The Jewish people will be observing Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year) on Friday, September 15th, and ending at sundown on Sunday, September 17th, 2023.
Here’s an excerpt from Jesus in Judaism about the holiday of Rosh Hashanah:
In Exodus 12, God talks about Passover being the first of the months. As we study the
holidays, you will see that there are actually two Jewish New Years. The religious
calendar in the month of Nisan at the first Passover is considered the New Year, as
stated in the Torah. This was the New Year that marked the beginning of the Israelites
freedom from Egypt. “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first
month of the year to you.” Exodus 12:2
The other New Year (Rosh Hashanah – “Head of the Year”) is celebrated in the month
of Tishri in the fall. I have read by some scholars that by Jesus’ day, there was a
second civil calendar, and it began with the month of Tishri; therefore, Rosh Hashanah
may be considered by some as more of a civil New Year.
There is no mention in the Torah about this New Year, but in my studying, I have found
a consensus among scholars that it was the beginning of the fall harvest and the rainy
season. It also celebrates the beginning of creation.
Rosh Hashanah, also known as The Day of the Sounding of the Shofar, is the beginning
of the “High Holy Days,” culminating with Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). It is
celebrated for two days. And, of course, the blowing of the shofar is sounded on this
holiday several times as was done in ancient times.
In Numbers 29:1 and Leviticus 23:23 it reads, “And in the seventh month, on the first
day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.
For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets” (Teruah). The terms “Yom Teruah” (The Day
of Sounding of the Ram’s Horn) or the “Feast of Trumpets” are also names for Rosh
Hashanah because of this verse. The Shofar (Ram’s Horn) was used in ancient days as
a “wake up call” to gather the people together for prayer as well as having a sacrifice, to
regather them to turn to God, for those that had turned away from Him. The shofar was
used to not only gather the people together, but to announce a king, or to gather troops
for an impending battle, and as a reminder of the substitutionary sacrifice of a ram for
Isaac. The Jews used Amos 3:6 to describe the trumpet (shofar) as filling one with awe
(thus, the New Year marks the beginning of “The Days of Awe”), and in Zephaniah 1:14-
16, it was a reminder for the coming Judgment Day, and Isaiah 27:13, for the future
hope of the coming of the Messiah.
Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the “Ten Days of Repentance,” so Rosh
Hashanah is a somber holiday, with the theme of prayers in the synagogue being that of
repentance, but always with the hope of God’s forgiveness. It is a time when the Jew
ponders his/her actions over the last year and asks forgiveness for any wrongs
committed. The service “Selichot” (Repentance) is held the Saturday evening before
Rosh Hashanah, which is set aside to ask forgiveness for those sins.
Not only is it a solemn holiday, but it is also a joyous holiday of being together and
attending synagogue with family. Joyful because of the hope of forgiveness and future
redemption of Israel with the coming of Messiah. There is a favorite tradition to dip
round bread (which looks like a crown) in honey (rather than the braided bread on the
Sabbath), or apples in honey to symbolize God’s provision and the hope of a sweet new
year.
Many prayers on Rosh Hashanah are said with the themes of repentance, redemption
(renewed relationship with God), the hope of the coming of Messiah, judgment,
creation, and being inscribed in the Book of Life.
New Testament Fulfillment: We’re reminded in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17,
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an
archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then
we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
The sounding of the shofar in the New Testament, as we see from this verse, relates to
the coming of Messiah and the regathering of believers at the Rapture. It’s a “wake-up”
call for believers!
The theme of Rosh Hashanah coincides with this regathering! To take part in the
Rapture you must: Repent (turn away from sin and turn to God), then you will be
personally Redeemed. The soul will be redeemed immediately, and your body, on that
day will be changed when the Messiah comes: “we shall all be changed. . .” “. . .we shall
be like Him . . .” (1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 John 3:2), and therefore we will be ready for the
Judgment (Revelation 20:11- 15) before the world is Created anew (Revelation 21:1):
“Now I saw a new heaven and new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away.”
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more
death, no sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things
have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
There are many places in Revelation where the Book of Life is described for those who
believe in Jesus the Messiah. (Revelation 3:5, 20:12, 15), just as “being inscribed in the
Book of Life” is a theme for Jews on Rosh Hashanah. When Moses came down from
Mt. Sinai and found the people worshipping idols, Moses asked to be “blotted out of the
book” if God would not forgive their sins. This is a wonderful picture of the Messiah
being our mediator, as Moses interceded to take the punishment for the sins of the
people.
Isaiah prophesied in the seventh century B.C. in Isaiah 27:12-3 that there will be a
believing Jewish remnant regathered! In Matthew 24:31, when Jesus was asked about
the fate of Israel in the future, He replied, “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other.”
I am indebted to Life in Messiah Ministries who graciously provided Feasts and New Testament Fulfillments: Life in Messiah International, lifeinmessiah.org, Lansing, IL, 2000.