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Feast of Trumpets and Day of Atonement
In September of 2023, two Jewish Holy Days will occur. Since one is preparation for the second, I will cover both of them in this lesson. Both are found in the book of Leviticus.
September 15, 2023, is the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah
This is the Jewish New Year and the traditional anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve and a Sabbath day of rest which includes a day of rest and the blowing of horns. It is also called the Days of Awe. So, we have three names for this Holy Day, which makes it all the more confusing.
It is mentioned in Lev. 23:23-25, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the Lord by fire.
In Num. 29:1-6 it says, “It is a day for you to sound trumpets. As an aroma pleasing to the Lord, prepare a burnt offering . . .”
So far, all we know about this holy day is that it is a sabbath day, a day of rest, it is a memorial or a commemoration of something and there are a lot of trumpets blowing. Any questions? I have one. What is it commemorating? What is it a memorial to? Imagine the Jews standing at the temple watching the musicians blowing their trumpets and someone asks, “Why are we here?” The Jews figured, that since that day led up to the Day of Atonement, when all their sins were forgiven, it must be a time of self-examination and the trumpets were a wake-up call for them to get right with God. And since trumpets were blown at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19:5-7), this day also commemorates the giving of the Law.
So, this Holy Day commemorates the giving of the Law, the Israelites entering into the covenant to obey the law and a wake-up call to prepare for the coming judgment.
Between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) the Jews would reflect on their lives, turn away from their sins and hopefully, according to tradition, get their names in the book of life before the books are closed up on the Day of Atonement.
Rosh Hashanah meals usually include apples dipped in honey to symbolize a sweet new year and pomegranates to symbolize being fruitful. Why pomegranates? Well, they are filled with a large number of seeds.
A ritual is oftentimes performed where prayers are recited near natural flowing water, and one's sins are symbolically cast into the water. This is done by throwing bread or pebbles into the water, symbolizing the casting off of sins as seen in Micah 7:19, “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” The feast of Trumpets ushers in a ten-day period of repentance which culminates in the fast day of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.
We know that some days in the Old Testament have a special meaning to those in the Church. For instance, the Passover of Exodus 12, the blood of the lamb over the doorposts led to the Israelites being delivered from slavery. Jesus, the Lamb of God, delivers us from slavery, also, slavery from sin.
Israelites ate only unleavened bread during the Days of Unleavened Bread, symbolizing a holy walk with God. I Cor. 5:7-8 tells us to purge out the old leaven and Jesus is the Bread of Life. Then there is the First Fruits, where a sheaf of the first harvest would be brought to the priest. Paul wrote that in Adam all died, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming (I Cor. 15:23). Then we have Pentecost, where two wave loafs are used to symbolize the first fruits unto the Lord. God is predicting that the church would have both Jews and Gentiles. It seems more than coincidental that He was crucified on Passover, buried on Unleavened Bread, raised on First fruits and sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
How do Christians understand the Feast of Trumpets? There is quite a calendar time gap between Pentecost and Trumpets. The gap in time seems to represent the Church Age. Trumpets represent rapture. Trumpets were the signal for workers to stop harvesting and make their way to the Temple. 1 Thess. 4:16-17 says that the Lord will come “with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Cor 15:51-52 speaks of trumpets, “We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”
Christians have their own reminder of their relationship with God in the Lord’s Supper. This is like our New Year. We end one year with regrets, and we make resolutions to do better in the coming year. It is also similar to the 40-day season of Lent, a time of reflection for Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran and Methodists as they prepare to remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptists, Evangelicals and Pentecostalists usually do not observe Lent.
September 24, 2023, Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur
The Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur which is the most important Holy Day. Many Jews who do not observe any other Jewish holiday will refrain from work, fast and/or attend synagogue services on this day. Similar to how some Christians attend church only on Easter or Christmas.
During the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), God inscribes the Israelite’s names in either the book of life or death. On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) the judgment entered in these books was sealed.
Lev.16:29 mandates establishment of this holy day on the 10th day of the 7th month as the day of atonement for sins. It calls it the Sabbath of Sabbaths and a day upon which one must afflict one's soul (fast) and it is a day of rest.
Lev. 16:5-10 describes how two male goats were to be sacrificed on the Day of Atonement, one was a sin offering, the other was the scapegoat. The first one was killed, its blood sprinkled in the Most Holy Place to appease God for another year. The other goat, the scapegoat, was sent away alive and bearing the sins of the nation. This was the only time the high priest entered the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies. When the second Temple was destroyed in the year 70 AD., individual Jews would perform the sacrifice “in the temple of his heart.”
Beyond fasting on this day, tradition requires that Jews abstain from washing, applying oils or lotions to the skin, having marital relations, and wearing leather shoes. Huh? What wrong with leather shoes? Well, back in the day, it was a luxury to have leather shoes, so part of “afflicting your body” is doing without leather shoes. Sneakers have become fashionable footwear on the Day of atonement.
During the year Jews focus on food, work, possessions and pleasures. During this one day they are to deny themselves these things. This tends to make them more sensitive to the sufferings of others.
Although Yom Kippur is the most solemn day of the year, there is an undercurrent of joy. Joy is the sense of being forgiven of their sins.
Christians have a better sacrifice for their sins than the goats provided on the annual Day of Atonement. The blood of goats could only cover up our sins (Heb. 9:8-14). Jesus removed our sins (Heb. 9:28). Goats had to be sacrificed every year. Christ’s single sacrifice was permanent (1 Peter 3:18) “once and for all.”
We have peace because we know that we have been reconciled with God. That’s past tense, not a future hope. His crucifixion paid for the sins of all who would trust in Him (Heb. 4:15; 2 Cor. 5:21), and His resurrection guarantees our justification before God (Rom. 4:25). Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). Peace with God means that our great sin debt has been paid and God sees us as righteous (Col. 2:14; Rom. 3:22). We are no longer enemies but beloved children (1 John 3:2). We have been reconciled. We have peace.
Don’t religions love to add to what is required by God? If you stripped away all man-made traditions, both Judaism and Christianity would be unrecognizable and a lot simpler. I wonder how many of our traditions, good as they may be, are sometimes a distraction from what is essential.
Here is some trivia about Yom Kippur. In 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on Yom Kippur, when many military personnel were at home observing the holy day and weakened by hunger. Israel won.
In 1965, Sandy Koufax, the Los Angeles Dodger Hall of Fame pitcher, decided not to pitch Game 1 of the World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur.
In 1934, Hall of Fame first baseman Hank Greenberg refused to play baseball on Yom Kippur, even though the Detroit Tigers were in the middle of a pennant race, and he was leading the league in RBIs. When Greenberg arrived in synagogue on Yom Kippur, the service stopped suddenly, and the congregation gave an embarrassed Greenberg a standing ovation.
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Purim is a Jewish celebration, more like the Fourth of July or Mother’s Day, than a religious holiday like Passover. Purin is usually observed in February or March of each year. The word Purim means, “lots” as in a lottery, which was the means that the villainous Haman, an Amalekite, used to set the date for the massacre of Jews in Persia (previously Babylon). These events in the Book of Esther take place between chapters six and seven of the Book of Ezra. The setting is Persia, seventy years after they were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Israel spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon, which was later taken over by the Persians in 539 B.C. Just a year later, the Persian King Cyrus decreed throughout his empire that any captive Jews in Babylonia who desired could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Cyrus even allowed the vessels of gold and silver stolen by Nebuchadnezzar’s troops to be returned. As we will read in Isaiah 48 , they all should have left, but some stayed behind. Let’s look at the cast of characters in this drama. The villain in the story was Haman, an Amalekite. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. You might recall that these siblings had a long-standing conflict that revolved around the birthright. Esau, the firstborn, sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. The hostility that Jacob and Esau had for one another carried on through the generations like a bad gene. Esau had a grandson named Amalek, from which we get the name Amalekites. These cousins of the Israelites attacked them whenever they had the chance. When the Jews were led out of Egypt by Moses, the Amalekites attacked them in Rephidim, in the Sinai Desert. This unprovoked attack led God to promise to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven (Ex. 17:8-14) . Forty years later, in his last major speech to his people, Moses reminded the Jews of the command to go after Amalek (Deut. 25:17-19) . Saul, the first King of Israel, was commanded to wipe out the Amalekites (I Sam. 15:2-3) . But Saul disobeyed and spared the life of King Agag (I Sam 15:9) . This led to the premature end of the reign of Saul (I Sam. 15:23) . Saul, realizing his mistake, subsequently did kill Agag, but one of his sons survived. So not only was he disobedient, but he was also incompetent. Some 500 years later, one of his descendants was Haman. Others in the cast of characters included the royal couple, King Xerxes (some think it was King Ahasuerus or perhaps both names refer to the same person), and Queen Vashti. Then there was Esther, the Jewish maiden, and her uncle Mordecai. And so, with the setting in place, the cast of characters on stage, let the drama that led to Purim begin.
JOB SUFFERS AND DEMANDS FROM GOD AN EXPLANATION AS TO “WHY?”
Did it Really Happen? Does it Really Matter?
Ezra Comes to Jerusalem and Teaches the People
The Miracle of Passover: Zola Levitt
The Jews Journey to Jerusalem
The Israelites Head for Jerusalem and Rebuild their Temple.
How Israelites Should Behave When They Return Home
December 7-15, 2023, is Hanukkah (Festival of Lights)
Chapter 22: The Book of the Law was Found, Josiah leads a Return to God
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We should be able to answer these questions, and there are answers! So start here!
Answers to Common Bible Questions
Lent is a six week period of spiritual devotion starting on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter. Those who observe Lent usually give up something for Lent. Some might give up coffee, or soda pop, or alcohol, or chocolate. May I suggest that you give up something that will really impress God and make this season of Lent one of the most memorable and meaningful seasons of your life? May I suggest that if you are giving up something, why not give up some of the acts of our sinful nature mentioned in Gal. 5:19? Why don’t we give up lying about others? Do you think you can give up the hate you feel towards others? How about envy, can we work on putting envy aside this year? How about giving up on the naïve idea that all pastors are mature Christian leaders whose word should always be accepted, rather than wolfs in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15). How about giving up the idea that everyone in church is a real Christian (Matt 7:21-23). How about giving up your desire to seek revenge on those who have hurt you (Matt 18:21-22)? If you are insecure and feel threatened when you see the success of others in ministry, how about giving up efforts to hinder others who have been called to minister (Rom 12:4-8)? Of course it is easier to give up something like chocolate, etc. and make yourself feel like you are doing something that is pleasing to God. If you are not willing to give up unchristian behavior, might I suggest something that will really please God this Lent? Give up all evidence of your profession of Christian faith, such as books, pictures and jewelry. Don’t talk about God, Jesus or the Church. I think God would appreciate it if you would stop giving HIM a bad name by the way you live. Let’s give up what hinders our witness and become a better ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) this Lenten season.
In Matthew 2:1-2 is says that the magi saw "His star in the east." What was this star that guided these men to Jesus? Some have suggested that it could have been a comet, an asteroid, or perhaps a meteor or an especially bright star. The problem with these suggestions is that these physical things either quickly move across the sky and then disappear or are too far away to provide directions with any precision. It would be hard to get directions from such objects. The "star" had to move constantly or intermittently at the same pace as the magi. Then it says that it hovered over the house where Mary and Joseph had moved to with Jesus. It hardly sounds like a comet or meteor or a star as we know them. Can you think of another time that people in the Bible were guided by some form of light? How about the time when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt? He didn't have a global positioning system with him. He did have a pillar of fire that led him at night (Ex 13:21-22). We see this light in Solomon's Temple (2 Chron 7:1-3) and when the Jews were about to go into Babylonian captivity, we see it leaving the Temple (Ezek 9-11). In the New Testament we see it at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:9) at His transfiguration (Matt 17:5) and His ascension (Acts 1:9). What exactly was this guiding light? The word "star" can also be translated as "radiance." It appears that it was this "radiance" that guided Moses and the magi. The Jews call this the "Shekinah", a physical manifestation of the glory of God in the form of a supernatural radiance. This, I believe, is what the Star of Bethlehem was.
Imagine that you are the pastor of a church. A young married couple is having some difficulties in their relationship and they seek counsel from you. On Monday the wife comes in to give her assessment of their marriage. What do you think she will say? She might say that she is a hardworking, caring and supportive wife and that it is her husband who is the neglectful, insensitive brute and the source of all problems in the marriage. You feel so sorry for this wife and when you see her husband in the hallway, you think to yourself, "What a jerk." On Friday the husband comes in and gives his assessment of the marriage. He tells you that he is hard working and very generous and that she is the major problem in the relationship. As the pastor, you are wondering if they both are talking about the same marriage. Each person tells you what makes them look best and their spouse the worst. Where is the truth? The truth is probably somewhere in between Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, til another comes forward and questions him." There are conflicts in all relationships, between spouses, parents and children, employees and employers. When you hear one side of a story, don’t assume that what you hear is the complete truth. And don’t pass on to someone else what you have heard. Probably, at least some of what you heard is untrue to gain your support in a conflict.