Tonight at sundown, the Jewish people will celebrate the important festival of Rosh Hashanah. Sometimes referred to as the Feast of Trumpets. Rosh Hashanah literally means the “head of the year.”
Many may recognize that when God established the Feast of Passover, He told the Hebrews that the festival would occur during the first month (Nisan) of their calendar year. So, how then can Rosh Hashanah – new year’s day – fall on the 7th month (Tishri) of the Hebrew calendar?
In one sense, many liken it to how a school year begins in September or how a fiscal year might begin in April or July. On another sense, having multiple beginnings demonstrates just what Jesus declares in Revelation 21:5, “I am making everything new!” How fitting that Rosh Hashanah always correlates with a new moon.
Unlike our New Year’s parties, which tend to be rather raucous, Rosh Hashanah is a subdued celebration marking the beginning of the Days of Awe or High Holy Days. It is a time to reflect on God as King over creation and over our lives.
The Jewish people commemorate Rosh Hashanah through the blowing of the shofar – the ram’s horn. The ram’s horn and Rosh Hashanah serve as reminders of how God intervened and saved Isaac’s life by turning Abraham’s attention to a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. We Believers in Jesus the Messiah, recognize the connection between Isaac’s substitutionary ram and Jesus – “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).
The blowing of the shofar is much like a call to worship or what you might expect when a monarch enters the room. It calls us to attention. It heralds something new – that an event is about to begin.
Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
Many take this to mean that the rapture – the resurrection of the dead and the ascension of all believers into Paradise with Jesus will occur on the Feast of Trumpets, as Israel blows the trumpet call of God. For those who trust in Jesus, such an event will usher tremendous joy, as we experience the hope of Heaven.
But whether Jesus returns tomorrow as the sound of shofars resonate in Zion or whether He returns at another time, Rosh Hashanah is a reminder that Jesus is the God of resurrection. He is the God who makes all things new. As Solomon wrote in Lamentations 3:22-23, “[the Lord’s mercy and compassion] are new every morning.”
In his book Reason for God, Dr. Tim Keller writes, “The Biblical view of things is resurrection – not a future that is just a consolation for the life we never had but a restoration of the life you always wanted. This means that every horrible thing that ever happened will not only be undone and repaired but will in some way make the eventual glory and joy even greater.”
As we enter the season known as The Days of Awe, let us ask Jesus what new movement He would like to do in our lives. Maybe we need a fresh start, maybe we’re entering a new season in life, maybe it’s time to take the next step in our spiritual journey. No matter what it is, let us take this time to turn our hearts and lives to Jesus, knowing He loves to make all things new.