jstefan posted on November 20, 2009 10:15
This month we come to the time of year the Jews celebrate as Rosh Hashanah or “the blowing of the trumpets.” Jewish tradition teaches that creation occurred on this first day of the fall festival. The Jewish calendar begins on Rosh Hashanah.
Trumpets or the Shofar are blown for three reasons on this day: As a reminder of the call of God to Abraham to sacrifice the Isaac, the son of promise, to confuse Satan at this critical time of the year when Satan especially sought to accuse God’s people, and to call the people to repentance.
It is also believed that on Rosh Hashanah three books are opened in heaven: one for the righteous, one for the not so wicked and one for the wicked. Of the three, only the middle book is alterable. The people whose names are inscribed have ten days to evaluate their life and make amends for the wrongs committed.
The Seventh-day Adventist teaching of the Investigate Judgment in some ways parallel the ritual of the Jewish fall festivals. You and I still have opportunity to have our names recorded in God’s book of Life through the Holy Spirit’s power, even though Satan accuses us day and night.
Trumpets also announced the Sabbath. Seven trumpets blown progressively announced different levels of preparation to be completed by the seventh trumpet, indicating the sun had set, and the Sabbath had begun. Revelation 8-11 describes the blowing of seven trumpets. Each retort of the shofar trumpet elicits ever more devastating calamities at the hand of Satan to distract and defeat God’s people during this time of self evaluation, when God’s people seek to be fully freed from sin.
Yom Kippur, The Day of Judgment or the Day of Atonement, all are on the 10th day of the 7th month, Tishri. In 70 AD when the temple was fully destroyed, the sacrificial system completely ceased.
“Atone,” means to appease an offended God by our sin. In the New Covenant experience, a new relationship blossoms, won by the blood of Christ shed to bring about repentance. What was once a wall of separation, thought only to be breached through sacrifice, now is abolished in a welcome and bold invitation by God to come before His throne of Grace, the Most Holy place where the day of the covering occurred on Yom Kippur. In Revelation 11:19 at the completion of the blast of the 7th trumpet God’s temple in heaven is seen opened and the Ark of the Covenant is revealed.
I desire to be “At One” with God; “At-Oneing” applies in practice, what Christ’s life, death and ministry in Heaven accomplishes.