Yom Teruah

Today is Yom Yeruah, the biblical name for what is also known as Rosh Hashana (the "Jewish new year"). It is the beginning of the fall feasts of the LORD, known as the High Holy Days. It is a demonstration of the heavenly courts being opened, called into session (on Yom Teruah-the "Feast of Trumpets"), and then God judges the peoples (on Yom Kippur-the Day of Atonement). The season finishes with Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), a week-long celebration picturing God "tabernacling" with His people (which He will do when He returns, and which He did when He came the first time - "And the Word was made flesh, and *dwelt* (Lit. "tented" or "tabernacled") among us..." - John 1:14). One of the synonyms for Yom Teruah is "The Day of the Awakening Blast." One of the themes of this Holy day is "WAKE UP"! Rico Cortez recently did a teaching on GLC (God's Learning Channel) about Yom Teruah, and he listed 12 "themes" for this Holy-day:

1) Teshuva - The Season of Repentence
2) Rosh Hashana - Head of the Year
3) Yom Teruah - Day of the Awakening Blast
4) Yom Ha Din - Day of Judgement
5) Yom HaZikkaron - Day of Remembrance
6) HaMelech - Coronation Day (or Day of the King)
7) Days of Awe
8) Opening of the Gates of Heaven
9) Kiddushin Nesu'in - Wedding Ceremony
10) The Last Trump
11) Resurrection of/from the Dead
12) Yom HaKeseh - The Hidden Day

One of my first posts was titled "Awake", and was meant to stir up fellow believers (and unbelievers) to awaken to the times we are in. This is the perfect day to remind everyone that we need to "awake" - the scriptures are replete with the warning to wake up - prepare oneself - make ready, for the Day of the LORD is coming - a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness. Paul (or the writer of the book of Hebrews) tells us in Hebrews 10:30,31 the following: "For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

And again in 2 Corinthians 5:10,11 - "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men...."

What I mean when I say that we need to awaken to the times we are in is not only that we need to realize, or acknowledge that we are getting close to the return of the LORD (which we certainly need to do), but even more so, we need to awaken to the realization that judgment is coming - therefore we must repent. Repentance is not a one-time thing: it is a continuing need in the believer's life. The purpose of the "awakening blast" is to get people to awaken out of their slumber, and repent - teshuva (turn) towards the LORD. The LORD is returning as a "thief in the night." This was not/is not a new term that Jesus made up. There is a story behind it that you can read about here. However, as I pointed out in my post "Awake", Jesus' followers were not to be taken by surprise, such as a thief overcoming us in the night. We are supposed to be watching and waiting. We are expected to know the time and season of His coming ("But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess. 5:1-4). Prophetically, the season of the fall feasts is the season of the return of the Messiah, and the great and terrible day of the LORD. The Messiah MUST fulfill the fall feasts. He has already fulfilled the spring feasts (Passover/Unleavened Bread/First Fruits), as well as the summer feast (Shavuot, or Pentacost, which is the Feast of Weeks). He WILL fulfill the fall feasts, and today is the rehearsal for the time when the Messiah returns. One of these days - one of these Tom Teruah's rather - will be the real deal!

Are you preparing yourself for the return of the bridegroom? Today is a "wedding rehearsal." If you are a part of the Bride (those that are born-again know what this means), then you should be sharing in the wedding rehearsals. Are you preparing yourself to be one of the 5 "wise" virgins, or are you one of the 5 "foolish" virgins (Matt. 25:1-13)?

May you have a blessed Yom Teruah.

.j.