The Jewish New Year is about much more than just a fresh release of revelation and prophetic words for the upcoming season… the Lord is prompting us to use it as the impetus to pause and reflect in order to prepare our hearts in anticipation of new levels of glory.
(Graphic by James Nesbit: via Chuck D. Pierce, GOZ International)
Pause and Reflect
This year Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Jewish New Year, begins in the evening of Friday, September 18th and ends in the evening of Sunday, September 20th. It is the first of the three major fall feasts on the Jewish religious calendar, followed by The Day of Atonement and The Feast of Tabernacles. Even if you don’t celebrate or follow the Jewish feasts, there is great prophetic significance to these feasts, with much accompanying activity in the heavens, as together these last three major fall feasts prophesy, or point toward, the Lord’s second coming—just as the first four major feasts prophesied (and were fulfilled by) Jesus’ first coming.
The Jewish New Year creates a great opportunity to pause and reflect. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah is also called “The Day of the Sounding of the Shofar” (The Feast of Trumpets), “The Day of Remembrance,” and “The Day of Judgment.” Each of these names signifies important aspects behind the divine purpose in designing the change to a new civil calendar year.
The Feast of the Blowing of Trumpets is also known as the Day of an Awakening Blast (see Isa. 51:9, 60:1; see also Rev. 11:15-18). Paul associated an awakening blast on the shofar (trumpet) with repentance for sin and quoted Isaiah 60:1 in Ephesians 5:14-17. According to Jewish tradition it is a day for initiation and renewal, for reconciling oneself to God and to your fellow man, and a day for rededication and recommitment to God and His ways.
Rosh Hashanah also traditionally deals with divine remembrance, with several books opened by God on this day, one being the Book of Remembrance (see Mal. 3:16). It also ties in with the judgment and rewarding of believers. The Day of Remembrance was a day for Israel to remember God, who He is, and all that He does, and in reciprocity God remembers His people.
It is also on this day that the Book of Life is opened, at which time God holds a trial. Hence, it is called The Day of Judgment because it was known as a time when a heavenly court sits to review each person’s life. Obviously, repentance then becomes extremely important in association with this feast.
The specific Scripture the Lord gave me in preparation for this New Year was 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NKJV): “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God…” Of course, in this Scripture the blowing of trumpets is clearly associated with Christ’s second coming, but it should also remind us of the need to awaken and repent.
Imagine… if these elements of the new year are relevant today, and God were to review your last year, and based upon that release you into a new level of destiny for the upcoming year—would you change anything, repent of anything, rededicate or recommit to anything?
Friends, the Jewish New Year is about much more than just a fresh release of revelation and prophetic words for the upcoming season. The Jewish New Year is also a great opportunity to pause and reflect.
A Train Bound for Revival
For years now, the Lord has been speaking to me about the release of new levels of glory. Then recently, I experienced a visionary encounter. It was as if a veil had been pulled back and I was able to experience different levels, or realms of glory. Before each new level could be entered there was a type of decompression, or preparation necessary—somewhat like when a diver decompresses to avoid getting the bends. Throughout this experience the Lord showed me that in a spiritual sense, there’s a need to become acclimated to increasing levels of glory in order to be able to survive.
Since then, the Lord revealed to me that in that vision He’d given me a glimpse of the glory train, and that the foundation (or tracks) has been laid and that this train is bound, or aimed straight into revival! Immediately this brought to mind the prophetic vision Bob Jones had in 2009, in which the Lord showed him a train—a glory train—that was headed to any city that wants it!
In a play on words, you could say Isaiah, too, saw the “glory train.” When he was commissioned he saw “the train” of the Lord’s robe filling the temple. He had to be acclimated to the glory by having a live coal placed to his lips. Daniel is another example. He had to be supernaturally revived when he encountered the glory in his vision of the Glorious Man (Isa. 6:1-8; Dan. 10:5-11). Scripture supports that encountering greater glory requires acclimation or preparation.
Friends, I believe many of the trials and tribulations you’ve been experiencing have been for the purpose of acclimating you to handle greater levels of glory—realms you would not be able to survive had you not been prepared in advance. I also believe the Lord is prompting us to use the New Year as the impetus to pause and reflect in order to prepare our hearts in anticipation of new levels of glory.
“All aboard!” This train is bound for revival!
The Year of the Mega
In a previous word I shared how I heard the Lord say, “It’s the year of the ‘mega.’” I continue to believe one aspect of this is that we are about to experience the largest move of God ever seen—a “mega” move of God. In addition there are several more components He has shown me about the “mega.”
I heard the Lord say that it will be a year of extravagant, but effective ministry. The word “extravagant” has several possible connotations or meanings—some are negative and some positive. Negative meanings would include extravagant spending for example, or lacking restraint, or exceeding what is reasonable or appropriate, absurd.
On the flip side, however, are extreme behaviors done for a particular positive benefit or productive effect. Extreme worship, for instance, or extreme devotion, loyalty, courage, or generosity would all be examples of this. We know that David worshipped with extravagance, and Mary gave extravagantly when she poured expensive oil on Jesus’ feet (2 Sam. 6:14-16; John 12:3).
In a recent dream I saw an extremely wealthy woman give 200 small airplanes to a larger ministry network, intended for use in associated global ministry sites. Friends, get ready to see mega ministry for positive benefit, including extravagant giving and extravagant donations. Pretty exciting if you have a non-profit, church or ministry!
I also hear the Lord saying that it is the year of the “mega voice,” or “megaphone.” Interestingly, another term for “megaphone” is “speaking-trumpet.” The purpose of a megaphone is to amplify a person’s voice and direct it in a targeted direction for increased effectiveness.
As we enter the Jewish year 5781, we are still early in the decade of the letter “Pey,” which has the numeric value of 80, and for which the primary meaning is “mouth,” and by extension “word,” “vocalization,” “expression,” or “speech.”
Friends, I see a certain prophetic significance to this in a time when facemasks have become mandatory and necessary to enter a store. Don’t let the enemy (Satan) muzzle your voice! It is the Lord’s voice that thunders at the head of His army, and that gives us the strength to execute His word (Joel 2:11). He wants your voice to be amplified—not muffled or silenced in this coming year.
Isaiah 40:8-9 (NKJV) says: “… the word of our God stands forever. O Zion, you who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength. Lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’”
Determine in this year of the mega to be a “speaking-trumpet” of truth for the kingdom, and to “lift up your voice with STRENGTH!!”
Posted on The Elijah List.
Diane is a writer, speaker and minister ordained with both Christian International and Generals International. Her articles are regularly featured on The Elijah List, as well as platforms like Charisma Magazine, Charisma News, Intercessors For America and others. She and her husband, Allen, co-founded Starfire Ministries with a vision to see the kingdom established beyond the four walls of the traditional church. They host a podcast with Charisma Podcast Network, and serve as Church Mountain, Regional, and Montana Coordinators for the Reformation Prayer Network, and as Media Mountain Leader/Facilitators for C.I.’s Culture Influencers.
