Footnotes are located at the end of this article.
Although the Christian religion, generally speaking, is thought to be based upon all of the Hebrew Holy Writings, its leaders in Christianity have redefined its doctrines so that they are quite distinct from the traditions taught by the leaders of the Jews, and as taught by the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Merrill F. Unger asserts in Unger's Bible Dictionary (1) that Christian theologians maintain that there is only one general judgment. He then defines eight specific points of judgment, but nowhere does he quote the Law of Moses concerning the principle of a "judgment day."
The Christian religion in the mainstream holds the doctrine of supercessionism which sets aside many of the principle "stones" of the true foundation laid in the Hebrew holy Writings. Consequently the possibility of having to face a literal judgment day is taken lightly in the majority of the Christian names and denomination of religion.
The Jewish people have always been aware of the "judgment day." For the observant Jew, it is an annual day of assessment of sins, fasting and repentance, and prayer. The day is governed by the law of the LORD Who requires every man to afflict himself, lest he be cut off and destroyed from among the people; and forever lose his inheritance in the land. The day appointed for the nation's judgment falls in the month, Ethanim, now known as Tishri. (This judgment period is typically an annual event, not the daily prayer times for the cleansing of the "vessel".) The month Tishri roughly corresponds to late September and early October of the Roman (2) calendar the world now follows.
The month of Tishri is marked by a number of momentous observances:
1) It is the month beginning the civil new year; Rosh Hashanah. The
trumpets are blown on the first day. See Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1-2.
2) Yom Kippur, the day of atonement occurs on the tenth day of the month; the law requires the observance of this fast day (3) The day marks the first day of the jubilee years.
3) On the fifteenth through the twenty-first days, the feast of Succoth is observed. The week marks the ingathering of the sons of Israel to rejoice in the commemorating their safe escape from Egyptian bondage. On the last day (4) the twenty-second, a holy assembly is convened in order to "proclaim," Leviticus 23:21,36, undoubtedly to "proclaim" the good news of their deliverance from sin. (5)
This is the manner in which Israel is taught from the Law to look at (to observe) the day of judgment in the month Tishri.
In addition, the feast of the Dedication is observed on the twenty-third day of Tishri. It recalls the first temple's dedication, and the completion of the Law. The event is not a legal holiday, but is still a joyous occasion for things dedicated (6) to the LORD.
There is no indication in the writings of the "New Testament" Christian writings that the "looking for of judgment" (7) is in any manner to be changed (or averted) for observance at time of the coming new dispensation. As a matter of fact in the preaching to the nations, (first done by the O.T. prophets!), the vengeance of the LORD against evil-doers toward His chosen people is taught as a certain thing, sure to come about.
In the teaching of Jesus, the "new" aspect relating to the LORD's past manner of judging the nation is revealed from the reactions to his preaching to both Jews and to the nations of the Galilee. His perspective toward the Hebrew Scriptures served to illustrate just how much the Jewish leaders, and the Jewish sects were astray from the true spirit in "hearing" and "seeing" - in understanding of the Word of the LORD regarding His desire to have a holy people for His Name. The leaders themselves - seeing no fault in themselves - had declared, John 7:49, "this people who know not the Law are cursed." Interesting enough, the uncharitable remark concerning their own people was made "in the last day, that great day of the feast" of the dedication after Jesus had preached about the promise of the Holy Spirit to come! The leaders of the "cursed" people were not about to allow anything to be "made new" as long as they were permitted to hold the ruling authority.
The Law did not provide the means to fulfill the promises of the LORD. But it did introduce a better way of approach unto the LORD; a new way of living without the burdensome watching in order to avoid any sin and its commission. It introduced Jesus Christ as a helper. He was made the promised savior of men, whose voluntary sacrifice of his own will in obedience to the Father's commandment provides the everlasting way to return to the LORD's grace and peace. The education of the nations toward redemption to God required an entirely different approach in its teaching. The leaders of the Jewish people, who considered the implications in the preaching of Christ, resisted the perceived changes to their covenant with the LORD that would allow Gentiles equal inheritance in the Land on the same foundation as was entitled to the Jews. They refused to have the "seed" implanted in their land.
The incompatibility between the two schools of education is very evident today, and just as ardently resisted by the powers that be, (even though the Vatican State and the Roman Catholic church are determined to gather all Christians under its own 'umbrella'). The Name of GOD is little comprehended by the majority of Christian peoples, and much more less by the Islamic priests. This is, basically, the "controversy of Zion." It brings the judgment of God upon all the nations - especially those surrounding Israel - for their refusal to acknowledge that "the LORD, he is God," and not the Ba'alim of the nations.
The return of Israel to the Land in 1948 came about by work done by the hand of the LORD on behalf of His people chosen since ancient times. Other nations in the Land are favored by the LORD but not as well as Israel is to be favored. Egypt and Assyria are to become lesser partners with Israel. Babylon is to be destroyed and her land left desolate; so are Edom and Moab (Jordan) to be destroyed on account of their ancient hatreds against the children of Israel. That is the judgment written.
But the true return of Israel to the LORD in spirit and in holiness remains yet to be worked out during the apocalypse of Jesus Christ. The signs of the last and fearful judgment "day" are daily drawing nearer. It is in the prophecies of the Hebrew Holy Scriptures - not in the Jewish traditions nor in the doctrines of the apostate Christian Church - that the signs were first revealed and in the writings of the Christian "New Testament" that the confirmation of the approaching judgment day is found. The judgment of the "elect" of Israel concurs with the judgment of the nations.
The LORD must yet gather all His "elect" together - Jew and Gentile, both the dead and the living - and bring them back into the Land. Israel yet must be "taught of the LORD," (but not in the manner in which many Christians seem to think they ought to be taught). God will teach them Himself through the "last days" judgments by the Son whom He sent before. Revelation 14:6 is emphatic in stating the "gospel of the coming age" will be preached in the Land, and to every nation, tribe, language and people, saying "Fear the Lord, and give to Him the glory, for the hour of His judgment has come..."
But before the experience of any actual judgment of the day falls upon Israel, the nations of the world are to be made ready for their own judgment. All these things are addressed in the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ, but obscured by the "continuous historical" philosophy. So it may be seen that both the Jew and the non-Jew have a lot of studying to do in the books of the Holy Scriptures of the LORD in order to become informed about the last days and the judgment.
The studying will entail the discard of many "old" ideas concerning the God of the heavens. The gospel of the age will be preached one last time before any destruction comes from the LORD. Any formal education requires time; there is a point at which a heavenly messenger declares that, "There is no more time." When this announcement is made, the wise virgins will arise and go forth to meet the LORD; and will be permitted immediate entrance into the kingdom. The not-so-wise virgins will then occupy themselves in running about to secure "oil," then coming to knock upon the door, "Lord, lord, let us in." But the time for admission into the holy city will be past, "Depart from me, I never recognized you!"
The nations (of all the peoples left outside to trample the courts of His "house"), of course, will become angry and go about to fight against the power of the LORD.
So there will be a war "for a little while" until the matter of Who is King over all the earth is settled. The "new" covenant will be made with Israel under the blood of the Lamb, but not before the blood of the earth's evil-doers is spilled out upon the earth at the climactic battle of the holy war against God, at Armageddon.
(1) Moody Press, Chicago, 1965.
(2) Although Julius Caesar adjusted the calendar in 46 B.C., and Pope Gregory corrected its lapse of days in 1582 A.D.; present Christian (world) time is observed with the Gregorian calendar. However, the Hebrew calendar ignores these movements - (a fact which baffles Seventh Day Adventists) - and adheres to its own schedule of months and holy days.
(3) The Day of Atonement is alluded to in Acts 27:9 in regard to the weather condition on the Mediterranean Sea; the date of the disastrous voyage was probably late October.
(4) The day of true salvation. Hebrew dates are thought to be accurate by a day or two of the real time.
(5) This theme is also apparent in the preaching of the good news concerning the kingdom of God, as taught by the Lord and his apostles.
(6) The "first covenant was not
dedicated;" enkainizo, No. 1457, "without blood."
See Hebrews 9:18-28; and 10:19-25, where "hath consecrated" is
also the same word, i.e., made new.
In the context Paul reminds of
"the day approaching." The very first "Christians" did not
reject the Law's teaching of the judgment day. The end purpose for the Christ's
coming into the world is for its judgment. See John 5 and John 17.
(7) Read Hebrews 10:26-31. Peter affirms that Paul wrote in all his letters about the things which bring the final day of judgment -- of things -- "which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as even the other scriptures - toward their own destruction."