Returned&Restored

      This week's Sabbath reading portion has a double title, Nitzvarim - Va yelech. This Sabbath is the last Sabbath in the month of Elul, which is dedicated to the repentance of God's people and their return to the LORD. Within a few days following this Sabbath, the Feast of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah, will take place. This feast day is also known as Rosh Hashanah. 

     This week, we will be focusing on the Nitzvarim part of the title, which means, "are standing". This title comes from Deut. 29:10-13 which contains the words of Moses to the Israelites: "All of you stand today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives - also the stranger who is in your camp...that you may enter into (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath (ala - covenant confirmed by an oath, blessing, curse), which the LORD your God makes with you today, that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

     Then the LORD makes the following statement: "I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, but with (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today." (v. 14-15). There is a "today" that is connected with our covenant with God, and His with us. It was not just something entered into long ago, but it is present and now. However, the LORD makes clear that there are those who are not here today, but they will still be able to have their "today" of covenant with Him in the future. In another part of scripture the LORD says, "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2, Isa. 49:8). Today, now, is the day in which the LORD has made a place for you to stand before Him and accept His salvation covenant.

This is a beautiful offer to those who will stand before the LORD "today" in covenant, from the youngest to the oldest, from the common citizen to the leaders, from the tribes by blood to the stranger or foreigner in the midst, from those present now to those who will be standing in the future.

     As we saw with the Hebrew meaning of the word, "oath" or ala used above, there is a curse that comes when this covenant is broken. There are several things mentioned in Deut. 29 involving the situations that bring the curse. One involves anyone "whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations" creating among His people "a root bearing bitterness or wormwood (la'anah - to curse, poisonous, accursed, bitter things, perverted justice, noxious)." (v. 18). We should understand that the worship of the false gods/idols of the world, both today and as it did then, involved horrible practices including human/child sacrifice, and the use of perversion and prostitution as worship. These practices caused whole nations to be shrouded alive in spiritual darkness: a living death. How much worse is it for someone who knows God to put the corrupted and corrupting things of the world before Him, thereby creating idols?

     Another situation that brings the curse in Deut. 29 is one who hears the words of the curse but ignores the curse, while blessing himself saying "I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart..." (v. 19). This person chooses to go their own way not believing the reality of the curse or that he will be affected by it. Perhaps this person thinks that the LORD will bless and protect him anyway. The LORD said that this person's name would be blotted out from under heaven (v. 20).

     This curse would affect the whole land (v. 23). When others would wonder why the LORD had done these things to the whole land, the answer would be given: "Because they have forsaken the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; for they went and served other gods and worshipped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them." (v. 25-26).

     With God dwell the blessings. Separated from God dwell the curses. It is like saying "In the Light, there is light. Separated from the Light, there is darkness", or "With the Giver of Life, there is life. Separated from the Giver of Life, there is death." For the world, including the people of God, that found themselves in darkness and the curse, God sent His Son, Jesus, Messiah/Christ, to become the curse of the Law for us so that we might walk in the eternal blessing of the salvation covenant with God (Gal. 3:10, 13-14).

     What we learn above is only to set the stage for the Sabbath lesson of this week found in Deut. Ch. 30. The LORD establishes a provision for His people to be able to return to Him when they find themselves separated and dispersed, both spiritually and physically: "Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity (sebut/saba - captivity, captives, prisoners, exile/take captive, take or lead away), and have compassion (raham - to love deeply, have mercy, have compassion, to stroke with love, cherishing, soothing, to behold with tenderest affection) on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you. If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you." (Deut. 30:1-4, see also Heb. 7:25-26).

     The LORD promises to bring them back to their land and they will possess it, and: "He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. And the LORD your God will circumcise your (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live...The LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand...the LORD will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments...and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." (v. 5-10, excerpt).

     How hard does the LORD of All make it for His people to be return to Him? He makes it as easy as turning to Him in complete love, a love which causes His people to obey His voice and Word. Moses said that this was not too difficult, or a thing too distant for them to do: "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. See, I have set before you today (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) life and good, death and evil...I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling (dabaq - follow hard after, cleave to, abide, joined to, pursue closely, cling, adhere firmly, be glued) to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land..." (Deut. 30:11-20, excerpt).

     In another reading portion from this Nitzavim Sabbath, the LORD expresses His desire to the prophet, Jeremiah, for His people to return to Him: "...I earnestly remember him still; therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD...Turn back, O virgin of Israel...How long will you gad about, O you backsliding daughter?...I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul...Behold, the days are coming, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah...I will put My (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people...For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (see Jer. 31: 20-34, excerpts). We can see the heartfelt desire of the LORD for His people to return to Him. Jesus had the same desire as He sent the message of repentance and return to His church in the Book of Revelation: "Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Rev. 3:19-20). The church had become so indifferent to their Savior that He had to stand outside the church and knock (krouo - to knock [with a heavy blow]) to be let in! As did His heavenly Father with Israel, Jesus offered other powerful rewards also if the church would return to Him (v. 21-22). To another church Jesus said, "...you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works..." (Rev. 2:4-5). If this church repents, Jesus promises them to eat from the tree of life in Paradise. The first works were driven by the church's love for their Savior. They must return to that love and its fruitful works.

     In another reading portion from this Sabbath, we see a people who have returned to the LORD. This is their voice: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels." (Isa. 61:10).

     This is the LORD's response to their joyful return: "For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation (yesua - salvation, deliverance, rescue, also the Hebrew name of Jesus) as a lamp that burns. The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name (see also Rev. 3:12-13, Rev. 2:17), which the mouth of the LORD will name. You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God...and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you...Indeed the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the world: 'Say to the daughter of Zion, surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work (pe'ulla - deeds, good action, a people won back by warfare) before Him." (Isa. 62:1-11, excerpt).

     The second state of the returned people above becomes even more blessed and exalted than their first state. This is the way of the LORD who is forever eager to pour out His mercy upon His people who will return to Him. It is especially at this time of the year that we need to repent, renew our love for the Lord, and return to Him. We should not wait until He is pounding on the door of our hearts asking for entry. Jesus warned that in these days before His return many will fall away and the love of many will wax cold (Mt. 24:10-13, 2 Thess. 2:3). It is time to return to our Lord. Call upon the Lord while He is near.

If you would like to take this opportunity today to return to the LORD whose hands are stretched out to us and waiting (see Isa. 65:1-2), you can join me in my prayer: "My Father, You have shown me mercy in my life. You have saved me through Your beloved Son, Jesus. Today, Lord, I want to repent for going my own way and I want to return to You, my Creator. I want to renew my love for You, to cling to You and follow after You. Jesus, You have made the Way possible for me to return to my Father and be reconciled with Him. Fill me with the Spirit of God who leads me and teaches me in His ways of everlasting life. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as Α Ω , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.

AWE

This Sabbath falls on the Feast of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah. Trumpets have a special significance to the LORD, and to His people. Trumpets announce a warning, a call to battle, a time to rejoice, and they are a call to assemble together before the LORD. For believers in Christ, trumpets also signify the sound of the return of the Lord Jesus to gather His people, both the living and the dead, to meet Him in the clouds, and to be with Him from that moment forever forward (1 Cor. 15:51-57). From the day of the Feast of Trumpets until the Day of Atonement, which is also signified by a great trumpet, there are ten days that are referred to as The Days of Awe. The appointment of the ten days interim by the LORD was not an accident. These ten days are set aside as a time of prayer, self-examination, and repentance. The Hebrew word for the number "ten" is eser/asar, which means "ten, 10x/tithe, tenth, enrich, wealthy, prosper, happy, to be straight". The number ten also represents the complete congregation, body, kingdom, gathering, union. Ten, in the pictographic Hebrew alphabet, is represented by the letter yod, which means "hand", and "a finished work". The number ten also portrays the time of judgment when men either receive rewards or receive divine justice against themselves. So spiritually speaking, something of great importance in the eyes of the LORD is accomplished and finished in these ten interim days between the two feasts. The blessing said to one another on the Feast of Trumpets is "May you be inscribed (in the book)". A believer in Christ understands the "book" mentioned as "the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world", as mentioned in Rev. 13:8-9. The title of this week's Sabbath reading is Va-Yelech, a kind of "part 2" to last week's reading. This week's Sabbath is also called Shuvah, which means "to return". This is a tine to return to the LORD, which is the goal of the Ten Days of Awe also. I know that we feel many things for the LORD, but do we feel AWE? One definition of the word awe is "a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder". Do we reverence Him with the reverence which He deserves? It seems to me that we treat our Great God more with familiarity than reverence. Do we enter church or synagogue in a spirit of reverence knowing we are about to open His Word, and stand before His Presence in worship and praise? When we come before our God in prayer, is it with reverence and wonder, or is it instead with a shopping list of our needs and desires? Do we fear our heavenly Father in the same way that we might fear or dread disappointing our earthly fathers? Are our hearts and days filled with wonder (a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration caused by something beautiful, unexpected, or inexplicable) at His words and works? Most of us, being honest, may admit that the answer to these questions is "no", or perhaps "sometimes". We too then need a shuvah return to our Lord, our first love, our primary focus and reason for being (Rev. 2:4-5). Do we feel reverence and wonder when we consider how Jesus fulfilled the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, for us as our High Priest, sprinkling His own sacrificed blood upon the Mercy Seat of God in heaven in order to cover the curse of the Law that comes against those who break it? (Heb. 9:11-15). It is Christ's fulfilment of this Feast that became the redemption for our transgressions because "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (see Heb. 10:28-31). We cannot treat this as "a common thing" (v. 29). The reverence, fear, and wonder of this finished work of God should be with us every day. If it is not, then, again, we need a shuvah return to our Lord. In the readings from the prophets for this Sabbath, the Word of the LORD calls God's people to return to Him. Hosea wrote: "O Israel, return to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled (kasal - waver, tottering, stumble, stagger, feeble, made weak, bereaved, overthrown, wearied, fail) because of your iniquity; Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to Him, 'Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride on horses, nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, 'You are our gods'. For in You the fatherless finds mercy." (Hos. 14:1-3). Often in scripture, the LORD must deliver judgment upon His people because they have left Him, and have chosen the ways of evil and wickedness, including the harming of others. However, I do not hear this kind of judgment when I read these words in Hosea. I hear God being concerned because He sees His people stumbling and falling, growing weaker because of the iniquities which they carry. They have relied upon other men, and the work of their own hands instead of Him. The LORD tells them to return to Him, and He makes it very simple for them: "Take words with you". They need only bring Him "the sacrifices of our lips". Immediately, the LORD promises: "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall grow like the lily...his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon." v. 4-6). The beauty and reviving pleasure of the LORD awaits us in our shuvah return to Him. Just take your words with you as you turn to Him. In another portion from this Sabbath's reading from the prophet Micah we can read: "Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me...He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness...Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." (Mic. 7:7-9, 18-19, 2 Cor. 5:21). Psalm 25 says: "The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way...For Your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity for it is great. For who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses." As we saw above, the number ten is associated in part with the completed, unified body or congregation. With all of the divisions that exist within the congregation of the God of Israel, the Ten Days of Awe are a perfect opportunity, given to us by God, for the complete congregation, both Jews and Gentiles, to be unified in returning to the LORD our God. There is a time when God will judge all unrighteousness, and scripture tells us that the judgment begins in the House of the LORD (1 Peter 4:17). These Ten Days of Awe, which the LORD has provided for us, calls His people to assemble together in order to bring our words and return to Him. He will revive us in the beauty of His holiness, as the prophet saw, and He will revive our reverence, fear, and wonder of Him. If you would like to know more about returning to the LORD, you can join with me in prayer: "LORD God, I bring my words to You, to return to You, to have reverence, fear in honor and wonder towards You, and Your mighty works. . The trumpet will sound, and I will remember and proclaim the atonement that was made for me by the blood of the Lamb of God. The trumpet will sound, and I will rejoice that my name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life- the Lamb who was slain for my salvation, and redemption, from before the foundation of the world. The trumpet will sound, and I will call upon Your mercy and pardon. The trumpet will sound, and I will fall to my knees in reverence and AWE. The trumpet will sound, and I will be taken up to meet Jesus, to remain forever with Him. In Jesus' name, I pray this. AMEN."

Mercy (Pt 3 of 3)

This is Pt. 3 in a series covering these three fall feasts of the LORD commanded in scripture: the Feast of Trumpets (see the previous post, "NewMoon"), the Days of Awe/Repentance (see the previous post, "AWE"), and today's post, "Mercy" which is about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. These posts cannot cover all that can be said about these feasts, and their importance not only to the Jewish people, but also to all who know Jesus as Messiah and Lord. I wanted to look into them to discover how these feasts that have been ordained by God to all generations must also contain a great impact on my spiritual walk. God has a purpose for us in these feasts, as well as the revelation of Jesus within them. 
Let's do a brief review of the previous two posts, and then begin our look into Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
We found that as well as the significance of the shofar or trumpet, the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, is directly tied to the new moon (root word "chadash") of the month of Tishrei (meaning "beginning"). This feast marks the beginning of a process. The chadash meaning of the Feast of Trumpets involves renewal, restoration, rebuilding, as well as the polishing and cutting of a sword. The rapture of the church is the most dramatic "renewal" of all, and it is associated with the sounding of the trumpets on this feast day.
We begin that personal renewal, and the even wider process of renewal of creation, during the self-examination and repentance associated with the Days of Awe, the days between the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur. Repentance is the means, but the end result the Lord is looking for in us is change. Jesus addressed His churches and sought this serious change in them in the Book of Revelation. Failure of the church to address and change our serious shortcomings would result in great loss, according to these scriptures (see chapters 2 and 3). Heeding the Holy Spirit, and seeking the changes that the Lord required of His churches would result in rewards.
According to the rabbis, on  the Feast of Trumpets, our names are written or inscribed into books based upon the Lord's examination and determination regarding us. On Yom Kippur, the names in those books are sealed, or finalized. We have the days in between to search ourselves and determine to change those things that would have us inscribed and sealed into judgment books, "to avert the severe decree", as it is taught by the rabbis. As we saw in the previous post, "AWE", for those not found inscribed in the (Lamb's) Book of Life, the ramifications can be very serious. even deadly. This judgment of Yom Kippur is not the judgment of the dead, but the judgment of the living.
While on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, our names are sealed in those books, Lev. 16 also shows us the pattern for the provision of the atonement and mercy of God, which are also imbedded in this feast day. As we saw in the previous entry, scripture says that mercy and judgment always dwell together in God. The Day of Atonement is a solemn feast day (Lev. 23:26-32). The LORD commands that we fast, pray, and afflict ourselves. We are not to be busy with "life as usual" on this day. The pattern of heavenly intercession for the sins of the people is revealed in this feast day as given to Moses from God (see Lev. 16). The High Priest entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of sacrifice, and sprinkled the blood on the Mercy Seat. This atoning blood was for himself and his family, the tabernacle, and all of the people.
In the prophetic fulfillment of this most holy purpose of the Day of Atonement, God has not relied upon man, but has appointed His only Son to be not only the blood of sacrifice (Heb. 9:13-14), but also the High Priest who applies the sacrificial blood (Heb. 6:20, Heb. 7:24-26), and the Mercy Seat (meaning of "propitiation" used in Rom. 3:25, 1 Jn. 2:2) itself upon which that holy blood is sprinkled. That Mercy Seat is the throne of the presence of the glory of the LORD. Jesus is the Person, the Place, and the Means, the All in All, of the mercy provision of God. Leviticus 16:17 tells us that while the High Priest is fulfilling his duty on this day, no man may be present in any part of the earthly tabernacle. Now, instead of men, who have weaknesses, to intercede as High Priest, using the blood of animals, God has appointed His Son, who has been perfected forever, to be our High Priest as on the Day of Atonement (Heb. 7:28). The purpose of the approach to the Mercy Seat is to seek mercy in the face of the judgment of the living sealed in the books, and to bring reconciliation of man with God.
The Book of Hebrews tells us that we too can now approach that Mercy Seat, having been cleansed ourselves through Christ (Heb. 10:19-23). We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together for this purpose, especially as we see this Day approaching, as some forsake it (Heb. 10:24-25). Here again, scripture tells us that the significance of these feast days are for the church, as well as for the Jewish people. Although it is the current custom of the church to ignore the true observance of these feast days, and the repentance and change that is required within them, we are warned in scripture not to overlook the significance in our walk:
"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?..."The LORD will judge His people"...It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."   Heb. 10:26-31 (see also Deut. 32:35-36)
The verses above were all written in the context of the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement by our High Priest, Jesus Christ. The whole Book of Hebrews teaches the church about this feast, and how it applies to the believers in Christ. The provision of this mercy, and its sanctification is forever. However, that doesn't mean we can take it for granted that the judgment of the living does not also apply to us as believers in Christ. Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, Who examines us, expects us to understand and observe the provision of mercy (and completed renewal) that pushes back the judgment deserved, and has been so lovingly and powerfully provided for us in this feast day. Are we diligent at the Mercy Seat of God on behalf of ourselves and all people? The mercy of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is precious to our walk with Christ. That mercy cost our Father, and His dear Son everything.

Our Father has sent His mercy, His Son, to provide the atonement for us.

AWE (Pt. 2 of 3)

This entry is Part 2 of the discussion begun in the previous post, "NewMoon". You will find it helpful if you read that post first. There will be a Part 3 dealing with Yom Kippur , the Day of Atonement, following this entry.
In part 1, "Newmoon", we discussed how important this time of year and its ordained feasts are, not only to the Jewish people and Israel, but to all believers in Christ as well. It is a time, over the course of these next ten days called the Days of Awe, or the Days of Repentance (Teshuvah), following the Feast of Trumpets, to take the opportunity that the Lord has given to examine ourselves, repent, and change before the judgment of Yom Kippur is finalized or "sealed". The Feast of Trumpets is directly associated with the new moon that begins the month of Tishrei ("beginning"). That new moon means renewal, restoration, repair, rebuilding, even the cutting/polishing (of a sword) according to the meaning of its Hebrew root word, chadash. Our repentance and determination to change what we need to change within us individually, also institutes the same renewal, restoration and repair on a far wider scale (see scriptures from "NewMoon").
For the Feast of Trumpets, there is a poem ("piyyut") or writing that is included in the liturgy of the synagogue/temple. It has been called "one of the most stirring compositions in the entire liturgy of the Days of Awe." This poem is called "Unetanah Tokef". Although I will be referring to excerpts from it, it is too lengthy to include it in its entirety on this post, so I am providing a link to it (here). When I read it, it seems to me to parallel the Book of Revelation in an awesome way.
The Days of Awe for reflection and repentance, concluded by Yom Kippur when the inscriptions of judgment (in the Book of Life, or the Book of Death) are sealed, is not about the judgment of the dead, with which we are familiar. It is the weighing and judging of the living by God. 
In Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 of the Book of Revelation, Christ addresses the seven churches, and calls them to repent and change the troubling issues He has found in them, and also commends them for what He has found pleasing in them. Judgment means "justice", receiving what we deserve, good or bad. According to these chapters in Revelation, Jesus told the churches that if they did not repent and change in the problem areas He had seen in them, He would remove something vital from them. They will suffer a loss. If they do repent and change, they will gain something precious from Him.
The Book of Revelation tells us, therefore, that the believers are also called to difficult days of repentance and change, in the face of Christ's examination and pending judgment. This is not something we can ignore, incorrectly thinking that the requirements of these fall feast days do not pertain to us. Jesus also describes Himself as having "the sharp, two-edged sword" (Rev. 2:12), which brings us back to remembering the meaning of the New Moon root, chadash.
The Piyyut of the Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah referred to above, says in part regarding this examination and judgment:
And all creatures shall parade before You as a troop.
As a shepherd herds his flock,
Causing his sheep to pass beneath his staff,
So do You cause to pass, count, and record,
Visiting the souls of all living,
Decreeing the length of their days,
Inscribing their judgment.
On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed,
And on Yom Kippur it is sealed.
Our Good Shepherd inspects us, and all living, not the dead at this time, and inscribes the judgment. He is also described as follows in the Piyyut:
In truth...
The exhorter, the all-knowing, the witness,
He who inscribes and seals...
You open the book of remembrance...
And the seal of each person is there.
We are inscribed on the Feast of Trumpets, and the judgment is sealed on Yom Kippur.
Christ opens the seals of the scroll that no one else can open (Rev. 5:1-3).  Rev. 7:3, and 9:4 describe a seal that has been placed upon people. He also identifies Himself as the faithful and true witness (Rev. 3:14).
The Piyyut also says that it is at this time that it is decided who shall live and who shall die. The various manners of death, and suffering for the living are described in the Piyyut as being by water and thirst (Rev. 8:10-11), fire (Rev. 9:17-18), sword (Rev. 6:8), wild beast (also Rev. 6:8), famine (Rev. 6:5-6, 8), earthquake (Rev. 6:12), plague (Rev. 16:1-2, 21).
Some, as a result of judgment, will not attain peace and rest but will be pursued (Rev. 6:3-4), and tormented (Rev. 9:5-6).
As the Piyyut comes to a close, it brings forth a truth that is completely revealed only in the Book of Revelation:
Your name is fitting unto You...and our name has been called by Your name.
Revelation 3:12, 14:1, and 22:3-4 all refer to those who have had the name of the Lord written upon them, or given to them.
The Piyyut also points out the mercy of God that gives us all the opportunity to repent, and change ourselves and the judgments written against us saying of God:
You are difficult to anger and easy to appease. For You do not desire the death of the condemned, but that he turn from his path and live.
The Apostle Peter gave us this same insight when he wrote:
"The Lord...is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."   2 Pet. 3:9
Peter then goes on to write that at the time of judgment, the heavens and earth melt, and pass away. Because of this, we look then for the new heavens and the new earth to come. The Book of Revelation also concludes with this renewal of the heavens and earth (Rev. 21:1). This is also in accord with the renewal found in chadash, the New Moon of Tishrei ("Beginning"), the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah. This feast marks the beginning of creation to the Jews, and as such, it must include Jesus, who called Himself "the Beginning of the creation of God" (Rev. 3:14).
I think we can see that throughout the Book of Revelation, Jesus continually uses words and phrases which would immediately bring to the remembrance of His Jewish-based Church the following: the call to the Days of Awe, beginning with the Feast of Trumpets with its New Moon, and the chadash renewal attached to it, the sealing of judgment on Yom Kippur, but also the sprinkling of the blood of atonement upon the mercy seat (the propitiation) of God by our eternal High Priest for all of those who will heed the call of the feasts, and receive that mercy. 
As priests before God, we also, through our own obedience and faith, take part in the approach to the mercy seat, which the Jews call the throne of God, and the application of that blood of mercy of the sacrificed Lamb of God represented by Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur reflects the truth that mercy and judgment reside side by side in God:
"In mercy the throne will be established; And One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness."  Isa. 16:5 (see also Ps. 89:14, Ps. 101:1, Hos. 12:6)
The Apostle James tells us that mercy rejoices against judgment (Jam. 2:13).
Please see the next installment in this series entitled "Mercy", which studies Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the next feast of the LORD.

Our Father has revealed His call to repentance, His seal of judgment, and His provision of mercy in the Days of Awe, and Yom Kippur.

NewMoon (Pt. 1 of 3)

I would like to tell you some wonderful things about the fall feast, Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:23-26), which we are about to observe. It is also known as Rosh Hashanah. There is so much to tell you about this feast and the ten days that follow leading up to the next feast, Yom Kippur, that it will require two blog entries. So please also read the next entry, "AWE", which will be posted a few days after this one.
The LORD commanded all the generations of Israel to keep the feast days as holy appointments with Him. However, these feasts, both spring and fall feasts, are not just for the Jewish people. All of the feasts are a type and shadow of the Messiah for whom Israel was to wait and watch for in faith. Jesus, of whom the feasts prophetically pertained, faithfully observed them, and the apostles wrote and taught about the feasts. For those of us who have experiential knowledge of the Messiah, Jesus, how much more important is it for us to know and observe the significance of these feast days, and to incorporate that knowledge of Christ into them? 
The Feast of Trumpets is the first day of the month of Tishrei ("beginning" ), so it is the beginning of beginnings. As we will see, this feast marks the beginning, not only of the secular Jewish year, but of a vital spiritual process.
Elul is the month before Tishrei, and it is the month we are in now as of this post. It is the last month of the Jewish secular year. From the 14th century, Jews have understood the letters of Elul to be an acronym, (Hebrew letters aleph, lamed, vav, lamed) for the phrase Ani l'dodi v'dodi li which translates, "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." (Song of Songs 6:3). To us, this verse, as well as the entire Song of Songs, refers prophetically to our Messiah and His Bride. The Aramaic meaning of Elul is "to search". In the Song of Songs, the Shulamite (to be perfect, to be peaceful, to be in a covenant of peace, to be complete, be finished, to make whole, restore, to be performed) woman must search for her Beloved, her Bridegroom.
The Feast of Trumpets is not only associated with the blowing of the shofar, which also signals the rapture of the Church in scripture (1 Cor. 15:51-55), but its timing is directly tied into the first appearance of the new moon which marks the beginning of the month of Tishrei. It is a feast that is directly associated with the new moon. For this feast to begin, the new moon must be  watched for diligently and then the shofars, or trumpets, are sounded when it is first spotted in the sky. Therefore, we may not know the exact day and hour (Mt. 24:36, 25:13) when this feast will begin. We only know as a result of looking up, and watching or searching the skies when we see these things begin (Lk. 21:28).
Psalm 81:3 also refers to this feast, and rather than the English translation we have, the Aramic/Targum phrase with which Israel would be familiar is, "in the month in which the day of our festival is concealed". This commanded feast of the LORD, left so vaguely described in Leviticus, requires us to search it out for its meaning and importance. So let the search begin!
The Hebrew root word used for "new moon", with which this feast is so closely associated, is chadash. This means, "renew, make anew, repair, renew oneself, to rebuild, restore, cutting or polishing (a sword)". The pictographic meanings attached to the Hebrew letters of the word khadash: cheth, daleth, shin, might be expressed by the idea of a separation, a wall, between a protected inner chamber, and a sharp devouring, consuming, destruction as with teeth. In this wall there is a door, by which movement into or out of is provided. Either you can enter in, with the door closed against the destruction, or you can be outside the door, separated from the protection of the inner chamber. To enter through the door involves a path or way of life. 
This feast and its connection with the new moon includes in its meaning that it is a time to make a changing choice. On one side there is renewal, repair rebuilding and restoration. On the other side, there waits destruction.
This new moon root word, chadash, appears in other verses:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."  David, Ps. 51:10
"Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."
                                                                                                            David, Ps. 103:5
However, chadash also carries far beyond the individual:
"...and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations." Isa. 61:4

"...let us go to Gilgal (a wheel, rolling), and renew the kingdom there."  1 Sam. 11:14
"...Asa...put away the abominable idols..., and renewed (NKJV-restored) the altar of   the LORD..."   2 Chron.15:8
"...Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD."  2 Chron. 24:4, 12
"Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth."
                                                                                                               Ps. 104:30
Individuals, cities, the kingdom, the altars and the house of the LORD, and even the whole earth are affected: renewed, restored, repaired by the chadash, new moon renewal.
Believers are familiar with the idea of renewal and restoration. We see many references in the New Testament to the "new" things promised through Christ, who is the Messiah prophesied in this feast: new wine, new tongues, new wine in new bottles, a new lump, a new creature, a new man, a new testament, a new living way, a new name, new heavens and a new earth, New Jerusalem, and "make all things new".
How far reaching the renewal is! It starts within ourselves, but it is not limited to ourselves. We, who have been given all of these promises of renewal in Christ, must understand the importance of this renewal feast, not only to us, but to all creation. However this renewal is a process. It is a process with a beginning. This process, this "path or way of life", begins with repentance. This may not sound like fun, but the result and reward is miraculous renewal.
The chadash renewal of Tishrei begins on the feast day of Trumpets, but there are ten days that follow this day. These are the Days of Awe/Repentance, or Aseret Yemei Teshuvah. The ten days end at the next feast of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The rabbis say that these ten days are given to us for an opportunity to change, and an opportunity given to be written and then sealed in the Book of Life, rather than the Book of Death. Believers know this book as the Lamb's Book of Life (Phil. 4:3, Rev. 3:5, 13:8, and more). Though believers may not be familiar specifically with the Book of Death taught by the rabbis, we know that there is more than one book consulted in judgment:
"And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books."   Rev. 20:12
As the rabbis teach that on the Feast of Trumpets, we are written into one of these books. We are given the ten days between the two feasts for repentance (change of mind, feeling regret, a determination to change, an effort to repair the affects of one's misdeeds), prayer, and charity for change and renewal, before we are sealed into the book on Yom Kippur. Our repentance determines on which side of the "door" we choose to be. 
We may say, "I am Christ's, so I am saved from all", but scripture doesn't say we are guaranteed to be saved from this destruction. Our "works" define how we are building on the foundation of that protective khadash wall. Are we building with gold, silver, and precious stones, or wood, hay, and stubble-things which can burn? Our useless works will be burned, and we will be saved as through fire. The Day (yom) will declare it (1 Cor. 3:9-15). Christ said that we must pray that we are worthy to escape these things and to stand before Him (Lk. 21:36). At that last trump, when Christ returns, we who are in Christ, whether dead or still alive, will meet Him in the air for sure (1 Cor. 15:51-52, 1 Thess. 4:16-17), but we don't want to meet Him singed and smoky! At least, that's the way I'm looking at this opportunity found in these feast days.
The Prophet Jeremiah wrote:
"Turn us back ("shuv" , part of teshuvah or repentance: to turn, return, restore, refresh, repair) to You, O LORD, and we will be restored; renew our days as of old, unless You have utterly rejected us, and are very angry with us!"  Lam. 5:21-22
We can also see this call to "shuv" , or repentance, again in the Song of Songs. The Beloved (Bridegroom) and His friends tell the Shulamite woman, His beloved:
"Return, return ("shuv, shuv") O Shulamite;  Return, return ("shuv, shuv") that we may look upon you!"  Song of Songs 6:13
The Beloved even repeated the call twice for emphasis in the above verse.
The "search" in the month of Elul, the "beginning" found in the month of Tishrei, the new moon chadash renewal of the Feast of Trumpets, and the following ten Days of Awe/Repentance, are not just for the Jews and Israel, but for the Church, the Bride, all believers. These days given for our repentance and change impact all creation.
We are being examined by the LORD and His Spirit over these ten days (see next post, "AWE"), and according to the verses cited earlier, the resulting process of repentance and renewal has far reaching affects. The Jews carry out this period with only a prophetic knowledge of Messiah. We come to these same feasts and ten days with the sure and living knowledge of Christ. How much more effective can a believer be in this spiritual renewal of self, cities, years, kingdom, heaven and earth as we obey the command of the feasts through Christ?
In Part 2 of this topic titled "AWE", which will be posted a few days after this entry, we will see how this feast of Trumpets, its following ten days, and Yom Kippur are represented in Jewish traditional liturgy, and revealed in a powerful, parallel manner by Jesus in the Book of Revelation.

Our Father has called us to the Feast of Trumpets' new moon chadash restoration, renewal and repentance.

Trumpet

 Sound of the Shofar (Trumpet)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKxDROoOiyY

Tonight begins Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets. There is no sound on earth that can compare to the majesty, the power and the pathos of the shofar, a trumpet made from the horn of a ram. There is a sample of this sound above.
The shofar is the sound of the voice of God. It is the sound of warning, the sound of His presence, the sound of victory, the sound of battle, the call to assemble together, the sound of the resurrection and rapture of the Church. It is the sound of the prophetic word. It is the sound of our voices calling, and praying to God.  Below are just a few of the many verses in scripture that deal with the sound of the shofar:

"Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled."             Ex. 19:16

"It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat..."                       Joshua 6:5

"So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet."                  2 Sam. 6:15

"God has gone up with a shout,
The LORD with the sound of a trumpet."          Psalm 47:5

"Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound the alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, for it is at hand."
                                                              Joel 2:1

"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." 
                                                              Mat. 24:31

"...For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."                                             1 Cor. 15:52

To the Jewish faith, Rosh Hashanah is associated with the creation of the first human being. It is associated with natural life and everlasting life through the prayer: "May I be inscribed in the Book of Life".  It is a time for introspection and for repentance as the ten days begin that will lead to the Day of Atonement and Judgment, Yom Kippur.  This brings man into a oneness with God, his Father. 
For the Christian believer, it should have equal significance. It is one of the ordained feasts of God, and as all the feasts do, it brings us a beautiful image and type of Jesus Christ. The trumpet in the New Testament is calling us to watch for the return of our Savior, and to signal the reunion of the Church with our Lord. It reminds us of our purpose and our potential in Him.

Below is a beautiful article that was sent to me by a friend. Thanks to F.B. for sending it. It was written by Sara Debbie Gutfreund. The title is "Answering Rosh Hashanah's Call".

 If you have ever lost a child in a crowded place, you know the raw fear. "Has anyone seen a two-year-old with a blue shirt on? He has brown hair. A Gap baseball hat with green letters?" A couple of years of ago we lost our toddler in an amusement park in Israel. One second he was right in front of us, and the next thing we knew he was nowhere to be found. At first we thought he had to be at most a few feet away, and we called out his name. No response. After a minute of looking around and shouting, I began to panic. Where could he have gone? We started stopping people and asking them to help us. I fought back tears as I ran past the jumping castles and bumper cars. By then we had a small crowd circling the area and calling his name.
When I finally spotted him, I couldn’t believe what I saw. There he was, sitting in a pool of colorful, plastic balls laughing with another little boy that he didn’t even know. For a moment, I just stood there with tears of relief weaving their way down my cheeks. And then I ran and gathered him into my arms. All this time he didn’t even know that he had been lost. He didn’t know that he couldn’t just walk away on his own. He didn’t know that being separated from us was dangerous. He looked up at me in confusion when I picked him up.
“Why Mommy cry?” he asked me. Because you were lost. Because you didn’t even know that you were lost. Because you don’t realize how dangerous it is to be separated from us. But I couldn’t say any of that. I just buried my head into his soft curls and cried harder.
With Rosh Hashanah on our doorstep, I think about that moment. I realize that sometimes I, too, don’t realize how dangerous it is to be disconnected from the Source of my life. Too often I go through my days as if I’m the one writing the script. Meanwhile, He is looking for me. He sends out search parties. He calls my name. Has anyone seen her? She was here just a second ago. She doesn’t even know how to get back. She doesn’t realize that she can’t survive on her own. Why doesn’t she answer my call?
On this Day of Judgment we are all found, no matter how far away we have wandered. The King picks each of us up and gathers our lives into His arms.
And then He cries. Tekiah. The shofar. Why is the King crying? The wailing gets louder and louder. It speaks through the power of its wordlessness. Your life is on the line. Why don’t you call out to me?
Shevarim-Teruah. Your job. Right now it’s being described and set for the next year, down to every penny that you will earn. Tell me what you need.
Tekiah. Your health is being written out now, every single detail of how you will feel every day. Wake up.
Shevarim. Your children, your family, everything that you care about is being decided today. And I am waiting for you to call out to Me. Don’t you hear me calling your name? Don’t you hear my cry? Where are you?
“On Rosh Hashanah will be inscribed and on Yom Kippur will be sealed… who will live and who will die… who will rest and who will wander...”


Our Father is the sound of the Shofar. 


"Rosh Hashanah Blowing of the Shofar"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boLwXnfieqo