Tanak Foundations-Concepts on the Natzal (Rapture)-Part 14

Christianity places the Tribulation before the Day of the Lord, ending with the second coming of the Messiah and the start of the Millennium. In Jewish Eschatology, creation began on Tishri 1, year 1 (Gen 1.1-5). We call the time period before the creation the “Olam Haba” or “World to Come” (Heb 6.5). The 6000 years is called the “Olam Ha Zeh” or “Present Age” (Matt 24.3). On Tishri 1, year 6001 (Rosh Ha Shanah-Lev 23.24) the “Millennium” or “the Day of the Lord” begins, also called “the Sabbath of God” or the “Lord’s Day.” The weekly seventh day Sabbath teaches this time period.

The period is also called the “Atid Lavo” or “Future Age or Coming.” The Chevlai Shell Mashiach, or Birth-pains of the Messiah, are the first seven years of the Day of the Lord or Millennium. At the end of year 7000, we go back into the Olam Haba or World to Come. Now, everybody knows if A equals B, and B equals C, then A equals C. What we are going for is that the Naztal, Rapture and Gathering are synonymous terms. We are going to link that terminology with other terms that will tells us when certain events occur.

The information you will have will be, at times, overwhelming and we are not going to establish all this partially. You will know where the Scriptures are that talk about the Natzal (Rapture or Gathering), when it will be, why it happens, who is taken and where everyone goes. So, with that said, let’s look at another eschatological terms called “The Day of Judgment” or “Yom Ha Din.”

In the article called “The Day of Judgment” in the Jewish Encyclopedia it says, “It is a name given to the first of Tishri, as being the New Year’s day.” Now, the first of Tishri is a new moon and it is also “Rosh Ha Shanah” (A equals B). The article continues, “In the Bible the day of the blowing of trumpets is the first day of the seventh (sabbatical) month (Lev 23.24); and no mention is made of the Day of Judgment. The Day of God in the sense of a time of divine judgment of the wicked, is the one that will appear at the end of days; and a description of the divine judgment in heaven is found in Dan 7.9-10, 22, where the Ancient of Days is depicted as sitting upon a throne while the books are opened before him. This description is also found in the Apocryphal books. Of a specific day in the year on which God holds judgment over the world, no trace is found in the pre-Talmudic literature.” Now, remember the scene in Dan 7.9-10 where the Ancient of Days is sitting on a throne, the court is seated and the books are opened before him? Keep that in mind as we move forward.

In Jewish Eschatology, Dan 7.9-10 is Rosh Ha Shanah. We are going to see this same type of setting in the New Testament, another book of the prophets, in the Pseudo-pigraphal writings and popping up all over the place. It’s not going to tell you “this is the day of Judgment” but it expects you to already know that. Nowhere will it tell you, “This is Rosh Ha Shanah” but it expects you to already know that. It won’t tell you, “It’s Tishri 1” because it expects you to know that already. That is why we need to master certain concepts like the two calendars and the festival dates. God gave a certain liturgy for these things so that we can understand what was happening when Yeshua came along. When he was talking we should be saying, “Look at what he is saying!” God gave us tools, but we have neglected the tools and read it with very little understanding.

So, what have we found out? Yom Ha Din is a name for Tishri 1 (Rosh Ha Shanah) and it is also known as Yom Teruah (Day of the Awakening Blast of the shofar). It comes from two passages, Lev 23.24 and Num 29.1. It is also known as Yom Ha Zikaron (Day of Remembrance). In Mal 3.16 it says, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a Book of Remembrance was written before him for those who fear the Lord and whom esteem his name.” In Jewish thought, this is a “Sefer (book) Ha Zikaron” and we know that “Zikaron” is one of the names for Rosh Ha Shanah.

In Dan 7.9-10, a passage that the Jewish Encyclopedia says refers to Rosh Ha Shanah, it says, “I kept looking until thrones were set up and the Ancient of Days was seated and his vesture was like white snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne ablaze with flames, its wheels a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from behind him. Thousands and thousands were attending him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before him. The court was seated and the books were opened.”

Now, we just learned the name for one of the books, the Sefer Ha Zikaron (Mal 3.16). We will learn of other names for this book that are found in the Scriptures (A=B and B=C, then A=C). If we see Sefer Ha Zikaron we know it is talking about a Yom Ha Din (Day of Judgment) and that is Rosh Ha Shanah. If it is talking about the “Sefer Chaim” (Book of Life) being opened we know it is Rosh Ha Shanha.

Now, remember, the first day of the seventh month on the Civil Calendar is Rosh Ha Shanh (Yom Teruah). It is also called “the Day of the Lord” or “Lord’s Day.” The festivals of Rosh Ha Shanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot in Tishri are also called the “Day of the Lord” because they would go up to the Temple for Rosh Ha Shanah and stay through Sukkot. Rosh Ha Shanah “blends into” Yom Kippur, which “blends into” Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret (concluding eighth day). These festivals teach us about the seventh day of God, or the “Millennium.” Dan 7.9-10, 13-14 happens on the Day of the Lord of Rosh Ha Shanah and the first Yom Ha Din or Day of Judgment.

In Dan 7.21-22 it says the “horn” (False Messiah) was “waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.” Then in Dan 7.26 it says, “Then the judgment (court) will sit and they shall take away his (False Messiah) dominion to consume and destroy it unto the end.” These verses are a Yom Ha Din, but one is at the beginning of the Birth-pains (Dan 7.9-10, 13-14) and the these last two verses refer to the end of the Birth-pains.

Are they both Rosh Ha Shanah? No. In Jewish Eschatology there are two days that are called a Yom Ha Din.” One is Rosh Ha Shanah and the other is Yom Kippur. One teaches about the beginning of the Birth-pains and the other teaches about the end of the Birth-pains. Dan 7.9-10 is recognized as a Yom Ha Din, the Day of Judgment (Rosh Ha Shanah) and Dan 7.21-22, 26 is a Yom Ha Din (Yom Kippur). Keep all this in mind and be familiar with the terminology in this passage.

Now, let’s go to Rev 4.1-11 and read the passage. What you will see is it is Rosh Ha Shanah with the same description we saw in Dan 7.9-10. Let’s go to Isa 6.1-4 and read it. What you will see is it it a Rosh Ha Shanah passage with the same description we have seen in Dan 7.9-10 and we need to know that.

Yom Ha Din is also in the Pseudo-pigrapha, 1 Enoch 46.1-6, “And there I saw one who was a “Head of Days” and his head was white like wool. And with him there was another whose face had the appearance of a man and his face was full of grace like one of the Holy Angels. And I asked one of the Holy Angels, who went with me and showed me all the secrets, about that Son of Man, who he was, and from where he was, and why he went with the Head of Days. And he answered me and said to me: ‘This is the Son of Man who has righteousness and with whom righteousness dwells. He will reveal all the treasures of that which is secret, for the Lord of the Spirits has chosen him, and through uprightness his lot has surpassed all others, in front of the Lord of Spirits, forever. And this Son of Man, who we have seen, will rouse the kings and the powerful from their resting places, and the strong, and he will break the teeth of the sinners. And he will cast down the kings from their thrones, and from their kingdoms, for they do not exalt him, and they do not praise him, and do not humbly acknowledge from where their kingdom was given to them. And he will cast down the faces of the strong and shame will fill them, and darkness will be their dwelling, and worms will be their resting place. And they will have no hope of rising from their resting places, for they do not exalt the name of the Lord of Spirits.'” This was written before Yeshua. What we have here is a Rosh Ha Shanah passage, and a Jewish reader would tie this into Dan 7.9-10 and Rev 4.1-11.

In Part 15 we will pick up here.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*