Messiah in Rosh HaShanah & Yom Teruah Chapter 7
- The Exemption clause of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Teruah
- Changed from the Inside-out
- Tzedakah
- Day of the Shofar Blast
- Day of the Akeidah
- Mystery of the Sin Offering
- Traditions at Yom Teruah
- Scripture Reading
- The Great Court (the Sanhedrin)
- Yom Teruah is unique among all the Feast Days
- Day of the Uncertain Beginning, Remembrance, and Judgment
- Moses, Messiah and the unbelief of our People
The Exemption clause of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Teruah:
According to Jewish tradition we Yehudim (Jews) are exempt from the extended time of testing (Tishri 3-9) if we have found our redemption before the beginning of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Teruah (Tishri 1-2). Salvation shall come to us only if we earnestly search in humility (Teshuvah) and faith (emunah), intently *looking up into the heavens—into the Holy Scriptures—to understand the mystery (the Hebrew sign, mark) of our (Israel’s) redemption.
*Looking up into the heavens indicates that we (עם ישראל) are sincerely turning back to Avinu Shebashamayim (אבינו שבשמים), our Father in heaven, to obtain our salvation. Our search in the heavens requires that we exercise an attitude of humility toward God and that we sincerely search His Word (התנ”ך ואת הברית החדשה) to hear, understand, and obey His will for our lives.
.הרימו ראשיכם, כי קרבה גאלתכם
Lift up your heads [in ellul and search for the sign of Ben Ha’adam in the heavens] for your redemption (גְּאֻלַּתְכֶם) is (close) drawing near.
What is this sign of the Son of Man in the heavens (בכתבי הקודש-in the Holy Scriptures) that we Yehudim are to be intently looking for during our month (אֱלוּל) of searching? It is the Hebrew Sign of the Tav!
When our father Israel adopted Forgotten (מְנַשֶּׁה) and Doubly Fruitful (אֶפְרַיִם) he reversed their birth order. He made Doubly Fruitful his firstborn son and Forgotten his second-born son. How did He do this? He crossed his arms and hands and made the sign of the Tav.
The Tav is the sacred twenty-second and final letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In its *ancient pictographic and ideogrammatic form (אידאוגרמה-an ideogram) this letter was conveyed in the symbol of the crossing of two sticks; that were united (intersected) at the middle (forming the configuration of a crude cross). The ancient Hebrew Tav (that Moses used in His writing of the Torah of Adonai) speaks of the coming together of two parties, unity, reconciliation, redemption, covenant, and ownership.
*See Paleo-Hebrew alphabet – הכתב העברי הקדום
The evil one crucified our Messiah of Israel upon the Sign of the Tav. The wicked one has desecrated and defiled this sacred Hebrew symbol by performing with it numerous pagan gentile beliefs and practices. So far the evil one has succeeded in turning this most sacred sign of Israel into a gentile sign. This deceit will come to a swift end when our Messiah returns to Israel. The Hebrew Sign of the Tav will be seen in the heavens when the Messiah returns! There will be no doubt about the true identity of the Messiah when He appears to Israel a second time as the Conquering Messiah Ben David. When Messiah triumphantly returns from heaven this second time the Hebrew Sign of the Tav will miraculously appear in the heavens. Then it will be abundantly clear to all :
Through the Sign of our (Israel’s) Divine Redemption Israel shall be the Doubly fruitful firstborn (national) son.
Our father Israel testified to the redemptive power of the Sign of the Tav when he crossed his arms over the two sons Forgotten and Doubly Fruitful and changed their birth order:
Israel no longer is the Forgotten firstborn son.
By the sign of the Tav Israel’s sin of rejecting our own Messiah is Forgotten. Israel is now free to have the veil be lifted from our spiritual eyes so that we might see the light of the besorah of the glory of Mashiach, who is the Tselem Elohim (Image of God). Israel is now free, therefore, to fulfill its destiny. By our faith in the Divine Redemption we shall no longer be the Forgotten firstborn son:
Israel is destined to be the Doubly Fruitful firstborn son of all of the nations of the world!
This sign of our redemption is what our people (and the gentiles) will see in the sky (in the heavens) on the yet unknown future day of our observance of Yom Kippur—-which is the day when the Messiah will return from heaven to Israel.
Therefore, it is a complete lie of the evil one that the Sign of the Tav is how the gentiles shall “conquer” those of us who are Yehudim (Jews). Messiah has said of the evil one that he has been a murderer and a liar from the beginning:
הוא רוצח היה מראשית ובאמת לא עמד, כי אין אמת בו. מדי דברו שקר, מתוך ישותו שלו ידבר, כי שקרן הוא ואבי השקר. פ
He was a murderer from the very beginning and really did not stand, because there is no truth in him. He speaks falsely, out of his own being, that he is a liar and the father of the lie.
The truth is the opposite of what the evil one has said. In truth the sign of the Tav is how we Jews (Israel) shall inevitably prevail over the evil world system of the Satan. [Not the other way around] It is our destiny to “supplant” and replace the evil world system with the Rule of God (ישראל). Thereafter in holy love our Father Adonai is going to redeem all of humankind from its present condition of sin and lawlessness and reconcile to Himself all those who will believe in the besorah (good news, gospel) of His Divine Redemption. Therefore it is a true saying, when the Messiah declared:
אתם משתחוים למה שאינכם מכירים, אנחנו משתחוים למה שאנו מכירים, שהרי הישועה מאת היהודים היא!פ
You bow to what you do not know, we bow down to what we know, for the salvation is from Ha-Yehudim! (the Jews)
“Salvation is from the Jews!”
Avinu Shebashamayim, our (Israel’s) heavenly Father, in holy love has sent His Beloved Son to earth as a Jew. We know that the Salvation of Adonai that has come down from the heights (of heaven) is from the Yehudim (שֶׁהֲרֵי הַיְשׁוּעָה מֵאֵת הַיְּהוּדִים הִיא). We know that it is our Messiah of Israel who became a sacrifice for our sin and the sin of all the people of the world. We know the sign of the Tav (תָּ֜ו) is from the Yehudim, not of the gentiles. We know salvation is from the Yehudim, not the Gentiles. With the help of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Spirit of the Holy One) He will “help” us understand what our Prophet-King David and the Prophet Isaiah meant when they said to ancient Israel that all men are sinners and that Adonai alone must save us by His own righteous Right Hand (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
Changed from the Inside-out:
Messiah our Prophet, Priest, and (soon coming) King taught us that we must now be changed from the “Inside-out.” This final (permanent) solution of changing us from the Inside-out can only be administered by the heavenly Father, who has generously given to us (first to the believing Jew, then to the Gentiles) the Gift of His own Eternal Spirit (Ruach Olam) to indwell our otherwise dead spirits. At the moment of our reception of this precious Gift, so generously given to us by our Father in heaven, we can then be assured that we will one day be restored to the former state of sinless perfection that our first father and mother Adam (ish and ishah) previously enjoyed. Then with the Help of Ruach Ha-Chesed (רוּחַ הַחֶסֶד-Spirit of Grace) we will possess the immeasurably valuable gift of faith (the ability to hear, understand, and obey the D’var HaShem). We will then fulfill our calling to be “justified by faith.”
וְהֶאֱמִן אַבְרָהָם בַּ ה’ וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה.פ
Then he [father Abraham] believed in Adonai (the LORD); and He Adonai credited (reckoned) it to him as righteousness.
Father Abraham was justified by faith (emunah) for He believed the promises of Adonai. Faith in Adonai requires that we repent (Teshuvah) of our sin of not believing in the redemptive value of the Korban Pesach (the Sacrifice of Messiah). Only through faith in the Sacrifice of Messiah can anyone ever successfully return to the heavenly Father and be reconciled to Him. The founding fathers of Israel put their faith in the Sacrifice of Messiah (symbolized in their sacrifices before and during the times of the Tabernacle; and the 1st and 2nd Temple). Therefore, they were declared righteous ones (צַדִּיקִים-tzaddikim) by their faith in the once-in-eternity sacrifice of the Messiah who is our power to be saved. His is our—-Horn of Salvation (קרן־ישועה-Keren Yeshuah).
Through all Israel one day exercising faith in the Sacrifice of Messiah and praying (Tefillah-תְּפִלָּה) in His name we shall all receive the gift of eternal salvation; all of our names will ‘permanently’ remain written in the Book of Life and we shall all receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit who is the source (and guarantor) of all our works of righteousness (Tzedakah-צְדָקָה).
Tzedakah:
When we in the power of Keren Yeshuah do all of these ‘required’ works of faith-righteousness—repent, believe in the sacrifice, pray in the name of the Salvation of Adonai—we shall all be miraculously reborn from above by the Spirit of the Holy One.
Therefore once we have found our redemption in the Sacrifice of Messiah we are exempt from ever again having to prove ourselves worthy of salvation! Those of us who have put our faith in the once-in-eternity sacrifice of the Messiah (foreshadowed in the temple sacrifices) are exempt from going through the near-future time of the Great Tribulation.
Blessed is He who comes in the Name of Adonai. Blessed is the One who has thrown our sins into His sea of forgetfulness (ברוך הוא האיש שחטאיו נסלחו ונשכחו). Blessed is the one who has made us Doubly Fruitful in the eyes of our Father in heaven. Blessed is the Name of the Messiah Yeshua who is the Salvation of Adonai.
Leviticus 23:23-25:
וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם שַׁבָּתֹון זִכְרֹון תְּרוּעָה מִקְרָא־קֹֽדֶשׁ׃ כָּל־מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם אִשֶּׁה לַ ה’׃
Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest to you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to Adonai.”
Numbers 29:1-6:
וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ מִֽקְרָא־קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כָּל־מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ יֹום תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶֽם׃ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם עֹלָה לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַֽ ה’ פַּר בֶּן־בָּקָר אֶחָד אַיִל אֶחָד כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי־שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה תְּמִימִֽם׃ וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאָֽיִל׃ וְעִשָּׂרֹון אֶחָד לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד לְשִׁבְעַת הַכְּבָשִֽׂים׃ וּשְׂעִיר־עִזִּים אֶחָד חַטָּאת לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃ מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַחֹדֶשׁ וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְעֹלַת הַתָּמִיד וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם כְּמִשְׁפָּטָם לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ אִשֶּׁה לַ ה’׃
In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing of trumpets to you. You shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savor to Adonai: one young bull, one ram, seven he-lambs a year old without blemish; and their meal-offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three tenth parts for the bull, two tenth parts for the ram, and one tenth part for every lamb of the seven lambs; and one male goat for a sin-offering, to make atonement for you; besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and the meal-offering of it, and the continual burnt offering and the meal-offering of it, and their drink-offerings, according to their ordinance, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire to Adonai.
Day of the Shofar Blast:
Yom Teruah is a part of the fall festival season that comes at the end of the agricultural year in Israel. As noted in the verses of the Torah above Yom Teruah is observed in the seventh month of Etanim (meaning “witnesses” and “testimonies”) which now is more commonly called Tishri (also spelled Tishrei, meaning “beginnings”). Yom Teruah is celebrated at the time of the last harvest in the autumn of the year.
תקופת השנה
“At the turn (circuit of time) of the year“
In Exodus 34:22 this season is referred to as the “end of the year” (תְּקוּפָה); hence it occurs in the regular course of the time of the year(s) (הַשָּׁנָֽה). Therefore, it must be remembered that the Scriptures specifically state that after the time of Israel’s Exodus from Egypt each year is to begin in Aviv (also called Nisan). Aviv (Nisan) is the spring month that we observe Pesach (Passover). Therefore the full circuit of the year(s) requires that rosh hashanah be marked twice:
Time mark #1. Rosh HaShanah I (Tishri 1-the seventh month) is marked at the end of the year (the fall).
Time mark #2. Rosh HaShanah II (Nisan 1-the first month) is marked at the beginning of the year (the spring).
Rosh HaShanah I and Yom Teruah mark the beginning of the moedim, the appointed times that last through the twenty-second day (22 is equal to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet: א – ת) of the seventh month, ending on the eighth day of “extended assembly and rejoicing” (Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah) that follows the seven days of Sukkot (the Feast of Booths).
Day of the Akeidah:
Leviticus 23 tells us that the blowing of the Shofar is a memorial, however, it does not tell us what it is a memorial of. Many believe that it is a memorial of the Eternal Father’s manifestation of grace to father Abraham that occurred when on Mount Moriah when *Adonai Yireh (ה’ יראה) substituted a ram in place of Isaac. Mount Moriah is the exact sight where the Temple was later built. Adonai Yireh (ה’ will see; He will provide) is one of Adonai’s many titles.
ה’– *Abbreviation for Adonai (Tetragrammaton).
The term yireh (יראה) indicates the double meaning that the Holy One both Sees the need for a sacrifice for the forgiveness and cleansing of sin and that He personally will be the One who Provides for this sacrifice (Genesis 22:14).
The ultimate sacrifice that is prophetically in view here is the substitute sacrifice of God’s only son who perfectly hears, understands, and obeys Him, this is the Son Adonai Yireh loves—-Ha-M’shiach Adonai. This is known as the Akeidah (הָעֲקֵידָה), the binding of Isaac (עֲקֵידַת יִצְחַק). The binding of Isaac is a prophetic role-play that enacts the binding and sacrifice of the Messiah (on Mount Moriah) two thousand years before it happened. Traditionally, our people remember the Akeidah at Rosh HaShanah and Yom Teruah.
The Mystery of the Sin Offering:
Those of us who believe that the Akeidah foreshadows the once-in-eternity sacrifice of Messiah by our Father Adonai maintain that Judgment Day for the sins of the redeemed has already come and justice has already been served for us through the Sacrifice of Messiah: He [Adonai] made Him [the Messiah] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of the Almighty One (Adonai Elohim) in Him. We believe that the Akeidah is an explicit promise of redemption to father Abraham; we believe, therefore, that the Anointed One is the perfect fulfillment of the Akeidah of Isaac. Through the sacrifice of Messiah the Holy One has both Seen and Provided for our need for cleansing from sin and the gift of righteousness (the permanent Gift of the Indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit). We believe our names are already permanently sealedin the Lamb’s Book of Life.
בְּסֵפֶר הַחַיִּים שֶׁל־הַשֶׂה
We do not believe that we are made acceptable in the sight of the Avi’ad (the Everlasting Father) by means of our own pitiful, imperfect works of righteousness.
אוּלָם כְּשֶׁנִּגְלָה טוּבוֹ שֶׁל ה’ מוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ וְאַהֲבָתוֹ אֶת הָאָדָם, אֲזַי לֹא בִּגְלַל מַעֲשֵׂי צְדָקָה שֶׁעָשִׂינוּ הוּא הוֹשִׁיעַ אוֹתָנוּ, כִּי אִם בְּרַחֲמָיו, עַל־יְדֵי רְחִיצַת הַלֵּדָה הַחֲדָשָׁה וְהַהִתְחַדְּשׁוּת בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר שָׁפַךְ עֲלֵינוּ לְמַכְבִּיר עַל־יְדֵי יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ מוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ, לְמַעַן נֻצְדַּק בְּחַסְדּוֹ וְנִהְיֶה לְיוֹרְשֵׁי חַיֵּי עוֹלָם בְּהֶתְאֵם לַתִּקְוָה.פ
But when the goodness of Adonai our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Yeshua Ha-Mashiach our Savior, so that being justified by His grace (faithful, loving-kindness) we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
When all of the goodness and kindness of Adonai our Savior (ה’ מוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ) was manifested through His Beloved Son, the Messiah our Savior (הַמָּשִׁיחַ מוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ), He saved us not on the basis of our own unsatisfactory righteousness but according to His mercy (רַחֲמָיו-rachamim), by the righteous deeds of His Beloved Son who brings to us the forgiveness of our Father of Mercies (Avi HaRachamim) and the regeneration of our souls through the renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Yeshua the Messiah our Savior (יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ מוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ), so that being justified by His grace we would be made yoreshim (היורשים-the heirs) in the tikvah HaChayyei Olam (according to the hope of eternal life).
However, this gracious cleansing from sin and assignment of righteousness by our Righteous Father does not excuse us from bearing forth His fruit of light in our daily lives (goodness, righteousness, and truth). The Scriptures clearly warn us that on the Final Day of Judgment to come anyone’s name not found written in the Book of Life of the Lamb will be thrown into the lake of fire (cf. ההתגלות-Scroll of Unveiling):
וְכָל־אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לׂא־נִמְצָא כָתוּב בְּסֵפֶר הַחַיִּים הֻשְׁלַךְ בַּאֲגַם הָאֵשׁ׃
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
In the Akeidah we find there are many parallels between the life of Isaac and the life of Mashiach Yeshua. Fourteen of these prophetic similarities are:
Similarity #1. Isaac and Yeshua were both sons of promise.
Similarity #2. Both came into the world under miraculous circumstances.
Similarity #3. The births of both sons were announced by angels.
Similarity #4. The entire world is destined to be blessed through the lives of both men.
Similarity #5. Both men were beloved sons of their fathers.
Similarity #6. They were both blameless in their conduct toward their fathers.
Similarity #7. Neither son deserved to die.
Similarity #8. Both men had to carry wood materials on their backs.
Similarity #9. The judgment of both men was executed on Mount Moriah.
Similarity #10. Both were crowned with thorns; Isaac symbolically and Yeshua in actuality.
Similarity #11. Both were in their thirties at the time of their being sacrificed.
Similarity #12. Both sons did not utter even a single word of protest in their defense.
Similarity #13. Both men lived beyond the event. Messiah has been resurrected already and Isaac will be resurrected soon.
Similarity #14. Both sons undertook a “three day” journey with their fathers (on their return home) after they had been sacrificed.
Traditions at Yom Teruah:
Tradition #1. Torah Readings. The Torah portion for the first day of Rosh Hashanah is about the birth of Isaac. The Torah portion for the second day is on the Akeidah, or the binding of Isaac. The Musaf (additional service) includes extra benedictions added to the normal Amidah. These benedictions emphasize Adonai’s Kingship and the remembrance of our days. Also there is the call of the shofar that symbolizes the end of days when we shall usher in the Messianic Kingdom.
Day #1: Torah Reading: Genesis 21:1-34; Numbers 29:1-6 (Musaf);
Haftarah Reading (excerpts from the prophets): 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10.
Day #2: Torah Reading: Genesis 22:1-24; Numbers 29:1-6;
Haftarah Reading: Jeremiah 31:1-19.
Tradition #2. Blowing of the Shofar. There are four primary types of shofar blasts:
A. Tekiah (תקיעה) – A long single blast;
B. Shevarim (שברים) – Three short wail-like blasts;
C. Teru’ah (תרועה) – Nine staccato blasts of alarm;
D. Tekiah ha-Gadol (תְּקִיעָה הַגָּדוֹל) – A great long blast (for as long as you can blow!). The general custom is to first blow tekiah, followed by shevarim, followed by teruah, and to close with tekiah hagadol.
Tradition #3. Wearing white to symbolize purity.
Tradition #4. The Tashlich (תשליך) ceremony (casting a stone into a body of water). Tashlich is an interesting ceremony that is based on Micah 7:19 that states: “And You will cast (ve-tashlich) all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Tashlich involves prayer, confession of sin and a relinquishing, “letting go” of sin. Tashlich requires one to cast a stone into the water as a physical reminder that one’s sins are cast away into the depths of the sea (forgiven) and remembered no more.
Tradition #5. The exchange of greetings such as: shanah tova (שנה טובה)”[have] a good year;” or Le’shanah tovah techatevu, le’shanah tovah techateimu … shanah tovah.” May you be written [in the Book of Life] and sealed…[have] a good year!” (.לשנה טובה תכתבו, לשנה טובה תחתמו… שנה טובה)
Tradition #6. There are also other additional services and traditions that are observed within the Synagogue.
Scripture Readings:
Scripture Reading #1. Isaac Is Born:
Scripture Reading #2. Sarah Turns against Hagar:
Scripture Reading #3. Covenant with Abimelech:
Scripture Reading #4. Offerings of the Seventh Month:
Scripture Reading #5. Elkanah and His Wives:
Scripture Reading #6. Samuel Is Born to Hannah:
Scripture Reading #7. Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving:
Scripture Reading #8. Israel’s Mourning Turned to Joy:
The Great Court (the Sanhedrin):
The feast known as Yom Teruah is known to most as Rosh Hashanah (“Head of the Year”). However, this feast is never called Rosh Hashanah in the Scriptures (cf. our article, “Messiah in Rosh Hashanah II & Chanukkah II“). Yom Teruah (the Day of Blowing the Shofar) occurs on the first day of the seventh month, the month of Tishri on the Torah Calendar (Tishri 1, 5779).
Since Yom Teruah occurs on the first day of the month, it is also a Rosh Chodesh (רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ) a “new moon.” The Sanhedrin (בית דין הגדול-Beit Din Hagadol, the Great Court) sanctifies all new moons on the basis of at least the testimony of two witnesses. The Rabbis believe that the Almighty One and all His angelic hosts will wait for the Great Court to sanctify the new moon before He will commence His annual court proceedings in heaven (when Adonai summons the angels as witnesses in His annual accounting of humanity’s conduct toward Him).
Yom Teruah is unique among all the feast days:
Yom Teruah is unique among all the feast days. Yom Teruah can occur on the weekly Shabbat (Sabbath) so it enjoys a rather unique status among all the other feast days. Yom Teruah is the only festival in which all of the following sacrifices (from the Hebrew word korban, which means to “draw near”) can be offered:
Sacrifice #1. The Daily offerings.
Sacrifice #2. The Shabbat offerings.
Sacrifice #3. The New Moon offerings.
Sacrifice #4. The Festival offerings.
The sounding of the Shofar is a remembrance by Adonai for His people to assemble before Him to fulfill His great purposes. Avinu Shebashamayim has revealed His promises to His people through His Word.
The new moon speaks of the renewal of man, the individual, the nation of Israel and all the nations of the earth. The renewal of the kingship of the Holy One over Israel and over the entire universe is the prophetic centerpiece of Rosh Hashanah. The first day of Rosh HaShanah begins a period of repentance lasting for ten days, ending with Yom Kippur (the Day of the Atonement).
Day of the Uncertain Beginning, Remembrance, and Judgment:
Yom Teruah is the only festival that has an an uncertain beginning. This is so because determining the first day of the month, Rosh Chodesh, depends on two witnesses attesting to their having physically seen the appearance of the new moon. For this reason the festival is celebrated for two days. The month preceding Tishri, Elul (meaning searching), can either be defective (twenty-nine days long) or full (thirty days long).
Yom Ha-Zikaron (יום הזיכרון) means a day of memorial or remembrance. This is derived from the verse that was quoted at the beginning of this article, Leviticus 23:24. Yom HaDin (יום הדין) means a “Day of Judgment.” In anticipation of this impending time of judgment the process of Teshuvah (repentance) is initiated at the beginning of the month of Elul thirty days earlier.
There are forty days of repentance, prayer and righteous conduct required in the period of Elul 1 through Tishri 10.
This corresponds to the forty-day period when the twelve spies spied out the land in Canaan and then ten of the spies gave a bad report that led to the failure of the people of Israel to enter by faith into the Promised Land. The narrative of the twelve spies includes colorful descriptions of the agricultural abundance of the promised land. The grape (עַנָב), fig (תְאֵנָה), and pomegranate (רִמּוֹן) harvests that occur in August and September are alluded to. Therefore, these historical events are associated with the fall festival time of Elul1-Tishri 10 (1, 2, 3).
Moses, Messiah and the unbelief of our People:
Failure to believe #1. Numbers 13–14 reports that only two of the twelve spies believed in Adonai’s promise to give them the land (Joshua and Caleb). The other ten spies (a minyan; a number sufficient to be an officiating body; a quorum for worship) were terrified of the local inhabitants and strongly threatened the people, saying they would all perish if they obeyed Adonai by engaging in combat with the exceedingly more powerful military forces of Canaan.
Failure to believe #2. Similarly the reports of the Prophet of the Most High, Yochanan ben Zechariah the Immerser, and the Messiah Joshua (Yeshua) were rejected because the first century religious officials were frightened of Rome’s great stature and military might.
Failure to believe #3. Out of fear and disbelief the people rejected the counsel of the two faithful witnesses (Joshua and Caleb). Israel rejected the counsel of the faithful ones and followed the counsel of the unfaithful ones, who terrified the people with their bad report.
Failure to believe #4. The people of Israel allowed the madman King Herod (a descendant of Esau) to murder the prophet Yochanan ben Zechariah, and Rome to murder the Messiah (Joshua, Yeshua) because the religious officials had falsely accused Joshua (Yeshua) of being a blasphemer and an insurrectionist whose deceptions would lead the people to die at the hands of the powerful and cruel Roman army.
Failure to believe #5. The unbelieving people slanderously alleged that Adonai intended to kill off all their children in the promised land. So Adonai preserved the children but condemned all the adults who slandered Him to wander in the desert until they died.
Failure to believe #6. Adonai Eloheinu (our God) was slandered yet again by our people when our priests, rabbis, and rulers accused the Messiah of doing miracles by the power of Satan, when, in fact, HaMoshia l’chol Adam healed our people only by the power of the Spirit of the Holy One; for He was and continues to be—-the Power of God.
Yet, in His great mercy Adonai Avinu (our Father) has preserved our people alive so that one day (we pray soon) a new generation of believing Yehudim will recognize who our true Messiah is. This recognition of the Faithful and True One (נאמן ואמיתי), Yehoshua (Yeshua), will bring about His glorious return to earth from heaven to forcefully put down the rebellion of man and to finally establish the righteous rule of the LORD upon earth (cf. our festival document, the “Messiah in Purim“).
Failure to believe #7. In a moment of rage the people of Israel sought to kill the Prophet Moses, however, Adonai intervened to deliver Moses from the hands of his own people.
Failure to believe #8. Moses was willing to sacrifice His life for our people but was not required to. With the consent of our religious and political leaders the Messiah was required to die for our people and in perfect obedience He sacrificed His life on the accursed oak tree for us all (configured in the form of the ancient Hebrew Letter Tav) as an atonement for our sins, not His; for our Messiah has always been perfect (blameless) in His obedience of all of the Torah of our Father Adonai.
Failure to believe #9. On the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, Rabbinu Moses pleaded with HaShem to spare the lives of the people of Israel (inferred by the agricultural time and theological context of the Torah narrative).
Failure to believe #10. Like Moses, Rabbinu Joshua, Yeshua, pleaded to our heavenly Father to save our people and so we shall be: for on the appointed day “His” our people will be completely forgiven and permanently restored as a nation and people when the Messiah Ben David triumphantly returns to Israel a “second” time (cf. our article, “Messiah in Rosh Hashanah & Chanukkah II“). The Messiah will return to earth (we believe in this 21st century) a second time on an unknown day of Yom Kippur (we do not know the year).
Failure to believe #11. Due to the people practicing idolatry, Moses asked the Holy One to blot his name out of the “Book of Life” so that he might be punished (be accursed) for the sins of our people and our people were spared (Exodus 32:32).
Failure to believe #12. The Messiah experienced the wrath of the Righteous Father on behalf of our people. The great prophet Moses was not allowed to experience the wrath of Adonai. For the only one who may be sacrificed to turn away the wrath of the Holy One is required to be without spot, wrinkle or blemish. Our Korban Pesach must be sinless. He must be blameless in all of the Law of the LORD. He must be perfect.
Moses was not perfect (sinless). However, the Messiah was perfect. Messiah, therefore, is the Sacrificed One whose life Moses is a witness to. Through faith in the atoning sacrifice of the Suffering Messiah Ben Joseph our sins are forgiven and our names are permanently written into the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Failure to believe #13. On the Day of Atonement, to preserve (save, deliver) Israel, Moses appealed to the steadfast love (chesed) of our Father of Mercies and to the glory of His Name; therefore, the prophet Moses petitioned for Israel to not be destroyed (even though our people deserved judgment) because of the adverse impact such a terrible and final act of judgment might have universally on the reputation of Adonai (Numbers 14:13-19).
Failure to believe #14. The Coming One who is like Moses also prayed for Israel to be spared from annihilation. In response to the anguished pleadings of the Messiah our Father in heaven (Avinu Shebashamayim) has promised to preserve Israel alive forever. In tears Messiah pleaded for our nation and our people not to be destroyed. In anguish Messiah pleaded for the preservation of our people because our leaders as one man had publicly blasphemed against the Spirit of the Holy One. they did this when they publicly proclaimed that the Spirit of the Messiah was in actuality the spirit of satan (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
Therefore, our leaders of the first century (CE) who did this blasphemy will never be forgiven; not because they blasphemed against our Messiah. They will never be forgiven because they blasphemed the Spirit of the Holy One when they called the Spirit of the Holy One that Indwells the Messiah an “unclean spirit” (“רוח טמאה בו”).
However, due to our Messiah’s personal piety, prayers, and tearful supplications before the Holy One Adonai has heard Messiah’s prayer of forgiveness on our behalf (1, 2). Nevertheless, for nineteen very long and devastating centuries our people have been horribly disciplined; not for blasphemy but for rejecting the M’shiach Adonai. Fortunately, our time of salvation is imminent. Our time of severe discipline will swiftly come to an end. In preparation for the return of our Messiah our nation and people are now being revived. Soon one last final period of trouble will come upon us. It will be shortened to the length of seven years.
Thereafter our Faithful and True One will return to us (Israel) in great glory (a second time), to permanently establish the Kingdom of our Father Adonai here on earth. Messiah also promised us that in the time of His return He will not appear as the Suffering Messiah Ben Joseph. This time M’shiach Adonai will appear to us and our enemies as the Conquering Messiah Ben David. This time He will rule the world with a Rod of Iron (בְּשֵׁבֶט בַּרְזֶל). At the time of Messiah’s second coming our Israel will be restored to the fulfillment of all Father Adonai’s promises. In this near future time: all of the gentile nations will join themselves to Israel as a Commonwealth of Israel; and in their doing so the city of Jerusalem will become the capital city of all of the nations, peoples, and families of the world.