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Rosh Ha-Shanah
(continued)
The Prophetic Rosh
Ha-Shanah At The Appointed Time Of The End
As one will discover on the
Appointed Times &
Seasons Calendar, Rosh Ha-Shanah brings us near to the final work of Satan
and the response of God's wrath of the Great Tribulation, and precedes the Day
Of Atonement (Yom Kippur) by ten days. This ten day prostration, where
decisions of life and death are made, falls between the two High Holy Days.
Jews call it "yamin noraim"--the Days of Awe--which uniquely expresses
the heart searching and mood of penitence that prevails. The prophet Joel
referred to this period as the valley of decision: "Multitudes,
multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the LORD is near
in the valley of decision.,"
3:14.
The trumpet warnings of Rosh
Ha-Shanah brings mankind to the realization that time is running out. Within
just days the Day of Atonement will come when all who remain unrepentant will be
cut off forever from salvation, while the righteous are sealed for life
eternal.
Judaism maintains three cardinal principles
associated with the Ten Days Of Awe between Rosh Ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur.
1) the acknowledgment that God is King of the universe
2) the acknowledgment that God will intervene in the world to punish
the wicked and reward the good
3) the recognition that God reveals Himself at Mount Sinai [with
lightning, voices, and thunderings]
and will fully reveal Himself again [in similar manner] to
bring about the end of days
Revelation 7:1-4 speaks, in part, of
this time of sealing: "After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners
of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from
blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel
coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out
in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and
the sea: Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on
the foreheads of the servants of our God. Then I heard the number of those
who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel."
On the other hand, there will be many tested
as to their loyalty, and many more martyrs for Jesus Christ during the last ten
days of Awe in world history: "Do not be afraid of what you are about to
suffer. I tell you, the Devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and
you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the
point of death, and I will give you the crown of life . . . He who overcomes
will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the
Book of Life, but will acknowledge his name before My Father and His angels,"
Revelation 2:10;
3:5.
The trumpet sounds of the Feast of Trumpets
also warn of the approaching Day of the Lord: "Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound
the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the Day of
the Lord is coming. It is close at hand,"
Joel 2:1.
And why is the Day of the Lord fast
approaching and the trumpet blast of warning given at Rosh Ha-Shanah? "Put the
trumpet to your lips! An eagle [eyes of the Lord] is over the house of the Lord
because the people have broken My Covenant [Ten Commandments] and rebelled
against My [Moral] Law. How sad that God's people, who should know better, will
allow Antichrist to enter into the Temple in Jerusalem to set up the abomination
that will bring such devastation on Israel in the final days.
Jesus said in
Matthew 24:15-21,
"So when you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes
desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader
understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on
the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in
the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for
pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in
winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress [Great
Tribulation], unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to
be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive,
but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened."
Luke 21:21-22
clarifies further what Christ was warning of: "When you see Jerusalem being
surrounded by armies, you will know that its [Jerusalem's] desolation is near.
Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city [of
Jerusalem] get out, and let those in the country not enter the city [of
Jerusalem]. For this is the time of punishment [of the city] in
fulfillment of all that has been written."
See the
Appointed Times &
Seasons Calendar for the Rosh Ha-Shanah connection to the end-times.
See the
God's Festivals for future dates for Rosh Ha-Shanah celebrations.
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