What Is the Rosh Hashanah
And How It Relates To The Rapture
For years now, the students of Bible prophecy have looked intently at the Jewish Rosh Hashanah as a possible time for the rapture of the church. The reason being, it is a perfect type of Christ and His bride. As we look closer into how this feast is celebrated, we see a picture of Jesus, His bride, the rapture, the resurrection of the dead and the beginning of tribulation.
To fully understand what the Rosh Hashanah is, we need to look at what do the people of Israel see it as, and how do they celebrate it. Because all the feast days of Israel tell the complete story of the Messiah’s life.
Because God made a covenant with Abraham so long ago and He chose him and his descendants to be His people forever, and tell the whole world His story. He gave them the blessing of being the people through whom His Messiah would come. (See Gen 15) He gave them feasts to celebrate so that they could tell the whole world His story. He gave the Jewish people the Feasts of Israel so that every year they would show the story of the Messiah and His life. (See Lev 23) Whether they know it or understand it or not!
They are still His chosen people. They always will be. At the cross, He set them aside for what He called a “brief moment” (See Is 54:7) He will pick them up again as soon as He comes for the Church, His bride. Then He will concentrate on Israel again, through the “time of Jacob’s trouble”. (See Jer 30:7) The time of the great tribulation. (See Dan 12:1)
In the meantime, Israel is telling His story in the celebration of the yearly feasts. We can see His story as we look at them;
Passover; Death, (Jesus the Passover lamb)
Unleavened Bread; Burial (Jesus burial)
First Fruits; Resurrection (Jesus resurrection)
Pentecost; Feast of 50, (Sending of the Holy Spirit 50 days later) and the next feast to be fulfilled on the Jewish calendar is;
Trumpets; (Rapture) followed by
Atonement; Judgement (2nd Coming)
Tabernacles; God dwelling among men. (setting up His millennial kingdom on earth).
The name Rosh Hashanah means the (Jewish) New Year. It also is the following:
Tishri 1
The day no man can know the day or the hour
The day of the new moon
The day of the blowing of the Trumpets
The day of the last trump
The day of the awakening blast
The day of the Resurrection
The beginning of the 10 days of awe
One long day
The Day of the King (coronation)
The day the King takes a bride (wedding)
The day that all men will pass under the rod
The day that God divides mankind into 3 categories; the Wholly Righteous, Wholly Wicked, and the Intermediates.
As we examine each of these, we see a perfect picture of what we as gentile believers have been taught about the rapture of Christ’s church.
First we look at the day that no man can know the day or the hour. When Jesus said “no man can know the day or the hour” it was something the Jewish people would have associated with Rosh Hashanah.
Rosh Hashanah, which is on Tishri 1, could not be declared until the first sighting of the crescent moon is spotted in the night sky. When 2 or 3 witnesses spot it, they go to the priest and declare it. He would then declare the new moon and the New Year. At different places on the earth that time would be different. So Jewish people have different times they declare the New Year. It can be delayed by cloudy nights, and other situations. Interestingly, the Rosh Hashanah is always set apart as one long day or 2 days. That is so they can cover it either way. You can literally never know the day!
Next, we will look at the Feast of trumpets, which culminates on Rosh Hashanah. 30 days before, on the month of Elul, the trumpets (shofar) are blown calling people to repent, remember their sins and prepare for the judgement. They blow the shofar every evening for 30 days. On Rosh Hashanah is blown many times and the last blast is a long loud wail. It is called the last trump. (See I Cor. 15:52)
That last blast is at a different time in each synagogue. I know because I tried so hard to find the correct time that they blow the last blast in Jerusalem. I am convinced of one thing, NO man can know that time. The Jewish people don’t even know! They all do it at a different time all around the world.
So, it is literally the only day of the year that no man can know the day or the hour!! Do you think Jesus was giving us a clue?
Now let’s look at the 10 days of awe. We have already seen that the from Elul 1, for 30 days, they prepare their hearts for the future judgment. Rosh Hashanah begins the 10 days of awe or the Teshuvah.
Starting at Tishri 1, count 10 days till Feast of Atonement. These are the days of Teshuvah. Day 1 and 2 for Rosh Hashanah (Rapture) followed by 7 days (symbolic of 7 years tribulation) After 7 years are completed, He comes on the 8th day (Atonement)or the 10th day of Teshuvah.
It is a picture of the rapture, followed by 7 years of tribulation, and Jesus returning to earth in the 2nd coming
So we saw why it is called the day of the “last trump” But now we will see why it is called the day of the awakening blast. The Jewish people believe that on a future Rosh Hashanah, the last Trump will awaken the dead. The resurrection day we are looking for that coincides with the rapture, is what they believe will happen at a future last trump!
The awakening blast. (See I Thes 4)
Next we will look at why it is called the day of the King, His coronation and His wedding day.
It is known to the Jewish people as the day to remember the Great King over all the earth. They read Psalms 45, and Psalms 47- 7 times on Rosh Hashanah. I was not sure this was true, so I went into a Jewish site and found a service schedule for the synagogues, and sure enough, on Rosh Hashanah, there it was. Reading for the service was Psalms 47 to be read 7 times!
Let’s look at what Psalms 47 says. It is amazing!! It starts out like a coronation celebration for the King. In verse 4 it says; He shall choose our inheritance for us, the Excellency of Jacob whom He loved. (Jacob is Israel, He chose Israel) It then mentions in verse 9; the princes of the people (those who voluntarily serve God) are gathered together,(collected and removed) even the people of the God of Abraham. (people of faith)
Those are the literal interpretations of the Hebrew words used.
Also look at what is in 45. This is a royal wedding Psalm, but there is no talk of a wedding. It talks of the Great King and His coronation. But in verse 9 it changes to the queen, His bride who is now by His side. We can see that on the day He is coronated, He will take a bride. He will rapture us up to be with Him, to a place outside of time, to witness His coronation and participate in His wedding day. Oh Hallelujah!!
Last we will look at why it is called the day mankind passes under the rod and God divides mankind into 3 categories. The Jewish people believe that on a future Rosh Hashanah all mankind will pass under God’s rod, like a Shepherd separates his sheep.
At that time He will divide man into 3 categories, the wholly righteous, (raptured believers) the wholly wicked (the unbelievers left behind who have rejected Christ) the intermediates (those who have not made a choice yet or have not heard truth, but are still left behind, they can be saved in the tribulation, but they will die a martyrs’ death) It is yet another perfect picture of what we believe will happen in the rapture.
Jesus said there would be a last generation. The generation that saw Israel become a nation again would be that last generation till all was fulfilled. Time is short, we are the last generation!
Jesus is coming soon, it may be on a future Rosh Hashanah.