ROSH HASHANAH

                                          From the Book

                     THE SEVEN FESTIVALS OF THE MESSIAH

                                                 by

                                      Eddie Chumney

              http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2175/chap7.html  

                                         (Part 2 of 2)


                               The Time of Jacob's Trouble:
                           (The Birthpangs of the Messiah)

     The English phrase, birthpangs of the Messiah, or the Hebrew
Chevlai shel Mashiach, is a major theme of the Bible. It is
commonly known as the seven-year tribulation period. In Matthew
(Mattityahu) 24, Yeshua describes the signs of the end. "And as
He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him
privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be, and what
will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age [Olam
Hazeh]?' "(Matthew 24:3 NAS) Yeshua said that these days are the
beginning of sorrows (Matthew [Mattityahu] 24:8. The Greek word
translated as sorrows here is odin. This word means "birthpangs."
The birthpangs of the Messiah are also spoken of in Jeremiah
(Yermiyahu) 30:4-7, as it is written:

Now these are the words which the Lord spoke concerning Israel and
concerning Judah, "For thus says the Lord, 'I have heard a sound of
terror, of dread, and there is no peace. Ask now, and see, if a male
can give birth [travail with child?]. Why do I see every man with his
hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth [odin]? And why have all
faces turned pale? Alas! for that day is great, there is none like it;
and it is the time of Jacob's distress [trouble], but he will be saved
from it' "(Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 30:4-7 NAS). The birthpangs are also
mentioned in First Thessalonians 5:1-3: Now as to the times and the
epochs [seasons], brethren, you have no need of anything to be written
to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord
will come just like a thief in the night While they are saying, "Peace
and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth
pangs [odin] upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape (1
Thessalonians 5:1-3 NAS). It can also be seen in Revelation 12:1-2, as
it is written: And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed
with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of
twelve stars [this is Israel (Genesis [Bereishit] 37:9)]; and she was
with child; and she cried out, being in labor [odin] and in pain to
give birth (Revelation 12:1-2 NAS).

The Scriptures reveal two synonyms:

1. The birthpangs = the time of Jacob's (Ya'akov's) trouble.
2. The time of Jacob's (Ya'akov's) trouble = the seven-year tribulation.

    This period of time will be Israel's most trying time ever. This
period of time is known as the tribulation. Jacob (Ya'akov) is
Israel. There shall be great tribulation in Israel such as never
was since there was a nation (Daniel 12:1). It will also be a time
when God will ultimately judge sin and all the nations on the
earth. Through it, the nation of Israel will be physically saved
from total destruction by God, and will, as a nation, accept
Yeshua as the Messiah "...But he shall be saved out of it"
 (Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 30:7). In Hosea (Hoshea) 5:15 it is written,

    "I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their
    offence, and seek My face: in their affliction [the Chevlai shel
    Mashiach /tribulation] they will seek Me early."

      Israel will face genuine crisis during the time of Jacob's
(Ya'akov's) trouble. The prophet Zechariah prophesied that two
of every three inhabitants of Israel will perish during this
time, with a remnant of only one third of the population being
 saved (Zechariah 13:8-9). In Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 13:6-8 it is written:
 
Wail, for the day of the Lord is near! It will come as destruction
from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man
's heart will melt [see Luke 21:26]. And they will be terrified, pains
and anguish will take hold of them, they will writhe like a woman in
labor; they will look at one another in astonishment, their faces
aflame (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 13:6-8 NAS).

    Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 13:10 corresponds to Matthew (Mattityahu)
24:29; Mark 13:24; and Revelation 6:12. Other passages that speak
 of the birthpangs include Genesis (Bereishit) 3:16; 35:16-20;
38:27-28; Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 26:16-21; 54:1; 66:7-9; Jeremiah
4:31; 6:24; 13:21; 22:23; Micah (Michah) 4:9-10; and John
(Yochanan) 16:21-22.

There are several stages to Israel's birthing the Messiah.

1. Isaiah 66:7 is a birth before travail. "Before she [Israel]
travailed [received the Messiah (Mashiach)], she brought forth; before
her pain came, she was delivered of a man child" (Isaiah [Yeshayahu]
66:7). Isaiah 66:7 is a birth before travail. This happened during the
first coming of Yeshua, the Messiah. The birthpangs that Israel
experienced during Yeshua's first coming came after Yeshua's death
with the destruction of the temple and the dispersion of the Jewish
people out of Israel by the Romans in 70 C.E. (Common Era).

2. Isaiah 66:8 is a birth after travail. Isaiah 66:8 says, "...as soon
as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." This will happen
before Yeshua returns to earth to set foot on the Mount of Olives
(Zechariah 14:4) as Israel experiences the hardest time she has ever
experienced since she was a nation (Daniel 12:1) in the period of time
known as the birthpangs of the Messiah, the Yamim Nora'im, or the
tribulation. The tribulation and the birthpangs of the Messiah are one
and the same thing. What we are seeing in these days is the woman
(Israel) becoming larger and larger, coming closer and closer to the
time when she is about to give birth.

                         The Opening of the Gates

       The gates of Heaven are opened on Rosh HaShanah so the
righteous nation may enter (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 26:2; Psalm [Tehillim] 118:19-20).

                 Rosh Hashanah: The Wedding of the Messiah

       The Bible is a marriage covenant. Both the Tanach (Old
Testament) and the Brit Hadashah (New Testament) describe how
God through the Mashiach (Messiah), the Bridegroom, is in the
process of marrying His bride, the believers in Him who will
ultimately live and dwell with Him forever.

God ordained and established marriage and its divine sanctity in the
Torah, the very first book of the Bible, Genesis (Bereishit), when He
brought Adam and Eve together to become one flesh (Genesis 2:21-24).
In doing so, we have a vivid foreshadowing of the Messiah being
married to those who would believe upon Him. Let's examine this
closer.

       Adam is a type of the Messiah Yeshua. Adam was made after the
likeness of Yeshua (Romans 5:14). Yeshua (Jesus) was made in
the likeness of Adam (Philippians 2:8). In fact, Yeshua is
called the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-47). In Genesis 2:21,
God had a deep sleep fall upon Adam. Sleep is synonymous with
death (Daniel 12:2; John [Yochanan] 11:11-14; 1 Corinthians
15:51-54; Ephesians 5:14). The deep sleep that God caused to
fall upon Adam is a picture of the crucifixion and death of
Yeshua, as Messiah ben Joseph. G-d brought a deep sleep upon
Adam so He could take a rib from the side of his flesh. This
required the shedding of blood. This is a picture of Yeshua who
was pierced in the side of His flesh, shedding His own blood
when He hung on the tree (John [Yochanan] 19:34).

      From the rib of Adam, God made Eve. Likewise, by the death of
Yeshua and faith (emunah) in Him, God established the assembly
of believers known in Hebrew as the kehilat. The believers in
the Messiah, His bride, become wedded to Him by faith (emunah).
This marriage can be seen in the Tanach (Old Testament) as well
as in Jeremiah 23:5-6, as it is written, .... this is His name
whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS"
(Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 23:6). In Jeremiah 33:15-16, it is
written, "...this is the name wherewith she shall be called, THE
LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 33:16). So from
these passages in Jeremiah, we can see that a wedding is taking
place. Therefore, by accepting, trusting, and believing in the
Messiah, the bride of Messiah, His followers, become one with
Him. These people would include both Jew and non-Jews who have
lived since Adam and would include Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
Moses, David, and Solomon as well as the prophets.

       God gave the wedding customs, service, and ceremonies to the
Jewish people (Romans 3:2; 9:4) to teach us about the Messiah
Yeshua (Colossians 2:16-17). With this in mind, let's examine
the biblical wedding ceremony that God gave to the Jewish
people. The ancient Jewish wedding ceremony God gave to the
Jewish people to teach us about the wedding of the Messiah
consisted of 12 steps.


1. The selection of the bride.

     The bride was usually chosen by the father of the bridegroom. The
     father would send his trusted servant, known as the agent of the
     father, to search out the bride. An excellent example of this can
     be seen in Genesis 24. In this chapter, Abraham (a type of God
     the Father) wishes to secure a bride for Isaac (a type of
     Messiah) and sends his servant Eliezer (a type of the Holy Spirit
     [Ruach HaKodesh]) to do this task (Genesis [Bereishit 24:2-4;
     15:2). It is the role of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) to
     convict the world of sin and lead them to
God (John [Yochanan] 16:7-8). Just as the bride was usually chosen by
the father of the bridegroom, so the believers in the Messiah are
chosen by God (John [Yochanan] 15:16). The bridegroom chose the bride
and lavished his love upon her and she returned his love. This can be
seen in Ephesians 5:25, as it is written, "Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself of it." In
Genesis (Bereishit) 24, Rebekah (Rivkah) consented to marry Isaac
(Yitzchak) even before she ever met him. Today, the believers in the
Messiah Yeshua consent to become the bride of Messiah even though we
have never seen Him. First Peter (Kefa) 1:8 speaks of this, as it is
written, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see
Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of
glory."

2. A bride price was established.

     A price would have to be paid for the bride. The agreed upon
     price was called a mohar in Hebrew. Yeshua, being our bridegroom,
     paid a very high price for His bride, the body of believers. The
     price He paid was His life. Yeshua considered the price He had to
     pay for His bride before His death as He went into the Garden of
     Gethsemane to pray in Matthew (Mattityahu) 26:39, as it is
     written, "And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and
     prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
     from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt." Yeshua
     was, in essence, saying, "Father, You have chosen this bride and
     I have agreed to the terms, but do you realize the price that is
     being asked for her?" Our mohar, our bride price, was His life.
     First Peter (Kefa) 1:18-19 says, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye
     were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,
     from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
     fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
     without blemish and without spot." In First Corinthians 6:20 it
     is written, "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify
     God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

3. The bride and groom are betrothed to each other.

    This is the first stage of marriage known as kiddushin. I have
    spoken at length of betrothal in Chapter 6, concerning Shavuot.
    Remember, betrothal is the first of two steps in the marriage
    process. Betrothal in Hebrew is known as erusin or kiddushin.
    Betrothal legally binds the bride and the groom together in a
    marriage contract, except they do not physically live together.
    Historically, God betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai
    (Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea 2:19-20). Whenever you accept the Messiah
    into your heart and life, you become betrothed to Him while living
    on the earth.

4. A written document is drawn up, known as a ketubah. This betrothal
contract is called, in Hebrew, a shitre erusin.

     The ketubah is the marriage contract that states the bride price,
     the promises of the groom, and the rights of the bride. The word
     ketubah means "that which is written." The groom promised to work
     for her, to honor, support, and maintain her in truth, to provide
     food, clothing, and necessities, and to live together with her as
     husband and wife. The ketubah was the unalienable right of the
     bride. The ketubah must be executed and signed prior to the
     wedding ceremony. The Bible is the believer's ketubah. All the
     promises that God provided for the believers in the Messiah are
     legally ours, as it is written in Second Corinthians 1:20, "For
     all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen...."

5. The bride must give her consent.

       As we saw in Chapter 6, which dealt with Shavuot (Pentecost),
       God betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai as stated in
       Jeremiah 2:2. Israel consented to the marriage proposal from
       God and said, "I do," as it is written in Exodus (Shemot) 24:3.
       Likewise, the personal application (halacha) to those who
       desire the Messiah to come into their hearts and lives is to
       accept His invitation to do so by faith (emunah), as it is
       written in Romans 10:8-10:

What, then, does it say? The Word is near you in your mouth and in
your heart: that is the word about trust [emunah] which we proclaim,
namely, that if you acknowledge publicly with your mouth that Yeshua
is Lord and trust in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be delivered. For with the heart one goes on trusting and thus
continues toward righteousness, while with the mouth one keeps on
making public acknowledgments and thus continues toward deliverance
(Romans 10:8-10 Jewish New Testament Version). So, even today, to
become the bride of Messiah you must still say "I do" to Him.

6. Gifts were given to the bride and a cup called the cup of the
covenant was shared between the bride and the groom.

     The rite of betrothal (erusin) is completed when the groom gives
     something of value to the bride and she accepts it. The gift most
     often given today is the ring. When the groom places the ring on
     the bride's finger, the rite of betrothal is completed. This
     completed rite is known in Hebrew as kiddushin, which means
     "sanctification."

The gifts to the bride are symbols of love, commitment, and loyalty.
The gift God gives to those who accept the Messiah is the Holy Spirit
(Ruach HaKodesh) (John [Yochanan] 14:26; 15:26-27; Acts 2:38; 2
Corinthians 1:21-22). When Yeshua ascended to Heaven, He gave gifts to
men (Ephesians 4:7-8). These gifts included righteousness (Romans
5:17-18), eternal life (Romans 6:23), grace (Romans 5:12,14-15), faith
(Ephesians 2:8-9), and other spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1,4).
These included wisdom, knowledge, healing, the working of miracles,
prophecy, the discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of
tongues (1 Corinthians 12:8-11), as well as the gifts of helps and
administration (1 Corinthians 12:28).

       In addition, at this time the cup of the covenant was shared
       and sealed between the bride and the groom with the drinking of
       wine. In doing so, the couple drinks from a common cup. The cup
       is first given to the groom to sip, and then is given to the
       bride. This cup, known as the cup of the covenant, is spoken of
       in Jeremiah 31:31-33, as it is written:

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to
the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took
them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My
covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the
Lord: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house
of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in
their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their
God, and they shall be My people (Jeremiah [Yermiyahu] 31:31-33).
Yeshua spoke of the cup of the New Covenant (Brit Hadashah) in Luke
22:20.

7. The bride had a mikvah (water immersion), which is a ritual of
cleansing.

     Mikvah is a Hebrew word that means "pool" or "body of water."
     Mikvah is a ceremonial act of purification by the immersion in
     water. It indicates a separation from a former way to a new way.
     In the case of marriage, it indicates leaving an old life for a
     new life with your spouse (Genesis [Bereishit] 2:23-24; Ephesians
     5:31). Immersing in the mikvah is considered spiritual rebirth.
     The reason is that a mikvah has the power to change a person
     completely. Concerning the marriage to Israel at Mount Sinai, God
     said in Ezekiel 16:8-9, as it is written, "...I sware unto thee,
     and entered into a covenant with thee... and thou becamest Mine.
     Then washed I thee with water...." The washing, or immersion,
     here refers to that of Israel before the people received the
     Torah when God betrothed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai (Exodus
     [Shemot] 19:14-15). Yeshua spoke to the Pharisee, Nicodemus
     (Nakdimon), that he must be born anew (immersed) to enter into
     the Kingdom of God (John [Yochanan] 3:1-7). The believers in the
     Messiah are to be immersed in the name of Yeshua (Acts 19:4). The
     Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) is the immerser of God (Luke 3:16;
     Acts 1:5; 11:15-16).

8. The bridegroom departed, going back to his father's house to
prepare the bridal chamber.

    At this point, the bridegroom leaves for his father's house to
    prepare the bridal chamber for his bride. It was understood to be
    the man's duty to go away to be with his father, build a house,
    and prepare for the eventual wedding. Before he goes, though, he
    will make a statement to the bride. "I go to prepare a place for
    you; if I go, I will return again unto you." This is the same
    statement Yeshua made in John (Yochanan) 14:1-3 before He went to
    His father's house in Heaven, as it is written:

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Fathers' house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
Myself that where I am, there ye may be also (John [Yochanan] 14:1-3).
9. The bride was consecrated and set apart for a period of time while
the bridegroom was away building the house.

     Before the bridegroom could go and get the bride, the groom's
     father had to be satisfied that every preparation had been made
     by the son. Only then could he give permission to the son to go
     and get the bride. In other words, while the bridegroom was
     working on the bridal chamber, it was the father who "okayed" the
     final bridal chamber. The bridegroom did not know when his father
     would declare the bridal chamber fit and send him to go get his
     bride. This is exactly what Yeshua was referring to in Mark
     13:32-37.

      Meanwhile, the bride was to wait eagerly for the return of the
      bridegroom. In the mind of the bride, the bridegroom could come
      at any time, even in the middle of the night or at midnight.
      Therefore, she had to be ready at all times. Yeshua referred to
      this in Mark 13:32-37 and Matthew 25:1-13. While waiting for her
      bridegroom to come, the bride had to have thought to herself,
      "Is he really coming back for me? Is he really going to keep his
      word?" This was the thought that Peter (Kefa) answered in Second
      Peter 3:1-13.

10. The bridegroom would return with a shout, "Behold, the bridegroom
comes" and the sound of the ram's horn (shofar) would be blown.

       The time of the return of the bridegroom was usually at
       midnight. When the bridegroom did come, he came with a shout
       (Matthew 25:6) and with the blowing of a shofar (trumpet) (1
       Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 4:1). The marriage between
       the bride and the groom will take place under the chupah or
       wedding canopy. Since Heaven is a type of chupah, we can see
       that when Yeshua gives a shout for His bride, accompanied by
       the blowing of a shofar (trumpet), the marriage between Yeshua
       and His bride will take place in Heaven.

      The marriage ceremony will have a sacred procession. For this
      reason, the bridegroom (Yeshua) will be led to the chupah first.
      When the bridegroom approaches the chupah, the cantor chants,
      "Blessed is he who comes." "Blessed is he who comes" is an
      idiomatic expression meaning "welcome." Yeshua said that He
      would not return for His bride until these words were said
      (Matthew 23:39). The groom is greeted like a king under the
      chupah. During this time Yeshua, the bridegroom, will be crowned
      King under the chupah, which is Heaven.

11. He would abduct his bride, usually in the middle of the night, to
go to the bridal chamber where the marriage would be consummated. This
is the full marriage, known in Hebrew as nesu'in.

      The bride and groom will go to the wedding chamber, or chadar in
      Hebrew, where the marriage will be consummated. They will stay
      in that wedding chamber for seven days, or a week. At the end of
      the seven days, the bride and groom will come out from the
      wedding chamber. This can be seen in Joel 2:16.

      The word week in Hebrew is shavuah. It means a "seven." It can
      mean seven days or seven years. An example of the Hebrew word
      for week (shavuah) meaning seven years can be found in Daniel
      9:24, as it is written, "Seventy weeks [shavuah, 490 years] are
      determined upon thy people..." and in 9:27, "And he [the false
      Messiah known as the antichrist] shall confirm the covenant with
      many for one week [shavuah, seven years]...." The week referred
      to in Daniel 9:27 is known to Bible believers as the tribulation
      period. The Jewish people understand this time to be the
      birthpangs of the Messiah known in Hebrew eschatology as the
      Chevlai shel Mashiach. This is taken from Jeremiah 30:5-7

12. Finally, there would be a marriage supper for all the guests
invited by the father of the bride.

      The bride and the groom would be in the wedding chamber for
      seven days. When the bride and the groom initially went into the
      wedding chamber, the friend of the bridegroom stood outside the
      door. All the assembled guests of the wedding gathered outside,
      waiting for the friend of the bride-groom to announce the
      consummation of the marriage, which was relayed to him by the
      groom. John (Yochanan) the Immerser (Baptist) referred to this
      in John 3:29. At this signal, great rejoicing broke forth (John
      3:29). The marriage was consummated on the first night (Genesis
      [Bereishit] 29:23). The bloodstained linen from this night was
      preserved. It was proof of the bride's virginity (Deuteronomy
      [Devarim] 22:13-21).

      On the wedding day, the bridegroom is seen as a king and the
      bride as a queen. During the consummation of the marriage, the
      bridegroom (Yeshua) will be crowned King over all the earth and
      the bride (the believers in Yeshua, the Messiah) will live with
      Him and rule with Him forever. The crowning of the King and the
      marriage can be seen in Isaiah 62:3-7. At the end of the week
      (seven-year tribulation, or birthpangs of the Messiah), the
      marriage supper will take place. The marriage supper will not
      take place in Heaven. After the marriage, the bride and Groom
      will return to earth. The marriage supper will be taking place
      on earth and only the invited guests of the Father of the Groom
      (God the Father) will be present at the banquet meal. This can
      be seen in Revelation 19:7-16 and 20:4. Yeshua spoke of the
      marriage supper and the banquet in Luke 12:35-38 and Matthew
      8:11. The wedding supper is a theme of the festival of Sukkot,
      which will be discussed further in a later chapter. During
      Sukkot, the people were instructed by God to build a temporary
      shelter. One of the things God instructed the people to do is
      eat there. When they eat, they are to set a plate for seven
      different people. Among the seven whom a plate is set for are
      Abraham (Avraham), Isaac (Yitzchak), and Jacob (Ya'akov). This
      is what Yeshua was referring to in Matthew 8:11.

       The unbelievers in the Messiah will attend a separate banquet
       where the fowls of the air will eat their flesh. This can be
       seen in Revelation 19:17-18.

       The home of the bride was Jerusalem and it was the bridegroom
       who came to the bride to dwell with her. It is from Jerusalem
       that the believers in the Messiah during the Messianic age, or
       Millennium, will reign with the Messiah. This can be seen in
       Revelation 21:1-3; Ezekiel 43:1-2,7; Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-5;
       and Zechariah 2:l0-12.

       In concluding this section on the wedding, whenever anyone
hears the message of the basar (gospel), it is a wedding
proposal by God to accept Him and be a part of His bride. God
desires that we accept His invitation and give Him our response
of "I do." In fact, Revelation 22:20 is a proposal by Yeshua
Himself to accept Him and be a part of His bride. His message
in this verse is "Come." Will you say, "I do" to the Messiah's
proposal to you?

                       The Resurrection of the Dead

      One of the reasons for blowing the shofar is to proclaim the
resurrection of the dead. In addition, the thirteenth principle
of the Jewish faith is belief in the resurrection of the dead.
The resurrection of the dead will take place on Rosh HaShanah
(Talmud, Rosh HaShanah l6b). In First Corinthians 15:52, the
apostle Paul (Rav Sha'ul) tells us that the resurrection of the
dead will be "at the last trump." Earlier, in First Corinthians
15:14, he wrote that without the Messiah rising from the dead,
our faith is in vain.

      We cannot go to the Book of Revelation and say that the voice of
the seventh angel (Revelation 11:15) is the last trump. In the
first century, the last trump (shofar) meant a specific day in
the year. In Judaism, there are three trumpets (shofarim) that
have a name. They are the first trump, the last trump, and the
great trump. Each one of these trumpets indicates a specific day
in the Jewish year. The first trump is blown on the Feast of
Shavuot (Pentecost) (Exodus [Shemot] 19:19). It proclaimed that
God had betrothed Himself to Israel. The last trump is
synonymous with Rosh HaShanah, according to Theodore Gaster in
his book, Festivals of the Jewish Year, in his chapter on Rosh
HaShanah. Herman Kieval also states the same thing in his book,
The High Holy Days (Volume I, Rosh HaShanah, Chapter 5, Footnote
11), in the chapter on the shofar. The great trumpet is blown on
Yom Kippur, which will herald the return of the Messiah Yeshua
back to earth (Matthew [Mattityahu] 24:31).

      The first and last trump relate to the two horns of the ram,
which according to Jewish tradition, was caught in the thicket
on Mount Moriah when Abraham (Avraham) was ready to slay Isaac
(Yitzchak) and offer him up as a burnt offering (olah). This ram
became the substitute for Isaac (Yitzchak) even as Yeshua became
the substitute for us and provided life for us through His
death.

      In Pirkei Avot (the sayings of the fathers), Rabbi Eliezer tells
us that the left horn (first trump) was blown on Mount Sinai,
and its right horn (the last trump) will be blown to herald the
coming of the Messiah. Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 18:3 and First
Thessalonians 4:13-18 speak of the resurrection of the dead.
First Thessalonians chapter 5 continues with the day of the Lord
and the birthpangs of the Messiah. Psalm (Tehillim) 27:5 says
the righteous will be hid in the time of trouble. This psalm is
read every day during the 40-day period of Teshuvah. Second
Thessalonians 2:1 says, "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together
unto Him." The phrase, "gathering together" comes from the Greek
word episunagoge, which means "an assembly." In Numbers
(Bamidbar) 10:2-3, the trumpet is blown to assemble the people.
The blowing of the trumpet and the assembling of the people also
appear together in First Thessalonians 4:16-17 and First
Corinthians 15:51-53.

                          (End Part 2 of 2)

 *******************************************************