as a literal weekly rest, (b) as a rest that can be had by faith in Christ, and (c) as the seventh day yet to come,
"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heart it.  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said.  As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.  For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise.  And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.  And in this place again, if they shall enter into thy rest.  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was that preached entered not in because of unbelief.  Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time, as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.  For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."  (Hebrews 4:1-6).

The writer of Hebrews had just quoted from Psalm 95:7-11; in verse 11, God says that those who rebel against Him cannot enter into His rest.  The Hebrew word for "rest' is "m'nuchah" which is the same word used by Isaiah,

"And in that day [the Day of the Lord] there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people, to it shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious."  (Isaiah 11;10).

"For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night."  (Psalm 90:4).
"But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in stone, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of the ungodly man.  But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  The the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens will pass away with a great noice, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the world that are therein shall be burned up."  (2 Peter:3-7-10).

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgement was given unto them, and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years.  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.  This is the first resurreciton.  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Messiah, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."  (Revelation 20:4-6).

This word picture of the six thousand years of world history can also be demonstated in the Scriptures.  For example, Solomon, the Prince of Peace in the Old Testament, had great wisdom, wealth and glory - he was a shadow of the Messiah to come.  Six steps (six thousand years) led to his throne (the last thousand year kingdom). (11 Chr. 9:17-19).  In the first two chapters of John, another picture of the six thousand year period is demonstrated.  Christ's first miracle was turning water into wine at the wedding ceremony at Cana; He arrived at Cana on the seventh day of a trip.  I have always wondered why Christ would use the occasion of His first miracle at a wedding feast - rather than something more profound or outstanding such as feeding the 5000 people with only a few fish.  The answer is that the wedding feast at Cana is again a foreshadowing of the great wedding feast that will be held during the Messianic age between Christ and His Church.  The first four days of Christ's trip are found in Verses 19, 29, 35, and 43 of Chapter One.  On the fourth day, Christ takes a trip that lasts two days (perhaps the 2000 years since His last appearance at the crucifixion), and is not seen again until the seventh day; the occasion of the wedding feast (John 1:19-2:3).  There are other similar occurrences:

a.  Noah (Gen. 7:6).  Noah was 600 years old at the time of the Flood.  It was during this time that Noah (another foreshadowing of Christ) takes away the faithful and the rest of the world is judged.

b.  The Transfiguration.  (Matthew 17:1-9).  The Transfiguration is another picture of the coming of Christ back to His Creation at the end of six days (6,000 years).  In Matthew 16, Christ promises his disciples that they will not all see death until they see Christ in His glory.  Many have supposed that this was a reference to His second coming, but this is apparently not true.  Christ demonstrated His glory in the Transfiguraiton.  In Christ's Transfiguration into his glorified body, we see what we will some day inherit in our own similar body,

"Beloved, now are we the sons of god, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."  (John 3:2).

"Ye yourselves bear me witnes, that I said, I am not the Messiah, but that I am sent before Him.  He that hath the bride is hte bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly becuase of the bridegroom's voice this my joy therefore is fulfilled."  (John 3:26-29).

"Then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken; ought not Messiah to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?  And beginning in Moses and all the prophets [personified by Elijah], he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."  (Luke 24:25-27).

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."  (Malachi 4:5-6).
"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, siath the Lord of hosts."  (Malachi 3:1).
"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isaiah 40:3-5).
"Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for hte people.  Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world.  Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him."  (Isaiah 62:10-11).

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elijah truly shall come first, and restore all things.  But I say unto you, That Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed.  Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.  Then the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Immerser.  (Matthew 17:11-13).
The future coming of Elijah is also spoken of in Revelation,
"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days [three and a half years], clothed in sackcloth.  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.  And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.  These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.  And when they shall have finished their testimonh, the beastthat ascendeth out of the botoomless pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them, and kill them."  (Rev. 11:3-7).

c.  The Coronation of Joash.  Joash was miraculously saved from death by his grandmother who had ascended to the throne of Judah.  He was secretely kept in the Temple until he was odl enough to ascend the throne himself.  Again, as with several other characters of the Old Testament, Joash is a type of the Mesisah as he is hidden in the Temple for six years (six thousand).

"And He was with her hid in the House of hte Lord six years.  And Athaliah did reign over the land."  (11 Kings 11:3).

"And the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the House of hte Lord, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the House of hte Lord, and showed them the King's son."  (11 Kings 11:4).

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him.  And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve Him:  His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."  (Daniel 7:13-14).

"And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about the King, from the right corner of the Temple to the left corner of the Temple, along by the altar and the Temple.  And he brought forth the King's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave Him the testimony; and they made Him King, and anointed Him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the King." (11 Kings 1;11-12).

i.  Anointing.  The Hebrew word for Messiah (Mashiach) means anointed, and every king overe Israel that was anointed in the Old Testament was in a sense a messiah. The oil that was poured over the head of the anointed one represented the Holy Spirit that had taken hold of the King.  Through this ceremony, the Lord was preparing His people for the great Messiah - Jesus Christ.

ii.  Acclamation.  In the acclamation, the people accept the proposed King as their King.  The King was not chosen by the people - this was not a democracy; rather, the King was chosen for them.

iii.  Enthronment.  The enthronment represents the actual assumption of power by the monarch, and in the case of Joash is described as follows,

"And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the House of hte Lord, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house.  And he sat on the throne of the kings."  (11 Kings 11:19).

"And speak unto him, saying, Thus pseaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the Temple of the Lord:  Even He shall build the Temple of the Lord: and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."  (Zechariah 6:12-13).

"And it shall come to pass in the last day, that the mountain of the Lord's House shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.  and many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord; to the House of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in Hi spaths: for out of Zion shall go forth the Torah (law), and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn way any more."  (Isaiah 2:2-4).

After Absalom is restored to David, however, he then begins to plot against him, trying to seize the kingdom in a masterful coup d'etat.  Absalom starts by trying to undermine the support David enjoys with the common people in his kingdom.  He does this by telling people what they want to hear instead of what is the truth {sound like modern politicians!}.  Gradually, many in the kingdom become loyal to Absalom rather than David.  A parallel might be seen here between Absalom and the future false Messiah who at the beginning of the seventh day also tries to take the kingdom away from the True Messiah.  Absalom has a co-conspirator in Ahithophel, just like the false messiah has his false prophet. (Rev. 13).

Several traits of Absalom make him appear like the false messiah of the future.  The name "Absalom" means "Father of Peace" - however, his actions demonstrate he is more like the father of lies. The beauty of Absalom reflects the beauty of the future false messiah,

"But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sold of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.  And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight."  (11 Samuel 14:25-26).

"Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee."  (Ezekiel 28:17).

"For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form not comliness; and then we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him."  (Isaiah 23:2).

e.  Isaac.  Isaac is perhaps the best figure of Christ in the Old Testament.  He is seen as the promised son even from his birth,

"And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir."  (Gen. 15:4).
"And He said,; I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life, and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.  And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind Him."
"And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken.  For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him."  (Gen 21:1-2).

Finally, Isaac would be married at forty years old, relating to Jesus' coming into the world at the end of 4000 years to take out a bride for Himself.  Isaac finally had children when he was 60 yeras old, representing the salvation of Christ's people at the end of 6000 years. 

Rosh HaShanah (Yom Teruah)

In the Bible, the festival is known as the Festival of the Blowing of Trumpets:

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of ISrael, saying, In the seventh month (Tishri on the religious calendar), on the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.  Ye shall do no servile work therein; but ye shall offer sin offering made by fire unto the Lord."  (Lev. 20:23-25).

"It is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you."  (Numbers 29:10).

"Awake you, sleepers from your sleep, and you slumberers, arise from your slumber - examine your deeds, repent and remember your Creator.  Those of you who forget the truth in the vanities of the times and dwell all year in vanity and emptiness, look into your souls, improve your ways and actions, let each of you forsake him evil and his thoughts which are not good."  (Rambam, Hilchot Teshuvah, Chapter 3).

"Wherefore he saith, awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Messiah shall give thee light.  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Wherefore, be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."  (Ephesians 5:16-17).

"Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord, awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations or old, Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?" (Isaiah 51:9).

Another name for the day is Yom HaZikkaron, or "Day of Remembrance."  The Day of Remembrance is both a Biblical as well as a Talmudic name for Rosh HaShanah.  In the Bible, it is found in Leviticus,

"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial (Zikkaron) of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation."  (Lev. 23:24).

"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name."  (Malachi 3:17).

"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Messiah."  (Romans 14:10).
"For we are labourers together with god, ye are God's husbandry, yet are God's building.  According to the grace of God which is given utno me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.  But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day, shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire: and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.  If any man's work abide which he hath build thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved: yet so as by fire."  (1 Cor. 3:9-15).
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah; that eveyr one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."  (11 Cor. 5:10).

Rosh haShanah is a day that has many facets; many meanings.  It is a day of repentance (Teshuvah), a time of Jacob's trouble, the resurrection of the dead, the natzal (plucking away), the coronation of the Messiah, the beginning of the Messianic Kingdom, the judgement, and the wedding of the Messiah.

It is also a day making the next great appointment God has for His people and the world.  It is soon.

 The Jewish Season of Teshuvah

On the Jewish calendar, there is a forty-day season called, "Teshuvash" meaning return, or repentance. This seasons begins on Elul 1 and concludes on Tishri 10 (Yom Kippur) Without an understanding of Teshuvah it is impossible to fully comprehend the meaning of the High Holy Days (Rosh haShanah through Yom Kippur).

According to the rabbis, man is born with an evil inclination - much like the Christian understanding of original sin. Repentance is the antidote to this sin; but repentance is more than just feeling sorry. In order to fully repent, you must also turn away from them; you must overcome that which is causing you to do this particular sin. In the Talmud, repentance is one of the seven things created by God before the world was created. The desire of God is that all should repent of their sins and in so doing, not be forced to pay the penalty for sin. As the Bible notes,

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (1 Peter 3:9).

"But if the wick will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statues, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall lie. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? Saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and life?"

"Therefore I will just you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleausre in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." (Ezekiel 18:21-23,30-32).

"Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." (Matthew 5:23,24).

"Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together O nation not desired; before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgement; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger." (Zephaniah 2:1-3).

On the day of Rosh haShanah, each man is judged. God has three books that are opened during that day. Those who have returned back to God are written in the Book of the Righteous. All other people are then divided into two groups; the first of these is known as the Rashim; the wholly wicked; their names are written into a book of the same name. Their fate is sealed on Rosh haShanah for they have forever rejected - at their own accord - the salvation of God through the Messiah. The last group a the intermediates. These are the common people, and this comprises the largest group. They have not yet been judged righteous, nor have they been placed into the book of the wholly wicked. They are given ten more days to repent. If they are able to repent of their sins by Yom Kippur they are then written into the Book of the Righteous; otherwise, they are listed with the wicked. Their fate is sealed on Yom Kippur.

The last chapter of Hosea conveys this theme, as well as a prophetic promise to Israel,

"O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; fortho hast fallen by thininiquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our liips. Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands. Ye are our Gods: in the fatherless find mercy. I will heal their backsliding. I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him I will be as the dew unto Israel: he hl row as the lily, and cast forth his ts as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under His shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard Him, and observed Him: I am like a green fir tree. From life is thy fruit found. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent and he shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein." (Hosea 14:1-9).

"All things are judged on Rosh haShanah, and their fate is sealed on Yom Kippur, are the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah, in the name of Rabbi Aklva, says: All things are judged on Rosh haShanah." (Toseta Rosh haShanah 1:13).

"It has been taught: The school of Shammai says: There will be three classes on the final Day of Judgement, one of the wholly righteous, one of the wholly wicked, and one of the intermediates. The wholly righteous are at once inscribed and sealed for life in the world to come; the wholly wicked are at once inscribed and sealed for Gehinnon…" (Rosh haShanah 16b-17a).

"For this reason it is fit that we celebrate the Rosh haShanah as a festive day; but since it is a Day of Judgement for all living things, it is also fit that we observe Rosh haShanah with greater fear and awe than all the other festive day." (Sefer Ha-Hinukh, Mitzvah 311).

"Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it." (Jeremiah 30:7).

As discussed elsewhere, the 70-week period of Daniel 9:24-27 is a 490-year period, each week representing seven years. A similar interpretation of the week is found in this quote from Rabbi Simeon Ben Yohai,

"In the week when the son of David comes, in the first year this verse will be fulfilled: 'I will cause it to rain upon one city, and cause it not to rain upon another city.' In the second year the arrows of hunger will be sent forth. In the third a great famine: men, women, and children will die; pious men and saints (will be few), and the Law will be forgotten by its students. In the fourth, partial plenty. I the fifth, great plenty, when men will eat, drink and be merry, and the law will return to its students. In the sixth, voices. In the seventh, war; and at the end of the seventh year, the son of David will come." (Sanhedrin 97a).

    a.  the thirty days of the month Elul

The message of this time period is to repent of our sins before Rosh haShanah, and in so doing to have our names written in the Book of Life. Those who have their name written in the Book of Life are not righteous in themselves, but rather have received the Righteous one - the Messiah. Isaiah pointed out that our righteousness is not acceptable to God,

"In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of Righteousness to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgement and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely, and this is his name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness." (Jeremiah 33:15-16)

This day represents the beginning of the Messianic Kingdom. By this time, people have repented of their sins because judgement is now being passed upon the inhabitants of the world. Those whose names are in the Book of Life will be accepted by the Messiah for all time and are considered righteous. Others have hardened their hearts against the Messiah and now have their fate sealed. However, the most people have not yet made their decision and are still considered one of the "intermediates." They will now have the next ten days to reconsider their position and come to Christ.

This period represents the seven year Days of Jacob's troubles. The standard greeting during this period was, "May you be sealed until the day of redemption." The Apostle Paul referred to this greeting when he wrote in his letter to the Ephesians,

"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30).

This is the last division of Teshuvah; it is a representation of the coming of the Messiah. The forty day period of Teshuvah was designed by God to teach His people about the Second Coming. Luke wrote that the generation that sees Jerusalem return to the Jews will also see the return of the Messiah. In the Bible, a generation was generally considered to be forty years (Hebrews 3). God used this day for a year equation in punishing Israel for its lack of faith to go into the promised land; they were sentenced one year out of the promised land for each of the forty days that had been spent searching out that land. Jesusalem was restored to the Jewish people on June 7, 1967, when the city was taken out of the hands of Gentiles and given by God to Israel. Clearly, this was a miracle; and it portends another miracle yet to come.

The Day of the Lord

The Day of the Lord is referred to more than 300 times in Scriptures; it is one of the major doctrines of the Bible. It is important in both the Old and New Testaments; it is one of the themes which bind them together. It is important to see the theme of the "Day of the Lord" in its place as a plan of restoration. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and then placed man (and then woman) upon it. Man had entire dominion over all the earth. However, man sinned and death would come to man - and to the earth. The Midrash notes on Genesis 2:4 speaks of the plan of restoration God has made to redeem mankind from his death sentence,

"These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens." (Genesis 2:4).

The task of the Messiah was to pay the price for man's sin, and thereby to redeem his bondage to Satan. Man would once again become immortal, in the image of God, living in the environment made by God for him.

The Messianic kingdom is still in the future, when there will be "a new heaven and earth." Peter speaks of this Messianic Kingdom in this chapter,

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the hevens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 Peter 3:10-13).

"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be cursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat; for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord." (Isaiah 65:17-25).

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all ears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Rev. 21:1-4).

"And He shall send Jesus the Messiah, which before was preached unto you: whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." (Acts 3:20-21).

It was in this spirit that Isaiah wrote,

"O Zion, that bringest good tidings (the basar), get thee uyp into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings (basar), lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid: say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead thee that are with young." (Isaiah 40:9-12).

"Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel (basar) of the Kingdom of God (Heaven), and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God (heaven) is at hand (present): repent ye and believe the gospel (basar).

For more than four hundred years prior to the first coming, the spirit of prophecy had been removed from Israel; there had not been anybody upon whom the Spirit of God had rested. This period is known as the four hundred silent years. The Jewish nation was waiting for an Elijah; one who would come before and announce the coming of the Messiah. In His first coming, Christ received the Holy Spirit; the initial step ion the restoration of man with God,

"Behold my servant, whom I uphold: mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon Him: he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles." (Isaiah 42:1).

"Now when all the people were immersed, it came to pass, that Jesus also being immersed, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased." (Luke 3:21-22).

"And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord: My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever." (Isaiah 59:20-21).

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:37-39).

The Messianic prophecies presented a picture of both a Suffering Servant as well as a Conquering King.  Similarly, the Rapture will also have a dual picture; those who will be experiencing the "birth pangs" of the Messiah (the Tribulation), and the others who will be celebrating with the Messiah in heaven during the same seven-year period.  Rosh HaShana is also called Yom HaDin - the Day of Judgment.  On this day, all mankind will pass before God in Judgment,

"Said Rabbi Krusvedai in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:  Three books are opened on Rosh HaSHanah: one for the wholly righteous, one for the wholly wicked and one for the intermediates.  The wholly righteous are at once inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life: the wholly wicked are at once inscribed and sealed in the Book of Death; and the intermediates are held suspended from Rosh HaShanah until Yom Kippur.  If they are found worthy, they are inscribed for life; if found unworthy, they are inscribed for death."  (Rosh HaShanah 16b, version of En Yaakov).

"Neither their silver nor theri gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy; for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.  Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon youi.  Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment, seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger."  (Zephaniah 1:18-2:3).

"The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.  He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness."  (Isaiah 57:1,2).

"In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bullwarks.  Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation will keepeth the truth may enter in.  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee."  (Isaiah 26:1-9).

"Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.  Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.  For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain."  (Isaiah 26:19-21).

"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.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  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.  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.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.  But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."  (1 Thess. 4:13-5:3).

Uncommitted and Wholly Unrighteous.  Those people who have been left behind after the righteous are removed will have to experience God's wrath during the Great Tribulation.  Those left on the earth will consist of the Rashim (or totally wicked) and the intermediates who have not yet made up their mind whether to follow Christ.  For those two groups, these days will be terrible and awesome,
"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 the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.  for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?"  (Joel 2:1,11b).
 

"The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.  That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,  A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.  And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung."  (Zephaniah 1:14-17).

"Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.  For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.  Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcasses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.  And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.  For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion."  (Isaiah 34:1-4,8).

"And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"  (Rev. 6:14-17).

"It was evidently expected that these 'pangs' would be understood of the travail in which the new age was to be born.  The corresponding phrase in the Rabbinical text is 'the travail of the Messiah,' that is, not the sufferings of the Messiah himself, as it has sometimes been erroneously explained, but hte throes of mother Zion which is in labor to bring forth the Messiah without metaphor, the Jewish people."

"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows."  (Matthew 24:3-8).

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."  (2 Thess. 2:3,4,9-12).

"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.  These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." (Rev. 17:12-14)

"Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;  And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.  I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;  Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom."  (Daniel 7:19-22)

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  (Matthew 24:29-31)

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem."  (Isaiah 27:12-13).

"In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.  And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:  When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.  And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain."  (Isaiah 4:2-6).

The Natzal and the Resurrection

Faith in the coming of the Messiah, and faith in the resurrection of the dead go together in Jewish belief.  In Rabbinic literature, belief in the resurrection during the Messianic days has become a basic component.  Faith in the resurrection was one of the Thirteen Articles of Faith of Maimonides,

"I believe with a perfect faith that there will be a resurrectino of the dead at a time when the will shall arise from the Creator, may His Name be blessed and His remembrance be exalted for all eternity."  (Maimonides, Thirteen Articles of the Faith, Article 13).

"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.  And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."  (Daniel 12:1-5).

"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (1 Cor. 15:20-23, 45-49).

"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." (1 Cor. 15:20-23, 45-49).

"And in the poetic conception of our later teachers, it was the sound of the great shofar that will on the Last Day rend open the graves, and cause the dead to rise.  Thus, the Messianic Hope, Resurrection, and Immortality of the Soul are intertwined with the message of the shofar."  (Hertz Associated Daily Prayer Book. pg. 865).

"Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?  She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." (John 11:24-27).

"The tenth reason is to remind us of the revival of the dead, that we may believe in it, as it is  said (Isaiah 18:3): "All ye inhabitants of the world, and ye dwellers in the earth, when an ensign is lifted up on the mountains, see ye; and when the horn is blown, hear ye."

"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 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.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality,  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"  (1 Cor 15;50-55).

The Last Trumpet.  The terminology of the "last trumpet" comes again from ancient Judaism.  In Judaism, there is the first trumpet, the last trumpet, and the great trumpet.  The first trump and the last trump refer to the two horns of a given ram; according to Jewish tradition, the ram that was caught in the thicket as Abraham was getting ready to sacrifice his son Isaac.  This ram became the substitute sacrifice for Isaac; even as Jesus would become the substitute sacrifice for all of mankind.  In Jewish tradition, the first trump was blown on Mt. Sinai, and the last trump will be blown at the inauguration of the Messianic Kingdom.  The third and final shofar, the "Great Shofar" is the one blown at the conclusion of Yom Kippur teaching the ingathering of the exiles at the Messiah's literal second coming.  Thus, there is a difference between the Last Trumpet blown at Rosh HaShanah - where the dead are resurrected and the believers are caught away in the Rapture, and the Great Trumpet - where those who have become believers during the Great Tribulation are gathered from throughout the earth.

The Apostle Paul also taught that the living saints would be caught up to meet Christ,

"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.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  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. 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.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess. 4:13-16).

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14).

"to be gathered to one's people, to one's father; used of entering into Hades, where the Hebrews regarded their ancestors as being gathered together.  This gathering to one's fathers, or one's people, is distinguished both from death and burial."

" Then Abraham gave up the Ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people."  (Gen. 25;8).

"Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again."  (11 Kings 22:20).

"Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;  Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you.  Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger." (Zephaniah 2:1-3).

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days:  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." (Col. 2:16-17).

"But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness (Messiah) arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.'  (Malachi 4:2).

Thus, in summary, when the earth reaches its 6000th year, the last trumpet will be sounded and both the dead and alive believers in Christ will be taken up to meet Christ in the Rapture, and concealed from the wrath of God during the Great Tribulation.  The other purpose of their concealment is for them to be present at the Messiah's coronation and marriage to His church.  Those who have believed in the Messiah throughout all history, whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free, man or woman, etc., will be there. 

The Coronation of the Messiah

One of the central themes of Rosh HaShanah is the reaffirmation of the kindship of the Messiah; it is known as the "day of the coronation."  In the service for Rosh HaShanah, there are special songs such as , "Our Father, Our King" which expresses this thought.

Prophecies concerning the kingship of the Messiah are many,
"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shilow [a name for Christ] come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be."  (Gen. 49:10).

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth."  (Jer. 22:5).

"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."  (Luke 1:32-33).

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."  (Zechariah 9:9).

"And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;  Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest." (Luke 19:37-38).

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."  (Daniel 7:13-14).

"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.  And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind."  (Rev. 4:1-6).

"And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.  And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;  Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, honour, and glory, and blessing.  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.  And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever."  (Rev. 5:1-14).

The coronation of Christ is the first great event that will take place in heaven during the Great Tribulation - the other is the marriage of Christ to His Church.  During the age of grace in which we now live, Christ is said to be betrothed to His Church.  In the future, this arrangement will be formalized forever in the ceremony of a marriage. 

Marriage of the Messiah

All throughout the New Testament, the Messiah is referred to as the Bridegroom, whereas the church is the Bride. If there is a bridegroom and a bride, there must be a marriage. Our understanding of this marriage is that it is yet in the future, and indeed it will be during the years of the Great Tribulation that the marriage will take place; Christ will marry the Church which has been taken from the earth.

In order to better understand the events that will be taking place during the still future wedding of our Lord, it is necessary to understand the Jewish wedding ceremony as it existed during the time of Christ's first coming. Most of our are familiar with the Jewish concept of the Bar Mitzva - the time when a Jewish male becomes a man at the age of thirteen. From the time of thirteen until about the age of twenty is the time that a young man would be expected to take a wife. There was no intermediate period we might call a teenager of an adolescent in those times; rather, one went from being a boy to being a man.

In ancient Israel, there was no dating - often, marriages were arranged by the parents from the time that their children were infants, arranged by the parents at a later date (such as Samson's father did for his son (Jud. 14:1-10), while others were chosen by the young man from other women he might know (Gen 29:150-30). A young man intending to marry a young woman of his dreams would have to first get permission from her father. He would take three things to her father's house; a large sum of money to pay the price for his bride, a betrothal contract called a Shitre Erusin, and a skin of wine. The contract was laid out, and the price being paid for the bride was discussed and negotiated. If an agreement was reached between the young man and the girl's household (especially the father), then the wine was poured. If the young woman also agreed with the arrangement, she would drink the wine, thereby committing herself to his young man agreeing to follow the contract that had been negotiated. He was at this time betrothed to the young man and would be called husband and wife at this time; however, the marriage could not be consummated at this time as they were not yet fully married.

The young man then returned home to his father's house and prepared a bridal room, the chadar, for his wife. The young man, if asked when the wedding might occur, would reply that "no man knows except my father." (Mark 13:32). It was only after every preparation had been made and the chadar had been prepared that the young man would then go back to the girl's father's house to initiate the next part of the marriage ceremony. First, he had to pick two friends; one who would to with him to assist the bride and help lead her to the ceremony at his father's house, and the other one who would remain stationed with the groom. The latter would perform a special task when the bride and groom retired into the chadar after the wedding ceremony.

During the ceremony known as Kedushin, a second contract was issued called a Ketubah. This second marriage contract was witness by the two friends of the bridegroom and turned over to the parents of the bride. This second contract contained the promises the groom was making to his wife. The groom, his two friends, and often many other friends of the bride and groom would then go to the bride's house to retrieve the bride. Often they would do this in the middle of the night carrying torches so that it would be a complete surprise. The grooms friends were expected to always be ready at a moment's notice to perform this task for him. The bride was then taken back to the father's house for the wedding ceremony itself, when the groom gave gifts to the bride (Gen. 34:12, 24:53). Every effort and expense was made to insure that the bride and groom were happy during this ceremony. It was Jewish tradition that on this special day their sins were forgiven (Midrash Talpoith, s.v. Chathan VeKallah). They stood pure, without spot or blemish as they were wed.

Following the wedding ceremony, the couple would then retire to the wedding chamber, the chupah, for seven days. While the guests were still waiting, the bride and groom would then consummate their marriage after which the husband would announce the fact of the marriage consummation to his friend waiting outside the door. The fact of the wedding consummation was then relayed to the rest of the guests (John 3:29), and great celebration broke forth during a week-long celebration. Finally, the bride and groom emerged from the chupah to begin the actual wedding feast.

Throughout the Scriptures, the analogy of the Jewish wedding ceremony is applied to the relationship between Christ and His Church. The Church became the betrothed wife of the Messiah (Eph. 5:22-23) and are waiting the wedding ceremony and all that follows it during the Fall festivals. On the night Christ was betrayed, he told the apostles he was leaving them to go back to his father to prepare the chadar for them,

"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 and 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).

"For ye are bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Cor. 6:20).

"Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men." (1 Cor. 7:23).

"He that hath the bride is the bridegoom; but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." (John 3:29).

"And Moses bought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount," (Exodus 19:17).

"Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord: I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thing espousals (betrothal), when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown." (Jeremiah 2:2-3).

"My heart is indicting a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the King: Myj tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore, God hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh. O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride properously, because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness; therefore God thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil og gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Ings' daughters were among thy honourable women; upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift, even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour. The King's daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the kind in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the King's palace. Instead of thy fathers' shall be thy children whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever." (Psalm 45).

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God: for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decked himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burnet. And the Gentiles shall see Thy righteousness, and all kings Thy glory: and Thou shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall ame. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah (translated "My delight is in her", and thy land Beulah (translated Married), for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee." (Isaiah 61:10-62:5).

During this seven year interval, the bride will be "remembered" by God, and given many gifts,

"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and heart it, and a book of remembrancer was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mind, saith the Lord of hosts. In that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them, as a man spareth to his own son that serveth him." (Malachi 3:16,17).

In Joel 2:23, we are again given the analogy between the former rain (Christ as the Suffering Servant and the first coming of Christ), and the later rain (the Conquering King of the Second Coming),

"Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain the first month." (Joel 2:23).

"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matthew 24:31).

"Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a feast [Yom Kippur], call a solemn assembly,. Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet, Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar [which was done at Yom Kippur], and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should ;rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month." (Joel 2:15-717, 23).

"And I heard as if it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 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 lien, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, Theese are tru sayings of God. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that flyin the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God: That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great." (Rev. 6-9,11,16-18).

"Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily, I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them." (John 12:35-37).

We are currently nearing the end of the last days; the 6000th Rosh Hashannah since the Garden of Eden is near - although we do not know how near. The Messiah is expected to retrn on Yom Kippur, the last day of the 40-day season of Teshuvah; so should the last 40 years be a picture of the season. Jesus in the parable of the fig tree alluded to this last 40-year period,

"And He spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the tree; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now night at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass awa, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away." (Luke 21:29-33).

"And as He sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Mark 24:3).

"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness: I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at her first time." (Hosea 9:10).

"For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek, teeth of a great lion. He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white." (Joel 1:6-7).

"And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, if thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side. And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy chldren within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." (Luke 19:41-44).

"Now in the morning as He returned into the city, He hungered. And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow in thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away." (Matthew 21:18-19).

"Come, and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will be revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if wwe follow on to know the Lord: ;his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." (Hosea 6:1-3).

"In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah, together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord thir God. They shall ask the way to Zion with thir faces thitherward, saying, Com, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: thjey have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place. All that found them have devoured them; and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers. Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks." (Jeremiah 50:4-8).

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." (Romans 11:25-27).

"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Genitles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." (Luke 21:24).

It would be about 19 years later on June 7, 1967 (about the time of the Pentecost) during the six-day war, that Israel finally captured Jerusalem. It has also been true that since that time, Jews have been accepting Christ as the Messiah in large numbers; Messianic Synagogues are springing up all around the country. In these synagogues, both Jew and Gentile can worship Christ in a Davidic worship - reminiscent of the first century including the festivals, songs, and dances common to the Jewish people. It has been estimated that more Jews have come to believe that Christ is their Messiah since 1967 than during the 1900 years previously - the fig tree is beginning to blossom. Approximately 100,000 Jews in the United States have received Jesus as the Christ since 1967. Thus, it is truly possible that Israel taking over Jerusalem in 1967 marked the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles and the start of the 40-year clock until the Second Coming of Christ.

The clock is ticking - and the alarm is about to sound. The last Shofar will be blown seven years prior to the Second Coming of Christ bringing the Rapture of the Church and the resurrection of all who have died in Christ. On earth, those who are left will experience unbelievable horror; disease, war, and famine will disseminate the world's population. Finally, the Great Shofar will sound, Christ will return, and all believers who have died during the Great Tribulation will be resurrected. Christ will intervene mightily in the affairs of the earth, stopping the total destruction of mankind.

(1)  Good, Joseph.  Rosh HaShanah and the Messianic Kingdom to Come.  Hatikva Ministries, 1989)

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