The Trumpet and The Goat

In just a couple of days from this post, The Jewish people from around the world will gather to celebrate their civic new year (about o be 5780). But part of that celebration is Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. To start off, let's take a look to see what these celebrations are about: Leviticus 23:23-24 says: "The Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. On the first day of the appointed month in early autumn, you are to observe a day of complete rest. It will be an official day for holy assembly, a day commemorated with loud blasts of a trumpet."

Ok, so what's actually going on here? Let's go in closer. So this celebrates the start of the new civic year (5780) . On this day, Jews would do fasting to “soul search” within themselves and repent of any sin. This celebration happens at the 7th month when the agricultural harvest cycle is closing. So what would happen on this day is that Jews go to a service at the synagogue. At these services the shofar is blown 100 times With a long blast at the end.When the long blast would happen, it signified the call for the people to shake off their spiritual drowsiness. This day is also known as "Yom Teruah" which is (Day of Blowing Trumpets in Hebrew); hence all the shofars.

Now we get to the good stuff. Just like in Passover, Pentecost, Purim, and the others there is a prophetic sense to this celebration as well. First of all, it has puzzled many theologians that God did not go into deep details on this feast but on the rest He did. this is part of the prophetic sense. When the people were out harvesting, they did not know when the shofar was going to sound to end that harvest cycle. Hence, this is a foreshadowing picture of the Rapture. Now, match this verse: "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God." (1st Thes. 4:16). This feast reminds us as the laborers in God's harvest field to always be ready because the trumpet is going to sound off ending this harvest time at any moment.

Now for the goat feast. And no this is not a feast to eat Birria (for all my Hispanic people), but this is called The Day of Atonement; you can read about it in Leviticus 16. This feast is also known as “Yom Kippur”. This is the day where the high priest would enter into the Holy of Holies and intercede for himself, the priests, and Israel back in the Old Testament. So this is what would happen; The high priest would then cast a vote on which goat was to live and which one was to be sacrificed. He would then take the blood and sprinkle it in front \ on the Ark 7 times. Then the High Priest pray the people’s sins on the scapegoat and another priest would take the scapegoat out to the wilderness.

Now onto the prophetic significance to this. Some of this has already happened believe it or not; through Jesus's death and resurrection. Jesus was voted to die and Barabbas was the scapegoat. Now the second half of it has not happened. Jews believed that this was the time to cleanse the Tabernacle. Just like it was time to clean the Tabernacle, God will clean and renew the earth before His Son can arrive during the Great Tribulation. Jesus’s death brought atonement (reconciliation and togetherness in harmony). But the cleansing of the earth will atone the earth for the Creator’s arrival. As the old Christmas song says “Let earth receive her King”. These are the ones the Jews will celebrate...but it doesn't end here; the real party comes after these!