September 19, 2009
Tishri 1, 5770
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Yom Teruah or the Feast of Trumpets
Rosh Hashana or the Head of the Year
In the seventh month, on the first of the month, there shall be a Sabbath for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy convocation. -Lev 16:24
The fall feasts of Trumpets, Yom Kippur and Tabernacles will be fulfilled on the very day at the Lord's second coming just as the spring feasts of Passover or Pesach, First fruits and Pentecost or Shavuot were fulfilled on the very day.
I. GLOBAL SHIFTS HAPPEN AT THIS TIME
The Jewish year starts on this day and it is a time where God makes shifts all over the world. Last year on trumpets we saw the beginning of the global economic crisis hit as God placed a direct hit on the "pride of our power".
Le 26:18,19 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:
In America God will continue to take the economy down until there will be no reason for the Jewish people to stay. Then comes the persecution to drive them back to the Land. It is also a global warning of things to come!
From Friday, Aug 21st (Elul 1) until today, Sept 28th, Yom Kippur (Tishri 10) has been a time of preparing for judgment as God begins to judge hearts and nations. It is this season of return "teshova" to the Father that we have been in. It has been a time of repentance.
Mt 3:1-3 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Elijah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
It was at during the month of Elul that John cried out! Every year the month of Elul is to be a dress rehearsal for the real thing. I believe we are entering the times of the real thing when God is calling everyone everywhere to repent!
The next step of God's discipline is the sword and pestilence. This could be in the form of riots or war along with an outbreak of plagues and disease. But we know that we will have Divine protection!! We will begin to experience the "Goshen" of God.
Ps 91:5-10 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Ex 10:22, 23 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Even though the darkness in the land will grow there will be light in our dwellings!
II. ROSH HASHANA Tishri 1, 5770 or Sept. 19, 2009
The Hebrew word Rosh means "head" or "Beginning" Ha means "the" and Shanah means "year". It's only used once in the Tenach "Old Testament" Ezekiel 40:1 says, "in the beginning of the year" in the Hebrew it says Rosh Hashanah. The more common Biblical name is "Feast of Trumpets."
Lev.23:23-25 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, In the seventh month in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
Rosh Hashanah is considered the Jewish New Year, but it comes on the seventh month on the first day. In the Jewish world it is considered the birthday of the world. It is during this month that Jesus was actually born as was Moses and Abraham as well as some others.
Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the ten days called High Holy Days or "Days of Awe" They are also called the Days of Repentance, Days of Admitting, Days of Returning. These ten days end with the Day of Atonement, "Yom Kippur" or the Day of Judgment.
In the Synagogue the Shofar (Trumpet) is blown daily to be sure that everyone knows that the time of Judgment is near. Most of the orthodox will take a water immersion called in Hebrew (tevilah mikveh) better known as baptism. It means that one has cleansed his ways. Or been separated unto a Priestly Ministry. This is what John the Baptist was calling the Jews to do, but with a Messianic meaning. Because of the meaning of repentance this day takes on a somber character, but with a hint of hope of God's forgiveness there is room for a festive meal. It is the custom to serve a fish cooked with its head. Placed in front of the father. It shows that he has been ordained by God to be the head of the family. It is also a time to test the first fruits of the new harvest. Find a fruit that gets ripe in your region and do not eat any until this meal. Make it an occasion for the family, they will enjoy it much more than if they have eaten it earlier. Make the meal even more interesting by blowing a shofar, or trumpet, you don't have to be a professional to do this.
In the Synagogue there are four different notes blown, tekia (blast) shevarim (broken notes), teruah (alarm) and tekia gedolah (the big blast). In Biblical times the Shofar was blown to Hail the King, on this day it's said that all Israel is said to be before the King in anticipation of personal judgment. It's customary for slices of apple to be dipped into honey, this is in hope that the coming new year will be a sweet one. After dipping the apple in honey, the Father says a special prayer. Instead of the regular twisted loaves of bread, the challah, for this meal you have round bread, symbolic of our desire for a full and round year. If you bake your own bread, save a little dough and form a small ladder on the top of the loaf. Showing that your prayers are for God Who sets on high, that when we pray we are not just talking to each other, but to God through the Person of Jesus (Yeshua).
When the meal is over and the grace has been said, (the Jewish way and biblical way is to say grace after you've eaten) then read the story of Abraham and Isaac Gen. 22:1-14. Talk about God's provision of a ram to be sacrificed in Isaac's place. A living picture of what was to come in His greater gift to us "Yeshua" Jesus.
This will also be the time when the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout and the sound of a trumpet and the rapture of the church will happen. More than likely it will be around this time that the 7 year peace agreement will be signed with Israel starting the countdown to the "last trumpet".
III. TASHLICH "Thou shalt cast unto the sea"
Tashlich, on the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah it is traditional to go to a river or a body of water. This Hebrew word Tashlich means "thou shalt cast unto the sea". Bring your kids to the lake, river, sea, or any body of water. Make sure they wear cloths with plenty of pockets, and fill them with pebbles or small stones. Throw the rocks into the water each time designate each rock with a sin. Each time asking God to forgive you of that sin in your life. Micah 7:19 and thou shalt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. And see how far you can throw each stone Ps. 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
It almost always happens that a child will find a very pretty stone that they want to keep, and it will give you a wonderful opportunity to talk about the sins we seem to like, but must cast off as well. It is a great family experience. For the child it opens the door for the Holy Spirit to do a work. Much like when you introduce another to Yeshua and open the door for the Holy Spirit to do a work in their life.
In keeping step with the Spirit of God and taking steps of faith we are aligning ourselves to the calendar of God. We are in faith "casting ourselves unto the sea" on Rosh Hashanah. We will be leaving Fiji and heading to Vanuatu as we continue on to Israel.
I want to encourage everyone to make statements of faith and actions of faith to align yourselves to God's timetable. This is a time of shifting. A time of making changes and resolutions for the coming year. This will be a year of great shaking of America that will have varying effects on the rest of the world.
America is continually moving into greater deception. Even the government is telling everyone that there is a recovery when there is no recovery. They will call evil good and good evil.
Unfortunately many in the church are moving that way as well, but God has a remnant that will not be deceived. This is a year to downsize and get rid of your stuff. Cast off the weights and sins that entangle you so you can run the race with endurance.
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh haolam, sheasa nisim laavoteinu bayamim haheim baz'man haze.
Translation:
"Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, Who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time."
Clint, Janet and Abbey on Kairos--merging with destiny for Israel, Jewish people and the believers in Yeshua because He is coming soon to rule and reign from Jerusalem.
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