Definition of the High Holy Days

Rosh Hashanah

Main article: Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah (ראש השנה rōsh hashānāh, beginning of the year) is the Jewish New Year, and falls on the first and second days of the Jewish month of Tishri (September/October). The Mishnah, the core work of the Jewish Oral Torah, sets this day aside as the new year for calculating calendar years and Sabbatical and jubilee years.

Rabbinic literature describes this day as a day of judgment. God is sometimes referred to as the “Ancient of Days.” Some descriptions depict God as sitting upon a throne, while books containing the deeds of all humanity are opened before Him.

Prayer services are longer than on a regular Shabbat or other Jewish holidays, and include (on weekdays) the blowing of the shofar. On the afternoon of the first (or the second, if the first was Saturday) day, a ritual called tashlich is performed, in which sins are “cast” into open water, such as a river, sea, or lake.

The Ten Days of Repentance

Main article: Ten Days of Repentance

The “ten days of repentance” include Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and the days in between, during which time Jews should meditate on the subject of the holidays and ask for forgiveness from anyone they have wronged.[1] They include the Fast of Gedaliah, on the third day of Tishri, and Shabbat Shuvah, which is Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Shabbat Shuvah has a special Haftarah, and traditionally the rabbi gives a long sermon on that day.[1]

It is held that, while judgment on each person is pronounced on Rosh Hashanah, it is not made absolute until Yom Kippur. The Ten Days are therefore an opportunity to mend one’s ways in order to alter the judgment in one’s favor.[1]

Yom Kippur

Main article: Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur (יום כפור yom kippūr, “Day of Atonement”) is the Jewish festival of the Day of Atonement. The Hebrew Bible calls the day Yom Hakippurim (Hebrew, “Day of the Atonement/s”).

In the Hebrew calendar, the ninth day of Tishri is known as Erev Yom Kippur (Yom Kippur eve). Yom Kippur itself begins around sunset on that day and continues into the next day until nightfall, and therefore lasts about 25 hours.[2]

Jews fast throughout Yom Kippur and attend synagogue for most of the day. There are five prayer services, one in the evening (sometimes known as “Kol Nidre” from one of the main prayers) and four consecutively on the day.[2]

Preparatory Word for Ten Days of Awe

with Curt Landry

“Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place...” Psalm 91:9

The Lord Your Refuge

I believe that the Lord laid this word of direction and affirmation on my heart: “My children, put all fear of the future aside and know above all else that you will be led by Me. Know and understand that you will be shown the way.

“I have covenant blessings to release and now is the appointed time. New treasures and new authority are found on new roads of surrender. Those who climb mountains only travel with that which is necessary to succeed; they travel as lightly as possible and only with the essentials.

“The hiding place of My protection is the mountain of holiness; just as I hid Moses in the mountain, so shall I also hide you. I alone know this refuge, your refuge; no power of the enemy can touch you there. As you dwell in the hidden place, I will heal the wounds of the past and reveal your future. My Word promises that he that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

“When fear is invading, always run to the refuge of this peaceful, quiet, dwelling place. It is there that you are to wait on My command; wait on My strength. Make this your home for the Third Day.

“Slow down. Bow down. Calm down and hear My words. Quietness is important. Solitude is the solution. Holiness is the highway. Provision for body, soul, and spirit are the rewards. And purity is the result of the process; the anointing, My anointing, will rest upon sanctified vessels.

“My presence is your provision. My anointing is your power. Presence and power are the true fruits of the hour. Worship Me in spirit and in truth. Just as the dead keys of a piano can only make living notes when touched by the Master’s hands, so also you need My touch for life to flow from you. White or black, major or minor, high or low – all areas of your life must be surrendered in this hour, dead to self, and waiting for the Master’s touch.

Third Day Glory

“The priesthood of the Tabernacle of David is being restored. People who are dead to themselves will be like shofars that are cut off from their flesh and cured in order to sound the alarm. The Third Day sound will be holy, and things that have long since been hidden will be seen – sights, sounds, and songs. And there will be resurrection glory like that which has not been seen before.

“In preparation for the Third Day temple, the living stones will be restored along with the restoration of priestly patterns. Holy prayer will act as a foundation that will be like marble floors: it will reflect that which is standing on it. What I burden you to pray for in others reflects what you need in your own life.

“The Third Day anointing is being released into the Church. Pulpits and those who present the Gospel will be seen in a new light; therefore, those who stand on these platforms must be clean from the inside out. What was unseen in the Second Day will be revealed by the glory of the Third Day. Be patient with Me. Submit to My ways and let Me release new undergarments as well as outer garments.

“Study My temple of old and practice My presence, and I will show you the way. It is time, during the Days of Awe (September 18th into the 19th – 27th into the 28th, 2008), to anoint My kings for finance and My priests for vision; I will then lead them both together to perform their tasks in My ways on the highway of surrender.

“Ten Days of Awe. Ten days to perfection*. Ten days of divine order. Ten days to complete eternal cycles. Ten days to anoint priests and kings for Third Day Glory. Ten days of vision. Ten days to reveal provision.” (*note: Ten days to perfection leads to Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement – Jesus Christ is the One who leads us to perfection.)

The Days of Awe: A Beautiful Picture of Salvation

The Days of Awe is a special period of ten days that begins on Rosh Hashanah and ends with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah is the Hebrew new year according to the civil calendar, but it is also called The Birthday of the World as it celebrates the “anniversary” of the creation of Adam and Eve.

During Rosh Hashanah the shofar is sounded as a call to repentance. Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the Days of Awe, a period of time for introspection and repentance. It is believed that Yom Kippur is a time of repentance and restoration between God and mankind, while the Days of Awe is a time to seek forgiveness and make amends between man and man – a time for mankind to seek reconciliation with one another, and if possible right the wrongs committed.

Jewish tradition holds the belief that judgment is pronounced on each person on Rosh Hashanah. The concept of judgment and decrees has a negative connotation to many, but allow me to remind you that judgment is simply the formation of an opinion after consideration, or as Merriam-Webster states, “a formal utterance of an authoritative opinion.”

Judgment is the friend of those who desire right-standing with God. When your life is right with God, a judgment should be a “formal utterance” of reward – it should not be feared, but rather something you are looking forward to. Judgment is a friend of the righteous!

As a Believer, I view the Days of Awe as a beautiful picture of salvation. Is it not true of each of us that we deserve a judgment that is not in our favor? And yet, through Jesus we have the opportunity to repent, to return to the Lord. Is it not also true that this life is but a vapor?

The Days of Awe also act as a reminder to me that our days to seek reconciliation with our family and friends are numbered. I would encourage you to take advantage of this reminder during this special season and seek to make amends with one another. Begin the new year with purified hands, a clean heart and healed relationships. Begin the new year right with both God and man.

It is my prayer for the Days of Awe, that the song that says, “I stand, I stand in awe of You” would truly become the heart cry of the Body of Christ. That we would stand in awe, in wonder, in respect, in fear, in reverence, and in amazement of what God has done in our lives and the great mercy we have received.

About Curt Landry: Curt Landry is currently the CEO of House of David Inc. and the One New Man Network. He is also the CEO of My Olive Tree U.S., a company that encourages the sponsorship of olive trees in Israel that helps provide funding for humanitarian aid in Israel and employment opportunities for new immigrants.

In 2000 Curt and his wife Christie founded House of David Ministries, a congregation in Fairland, OK. Curt and Christie travel worldwide speaking on the power of covenant restoration, healing signs and miracles, Israel and the Church, and the revelation of the One New Man.

Brief Prayer for the Ten Days of Awe