If you are following prophecy, you have heard a lot of predictions
prophesied for this time period during September. Many of them are false, some
of them have meaning, but one thing for certain this is a very prophetic time of
the year--not for the reasons of man's often extra-biblical, emotional and
self-indulgent proclamations, but because of what God has established that
points to the Day of the Lord, the return of Jesus Christ, the deliverance of
Israel, and the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom (Messiah's 1,000 year
reign). These are times of great promise because the fall feasts are those yet
to be fulfilled by the coming of the Lord. Literally, we are in the Days of
Awe.
Elul is the last month of the Jewish calendar, which this year began at
sundown August 14th. This traditionally marks the 40 day "Season of Teshuvah
(repentance)," culminating on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (29 days of Elul,
and 10 days of the next month called Tishri). Elul is set aside to prepare for
Yamim Nora'im, called the "Days of Awe"--the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur, which ends on Tishri 10 and are called The High Holidays. This is a
time of turning toward God, and is also called Yemei Ratzon or "Days of
Favor." This time frame is also referred to as the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh
Hashana/Yom Teruah), Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and Feast of Tabernacles
(Sukkot).
Rosh Hashanah, literally meaning "Head of the year," is regarded by
traditional Judaism as the date of creation. According to tradition in the
Midrash, when Adam first opened his eyes, he recognized the Lord as Creator, and
said "the Lord is King forever and ever." Rosh Hashanah begins Sept 13th at
sundown this year, and is the first day of the Jewish civil New Year. The
blowing of the shofar (trumpet) signifies repentance, awakening the soul, and
the coronation of the King (the coming of the Messiah at the end of days).
During Rosh Hashanah the righteous are written in the Book of Life, the wicked
in the Book of Death, and the rest have ten days--the "Days of Awe" (until Yom
Kippur)--to repent before their fate is sealed for the year.
There are references to the last trump throughout the Bible.1 Corinthians
15:51-52 says, "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump
for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says, "For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout...with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be
with the Lord." The fall festivals are a foreshadow of what is to come in the
end of days. Hence, this is a very prophetic
season.
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
www.dailyjot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment