Rosh Hashanah Study Notes

INTRODUCTION:

The biblical name of this Feast is the Feast of Trumpets - Lev 23: 23-25. It occurs in the Seventh month (Tishri), at the new moon. This is the new moon that is called a Sabbath( day of rest). It is not a pilgrim festival but is to be observed by Isreal in their home towns. Neh: 7: 73. It is also the traditional date of Creation. There is a long interval of four 4 months between Rosh Ha Shanah and Shavuot, i.e. the entire summer period. It precedes Yom Kippur by 10 days.

MODERN CUSTOMS

On the first day, there is the Tashlich ceremony which constitutes a symbolic riddance of sins. Mic 7:19. The shofar is blown all day long by all the worshippers. There is a prayer for God's Kingdom on earth. The major themes are repentance and Messiah. The special readings for the day include Genesis 21-22, 1 Samuel 1-2:10, Psalms 27,47, and Jer 31:2-20. The festive meal includes new and sweet things. Since, 300 C.E., the Jewish calendar has been altered and Rosh Ha Shanah has been arranged so as not to fall on Sunday, Wednesday or Friday, so that neither this festival nor Yom Kippur falls on or after Shabbat.

The ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Ha Shanah and Yom Kippur are given to confession and penitential prayers. There is a traditional belief that during these 10 days God judges whether to inscribe His people in the Book of Life or of Death. Here are some of the meanings attributed to the blowing of the shofar:

An alarm sounded. Amos 3:6
A reminder of judgment. Zech 1:16
Giving of the Law. Exod 19: 13-19
Kingdom of Messiah. Isa: 27:13

BIBLICAL TEXTS

Here are the principal biblical texts covering this day and the associated themes:

Leviticus: 23: 22-25

A sabbath (day of rest).
A holy convocation.
A memorial of blowing trumpets.

Verse 22 has particular prophetic significance. The Children of Israel were not to make clean riddance of their harvest; the gleanings were left for others, not exclusively for the original owners. A late sheaf from the spiritual field reaped at Shavuot was Shaul of Tarsus and he was reserved for the Gentile world. See Rom. 15: 15-16, 1Cor. 15: 8, Eph. 2: 12,19. The harvest that followed the reaping or gleaning of this Jewish spiritual sheaf was great and glorious. It is a token of the way God will yet use redeemed Israel - Rom11:15. The blessing bestowed by this late sheaf on the world is reciprocated by those of the world who benifit from it - Rom. 11:31.

Numbers 29: 1-6

Blowing of trumpets (see10: 1-10). The hebrew for trumpet is 'Teruah'; See Psalm 89:15
Additional burnt offerings to those of the new moon (ch 28: 11-15).
The centrality of sacrifice for atonement.

Nehemiah 7: 73-8:12

Public reading of the Law.
Law honoured, gifts sent to each other.
Joyful celebrations.

Psalm 81: 1-7

Joyful songs of praise.
A solemn feast-day.

TYPES AND SYMBOLS (Col 2: 16-17)

Here are the main types and symbols relating to the festival cycle as a whole:

Passover - the beginning of the festival cycle. A type of the Messiah's sacrifice.
Shavuot - the festival of early harvest. A type of the gift of the Spirit. Amos 2
Trumpets - the call to repentance and to God. Matt 24: 14.
Yom Kippur - the national repentance. Zech 12: 9 - 13: 1.
Succot - the final ingathering and harvest. Rom 11: 11-15.

The long interval between Shavuot and Rosh Ha Shanah is a symbol of the long interval between the Gift of the Spirit and Isreal's national repentance. Hosea 3: 4-5.

The Feast is called a MEMORIAL:

Something is done to call attention to something yet remaining.
There is a past and present application and use.
It is a reminder, as in Exodus 3:15. Acts 10:4.
It is a proclamation throughout the land.

CULMINATING EVENTS FORESHADOWED

The Feast of Trumpets foreshadows:

The Regathering of Israel before their national salvation. Isa 27:13
The Regathering of the elect. Matt 24:31
The Return of the Messiah. 1 Thess 4: 16-17

For more information on Zion Messianic Fellowship
email us at info@tsion.org, or call (604) 800-3663.