Helmut & Erika Loeffler
P.O. Box 37194, Jerusalem 91371, Israel
heloeffl@netvision.net.il ; http://www.mzci.org
Tel: +972-77-962-1089 Mobile: +972-54-583-1049


יום ראשון 28 ספטמבר 2008

From Jerusalem, the city of the Great King, we greet you and all who are assembled today for this special Mount Zion Center Erev Rosh HaShanah celebration!

The Feast of Rosh Hashannah or the Feast of Trumpets as it is called in the Torah is a very special Feast of Adonai. Much of the importance of this Feast is placed on ‘Repentance’ as it is the first of the “Ten Days of Awe” in preparation for “Yom Kippur” or the “Day of Atonement”.

In the Mishnah or more precisely in the Talmud tractate on Rosh Hashanah it states that three books of account are opened on Rosh Hashanah, wherein the fate of the wicked, the righteous, and those of an intermediate class are recorded. The names of the righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life, and they are sealed "to live." The middle class are allowed a respite of ten days, until Yom Kippur, to repent and become righteous; the wicked are "blotted out of the book of the living."

Aren’t we glad that Yeshua’s sacrifice at the cross made a way for each of us to be among the “righteous” and thus inscribed in the book of life and sealed to live! Thank God, we are either “in” or “out”…there is nothing we can do ourselves to be written in the book of life. Yeshua did it all! Hallelujah!

What can we learn from scripture about the Feast of Trumpets?

In 1. Kings 8 we read that Solomon completed the House of the Lord and then inaugurated it on the “Feast” in the month of Ethanim or Tishri which is the 7th month. The “Feast” consists of three parts, Trumpets, Kippur and Tabernacles. The preparation for the inauguration must have really been something! It says, King Solomon slaughtered so many animals, they “could not be told nor numbered for multitude”. This must have been the greatest blood-flow in history! A busy time but also full of excitement and joy.

The sound of the blowing the shofar on the Feast of Trumpets reminds us of:

· The sound of a King's coronation

· The wailing of a Jewish heart

· A spiritual wake-up call for Jews to repent

· Abraham's great faith in God.

Solomon acknowledged God as the ‘Ruler’ over Israel and the whole world. Solomon desired that all the people would be forgiven implying that they first would repent.

Now that the temple was completed, all Israel must have been excited and full of joy from that first day of the month, the “Day of blowing the Shofar” to the last day of Tabernacles, “Simcha Torah”.

For us believers in Yeshua, it is a truly exciting time also; because the preparations are ongoing for Israel’s coronation of the soon coming King; it’s accepting Him and repenting for having rejected Him for so long. Even the natural city of Jerusalem is being built up; everywhere we see new building rising like mushrooms from the ground; a new rail is being readied throughout the city to transport all the people who will come to honor the King in His city, Jerusalem.

Shana Tova V'Chatima Tova.


Revs. Helmut & Erika Loeffler
Mount Zion Center
Manila / Jerusalem

Rosh Hashana Invite

Our teacher who will lecture on the topic of the Feast is Michael Millier. He is from California, United States and born again in 1978 while serving as an Active Duty Marine in Okinawa, Japan. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in World Missions from Toccoa Falls College in the U.S. and later received a Masters of Arts Degree in Hebrew Bible Translation from Jerusalem University College in Israel. While in Jerusalem, Michael and his family worshipped and served with Jewish believers in Jesus in Kehillat Ro’eh Yisra’el (Shepherd of Israel Congregation). He moved with his family to the Philippines since 2004.

UPDATES

Please Register early. We are limited to only 50 participants. We encourage everyone who has a shofar to bring them and join in the blowing during the service.

The fee that will be charged per person will cover for the dinner that will be served. The menu consists of rosh hashana rice, beef kebab, israeli salad, felafel & pita bread, honey cake, apples & honey, and wine & challah.

There is an error in the contact number published. Our landline is 436-8398 instead of 4628398.

Roger Walkwitz

Life Story or Roger & Naomi Walkwitz dramatized and featured in "Unshackled" Radio Broadcast.