Beginnings and Endings
Today I’m going to give a little insight into God’s time and how the trumpet or shofar is interwoven into God’s time. It has to do with how I believe God measures time from a Scriptural view.
God’s time is measured in endings and beginnings, not beginnings and endings. For something to begin, something must first end.
Let’s look at Genesis 1:1 to begin with.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (NASB95)
Let’s stop right there. There is a whole truckload of information in those ten words.
“In the beginning God…”. This indicates that before the beginning there was only God who exists the eternal, supernatural realm. The physical, natural realm in which we reside did not exist because God had not created it yet. So, there was a period in which there was only the eternal state. When God spoke creation into existence (time, matter, and space) there was a “capsule” of the physical state created within the eternal state that we know as time. So, the period in the eternal state where there was no physical state ended, and the period where the physical state was established within the eternal state began.
Time, as we know time, was birthed by an ending that had no beginning and will die with a beginning that has no end. It began with an ending when God brought time into being. The eternal had no beginning but the eternal where there was no time or physical realm ended. However, the eternal continues intact. Time, as we know time ,will end at a trumpet blast ushering in a beginning that will have no end.
Why is that important? When we can identify endings and beginnings in the Bible, then we can not only identify God’s time and His season but how God works in His time and in His seasons. How do we do that? It is very clear with very simple reading.
Numbers 10:9 tells us that we sound the trumpet on our day of gladness, the new moon which is the beginning of every month on God’s Ecclesiastical Calendar, and on the Feast Days.
David tells us in 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.” Psalm 81:3-4
Now you may say, “Yeah, but that’s for the Jews.” To which I reply, “Is it?”
Notice two words in verse 4. Those words are “statute” and “ordinance”. Remember when I was talking about the meaning of the word “shofar” and showed you the meaning in Hebrew in comparison to English? This is another one of those situations.
At first glance, “statute” and “ordinance” appear to be one and the same. However, they are NOT the same. A “statute” is a law. In our country we have laws and if we do not obey those laws, we suffer penalties, fines, and imprisonment.
“Yeah, but we have overcome the law through grace.” You may say. You would be correct, to an extent. The blood of Jesus Christ overcame the law for the sake of righteousness. I’ll say that again, for the sake of righteousness. We are not made righteous by the law. We are made righteous by the blood of Christ.
Now pay particular close attention to “ordinance”. What is an ordinance? Is it law? No, it isn’t law. Laws can be fulfilled, amended, or repealed. An ordinance is a final judgment. It is final decision. Communion is an ordinance. Marriage between one man and one woman is an ordinance. It does not change, ever.
Notice that sounding the trumpet at the New Moon (the beginning of every month), the Full Moon (the middle of each month) and on the Feast days is a statute for Israel. It is an ordinance of the God of Jacob. Jacob was Israel’s name before God named him Israel. That means it is an ordinance of Hebrew, Israel, Jews, and Gentile. Are you going to burn in hell if you don’t believe that or put it into practice?
No. But I believe that it Pleases the Father to remember His ordinances and put them into practice as a matter of remembrance of what He has done in His time. What do I mean by that?
Let’s look at how time plays out. The shofar sounds at the new moon or the first day of the month on God’s Ecclesiastical Calendar. We are in the month of Elul currently. However, the shofar ushers out the month of Ab (Av) and ushers in the new month of Elul. This is a time of worship and thanksgiving. God has provided for us during the previous month and we should be thankful. On the other hand, we are going into a new month and we should be seeking His blessings and favor. How do we do that? One way is that we remember His ordinances and understand that they serve as a reminder of something God has done for Israel and for us. We remember what God has done in the past and acknowledge, joyfully, that He is still capable and willing to do so in the present. However, obedience is key. “I am Holy. You be Holy.”
The full moon is another matter. It was a time in which the “first fruits” of the new month are brought before God as an offering. Or, at least, it was. Today the full moon is a reminder, a monthly reminder, of the offering and Sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach. The full moon was when He was crucified. On the fourteenth day of the first month of Nisan. The same day as the LORD’S Passover in Exodus. The same day God provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice in place of Isaac. It is a time each month of remembrance, and we should remember, lest we forget. Never, in God’s Word are we told to celebrate Easter or the Resurrection. We should remember and know that multiple times we are told and instructed to remember the Lord’s Passover. The full moon is a monthly reminder of our Lord and Savior’s death. It is a reminder of our deliverance.
The Lord’s Passover and the Feast of Unleavened bread are statutes but, believe it or not, they are also ordinances. As are the other feasts and the Day of Atonement. Is that to say that we are to observe the Feasts in strict Hebrew or Jewish fashion? No, not necessarily. They are, however, events on God’s timeline. We should at least remember what God has done in times past, and when He did them. He is fully able, capable, and willing to do in the present and future. God is not dead. God is not defunct. God lives and He is the ever present, all knowing, all powerful God now that He has been since He spoke creation into existence. God dictates time and how it will play out, not man.
And believe it or not, the beautiful fulfillment of understanding of God’s love for us is NOT just found at the cross. No, it can be found throughout the entire Bible! It ALL points to the cross! The cross is the culmination of His love for us! If you want to gain a full understanding of the cross, learn the Old Testament! Therein, you receive the whole picture of, not a promised land, but the promise of an inheritance in a kingdom!
However, far too many souls take their burden and lay it at the foot of the cross, as they should. But they never take another step further and that saddens me. Why? Because there is so much more joy and promise if you continue past the cross. We have a future! Our future is not hanging on a cross. It’s in a kingdom! Our King is coming! He shall sound the trumpet of God, the dead shall rise, we shall meet him, He is coronated KING at the shofar blast! What a beautiful picture! Do you remember that the word “shofar” is the root word from which the Hebrew word “beautiful” comes from?
How do we get there without fear, worry, and doubt in the present days? By understanding that God has set up His time and measures His time with little endings and beginnings.
What ending are you currently living? What is the next beginning in your life? What has to end before that new beginning can manifest? These are questions only you can answer but answer them prayerfully and in the presence of God. That is teshuva. That is what this month of Elul is for. Shalom!
I am The Old Watchman, Ezekiel.
