Yom Kippur has been observed by the Jews annually as the most holy day on their calendar for thousands of years. It is a time for personal reflection, but it is also the time when God looks at the nation of Israel as a whole. His eye is on His people in a specific place called Jerusalem, the city of David. This is the city that God has chosen in the earth realm for the seat of His Kingdom government.
Keeping in mind that the Blowing of the Shofar 10 days prior was meant to awaken the hearts of the people and cause them to remember that the Messiah is coming soon, this day is a reminder of the final day of Judgment at Christ’s return. As Christians, our individual salvation has been assured through the blood of Christ. At first glance, the message of this feast might look similar to Passover. However, the focus of this feast is national repentance. Certainly, there are messianic Jews today who are assured of their salvation. Yet, the nation of Israel still hangs in the balance. There are many prophecies throughout the Bible that speak of the judgments against Israel and the restoration that will be given to her at the end. They are a constant reminder of the severity of judgment that awaits her as a nation. God has a people, and He has a place, land – a physical place on the earth. He promises to renew hearts, but He also promises to renew the land, to make it flourish and bring forth its fruit.
The Jews have gone through many cycles of judgment and deliverance. During certain periods of history, they rebelled against the Lord. God would discipline them, and then they would return to the Lord. Generations later, they would again find themselves reaping the whirlwind of discipline, each time getting more severe. The Book of Judges shows the pattern that runs throughout the Old Testament.
What God does to Israel, He does to all nations just to a lesser degree. America is facing the same kind of judgment and blessing cycle promised to Israel. This year the feasts have a heightened significance because God is looking deeply at our nation. He sees many of His people crying out for Him, but He also sees many that are complacent and disbelieving. The Feast of Trumpets is about awakening a sleeping people. I don’t believe it’s coincidence that Donald Trump is being used by God to awaken this nation. For over a year, his anti-establishment stance has created chaos in the political arena. It is God’s mercy that we break out of our religious thinking and be awakened to reality as God sees it. We have been a nation of complacent, comfort-loving people. Even Trump said to the Christian leaders that met with him that we (the Church) had become soft. If we are sons and daughters of God, shouldn’t we behave and believe differently than the rest of the world? Before God seeks to awaken the world, He first wants to awaken those that are called by His Name.
The election is like the Day of Atonement this year for the USA. It is a day the gavel is going to fall and it’s going to signify the direction of nation either back toward God or further away from Him. The choice that America makes through her voting is rendering her own verdict. God has given us the choice. It takes all of us to come together in order to change the direction. By turning back to God, we can have great, wild hope for restoration of our lives and our nation. We can read all the restoration promises to Israel with a certainty that God will do the same for us, but if we turn away from Him and stick to our current path, judgment is going to be seen and felt to a great degree. And we have no one to blame but ourselves. God disciplines those He loves. He loves Israel and He has let her suffer in order to bring her back to Himself. America will be no different. We can choose to humble ourselves or be humbled.
Let us remember on this Day of Atonement and for the remaining 28 days till election day that we are determining our future and that of our generations. We have a huge responsibility to choose wisely. Let us pray from a place of humility and seek His face for His outcome for our nation.
Shalom.