The 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 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. 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.
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 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.
This year, 5782/2022, the start of Elul will begin at the sighting of the sliver of the new moon by two witnesses. It is estimated to be observed at sun set from possibly Saturday, August 27 to Monday, August 29.
Cultural customs per http://www.jewfaq.org, http://www.myjewishlearning.com .
This year, 5782/2022, the season of Teshuvah is unique and exceptional.
The end of the month of Elul marks the end of a sabbatical or shemitah year. On a western Gregorian calendar, that is Sunday, September 25 to Tuesday, September 27, 2022. Remember, the new month, and in this case the new civil year, is decreed upon the confirmation of the new moon by two witnesses. Historically, God releases debt on the last day of the last year of a seven year cycle.
Deuteronomy 15:1-2 At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts. This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the LORD’S remission has been proclaimed.
Historically, this is not a good omen for economic markets. If history is any indicator, fasten your seat belts. The land completes its rest on approximately Sunday, September 25 to Tuesday, September 27, 2022 pending two witnesses confirming the new moon. God is going into action and debt will be released. Keep your eyes on the markets. Planet Earth is likely to get even more interesting. Like we do not have enough to be concerned about already.
Time will tell…
