I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and Merry Christmas! It is a bit early and backward to celebrate the New Year and Christmas in September and October. However, I am referring to the Jewish holy days and not the Roman calendar. According to God's time, the Jewish New Year is September 24-26 (1st-2nd of Tishri), Day of Atonement is October 3-4 (10th of Tishri) and Tabernacles/Christmas is October 8-9 (15th of Tishri).

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall you  have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation (Leviticus 23:24).

The religious year starts in the spring but the civil year starts in the fall. On Rosh Hashanah, a year is added to the calendar. The Jewish new year is 5775 AM (anno mundi or years from the creation of the world) but about 214 years are missing. If the cross of Jesus Christ occurred between 27-33 AD then we are about 1981 to 1987 years from redemption and 5981 to 5987 years from creation. Despite calendar errors, we are getting close to the Rapture of the Church.

Our Bible starts with "In the beginning, God …" but Genesis literally starts with "On the first of Tishri". The Jews celebrate the anniversary of the creation of the world and birth of Adam. They eat apples dipped in honey and greet one another with "L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu" or "May you be written (in the Book of Life) for a good year." The Feast of Trumpets is a time to reflect, ask forgiveness and prepare one's heart for the Day of Atonement.

As the Jews celebrate the holy days of Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles, we look forward to the Rapture and Second Coming. We remember the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ as God tabernacled with us and look to His future reign on earth. See First Coming.

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 4-6).

The Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah or the head of the year. No one knows the day or the hour until the new crescent moon appears in the late afternoon sky. Two witnesses testify before the Sanhedrin (Jewish congress) and the new month and new year are proclaimed to start that evening. According to NASA, the astronomical new moon (no moon) is on September 24 at 9:14 AM Jerusalem times. Since it takes at least sixteen hours for the crescent moon to be visible, the first day of the new year begins at sunset (6:32 PM IDT or 11:32 AM EDT) on September 25 and ends at sunset on September 26. Since we are children of the light and God told us the 1st of Tishri, we are not surprised when Jesus Christ returns for His Church.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The Bible refers to the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) as the day of blowing the trumpets or day of shouting. In the synagogue, a shofar (ram's horn) is blown one hundred times with various sounds (Tekiah, Shevarim and Teruah). The last trump is called the Tekiah Gedolah. When Paul wrote about the Rapture, he described the last trump on the Feast of Trumpets.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump [Tekiah Gedolah]: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (1 Corinthians 15:52).

Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!

Note: On October 8 or the 15th of Tishri (Tabernacles/Christmas) is a total eclipse of the moon. It is centered over the Pacific Ocean but eastern Asia, Australia and North America will be able to see part of the eclipse between 3:15 to 8:33 AM EDT. This is the third of twelve eclipses on Jewish holy days in 2014-2016. See Blood Moons.

References: 21st Century Revelation: World Wars, Iraq Wars & End Wars Chapter 11 - The Feast of Trumpets, Phases of the Moon