Part 1
Good day or evening, wherever you are, in the name of the Lord. I’m Ty Alexander Huynh, Elder Minister and Teacher of Mashiach Yeshua – Christ Jesus. Welcome to this Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashana service, the first of a series focusing on the High Holidays or High Holy Days, which in Hebrew is called “The Days of Awe.”
If you’re unfamiliar with me or this ministry, I’ve worked since my earliest days of being called by the Lord towards exceptional discernment of truth and good teaching. You’ll find I focus on getting things correct, because the Lord has brought me to understand how truth and facts are twisted or misunderstood to create lies and false doctrine that has put the world and church in much misinformation and darkness.
Without good, correct teaching, the world and church will only continue to walk endlessly in the same errors of the past and present, so be mindful of details I bring up and do not be offended if I challenge your understanding of things. A good worker for the Lord will not be closed to correction, but examine all things closely and keep what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22).
I’ve noted in these days that many are seeking teachers for meat instead of the milk and overly sweetened truth that more often saturates ministry teaching everywhere. If it is strong meat you seek then you will find much sustenance here, but the Lord also did say to His disciples, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12), and Apostle Paul said, “[You were fed] with milk and not with meat, for you were not able to bear it, nor are you able to now” (1 Corinthians 3:2).
Why weren’t they ready for meat? It’s because, in Paul’s words, “You are yet carnal [or fleshy],” (1 Corinthians 3:3). In other words, your thinking is still too worldly to accept or understand certain truths. I’ve also found that people often reject strong meat, because of their attachment to false teaching, lies, and darkness. However, the Lord anointed me to break chains with the truth, so His body would be freed from the cancers that have spread throughout His People during the ages since the Garden of Eden up to now.
May you all be built up and encouraged by my efforts, and be ready for spiritual meat, as Christ said, “Labor not for the meat which perishes, but for meat that endures unto everlasting life” (John 6:27). He was speaking more specifically about following Him and being saved by the New Covenant in those words, but God’s meat also includes doing His will, as Yeshua - Jesus also said, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34).
And so, it goes with the primary focus for this service that it is God’s will we honor certain holidays. Yom Teruah or what most people call Rosh Hashana begins a series of holidays called the High Holy Days. They include Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot over the span of about a month.
You may wonder why I would do Christian services for what most people only consider to be Jewish holidays. But I want to remind you that in Christ, there is no longer Jew or Gentile; we are baptized into one body, made to drink of one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13); “There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free man, nor male or female; for we are all one in Mashiach Yeshua - Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Him, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise,” (Galatians 3:28-29) just as the Jews remain heirs of promise.
And so, we inherit the ancestry and traditions that God gave our Jewish brethren to steward, and in fact we have taken over stewardship of most of God’s kingdom responsibilities, which include looking after the history and holidays handed down through Moses and the throne of Judah. Remember too, most Christian brethren were wild olive branches grafted into the natural olive tree that God nurtured for His kingdom through the Jews (Romans 11:17-18). In fact, Paul said it is the natural olive roots that support the ingrafted branches, and so we should remember our Hebrew roots. This is also why I use God’s original Hebrew names and other Hebrew words. The words God gave to the prophets do not replace His name with Lord, but use His Hebrew name over 6000 times in the Old Testament. Your knowledge of God and His kingdom will not be complete if you do not know the names God gave and used for Himself in scripture.
Old Testament holidays should have been better preserved by the church, as well, but because of scripture saying that holidays are “a mere shadow of what is to come” (Colossians 2:17), and Paul rebuked believers, saying, “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I labored over you in vain” (Galatians 4:10).
These things seem to say we should not be concerned with celebrating holidays at all, though the church holds up many Christian holidays and left behind the holidays we inherited through Christ’s lineage. Did God mean for us to forget our Jewish roots?
I say, no, because if you look more closely at the scripture I quoted, Paul is not condemning all holidays or even Jewish ones. In Galatians 4, he is rebuking believers who went back to celebrating pagan traditions and festivals, because he told them before he condemns them for observing days, months, and seasons, “You were slaves to those which by nature are no gods” (Galatians 4:8). He is rebuking them for observing traditions from their idol worshipping past.
Furthermore, when Paul said holidays, sabbaths, etc. are only shadows of what is to come, he was not condemning the observance of Old Testament holidays or traditions. If you see his complete statement, he only stated we cannot be judged for observing or not observing them – “No one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day - things which are a mere shadow of what is to come” (Colossians 2:16).
So there is nothing in the New Testament stating we should forget or reject the Jewish holidays we inherited as a People of God. We are only not obligated to observe them anymore under a yoke of slavery. Still, Paul said these things are a shadow of what is to come, which suggests they have no importance. However, his reference to “what is to come” refers to a new age when observing traditions would be replaced with something else.
For today, though, and in the next age after the Lord’s return, holidays are still important. We can see that in Zechariah 14, where the festival of Sukkot or Tabernacles is observed and even mandated after the Lord’s return. “The Lord Yahovah will be king over all the earth; in that day Yahovah will be the only one, and His name the only one… Then it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahovah of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:9, 14:16).
So when the Lord returns, some Jewish traditions will come back and be enforced, as we see in Zechariah 14, families and nations that do not worship the Lord or celebrate Sukkot or Tabernacles will be cursed with drought (Zechariah 14:17-19). Strict enforcement of God’s statutes is why Christ’s Millennial Reign is ruled with rods of iron, which is stated three times in Revelation (Revelation 2:26-28, 12:5, 19:15).
Sukkot or Tabernacles is the last holiday I will talk about in this series, though. Today we celebrate Yom Teruah or Rosh Hashana. Its other names include the Feast of Trumpets/Shouting/or Sounding from Numbers 29:1, which uses the Hebrew word, teruah, meaning “to make a loud noise or shout,” typically with a trumpet or shofar [pick up shofar], like this, to signal joy, make a war cry, or most important for us - to anoint and acknowledge kings.
What about the new year? After all, Rosh Hashana means “Head of the Year,” and most Jews celebrate it as a new year. However, a new year is not the Biblical definition of Yom Teruah. The term “Rosh Hashana” only appears in scripture once in Ezekiel 40:1 where it is not related to a holiday. Outside the Bible, it is first recorded as a holiday in the Jewish oral tradition called the Mishnah, which dates to 200 A.D.
However, some believe Rosh Hashana became a new year holiday after the Babylonian exile when the Jews incorporated foreign culture into Judaism, like Babylonian and Persian holidays that often happened at the same time as Jewish ones[8, 20].
However, there were no ancient Babylonian or Persian New Year holidays at the same time as Yom Teruah or the High Holy Days. Their new years were celebrated around the spring equinox in March. The Rosh Hashana Jewish New Year may have come from a Jewish tradition that marks Yom Teruah as the time God created Adam and Eve, and therefore signifies a new beginning. Other Jewish traditions say Yom Teruah marks when God created the world[101].
The actual Jewish New Year is 14 days before Passover in the first Jewish month, which began when the Jews became a new independent nation after being freed from Egypt. Yom Teruah or Rosh Hashana happens on the first day of the seventh Jewish month, as noted in Leviticus 23 and Numbers 29. However for Yom Teruah, God only said there should be a holy gathering with a ritual offering, a Sabbath rest, and a reminder or memorial “teruah” – the blowing of trumpets and/or shouting. The Lord did not give a purpose for the holiday in scripture, but after exile in Babylon, Yom Teruah became a new year celebration with Rosh Hashana.
I believe the Lord omitted specifics for Yom Yeruah in scripture on purpose. He was reserving the memorial “teruah” or trumpet/shofar blowing and shouting for Christ, which is why I noted the importance of this in the anointment of kings. Yom Teruah is not meant to be a Jewish New Year, but is meant to acknowledge the new age of Christ’s anointment as King of kings and Lord of lords.
In fact, all the holidays in this series have a sequence that I will show align with the anointment, life, and ministry of Yeshua – Jesus, so be certain to see the whole series.
To celebrate Yom Teruah, a holy worship gathering is made, which is the purpose of this service. We will have some songs to sing, but a Sabbath rest and trumpet blowing is also stated in scripture, so I will blow the shofar or ram’s horn before the first song, which also serves to acknowledge and praise the Lord as King. A feast is not mandated in scripture, but it is typical to have a feast or celebration, so having a feast after this service is suggested.
As far as a Sabbath rest, I try not to schedule regular work for the day, but am not overly cautious about breaking the typical Jewish Sabbath rules. Remember we are not under a heavy yoke with Christ, and no one is to judge how we observe Sabbaths and holidays (Colossians 2:16).
I also do not observe typical Rosh Hashana, New Year type traditions on Yom Teruah, because many modern Jewish holidays were corrupted by overly religious rules that God never commanded and by pagan influences, which I noted with Rosh Hashana being influenced by Babylonian culture. If you acknowledge Christ as your Savior and as King of kings and Lord of lords, then Yom Teruah should be all about affirming that. The Lord did say the teruah or blowing of trumpets is a reminder or memorial, which I’ve been led to understand goes with celebrating the reign of our Lord in Mashiach Yeshua - Christ Jesus, now and forever.
Let us now stand for the teruah and sing to celebrate Mashiach Yeshua - Christ Jesus as King. Don’t go away after worship because we will continue talking about Yom Teruah afterwards and sing again at the end of service.
Give now all your focus to worshipping the Lord and acknowledging His reign in the name of Mashiach Yeshua – Christ Jesus. His Spirit be upon you all.
[shofar teruah]
Worship Songs
[Song for Yom Teruah]
[The Earth Is Yours]
Part 2
Before we begin the second part of this service, I’d like to remind you to support our work for God’s kingdom and help the needy with a donation at 3rdCompass.org/donate. Anything you can share will be much appreciated.
In the second half of this service, I will share something else extraordinary about Yom Teruah. Many believe this holiday was when Yeshua - Jesus was actually born, and He was conceived in the womb around Christmas. After some study, I believe this to be true, because two methods of determining our Savior’s birthday both align to point at Yom Teruah.
One by Ernest L. Martin uses an astronomical alignment given by the vision of the woman or Bride giving birth in Revelation 12, “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth” (Revelation 12:1-2).
Through his study of astronomy, Earnest found the depiction of the woman, sun, and moon in Revelation 12 actually happened with the constellation Virgo the Virgin, sun, and moon. They had the proper alignment as shown in Revelation 12 only on Yom Teruah in 3 or 2 B.C., which matches closely with the church’s estimates of when the Lord was born[10]. If you’re interested in the details, check out Ernest’s book, “The Star That Astonished The World.” It has many interesting facts affirming how God timed the stars and solar system to give signs and speak messages, for God said in Genesis, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14).
Earnest noted in his book prominent astronomical alignments that coincided with the coming of earthly kings, so why wouldn’t the Lord move the heavens to announce His Son, our King of kings and Lord of lords?
The other method of pinpointing the birth of Christ is through some things stated in the Gospel of Luke[11]. Christ was conceived in the womb during John the Baptist’s sixth month in the womb (Luke 1:26, 1:36), and John the Baptist was conceived when his father, Zacharias, ended his temple duties in the weekly priest rotation according to the divisions set by King David (1 Chronicles 24:3-19, 28:13; Luke 1:1-25).
Zacharias belonged to the priestly division of Abijah (Luke 1:5), which was the 8th scheduled division or week starting from the first Jewish month. That means Zacharias served around late May, so the archangel Gabriel told Mary of her virgin conception (Luke 1:26-38) late in December, and Yeshua – Jesus was born in September or October when Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot begin.
The birth of Christ on Yom Teruah being confirmed by these two ways do not surprise me, because I’ve seen the Lord line up events and the physical world, and even the stars to guide and convey messages in my own life of ministry. It makes sense Christ would be anointed King at His birth and that Yom Teruah was meant to memorialize it.
However, there is no mention of Yom Teruah or trumpets being blown at Yeshua – Jesus’s birth in the New Testament. That only makes Christ like King David, who was a pre-embodiment of Christ, and who also did not get a trumpet blowing when the Lord selected and anointed him king (1 Samuel 16:12-13). Both of them were anointed king in secret, because the sitting kings sought to kill them and wanted to keep the throne. David had to run and hide from King Saul just as Yeshua – Jesus had to run and hide from King Herod.
If Yeshua – Jesus was born on Yom Teruah, why then did the Lord let the church be misled about Christmas being all about His birth? There have been many dark forces in the church that kept her in misinformation and false teaching, but it was the Lord’s will the weeds or tares of the enemy remain planted in His kingdom, according to the Parable of the Tares and Wheat in Luke 13.
But now, at the end of the age, God is calling His People to greater discernment and to come out of darkness and false teachings and their institutions, but that is something I will discuss more at other times.
For the mixing up of Yom Teruah and Christmas, I was guided to understand God allowed Christmas to be linked to the birth of Christ, so that the focus for Yom Teruah would be on the Lord reigning as our mature, anointed Sovereign, while the focus on the infant Yeshua – Jesus may remain for Christmas.
Remember these things when you celebrate the holidays. Old traditions can be very hard to change or be rid of. A reason is because many people link traditions to their identity and culture and so killing them is like committing suicide, but as a People of God, we should not make any particular denomination or sect of tradition or any man-made traditions sacred when they did not come from God.
When the Lord returns, He will make absolutely clear what traditions and commands we ought to hold sacred, but for now we can only be rid of things that have proved to be incorrect and tainted by darkness.
A Jewish tradition that is proper for Yom Teruah is to reflect on the past in preparation for the next High Holiday, Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement[101], when our actions and sins are reflected upon and atoned for. In that spirit, I will end this service with a note to prepare for the next service and Yom Kippur in the next week. Begin to think about mistakes that could have been avoided, the consequences of sin and bad choices, and what you wish to be freed and healed of in the next service.
The Lord of all comfort guide you and bless you in wisdom and peace, through Mashiach Yeshua – Christ Jesus. Amen.
Let us end this service with a song. Your Yom Teruah and week be blessed and the Lord’s Spirit be upon you in Mashiach Yeshua – Christ Jesus. Amen.
Worship Song
[Come Thou Fount]
Closing Comments
Thank you all for taking part in this service. Before you sign off, may you please support our work and help those in need with a donation at
3rdCompass.org/donate. There is a link on the page for this service. Anything you can provide will be much appreciated with gratitude and blessings in the name of the Father Yahovah, the Son, Yeshua – Jesus, and the Ruach Kodesh – Holy Spirit. Amen. See you next time.
References
[8] Gordon, Nehemia. "How Yom Teruah Became Rosh Hashana". Makor Hebrew Foundation. 2020 Sep. 14. Retrieved 2020 Sep. 16.
<https://www.nehemiaswall.com/yom-teruah-day-shouting-became-rosh-hashanah>
[11] Unknown Author. YahuahKingdom.com
<http://www.yahuahkingdom.com/uploads/8/3/6/9/8369443/yahusha_birthday.pdf>
[20] "History and Significance of Rosh Hashanah". History.com. Retrieved 2020 Sep. 16.
<https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/rosh-hashanah-history>
[101] "How to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah". wikiHow.com. Retrieved 2020 Sep. 16.
https://www.wikihow.com/Celebrate-Rosh-Hashanah
