Thanks for the excellent article. Trumpets is indeed a glorious, holy day full of meaning. When Christ returns, at the last trumpet, we will indeed be resurrected to glory.
Looking forward to future Atonement and Tabernacles installments.
We celebrated The Feast of Trumpets today for the first time. This is actually the second Feast Day my family and I have celebrated. It just made sense to me. So many Sunday keeping and even Sabbatarian churches look forward to the return of our Lord, but to actually celebrate a Holiday in honor of the Advent, to hear the scriptures prophesying it, to hear the scrptures of the new earth, and in a room with so many like minded Christians, was very fulfilling.
Why do you have to turn something as sacred as a Jewish holy day into psuedo mithraism? Give you Jewish brothers a break.
Please add me to your ping list.
Apart from the fact that none of the apostles or New testament writers ever authorized the celebration of "Rosh Hashanah" or any of the other cultic Judaic feast days in the context of the new testament assembly, this analysis fails to deal with the substance of the book of Hebrews esp. as it proclaims the end of the old covenant. It also does not treat the only authentic feast day we have in the New Testament, that is the celebration of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper every week as the church come together to worship Him.
Regarding the celebration of the Lord' Supper, the (ethnically Jewish but religiously Christian) apostle Paul tells us:
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. (1 Cor. 11:23-26)How did Paul tell Christ's followers to think of Christ's coming? We do it by looking back on His sacrifice of broken body and shed blood we remember in the Lord's Supper. By looking back we look forward. Paul never told anyone to blow horns annually, or invent annual worship practices based (loosely) on the cultic observances of old Israel.
The sin of Nadab and Abihu was to presume to worship God in a way that He had not commanded them. They did this not be inventing never before seen forms of worship, but by subtly changing the legitimate forms of worship that God had given to the children of Israel. "Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them." (Lev. 10:10) No doubt they had good intentions when they did this, although the text does not speak to their motives, only to their actions. They sinned a great sin before the Lord and they suffered the ultimate punishment.
This same cavalier attitude is common in the church today. All sorts of unique forms of worship are introduced under the guise of being faithful. But in reality God has not called for these worship patterns.
When faced with the traditionalists of his day, John Calvin put it this way:
I know how difficult it is to persuade the world that God disapproves of all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by his word. The opposite persuasion which cleaves to them, being seated, as it were, in their very bones and marrow, is, that whatever they do has in itself a sufficient sanction, provided it exhibits some kind of zeal for the honor of God. But since God not only regards as fruitless, but also plainly abominates, whatever we undertake from zeal to his worship, if at variance with his command, what do we gain by a contrary course? The words of God are clear and distinct, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men," (1 Sam. 15:22; Matt. 15:9). Every addition to his word, especially in this matter, is a lie. Mere "will worship" (ethelothreeskeia) is vanity. This is the decision, and when once the judge has decided, it is no longer time to debate. (The Necessity of Reforming the Church)Any worship form not explicitly approved by God in His word -- such as post-temple/extra-levitical Rosh Hashanah services -- amounts to the strange fire of Nadab and Abihu.
Thank you. Very interesting. I have more interest in observing Hannakuh this year than I do Christmas. For many years I've had to deal with very traditional family members who were very ingrained into the December 25th Christmas date. My grandmother (who would be well over a hundred now if she were living) always observed Old Christmas in January by refusing to work on that day, especially to do laundry. They didn't have much to celebrate any holiday with in the Appalachians where they lived, and my Momma didn't understand the pagan origins of a lot of the usual holidays. Now, those who meant the most to me are gone, and I don't feel the pressure any more. This year I don't intend to send Christmas cards; am tired of that aspect of the season from all angles and not just religious - just the sheer expense and sore and hurting carpal tunnel wrists from addressing cards. Several years ago, I quit generating an automatic list of sending Christmas cards and only ANSWERED the cards we received. That really opened my eyes to the fact that a lot of others don't think about it either unless they get a card from someone.
Naw, nobody knows the day or the hour
My family attended Rosh Hashanah services at Beth Messiah. I was very touched by the whole service and was suprised by my own response to the blowing of the shofar (sp?) I got a little emotional. G-d is awesome!