The traditional Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShana, comes in two days and inaugurates the year 5776. Could the holiday hold any special meaning for Christians, based on this year’s combination of numbers and letters?
Rosh HaShana is described in the Bible as a day for Israel to blow trumpets. You can read about Rosh HaShana at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah. Visit Light of Zion’s web site under “Articles” to learn more.
As you probably know, some scholars believe the numbers comprising 5776 represent key themes of Scripture. The biblical concept differs from numerology, which uses numbers and symbols for purposes related to divination, soothsaying or manipulation. Biblically, 5 could represent grace, 6 can represent humankind or the ways of man, and 7 can stand for completion. If that is true, and if God chooses to speak to us through our admittedly imperfect calendar system, 5776 could herald a watershed year in history for the nations.
5776 could represent a certain completion of grace as we’ve known it, coupled with a certain completion of following in man’s (our) own ways. Now, to be sure, God is never not gracious! But His grace manifests in different ways at different seasons, for our ultimate good, to mature us to Messiah-likeness. Not always pleasant at the time, the complete intersection of grace with our own ways puts an end to (or completes) our ways. It transforms us to godliness in love, joy, peace, holiness and service. It draws sinners to Yeshua. It is actually a form of judgment.
There’s more. In the Hebrew language, letters are assigned to numbers for various purposes. The letters assigned to the year 5776, “tav-shin-ayin-vav,” spell a word used in modern Hebrew, meaning “heed.” (The letters for the two 7’s differ.)
Could the numbers and letters associated with 5776 confirm predictions or prophecies of impending global crisis? Perhaps. We will know in retrospect. Meanwhile, any such signs or coincidences should always fix our focus on YHVH. At this season of blood moons, a closing shimattah, and mounting global sin, of this we can be sure: God is trumpeting a love call to give heed to Him and His ways. To those who respond He’ll give grace to receive new grace. He’ll empower them to boldly withstand and shift some of the ways of the world in the year ahead.
Kingdom conflict will intensify, as we were told it must. But the King Himself is coming. My prayer is that in 5776 He’ll come powerfully through each of us. This year, may the shofar’s trumpet draw you deeper into His Kingdom goodness and glory!