INTRODUCTION

I don’t know who first said it, but a commonly known and heard statement is that the Old
Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament
revealed

ROSH HASHANAH
The Jewish New Year begins with Yom Teruah (an awakening blast), Tishri 1. It is
observed for 2 days on Tishri 1 & 2 but is called one long day. Begins a 10 day season of
repentance known as Ya'Amin Nora'Im or the “Days of Awe”. Ends on Tishri 10, which
is Yom Kippur. Although TISHRI is the beginning of the Civil Year, NISAN, the 7th
month begins the Sacred Year with Passover (Exo 12:2, 13:4; Lev 23:23-24; Num 29:1).
TISHRI
1-2
TISHRI
1-10 FEAST OF TRUMPETS
Rosh HaShanah means “Head of the Year” and celebrates the anniversary of the week of
re-creation (Gen 1:2-2:2). A time of rejoicing as well as a holy occasion (Neh 8:2, 9-12).
Services include blowing of the Shofar (Ram's Horn), dipping bread in honey, opening
the Ark of the Torah, the Akeida story of Abraham and prayers for the peace of all
mankind

When the Trumpets were blown that began the ten days of Awe. In those ten days
between the first day of the Feast of Trumpets on October 4th this year (2005) and the
Feast of Atonement (October 14th) is the time called the Gate of Heaven being opened in
which God is making the decisions for the next 12 months. This decision gate closes on
October 13th. Now, this doesn’t mean that God only answers prayer at this time, for God
answers prayers every day and hour all year long; however there are seasons in God. God
blesses His people every day, but God also does things in seasons, just as spoken of in
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time
to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to
weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away
stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from
embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A
time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to
love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” There is a time and season
for everything under the sun, though man people today don’t want to accept or believe
that or that God controls wars and stops them, that He raises up kings and rulers and puts
them down. Their God isn’t sovereign and in total control of leaders and circumstances,
but the God of Scripture surely is in control of all that and much more, which we will see
shortly and He is also in control of the storms, hurricanes, earthquakes this world is
experiencing and whatever else you can name for He is Lord over all creation and there is
nothing that is not in His hand and control.
But what we are talking about here is the special seasons in God. That could be looked at
more closely from both the Hebrew and Greek but not in this brief study.

During this time and season, the Days of Awe, God determines or makes decisions for
the next 12 months concerning you and your life. Yes God is sovereign and we could get
into all this theology of how God already knows everything that is going to happen and
all that which is true. But we also have to recognize spiritual realities and things that can
move the hand of God, as the spiritual reality of the power of prayer by righteous men
according to James 5:16. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much.” We see in 2 Kings 20:1-6 an example of this as King Hezekiah was told to set his
house in order because he was going to die and he set his face to the wall to seek the Lord
and the Lord added 15 years to his life. There are people in the New Testament that were
dead and when the people ran to Jesus He raised them from the dead. Mark 5:25-31,
Luke 7:12-14, John 11:38-44 give us three different people that Jesus raised from the
dead in His ministry. So it is a bit too passive to just say whatever will be will be. God
hears the prayers of His people.

The Days of Awe thus speak to a profound sense of anxiety felt at the turning of the year
but not addressed in our January First celebration of parties, parades and football. The
coming to a close and opening of another year asks us to contemplate life's deepest
questions, to delve into the religious dimension of our lives. "What have I done with my
life?" we are almost bound to ask. And more broadly, "What have we humans done with
our lives since the beginning of the Earth? What meaning have I made? What is there still
for me to do?" It is indeed an awesome time. "What past hurts have I done to others and
never resolved?" "What past hurts that others did to me have I failed to forgive and are
holding me back from moving forward with my life?" Looking to the year to come we
ask, "What am I still called to do?" And most ominously, "Is there still time?"

PROPHECY
I say to you, Church, watch for the days of awe. For indeed these will be awesome
days, but even within that time period, within the Feasts of Israel, watch. Kingdoms
shall be heaved up, and kingdoms shall be brought down. Watch, I say, and prepare
your heart for the days ahead. Watch, I say, and prepare your mind and your spirit
for those things that are coming upon the earth. There will be those things that will
cause the hearts of men to fear and fail. But in you, My People, it shall not be
spoken of, for I am releasing a spirit of boldness upon you. I am bringing forth a
chosen generation, a third-day generation who will live in resurrection power in this
time frame, says the Lord. I am preparing you these days by My Spirit, for it must
be, for those things which are coming will require a chosen generation of spiritual
children who shall come forth in the power and fullness of the Spirit even as when I
walked upon the earth in the days of My glory. I say to you, open your heart and
mind and spirit and seek Me with all of your heart. Will I not pour out upon you
that which is required? Will that which is written not come to pass? Will I not come
among My people and prepare them for the end of all things and the end of all time?
I say yes, I will. As surely as I come and touch your heart today I will walk with you
to the end of the age.

DEFINITION
The Days of Awe are a time period in which the unrighteous are given time to repent
before the Day of Atonement. Those who remain unrepentant will not be covered by the
blood of atonement and will come under the judgment of God. I believe that God's
judgment is about to come upon the nations that are not serving Him and also those who
are against His people, Israel

The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts. The Jewish people call this feast Rosh
Hashanah, which literally means "Head of the Year," and it is observed as the start of the
civil year (in contrast with the religious year which starts with Passover) on the Jewish
calendar.

The Feast of Trumpets is so important in Jewish thinking that it stands alongside Yom
Kippur ("Day of Atonement") to comprise what Judaism calls "the high holy days" on the
Jewish religious calendar. It begins the "ten days of awe" before the Day of Atonement.
According to Leviticus 23:24-27, the celebration consisted of a time of rest, "an offering
made by fire," and the blowing of the trumpets.

Modern Rosh Hashanah (Ezekiel 40:1) is traced back to the Feast of Trumpets which is
the sounding of the trumpets on the first day of the seventh month (Tishri) of the religious
calendar year (Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1). The trumpet referred to here was the
shofar, a ram's horn. It was distinctive from the silver trumpets blown on the other new
moons. Silver trumpets were sounded at the daily burnt offering and at the beginning of
each new month (Numbers 10:10), but the shofar specifically was blown on the
beginning of the month Tishri.

The interval of time between the last of the spring feasts (Pentecost or Weeks) and the
first of the fall feasts (Trumpets) corresponds to the present Church Age. In other words,
we are presently living between Israel's fourth and fifth feasts. The outpouring of the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost started the Church Age; and Trumpets, which will signal Christ's
second coming to rapture the Church and judge the wicked, will end the Church Age.

The Feast of Trumpets occurs on the first day of the Hebrew month, Tishri. It would
occur at the new moon. Only the slightest crescent would be visible. However, clouds
could obscure the moon, and witnesses were required. Watchfulness was a critical
ingredient of this feast. The rabbis later added a second day to this feast to make sure they
didn't miss it. This need for watchfulness and preparedness in connection with the Feast
of Trumpets is echoed and reechoed throughout the New Testament in connection with
the Lord's coming:
"Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." (Matthew 24:42).

"Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober-minded." I
Thessalonians 5:6
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our
Savior, Jesus Christ" (II Timothy 2:13).

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation"" (Hebrews 9:28).

"Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, in which the heavens, being
on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless,
we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwelleth
righeousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye
may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless" (II Peter 3:11-14).

For instance it marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, the period between Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur when according to their religion Jews have 10 days to
apologize, confess, and wherever possible make restitution for all the wrongs done to
others during the year just ended. Tradition holds that in Heaven, books that record all the
deeds of man are reviewed at the end of each year. If a person has been so totally
unrighteous that no rehabilitation is possible, he or she is scheduled for death in the
coming year. If a person has been so perfect that the book contains no demerits, he or she
is immediately granted another year of healthy, prosperous life. Since very few people fit
into either of those categories, for most Jews the books are held open for 10 days to give
them a chance to clean up their act. On Yom Kippur, the books are closed, their behavior
becomes a matter of record, and they're held accountable for it.

Many religious Jews believe that in Heaven books recording the deeds of mankind are
opened on Rosh Hashanah beginning an annual review of man's behavior. Those whose
behavior has been exemplary in every respect are given another year of life, those who
have demonstrated no redeeming qualities are scheduled for death, and those who fit
neither category are given 10 days until Yom Kippur to right all the wrongs committed
during the year just past. These 10 days are called the Days of Awe where each man's
destiny hangs in the balance as he goes about asking forgiveness from friends and
neighbors. A common greeting among Jews during the Days of Awe is, "May your name
be written in the Book." On the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah Orthodox Jews go to a
running brook or stream, empty their pockets of any dust or crumbs, symbolizing God's
casting away of their sins, and recite Micah 7:18-20, one of the most eloquent
descriptions of God's grace to be found anywhere in Scripture. This reminds God of His
promise to be merciful to them in the coming judgment of Yom Kippur.

On Yom Kippur judgment is rendered, the books are closed and everyone's fate is sealed
for another year. In Christendom a view holds that the Lord Jesus began His ministry on
Yom Kippur announcing in effect that the judgment that was due mankind was to be
borne by Him (Luke 4:16-21) and that man no longer need live in fear of judgment nor
have to endure the 10 Days of Awe every year. Yom Kippur was the only day of the year
when it was permissible to speak the Name of God. During a great and awe filled
ceremony at the Temple two goats were brought before the High Priest. One was a goat
"for the Lord" to be presented as a peace offering as commanded in Lev. 16:7-10. The
other was called "the scapegoat" because all the sins of the nation were symbolically
placed upon its head, and it was led outside the city to be killed. The goat had done
nothing to deserve this but was chosen to demonstrate the fact that only the shedding of
innocent blood could atone for the sins of the people. The death of the two goats
symbolically set aside the sins of the nation, made their peace offering acceptable and
gave them another year of peace with their Creator. The people spoke the Name of God
in heartfelt thanks.

The first and second days of the 10 High Holy Days (Tishrei 1-10) are collectively
known as one day. (Nehemiah 8:1-2,13) The seven day period from Tishrei 3 through
Tishrei 9 is called the Days of Awe or the Awesome Days. God gave these special days
on His calendar to teach us about the future tribulation period on earth. These seven days
will correspond to the seven years of the tribulation, known in Hebrew as the
"birthpangs of the Messiah".

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is observed on the tenth day of the seventh month.
(Leviticus 23:26-32) Since Rosh HaShanah teaches us about the resurrection of the dead,
the coronation of the Messiah and the wedding of the Messiah, and the Days of Awe
teach us about the tribulation, Yom Kippur teaches us about the literal Second Coming of
the Messiah when He will set His foot down of the Mount of Olives. (Zechariah 14:4)

The Days of Awe correspond to the period of time that the people of the earth are tested
in the Day of the Lord. God in His mercy, allows a period of time when people can still
be saved through the blood of the Lamb shed for their sins.

Future Fulfillment of the Holy Days

We believe:

The late fulfillment of Rosh Hashanah will begin with the events that occur when the
sixth seal is opened as prophesied by the apostle Yohanan (John) in the book of
Revelation -- the sun will turn black, the moon will turn red and the stars will fall from
heaven.

The 10 days of awe are a period of time that follow these signs until finally God arrives.
The angels of God will then gather His people inside the vehicle that will take them away
from this Earth.

On Yom Kippur the door of the vehicle will be closed, in much the same way the door of
Noah’s ark was closed. The vehicle will depart and those who were not ready to leave
will be left behind -- their opportunity to be "with God" will be lost for that time.

The people left on Earth will have to endure the events that the Bible describes in the
Book of Revelation, mainly the hardships due to the plagues that fall on the earth during
the wrath of God, and the persecution of the one-world government of "the beast".
 Meanwhile, the group that escaped on the vehicle will celebrate Sukkot in the new
heavens and new earth -- a temporary place were the people of God and the descendants
of Abraham, as happened in the past in the wilderness of Sinai -- will be living under
God's protection till they return to this Earth with the Messiah.

The root SKH, from which sukka and sukkot are derived, means to cover and protect.
Living in the sukka means living in the hands of God, under God's protection.

A Holy Convocation
The purpose of the "holy convocation" was to draw the focus of the people to the altar of
divine mercy. The Lord called the people of Israel to gather in His presence and give
their undivided attention to Him.
Prayer and Fasting
The people of Israel were to humble (afflict) their souls (Leviticus 23:27). This was
explained by later tradition to indicate fasting and repentance. Israel understood that this
was a day for mourning over their sins. The seriousness of this requirement is repeated in
Leviticus 23:29: "If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he
shall be cut off from his people" (Leviticus 23:29).
Offerings
Offerings are central to the Day of Atonement; in fact, the Bible devotes an entire chapter
(Leviticus 16) to them (also see Numbers 29:7-11). In addition to these, when the Day of
Atonement fell on the sabbath, the regular sabbath offerings were offered.
Prohibition from Labor
The Day of Atonement was a "sabbath of rest" (Leviticus 23:32), and the Israelites were
forbidden to do any work period. If they disobeyed, they were liable to capital
punishment! (Leviticus 23:30)

Whereas the Feast of Trumpets occured on the first day of the Hebrew month, Tishri, at
the new moon, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) occurred ten days later on the tenth
of the month. The ten days from Trumpets to the Day of Atonement are known as "the
days of awe" which include penitence, prayer, and fasting in preparation for the most
solemn day of the Jewish religious calendar - the Feast of Tabernacles. Unlike biblical
times, the modern Jewish Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) does not include animal
sacrifices.

The focal point of this feast involved the high priest entering the holy of holies. However,
before entering, he had to first bathe his entire body, thus going way beyond the mere
washing of hands and feet which were required for other occasions. This washing
symbolized the high priest's desire for purification. Rather than wearing his usual robe
and colorful garments (Exodus 28 and Leviticus 8), he was commanded to wear special
garments of linen.

The high priest sacrificed a bullock as a sin offering for himself and for his house
(Leviticus 16:6). After filling his censer with live coals from the altar, he entered the holy
of holies where he placed incense on the coals. Next, he took some of the blood which
was taken from the slain bullock and sprinkled it on the mercy seat of the Ark of the
Covenant (Leviticus 16:13) and also on the ground in front of the mercy seat, providing
atonement for the priesthood (Leviticus 16:14-15). Then he sacrificed a male goat as a sin
offering for the people. Some of this blood was then also taken into the holy of holies and
sprinkled there on behalf of the people (Leviticus 16:11-15). Next, the high priest took
another goat (called the "scapegoat"), laid his hands on its head, confessed over it the sins
of Israel, and then released it into the desert where it symbolically carried away the sins
of the people (Leviticus 16:8,10). The remains of the sacrificial bullock and male goat
were taken outside of the city and subsquently burned; the day finally concluded with
some additional sacrifices.

According to Hebrews 9-10, this ritual is a symbol of the atoning work of Jesus Christ,
our Great High Priest, who did not need to make any sacrifice for Himself but rather shed
His own blood for our sins. As the high priest of the Old Testament entered the holy of
holies with the blood of sacrificial animals, Jesus entered heaven itself to appear on our
behalf in front of the Father (Hebrews 9:11,12). Each year the high priest repeated his sin
offerings for his own sin as well as for the sins of the people. This ritual was an annual
reminder that perfect and permanent atonement had not yet been made; but Jesus, through
His very own blood, accomplished eternal redemption for His people (Hebrews 9:12).
Just as the sacrifice of the Day of Atonement was burned outside Israel's camp, Jesus
suffered outside the gate of Jerusalem so that He might redeem His people from sin
(Hebrews 13:11-12).

According to Jewish custom, three books are opened on the Feast of Trumpets: the Book
of Life for the righteous, the Book of Life for the unrighteous, and the Book of Life those
those in-between. If a man is deemed righteous, his name is written in the Book of Life
for the righteous at the Feast of Trumpets. If a man is unrighteous, his name is written in
the Book of Life for the unrighteous, and he will not survive the year. If a man is deemed
in-between, judgment is delayed for ten days from the Feast of Trumpets to the Feast of
the Day of Atonement. It is during that period of time that a man is given opportunity to
repent before the book is closed and his destiny sealed. Thus, at the Feast of Trumpets,
the Church will be raptured and the Lord's wrath will begin on the earth. It will occupy a
relatively brief period of time.

At His physical return to the earth, many Jews who survived the Lord's purging (wrath)
of the earth, will be saved. The prophet Zechariah wrote of that event this way: "And it
shall come to pass, in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against
Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications; and they shall look upon me whom
they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and
shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn" (Zechariah
12:9-10).

And Paul, in the context of a believing remnant from among the nation of Israel at the
end of the age, wrote: "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits: that blindness in part is happened
to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved; as
it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness
from Jacob" (Romans 11:25-26).

But it will not be Israel's Day of Atonement. From among the nations of the world, many
will not take the mark of the Antichrist. And when the Lord Jesus returns to the earth,
many will repent of their sins before the Book of Life is forever closed. The Lord has
these Gentiles in mind in His Olivet Discourse. He taught: "When the Son of man shall
come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of
his glory. And before him shall be gathered all the nations; and he shall separate them
one from another, as a shephered divideth his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the
sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on
his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:31-34)

It is the multitude from among the nations, along with those from among the sons of
Jacob, who will enter the millennial Kingdom still in mortal bodies (as distinct from the
raptured and glorified Church who will inhabit New Jerusalem).

The Jews eagerly looked forward to New Year’s Day, for they universally believed that
on this day God performed miracles. Any type of mourning was forbidden.
The law was read to make people sad, so that the joy of the Lord was their only strength
(see Neh. 8:1-10.) At the end of the day the Rabbi proclaims the following:
“Now O Lord O God, impose thine awe upon all thy works and thy dread
upon all thou has created, that all thy works may revere thee and all
creation prostrate themselves before thee, that they all may form a single
band to do thy will with a perfect heart.”
Then the people were dismissed to their own awe. The ten days intervening until Yom
Kippur are regarded as the Days of Awe.
ROSH HA SHANA
Order of Feast
2:00 PM
1) Reading of the Law, Exodus 20-23 (see Nehemiah 8:1-10)
2) Psalm 47-Read seven times, then the walls of Jericho fell at the sound of the
trumpet.
3) Two benedictions:
a) “Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the
Universe, who sanctified us by thy word and has
instructed us to hear the call of the shofar.”
b) “Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the
Universe who has kept us in life, has sustained us and
who has privileged us to reach this time.”
4) Readings:
Psalm 29, 81, 98 (as Christ was being born the Priests and Levites
were singing these Psalms in the Temple)
Exodus 20-23
Leviticus 23:23-25
Numbers 29:1-6
I Samuel 1:1 - 2:10
Isaiah 7:10-25
Isaiah 9:1-7
Isaiah 27
Jeremiah 31:2-22
5) New Testament:
Matthew 2:1-18
Luke 2:1-10
Galatians 4:19-31
Ephesians 5:8-14
4:00 PM
Eat in Seder Groups
5:30 PM
Meet in the big group for singing, worship and communion

The Days of Awe

The last time I spoke, I gave you a sermon on Preparing for the Feast of Trumpets. In it
we discussed the meaning of Trumpets and the Teshuvah season. As we explained in that
sermon, Teshuvah is a Hebrew word describing the Judaic and Christian tradition of
repenting and turning around our lives. We described Teshuvah as lasting thirty days for
repentant Christians and forty days for others. The last ten days of Teshuvah, the days
from Trumpets to Atonement, are known as the Days of Awe.

What are the days of Awe and what do they mean to us?

First, let's go back and review the process of Teshuvah and what it means. Teshuvah
means to return, to turn around, and to repent. The period of Teshuvah began on Elul 1,
August 16th this year. In it we are to ask God for the ability to see the sins of the last year
and ask Him for forgiveness as each one comes to mind. However, sins which were
committed against another person must be forgiven by that person against whom the sin
was done. In other words, we are to seek forgiveness from others for the sins and offenses
we, as individuals, have committed against them. In turn, if a person who has offended us
does not seek forgiveness, it is our obligation to go to that person and give them the
opportunity to ask forgiveness. We also talked about how there are sins of omission and
sins of commission.

Mat. 6:12 says "Forgive us our sins against You as we forgive those who have sinned
against us."

The importance of the thirty day Teshuvah in the month of Elul, is that those who repent
during this time (prior to the return of our Messiah, Jesus or Yeshua) will have their
names written in the "Book of Life" and will not have to go through the further
repentance during the more difficult "Days of Awe." There are several scriptures which
describe how disaster can follow a lack of repentance:

2 Pet 3:9-11 (NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning <His> promise, as some count
slackness, but is longsuffering (patient) toward us, not willing that any should perish but
that all should come to repentance. {10} But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in
the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will
melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. {11}
Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner <of persons> ought you
to be in holy conduct and godliness,

This scripture in 2 Peter 3 teaches the same message of repentance and forgiveness before
the Day of the Lord as Zeph 2:1-3. Let’s look at it:

Zeph 2:1-3 (NKJV) Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable
nation, {2} Before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the LORD'S
fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger comes upon you! {3}
Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek
righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD'S
anger.

Both show us a way to obtain a place of safety from the wrath of God upon a sinful earth.
David also refers to these prophesies in Psalm 27:5.

Ps 27:5 (NKJV) For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of
his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

Let’s look at another reference to these days of disaster in Zephaniah 3:

Zep 3:14-15 (NKJV) Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with
all <your> heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! {15} The LORD has taken away your
judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, <is> in your
midst; You shall see disaster no more.

Hosea 13:9-12 (NKJV) "O Israel, you are destroyed, But your help <is> from Me. {10} I
will be your King; Where <is any other>, That he may save you in all your cities? And
your judges to whom you said, 'Give me a king and princes'? {11} I gave you a king in
My anger, And took <him> away in My wrath. {12} "The iniquity of Ephraim <is>
bound up; His sin <is> stored up.......{14} "I will ransom them from the power of the
grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be
your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes.
For those who did not attain to being entered into the "Book of Life" on the first day of
judgement, on Yom Teruah or Trumpets, a second period of time is given for repentance.
This time period is much more severe. It is known as Yamin Nora'im, (Yah-meen
Norah'eem) the 'awesome days' or the 'days of trouble.' This would be considered one's
last chance for repentance.

There is some disagreement about what constitutes the length of time for the Days of
Awe but most commentators consider the entire ten day period, beginning with Trumpets
and ending with Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), to be the Days of Awe. The
disagreement is over whether to include the two Holy Days in the ten day period or not.
We will discuss this later. Whichever it is, what we must do is still the same:

Luke 21:36 (NKJV) "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy
to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." [A
place of safety]

What are these things we want to escape?

Luke 21:34-35 (NKJV) "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down
with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you
unexpectedly. {35} "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the
whole earth.

Jeremiah tells us what "that day" is, which is to come on us unexpectedly.

Jer 25:15-19 (NKJV) For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: "Take this wine cup
of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. {16}
"And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among
them." {17} Then I took the cup from the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations drink,
to whom the LORD had sent me: {18} Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its
princes [officials], to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing, and a curse, as
it is this day; {19} Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, and all his people;

verses 21-38 (NKJV) Edom, Moab, and the people of Ammon; {22} all the kings of
Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands which are across the sea;
{23} Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who are in the farthest corners; {24} all the kings of
Arabia and all the kings of the mixed multitude who dwell in the desert; {25} all the
kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes; {26} all the kings of
the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world which are on
the face of the earth. Also the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. {27} "Therefore
you shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Drink, be drunk,
and vomit! Fall and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you."'
{28} "And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you
shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "You shall certainly drink! {29} "For
behold, I begin to bring calamity on the city which is called by My name, and should you
be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword on all the
inhabitants of the earth," says the LORD of hosts.' {30} "Therefore prophesy against
them all these words, and say to them: 'The LORD will roar from on high, and utter His
voice from His holy habitation; he will roar mightily against His fold. He will give a
shout, as those who tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. {31} A noise
will come to the ends of the earth-- for the LORD has a controversy with the nations; he
will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,' says
the LORD." {32} Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, disaster shall go forth from
nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the farthest parts of the
earth. {33} "And at that day the slain of the LORD shall be from one end of the earth
even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they
shall become refuse on the ground. {34} "Wail, shepherds, and cry! Roll about in the
ashes, you leaders of the flock [these are church leaders]! For the days of your slaughter
and your dispersions are fulfilled; you shall fall like a precious vessel. {35} And the
shepherds will have no way to flee, nor the leaders of the flock to escape. {36} A voice
of the cry of the shepherds, and a wailing of the leaders to the flock will be heard. For the
LORD has plundered their pasture, {37} And the peaceful dwellings are cut down
because of the fierce anger of the LORD. {38} He has left His lair like the lion; for their
land is desolate because of the fierceness of the Oppressor, and because of His fierce
anger."

Zeph 1:14-18 (NKJV) The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly,
even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. {15} That
day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a
day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, {16} A day of the
trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. {17} And I will
bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned
against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the
dung. {18} Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of
the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he
shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

This scripture, too, can only refer to the days just prior to Christ’s second coming.

God is going to punish the whole world. That includes every one alive at the time.

On the other hand, for those who were not found "...worthy to escape..." the gates of
heaven are still open during these Days of Awe. The gates of the Temple (which
symbolize the gate of the Heavenly Tabernacle) are opened on Trumpets (Yom Teruah)
and are not closed until the very end of Yom Kippur (Atonement). Once the gates were
closed the way to God was considered to be no longer open. The book of Hebrews makes
it very clear that the earthly Tabernacle (and Temple) were considered to be a shadow of
the Heavenly Tabernacle and that everything in the earthly Tabernacle was patterned
after those things found in the Heavenly.
Heb 8:4-5 (NKJV) For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are
priests who offer the gifts according to the law; {5} who serve the copy and shadow of
the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the
tabernacle. For He said, "See <that> you make all things according to the pattern shown
you on the mountain."

According to Jewish tradition, on Rosh HaShanah (Trumpets), God sits on His throne of
judgment and three books are opened. They are the 'Book of Life,' the 'Book of Death,'
and the 'Book of the Intermediates.' Those written in the 'Book of Life' are the totally
righteous who have fully repented of their sins, and had their repentance accepted by
God. Those written in the 'Book of Death' are the totally wicked who are fit only for
destruction. The vast majority of people are written in the 'Book of Intermediates.' These
people have until Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) to repent and be written in the
'Book of Life.' If they do not repent, they will be written in the 'Book of Death.'

It is said that, "man is judged on Trumpets and his doom is sealed on the Day of
Atonement."

Rev 20:12 (NKJV) And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books
were opened. And another book was opened, which is <the Book> of Life. And the dead
were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

As long as the 'gates of heaven' are open, access to God is available to those who wish to
have their names moved from the 'Book of Intermediates' to the 'Book of Life.' One thing
seems sure, after the complete and final fulfillment of Yom Kippur (Atonement) takes
place, apparently after the one thousand year millennial reign of Christ, no one will have
their name written in the 'Book of the Intermediates;' everyone will be in either the 'Book
of Life' or the 'Book of Death.' As converted Christians, we know that it is only through
the atoning sacrifice of Jesus that our names can be entered into the 'Book of Life.' But it
is also imperative that each converted Christian has come to true repentance for their sins.
The Days of Awe are symbolic of the final days during which repentance is possible.

On Trumpets the whole world stands in judgment before God and deserves to be found
guilty. Only those whose sins have been forgiven through their previous acceptance of
the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ are worthy to be found not guilty. This acquittal is not
rendered because of their own righteousness or works, but because the righteousness of
Jesus [Yeshua] has been applied to them.

Isa 64:6 (NKJV) But we are all like an unclean <thing>, And all our righteousness <are>
like filthy rags; .....

Isa 1:18 (NKJV) "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your
sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; .....

While we, in our natural state, are totally unrighteous, God's righteousness is eternal.
Isa 51:4-6 (NKJV) "Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For law
will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light of the peoples. {5} My
righteousness <is> near, My salvation [Jesus Christ] has gone forth, And My arms will
judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust. {6}
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will
vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in
it will die in like manner; But My salvation [Jesus Christ] will be forever, And My
righteousness will not be abolished.

Rom 10:4 (NKJV) For Christ <is> the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who
believes.

The word 'end' is from the word 'telos,' G5056, which means 'the point aimed at as a
limit, conclusion, result, purpose.' So let's read Rom 10:4 again with these meanings:

Rom 10:4 (NKJV) For Christ <is> the point aimed at as a limit, the conclusion, the result,
the purpose of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

According to S.Y. Agnon in his Nobel prize winning book, Days of Awe, page 110:
"The ten days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur were set aside for prayer
and supplication, because all earthly life is judged on Rosh HaShanah, and he who
returns to God is forgiven on Yom Kippur..."

There is a very interesting story told in 1 Samuel that relates to this season. It is the story
of Nabal (Na-val').

1 Sam 25:1-3 (NKJV) Then Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and
lamented for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. And David arose and went
down to the Wilderness of Paran. {2} Now <there was> a man in Maon whose business
<was> in Carmel, and the man <was> very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a
thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. {3} The name of the man
<was> Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And <she was> a woman of good
understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man <was> harsh and evil in <his>
doings. And he <was of the house of> Caleb.

The word Naval in Hebrew means "stupid, wicked - fool, vile person." God calls them as
He sees them.

David and his men are on the run from King Saul. They are in need of support from the
people of the land who know that he has been anointed to be king over Israel. So David
sends his men to Naval and asks for food:

verse 6 (NKJV) "And thus you shall say to him who lives <in prosperity>: 'Peace <be> to
you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have!. . . .{8} 'Ask your young men,
and they will tell you. Therefore let <my> young men find favor in your eyes, for we
come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to
your son David.' " . . . {10} Then Nabal answered David's servants, and said, "Who <is>
David, and who <is> the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break
away each one from his master. {11} "Shall I then take my bread and my water and my
meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give <it> to men when I do not know where
they <are> from?"

When David heard what had happened he took four hundred of his men and went to
attack Naval:

verses 14-17 (NKJV) Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying,
"Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled
them. {15} "But the men <were> very good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss
anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields. {16} "They were
a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep.
{17} "Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined
against our master and against all his household. For he <is such> a scoundrel that <one>
cannot speak to him."

Here was a man who had received protection from having David's men in the vicinity of
were they were working. When David needed a favor in return, there was none
forthcoming. Naval refused to acknowledge the blessings that he was receiving by having
the anointed king of Israel near to him. It must be remembered that David was a type of
the Messiah. He was to be the conquering king of Israel, and in that respect was a shadow
of the coming King Messiah who will conquer all the earth.

The fool's wife, however, was full of wisdom. She took steps to save her household:

verses 18-20 (NKJV) Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred <loaves> of bread,
two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted <grain>, one hundred
clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded <them> on donkeys. {19}
And she said to her servants, "Go on before me; see, I am coming after you." But she did
not tell her husband Nabal. {20} So it was, <as> she rode on the donkey, that she went
down under cover of the hill; and there were David and his men, coming down toward
her, and she met them.

Abigail pleads with David to accept her petition and to spare her household and to
remember her. Abigail's supplication is a beautiful example of prayer on behalf on
another, even one who does not deserve it. David, as a type of the Messiah, hears her
supplication and answers her with blessings:

verses 32-33 (NKJV) Then David said to Abigail: "Blessed <is> the LORD God of
Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! {33} "And blessed <is> your advice and
blessed <are> you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and
from avenging myself with my own hand....{35} So David received from her hand what
she had brought him, and said to her, "Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded
your voice and respected your person."

Now we come to a most remarkable part of the story. Naval holds a feast in his house. It
is said to be like the feast of a king. This gives us a hint as to the day it is being held,
none other than Yom Teruah (Trumpets), the day of the crowning of kings.

verses 36-38 (NKJV) Now Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was, holding a feast in his
house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart <was> merry within him, for he <was>
very drunk; therefore she told him nothing, little or much, until morning light. {37} So it
was, in the morning, when the wine had gone from Nabal, and his wife had told him these
things, that his heart died within him, and he became <like> a stone. {38} Then it came
about, <after> about ten days, that the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.

Here was a man, a fool, who was given an opportunity to be a part of the coming
kingdom of Israel under David; a type of the Kingdom of God under Jesus. He
refuses to acknowledge the mercy, kindness and protection that he received from
that yet future kingdom. In other words, he refuses to repent, to turn, to do
Teshuvah. Then he throws himself a big Yom Teruah feast as though he were
already inscribed in the 'Book of Life.' When Abigail tells him that she has made
amends, rather than admitting his error and repenting (during the Days of Awe)
Naval hardens his heart instead. About ten days later, on Yom Kippur, when the
final judgment is made and the gates of heaven are closed, Naval finds himself on
the outside looking in, and he dies.

This story reminds us of those people in the end time who see the destruction of the Day
of the Lord, but refuse to turn from their sin and seek God.

Rev 16:10-11 (NKJV) Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,
and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the
pain. {11} They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores,
and did not repent of their deeds.

It is a principle of scripture that every person is given a free will. Therefore, each one of
us is able to choose the path we wish to take. Naval chose not to repent even after he
realized that his wife, Abigail, had saved his life. He made a decision and it was the
wrong one.

When the children of Israel were finally permitted to go into the land that God was giving
them, Moses gave them an admonition. It is recorded in the Book of Deuteronomy. In
chapter 28 God lays out for them the blessings they will receive if they obey the marriage
covenant that He has made with them, and the curses they will experience if they rebel.
This passage is concluded with an appeal to "choose life."
Deu 30:15 (NKJV) "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, ......
{19} "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, <that> I have set before you
life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your
descendants may live; {20} "that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey
His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He <is> your life and the length of your
days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

(Ezek 33:7-9 NKJV) "So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of
Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. {8}
"When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you shall surely die!' and you do not speak to
warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I
will require at your hand. {9} "Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way,
and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered
your soul.

Verse 11 "Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of
the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil
ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'

Do you think you have wandered too far to ever be able to return to God?

(Mal 3:17-18 NKJV) "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I
make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves
him." {18} Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between
one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

(Mal 4 NKJV) "For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud,
yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them
up," Says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch. {2} But to
you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. {3} You shall trample the
wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,"
Says the LORD of hosts. {4} "Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I
commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments. {5} Behold, I
will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the
LORD. {6} And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of
the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."

The bottom line of these verses: Go as far as you are able, and God will return to you.

We all need to learn how to exercise right choices. The Yamin Nora'im (Days of Awe)
are the perfect time to meditate on the choices we have made in the past and the choices
that we are making right now, today. Free will is a wonderful thing, but with it comes
great responsibility. We must learn to make our daily decisions based upon the
Scriptures, following the instructions and guidelines they give us.

Teshuvah occurs when a sinner forsakes his sin, asks God to remove it through the blood
of Jesus and decides in his heart not to do it again.

However, not only must one seek forgiveness for sins that involve an act; such as theft,
adultery, gossip, etc., but one must also repent and seek forgiveness for sins of the mind,
such as anger, lust, jealousy and covetousness. Jesus was emphatic about this in the
Sermon on the Mount, when he said we must not only refrain from adultery and murder
but from lust and hatred as well.

Matt 5:21-22 (NKJV) "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not
murder,' and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. {22} "But I say to you
that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.
And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever
says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.

Verses 27-28 (NKJV) "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not
commit adultery.' {28} "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Isa 55:7 (NKJV) Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He
will abundantly pardon.

According to Jewish tradition, it is a great sin to remind a person who has done Teshuvah
about his past sins. God forgets the sins of others as well as forgiving them. The person
who can do this, truly has the mind of God.

Psa 103:12 (NKJV) As far as the east is from the west, <So> far has He removed our
transgressions from us.

The Sabbath between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur is known as the 'Sabbath of
Return.' The Jewish scripture reading for this day includes:

Hosea 14:1-2 (NKJV) Return, O Israel to the LORD your God, For you have fallen
because of your sin. {2} Take words with you, And return to the LORD.....
According to the Mishna, the Oral Torah or Law, "The sign of complete Teshuvah is
when the same transgression comes to the hand of the transgressor in the same place
where he first committed it, ..........and he avoids it."

It would be a terrible thing if someone went through complete Teshuvah only to discover
that all of their repenting and turning from sin did not take away their sins, and they were
still cut off from God. It is for this reason that the forty day period of Teshuvah are not
fully complete without Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
Just what is atonement? It is another of the many 'religious' words that is often used but
not always understood. The best definition we can find is the one used in the scriptures
themselves. The English word 'atonement' is found many times in the Old Testament, but
only once in the New Testament. It is derived from two Hebrew words, kaphar and
kippur, from which comes Yom, meaning "day," and Kippur, meaning "atonement."

The root word kaphar (kah-far') means "to cover." You can refer to Strong's #3722. The
second word translated atonement is kippur and it means "expiation or atonement." See
Strong's #3725.

"Atonement" is the preferred translation. So we have a day with several meanings. If you
read the definitions in Strong's you'll see what I mean. But the main theme is basically the
same. Yom Kippur is the day in which God the Father will be reconciled with His
creation. It is a day for Him to be merciful, to pardon, to cleanse and to forgive.

In conclusion:

The Days of Awe start on or immediately after the Feast of Trumpets, when historically,
the Temple doors were left open until the end of the Day of Atonement. Trumpets (14
September) is less than three weeks from now; Atonement (23 September) is only 26
days. I hope that everyone who hears this message already has his name in God’s Book
of Life. These Days of Awe picture the days that are set aside for the repentance and
forgiveness of those who are not in the Book of Life, those who will have to
experience God’s wrath before they are motivated enough to turn to God in deep-
felt repentance. It is my fervent prayer that none of us finds ourselves in that
situation through lack of repentance.

Sermon given by Wayne Bedwell

August 28, 2004

As I said earlier, all other people of the earth are a mixture of good and bad and will be
remanded over for court on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. However, between Rosh
Hashanah on the 1st day of the 7th month, and Yom Kippur which falls on the 10th day
of 7th month, are the Days of Awe or also known as the 10 Days of Repentance. Here is a
prophetic tidbit, the fulfillment of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur will occur in a
different year in the prophetic calendar. Or as we might state, the rapture of believers
does not immediately precede the Second Coming. The Days of Awe correspond to the
period of time that the people of the earth are tested in the Day of the Lord. God in
His mercy, allows a period of time when people can still be saved through the blood
of the Lamb shed for their sins.

THE DAYS OF AWE, A STUDY IN REPENTANCE

The sounding of the trumpet at Rosh-Ha-Shana (the Jewish new year) ushers in a ten day
period known among the Jewish people as the Days of Awe. This period is also called the
Ten Days of Repentance (aseret yemei teshuvah). This period of intense reflection and
repentance is completed on the great Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur.

On the afternoon of the first day of this period it is customary for the Jewish people to
perform a rite known as Tashlik. To do this, they usually walk to a river, spring or body
of water and recite special penitential prayers and Psalms, while at the same time
emptying their pockets and the hems of their garments, or casting bread crumbs onto the
water. All this is symbolic of casting away their sins into the deep (Mic. 7:18-20).

Also as a part of this intense period, the Jewish people seek to be reconciled with their
brethren whom they have offended during the year. As this period moves on to its final
day, the great Day of Atonement, the mood shifts from reconciliation with men, toward a
final reconciliation with God. The greeting often heard in Israel during this time is
"Gemar Hatima Tovah" (May you be finally sealed for good in the Book of Life).

Since the emphasis of this special time is repentance (teshuvah), and since repentance is a
cardinal doctrine of the Christian faith, we would also like to share in this season with the
Jewish people, and delve deeper into the important subject of repentance.

TURNING FROM EVIL

Repentance simply means turning in one’s direction or changing one’s mind. The words
are shub or nacham in Hebrew and metanoia in the Greek. As the idea of repentance is
developed in the New Testament, it is made clear that repentance involves a profound
change in direction and in life, from sin and self-centeredness to holiness and God-
centeredness.

Although the Bible speaks often of God repenting, this is but a figure of speech. since the
Bible assures us that "God is not a man...that he should repent..." (Num. 23:19 KJV).
Repentance is therefore the task of sinful man. Throughout the Tanakh (Old Testament)
we see examples of repentance. The men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah,
and God spared their city (Jon. 3:10). David, in the heart-rending cries of Psalm 51,
repented before God and cried out for God to give him a clean heart.

The New Testament virtually begins with John the Baptist crying in the wilderness for
men to repent of their evil ways (Matt. 3:2). Jesus began his public ministry by also
preaching that men should repent (Matt. 4:17). In the New Testament, repentance is
required before one can be baptized (Acts 2:38). It is the first step toward God, and
certainly involves a permanent change of mind and direction.

Years ago I remember hearing a famous athlete say that when he became a Christian
he didn’t just repent, but he became a repenting-type person. This is a good description of
biblical repentance. There is a sense in which true repentance continues on in our every-
day decisions. It is not just a one-time thing that we do and then forget about for the rest
of our lives. When we really repent, we turn from our sins, and we continue turning from
them. There are many places in scripture where even believers in God are called upon to
repent.

Repentance involves sorrow for our sins and for our sinful ways; however, it also
involves a sorrow that will cause us to change these ways. Esau was sorrowful and he
wept bitterly but his ways were not changed and he did not receive the promise (Heb.
12:16-17). The Bible tells us that there is a sorrow of this world that leads only to death,
and a godly sorrow that leads to repentance and salvation (2 Cor. 7:10). It seems that
much modern repentance is not of the godly sort. People today often repent only because
they get caught in their sin, or they repent for other selfish reasons. As one old preacher
said, "A lot of our repentance needs to be repented of."

Of course, it is of utmost importance that we repent of those sins of which the Holy
Spirit is convicting us. These may be recent and grievous sins. If we cover our sins the
Bible assures us that we will not prosper (Prov. 28:14). There are other sins that are
hidden deep in our subconscious. We also need to repent of these. God desires that our
hearts become broken over our sin. As the Jewish sage R. Nachman of Bratzlav said it,
"There is none more whole than one with a broken heart."

One grievous and hidden sin of which many Christians need to repent is the hard feeling
they bear toward the Jewish people. This sin can reveal itself as outright anti-Semitism,
or suspicion, haughtiness, arrogance, and ugly religious pride toward the Jews and toward
Israel.

Along this same line, we need to repent of a good deal of modern theology. Many of the
"new" theologies sweeping Christian ranks today, like Dominion Theology, Restoration
Theology, Replacement Theology, etc., are only revisions of the ancient triumphalistic
and anti-Semitic teaching of the early church fathers. There are many other things from
which we need to repent. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit is sent into the world to convict of
sin (Jn. 16:8). He will bring to light all these hidden things, and it is then our
responsibility to turn from them.

TURNING TOWARD GOD

Repentance is more than turning away from sin. It is a positive and complete turning
toward God and his kingdom. One of the most touching stories of repentance in the New
Testament is the story of the Prodigal Son. In his selfishness and rebellion he squandered
his inheritance by living carelessly in a far country. He finally came to the end of himself
and of his resources, and found himself as a lowly servant feeding pigs. In that pigpen he
had a change of heart. He turned from his rebellion and selfishness, and he turned toward
his father’s house. He began walking away from the sinful life toward his father and
home (Luke 15:20).

Of course the father was waiting and looking down the road. This story is a beautiful
picture of complete and godly repentance that ends in salvation. God is longing for all of
us to repent in this fashion. In fact, the Bible says that "now he commands all people
everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30).
True repentance often involves restitution. That’s something we can learn from Israel.
The broken relationships with other people must be mended if repentance is sincere.
Often we can’t just say that we are sorry or just privately confess it to God and expect
restoration. We need to show by our actions that there is a real and permanent change in
our attitudes.

As Jesus passed through Jericho on his final journey to Jerusalem, he encountered a rich
tax collector by the name of Zacchaeus. We can gather from the account that this rich
man had a great desire to learn about Jesus and to follow him. When Jesus gave him the
opportunity, he responded in this way, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my
possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back
four times the amount" (Luk. 19:8). It is interesting that at this very point Jesus responded
to him, "Today salvation has come to this house..." (v. 9). What Zacchaeus demonstrated
was true biblical repentance, which often involves restitution for wrongs we have
committed against others.

So in the Old Testament, a person who sinned against another couldn’t just go to God and
get forgiveness. He had to make up the loss that he had caused, and in addition he was
required to add a fifth part to his restitution (Lev. 6:5; Num. 5:7). It would certainly
change much of our repentance today if we had to make restitution plus 20% for all
wrongs against others. Today in our un-biblical system of repentance and justice, it is
often the victim who suffers all the loss while the perpetrator goes totally free. The
words, "I’m sorry," sound rather empty when there are grievous wrongs in relationships
that need to be corrected.

REALLY SAYING "I’M SORRY"

Now, back to the question of our relations with the Jewish people and with Israel. Can we
just say with a wave of a hand that we are sorry for almost 2000 years of Christian abuse
and hatred? Can we just say that we are sorry for the Holocaust, where six million Jewish
people, or almost a third of the Jews, died at the hands of a so-called Christian nation?
Hardly so! If we really intend to change our attitude and if we really intend to repent of
these past sins, we must do more.

How can we go about correcting centuries of wrongs? Today many Christians are
giving their lives to help Israel. Several thousand actually live in Israel as they serve this
nation. Others offer up countless hours of their lives as they serve Israel’s interests
abroad. Why pour out hundreds of hours of one’s life. Why give one’s time and money to
support Israel and to help others to understand and support her? The answer is that many
of these Christians are helping to pay a debt. With their lives they are helping to make
restitution to a people who have been severely damaged by Christians in the past.

The founder of Bridges For Peace, an ongoing evangelical Christian work in Israel,
was one of these. Dr. G. Douglas Young poured out his life for Israel; he was loved by
the people; and was finally given the coveted "Worthy of Jerusalem" award. He was one
of the very few Gentiles ever to receive this award. Dr. Young was once heard to say:
"Christianity owes a tremendous debt to Judaism and Israel, and I have decided that as
long as I live I shall endeavor to regard this debt as my profound obligation."

We have a debt to pay and a restitution to make. Whether we live in Israel or abroad,
we can do much to ease the hurts of the past. We can stand up for Israel and for the
Jewish people. We can learn to be sensitive to the deep hurts of the Jews. We can give of
our resources to help build Israel and even help settle the hundreds of thousands of new
immigrants who are still streaming into the land.

Then, when we have opportunity, we can visit Israel. But we must not come like most
Christians come to Israel. Too many come with proud, arrogant and even hateful
attitudes. They come to see only "where Jesus walked," and they insult the Israelis by
showing absolutely no interest in the miracle of modern Israel. What a far cry from the
sweet, humble and blessed attitude of Ruth the Gentile who came in times of old.

During the coming Days of Awe let us learn what we can from the Jewish people, and
let us experience true repentance during these days. Let us find a deep sorrow for the past
sins our church has committed against the Jewish people and Israel. And may it be a
sorrow that is not in words only, but in deeds.

- Jim Gerrish

This updated article is presented courtesy of Bridges For Peace, Jerusalem. First
published, 1993.

According to Jewish custom, three books are opened on the Feast of Trumpets: the Book
of Life for the righteous, the Book of Life for the unrighteous, and the Book of Life those
those in-between. If a man is deemed righteous, his name is written in the Book of Life
for the righteous at the Feast of Trumpets. If a man is unrighteous, his name is written in
the Book of Life for the unrighteous, and he will not survive the year. If a man is deemed
in-between, judgment is delayed for ten days from the Feast of Trumpets to the Feast of
the Day of Atonement. It is during that period of time that a man is given opportunity to
repent before the book is closed and his destiny sealed. Thus, at the Feast of Trumpets,
the Church will be raptured and the Lord's wrath will begin on the earth. It will occupy a
relatively brief period of time.

At His physical return to the earth, many Jews who survived the Lord's purging (wrath)
of the earth, will be saved. The prophet Zechariah wrote of that event this way: "And it
shall come to pass, in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against
Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications; and they shall look upon me whom
they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and
shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn" (Zechariah
12:9-10).
And Paul, in the context of a believing remnant from among the nation of Israel at the
end of the age, wrote: "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits: that blindness in part is happened
to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved; as
it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness
from Jacob" (Romans 11:25-26).

But it will not be Israel's Day of Atonement. From among the nations of the world, many
will not take the mark of the Antichrist. And when the Lord Jesus returns to the earth,
many will repent of their sins before the Book of Life is forever closed. The Lord has
these Gentiles in mind in His Olivet Discourse. He taught: "When the Son of man shall
come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of
his glory. And before him shall be gathered all the nations; and he shall separate them
one from another, as a shephered divideth his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the
sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on
his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:31-34)

It is the multitude from among the nations, along with those from among the sons of
Jacob, who will enter the millennial Kingdom still in mortal bodies (as distinct from the
raptured and glorified Church who will inhabit New Jerusalem).