Leviticus 23:23-55: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto
the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day
of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of
trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but
ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Numbers 29:1-6: And in the seventh month, on the first
day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no
servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. And ye shall
offer a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD; one young
bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish: And
their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth
deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram, And one tenth deal
for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: And one kid of the goats for a
sin offering, to make an atonement for you: Beside the burnt offering of
the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his
meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner,
for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.
I have long wondered why the New Year according to
anyone's calendar would be the first day of the seventh month... and then
it dawned on me! Being the seventh month would give it the symbology of
being a Sabbath-month. And, being a month that contains three major
feasts and festivals, it is indeed a Sabbath-month!
Rosh Hashanah marks the day that Israel, led by Moses,
crossed the Red Sea and began a new life as a free nation. It marks the
beginning of freedom and rest from the slavery and servitude of the
world, just as the Sabbath marks a repose or rest from the world on the
seventh day of every week. Suddenly it seems right to celebrate the
beginning of the seventh month.
Additionally, Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the
Almighty's restoring His word and covenants with mankind as well as His
once more speaking to mankind.
The day is marked with the blowing of the shofar; the
long horn, or trump, made from a sheep's horn. It was also marked with
more then usual sacrifices than the sacrifices for the other first day
of the month sacrifices (See NEW MOONS.)
Rosh Hashanah also marks the beginning of the "High Holy
Days", also called the "Days of Awe", which take up most of this sacred
month. This holy day (holiday) time period
includes not only Rosh Hashanah but the Day of Atonement and the Feast
of Tabernacles.
To members of the Latter-Day Saint Church, it is of
note that the ancient record from which the Book of Mormon was
translated was given to the young Joseph Smith to take home and
translate on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. To Latter-day Saints the Book of
Mormon, besides being an additional book of scripture, symbolizes that
the Almighty is set to gather His people once more, to reveal His word
and will and covenants, and to speak with them once more. It is
a pleasant thought that every time I pass a Latter-day Saint temple and
see the statue of an angel blowing a trumpet way high up on the the top
of the temple's spire, Rosh Hashanah is somehow being remembered.