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While I agree that the allusions to Messiah
are probably correct, that is not the REAL meaning of Rosh Hashanah. The REAL
meaning is found in the actual words of Scripture. Everything else (the
spiritualization, remez, etc.) is speculation and an illustration of the
Messiah. As I said before, anyone can make spiritual allusions out of almost
anything.
Eddie is right when he says that Yeshua's
statement is an idiom for Yom Teruah.
shalom
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, 28 September, 2003
10:04
Subject: PROBABLE SPAM> [TruthTalk]
Rosh HaShanah: A picture of Jesus Returning
THE REAL
MEANING OF ROSH HASHANAH AND THE JEWISH WEDDING
TRADITIONS:
A REALLY neat thing about Rosh
Hashanah is this: Jesus said in Matt 24:36: "But (1)
of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,
but the Father alone. Eddie Chumney writes:”Because
Rosh HaShanah was traditionally known as “the hidden day” by Jews, this
statement by Yeshua is actually an idiom for Rosh HaShanah.
(It
was known as the hidden day because every day during the month of Elu, a
trumpet is blown to warn the people to turn back to God, except for the
thirtieth day of Elul, the day preceding Rosh HaShanah. On that day the
trumpet is not blown, and is silent. This is because much about Rosh HaShana
is concealed and shrouded in mystery. Satan, the accuser, is not to be given
notice about the arrival of Rosh HaShanah, the Day of Judgment.)”
Then comes the Messiah’s shout,
and the “awakening blast” of the trumpets (shofars). Rosh HaShanah is a
two day long festival; thus no one knows which day Jesus will return, even
though we know He will return on the festival date. Isn’t it wonderful how the unbelieving Jews are
celebrating the 2nd coming of Christ on every Rosh HaShanah with
shrouded meaning; and that we as Believer’s can celebrate it in full knowledge
of what it really means, looking forward to it’s soon-fulfillment !!!
(Izzy’s commentary)
Apparently the connection between
Rosh Hashanah and weddings is that Rosh Hashanah is the festival which Jesus
will fulfill when He returns; and His returning is pictured clearly in the
Jewish wedding ceremony. According to Eddie Chumney, in The 7 Festivals
of the Messiah, “God gave the wedding customs, service, and ceremonies to the
Jewish people (Rom 3:2, 9:4) to teach us about the Messiah Yeshua (Col
2:16-17).” He gives us a list of what the traditional
engagement/wedding process shows about Jesus:
- Selection of
the Bride: The bride was usually selected by the father of
the groom. The father would send his servant to search out the
bride. (See Genesis 24) It is the role of the Holy Spirit to
convict the world of sin and lead them to God. God chooses believers in
Jesus. Today, we consent to become the bride of Messiah even though we
have never seen Him.
- A bride price
was established: A price was paid for the bride (a mohar in
Hebrew). Yeshua paid a very high price for His bride, the body of
believers—His life. I Cor 6:20 says, “For you were bough with a price…”
- They are
betrothed: The first stage of marriage (kiddushin) is
betrothal. It legally binds the bride and groom in a marriage contract,
except they do not physically live together. God betrothed Himself to
Israel at Mt. Sinai (Jer 2:2, Hosea 2:19020). Whenever you accept
the Messiah you become betrothed to Him while living on the
earth.
- A written
document is drawn up (ketubah; meaning “that which is written”),
stating the bride price, the promises of the groom and the rights of the
bride. It must be executed and signed prior to the wedding ceremony.
The Bible is the Believer’s ketubah, where all the promises of God for
Believers in Messiah are legally ours.
- Bride must
give her consent: Even today, as the bride of Christ, you must
still say “I do” to Him.
- Gifts were
given to the bride and a cup called the cup of the covenant was shared
between the bride and groom: The rite of betrothal is completed when the
groom gives something of value to the bride (usually a ring) and she
accepts. When Yeshua ascended into heaven, He gave gifts to men. At
that time the cup was shared and sealed between the bride and groom; a cup
of wine. First the groom sips, then the bride. This cup of the covenant is
spoken of in Jer. 31:31-33, “Behond, the
days comes..that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and
with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with
their father sin the day that I took them out of Egypt; which My covenant
they brake, although I was a husband to them, saith the Lord; but this shall
be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days
I will put My law in their…hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be
My people.”
- The bride had
a mikvah (water immersion) ritual of cleansing:
This is
a ceremonial act of purification, indicating a separation from a former way
to a new way. Believers in Yeshua are to be immersed in the Name of
Yeshua (Acts 19:4).
- The
bridegroom departed, going back to his father’s house to prepare the bridal
chamber: Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for
you; if I go I will return again unto you.”
- The bride was
consecrated and set apart for a period of time while he was
away: It
was up to the groom’s father to decide when the groom’s preparations were
satisfied; the groom did not know when the father would give the final
“okay” so that he could return for his bride. Jesus stated this in
Mark 13:32-37, saying that only the father knows the day or the hour when He
will return.
- The
bridegroom returns with a shout and the sound of the ram’s horn
(shofar): The wedding takes place under a “chupah” wedding
canopy. Since heaven is a type of chupah, we can see that when Yeshua
gives ashout for His bride, accompanied by the blowing of a shofar
(trumpet), the marriage will take place in heaven. The ceremony will
have a sacred procession, the groom is greeted like a king under the chupah.
Yeshua will be crowned King under the chupah, which is heaven.
- The groom
would abduct his bride, usually in the middle of the night, to go the bridal
chamber to consummate the marriage. The full marriage is the “nesu’in”. Jesus
said He will return like a thief in the night.
- Finally,
there was a marriage supper for all the guests invited by the father of the
bride: (In the festival of Sukkot we see the theme
of this festival, when people were told by God to build a temporary
shelter.) This illustrates the Marriage supper which Believers of
still awaiting at the consummation of the age.
Izzy
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