Rosh HaShana: The Day of Trumpets
By: Dr. Mojmir Kallus, ICEJ Vice President – International Affairs
The biblical holiday of Rosh HaShana, also known as the Jewish New Year, begins this coming Monday evening, 6 September, at sunset. It opens the fall High Holy Days, which also include Yom Kippur and the Feast of Tabernacles. So, what is the meaning of Rosh HaShana, where does it appear in the Bible, and what can we learn as Christians about its spiritual and prophetic significance.
First of all, Rosh HaShana is a special version of the monthly holiday called Rosh Chodesh, or beginning of the new lunar month. In Genesis 1:14, God said the sun and moon are for “signs and seasons”, and indeed the most important Jewish holiday seasons are determined by the moon. The moon also serves as a moed – a Hebrew word best translated as “appointed time”. This is the time God Himself set for an appointment with mankind. And what powerful appointments they are! Just think of it – the Exodus from Egypt, the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai, and Jesus dying on the cross – all of these seminal events happened exactly on the days appointed by God.
Now the significance of every Rosh Chodesh is mainly to determine the beginning of the month, which falls on the day of the new moon, and this also sets the dates for other important festivals in that month.
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