The 7 Festivals

The Seventeenth of Nisan -- Resurrection and Salvation


The theme of the festival of First Fruits is resurrection and salvation. There are several important events that happened on this day in the Bible.

1. Noah's (Noach) ark rests on Mount Ararat (Genesis 8:4).
   
   
2. Israel crosses the Red Sea (Exodus [Shemot] 3:18; 5:3, 14).
   
   
3. Israel eats the first fruits of the Promised Land (Joshua 5:10-12). The manna that G-d gave from Heaven during the days in the wilderness ceased the sixteenth day of Nisan after the people ate of the old corn of the land. The day following was the seventeenth of Nisan, the day when the children of Israel ate the first fruits of the Promised Land.
   
   
4. Haman is defeated (Esther 3:1-6). In the Book of Esther, Haman plotted to kill all the Jews in Persia and Media. Haman had ten sons (Esther 9:12). By this, we can see that Haman is a type of the false Messiah (antichrist). A decree was sent out on the thirteenth of Nisan that all the Jews would be killed (Esther 3:12). Upon hearing this news, Esther proclaims a three-day fast, which would be Nisan 14-16 (Esther 4:16). On the sixteenth of Nisan, Esther risked her life when she came to King Ahasuerus. The king asked her, in effect, "Tell me, what do you want?" Esther said, "If it please the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him" (Esther 5:4 NAS). This was the sixteenth day of Nisan. At the banquet, the king again asked Esther what she wanted, and she asked the king to come to another banquet to be held the next day, the seventeenth of Nisan. On this day, Haman (a type of the false Messiah or antichrist, as well as of satan [Ha satan]) is hanged.
   
   
5. The resurrection of Yeshua, the Messiah (John 12:24; 1 Corinthians 15:16-20). Yeshua celebrated the festival of First Fruits by offering Himself as the first fruits to all future generations (Matthew [Mattityahu] 27:52-53).
   

Yeshua Is the First Fruits of the Barley Harvest

1. Yeshua is the firstborn of Miryam (Mary) (Matthew 1:23-25).
   
   
2. Yeshua is the first-begotten of G-d the Father (Hebrews 1:6).
   
   
3. Yeshua is the firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15).
   
   
4. Yeshua is the first-begotten from the dead (Revelation 1:5).
   
   
5. Yeshua is the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29).
   
   
6. Yeshua is the first fruits of the resurrected ones (1 Corinthians 15:20,23).
   
   
7. Yeshua is the beginning of the creation of G-d (Revelation 3:14).
   
   
8. Yeshua is the preeminent One (Colossians 1:18.
   

Yeshua is indeed the Most Holy One of G-d and is sanctified by the Father. Yeshua is the first, the choicest, the preeminent One. He is both the firstborn of G-d and the first fruits unto G-d. Yeshua is the sheaf of the first fruits.

First Fruits Is Prophetic
of the Resurrection of the Messiah


The festival of the sheaf of the first fruits is prophetic of the resurrection of Yeshua. Yeshua prophesied that He would rise three days and nights after He was slain on the tree (Matthew [Mattityahu 12:38-40; 16:21; Luke 24:44-46). This was foreshadowed to happen in the Tanach (Old Testament) by type and shadow (Genesis [Bereishit] 22:1-6; Exodus [Shemot] 3:18; 5:3; 8:27; Esther 4:15-17; Jonah 1:7; 2:1-2).
Since Yeshua was slain on the tree on the day of Passover (Pesach), the fourteenth of Nisan, and He arose from the grave three days and nights after He was slain, Yeshua arose from the grave on the seventeenth of Nisan, the day of the festival of First Fruits. In fact, Yeshua is called the first fruits of those who rise from the dead.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, after that those who are Christs' at His coming (1 Corinthians 15:20-23 NAS).
It was prophesied that Yeshua, the Messiah, would be buried in the tomb of the rich (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 53:9; Matthew [Mattityahu] 27:57; Luke 23:51). Why was Yeshua placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea? Arimathea was another name for Ramah, where Samuel dwelt. It is five miles north of Jerusalem (Yerushalayim). In fact, this place is still called Ramah today. In ancient times, it was customary for Jews to be buried in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim). In fact, this practice is still done today because it is a traditional belief in Judaism that the resurrection of the dead will take place in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) first.
In the Book of Genesis (Bereishit), Joseph (Yosef) the son of Jacob (Ya'akov), made the children of Israel take a vow that when they went to the Promised Land, they would carry his bones with them (Genesis [Bereishit] 50:24-26). Ramah was a term that represented idolatry. Two countries were called the seat of idolatry in the ancient world: Babylon and Egypt. Joseph (Yosef), the son of Jacob (Ya'akov), was also known as Joseph of Ramah. Moses (Moshe) took the bones of Joseph (Yosef) with him when he and the children of Israel journeyed to Succoth (Exodus [Shemot] 13:19-20). Therefore, Joseph's (Yosef) tomb in Egypt was empty. The empty tomb of Joseph (Yosef) of Arimathea (Ramah), which stood for wickedness, was a fulfillment of Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 53:9.
Joseph (Yosef) was a type of the role of Yeshua during His first coming when He came to fulfill the role of the suffering Messiah known as Messiah ben Joseph. The bones of Joseph (Yosef) were carried to Succoth. Succoth is a type of the Messianic age also known as the Millennium. This is also a picture of Yeshua being both Messiah ben Joseph and Messiah ben David -- as Yeshua who suffered during His first coming to earth will be King during His second coming to earth.

The Spiritual Understanding of First Fruits (Remember that we today, look to the spiritual applications of the festivals for our lives today.)


Spiritual Application (Halacha). A sheaf in the Bible is used to typify a person or persons (Genesis [Bereishit] 37:5-11). Yeshua will return to earth (Zechariah 14:4) during His second coming as King over all the earth. He also will bring the sheaves (the believers in Yeshua as the Messiah) with Him (Psalm (Tehillim) 126; Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 31:9-14; Joel 3:11-13; Zechariah 14:3-5; Matthew [Mattityahu] 13:37-39; Mark 4:26-29; Hebrews 12:1; Jude 14; Revelation 1:7).
The 144,000 Jewish witnesses who witness of Yeshua during the Chevlai shel Mashiach, the birthpangs of the Messiah (also known as the tribulation) are first fruits to G-d during the tribulation (Revelation 14:1-4).



Let's look at some Scriptures in the Bible concerning first fruits.

1. The natural is before the spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:46).
   
   
2. Israel was G-d's firstborn (Exodus [Shemot] 4:22). But, the first will be last and the last will be first (Mark 10:31). Therefore, the Gentiles (the goyim) became the first to receive the Messiah (as a corporate people; there are many non-Jews who do not) (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 60:1-3; 62:1-3; Acts 15:14-16). At the end of this present age, the Jews as a corporate people will accept Yeshua as Messiah as well.
   
   
3. The gospel (basar) was preached to the Jew first and then to the non-Jews (Romans 1:16; 2:9-10; Matthew [Mattityahu] 10:5-6; 15:21-28; Acts 1:8.
   
   
4. We are called to seek first the Kingdom of G-d (Matthew [Mattityahu] 6:33).
   
   
5. Yeshua was the first to rise from the dead (Acts 26:23).
   
   
6. The early believers were a kind of first fruits (James [Ya'akov] 1:17-18.
   
   
7. Those who arose from the dead with Yeshua during His resurrection became the first fruits of all those who would rise from the dead (Matthew [Mattityahu] 27:52-53; Ephesians 4:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
   
   
8. Yeshua first loved us, and He is to be our first love (1 John [Yochanan] 4:9; Revelation 2:4).
   
   
9. Yeshua is the first (Aleph) and the last (Tav) (Revelation 1:8,11,17; 22:13; Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 41:4; 44:6; 48:12).
   

The Festival of Pentecost
(Shavuot)

And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest... (Exodus [Shemot] 34:22 NAS).

You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the Lord your God blesses you (Deuteronomy [Devarim] 16:9-10 NAS).

The Omer: Countdown to Sinai


The period called "the omer" begins the day following the sabbath during Passover (Pesach) and continues until Shavuot (Pentecost). The Torah commanded that seven weeks be counted from the time of the offering of the omer, as it says:
You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete [temimot] sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering.... On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:15-17,21 NAS).
Because of this ritual of counting, the period between Passover (Pesach) and Pentecost (Shavuot) came to be known as the omer. In fact, Shavuot does not have a fixed calendar date in the Bible, but rather falls on the day after the completion of the omer count -- that is, the fiftieth day after the omer offering is brought.




The Ceremony of Counting the Omer


A sharp controversy existed between the rabbis and a variety of Jewish sects over the interpretation of the words "the day after the sabbath" in the verse commanding the counting of the omer. According to the rabbis, the sabbath refers not to the weekly sabbath, but rather to the first festival day of the Passover (Pesach). [This is Nisan 15, the first day of Unleavened Bread, which (G-d designated to be a high sabbath (shabbaton). Because of this, the counting of the omer traditionally begins from Nisan 15.] Various groups, beginning with the first-century Sadducees and continuing with the Karaites of the early Middle Ages, interpreted the word sabbath to mean the weekly sabbath during the Passover (Pesach) season. The implication of this interpretation is that Shavuot (Pentecost), which falls on the day after the omer count of 49 days, would always occur on a Sunday. Before the counting of the omer, this blessing is recited: "Praised are You, L-rd our G-d, Ruler of the Universe who has sanctified us with His commandments, commanding us to count the omer." This is followed by the count for the day: "Today is the first day of the omer." Weeks are counted as well. For example: "Today is the seventeenth day of the omer, which equals two weeks and three days of the omer." This counting is done at night, as the new day begins at sundown, (6:00 p.m.). Some people recite Psalm (Tehillim) 67 after the counting, since it consists of seven verses and a total of 49 words in Hebrew.

The Historical Understanding of Pentecost (Shavuot)


In the third month after the Jews left Egypt (Mitzrayim), they arrived in the Sinai desert and camped opposite Mount Sinai. Moses (Moshe) was then told by G-d to gather the Israelites together to receive the Torah (Exodus [Shemot] 19:1-8 NAS). The Israelites answered, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do!" In Hebrew, it is Na'aseh V'Nishmah, which means, "We agree to do even before we have listened."
Moses (Moshe) then gave the Jews two days to cleanse themselves, wash their clothes, and prepare to receive the Torah on the third day. At the same time, Moses (Moshe) told them not to come too near Mount Sinai. From early morning, dense clouds covered the peak of the mountain. Thunder and lightning were frequently seen and heard. The sound of the shofar (ram's horn) came very strong, and the top of the mountain was enveloped in fire and smoke. The Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai stood in great awe (Exodus [Shemot] 19:9-19). Moses (Moshe) then went up alone on the mountain, and as he neared the top, a mighty voice announced the Ten Commandments (Exodus [Shemot] 19:20-25; 20:1-21).




Later Development of the Holiday


Pentecost (Shavuot) traditionally has been seen in different ways. One is to see it as the concluding piece of the Passover (Pesach) season. The other is to see it as an independent festival. Because Pentecost (Shavuot) celebrates the revelation of G-d at Mount Sinai, Pentecost (Shavout) would seem to be of a clearly independent nature. It is, after all, counted as one of the three pilgrimage festivals (Deuteronomy [Devarim] 16:16). Yet, beginning with the Targum (the Aramaic translation of the Scriptures from the second century of the Christian Era or Common Era (C.E.), known more commonly as A.D.), Pentecost (Shavuot) is referred to in the rabbinic tradition as Atzeret. The word atzeret in Hebrew means "conclusion." The word atzeret is used in the Bible with the festival Shemini Atzeret (Numbers [Bamidbar] 29:35) and seems to mean "remain with Me [G-d] another day." There is a sense, therefore, that atzeret is the final part or completion of a festival. Therefore, Shavuot (Pentecost) is seen as the conclusion to the Passover (Pesach) season. One strong connection between Passover (Pesach) and Shavuot (Pentecost) is the counting of the omer serving as a chain that links the two festivals.
Spiritual Application (Halacha). Because Shavuot (Pentecost) culminates with the counting of the omer for 50 days, Shavuot (Pentecost) is called the Atzeret or conclusion to Passover (Pesach). Spiritually speaking (halacha), the believers in the Messiah Yeshua are on a journey out of Egypt (a type of the world's system and its evil ways) in the wilderness (of life), awaiting our time to meet G-d face to face on Mount Sinai (Exodus [Shemot] 3:12). There at Mount Sinai (spiritually), G-d will forever reveal Himself to us in a new and greater way. For all believers in the Messiah Yeshua, the Torah that was given at Mount Sinai represents the Word of G-d, the entire Bible. The believer in Yeshua spiritually experiences Shavuot (Pentecost) when the Holy Spirit of G-d (Ruach HaKodesh) reveals the Word of G-d to him in a deeper and more powerful way, and his understanding and desire for the Bible increases accordingly.

Themes of Shavuot (Pentecost)



New Revelation
One theme of Shavuot (Pentecost) is a new revelation of G-d's will (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:15-16,21). Two notable historical events happened on this day.

1. The giving of the Ten Commandments or the Torah.
   It should be noted here that the Hebrew word Torah, commonly translated as "law" in English, does not mean "law," but "instruction or teaching" in the Hebrew language. By understanding the meaning of the Hebrew word Torah, we can see that the Torah was never intended, nor should it ever be understood by non-Jewish people, to mean a code of do's and don'ts. Rather, it should be seen as G-d's instruction and teaching to us so we can understand Him better.
   Israel came to Mount Sinai on the third day of the third month (Exodus [Shemot] 19:1). The L-rd visited the people three days later (Exodus [Shemot] 19:10-17). Therefore, the Torah was given by G-d in the third month of the biblical religious calendar, which is the month of Sivan, on the sixth day of this month. This day is exactly 50 days from the crossing of the Red Sea.
   Shavuot (Pentecost) is called the season of the giving of the Torah (Z'man Matan Toraseinu) in Hebrew because this is the literal day that G-d revealed Himself to the people of Israel as they stood at the base of Mount Sinai.
   
   
2. The giving of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) by G-d.
   Yeshua was resurrected on the Feast of First Fruits (Bikkurim), as was seen in the previous chapter. Fifty days after the resurrection of Yeshua, the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) came to dwell in the hearts and lives of all the believers in Yeshua (Acts 1:8; 2:1-18; Luke 24:49; Joel 2:28-29; Exodus [Shemot] 19:16; Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 44:3; Deuteronomy [Devarim] 16:5-6,16; 2 Kings 21:4).
   

Shavuot as a Marriage: A Betrothal Contract


One of the most beautiful images of Shavuot (Pentecost) is that of the marriage between G-d (the groom) and Israel (the bride).
In the biblical wedding service that G-d gave (Romans 9:4; Hebrews 9:1; 1 Chronicles 28:11-12), marriage consisted of two stages. The first stage is betrothal, called erusin in Hebrew. You enter this first stage of marriage as soon as a betrothal contract (a shitre erusin) is made between the two parties. The written contract is called a ketubah. During betrothal, you are legally married, but do not physically dwell with your mate. Betrothal is so legally binding that you cannot get out of it without a divorce, called a get in Hebrew.
In fact, by understanding the Hebrew language, we can see how betrothal is legally binding. To G-d, Hebrew is the pure language (Zephaniah 3:9), and Hebrew will allow us to understand deeper spiritual truths in the Bible that would be more difficult to understand otherwise. The word for betrothal in Hebrew, erusin, comes from the Hebrew verb aras. Aras is related to the Hebrew word asar, which means "to bind." By this, we can see that the Hebrew language communicates to us that betrothal is legally binding.
Messianic Fulfillment. In the New Testament (Brit Hadashah), we can see that Joseph (Yosef) was betrothed to Mary (Miryam) when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary (Miryam) that she would have a son named Yeshua (Jesus), by the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) of G-d, who would be the Messiah (Luke 1:26-35). When Joseph (Yosef) discovered that his betrothed (espoused) wife Mary (Miryam) was pregnant, he decided to get a divorce (get) until the angel of the L-rd changed his mind by appearing to him in a dream (Matthew [Mattityahu] 1:18-20).
Betrothal is mentioned in the Torah in Exodus (Shemot) 21:8; Leviticus (Vayikra) 19:20; Deuteronomy (Devarim) 20:7; 22:23. The second stage of marriage is the fullness or consummation of the marriage. This stage of marriage is called nesu'in.
The Bible tells us in Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 2:2 that at Mount Sinai, G-d betrothed Himself to Israel, as it is written:

Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after Me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the firstfruits of His increase... (Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 2:2-3)

. In Exodus 19, when G-d by the leading of Moses (Moshe) brought the children of Israel to Mount Sinai, G-d betrothed Himself to Israel. On Mount Sinai, G-d gave the Torah to Israel (Exodus [Shemot] 20:1-21). At this time, G-d was making a betrothal contract, a ketubah, with Israel. The ketubah (or written betrothal contract, which is understood to be the Torah) represents "The book of the covenant" (marriage is a covenant) that Moses (Moshe) wrote prior to the revelation at Mount Sinai (Exodus [Shemot] 24:4,7). The Book of the Covenant spelled out mutual obligations of G-d and Israel just as the ketubah spelled out the obligations between husband and wife. So, G-d made a marriage contract with Israel in Exodus (Shemot) 19:3-7.
In Exodus (Shemot) 19:8, Israel accepts G-d's marriage proposal. Israel answered in Exodus (Shemot) 19:8, "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do" (Na'aseh V'Nishmah -- we agree to do even before we have listened).
In Exodus (Shemot) 19:2, Israel camped before the L-rd. The word camp in Hebrew is chanah and in this case is singular, while Israel is plural. By this we can see that at that time all Israel had become one. This is also a necessary requirement for marriage (Genesis [Bereishit] 2:24; Ephesians 5:31).
The biblical wedding ceremony that G-d gave requires that the marriage be consummated under a wedding canopy known as a chupah. In Exodus (Shemot) 19:17, Moses (Moshe) brought forth the people out of the camp to meet G-d and they stood at the nether part of the mount. The word nether in Hebrew actually implies that the people stood underneath the mountain. This imagery gives the understanding that the mountain had become a chupah and Israel was standing underneath the mountain or under the chupah, the place where the wedding takes place.
Every wedding will have two witnesses. They are called the friends of the bridegroom. One is assigned to the groom and one is assigned to the bride. In Exodus (Shemot) 19:17, Moses (Moshe) is seen as one of the two witnesses whose job is to escort the bride to meet the groom under the chupah (Mount Sinai). In order for the ketubah, the written contract between the husband and the wife, to be legal in consummating the marriage, it must be signed by the two witnesses, the friends of the bridegroom. Since we can see that Moses (Moshe) was one of the two witnesses, he had to sign the Ketubah (Torah) in order for the full marriage between G-d and Israel to be consummated.
However, when Moses (Moshe) returned from being with G-d on Mount Sinai, he did not sign the Ketubah (Torah). Instead he broke the two tablets (ketubah), which were in his right hand (Exodus [Shemot] 32:19), thus not signing the ketubah which G-d had made with Israel. Therefore, he did not allow Israel to enter into the full marriage. Moses (Moshe) broke the two tablets (ketubah) when he saw that Israel was worshiping the golden calf and thus were being unfaithful in their marriage.
Spiritual Understanding (Halacha). What does the wedding mean in terms of the Messiah Yeshua, and what is the personal application (halacha) to us? Messiah Yeshua is the groom and the believers in the Messiah are betrothed to Him. When Yeshua came to the earth almost 2,000 years ago, He came so that whosoever would put their trust and confidence (emunah) in Him would be wedded to Him forever. This would include both Jews and non-Jews (John [Yochanan] 3:16). Because Yeshua came as the suffering Messiah, Messiah ben Joseph, during His first coming, He ascended to Heaven to be with G-d the Father until He returns during His second coming to be the King Messiah, Messiah ben David. Today, Yeshua does not physically dwell with those who trust in Him. Therefore, the believers in the Messiah Yeshua are currently spiritually betrothed to Him. We will enter the full marriage and physically dwell with Him during the Messianic age known as the Millennium. However, before we can physically dwell with the Messiah during the Messianic age on earth, the wedding ceremony when the believers in the Messiah Yeshua will be wedded to Him must take place.
In the biblical wedding service that G-d gave, after you are married, you have a honeymoon. The honeymoon lasts a week and is known as the seven days of the chupah. Seven days equals a week. In Hebrew, a week means a seven. It can mean seven days or seven years (Daniel 9:24-27;Genesis [Bereishit] 29:27). In Joel (Yoel) 2:16, we see the marriage of the bride (the believers in Yeshua) and the bridegroom (Yeshua) where the bridegroom is going forth from the chamber and the bride out of her closet. The word closet is the Hebrew word chupah, and the chupah here refers to Heaven. After the honeymoon in heaven, Yeshua will be returning with His bride to attend the marriage supper (Revelation 19:7-14). Then we will rule and reign with Him physically during the Messianic age known as the Millennium (Revelation 20:4).

The Pouring Out of G-d's Holy Spirit
(Ruach HaKodesh)


In Exodus (Shemot) 19:19, a trumpet (shofar) was sounded. The trumpet (shofar) that was sounded grew louder and louder. Exodus (Shemot) 19:19 says, "...and God answered him with thunder [by a voice, KJV]." Exodus (Shemot) 20:18 says, "And all the people perceived the thunder [saw the thunderings, KJV] ..."
In the Midrash, which is a rabbinical commentary on the scriptures, in Exodus Rabbah 5:9, it says:

When G-d gave the Torah on Sinai He displayed untold marvels to Israel with His voice. What happened? G-d spoke and the voice reverberated throughout the whole world... It says, And all the people witnessed the thunderings [Exodus (Shemot) 20:18].
Note that it does not say "the thunder" but "the thunderings"; wherefore, R. Johanan said that G-d's voice, as it was uttered split up into seventy voices, in seventy languages, so that all the nations should understand...

In Deuteronomy [Devarim] 32:8 it is written, "When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel." In Exodus (Shemot) 1:1-5, we can see that the number of the children of Israel who came to Egypt was 70. Therefore, the 70 voices as interpreted by R. Johanan represented all the nations of the world, based upon Deuteronomy (Devarim) 32:8 and Exodus (Shemot) 1:1-5. So, it was seen that G-d's voice split up into the languages of all the people on the earth to be a witness to them.
In the book The Midrash Says, by Rabbi Moshe Weissman, the author wrote:

In the occasion of Matan Torah [the giving of the Torah], the Bnai Yisrael [children of Israel] not only heard Hashem's [the L-rd's] Voice but actually saw the sound waves as they emerged from Hashem's [the L-rd's] mouth. They visualized them as a fiery substance. Each commandment that left Hashem's [the L-rd's] mouth traveled around the entire Camp and then to each Jew individually, asking him, "Do you accept upon yourself this Commandment with all the halochot [Jewish law] pertaining to it?" Every Jew answered "Yes" after each commandment. Finally, the fiery substance which they saw engraved itself on the luchot [tablets].

Messianic Fulfillment. This same experience we just discussed that happened at Mount Sinai also occurred 50 days after the resurrection of Yeshua on the day of Shavuot (Pentecost) almost 2,000 years ago. This experience is also described in Acts 2:1-11 and Hebrews 12:18-19. In describing what happened in Exodus (Shemot) 20:18, Hebrews 12:18-19 says, "And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words...." The word words in Hebrews 12:19 is the Greek word rhema, which means "an individual word." In this passage in Hebrews, we can see the same thing that Rabbi Moshe Weissman understood happened at Mount Sinai in the first Shavuot (Pentecost) in his commentary is exactly what did happen as seen in Hebrews 12:19. It is also what happened during the first Shavuot (Pentecost) following the resurrection of Yeshua. At this Shavuot (Pentecost), the people also were as one (Acts 2:1-2; Exodus [Shemot] 19:2). When G-d poured out His Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) at this time, once again people began to speak in the different languages of the world (Acts 2:1-11). Therefore, we can see that the Shavuot (Pentecost) at Mount Sinai was a rehearsal (miqra) of the Shavuot (Pentecost) that would occur immediately after the resurrection of Yeshua.

The First Trump (Shofar) of G-d


Once again in Exodus 19:19, a trumpet (shofar) was sounded. This trumpet (shofar) grew louder and louder. The Jewish writings understand this to be the first trump (shofar) of G-d. The trumpet blown by G-d at Mount Sinai was understood to be the first of the two ram's horns that were present on Mount Moriah during Abraham's (Avraham) sacrifice of Isaac (Yitzchak) in Genesis 22.
The Jewish people understood that there are three primary trumpets (shofarim) that mark major events in the redemptive plan of G-d. These three trumpets are known as the first trump, the last trump, and the great trumpet. Genesis (Bereishit) 22 is one of the most important Torah readings to the Jewish people. In some Jewish circles, it is read every day of the week except for the sabbath. It is also the primary Torah reading for Rosh HaShanah. The theme of the chapter includes the binding of Isaac on the altar, known in Hebrew as the Akeidah, in addition to the phrase "to be seen." The key verse concerning the phrase "to be seen" is Genesis (Bereishit) 22:14, as it is written, "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh [the L-rd will see or provide]: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen." Genesis (Bereishit) 22:4 says, "Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off."
Messianic Fulfillment. Yeshua referred to this event which happened to Abraham (Avraham), in John (Yochanan) 8:56, as it is written, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad." What did Abraham (Avraham) see? What took place on Mount Moriah? Abraham (Avraham) was instructed by G-d to take Isaac (Yitzchak) to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him there (Genesis [Bereishit] 22:2). The first and second temples (Beit HaMikdash) were built in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) on Mount Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1). It was in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) on Mount Moriah where Yeshua was crucified on the tree. Calvary (Golgotha) was located on Mount Moriah. Abraham (Avraham) in Genesis (Bereishit) 22:4 was looking into the future and seeing that G-d was going to offer up the Messiah to be slain on Mount Moriah at a future time.
G-d called Abraham (Avraham) to sacrifice Isaac (Yitzchak) and offer him as a burnt offering, known in Hebrew as an olah. This is mentioned in Genesis (Bereishit) 22:2-3,6,8,13. A burnt offering (olah) is an offering that is totally consumed. It is freely given and done freely, willingly, and joyfully by both parties involved. The Bible tells us that G-d freely offered up Yeshua joyfully and Yeshua was willing and obedient to His death on the tree (Philippians 2:8. In Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 53:10, it says that it pleased G-d to offer up Yeshua.
When Abraham (Avraham) offered up Isaac (Yitzchak), Abraham believed that G-d would raise Isaac (Yitzchak) from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19). Abraham (Avraham) went willingly, joyfully, and obediently because he believed G-d would raise Isaac (Yitzchak) from the dead. This can be seen in Genesis (Bereishit) 22:5. In this, we can see that Abraham (Avraham) was a type and picture of G-d the Father, and Isaac (Yitzchak) was a type and picture of Yeshua the Messiah. In Genesis (Bereishit) 22:8, Abraham (Avraham) said to Isaac (Yitzchak) that G-d would provide a lamb; Yeshua was the lamb that G-d offered to us (John [Yochanan] 1:29).
This story is an example of the Hebrew expression, "Here now, but not yet." Abraham (Avraham) offered up his only son (Genesis [Bereishit] 22:16; Hebrews 11:17), and G-d offered up His only Son, Yeshua (John [Yochanan] 3:16). Instead of Isaac (Yitzchak), Abraham (Avraham) offered up a ram as the ram was found caught in the thicket (Genesis [Bereishit] 22:13). In the Hebrew writings, the ram represents the Messiah and the thicket stands for the sins of the people. In Genesis (Bereishit) 22:13 where it says "behind him," the Hebrew word is achar, which means afterward or in the future. Therefore, the imagery presented here is that Abraham (Avraham) saw this ram being sacrificed in the future. This is what Yeshua was referring to in John (Yochanan) 8:56.
Once again, relating to the story in Genesis 22, the left horn of the ram that was caught in the thicket (Genesis [Bereishit] 22:13) is called the first trump (shofar) and the right horn of the ram is called the last trump (shofar).




The Three Trumpets (Shofarim) of G-d


The three great trumpets (shofarim) that mark major events in the redemptive plan of G-d are associated with days in the biblical calendar. The first trump is associated with and was blown by G-d on the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) when G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai (Exodus [Shemot] 19:19).
The last trump is associated with and is blown on Rosh HaShanah. (Rosh HaShanah will be discussed in the next chapter.) The biblical name for Rosh HaShanah is Yom Teruah, which in Hebrew means "the day of the awakening blast." This trump (shofar) is mentioned by the apostle Paul (Rav Sha'ul) in First Corinthians 15:51-53. Because the last trump is only blown on Rosh HaShanah and because the apostle Paul (Rav Sha'ul) specifically mentions that the rapture (natzal) of the believers in Yeshua the Messiah will take place at the last trump, the apostle Paul (Rav Sha'ul) was giving a clear understanding that the rapture of the believers in Messiah will happen on a Rosh HaShanah.
The great trump (shofar HaGadol) is associated with and is blown on Yom Kippur. Yeshua said that He would return at His second coming at the sound of the great trump (Matthew [Mattityahu] 24:30-31). Because the great trump (shofar HaGadol) is only blown on Yom Kippur and because Yeshua said that He would return with the sound of a great trump, Yeshua was stating very clearly that He would return on a Yom Kippur. (This will be discussed in more detail in the chapter concerning Yom Kippur.) Thus, the first and last trump will relate to the ram's horn in Genesis (Bereishit) 22. Again, the first trump (shofar) will be the left horn of the ram and the last trump (shofar) will be the right horn of the ram. In Exodus (Shemot) 19:19, the trumpet (shofar) that was blown by G-d will be the first trump.

The Spiritual Understanding of Shavuot
(Pentecost)

Spiritual Application (Halacha). The giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai involved the Aaronic priesthood, the sacrificial system, the tabernacle, the sabbath days, the festivals, the civil and ceremonial laws, and the Ten Commandments (Exodus [Shemot] 19:17,20; 20:1,21-22; 21:1-2,12; 22:1,16; 23:10-11,14; 24:1-8,12,18; 25:1,8-9,40; 28:1; 31:12-18; 32:1; 34:27-28; Hebrews 8:1-6; 9:1-12,15,18-24; 10:1,10; 13:20). These things were given by G-d as a shadow of things to come (Hebrews 10:1) to teach us (Galatians 3:24) about the Messiah Yeshua and the redemptive work of G-d (Colossians 2:16-17). Shavuot (Pentecost) was the birth of the congregation (kehilat) in the wilderness (Acts 7:38. The things given at Mount Sinai were divine and from G-d, but shown in a physical way (Hebrews 9:1) to enable us to understand the spiritual truths that G-d wanted to communicate to us (1 Peter 2:5-9). So G-d gave Israel the covenant, the Torah, the services, the oracles of G-d, and the promises (Romans 9:4-5; 3:2), which were divine (Hebrews 9:1), at Mount Sinai to teach us about the Messiah (Psalm [Tehillim] 40:7). With this in mind, let's look at the spiritual understandings that G-d was communicating to us at Shavuot.

The Two Leavened Wave Loaves (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:15-17)
This was to be a new meal offering to the L-rd (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:16; Numbers [Bamidbar] 28:26). There were to be two wave loaves baked with leaven (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:17). At Passover (Pesach), leaven was absolutely forbidden (Exodus [Shemot] 12:15,19-20) and in the regular meal offering, no leaven was permitted (Leviticus [Vayikra] 2:1,4-5, 11). We saw earlier that leaven represents sin (1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 5:9). Passover (Pesach) and Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah) spoke of the death and burial of Yeshua who was without sin. Yet on Shavuot (Pentecost), G-d commanded just the opposite. Why?
Shavuot (Pentecost) speaks of the birth of Israel as a nation, as well as the birth of the congregation (kehilat) of believers in Yeshua through the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). The two loaves speak of Israel and the congregation of believers in the Messiah. Even though both Israel and the congregation (kehilat) of believers in the Messiah Yeshua are chosen by G-d and are holy to Him, sin is still found in Israel and sin still exists in the congregation of believers. Passover (Pesach) and Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah) speak primarily of Yeshua who is without sin, but Shavuot (Pentecost) speaks of Israel and the congregation (kehilat) of believers where sin still exists.
We have just stated that the two wave loaves speak of Israel and the congregation (kehilat) of believers in the Messiah. The number two in the Bible is the number of witness and testimony. For example, two witnesses in the Bible establishes a truth (Matthew [Mattityahu] 18:19-20; Deuteronomy (Devarim] 19:15; John 5:30-33,36-37; Luke 24:44; 1 John 5:8; Revelation 12:11; 11:3). The Ten Commandments were written on two stones (Exodus [Shemot] 31:18. Also, the Ten Commandments are fulfilled by obeying two commandments (Matthew [Mattityahu] 22:34-40). Messiah and His congregation (kehilat) of believers testify of the love, grace, and plan of G-d for the whole world.
The meal offering was to be an offering burned by fire upon the altar. A work of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) is an immersion (baptism) of fire (Luke 3:16). Fire is what G-d uses to burn sin out of the lives of a believer in the Messiah (1 Corinthians 3:13-15; 1 Peter 1:7). The followers of Yeshua are supposed to live a righteous (tzaddik) life before G-d (Ephesians 4:17-32; 5:1-13; Colossians 3:1-13; Romans 8:1-4).

Two-tenths Ephod of Fine Flour (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:17)
The grinding and crushing of wheat produces fine flour. The fine flour speaks of the refining process that our faith goes through as we are conformed to the image of Messiah Yeshua and enter into His trials, testings, temptations, and sufferings (Zechariah 13:9; Romans 5:3-5; 8:29,35-39; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; 1 Peter 1:7; 4:12-19; Revelation 3:18.
Messianic Fulfillment. Yeshua was the wheat that was planted into the ground (John [Yochanan] 12:24; 1 Corinthians 15:35-38,42-44). As wheat is beaten and refined to become fine flour, so the Messiah was beaten and bruised as He became that fine flour (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 28:28; 52:14; 53:1-6; Psalm [Tehillim] 81:16; 147:14).

Holy to the L-rd for the Priest (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:20)
Even though the two wave loaves were leavened, the L-rd counted them holy unto Himself for the priest. As mentioned earlier, the two wave loaves that the priest waved represented both Israel and the congregation (kehilat) of believers in Yeshua. Both the Jewish believers in Yeshua, represented by Israel, and the non-Jewish believers, represented by the congregation (kehilat), consist of individuals who are leaven. We still sin before G-d despite being believers in the Messiah. In spite of this sin, because we are believers in Yeshua and seek to serve and love Him with all our hearts, we are considered holy before G-d (Deuteronomy [Devarim] 7:6-8; 14:2; Luke 1:68,72-75; Ephesians 1:4; 5:27; Colossians 1:22-24; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; Titus 2:12; 1 Peter 1:15-16).

A Statute Forever (Leviticus 23:21)
The Holy Spirit came to dwell with the believer in Yeshua forever (John [Yochanan] 14:16-17). Therefore, the followers of Yeshua should have a continual Shavuot (Pentecost) experience; one on a daily basis.

The Feast of Harvest of First Fruits
(Exodus [Shemot] 23:16; 34:22; Numbers [Bamidbar] 28:26)
Shavuot (Pentecost) is called the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Harvest, or the Feast of the First Fruits. Passover (Pesach) was the barley harvest and Shavuot (Pentecost) was the wheat harvest (Exodus [Shemot] 34:22; Ruth 1:22; 2:23; Joel 1:11).
Israel was called a land of barley and wheat (Deuteronomy [Devarim] 8:7-8; 2 Chronicles 2:15; Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 41:8. The spring wheat and barley harvest preceded the major harvest in the fall, the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus [Shemot] 23:16; 34:22). Both the spring and the fall harvests were dependent upon the rains coming at the right time. The fall rains are called the early rain. The spring rains are called the latter rain. The early rain is spoken of in Deuteronomy (Devarim) 11:10-15; 28:12; Leviticus (Vayikra) 26:4; Joel 2:23,28-29; and Zechariah 10:1. The rain is prophetic of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) upon people's lives individually as they accept Yeshua into their lives and allow the Holy Spirit to teach and instruct them concerning the ways of G-d. The early rain and the latter rain also teach us about the pouring out of G-d's Holy Spirit in a corporate way upon all flesh. The early rain refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) during Yeshua's first coming and the latter rain refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) during Yeshua's second coming.
As we are seeing, the harvest speaks of the salvation of people. The spring harvest was the beginning of the harvest of people who would come to receive Yeshua as Messiah with the greatest harvest being at the end of this age (Matthew [Mattityahu] 13:39; 9:37-38; Mark 4:29). The fall harvest or the harvest at the end of this present age (Olam Hazeh) is in the seventh month on the biblical religious calendar. Shavuot (Pentecost) is in the third month. From Shavuot (Pentecost), there are four months until the final harvest in the fall (John [Yochanan] 4:34-35). The fall harvest is the fruit harvest.
Messianic Fulfillment. G-d said that the coming of Yeshua would be like the former and latter rain on the earth (Hosea 6:1-3; Joel 2:23). James (Ya'akov) ties the coming of the L-rd to the early and latter rain (James [Ya'akov] 5:7). Yeshua's death, burial, and resurrection was in the spring of the year; the outpouring of the Holy Spirit after the resurrection of Yeshua was in the spring of the year; and all those who believed were first fruits of the entire harvest and were a part of the spring harvest. Yeshua's second coming will be in the fall of the year and the greatest number of believers will believe at this time. Yeshua spoke about this great harvest at the end of this present age (Olam Hazeh) in Matthew (Mattityahu) 13:39; 24:13-14; and Revelation 14:6,15-16.

A Harvest of Freewill Offerings and Rejoicing (Deuteronomy [Devarim] 16:9-11,16-17)
As believers in Yeshua, when we come before G-d we are to give of ourselves, including our time, talents, and money, and present them before Him with a joyful heart (Acts 4:32-37; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8-9).

The Conclusion of the Spring Festivals


This concludes the study of the spring festivals. We have seen how the spring festivals are applicable in three dimensions. They are historic to the nation of Israel; they are fulfilled in the Messiah Yeshua; and they describe how the individual believer is to walk (halacha) and live his life before G-d. In other words, we can see that G-d has a plan for every individual to willingly come to Him. So the spring festivals were not only historic, but they were also our type and example (1 Corinthians 10:1-2,6,11).
To natural Israel, Passover (Pesach) was their freedom from the bondage of Egypt (Mitzrayim) (Exodus [Shemot] 12). Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah) was the separation from the land of Egypt into the immersion (baptism) into the Red Sea and the Cloud in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). Finally, G-d led the people to Mount Sinai (Exodus [Shemot] 19:1) where they experienced Shavuot (Pentecost and G-d revealed Himself to the people in a deeper and greater way than He ever did previously.
Messianic Fulfillment. The spring festivals were fulfilled by Yeshua. Messiah, who was our Passover Lamb, died on the day of Passover (Pesach). He was without sin and is the Bread of Life. Yeshua was in the sepulcher on the day of Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah) and He was the kernel of wheat that was buried in the earth. Yeshua arose as First Fruits of the barley harvest, He Himself being the first of those to rise from the dead and receive a resurrected body. Finally, the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) was poured out upon all flesh during the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) to gather all believers in the Messiah to be G-d's spring harvest in the earth. As these four feasts describe in detail the significant events during the first coming of Messiah when He came as the suffering Messiah, Messiah ben Joseph, to redeem both man and the earth back to G-d following the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, we will find that the fall festivals give us tremendous insight and understanding concerning the events of Yeshua's second coining. Then He will return as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and come back to earth as the kingly Messiah, Messiah ben David, to rule and reign on earth during the Messianic age or the Millennium.
Spiritual Application (Halacha). Every time a person receives Yeshua the Messiah as his own Savior, he spiritually experiences Passover (Pesach). He is to flee Egypt (the world's evil system and ways) and trust (emunah) in the Messiah, the Lamb of God, and allow Yeshua to be the doorpost of his heart. As believers, we are then to seek to live holy lives before G-d and experience Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah). Just as Yeshua arose from the dead, we are to consider our former ways dead to us and experience the newness of life in the Messiah. Once we do this, we can be immersed (baptized) in the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) and have the power of G-d (the anointing) in our lives. At that time, G-d will begin to take us on a spiritual journey through the wilderness of life.
In the process of experiencing life's bitter disappointments and struggles, if we keep our eyes upon G-d, He will take us from Passover (Pesach) to Shavuot (Pentecost) where He will reveal His ways and His Word, the Bible, in a deeper and progressive way. By keeping our eyes on the Messiah through life's struggles, G-d will not only reveal His Word, the Bible, to us in a greater way, but He also will refine our faith like fine flour just as was done to the wheat. Meanwhile, if we put our entire trust (emunah) in Yeshua through our spiritual journey in the wilderness of life as G-d refines our faith and reveals Himself to us in a greater way, our spiritual journey will not end in the wilderness of life. Instead G-d will take us forward to spiritually experience the fall festivals and our spiritual promised land. It is when we spiritually experience the fall festivals, especially the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), and enter into our spiritual promised land that G-d will anoint our lives for Him in an awesome way as we live and serve Him. We will then experience the greatest joy in our entire lives. Joy unspeakable! This is what the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) is all about. It is called "the season of our joy" and this joy is what we have to look forward to as we read about the fall festivals in the following chapters.

Rosh HaShanah


The Season of Teshuvah


A special season known as Teshuvah, which in Hebrew means "to return or repent," begins on the first day of the month of Elul and continues 40 days, ending with Yom Kippur. Thirty days into Teshuvah, on Tishrei l, comes Rosh HaShanah. This begins a final ten-day period beginning on Rosh HaShanah and ending on Yom Kippur. These are known as the High Holy Days and as the Awesome Days (Yamim Nora'im, the days of awe). The sabbath that falls within this ten-day period is called Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath of Return. Five days after Yom Kippur is Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. Teshuvah begins on Elul 1 and concludes on Tishrei 10, Yom Kippur. Each morning during the 30 days of the month of Elul, the trumpet (shofar) or ram's horn is blown to warn the people to repent and return to G-d.
Teshuvah (repentance) speaks to all people. Those who believe in the Messiah are called to examine their lives and see where they have departed from G-d. It is a call to examine the Scriptures and the evidence that the Messiah was who He said He was.
G-d has always had a heart to warn people before He proclaims judgment. G-d warned the people before the flood, and He warned Nineveh before it was ruined. He does not want anyone to receive the wrath of His judgment (Ezekiel [Yechezekel] 18:21-23,30-32; Zephaniah 2:1-3; 33:1-7; 2 Peter 3:9).
The whole month of Elul is a 30-day process of preparation through personal examination and repentance for the coming High Holy Days. The shofar is blown after every morning service. Psalm 27, which begins with "The Lord is my light and my salvation," is also recited at the end of the morning and evening liturgy. The message from Elul 1 to Rosh HaShanah is clear: Repent before Rosh HaShanah. Don't wait until after Rosh HaShanah, or you will find yourself in the Days of Awe.
There are idioms or phrases that help us identify the days in the season of Teshuvah (repentance). Just as unfamiliar foreigners may be confused when they hear Americans call Thanksgiving Day, "Turkey Day" or "Pilgrims' Day," non-Jewish believers in Yeshua can be confused by the different terms for the major feasts of the L-rd.

Rosh HaShanah: Names, Themes, and Idioms

1. Teshuvah (repentance)
   
2. Rosh HaShanah (Head of the Year, Birthday of the World)
   
3. Yom Teruah (the Day of the Awakening Blast [Feast of Trumpets)
   
4. Yom HaDin (the Day of Judgment)
   
5. HaMelech (the Coronation of the Messiah)
   
6. Yom HaZikkaron (the Day of Remembrance or memorial)
   
7. The time of Jacob's (Ya'akov) trouble (the birthpangs of the Messiah, Chevlai shel Mashiach)
   
8. The opening of the gates
   
9. Kiddushin/Nesu'in (the wedding ceremony)
   
10. The resurrection of the dead (rapture, natza1)
    
11. The last trump (shofar)
    
12. Yom Hakeseh (the hidden day)
    

Rosh HaShanah: The Head of the Year
(Birthday of the World)


Rosh HaShanah marks the Jewish New Year and is a part of the season of repentance. Rosh in Hebrew means "chief or head" and shanah means "year." Rosh HaShanah is the head of the year on the civil calendar, and is also known as the birthday of the world since the world was created on this day (Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 11a).
Jewish tradition believes that Adam was created on this day (Mishnah, San Hedrin 38b). How did they decide that this was the day of the year the world was created? Because the first words of the Book of Genesis (Bereishit), "in the beginning," when changed around, read, Aleph b'Tishrei, or "on the first of Tishrei." Therefore, Rosh HaShanah is known as the birthday of the world, for tradition tells us that the world was created then.
Note: There are four new years in the Jewish calendar. Nisan 1 is the New Year's day of kings (the date for determining how many years a king has ruled) and for months (Nisan is the first month). Elul 1 is the new year for the tithing of animals. Shevat 15 (Tu Bishvat) is the new year for the trees, and Tishrei 1 is the new year of years. It also marks the anniversary of the creation of the world.


Time of Observance


Rosh HaShanah is observed for two days. It comes on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei (usually in September or October), which is the first month of the biblical civil calendar. The month of Tishrei is the seventh month in the biblical religious calendar. This may seem strange that Rosh HaShanah, the New Year, is on the first and second day of Tishrei, the seventh month on the biblical religious calendar. The reason that Rosh HaShanah is the seventh month in the biblical religious calendar is that G-d made the month of Nisan the first month of the year in remembrance of Israel's divine liberation from Egypt (Exodus [Shemot] 12:2; 13:4). However, according to tradition, the world was created on Tishrei, or more exactly, Adam and Eve were created on the first day of Tishrei and it is from Tishrei that the annual cycle began. Hence, Rosh HaShanah is celebrated at this time.


Why Is Rosh HaShanah Two Days Long?


Unlike other festivals that are celebrated in the Diaspora (the dispersion, referring to Jews who live outside of the Holy Land of Israel) Rosh HaShanah is celebrated for two days because of uncertainty about observing the festivals on the correct calendar day. Rosh HaShanah is the only holiday celebrated for two days in Israel. As with all other festivals, the uncertainty was involved in a calendar that depended on when the new moon was promulgated, designating the beginning of each new month by the rabbinical court in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) in ancient times. The problem of Rosh HaShanah is heightened by the fact that it falls on Rosh Chodesh, the new moon itself. Therefore, even in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim), it would have been difficult to let everyone know in time that the New Year had begun. To solve this problem, a two-day Rosh HaShanah was practiced even in Israel. Creating a two-day Rosh HaShanah was also intended to strengthen observance of each day; in the rabbinic view, the two days are regarded as a yoma arikhta, one long day.

Yom Teruah: The Day of the Awakening Blast


In Psalm (Tehillim) 98:6 it is written, "With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the Lord" (NAS). The blessing we receive from G-d when we understand the meaning of Rosh HaShanah and the blowing of the trumpet (shofar) is found in Psalm (Tehillim) 89:15, as it is written, "How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound [blast of the shofar]..." (NAS).
Rosh HaShanah is referred to in the Torah as Yom Teruah, the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar (or the Day of the Awakening Blast). On Yom Teruah, the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar, it is imperative for every person to hear (shema) the shofar. The mitzvah (or biblical commandment [John (Yochanan) 14:15]), of the shofar is to hear (shema) the shofar being blown, not actually blow it yourself, hence the blessing, "to hear the sound of the shofar."
Teruah means "an awakening blast." A theme associated with Rosh HaShanah is the theme "to awake." Teruah is also translated as "shout." The Book of Isaiah (Yeshayahu), chapter 12, puts the shouting in the context of the thousand-year reign of Messiah, the Athid Lavo. The Messianic era and shout is mentioned in Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 42:11; 44:23; Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 31:7; and Zephaniah 3:14. The first coming of Yeshua is associated with a shout in Zechariah 9:9. The ultimate shout is the rapture (natzal) in First Thessalonians 4:16-17.
Whether it is by the blast of a shofar or the force of a supernatural shout, G-d's goal is to awaken us! For this reason it is written, "... Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14 NAS). The Book of Ephesians has many references to Rosh HaShanah and the High Holy Days. For example, in Ephesians 4:30, being sealed unto the day of redemption refers to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. G-d gave this festival to teach us that we will be judged on Rosh HaShanah and will be sealed unto the closing of the gates (neilah) on Yom Kippur.
Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 26:19 speaks of the resurrection. The word awake is associated with the resurrection, as it is written, "Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn, and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits" (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 26:19 NAS).
The theme of awakening from sleep is used throughout the Bible. It is found in John (Yochanan) 11:11; Romans 13:11; Daniel 12:1-2; and Psalm (Tehillim) 78:65. In Isaiah 51:9 it is written, "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago..." (NAS). The arm of the L-rd is used as a term for the Messiah in Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 53:1. The word arm is the Hebrew word zeroah. During Passover (Pesach), a shankbone, known as the zeroah, is put on the plate. So, "awake" is a term or idiom for Rosh HaShanah. In Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 51:9 quoted earlier, the awakening is associated with the coming of the Messiah.
The shofar is the physical instrument that G-d instructed us to use to hear (shema) the sound of the shofar teaching us to awake from spiritual slumber (1 Corinthians 15:46).
In the days of old, the shofar was used on very solemn occasions. We first find the shofar mentioned in connection with the revelation on Mount Sinai, when the voice of the shofar was exceedingly strong and all the people who were in the camp trembled (Exodus [Shemot] 19:16b). Thus, the shofar we hear on Rosh HaShanah ought to remind us of our acceptance of the Torah (Bible) and our obligations to it. The shofar also used to be sounded when war was waged upon a dangerous enemy. Thus, the shofar we hear on Rosh HaShanah ought to also serve as a battle cry to wage war against our inner enemy -- our evil inclinations and passions as well as the devil, Ha Satan, himself. The shofar was also sounded on the Jubilee Year, heralding freedom from slavery (Leviticus [Vayikra] 25:9-10).
Spiritually (halacha), this refers to freedom from the slavery of sin, the desires of this world, and serving the devil (Romans 6:12-13; James 4:4).
Another reason for sounding the shofar is that Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the birth of creation G-d began to rule over the world on this day. When a king begins to reign, he is heralded with trumpets. That is why Psalm 47 precedes the blowing of the shofar; it is a call to the nations: "..... Sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth..." (Psalm [Tehillim] 47:6-7 NAS). It also precedes because of the reference to the shofar in the previous verse (Psalm 47:5), as it is written "God has ascended with a shout, the Lord, with the sound of a trumpet" (NAS).
In Jewish tradition, many reasons have been offered for the sounding of the shofar: The ram's horn is identified with the ram that became the substitute sacrifice for Isaac (Yitzchak) in Genesis (Bereishit) 22:1-19. The giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai was accompanied by the sounding of the shofar (Exodus [Shemot] 19:19). The proclamation of the Jubilee was heralded by the blast of the shofar (Leviticus [Vayikra] 25:9-11); and the commencement of the Messianic age is to be announced by the sound of the great shofar (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 27:13). The book Gates of Repentance cites Maimonide's call to awaken from spiritual slumber:

Awake, you sleepers, from your sleep! Rouse yourselves, you slumberers, out of your slumber! Examine your deeds, and turn to G-d in repentance. Remember your Creator, you who are caught up in the daily round, losing sight of eternal truth; you are wasting your years in vain pursuits that neither profit nor save. Look closely at yourselves; improve your ways and your deeds. Abandon your evil ways, your unworthy schemes, every one of you! (Yad Hichot Teshuva 3.4).

When the rabbis saw the phrase, "Awake, O Israel," they would identify those verses with something concerning Rosh HaShanah. The blowing of the shofar took place at the temple (Beit HaMikdash) on Rosh HaShanah (Nehemiah 8:1-3).
The shofar was also blown at the temple to begin the sabbath each week. There are two types of trumpets used in the Bible:

1. The silver trumpet, and
   
2. The shofar, or ram's horn.
   

On the sabbath, there was within the temple (Beit HaMikdash) a sign on the wall that said, "To the house of the blowing of the trumpet [shofar]." Each sabbath (shabbat), two men with silver trumpets and a man with a shofar made three trumpet blasts twice during the day. On Rosh HaShanah, it is different. The shofar is the primary trumpet. On Rosh HaShanah, a shofar delivers the first blast, a silver trumpet the second, and then a shofar the third. The silver trumpets and the gathering at the temple are specified in the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar) chapter 10.
According to Leviticus (Vayikra) 23:24 and Numbers (Bamidbar) 29:1, Rosh HaShanah is the day of the blowing of the trumpets. According to the Mishnah (Rosh HaShanah 16a; Rosh HaShanah 3:3), the trumpet used for this purpose is the ram's horn, not trumpets made of metal as in Numbers (Bamidbar) Chapter 10.

The Use of the Shofar in the Bible


The shofar or ram's horn, has always held a prominent role in the history of G-d's people in the Bible:

1. The Torah was given to Israel with the sound of the shofar (Exodus [Shemot] 19:19).
   
2. Israel conquered in the battle of Jericho with the blast of the shofar (Joshua 6:20).
   
3. Israel will be advised of the advent of the Messiah with the sound of the shofar (Zechariah 9:14,16).
   
4. The shofar will be blown at the time of the ingathering of the exiles of Israel to their place (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 27:13).
   
5. The shofar was blown to signal the assembly of the Israelites during war (Judges [Shoftim] 3:27; 2 Samuel 20:1).
   
6. The watchman who stood upon Jerusalem's walls blew the shofar (Ezekiel [Yechezekel] 33:3-6).
   
7. The shofar was blown at the start of the Jubilee year (Leviticus [Vayikra] 25:9).
   
8. The shofar is a reminder that G-d is sovereign (Psalm [Tehillim] 47:5).
   
9. The ram's horn, the shofar, is a reminder of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac and God's provision of a ram as a substitute (Genesis [Bereishit] 22:13).
   
10. The shofar was blown to announce the beginning of festivals (Numbers [Bamidbar] 10:10). The shofar was blown to celebrate the new moon on Rosh HaShanah (Psalm 81:1-3).
    
11. The blowing of the shofar is a signal for the call to repentance (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 58:1).
    
12. The blowing of the shofar ushers in the day of the L-rd (Joel 2:1).
    
13. The blowing of the shofar is sounded at the rapture of the believers and the resurrection of the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
    
14. John was taken up to Heaven in the Book of Revelation by the sound of the shofar (Revelation 4:1).
    
15. Seven shofarim are sounded when G-d judges the earth during the tribulation (Revelation 8-9).
    
16. The shofar was used for the coronation of kings (1 Kings [Melachim] 1:34,39).
    
    

Yom HaDin: The Day of Judgment


Another name for Rosh HaShanah is Yom HaDin, the Day of Judgment. It was seen that on this day, G-d would sit in court and all men would pass before Him to be judged. Three great books will be opened as each man is weighed in the balance and placed into one of three categories (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 6b). It has been taught that the school of Shammai says that there will be three classes on the final Day of Judgment, 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 perdition (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 16b-17a).
The righteous will be protected during the tribulation period. The wicked will face the wrath of G-d during the tribulation period (Yamim Nora'im), known in Hebrew as the Chevlai shel Mashiach, and will never repent. The average person has until Yom Kippur till his fate is sealed forever. In other words, the average person will have until the end of the seven-year tribulation to repent and turn to G-d. The average person on Rosh HaShanah is judged by G-d and is neither written in the book of life or the book of the wicked. His fate is yet to be decided. The average person and the wicked have to go through the "Awesome Days," the tribulation, until they reach Yom Kippur (the end of the tribulation when their fate is sealed forever). Once you are written in the book of the wicked, you can never get out of it (Revelation 17:8. These are people who never, ever, will accept the Messiah Yeshua.
There are 12 months in the year and there are 12 tribes in Israel. Every month of the Jewish year has its representative tribe. The month of Tishrei is the month of the tribe of Dan. This is of symbolic significance, for when Dan was born to Bilhah, Rachel's maid, Rachel said, "God hath judged me [dannani], and hath also heard my voice..." (Genesis [Bereishit] 30:6). Dan and din (as in Yom HaDin, Day of Judgment) are both derived from the same root, symbolizing that Tishrei is the time of Divine judgment and forgiveness. Similarly, every month of the Jewish calendar has its sign of the Zodiac (in Hebrew, Mazal). The sign of the Zodiac for Tishrei is Scales. This is symbolic of the Day of Judgment.


HaMelech: The Coronation of the King


The recognition of G-d as King is vividly pictured in the Jewish view of Adam's understanding of his Divine Creator being King over all the Universe. It was late on the sixth day since G-d began the Creation of the world, when Adam opened his eyes and saw the beautiful world around him, and he knew at once that G-d created the world, and him too. Adam's first words were:

"The L-rd is King forever and ever!" and the echo of his voice rang throughout the world. "Now the whole world will know that I am King," G-d said, and He was very pleased. This is the first Rosh HaShanah! The first New Year. It was the birthday of Man, and the Coronation Day of the King of Kings!

Messianic Understanding
A theme and term associated with Rosh HaShanah in Hebrew is HaMelech (the King). It was mentioned earlier in this chapter that the shofar blown on Rosh HaShanah is known as the last trump, which Rav Sha'ul (the apostle Paul) mentioned in First Thessalonians 4:16-17. At this time, the believers in the Messiah who are righteous (tzaddikim) according to Yom HaDin (the Day of Judgment) will be taken to Heaven in the rapture (natzal) along with the righteous who had died before this time. On Rosh HaShanah, the coronation of the Messiah Yeshua as King will happen in Heaven (Revelation 5). Yeshua, who had come to earth during His first coming to play the role of the suffering Messiah, Messiah ben Joseph (Yosef), will be crowned as King over all the earth in preparation for His coming back to earth to reign as King Messiah (Messiah ben David) during the Messianic age, the Millennium, or in Hebrew eschatology, the Athid Lavo (Revelation 19:16; 20:4).
Daniel 7:9-14 speaks of this in the Tanach.

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit...the judgment was set, and the books were opened. [This is Rosh HaShanah, Yom HaDin, the Day of Judgment. The books are the book of the righteous, the book of the wicked, and the book of remembrance] ... I saw... one like the Son of man [this is understood to be the Messiah Yeshua (Matthew 24:30; 26:64)] coming with the clouds of heaven [the clouds are the believers in the Messiah (Hebrews 12:1; Revelation 1:7)]...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 7:9-10,13-14).

John (Yochanan) saw this same thing in the Book of Revelation.

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven [the gates of Heaven are opened on Rosh HaShanah, according to Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 26:2 and Psalm (Tehillim) 118:19-20]: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet [Rosh HaShanah is known as the last trump] talking with me [Rosh HaShanah is known as Yom Teruah, the Day of the Awakening Blast or loud shout(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)]..And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne [this is HaMelech, the coronation of the Messiah; the coronation ceremony is described in Revelation 5] (Revelation 4:1-2).

The description given here in Revelation matches the account in Daniel 7:9-14.

The Enthronement Ceremony of a King


There are four parts to the enthronement of a Jewish king.

1. The giving of the decree. Associated with this is a declaration. This can be seen in Psalm (Tehillim) 2:6-7, as it is written, "Yet have I set my king upon My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree...." Next, a rod/scepter is given, which is an emblem of a king. Scriptures that refer to the scepter include Genesis (Bereishit) 49:17; Numbers (Bamidbar) 24:17; Esther 4:11; 5:2; 8:4; Psalm 45:6; and Hebrews 1:8. Scriptures that refer to a rod are in Psalm (Tehillim) 2:9; Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 11:1,4; and Revelation 2:27; 12:5; 19:16. The scepter is an emblem of a king or royal office and a rod refers to the king ruling and reigning righteously in all matters (Isaiah 11:1,4-5). Yeshua is the King Messiah (Isaiah 11:1,4-5; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Zechariah 9:9; Luke 1:32-33; John [Yochanan] 1:47-49).
   
   
2. The ceremony of the taking of the throne (Revelation 5). The king sits on the throne and is anointed as king. The word Christ in English comes from the Greek word Christos and in Hebrew is Mashiach, meaning "the anointed one." Yeshua came as a prophet during His first coming (Deuteronomy [Devarim] 18:15), was resurrected as the priest (John [Yochanan] 20:9,17), and is coming back to earth again as King. Kings in Israel were anointed (2 Samuel 5:3-4; 1 Kings [Melachim] 1:39-40, 45-46; 2 Kings 9:1-6).
   
   
3. The acclamation. During the acclamation, all the people shout, "Long live the king!" (1 Kings [Melachim] 1:28-31). Next, all the people clap (Psalm [Tehillim] 47:1-2). Psalm 47 is a coronation psalm. Psalm 47:5 is the shout and trumpet of Rosh HaShanah. Verse 6 is the shouting and praising of the king. Verse 8 is the ceremony of the throne. In verse 9, the believers in the Messiah Yeshua are gathered in His presence.
   
   
4. Each of the subjects coming to visit the king after he has taken the throne. In this, they will acknowledge their allegiance to him and receive their commissioning from him as to what their job will be in the kingdom (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 66:22-23; Zechariah 14:16-17; Matthew [Mattityahu] 2:2).
   

Yom HaZikkaron: The Day of Remembrance


Rosh HaShanah is known as Yom HaZikkaron, the Day of Remembrance. Leviticus (Vayikra) 23:24 calls the day "a memorial" (zikkaron). Remembrance is a major theme in the Bible. We can see by examining the following scriptures that G-d remembers us and that we are to remember G-d in all of our ways.
There are two elements of remembrance:
a) G-d remembers us (Genesis [Bereishit] 8:1; 9:1, 5-16; 19:29; 30:22; Exodus [Shemot] 2:24-25; 3:1; 6:2,5; 32:1-3,7,11,13-14; Leviticus [Vayikra] 26:14,31-33,38-45; Numbers [Bamidbar] 10:1-2,9; Psalm [Tehillim] 105:7-8,42-43; 112:6). In fact, G-d has a book of remembrance (Exodus [Shemot] 32:32-33; Malachi 3:16-18; Revelation 3:5; 20:11-15; 21:1,27).
b) We must remember G-d (Exodus [Shemot] 13:3; 20:8; Deuteronomy [Devarim] 7:17-19; 8:18; 16:3; Numbers [Bamidbar] 15:37-41).

In Daniel 7:9-10 it is written:

I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, and the books were opened (Daniel 7:9-10 NAS).

Since the court was seated and the books were opened, it is understood to be Rosh HaShanah. The books are the book of the righteous, the book of the wicked, and the book of remembrance. The third book that will be opened is the book of remembrance (zikkaron). This is why the common greeting during Rosh HaShanah is, "May you be inscribed in the Book of Life."
Spiritual Application (Halacha). In Romans 14:10 it is written, "But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God [Christ]" (NAS). In Second Corinthians 5:10 it is written, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (NAS). This is also discussed in First Corinthians 3:9-15. The works of the believers in Messiah will be judged by G-d, but not their salvation. This is a judgment of the believers in Yeshua only. All people in this judgment are the believers in Yeshua only. All people in this judgment will be saved. This is not a judgment of your salvation, but a judgment of your rewards based upon your works. On this day, G-d will open the Book of Life and hold a trial (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 16b). This is known as the Bema judgment.

The Time of Jacob's Trouble:
(The Birthpangs of the Messiah)


The English phrase, birthpangs of the Messiah, or the Hebrew Chevlai shel Mashiach, is a major theme of the Bible. It is commonly known as the seven-year tribulation period. In Matthew (Mattityahu) 24, Yeshua describes the signs of the end. "And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age [Olam Hazeh]?' "(Matthew 24:3 NAS) Yeshua said that these days are the beginning of sorrows (Matthew [Mattityahu] 24:8. The Greek word translated as sorrows here is odin. This word means "birthpangs." The birthpangs of the Messiah are also spoken of in Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 30:4-7, as it is written:

Now these are the words which the Lord spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah, "For thus says the Lord, 'I have heard a sound of terror, of dread, and there is no peace. Ask now, and see, if a male can give birth [travail with child?]. Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth [odin]? And why have all faces turned pale? Alas! for that day is great, there is none like it; and it is the time of Jacob's distress [trouble], but he will be saved from it' "(Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 30:4-7 NAS).

The birthpangs are also mentioned in First Thessalonians 5:1-3:

Now as to the times and the epochs [seasons], brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs [odin] upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 NAS).

It can also be seen in Revelation 12:1-2, as it is written:

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars [this is Israel (Genesis [Bereishit] 37:9)]; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor [odin] and in pain to give birth (Revelation 12:1-2 NAS).

The scriptures reveal two synonyms:

1. The birthpangs = the time of Jacob's (Ya'akov's) trouble.
   
2. The time of Jacob's (Ya'akov's) trouble = the seven-year tribulation.
   

This period of time will be Israel's most trying time ever. This period of time is known as the tribulation. Jacob (Ya'akov) is Israel. There shall be great tribulation in Israel such as never was since there was a nation (Daniel 12:1). It will also be a time when G-d will ultimately judge sin and all the nations on the earth. Through it, the nation of Israel will be physically saved from total destruction by G-d, and will, as a nation, accept Yeshua as the Messiah "...But he shall be saved out of it" (Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 30:7). In Hosea (Hoshea) 5:15 it is written, "I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face: in their affliction [the Chevlai shel Mashiach /tribulation] they will seek Me early."
Israel will face genuine crisis during the time of Jacob's (Ya'akov's) trouble. The prophet Zechariah prophesied that two of every three inhabitants of Israel will perish during this time, with a remnant of only one third of the population being saved (Zechariah 13:8-9). In Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 13:6-8 it is written:

Wail, for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man 's heart will melt [see Luke 21:26]. And they will be terrified, pains and anguish will take hold of them, they will writhe like a woman in labor; they will look at one another in astonishment, their faces aflame (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 13:6-8 NAS).

Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 13:10 corresponds to Matthew (Mattityahu) 24:29; Mark 13:24; and Revelation 6:12. Other passages that speak of the birthpangs include Genesis (Bereishit) 3:16; 35:16-20; 38:27-28; Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 26:16-21; 54:1; 66:7-9; Jeremiah 4:31; 6:24; 13:21; 22:23; Micah (Michah) 4:9-10; and John (Yochanan) 16:21-22.
There are several stages to Israel's birthing the Messiah.

1. Isaiah 66:7 is a birth before travail. "Before she [Israel] travailed [received the Messiah (Mashiach)], she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child" (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 66:7). Isaiah 66:7 is a birth before travail. This happened during the first coming of Yeshua, the Messiah. The birthpangs that Israel experienced during Yeshua's first coming came after Yeshua's death with the destruction of the temple and the dispersion of the Jewish people out of Israel by the Romans in 70 C.E. (Common Era).
   
   
2. Isaiah 66:8 is a birth after travail. Isaiah 66:8 says, "...as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." This will happen before Yeshua returns to earth to set foot on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) as Israel experiences the hardest time she has ever experienced since she was a nation (Daniel 12:1) in the period of time known as the birthpangs of the Messiah, the Yamim Nora'im, or the tribulation. The tribulation and the birthpangs of the Messiah are one and the same thing. What we are seeing in these days is the woman (Israel) becoming larger and larger, coming closer and closer to the time when she is about to give birth.
   

Rosh Hashanah: The Wedding of the Messiah


The Bible is a marriage covenant. Both the Tanach (Old Testament) and the Brit Hadashah (New Testament) describe how G-d through the Mashiach (Messiah), the Bridegroom, is in the process of marrying His bride, the believers in Him who will ultimately live and dwell with Him forever.
G-d ordained and established marriage and its divine sanctity in the Torah, the very first book of the Bible, Genesis (Bereishit), when He brought Adam and Eve together to become one flesh (Genesis 2:21-24). In doing so, we have a vivid foreshadowing of the Messiah being married to those who would believe upon Him. Let's examine this closer.
Adam is a type of the Messiah Yeshua. Adam was made after the likeness of Yeshua (Romans 5:14). Yeshua (Jesus) was made in the likeness of Adam (Philippians 2:8. In fact, Yeshua is called the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-47). In Genesis 2:21, G-d had a deep sleep fall upon Adam. Sleep is synonymous with death (Daniel 12:2; John [Yochanan] 11:11-14; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; Ephesians 5:14). The deep sleep that G-d caused to fall upon Adam is a picture of the crucifixion and death of Yeshua, as Messiah ben Joseph. G-d brought a deep sleep upon Adam so He could take a rib from the side of his flesh. This required the shedding of blood. This is a picture of Yeshua who was pierced in the side of His flesh, shedding His own blood when He hung on the tree (John [Yochanan] 19:34).
From the rib of Adam, G-d made Eve. Likewise, by the death of Yeshua and faith (emunah) in Him, G-d established the assembly of believers known in Hebrew as the kehilat. The believers in the Messiah, His bride, become wedded to Him by faith (emunah). This marriage can be seen in the Tanach (Old Testament) as well as in Jeremiah 23:5-6, as it is written, .... this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 23:6). In Jeremiah 33:15-16, it is written, "...this is the name wherewith she shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 33:16). So from these passages in Jeremiah, we can see that a wedding is taking place. Therefore, by accepting, trusting, and believing in the Messiah, the bride of Messiah, His followers, become one with Him. These people would include both Jew and non-Jews who have lived since Adam and would include Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Solomon as well as the prophets.
G-d gave the wedding customs, service, and ceremonies to the Jewish people (Romans 3:2; 9:4) to teach us about the Messiah Yeshua (Colossians 2:16-17). With this in mind, let's examine the biblical wedding ceremony that G-d gave to the Jewish people. The ancient Jewish wedding ceremony G-d gave to the Jewish people to teach us about the wedding of the Messiah consisted of 12 steps.

1. The selection of the bride.
   The bride was usually chosen by the father of the bridegroom. The father would send his trusted servant, known as the agent of the father, to search out the bride. An excellent example of this can be seen in Genesis 24. In this chapter, Abraham (a type of G-d the Father) wishes to secure a bride for Isaac (a type of Messiah) and sends his servant Eliezer (a type of the Holy Spirit [Ruach HaKodesh]) to do this task (Genesis [Bereishit 24:2-4; 15:2). It is the role of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) to convict the world of sin and lead them to G-d (John [Yochanan] 16:7-8. Just as the bride was usually chosen by the father of the bridegroom, so the believers in the Messiah are chosen by G-d (John [Yochanan] 15:16). The bridegroom chose the bride and lavished his love upon her and she returned his love. This can be seen in Ephesians 5:25, as it is written, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself of it." In Genesis (Bereishit) 24, Rebekah (Rivkah) consented to marry Isaac (Yitzchak) even before she ever met him. Today, the believers in the Messiah Yeshua consent to become the bride of Messiah even though we have never seen Him. First Peter (Kefa) 1:8 speaks of this, as it is written, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."
   
   
2. A bride price was established.
   A price would have to be paid for the bride. The agreed upon price was called a mohar in Hebrew. Yeshua, being our bridegroom, paid a very high price for His bride, the body of believers. The price He paid was His life. Yeshua considered the price He had to pay for His bride before His death as He went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray in Matthew (Mattityahu) 26:39, as it is written, "And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt." Yeshua was, in essence, saying, "Father, You have chosen this bride and I have agreed to the terms, but do you realize the price that is being asked for her?" Our mohar, our bride price, was His life. First Peter (Kefa) 1:18-19 says, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." In First Corinthians 6:20 it is written, "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
   
   
3. The bride and groom are betrothed to each other.
   This is the first stage of marriage known as kiddushin. I have spoken at length of betrothal in Chapter 6, concerning Shavuot. Remember, betrothal is the first of two steps in the marriage process. Betrothal in Hebrew is known as erusin or kiddushin. Betrothal legally binds the bride and the groom together in a marriage contract, except they do not physically live together. Historically, G-d betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai (Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea 2:19-20). Whenever you accept the Messiah into your heart and life, you become betrothed to Him while living on the earth.
   
   
4. A written document is drawn up, known as a ketubah. This betrothal contract is called, in Hebrew, a shitre erusin.
   The ketubah is the marriage contract that states the bride price, the promises of the groom, and the rights of the bride. The word ketubah means "that which is written." The groom promised to work for her, to honor, support, and maintain her in truth, to provide food, clothing, and necessities, and to live together with her as husband and wife. The ketubah was the unalienable right of the bride. The ketubah must be executed and signed prior to the wedding ceremony. The Bible is the believer's ketubah. All the promises that G-d provided for the believers in the Messiah are legally ours, as it is written in Second Corinthians 1:20, "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen...."
   
   
5. The bride must give her consent.
   As we saw in Chapter 6, which dealt with Shavuot (Pentecost), G-d betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai as stated in Jeremiah 2:2. Israel consented to the marriage proposal from G-d and said, "I do," as it is written in Exodus (Shemot) 24:3. Likewise, the personal application (halacha) to those who desire the Messiah to come into their hearts and lives is to accept His invitation to do so by faith (emunah), as it is written in Romans 10:8-10:
   

   What, then, does it say? The Word is near you in your mouth and in your heart: that is the word about trust [emunah] which we proclaim, namely, that if you acknowledge publicly with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord and trust in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be delivered. For with the heart one goes on trusting and thus continues toward righteousness, while with the mouth one keeps on making public acknowledgments and thus continues toward deliverance (Romans 10:8-10 Jewish New Testament Version).

   So, even today, to become the bride of Messiah you must still say "I do" to Him.
   
   
6. Gifts were given to the bride and a cup called the cup of the covenant was shared between the bride and the groom.
   The rite of betrothal (erusin) is completed when the groom gives something of value to the bride and she accepts it. The gift most often given today is the ring. When the groom places the ring on the bride's finger, the rite of betrothal is completed. This completed rite is known in Hebrew as kiddushin, which means "sanctification."
   The gifts to the bride are symbols of love, commitment, and loyalty. The gift G-d gives to those who accept the Messiah is the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) (John [Yochanan] 14:26; 15:26-27; Acts 2:38; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). When Yeshua ascended to Heaven, He gave gifts to men (Ephesians 4:7-8. These gifts included righteousness (Romans 5:17-18, eternal life (Romans 6:23), grace (Romans 5:12,14-15), faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and other spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1,4). These included wisdom, knowledge, healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, the discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:8-11), as well as the gifts of helps and administration (1 Corinthians 12:28.
   In addition, at this time the cup of the covenant was shared and sealed between the bride and the groom with the drinking of wine. In doing so, the couple drinks from a common cup. The cup is first given to the groom to sip, and then is given to the bride. This cup, known as the cup of the covenant, is spoken of in Jeremiah 31:31-33, as it is written:
   

   Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people (Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 31:31-33).

   Yeshua spoke of the cup of the New Covenant (Brit Hadashah) in Luke 22:20.
   
   

7. The bride had a mikvah (water immersion), which is a ritual of cleansing.

Mikvah is a Hebrew word that means "pool" or "body of water." Mikvah is a ceremonial act of purification by the immersion in water. It indicates a separation from a former way to a new way. In the case of marriage, it indicates leaving an old life for a new life with your spouse (Genesis [Bereishit] 2:23-24; Ephesians 5:31). Immersing in the mikvah is considered spiritual rebirth. The reason is that a mikvah has the power to change a person completely. Concerning the marriage to Israel at Mount Sinai, G-d said in Ezekiel 16:8-9, as it is written, "...I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee... and thou becamest Mine. Then washed I thee with water...." The washing, or immersion, here refers to that of Israel before the people received the Torah when G-d betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai (Exodus [Shemot] 19:14-15). Yeshua spoke to the Pharisee, Nicodemus (Nakdimon), that he must be born anew (immersed) to enter into the Kingdom of G-d (John [Yochanan] 3:1-7). The believers in the Messiah are to be immersed in the name of Yeshua (Acts 19:4). The Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) is the immerser of G-d (Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5; 11:15-16).

8.The bridegroom departed, going back to his father's house to prepare the bridal chamber.

At this point, the bridegroom leaves for his father's house to prepare the bridal chamber for his bride. It was understood to be the man's duty to go away to be with his father, build a house, and prepare for the eventual wedding. Before he goes, though, he will make a statement to the bride. "I go to prepare a place for you; if I go, I will return again unto you." This is the same statement Yeshua made in John (Yochanan) 14:1-3 before He went to His father's house in Heaven, as it is written:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Fathers' 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 [Yochanan] 14:1-3).

9.The bride was consecrated and set apart for a period of time while the bridegroom was away building the house.

Before the bridegroom could go and get the bride, the groom's father had to be satisfied that every preparation had been made by the son. Only then could he give permission to the son to go and get the bride. In other words, while the bridegroom was working on the bridal chamber, it was the father who "okayed" the final bridal chamber. The bridegroom did not know when his father would declare the bridal chamber fit and send him to go get his bride. This is exactly what Yeshua was referring to in Mark 13:32-37.
Meanwhile, the bride was to wait eagerly for the return of the bridegroom. In the mind of the bride, the bridegroom could come at any time, even in the middle of the night or at midnight. Therefore, she had to be ready at all times. Yeshua referred to this in Mark 13:32-37 and Matthew 25:1-13. While waiting for her bridegroom to come, the bride had to have thought to herself, "Is he really coming back for me? Is he really going to keep his word?" This was the thought that Peter (Kefa) answered in Second Peter 3:1-13.


10.The bridegroom would return with a shout, "Behold, the bridegroom comes" and the sound of the ram's horn (shofar) would be blown.

The time of the return of the bridegroom was usually at midnight. When the bridegroom did come, he came with a shout (Matthew 25:6) and with the blowing of a shofar (trumpet) (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 4:1). The marriage between the bride and the groom will take place under the chupah or wedding canopy. Since Heaven is a type of chupah, we can see that when Yeshua gives a shout for His bride, accompanied by the blowing of a shofar (trumpet), the marriage between Yeshua and His bride will take place in Heaven.
The marriage ceremony will have a sacred procession. For this reason, the bridegroom (Yeshua) will be led to the chupah first. When the bridegroom approaches the chupah, the cantor chants, "Blessed is he who comes." "Blessed is he who comes" is an idiomatic expression meaning "welcome." Yeshua said that He would not return for His bride until these words were said (Matthew 23:39). The groom is greeted like a king under the chupah. During this time Yeshua, the bridegroom, will be crowned King under the chupah, which is Heaven.

11.He would abduct his bride, usually in the middle of the night, to go to the bridal chamber where the marriage would be consummated. This is the full marriage, known in Hebrew as nesu'in.

The bride and groom will go to the wedding chamber, or chadar in Hebrew, where the marriage will be consummated. They will stay in that wedding chamber for seven days, or a week. At the end of the seven days, the bride and groom will come out from the wedding chamber. This can be seen in Joel 2:16.
The word week in Hebrew is shavuah. It means a "seven." It can mean seven days or seven years. An example of the Hebrew word for week (shavuah) meaning seven years can be found in Daniel 9:24, as it is written, "Seventy weeks [shavuah, 490 years] are determined upon thy people..." and in 9:27, "And he [the false Messiah known as the antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [shavuah, seven years]...." The week referred to in Daniel 9:27 is known to Bible believers as the tribulation period. The Jewish people understand this time to be the birthpangs of the Messiah known in Hebrew eschatology as the Chevlai shel Mashiach. This is taken from Jeremiah 30:5-7.

12. Finally, there would be a marriage supper for all the guests invited by the father of the bride.

The bride and the groom would be in the wedding chamber for seven days. When the bride and the groom initially went into the wedding chamber, the friend of the bridegroom stood outside the door. All the assembled guests of the wedding gathered outside, waiting for the friend of the bride-groom to announce the consummation of the marriage, which was relayed to him by the groom. John (Yochanan) the Immerser (Baptist) referred to this in John 3:29. At this signal, great rejoicing broke forth (John 3:29). The marriage was consummated on the first night (Genesis [Bereishit] 29:23). The bloodstained linen from this night was preserved. It was proof of the bride's virginity (Deuteronomy [Devarim] 22:13-21).
On the wedding day, the bridegroom is seen as a king and the bride as a queen. During the consummation of the marriage, the bridegroom (Yeshua) will be crowned King over all the earth and the bride (the believers in Yeshua, the Messiah) will live with Him and rule with Him forever. The crowning of the King and the marriage can be seen in Isaiah 62:3-7. At the end of the week (seven-year tribulation, or birthpangs of the Messiah), the marriage supper will take place. The marriage supper will not take place in Heaven. After the marriage, the bride and Groom will return to earth. The marriage supper will be taking place on earth and only the invited guests of the Father of the Groom (G-d the Father) will be present at the banquet meal. This can be seen in Revelation 19:7-16 and 20:4. Yeshua spoke of the marriage supper and the banquet in Luke 12:35-38 and Matthew 8:11. The wedding supper is a theme of the festival of Sukkot, which will be discussed further in a later chapter. During Sukkot, the people were instructed by G-d to build a temporary shelter. One of the things G-d instructed the people to do is eat there. When they eat, they are to set a plate for seven different people. Among the seven whom a plate is set for are Abraham (Avraham), Isaac (Yitzchak), and Jacob (Ya'akov). This is what Yeshua was referring to in Matthew 8:11.
The unbelievers in the Messiah will attend a separate banquet where the fowls of the air will eat their flesh. This can be seen in Revelation 19:17-18.
The home of the bride was Jerusalem and it was the bridegroom who came to the bride to dwell with her. It is from Jerusalem that the believers in the Messiah during the Messianic age, or Millennium, will reign with the Messiah. This can be seen in Revelation 21:1-3; Ezekiel 43:1-2,7; Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-5; and Zechariah 2:l0-12.
In concluding this section on the wedding, whenever anyone hears the message of the basar (gospel), it is a wedding proposal by G-d to accept Him and be a part of His bride. G-d desires that we accept His invitation and give Him our response of "I do." In fact, Revelation 22:20 is a proposal by Yeshua Himself to accept Him and be a part of His bride. His message in this verse is "Come." Will you say, "I do" to the Messiah's proposal to you?

The Resurrection of the Dead


One of the reasons for blowing the shofar is to proclaim the resurrection of the dead. In addition, the thirteenth principle of the Jewish faith is belief in the resurrection of the dead. The resurrection of the dead will take place on Rosh HaShanah (Talmud, Rosh HaShanah l6b). In First Corinthians 15:52, the apostle Paul (Rav Sha'ul) tells us that the resurrection of the dead will be "at the last trump." Earlier, in First Corinthians 15:14, he wrote that without the Messiah rising from the dead, our faith is in vain.
We cannot go to the Book of Revelation and say that the voice of the seventh angel (Revelation 11:15) is the last trump. In the first century, the last trump (shofar) meant a specific day in the year. In Judaism, there are three trumpets (shofarim) that have a name. They are the first trump, the last trump, and the great trump. Each one of these trumpets indicates a specific day in the Jewish year. The first trump is blown on the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) (Exodus [Shemot] 19:19). It proclaimed that G-d had betrothed Himself to Israel. The last trump is synonymous with Rosh HaShanah, according to Theodore Gaster in his book, Festivals of the Jewish Year, in his chapter on Rosh HaShanah. Herman Kieval also states the same thing in his book, The High Holy Days (Volume I, Rosh HaShanah, Chapter 5, Footnote 11), in the chapter on the shofar. The great trumpet is blown on Yom Kippur, which will herald the return of the Messiah Yeshua back to earth (Matthew [Mattityahu] 24:31).
The first and last trump relate to the two horns of the ram, which according to Jewish tradition, was caught in the thicket on Mount Moriah when Abraham (Avraham) was ready to slay Isaac (Yitzchak) and offer him up as a burnt offering (olah). This ram became the substitute for Isaac (Yitzchak) even as Yeshua became the substitute for us and provided life for us through His death.
In Pirkei Avot (the sayings of the fathers), Rabbi Eliezer tells us that the left horn (first trump) was blown on Mount Sinai, and its right horn (the last trump) will be blown to herald the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 18:3 and First Thessalonians 4:13-18 speak of the resurrection of the dead. First Thessalonians chapter 5 continues with the day of the L-rd and the birthpangs of the Messiah. First Thessalonians 4:16-17 says that the dead in Messiah will rise first, and that the catching away of the believers will immediately follow.
The term rapture comes from the Greek word harpazo, which means "to seize, catch away, catch up, pluck, pull, take by force" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The Hebrew equivalent is the word natzal. Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 26:2-3, 19-20 and 57:1-2 all speak clearly of the resurrection of the dead. Daniel 12:1-2 also speaks of the resurrection of the dead, the tribulation, and the salvation of Israel through the tribulation. Zephaniah 1:14-18 and 2:2-3 tells about the terrible times during the day of the L-rd, the birthpangs of the Messiah, and issues a decree to repent and turn to G-d before that day to be hid from that time. Psalm (Tehillim) 27:5 says the righteous will be hid in the time of trouble. This psalm is read every day during the 40-day period of Teshuvah. Second Thessalonians 2:1 says, "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him." The phrase, "gathering together" comes from the Greek word episunagoge, which means "an assembly." In Numbers (Bamidbar) 10:2-3, the trumpet is blown to assemble the people. The blowing of the trumpet and the assembling of the people also appear together in First Thessalonians 4:16-17 and First Corinthians 15:51-53.

Yom HaKeseh: The Hidden Day


In Psalm (Tehillim) 27:5 it is written, "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock."
Yet another name for Rosh HaShanah is Yom HaKeseh, "The Day of the Hiding" or "the Hidden Day." The term keseh or keceh is derived from the Hebrew root kacah, which means to "conceal, cover, or hide." Every day during the month of Elul, a trumpet is blown to warn the people to turn back to G-d, except for the thirtieth day of Elul, the day preceding Rosh HaShanah. On that day the trumpet is not blown, and is therefore silent. This is because much about Rosh HaShanah is concealed and shrouded in mystery. The mystical aspect of Rosh HaShanah is indicated in Scripture: "Sound the shofar on the New Moon, in concealment of the day of our festival" (Psalm [Tehillim] 81:3). Satan, the accuser, is not to be given notice about the arrival of Rosh HaShanah, the Day of Judgment.
Rosh HaShanah is called Yom HaKeseh, or the Day of the Hiding, because it was hidden from satan (Ha satan), the adversary. The Bible says that satan comes to rob and to steal (John [Yochanan] 10:10, and to confuse (1 Corinthians 14:33). Because it is the Day of Judgment, it is symbolically hidden from satan (satan did not know and understand the plan of the cross [tree], First Corinthians 2:7-8. This was hidden from him as well. Believers never said when the day of Rosh HaShanah was; they simply said, "Of that day and hour no one knows, only the Father."
One of the reasons most often given to disclaim that the resurrection of the dead and the catching away of the believers is on Rosh HaShanah is the statement given by Yeshua in Matthew (Mattityahu) 24:36, as it is written, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only." Because Rosh HaShanah was understood to be the hidden day, this statement by Yeshua is actually an idiom for Rosh Hashanah. Thus it should be given as proof that He was speaking of Rosh HaShanah because Rosh HaShanah is the only day in the whole year that was referred to as the hidden day or the day that no man knew.
Spiritual Application (Halacha). Rosh HaShanah takes place on the new moon. Colossians 2:16-17 says that the new moon will teach about the Messiah. The Jewish (biblical) month is based upon a lunar cycle. The moon can barely be seen as the cycle begins. But then the moon turns toward the sun and begins to reflect the light of the sun. The sun in the sky is a picture of Yeshua (Malachi [Malachie] 4:2), and the moon is a picture of the believers in the Messiah. The sun has its own light, but the moon's light is a reflection of the sun. When we first become believers in Yeshua, we can hardly be seen spiritually, and we know very little about G-d. But then our lives begin to revolve around the Messiah as the moon revolves around the sun. As we begin to turn more and more toward the center of creation, we begin to reflect that light (Yeshua) more and more, just as the moon reflects the light from the center of the solar system.

Yom Kippur:
(The Day of Atonement)

For it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; and you shall be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute (Leviticus [Vayikra] 16:30-31 NAS).
On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement...for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the Lord your God.... You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:27-28,31-32 NAS).
Then on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall humble yourselves; you shall not do any work (Numbers [Bamidbar] 29:7 NAS).

Yom Kippur: Names, Themes, and Idioms

1. Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement)
   
   
2. Face to Face
   
   
3. The Day (or the Great Day)
   
   
4. The Fast
   
   
5. The Great Shofar (Shofar HaGadol)
   
   
6. Neilah (the closing of the gates)
   
   

Understanding the Priestly Service for Yom Kippur


Leviticus (Vayikra) chapter 16, specifies the tenth of Tishrei as the date on which the high priest (Cohen HaGadol) shall conduct a special ceremony to purge defilement from the shrine and from the people. The heart of the ritual is that the high priest (Cohen HaGadol) shall bring a bull and two goats as a special offering. First, the bull is sacrificed to purge the shrine from any defilements (what might now be called uncanny vibrations) caused by misdeeds of the priest himself and of his household (Leviticus [Vayikra] 16:6). Secondly, one of the goats is chosen by lot to be sacrificed to purge the shrine of any similar defilement stimulated by misdeeds of the whole Israelite people (Leviticus [Vayikra] 16:7-8. Finally, the second goat is sent away, not sacrificed, to cleanse the people themselves. The goat is marked for Azazel and is sent away to wander in the wilderness (Leviticus [Vayikra] 16:10). Before the goat is sent out, the high priest lays both his hands upon its head and confesses over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their misdeeds, and so putting them on the head of the goat. Thus, the Torah adds, "The goat shall carry on it all their iniquities to an inaccessible region..." (Leviticus [Vayikra] 16:20-22).

Azazel: The Scapegoat


The Hebrew word for scapegoat is azazel. Azazel was seen as a type of satan (Ha satan) in the intertestamental Book of Enoch (8:1). The sins of the people and thus the punishment of the people were laid upon azazel the scapegoat. He would bear the sins of the people and the punishment of the people would be upon him. Azazel being sent into the wilderness is understood to be a picture of satan (Ha satan) being cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).
Let's take a closer look at this ceremony found in Leviticus (Vayikra) 16:7-10. In Leviticus (Vayikra) 16:8, the first lot said, "La Adonai" (To the L-rd). The second lot said, "La Azazel" (To the scapegoat). The high priest (Cohen HaGadol) took the two golden lots, one marked La Adonai and the other marked La Azazel, and placed one upon the head of each animal, sealing their fate. It was considered a good omen if the lot marked La Adonai was drawn by the priest in the right hand, but for 40 years prior to the destruction of the temple (Beit HaMikdash) in 70 C.E. (Common Era, which is the same as A.D., the Latin for "in the year of our L-rd"), the lot La Adonai was drawn by the priest on the left hand (Talmud, Yoma 39a). In any event, the sins of the people were laid upon the scapegoat (Leviticus [Vayikra] 16:21-22). Except for the 40 years prior to the destruction of the second temple (Beit HaMikdash), the lot La Adonai came out on the right hand of the priest and the lot La Azazel came out on the left hand of the priest.


Messianic Understanding


G-d gave this ceremony of the casting of lots during Yom Kippur to teach us how He will judge the nations of the world prior to the Messianic age known as the Millennium. The nations of the world will be judged according to how they treated the Jewish people. Those nations who mistreated the Jews will be goat nations and they will go into the left hand. Those nations that stood beside the Jewish people will be sheep nations and will enter into the Messianic kingdom or the Millennium. Yeshua taught us about this in Matthew 25:31-46.
Yeshua during His first coming was a type of the goat marked La Adonai. Yeshua was a sin offering to us as G-d laid upon Him the sins of the whole world (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 53:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Galatians 1:3-4; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John [Yochanan] 2:2; 4:10).
In the ceremony of the two goats, the two goats were considered as one offering. A crimson sash was tied around the horns of the goat marked azazel. At the appropriate time, the goat was led to a steep cliff in the wilderness and shoved off the cliff. In connection with this ceremony, an interesting tradition arose that is mentioned in the Mishnah. A portion of the crimson sash was attached to the door of the temple (Beit HaMikdash) before the goat was sent into the wilderness. The sash would turn from red to white as the goat met its end, signaling to the people that G-d had accepted their sacrifices and their sins were forgiven. This was based upon Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 1:18. As stated earlier, the Mishnah tells us that 40 years before the destruction of the temple (Beit HaMikdash), the sash stopped turning white. This, of course, was when Yeshua was slain on the tree.




Additional Aspects to the High Priest Ceremony


In order to enter the Holy of Holies, the high priest (Cohen HaGadol) was first to bathe his entire body, going beyond the mere washing of hands and feet as required by other occasions. The washing symbolized his desire for purification (Numbers [Bamidbar] 19). The washing was of his clothes and his flesh (Numbers [Bamidbar] 8:5-7; 19:7-9). This was done in conjunction with taking the blood of an animal with the finger and sprinkling the blood upon the altar (Number [Bamidbar] 19:1-4; Leviticus [Vayikra] 8:13-15). This ritual is once again seen in Numbers (Bamidbar) 31:21-24. The spiritual understanding of this is given in Hebrews 9; and 10:19-22. The sprinkling of blood upon the altar is also mentioned in Exodus (Shemot) 29:1-4,10-12, 16,20-21; and Leviticus (Vayikra) 1:3-5,11; 3:1-2,8; 4:1-6; 5:4-6,9. Once again, the spiritual understanding is found in Hebrews 9:11-14,23-25, and First Peter (Kefa) 1:2.