ROSH HASHANAH FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Rosh Hashanah doesn’t easily or naturally roll off the tongues of most Christians in our culture today, so we start off easy by calling this day The Feast of Trumpets. Some groups do graduate to Rosh Hashanah eventually. Both names are appropriate for the celebration. You decide.
At sunset on Friday, September 15th in the year of 2023 we begin this year’s annual observance of Rosh Hashanah, or The Feast of Trumpets.
Rosh Hashanah is the first of the three Fall Holy Days which God established through Moses. These days were given at the same time as the Ten Commandments. The scriptures say they are to be kept throughout all generations.
On first glance, it may not be obvious that the commandment which reads “Thou shalt keep The Sabbath,” includes the observance of these High Sabbath Holy days.
However, when you go back and read the Torah, expecially Exodus and Leviticus, the pattern becomes clear. You slowly begin to realize God was teaching and commanding the keeping of His High Sabbaths (The Holy Days) during the very same time-period that He was teaching the commandments to all of His people by giving them to Moses on the Mountain.
A part of “thou shalt keep the Sabbath” means keeping God’s High Sabbaths. These are what we typically call God’s Holy Days.
The Ten Commandments teach us all about how God wishes for us to live. Personally; I believe God established these Holy Days when He first created the world and then just reminded us of the facts when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments.
A PERMANENT ORDINANCE
This is one of the scripture references I like to use to back up the fact that God reminded us about The Feast of Trumpets and The Fall Holy Days when Moses received The Ten Commandments:
“Now this day will be a memorial to you and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD, throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. (Exodus 12:14 NAS)
The Jewish people, though they have not yet believed in Jesus as Messiah, have been faithful to these rules that God gave to Moses for His people to keep forever.
Unfortunately; the Christian people who DO believe in Jesus as Messiah have failed to stay true to the very holy days that speak in types and shadows of His coming, His life on earth, His death, His Resurrection and His soon coming return.
I know – it is so ironic.
However; for the many believers who keep these days; the story of Jesus plays out in ten thousand different ways through each year’s observances.
What a joy to know that God was already telling the story even before the facts happened! This is one of the things that proves He is God. He knows our beginnings from our endings; so we can trust Him to lead us through life.
It is such a delight to keep these days holy as we look forward to more fulfillment of their meanings in the future.
ADOPTED AND FAITHFULLY KEEPING THE FAMILY TRADITIONS
I was not born Jewish, and I have not converted to Judaism.
“Christian” is my official title.
Does it seem strange to you that I observe this day?
What seems strange to me is that almost all Christians have been tricked and deceived by the enemy of God into forgetting this important day called Rosh Hashanah; and/or The Feast of Trumpets.
THE MYSTERY OF ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH
As a Child of God, and a born-again baptized Christian, I have every right to observe this day.
My Christian Bible tells me that I have been adopted into the family of God.
I love that biblical illustration that is often used to symbolize this fact; where the example is given of the wild olive branch being grafted into that strong old natural Olive Tree which symbolizes Israel.
In Romans 11:25-31 the Apostle Paul (the Apostle to The Gentiles) speaks of the way we (Jews and Gentiles) should all relate to one another:
“Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers; a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy.” (Romans 11:25-31 (ESV))
The day is coming when we ALL will unite under the Headship of Christ Our Messiah.
That will be a wonderful day indeed!
THE WILD OLIVE TREE HAS BEEN GRAFTED IN
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. (Romans 11:17-18)
In the meantime; Christians are the part of that wild olive tree that has been grafted in. The nation of Israel was the pattern that was used to bring about Christianity.
Best of all; this great nation was used to give us Messiah.
The scriptures say that we should NOT be arrogant toward one another.
From the Jews came Christianity; and from Christianity will come salvation of the Jews.
REMEMBER THE STORY OF RUTH
During this fall harvest festival called The Feast of Trumpets I always love to remember the stories of the bloodline of Ruth.
God used a faithful Moabite Gentile woman to bring about the bloodline of Messiah.
Boaz was as Jewish as one could get. Ruth was as Gentile as one could be. When they united in love; a Messiah came from their bloodline.
God is speaking of more than two people with this lovely story. He speaks of one holy nation of people that is birthed from the nation of Israel; with the other gentile nations of believers being “grafted in.”
WE ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST
We are all one in Christ.
This fact is still hidden from many of the Israeli/Jewish culture; but that doesn’t make it any less true.
We share a Father who sent His Son to save us. One day every eye will be opened to this fact that the Messiah has come. His name is Jesus.
I’ve come into the family through the blood of Jesus Christ (the only perfect Jewish man who ever lived.) He was also the Son of God. Also; I’ve come through physical adoption; the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. As a Christian I’ve come through spiritual adoption; God’s Holy Spirit living in me.
The covering Christ has placed over me; that of His own blood; makes me a blood relative as well as an adopted, grafted-in child.
It is a fact that the blood of Christ sealed the deal. This made things official for more people than those who were born with Israelite heritage to be a part of the family that belongs to God The Father.
THE BLOOD OF SEVENTY NATIONS
The family of God is truly made up of the genes and bloodlines of all 70 of the original nations that have covered and multiplied in the earth.
God created each of us for a specific purpose in His Kingdom. We all are given the opportunity of becoming a member of God’s family.
Nationality or race are irrelevant.
Skin color doesn’t matter. God is color-blind.
Christ died for all people. His spiritual blood runs red through all veins.
This is His Father’s Holy Day. It belongs to God; the One and Only True God of Every Nation of The Earth.
He invites us to join Him in this sacred time which He set aside before He formed the earth or put mankind inside its boundaries.
God issued a formal invitation at first through his servant Moses. Later, on a more personal note; through His Son Jesus Christ, who extended His welcome to you and me by laying down His life for us.
KEEPING THE FAMILY TRADITIONS
In the meantime; we have inherited certain family traditions which were handed down to Moses by God Our Father. Rosh Hashanah/The Feast of Trumpets is one of those family traditions.
Family traditions are usually passed down from generation-to-generation and kept for important reasons to the family.
If you are of God’s family; He will speak to you of such things when you come through faith to help Him continue to keep the family traditions.
FORMS OF OBSERVANCES
Though I am a nondenominational Christian; I’ve kept these Fall Holy Days right along with my Jewish brothers and sisters, for many years now.
I usually like to keep them quietly in my home with my family, (some years our gathering is only two people; my husband and I; but most years everyone in our immediate family joins in and participates.)
Hopefully our grown children who can’t always be with us will be celebrating with their children wherever they are on this day. We hope and pray that we have instilled God’s Holy Days deep inside their hearts. It is our sincere desire that these things will be passed on to our grandchildren.
As a whole, the Church isn’t doing this for us. Only a small (but growing) number of congregations celebrate these truths annually. As Christians and true believers, we must obey God and do it ourselves.
I like it better when our family can gather together under one roof; but with everyone so scattered (some living in other states) and on different schedules it has been hard to plan for everyone every year; though we always try.
Our children laugh at how often they have heard me say “this day is on God’s schedule not ours! We can’t just rearrange to make it more convenient for anyone else.” Coming out of the mindset of the world gets comical sometimes. Go ahead and laugh, but just continue to keep God’s family traditions.
Laughter is good for the soul. Sarah and Abraham will confirm that. Nonetheless; my husband and I will ALWAYS observe Rosh Hashanah somewhere, whether it be with many or a few.
On some years, we may also join in observances with some of the local congregations in our area who understand the Christian meaning of Rosh Hashanah and keep the day in the light of the fact that Christ has come.
WE ARE NOT TRYING TO BECOME JEWISH
Some may think it strange to note that we do not go to a Jewish congregation to observe this day. This is because we know Christ as our Savior. That fact will not be in their services, but it is the MOST IMPORTANT part of our services. Because of our belief, we wish to include the Messiah in ALL of our celebrations.
HONORING OUR FATHER
Our observance is ALWAYS in light of the fact that Jesus Christ is The Messiah; so some of our observances might be slightly different from our Jewish Brothers and Sisters who are still seeking Messiah.
Yet; we both, as Christian believers and Jewish believers DO have and base our beliefs from the same Father, so many of our observances are also the same. (Note it is the PEOPLE who disagree here; not the Godhead. One day God will set that straight and we ALL will agree on one message TOGETHER. God hasten the day!)
I cherish the fact that my Jewish brothers and sisters have been so true to God’s word. They have kept the traditions that God gave to them for all these thousands and thousands of years.
Their teachings and practices are so wonderful and helpful to me as we go through this season of celebrating God’s Fall Holy Days. Ironically; they help me to see more clearly. This better sight serves to confirm the fact that Jesus Christ is Messiah.
These devout Jewish observers who have taught us to celebrate the festival belong to the people whom God favored to show us the best patterns of life. He taught them first in the ways that He desires for us all to live.
They heard it first from God; and generations have now passed the observance of this sacred time on to us and the rest of the world.
This is just as Jesus told us it would happen.
KEEPING THE FEAST FROM THE HEART INSTEAD OF THE LAW
All of that explanation has led me to where I am today. As a Christian believer in Messiah, I have learned to keep the feast days not legalistically, but from my heart; simply as a way to honor God, and not as a legality of the law.
My choice of keeping the Holy Days is purely out of love, honor and thanks to a God who is merciful and forgiving. I celebrate believing in a Great God who deserves to be worshiped in the way He has chosen.
God spelled out His choice of how He wished to be worshiped. He instructed the Israelites about how He wanted to relate to mankind on certain days. It all happened up on that magnificent mountain with Moses a very long time ago.
I choose to honor His wishes.
God never changes.
PERFECTED AND FULFILLED THROUGH CHRIST
The law given to Moses has now been perfected through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
It is now a fulfilled pattern for us to follow. These Fall Holy Days set an example of how we all can best love God and our fellow man.
Jesus lived out every letter of this law with perfection. He never broke a single law. We are to follow His example as best we can.
Besides the above facts; I have truly found that the observance of these Holy Days, especially in light of the fulfillment of Christ, makes life rich. Observance of God’s calendar has a special way of drawing God’s people closer to God.
The Holy Days bring an annual amount of joy and balance to the busy and hectic seasons of our life. Their rhythms give us a sense of peace and balance. Our hearts can fill and live within the harmony of God.
It is a great time to pause and realize what is most important about life.
PREPARING THE HEART TO BE READY
Like any other worthwhile pursuit, the key to this day is preparation.
There should be much time before the day of Rosh Hashanah arrives spent in prayer, meditation and worship.
Those who observe this season, spend the weeks before the holy days of Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) meditating and examining the days of their lives in the light of God’s Word.
Getting prepared is a very important part of the time leading up to these holy days. This happens during the Hebraic month of Elul, while waiting on Rosh Hashanah to arrive on Tishrei 1.
When the day of Rosh Hashanah comes it is a solemn, yet celebratory time. The mix is important to the message being delivered.
This holy day has certain elements that are serious and somber.
The loud blast of the shofar, if unfamiliar to you, might even sound a bit frightening to you. At the same time these days might also inspire you and give you hope for the future. The elements of the day will surely stir you, yet intimidate you.
Getting our hearts right with God to begin a new sacred year is always refreshing, restoring and relieving.
Rosh Hashanah is a day like no other.
LISTENING FOR THE SOUND OF THE SHOFAR
As the shofar sounds at the beginning of The Feast of Trumpets you realize it is the set-time to come closer to God.
The sound of the shofar is a very important part of the day. We are commanded to be waiting and listening for it to happen. Waiting and listening should be important to children of God.
A shofar has a beautiful, haunting sound and each blast calls us to awaken to our real reason for living; which is simply to give glory to God with the days and times of our lives.
PUTTING FEET TO WORSHIP
As well as listening for the shofar, gathering to eat certain festive foods together, and participating in a service with one another; it is also good to DO something in the spirit of Rosh Hashanah.
This could come in the form of giving to others, or performing good deeds, or seeking forgiveness from anyone you have wronged this year, and/or telling those around you how much you love and cherish them.
These are things we should be doing each and every day of our lives without neglect; but the time of Rosh Hashanah is a call to remember.
MAKE EVERY ACTION TRUE AND FROM THE HEART
These acts should never become rote actions though.
They should come from a kind, loving and willing heart.
All things that are done should be performed expecting nothing in return; simply out of love.
God knows the condition of our hearts.
Should we find ourselves just going through the motions, He will know the truth; even if no one else does.
If you find yourself in the mode of just going through the motions and not performing these good deeds with a pure heart from love, the thing you should do first in this season is to seek God’s help and forgiveness for this state of the heart.
Pour your heart out to God. He will hear you, show mercy to you, help you and honor your prayers.
RECOGNIZING THE TURNING OF THE SACRED YEAR
This is the time of the turning of the sacred year. The old times pass away and all things come into a new sacred year.
As the end of the Hebrew calendar arrives and the last day of the last month occurs, in our minds and hearts, we turn the page of the sacred calendar to a new year of life before God.
Men stole some of God’s original ideas when they decided to make up their own new year’s celebrations and put it on their own secular calendar as January 1st.
They also proceeded to do something similar to what God intends for us to do at Rosh Hashanah. Men have taken the pattern of looking back over the past and looking forward to the future. The secular people often call this setting new year’s resolutions; but in a sense it is looking for ways to have a better future based on the mistakes you have made and corrected from the past. This time in the secular calendar during the month of January is man’s way of doing it.
God has a different way; He calls it Rosh Hashanah.
That party you went to back in January was mankind’s own version of a new year’s celebration. It was based on men’s own ideas for a world of mere men who often forget to acknowledge their Creator and think only of themselves. Such a day would hold no sacred moments. Men stole some of God’s original ideas when they decided to made up their own new year’s celebrations. They changed times and seasons; which is something that does not please God.
This time of The Feast of Trumpets is different and opposite of mankind’s selfish ways.
MEN SHOULD NOT CHANGE GOD’S DATES AND TIMES
God has set aside appointments with mankind by the times and dates on the Hebrew calendar. These appointments have happened for millennium; actually ever since He created the world and put all of us here inside of time.
Our Creator God is the One who made the calendar that the Hebrews have always used. Within this sacred calendar He created time for all of mankind; and He set the days in motion by the patterns and cycles of the moon (not the sun.) God has declared that this day which some call Rosh Hashanah will always be the beginning of the new sacred year for His people.
So we recognize the fact that we are coming into God’s annual marked-off time for us to begin a new and sacred spiritual year.
REVIEWING THE PAST
On Rosh Hashanah; God begins the task of looking over everything that has happened during the past year.
Time is a sacred gift that God gave to us the moment we were created. During this season God is thinking about what we did with the gift of our time during the last year of our lives. He is pondering what our destiny will be during the next year of our lives.
We are free to decide this for ourselves; but God examines our decisions and decides whether they are good or bad for The Kingdom of Heaven that is coming in the future.
This process all begins every year on Rosh Hashanah. It lasts for ten days, ending on Yom Kippur and all of the ten days together are called The Ten Days of Awe.
THE DOORS OF HEAVEN ARE OPEN
It is said that during this time the doors of heaven are opened wide to show mercy and forgiveness on Rosh Hashanah. Many believers know that God is deciding on His plans for mankind for the next year.
He is also carefully listening to what men have to say to Him during this time period. It is a season of divine mercy.
During this season God is hearing people offer their prayers. These personal and individual as well as national conversations set the stage for God’s considering of the destiny for the next year of their life.
Do you ever think about how many decisions God must make a second?
During the season of Elul and The Ten Days of Awe, God will decide who will die and who will be born during the upcoming year. He will decide what fate is to befall every single individual of the earth. Our Father is always inscribing His notes about our lives as we discuss them with Him. He doesn’t forget one conversation.
The Books are opened, and God begins writing His notes to Himself on Rosh Hashanah. Did you know there is a recording of every breath you took in Heaven? Much of your history has been blotted out; if you are a Christian believer. Rejoice in that fact. What we do in the time leading up to The Feast of Trumpets helps with this miracle.
God doesn’t stop observing and writing down His notes for 10 days. He is looking and judging. Our Great God is a very fair judge, full of mercy and grace.
A LOVING AND MERCIFUL JUDGE
Yes, contrary to what a lot of people want to think; God still judges people.
However; He is a loving and merciful God. He allows us time to talk and reason with Him.
Our heavenly Father is merciful when we repent and turn.
He wants to hear from each and every one of us, especially during this time of deliberation and decision-making about the future.
A day will come when God looks down and shuts His book forever. In that day He will declare that time for men to come to Him in repentance is no more. This is yet another reason for living our lives with intention, focus and purpose. In this season God is helping us to do that very thing.
Until God closes out the books; we have the seasons of Elul and The Ten Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to consider the affairs of our hearts and lives. This is the time to bring them before God for mercy.
Of course you may already be doing this all year long; but this is the annual reminder that time is drawing short and that our relationship with God is a very important matter to consider and resolve.
This is why we often study the commandments during the days of Elul leading up to The Feast of Trumpets. It is also considered a good time for meditations and devotions that help us to grow closer to Our Father and His Only Begotten Son.
Because of Christ; there is much mercy to go around.
TRANSFORMATION BEFORE THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
On Yom Kippur (often called The Day of Atonement by Christians), ten days after Rosh Hashanah; God seals what He has inscribed.
That makes all things final for the year we have just passed.
The doors of heaven close on another year of God’s allotted time for mankind.
There will be a day when the last Yom Kippur happens; no one but God knows this date. Each year we get a reminder; and each year COULD turn out to be the very last time.
SHANA TOVA GREETINGS ABOUND
On Rosh Hashanah we say to each other: “Shana Tova!” It means “may you be inscribed for a good and sweet year.”
In greeting each other this way we are remembering the fact that God will be examining our lives and writing in His book. We are all hoping He inscribes a good year to come for us!
It is traditional to dip apples in honey to symbolize this as we symbolically taste the beginning of a sweet new year on our tongues.
Most people indulge in sweets in hopes of a “sweet” year to come.
A DAY OF RICHNESS AND FULLNESS
So in many ways, Rosh Hashanah serves to be a big mile-marker that is marking the progress of the days of our lives every year.
We want to be ready and prepared to meet God by the time the day is here.
The whole experience is as much about the season of days leading up to Rosh Hashanah as the day itself.
As we carefully mark our time and try to transform to God’s will for our lives; we listen for the shofar and wonder when that last trumpet will sound and time will be no more.
The shofar blast is a call to pay attention.
As we hear the sound breaking into our silent waiting world, we stand in awe and worship our Creator. We celebrate His goodness and mercy toward us. All believers acknowledge that we are thankful and offer up humble hearts for service.
Love and fellowship toward all of mankind is enjoyed and cherished.
We dip apples in honey and hope that the new sacred year will be one that is sweet with the presence of God’s Holy Spirit filling our hearts and souls up to the brim.
It is a time to share the wonder of belonging to a merciful God.
Rosh Hashanah is so rich and so full, and there are many other aspects of this Holy Day to ponder, but these are the ones I have on my heart to share today.
Shana Tova!