Rosh Hashanah the Biblical New Years – Commonly known as the Jewish New Year. In Biblical times, the dates of festivals were determined by a lunar calendar. Hebrew months begin with the sighting of the new moon. Because Rosh Hashanah starts on the first of Tishri – the only holiday that falls on the first day of the month – not all Jewish communities could be alerted in time. Even residents in Jerusalem could miss the start of Rosh Hashanah if clouds covered the night sky or witnesses arrived too late. That's why the one-day celebration was extended a second day to give all Jews a chance to participate. Rosh Hashanah usually falls between mid-September to early October. According to Jewish tradition, the destiny of mankind is recorded by God in the Book of Life on Rosh Hashanah. Those who repent of sins are granted a happy and good year. God seals judgment 10 days later on Yom Kippur. Prophetically, the holiday – also referred to as the Feast of Trumpets – points to the catching away of Yeshua's bride. The apostle Paul seems to be imparting this revelation to the church at Corinth: "Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." When Yeshua says in Matthew 24:36 that no one knows the day or hour of His return, it is a signal to believers that His return will fall on Rosh Hashanah. It is the only Biblical feast with an undetermined start time because of the new-moon sighting. “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your Word; Law; Torah” (Psalm 119:37, NIV) "And he (King Of Babylon-representing an Anti-Torah spirit) will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times (Feast Days) and in law(Torah); and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time." (as in 1000, 2000 and a half a thousand= 3500yrs.) Daniel 7:25 (NASB) "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the Trumpet Of God. And the dead in Messiah will rise first" 1Thessalonians 4:16 Ok so let’s look at the calendar. WWJD? Jesus/Yeshua is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever! Right? In the book of John we read that ‘in the beginning’ was the D’var/Word and the D’var was with God and the D’var was God. The Word is Yeshua/ Jesus. It goes on to say that this D’var Word who is God dwelled among us and we beheld His Glory… Interesting, Huh? If Jesus is LORD of all, then it was Jesus/Yeshua who gave Moshe the Torah on Mt. Sinai. And if this is correct then we must conclude that He/Yeshua being God will never cast a shadow from his turning. That is to say that Jesus doesn’t change his mind. God is not a man that He should lie. His commands were given to us the children of Israel (Romans 11) as a sign of His love for us. In the last days there will be many lying signs and wonders, so great that if it were possible, even the elect (the remnant) would be deceived. Acts 17:11 The feast days are also intimate revelations of His will for us to come to the Bridal chambers and of His coming. If you won’t show up for His feast days, how do you expect to meet Him in the Heavens? Ezekiel 44 states, “23 "'They (the Children of God) are to teach my people the difference between holy and common and enable them to distinguish between clean and unclean. 24 They are to be judges in controversies, and they are to render decisions in keeping with my rulings. At all my designated festivals they are to keep my laws and regulations, and they are to keep my shabbats holy. This is what we are supposed to do. On the contrary look at what Ezekiel describes is happening in Chapter 22: 25 There is a conspiracy of prophets in it like a roaring lion tearing up the prey; they have devoured people, seized wealth and valuables, and widowed many in it. 26 Her cohanim have done violence to my Torah, profaned my holy things, made no difference between the holy and the common, not distinguished between unclean and clean, hidden their eyes from my shabbats, and profaned me among themselves. We have been foreigners to the Torah of God. It is a Love Covenant between God and his people. Jesus states in Matthew 5:17-19; ‘Do not think that I came to do away with the Torah or the Prophets. Rather I came to (cause them to come to life) fulfill them. Not one stroke of the pen (caph) or the smallest letter (yod) will disappear from the Torah until all heaven and earth pass away. Verily I say unto you whosoever breaks the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be least in the kingdom of Heaven, but whosoever keeps my commands (i.e. Feast Days) and teaches others to do so will be great in the Kingdom to Come/ Heaven (Malchut Shamayim)!!!! Rosh Hashana- the festival of Trumpets is the call to prepare yourself for the judgement/deliverance of the King. It is the Betrothal phase and the ‘elope’ so to speak. It represents when the Bride groom would come to escort His bride to the place that He has prepared for her. (“I go away to prepare a place for you, so that when I return, where I am you may also be”). 10 days after Rosh Hashanah is the Wedding Phase called Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur also referred to as the Day of Atonement or as I like to refer to it as the Day of At-One-Ment with your God is your ‘wedding day’ with Yeshua/Jesus. Do you love your Lord, Jesus/Yeshua? Do you love Him enough to show up when He says or do you have your own ideas of when the party should begin? Take a look at the story of Esther and Vashti. In Esther chapter 1- We see that interestingly enough the king(who represents Yeshua) beckons the queen (who represents the bride of Christ) to come to the party. We read that this occurs on the 7th day of the banquet. This alludes to the 7000 year millennial reign of the King. We happen to be in the 7th day according to biblical creation. God created for 6 days and on the 7th day He rested-Shabbat! In verse 11The servants are called to bring the queen to the king wearing the the royal crown which He gave to her (alluding to the crown of Salvation) which for us is found in the Incarnate Word or the Living Torah who is Jesus/Yeshua). Yeshua wants to show all of Heaven and earth your beauty. After all He formed you in His own hand for His glory, to become to Him a helpmate in the Kingdom of God. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come to the Feast days that the King had ordered. All of Creation ignores the MOEDIM (appointments) which he had sent through his officers (prophets). This enragesd the king - his anger blazed inside him. So to not entirely unlike the King of Persia, our God’s wrath and fury are kindled within when we refuse to adapt to His ways. God wishes to bless you all. Jeremiah 29:11 states that He/God knows the plans that He has for you to do good things for you and to cause you to prosper… Come to His Feast Days, Observe the Sabbath and keep it set apart/Holy. Circumcise your hearts Oh Jerusalem and come before your God. This is the ‘good news’ of the gospels. It has always been God’s plan to give you opportunity to come before the LORD our God just as Esther the obedient wife of the King came before him and beseeched him for mercy. Mercy was given to Esther just as it can be had for you. The Lord your God has gone to the grave for us and has arisen alive. He did this in order to fulfill a law that states if a man (Jesus/Yeshua) wishes to stay married to an unfaithful bride (you and I) He must be able to die and come back to life. With mere mortal man it is impossible to make this unequally yoked union work… but with God all things are possible. It is taught that God doesn’t believe in divorce and this is the only place you have a right to apply that concept. You and I alone are the unfaithful and Jesus chose to remain married to us. Let’s gather this Rosh Hashana and show the world how much we love the Lord Jesus, and how aware we are of the mercy that has befallen us. All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. Romans 3:23 Let us enter into the Holy of Holies with confidence this week and enter into a New Year. Hebrews 10:19 Coming before the Lord in repentance making ‘teshuvah’ is an act of trust and faith. Ezekiel states that the LORD our God would place His Spirit in us and move us to desire to know HIS ways. Your name has indeed already been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life but will you show you Adonai Elohim that you trust Him and that we believe in His ways rather than in the ways of man. WWJD? Come and Join us this Wednesday evening. It is the Erev Rosh Hashana the evening and the beginning of the Feast of Trumpets. We will be eating Apples and Honey to bring in a sweet new year for all of God’s children! We are expecting a move of the hearts of men and women in our community to draw near to the culture and customs of Jesus Christ/ Yeshua. Would you like a “do-over” for the year? This is our chance to come before the Lord our God/ Yeshua-Jesus and begin a new life. This is the chance we all should be looking forward to each and every year. As the Children of Israel (Romans 11) I believe that we should rejoice at coming to the feast days. After all, it is these festivals that remind us of the promises given to us in the Covenant. The New Testament is not a ‘new’ covenant it is the same covenant that God made with our fathers. The same one our fathers broke and so will we. But we have license to claim our rights and inheritance to the commonwealth of Israel, if we love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and strength. The Maher family wishes you and your families a Shana Tova – a year of good health, happiness and serenity. May our prayers be answered and may our leaders be endowed with wisdom and integrity. May we merit a year of peace and security for the State of Israel, good tidings for the Jewish people and may all good people throughout the world be blessed.