Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen.
Joel 2:1-2 Blow the ram’s horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.
The blowing of a shofar signaled many things in Biblical times. The shofar blast was a call to war and the prospect of danger.
A shofar blast occurred this past week on the Temple Mount. See the link below.
This marks two years in a row a shofar has been blown on the Temple Mount. Last year on Yom Teruah or Rosh Hashanah, a group of 6 Jews managed to blast all 100 tones required for the feast.
During the season of Teshuvah or repent, it is a custom to blow the shofar daily. The trumpet is blown every day except Shabbat or the Sabbath (Saturday for us in western culture) and the last day of month of Elul. The trumpet is blown after the morning service.
The blowing of the shofar started with Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. The blowing of the shofar is associated with God descending to Mount Sinai and the gathering of nation Israel. This is where Moses is called to ascend the mountain to meet God (Exodus 19:13-19). This is when and where Israel received the law.
The shofar was a way to call soldiers. The trumpet preceded the Ark of the Covenant.
2 Samuel 6:15 So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.
The trumpet blast signified the beginning of the month (Numbers 10:10).
Psalm 81:3-4 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
Some form of a trumpet blast(s) is used at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). A trumpet blast also signals the beginning of Jubilee (Leviticus 25).
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The Palestinian Authority has expressed their concern about the blowing of a shofar.
The P.A.’s Jerusalem Governorate warned in a statement that the Jewish tradition of sounding the shofar throughout the Hebrew month of Elul is “no longer a passing religious ritual, but has become one of the most dangerous tools of the occupation to impose its alleged sovereignty.”
The PA has called upon the United Nations to… “halt these attacks and provide international protection for Islamic and Christian holy sites”.
“The blowing of the horn in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa is an extremely dangerous step. This ritual continues the religious ceremonies carried out by Jewish settlers and aims to change the current historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa.”
Gaza, Gaza, here we come… Greta and friends set sail for a 3rd time towards Israel.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined the Sumud humanitarian flotilla in Barcelona on Saturday, set to sail for Gaza. She outlined the flotilla’s mission to deliver humanitarian aid, break Israel's blockade, and open a humanitarian corridor pic.twitter.com/9SuvuScGAh
Fierce Mediterranean winds forced a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists, including environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg, to return to Barcelona, organisers said on Monday ➡️ https://t.co/qiF4LbVn5Opic.twitter.com/gmDxPIBCGc
The Hebrew month of Elul initiates a 40 day period called Teshuvah. The point of the season is to prepare for the civil Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. This God appointed feast day is also referred to as Yom Teruah by Jews. Christians may refer to the day as the Feast of Trumpets. The season of Teshuvah concludes on Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement.
Teshuvah is a time to turn toward God. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. Let go of the ways of the world. It is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin to obedience in God’s word. Return to God and His ways. This is not a warm and fuzzy spiritual word that causes your stomach to flutter or hair to stand on your neck. There should be some conviction. Be honest. Right is right and wrong is wrong. We can all do better. Prepare and turn to God with a joyful heart. The 40 day period starts on Elul 1 and ends on Tishri 10, Yom Kippur.
“Repent” is not a mystical, spiritual word that has some deep and hidden theological meaning. The Greek word for “repent” in the New Testament is μετανοεο/metanoeo. It means: to change one’s mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins.
The ultimate expression of the Teshuvah likely results in Revelation 22 when believers in Christ meet God the Father Himself. Will that event occur on Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement?
Revelation 22:4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.
Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of God’s calendar.
Jewish tradition points to the name of the month to be an acronym of “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li” a quote from Song of Songs 6:3 I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine…
In Aramaic, the vernacular of the Jewish people at the time that the month names were adopted, the word Elul means “search”. Per Strong’s Concordance, Elul means “nothingness” in the Hebrew.
The month is directly mentioned one time in the Bible.
Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
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Of course there is disagreement on when the month of Elul actually begins. On our western Gregorian calendar in the year 2025, this would be at sunset Saturday, August 23rd or Monday, August 25th, as calculated by 21st century time keeping. And then there are those who are waiting on the sighting of the new moon to determine the start of the month. Jewish time keepers cannot agree.
The Essenes followed a solar calendar. A solar calendar has a leap week as compared to a leap month with a lunar calendar. On the Essene calendar, Elul 1st took place on what was Sunday, August 17th, 2025. It is the year 5950 AM. In other words, 5,950 years since creation.
The Essenes also marked the beginning of the year in the spring with the month of Nisan or Abib as described in Exodus.
Exodus 12:1-2 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you…”
Incidentally, this is a jubilee year on the Essene calendar. There are some who think the resurrection of believers and the rapture will occur during a jubilee year.
One Jewish custom of Elul is to visit a cemetery. This is quite interesting in light of the Jewish belief that the resurrection of the dead will occur during the period of Teshuvah. Specifically, the resurrection is to occur on the new moon holiday of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Christians refer to this as the Feast of Trumpets. Orthodox Jews do not believe in Christ let alone the New Testament. Apostle Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and Colossians would confirm their tradition.
1 Corinthians 15:52b at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Resurrection first, then the rapture occurs. The question is the amount of time between the two events.
Am I saying the resurrection of the dead and the rapture is in approximately one month from Elul 1st per identification of the new moon of Tishri? No, but it is possible.
As believers, should we be ready for Christ to gather us into the clouds? Yes, just like any other day.
There is only one New Moon festival, Yom Teruah or the Feast of Trumpets. The Apostle Paul tells us Jesus has big plans for the Feast of Trumpets at some point in the future.
Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.
Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
The verse above is the only time Elul is mentioned in the Bible.
Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of the religious calendar.
Elul 1 marks the beginning of Teshuvah, a 40 day period that runs through the holiday of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Teshuvah is the Hebrew word for repent.
On our western Gregorian calendar in the year 2024, this would be at sunset September 3rd as calculated by 21st century time keeping.
Those keeping a traditional Hebrew lunar calendar depend on when the new moon is confirmed by two witnesses. People on the ground near Jerusalem will be looking to verify the event and confirm the new month by seeing the little slice or a crescent of the new moon.
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The Essenes followed a solar calendar. A solar calendar has a leap week as compared to a leap month with a lunar calendar. On the Essene calendar, Elul 1st took place on what was August 18th, 2024 or roughly two weeks ago. It is the year 5949 AM. In other words, 5,949 years since creation.
The Essenes also marked the beginning of the year in the spring with the month of Nisan or Abib as described in Exodus.
Exodus 12:1-2 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you…”
Moses referred to this month as Abib. Exodus 13:4 On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go forth. Per Strong’s Concordance, Abib means: fresh, young barley ears; month of ear-forming, of greening of crop, of growing green; month of Exodus and Passover.
The month is called Nisan in Nehemiah 2:1And it came about in the month Nisan… It means “their flight”. Israel took “their flight” out of Egypt in Nisan. The meaning of month Nisan is a reminder to Israel.
As the Essenes mark time, this is the 49th year of a 50 year cycle. We are in the middle of a Sabbatical or Shemitah year. That would make the next New Year in the spring of 2025 a Jubilee year.
For more details on the Essene calendar, see Ken Johnson’s work at…
It is Jewish custom to blow a shofar (ram’s horn) one time every day during the season of Teshuvah. The trumpet is blown after the morning service. The trumpet is blown every day except Shabbat or the Sabbath (Saturday for us in western culture) and the last day of month of Elul.
The trumpet blast signified the beginning of the month.
Psalm 81:3-4 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
Numbers 10:10On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your God.”
Some form of a trumpet blast(s) is used at Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). A trumpet blast also signals the beginning of a Jubilee (Leviticus 25).
The shofar blast was also a call to war and the prospect of danger.
Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
Elul is mentioned one time in the Bible.
In Aramaic, the vernacular of the Jewish people at the time that the month names were adopted, the word Elul means “search”. Per Strong’s Concordance, Elul means “nothingness” in the original Hebrew. A month of searching, but there is nothing to be found. What are we looking for? Where did it go? It appears to be a paradox.
Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of the religious calendar.
Elul 1 marks the beginning of Teshuvah. Teshuvah is a 40 day period that runs through the holiday of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
On a Gregorian calendar in the year 2023, this would be around August 18th, depending on when the new moon is confirmed. There are some folks on the ground near Jerusalem who will be looking to verify the event and confirm the new month by seeing the little slice and crescent of the new moon.
Below is an updated video for those who have questions about the new moon identification and calendar considerations. Check out the original video as well.
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It is Jewish custom to blow a shofar (ram’s horn) one time every day during the season of Teshuvah. The trumpet is blown after the morning service. The trumpet is blown every day except Shabbat or the Sabbath (Saturday for us in western culture) and the last day of month of Elul.
The trumpet blast signified the beginning of the month.
Psalm 81:3-4 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. See Numbers 10:10 as well.
Some form of a trumpet blast(s) is used at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). A trumpet blast also signals the beginning of Jubilee (Leviticus 25).
The shofar blast was also a call to war and the prospect of danger.
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Last Elul, Gregorian year 2022, marked the end of a seven year period. The last year of the seven year set is a Sabbatical or Shemitah year. The end of the month of Elul marks the end of a Shemitah year.
The end of Elul can also mark the end of Jubilee year. This year, 2023, is eligible to be a Jubilee year. The 50th year of the set is also the first of the next Jubilee period.
With that thought of Jubilee, let’s read Jesus’ comments from His ministry.
Luke 4:17-21 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD. And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” -Jesus
Jesus read and spoke these words in the synagogue of His home town Nazareth (Luke 4:16). Jesus is reading Isaiah 61:1-2a. He reads verse 1 completely. Jesus then stops reading in the middle of Isaiah 61:2.
By reading these words, He was claiming to be the Messiah. In other words, “Here I am!!”
The stoppage of reading in the verse has lasted close to 2,000 years. At His first coming, Jesus was a suffering servant who died for our sins. His death freed us from the bondage of sin. Christ did not come in vengeance the first time, hence the pause.
And we wait for the remainder of Isaiah 61:2b-11. It describes the future conditions of the nation Israel under the leadership of the Messiah, Jesus. He returns the second time in wrath and judgment.
At this point, many have stopped their analysis. There remains another question. Who is the prophet Isaiah quoting?
…to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD…?
Isaiah is quoting Moses who received instruction from God.
Leviticus 25:10 You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.
The context of the verses quoted is a description of the jubilee year. Release the inhabitants and freedom for all the slaves.
Is Jesus leaving a clue about the timing of His second coming? Will He return in a year of Jubilee?
Here are some prophetic implications. The seven year peace covenant with Israel will likely be confirmed in God’s fall holiday season.
A jubilee year is proclaimed on the Day of Atonement, Tishri 10 after the end of a set of seven years per Leviticus 25:9. The Bible tells us a jubilee year is proclaimed after a Sabbatical or Shemitah year (Leviticus 25:8-11). This would allow for the culmination of the seven year Tribulation to occur one year after a Sabbatical or Shemitah year, a possible jubilee year by definition.
This author has ZERO% confidence in humanity’s ability to accurately mark time as directed by God. Just thinking out loud and asking some questions…
Are we finishing a Jubilee year? It appears to be possible and reasonable. As for the timing of a jubilee year… no one knows, only the Father.
These are highly controversial topics and understandings. I understand many will not agree with what is written and that is okay. Just making a sincere good faith effort. My eternal salvation does not depend on my nailing the timing of these events. For those who are interested in further study. Please click on the links below.
One Jewish custom of Elul is to visit a cemetery. This is quite interesting in light of the Jewish belief that the resurrection of the dead will occur during the period of Teshuvah. Specifically, the resurrection is to occur on the new moon holiday of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Christians refer to this as the Feast of Trumpets. Orthodox Jews do not believe in Christ let alone the New Testament. Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians would confirm their tradition.
1 Corinthians 15:52b at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Resurrection first, then the rapture occurs. The question is the amount of time between the two events.
Am I saying the resurrection of the dead and the rapture is in approximately one month from Elul 1st per identification of the new moon of Tishri? No, but it is possible.
As believers, should we be ready for Christ to gather us into the clouds? Yes, just like any other day.
Do your homework? This is potentially a BIG Fall Appointment season on God’s calendar rapture or not.
Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.
On This Week in Prophecy… It is the month of Elul. Blow the shofar! Yehuda Glick is blowing his shofar on the Mount of Olives. He was arrested for a recording of a shofar blast on the Temple Mount.
Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
FX parent company Disney has released a new cartoon, Little Demon. Satan’s Teen Daughter is the antichrist. The “reluctant” mother is a practicing witch. They are just trying to live a normal life.
“Don’t let other people’s moral laws make you think what you did was wrong,” Satan said sweetly. “Together, you and I can create a future without rules, call your own shots, live the life you wanna live.”
Hell is not real. Satan comes from a place the cool kids like, the “metaphysical realm”.
The you heroine antichrist goes to a woke school. “We’re not racist anymore!”
Satan is played by Danny DeVito. “I think you’re gonna find that in the show Satan is really a good guy. The guy was deprived of his spawn— who is a girl— but of course, I thought it was gonna be a boy. But the future is female.”
Aubrey Plaza plays the antichrist. “I love that we are normalizing paganism. Laura is a pagan. She’s a witch. She’s jacked.”
United States railway workers are threatening to strike? How would this affect us? Supply chain disruptions across the economy could cause up to $2 billion per day. Inflation would likely increase and inflict more pain to an already stressed consumer. Energy, food, transportation, and manufacturing would take direct hits.
Armenia and Azerbaijan are fighting again. Who supports who is mind-bending and confusing.
There are religious implications. Azerbaijan is viewed as a secular country by the Muslim world. Nearly a quarter of the population identifies itself as Muslim. Of that group, Azerbaijan is mostly a Shia Muslim country.
Armenia is a predominantly Christian nation. As of 2011, 97% of the country identified as Christian and members of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Wikipedia).
The conflict has nations quickly aligning with one of the two nations.
Countries supporting Azerbaijan include: Turkey, Pakistan, and Israel.
Countries supporting Armenia include: Russia, India, and Iran.
The new moon has been sighted and confirmed by a couple of different groups in the land of Israel. Trained spotters from the Israeli Moon Society and the website http://whenisthenewmoon.com/ are in agreement. The new moon was spotted on the evening of August 9, 2021 on our western Gregorian calendar.
But there is disagreement with the month. The Israeli Moon Society says it is the beginning of the month of Elul.
The Temple Institute relies on the Israeli Moon Society. Secular Hebrew calendars and our western Gregorian calendars proclaim the month to be Elul.
Imagine that, humanity disagrees on how to tell time as God has directed. Personally, I don’t know who is right. I will defer to God …But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.-Matthew 24:36
Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of the religious calendar. Jewish tradition points to the name of the month to be an acronym of “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li” a quote from Song of Songs 6:3 I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine…
In Aramaic, the vernacular of the Jewish people at the time that the month names were adopted), the word Elul means “search”. Per Strong’s Concordance, Elul means “nothingness” in the Hebrew. The month is mentioned one time in the Bible.
Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
The month of Elul initiates a 40 day period called Teshuvah. The point of the season is to prepare for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.
It is a time to return toward God. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. It is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin to obedience in God’s word. The 40 day period starts on Elul 1 and ends on Tishri 10, Yom Kippur.
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There are many examples of the significance of the number 40 in the Bible. Notice, the examples ultimately demonstrate a turning away from sin and a return to God’s word. The result is a changed mind, a lifestyle consistent with obedience to God.
On three occasions, Moses went up to Mount Sinai for 40 days and met with the LORD. Israel had worshipped a golden calf and committed idolatry against God (Exodus 32). Moses pleaded with God for mercy against His chosen people. He turned to God and instructed the people of Israel to turn from their sin. The golden calf was destroyed (Exodus 32:20). After the destruction of the golden calf, Jewish tradition has Moses ascending Mount Sinai on Elul 1 to Tishri 10 (Yom Kippur) to receive a second set of tablets. Moses came down from Mount Sinai when the people had repented (http://www.chabad.org, http://www.hebrew4christians.com).
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With a lack of faith in God, Israel was left to wander in the desert for 40 years. God told them He would help them take the Promised Land. Only two men believed, Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 32:12). The others did not turn and trust God.
Numbers 32:13 So the LORD’S anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the entire generation of those who had done evil in the sight of the LORD was destroyed.
It was considered “evil” to not believe God. When this came to pass and the last one died. God brought His people back to the land for the taking. 40 years later, the Jewish people returned to God and His word. Course of nation Israel had changed. The Law, God’s word, was reintroduced to the people before they entered the Promised Land (Deuteronomy).
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Noah and his family were in the ark for 40 days and 40 nights during the rain and flood. The world was being judged for sin. The corruption of mankind is described in Genesis 6. Noah and his family had 40 days and nights to contemplate their watery environment as a consequence. They turned and responded to God. Their lives were spared in the ark. They had nowhere to go and plenty of personal time for self-reflection.
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Jesus was tempted by Satan for 40 days in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11). Every time Jesus was tempted by Satan, He turned to God the Father and quoted Deuteronomy. Jesus’ responses to temptation were to turn to the word of God (Matthew 4:4), to not put the Lord your God to the test (Matthew 4:7), and to worship and serve the Lord you God only (Matthew 4:10). Jesus resisted the tempter and was obedient to His Father.
The Hebrew month of Elul initiates a 40 day period called Teshuvah. This is the Hebrew word for repent.
The point of the season is to prepare for the Jewish New Year/Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah and the Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur. It is a time to turn toward God. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. Teshuvah is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin and turn to obedience in God’s word. The 40 day period starts on Elul 1 and ends on Tishri 10, Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement.
On a Gregorian calendar in the year 2020, Teshuvah will possibly initiate at sunset on Friday, August 21 if the sighting of the new moon is confirmed by two witnesses. In the purest sense, determining Elul 1 and the start of a month is not a mathematical function. The issue is a legal matter of truthful verification as far as God is concerned.
Deuteronomy 19:15 A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.
It is Jewish custom to blow a shofar (ram’s horn) one time every day during the season of Teshuvah. The trumpet is blown every day except Shabbat or the Sabbath (Saturday for us in western culture) and the last day of the month of Elul. The trumpet is blown after the morning service. The shofar is blown frequently…
The blowing of the shofar started with Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. The blowing of the shofar is associated with God descending to Mount Sinai and the gathering of nation Israel. This is where Moses is called to ascend the mountain to meet God (Exodus 19:13-19). This is when and where Israel received the law.
The blowing of a shofar signaled many things in Biblical times. The shofar blast was a call to war and the prospect of danger.
Joel 2:1 Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; surely it is near…
The shofar was a way to call soldiers. The trumpet preceded the Ark of the Covenant.
2 Samuel 6:15 So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.
The trumpet blast signified the beginning of the month (Numbers 10:10). Psalm 81:3-4 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. Some form of a trumpet blast(s) is used at Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement.
A trumpet blast also signals the beginning of Jubilee (Leviticus 25).
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One of the customs of Elul is to visit a cemetery. This is quite interesting in light of the Jewish belief that the resurrection of the dead will occur during the period of Teshuvah. Specifically, the resurrection of the dead is to occur on the new moon holiday of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah. Christians refer to Rosh Hashanah as the Feast of Trumpets.
Orthodox Jews do not believe in Jesus Christ let alone the New Testament. Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians would confirm their tradition.
1 Corinthians 15:52b at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Luke 1:16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God…
And he will turn… ἐπιστρέφω/epistrephó in the Greek. As defined by Strong’s Concordance, the term means to return. Thayer’s Lexicon interprets the idea as to cause to return, to bring back, to turn oneself about, or come back. The idea is in a literal, physical sense. Stop going in the path one is taking. Turn and go in a different direction.
This term is used 36 times in the New Testament. Below are a few examples how ἐπιστρέφω/epistrephó is utilized.
Luke 2:39 When they had performed everything according to the Law of theLord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth.
Matthew 12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.
2 Peter 2:22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”
People were going the wrong way and had left the God of Israel. The angel Gabriel is telling Zechariah the priest his son to be, John the Baptist, will be the reason fellow country men will return to God.
Return to the Lord. To the Jew, this is the concept of Teshuvah. In our western world, the term we are familiar with is “repent”.
Teshuvah is a time to turn toward God. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. Let go of the ways of the world. It is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin to obedience in God’s word. Return to God and His ways. This is not a warm and fuzzy spiritual word that causes your stomach to flutter or hair to stand on your neck. There should be some conviction. Be honest. Right is right and wrong is wrong. We can all do better. Prepare and turn to God with a joyful heart.
Teshuvah is a 40 day period in the late summer of the year. This is the season to prepare for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur.
Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of the religious calendar. Elul 1 marks the beginning of Teshuvah. The 40 day period of Teshuvah ends on Tishri 10 in the Hebrew calendar, Yom Kippur.
Luke 1:26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth…
In the Hebrew, Gabriel means “man of El” or “man of God”. Some also interpret the name to mean “God is my strength”.
A time point is given in the verse above, the sixth month. So what is the sixth month on a Hebrew calendar? After all, the Jewish people keep two calendars, a civil and spiritual calendar. In today’s 21st century world, Israel follows a civil calendar and the Jewish New Year takes place in the fall on Rosh Hashanah in the month of Tishri.
God has other instructions. He made the directions very clear to Moses. God states the first month of the year is Nisan in the spring. Moses was to proclaim this calendar to the people of Israel. God’s New Year begins in and around spring.
Exodus 12:2 This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.
The Lord makes further notations regarding time when it comes to the Fall Feasts. His Fall Appointments begin in the seventh month, Tishri.
Numbers 29:1a ‘Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation… .
See also Leviticus 23:23-25.
As God defines and keeps time, the month before the seventh month of Tishri is the sixth month of Elul. The Hebrew month of Elul typically lines up with the Gregorian month of August on a western calendar.
Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
The focus in the prophetic verse above is on the word “branch”. The Hebrew word is netzer. It is the netzer or branch or offspring who will bear fruit.
The Hebrew term netzer is transliterated to the Greek term Nazara, Nazaret, or Nazareth.
The town of Nazareth is specifically mentioned only in the New Testament and this occurs 6 times.
John 1:46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Back in the day, Nazareth was not exactly held in high esteem by the people of Israel. Morality was not a strength of the locals. God the Father had His chosen Son come from the worthless, country, hick town of Nazareth.
Let there be no doubt. The people identified Nazareth with Jesus. Nazareth was Jesus’ home town.
Matthew 21:11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Even the spirits and demons knew Jesus came from Nazareth.
Mark 1:24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”
Luke 4:34 “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”
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Gabriel is an angel, a messenger of God. He is going to the countryside town of Nazareth, which means “branch”. He was sent late in the summer when the region is hot and dry and plants struggle to survive. The Hebrew month of Elul is a call to attention. Repent and return to God. Seek His Word. Gabriel is delivering a message of hope to Israel and this little town…
The Hebrew month of Elul initiates a 40 day period called Teshuvah. This is the Hebrew word for “repent”. It is a time to turn toward God. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. It is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin to obedience in God’s word. Return to God and His ways.
This is the season to prepare for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur. The 40 day period of Teshuvah ends on Tishri 10 in the Hebrew calendar, Yom Kippur.
Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of the religious calendar. Elul 1 marks the beginning of Teshuvah. On a Gregorian calendar in the year 2019, this would be Sunday, September 1st or Monday the 2nd depending on when the new moon is confirmed by two witnesses.
It is Jewish custom to blow a shofar (ram’s horn) one time every day during the season of Teshuvah. The trumpet is blown every day after the morning service except Shabbat or the Sabbath (Saturday for us in western culture) and the last day of month of Elul.
So what does Jesus and His ascension have to do with Teshuvah? Granted, Christ ascended in the spring, not in late summer or early fall.
There are some interesting similarities. For one, Christ traveled around the Jerusalem area for 40 days after His resurrection. 40 days is the length of Teshuvah. He proved He had overcome death to many. Jesus had dealt with sin. Jesus spent those 40 days preaching the Kingdom of God. He was turning others to the future in preparation to meet God.
Acts 1:3 He presented Himself alive to them after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
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Yes, Jesus was sinless. He set the model for how we should repent and turn to our Heavenly Father. Christ completed His work on a sinful Earth and returned to His Father in a Holy Heaven. Even the perfect Son returned to His Father. Currently, He is face to face at the right hand of His Abba.
Acts 1:9 And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.
Two thousand years ago, the apostles were questioned for looking to Heaven. The Spirit was soon to come to Earth. There was and is work to complete.
Now is the time to return to Jesus. His cross work paid for the sins of the whole world. All one has to do is believe in Him and His effort. One way or another, the time is drawing near when we will all have the opportunity to return to Him.
Acts 1:11 …and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”
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