Rosh Hashanah(the Birthday of the World) is Biblically referred to as Yom Teruah (the Day of the Awakening Blast). Literally, in the Scriptures the day is referred to as Zikhron Teruah (Memorial of Blowing). In English we refer to it as The Feast of Trumpets.
Yom Teruah - The Day of the Awakening Blast
The theme of this Holy Day is repentance. The season of repentance begins 30 days earlier on Elul 1 and lasts for 10 more days until Yom Kippur. Each day of the season the shofar is blown and Tehillim (Psalm) 27 is read. The season is called the season of teshuvah. On Yom Teruah a series of blasts are blown for all people to hear and awake from spiritual slumber. Scripturally, the twin silver trumpets are the instruments blown on this Holy Day that falls on the first of the month.
The rams horn is associated with the substitute sacrifice for Yitzchak (Isaac) in B'resheet (Genesis) 22. Yitzchak is a pre-type of Yeshua (Jesus) in both his near miracle birth and his near sacrifice on Mount Moriah by his father Avraham (Abraham).
Yeshua modeled for us the perfect Torah observant lifestyle. During the month of Elul and on the day of our spiritual awakening we examine our lives to see how we might better live our lives as He would have us live them.
Prophectially, the day is associated with inscription in the Book of Life and the Resurrection of the Dead.
Rosh Hashanah / Yom Teruah occurs on the new moon of the Jewish month of Tishri. Due to the fact that the day falls on the Rosh Chodesh/new moon and the difficulty in spreading the word that the Holy Day had arrived the Jewish leaders made Rosh Hashanah a two day event.
In Biblical Times the people awaited the day with much anticipation. Since Yom Teruah occurred on Rosh Chodesh it's actual date was uncertain until confirmation of the new moon sighting by two witnesses. This is why the day is often referred to as the day which only the Father knows.
The day was spent in the Temple blowing the shofars and trumpets and doing the required sacrifices. The people were building themselves up for the day of Yom Kippur when their spiritual condition as a nation would be examined by God and they would be granted atonement or not.
Today the date of Yom Teruah or Rosh Hashanah is usually foreknown. Using computers we can determine the moons visibility and know the date ahead of time.
Leading up to the date we establish a mindset of repentance - examining our lives for sin and seeking to improve ourselves in His will.
On the day of Yom Teruah we gather with our congregations. We listen to the trumpets to awaken from spiritual slumber and seek His forgiveness, and His strength and guidance in repentance.
As believers, through Yeshua's perfect sacrifice, we are redeemed so we take this opportunity to draw closer to Him and cleanse our lives of sin.
We have a feast for family and friends which features fruits and honey. Our egg bread is baked in the shape of a crown. It is a joyous occasion due to the redemption provided by Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ).
Torah reading for Rosh Hashanah - B'resheet (Genesis) 21-22, Numbers 10:1-10; 29:1-6
Haftarah reading for Rosh Hashanah - Sh'um'el Alef (1 Samuel) 1:1-2:10, Yimeyahu (Jeremiah) 31:1-19
B'rit Hadashah reading for Rosh Hashanah - Mattityahu (Matthew) 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, 1Thessalonians 4:13-18, Revelation 8-9, Hebrews 11:17-19
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:23-25
Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out. B'midbar (Numbers) 10:2
Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the LORD your God. B'midbar (Numbers) 10:10
And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. B'midbar (Numbers) 29:1
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the
powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Yeshua (Jesus) in Mattityahu (Matthew) 24:29-31
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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 4:15-17
And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. Nechemyah (Nehemiah) 8:2-3
So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. Nechemyah (Nehemiah) 8:8-12