The Jewish Spring Festivals set forth in Leviticus 23 are Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and Pentecost. Each was a reminder of God's dealing with the nation of Israel as He led them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Those sacred rehearsals ALSO foreshadowed the coming Messiah's earthly ministry. Passover His shed blood, Unleavened Bread His sinless sacrifice, First Fruits His resurrection and Pentecost, the giving of the Holy Spirit.
With the Spring Festivals complete we are left with the three Fall festivals that are recorded for us in Leviticus 23. If the Spring festivals completed the picture of Jesus' earthly ministry with the giving of the Holy Spirit, what of the Fall festivals? Maybe they highlight some FUTURE ministry of Jesus, yet to be realized. The first festival is The Feast of Trumpets, it is the beginning of the Jewish civil New Year also known as Rosh HaShanah. It is the first of the seventh month, Tishri, in the Jewish religious calendar but it marks the beginning of a new year of accountability for Israel.
Rosh HaShanah or Festival of Trumpets is heralded in with the blowing of the Shofar horn. The Shofar horn itself is a reminder to Israel that God honored Abraham's obedience in his willingness to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice by providing a ram instead, caught by his horn in a thicket. Rosh HaShanah is a call to individual and national repentance. But could the trumpet have some future significance? "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable and we shall be changed." 1 Corinthians 15:52 ESV
Jesus physically left this world that He might go to prepare a place for those who love Him. We are told that when he returns for His own it will be "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet." Do not be mislead into thinking that Jesus' ministry was complete with His resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. He is coming again for all those, Jew and Gentile, who have placed their hope in His shed blood on Calvary's Cross, and the promise of the empty tomb.
The Feast of Trumpets is a call to repentance BECAUSE Jesus is coming again. Will you be ready when the Shofar horn is blown on that great day?
Yea, I found you! Great blog Pastor Mike :)
ReplyDeleteYou just need to add a few pictures for a visual of the festivals... that would be too cool.
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