Mystery of the Seventh Month

Leviticus 23:23-44

Festive lights, special foods, games, family celebration, prayer, religious activity, strange looking tents.  What is going on within the Jewish community?  Why are Jewish people praying, fasting, and rejoicing?

The number seven has always been a special biblical number according to scholars.  This sacred number speaks of completion, perfection and points to God’s divine purpose.

During the seventh month of the Jewish calendar (September 12, 2007, beginning at sundown) you will find the Jewish community worldwide getting ready for the most important events of the Jewish calendar, the High Holy Days of Rosh HaShanah & Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).  Plus, another holy day, Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) is also in the seventh month (Tishri).

Let’s take a brief look at these very important holy days, moments of festivity, reflection, awe, and self- examination.

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah (first day of Tishri) is the beginning of the Hebrew year. Rosh, means “head” or “beginning”, or the “start of” the New Year.  This is a time when Jews celebrate the anniversary of the Creation of the world, universe and man (Genesis 1,2).  Rosh Hashanah is a time of rejoicing and celebration as well as time of deep reflection and holy occasion (Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1-6; Nehemiah 8:2, 9-12).

God Judges

Rosh Hashanah, according to Jewish tradition, is when God looks into the hearts of people and judge their deeds and motives. It is said, that God will inscribe their names in the Book of Life or Death, and in so doing, determine who will live another year or who will die. Subsequently, Rosh Hashanah is not only a time to celebrate the Jewish New Year and the creation; it also begins what is called the “Ten Days of Awe or Penitence”.  Multitudinous prayers are offered, scripture reading and repentance culminates on Yom Kippur ten days after Rosh Hashanah begins.  The prayers, good deeds and repentance are done being hopeful that God will look with favor upon their lives and inscribe their name in the Book of Life.   To symbolize purity, some of the men will wear a white robe to the synagogue.  These will be the shrouds in which the observant Jews are buried.

The Sounding of the Trumpet

Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Feast of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah (the Day of the Sounding of the Shofar), Yom ha-Din (the Day of Judgment, and Yom ha-Zikkaron (the Day of Remembrance).  During this holiday, the “shofar”, or ram’s horn, is blown.  To be in Israel during this time is quite an experience.  You will hear trumpet after trumpet piercing the crisp autumn air. The rabbis open the Ark of the Torah, the story of Abraham and the binding of Isaac is remembered.

In remembering the story of Abraham and Isaac, the religious are reminded of Isaac’s rescue from death and God’s mercy.  The night before the holiday Jews greet one another with, L’Shanah tovah tikatevu, “May you be inscribed for a good year!”  Apples or bread are dipped in honey to express hope and sweetness for a good next year and prayers for the peace of the world are spoken as they remember God.

Throwing Stones

Regarding the idea of repentance and new life you will find the religious going to streams or rivers observing the water current moving down, symbolically or in reality, to the sea. Or, some of the faithful are able to go directly to the ocean depending on where they live.  They recite the last verses from the book of the prophet Micah which states,

“And Thou will cast their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19)

Beforehand they will fill their pockets with stones, herbs or flowers, which symbolize their sins.  Standing at the shore, the religious will cast the symbol of their sins into the water.  The, idea is that the current then takes their sin into the depths of the sea never to be seen again.  How comforting that thought is to the contrite soul.  This is done on the first afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah and is called Tashlikh, or Casting Off.  Therefore, exercising this act, they symbolically cast their sins into the water.

So, in the final analysis, Rosh Hashanah is a celebration of the anniversary of God creating the universe. God is remembered as the Supreme Judge and Sovereign over all things known and unknown and as the Living and Everlasting God.  It is a time to remember that God holds our very breath in His hands and that we must give an account for our sins and trust in God’s forgiveness and mercy.

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur (10^th of Tishri), or literally, Day of Atonement is the last of the Ten Days of Awe or Penitence and is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar (Leviticus 23:27-32).  It is known as “the Sabbath of Sabbaths”. It is marked by twenty-four hours of prayer and fasting.

White is the symbol of purity and is the dominant color of Yom Kippur.  The altar cloths and the Torah covers, which are maroon on the Sabbaths and blue on the festivals, are now changed to white.  The story of Jonah is recited, as he was the prophet who learned that all men are God’s children (according to Jewish tradition).  The very pious recite responsively the entire Book of Psalms.

The Yom Kippur service is the longest in the Jewish liturgy.  It begins with the chanting of the Kol Nidre, a prayer asking for the release from vows and promises that were not kept.  Prayers continue throughout the evening and the next day.  Confession of sins, or the Viddui is expressed.  The service closes with the Neilah, or closing.  It refers to the closing of the gates of heaven at the conclusion of the day.  Finally, the shofar is blown and these words are exclaimed, Leshanah habaah biyerushalayim, “Next Year in Jerusalem!”  At the close of this very somber holy day, there is a sense of relief that God’s wrath is postponed.  Immediately families begin to build sukkahs (tabernacles).

Sukkot

Sukkot, or the Feast of tabernacles begins on the 15^th day of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:39). Sukkot is a harvest festival of thanksgiving.  It is a time of remembering the wandering Israelites in the wilderness for forty years living in temporary dwellings or booths (a sukkah).

Sukkot (Tabernacles) is the completion of both Passover and Pentecost.  During Passover, the ‘wave sheaf”, or the first ripe grain was offered as a sign of more harvest to come.  At Pentecost, more harvest was completed (wheat and barley became ripe).  These wave loaves were presented to the Lord as a precursor to more harvest yet to come.  During Sukkot the complete, or whole harvest came into being (grapes, apples, nuts, pomegranates etc.).

Connection to Yeshua (Jesus)

As with most religions, Judaism is full of beautiful ritual and symbolism.  Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot are three of the most important holidays within Judaism.  To understand a holy day of the Old Testament one must always keep in mind that ritual points to something greater that itself. Messiah is usually the presage considered.

• Rosh Hashanah reminds us of new beginnings and accountability.

It draws our attention to the creation of new life and meditation upon the One who created all life.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).   John the Apostle tells us that Jesus is the source of all life and that it will be the Son of God who passes judgment, not the Father (John 1; 5:22).  Also, it was Jesus who created all things and that “He is before all things, and by him all things consist” (John 1; Colossians 1:16,17).  Plus, as mentioned earlier, the Apostle Paul, referencing the tradition of Rosh Hashanah stated, that when the trumpet (shofar, ram’s horn) of God is blown the dead in Christ shall rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:16).  Paul brings a clearer focus on this in 1 Corinthians 15:52 when he says, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible.”   In Jewish tradition, the blowing of the shofar is said to confound Satan.  The trumpet sounds the coming of Messiah and the Kingdom of God.  Satan despises and resists this moment.

Isn’t it truly amazing that the celebration of Rosh Hashanah was a foreshadow, a presage, a rehearsal for the celebration of the Messiah?  This being the case, all people must examine the claims of Jesus.  Is he the Messiah as he said (Matthew 27:63,64; Mark 14:61,62; John 4:25,26)?  If he is the Messiah and the Creator of life and the Judge, then we must respond, either in belief or rejection.  If we reject Jesus as the Messiah and Lord, we of all people will be most miserable and the eternal ramifications are very ominous (John 3:36).  If we believe, then we will find peace, purpose and meaning to our lives and the eternal ramifications are very encouraging (John 3:16).

• Regarding Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, we must tie together the two holidays.

Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of something that will culminate at Yom Kippur.   From the first day throwing the stones in the water (Tashlikh) until final blowing of the shofar concluding Yom Kippur, the emphasis is on repentance and trying to appease the judgment of God.

Remember, it was on the Day of Atonement the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies to offer sacrifice on behalf of Israel.  Therefore, we can understand the effort of modern day Judaism in trying to create a sobriety and reverence for such an important day.  Wait a minute!  The Temple is gone.  The Holy of Holies is gone.

Since the Temple no longer exists it is impossible to offer blood atonement for the people.  So what the rabbis have done is substitute blood atonement with mitzvah, a ritual obligation(s) or good deed(s).

Now we have a problem.  The Scripture teaches “for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).  Good deeds are commendable, however; they cannot atone for the soul.  Religious ritual obligation is commendable; however, rituals cannot atone for the soul.

The Scripture also teaches, “So without the shedding of blood there is not remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22).  What is the answer to this problem?  Yeshua (Yeshua is the Hebrew way to say Jesus) is the answer.  He was the perfect and final sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 6-9)

Therefore, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah direct us to the One who can forgive sin and bring into a right relationship with God.  Jesus is God’s Lamb offered for the sins of mankind.  We must put our trust in Him and not depend on our own religious efforts or good deeds to gain God’s approval.  For eternal life is a gift received through faith and is not predicated on good deeds or religious activity (Ephesians 2:8-10).  We must trust in God’s mercy and grace provided for us through His Messiah, the Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; Psalm 49:7-9; Isaiah 59:12; Leviticus 9:12; Jeremiah 31:3; Leviticus 17:11; Isaiah 53:3-10; Psalm 2:12; Proverbs 30:4; Genesis 15:6; John 11:25,26; John 14:6).

• Sukkot points us to the Millennial Reign of Messiah on earth (Revelation 21:3: Zechariah 14, Ezekiel 40-48).

God intends to illustrate during this seven-day feast during the seventh month a picture for us of the final harvest and redemptive work on earth.

It is a time in which the fruit of our lives will finally be ready to be gathered in the God’s storehouses.  This is the day God has waited and foretold, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain” (James 5:7).

These holy days truly point us to God’s redemptive work in Messiah Jesus!

Shalom and Blessings,

Dr. Jeff