Yom Teruah and the Ten Days of Awe
By Eric Carlson in 09_2023-1, newsletter-post on September 1, 2023
Yom Teruah begins the Fall Feast Day Cycle! These are days set apart from the norm, days that belong to God! They are His designated times, Moedim, divine appointments!
Leviticus 23:23-25. ADONAI said to Moshe, 24″Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, (Shabaton zichron: Shabaton: Sabbath observance, of weekly Sabbath, sabbatical year. Zichron: memorial, reminder, remembrance a day of writing, to recall.) a holy convocation (Mikraw: convocation, convoking, reading, a calling together, something called out, a public meeting, a rehearsal, sacred assembly) announced with blasts on the shofar. 25 Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI.'”
The Sefer HaChaim, the Book of Life is opened on Yom Teruah and closes on Yom Kippur. Your name is in recorded in this book when your born:
Psalms 139:16. Your eyes could see me as an embryo, but in your book all my days were already written; my days had been shaped before any of them existed.
Your crimes are held against you if there is no redemption, no sacrifice, no blood. David prayed to God regarding the evil and wicked:
Psalms 69:28. Erase them from the book of life, let them not be written with the righteous
Accepting Yeshua as your sacrifice allows your name to remain in the book of life. As the prophet Jeremiah stated in Jeremiah 31:34 by accepting and receiving Messiah Yeshua, God knows your sins “No More”! Yeshua’s blood blots out your transgressions and sins so your name stays in the book.
Revelation 3:5. He who wins the victory will, like them, be dressed in white clothing; and I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life; in fact, I will acknowledge him individually before my Father and before his angels.
Yeshua returns on that final Shofar Trump (Yom Teruah) to judge the nations during the Ten Days of Awe, the time period between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur:
Revelation 20:12. And I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened; and another book was opened, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
Revelation 20:15. Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was hurled into the lake of fire.
These 10 days of Awe-Yamim Noraim-Awesome days or days of awe are centered on our own humility, soul searching, and repentance. A continued period of self-examination where we deal with how we have failed ourselves, failed other people, and failed God! It is a time of regret and remorse for the harm we have inflicted on others and within the Kingdom of God!
It is not a time of selfishness and concern for self, rather is it a crying out to Adonai, for the awakening of the soul, a stirring in oneself for the greater Kingdom of God! This is the final preparation for Yom Kippur, the Day of Purge.
While it is true that the Throne Room is always accessible to all individuals at any time, gates are still there! the enemy roams about the road to the palace waiting to strike the unwary. Everyday “Life” and all of its trappings continue to place obstacles before us on our journey into the throne room. During the Days of Awe, the “King” is in the field. He is here, present where we are, beckoning to us, calling out to us! The Ten Days of Awe press the urgency of the moment, we must reach for Him while He is here, when He is close and repent with the associated behavioral change and associated deeds (actions) that reflect a truly repentant heart! As Moshe shared in:
Deuteronomy 30:14. On the contrary, the word is very close to you – in your mouth, even in your heart; therefore, you can do it.
There are many things that infect and afflict us as believers that, in reality, are not attacks of the enemy but are self-induced, we ourselves are the source of the issue because of our own disobedience. Adonai will intervene in our life and bless us if we obey Him, as Yeshua stated:
Luke 6:46. “Why do you call me, `Lord! Lord!’ but not do what I say?
This rings true to every believer within the greater body! This is a heartfelt, soul-searching question that must be asked of every believer. Do your actions, behavior, and expression of worship completely reconcile to the word of Adonai! Why do “Believers” celebrate and participate in religious rituals and holidays that are not in the word? Because we don’t (for a myriad of reasons and excuses) do what He commands us to do.
Complacency is another plague affecting the greater body. Complacency kills initiative. To the detriment of the greater body, many believers strive for “normalcy”, the keystone of apathy.” They compare and judge themselves to others around them who are mostly secular so that they may “fit in”. This results in a false identity, a false narrative, and a skewed plumb line. The desire to be like everyone else gives one a sense of belonging and acceptance with the secular community which is the exact opposite of what God commands.
Sha’ul “Paul” rebuked the body at Corinth because they walked, “like mere men”. God does not want us “normal and complacent”. He doesn’t ask you to be accepted by the world. He wants us to imitate and be accepted by Yeshua; to talk, walk, and act like Him! This allows the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit the freedom to release the fullness of God’s purpose and fullness into your life allowing God to define your daily priorities, and purposes. Yeshua didn’t come so that you could be normal and fit into society! Yeshua came and died that you may be different!
I Corinthians 3:3. For you are still worldly! Isn’t it obvious from all the jealousy and quarrelling among you that you are worldly and living by merely human standards?
For those who have their reality and lives rooted in the ways of the world, maturity in the Lord is impossible. Our identity and destiny must come from God, not worldly circumstances, worldly surroundings, worldly people, or worldly Governments. As a citizen of the Kingdom of God our focus and reality must be rooted in the Kingdom of God. We are to approach God where He will meet us! It requires T’shuvah, repentance. When true T’shuvah, true repentance (turning from that which is sinful and turning back to God!) occurs God will meet you, He responds with Shavet-sh’vut’cha (He returns your return).
T’shuvah requires initiative by every individual, not apathy or complacency. It takes initiative and action to admit something has made us distant from Him and to perform the action necessary to remove the obstacle and come into His presence. Its critical to do this in the 10 Days of Awe before Yom Kippur when the Sefer HaChaim, the Book of Life is closed.
It’s our own apathy, our own carnal passivity, our indifference that allows the powers of hell to increase their rule and influence the affairs of humanity which in turn causes marriage to be redefined, abortions to increase, divorce, the rise, toleration, and even acceptance of sexual immorality! Evil becomes unbridled. The only way to push back on the boundaries of evil and wickedness is on our knees before God, in repentant prayer, in agreement with God-not in conflict or disagreement with Him. Our very existence as His creation is to bring the reality of the kingdom of God here upon the earth!
It is not Adonai who hinders the healing of our land. It’s our apathy, our own unbelief, our own indifference, our own lack of trust that inhibits us from grasping and reaching our true potential that Yeshua offers us. Heaven, Adonai, Yeshua is waiting for us, His Body, the bride to act! He’s been shouting at us from the heavens for years now! In the words of the Great prophet Elijah:
I Kings 18:21. Eliyahu stepped forward before all the people and said, “How long are you going to jump back and forth between two positions? If ADONAI is God, follow him; but if it’s Ba’al, follow him!” The people answered him not a word.
Whom will you serve?
Acts 3:19. “Therefore, repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be erased;
May you have an intimate encounter with the Most-High God during these Feast Day Celebrations! May you stand before Adonai with clean hands and a pure heart!
Blessings,
Rabbi Eric S Carlson