Jewish Feast of Trumpets
A Lagos-based Christian drama group, Temple Glamour Theatre (TGT) has staged an out-door drama to re-enact the Feast of Trumpets, an annual Jewish religious festival. The event which held at the 25th convocation of the West Africa Theological Seminary (WATS), Lagos, an affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka 19th September, 2015, was judged by the audience as one of the best dramas of its kind within the circle of evangelical orthodox Christianity in contemporary times. The festival which is also known as Rosh Hashanah in Hebrew, meaning ‘Head of the Year’ marks the beginning of the Jewish civil calendar, and it was celebrated by Jews all over the world on Sunday 13 September, 2015 which falls in the same week with the seminary’s convocation. TGT troupe dressed in splendid Old Testament priestly and high-priestly vestments, blowing animal horns and matching with a big ram and turtledove. The event which originated from the Old Testament showcased its aesthetic and spiritual significance to New Testament theology, contemporary life and apocalyptic exposition. For the graduating seminarians, it was a moment of preparation for their investiture as priest in the Church, just as God commanded Moses in Exodus 28: 1 – 43 to make priestly vestments for Aaron and his four sons to add dignity to their vocation. According to director of the group, Rev. Temple Okoronkwo, God commanded Moses to declare to the Israelites that “… it will be a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation” (Leviticus 23: 23 – 24), and the ‘Ram’s Horn’ symbolized Jesus Christ whom the Psalmist and Saint Luke described as the ‘Horn of our Salvation’ (Psalm 18: 2, Luke 1: 68 – 69). According to him, the mystery of the horns can best be explained in terms of Joshua with the Israelites at Jericho. God specifically instructed them to carry ‘trumpets made of ram’s horns’ (Joshua 6: 4). Jesus was also depicted as the ‘Great High Priest’ (Hebrew 4: 14 – 16; 7: 15) as well as the ‘Lamb of God’ (John 1: 29, 36). He added that for contemporary Christianity, it is a time of introspection and repentance in preparation for its futuristic essence, the expected rapture, when the arch-angel will blast the trumpet for the judgment of all believers whether living or dead in Christ (Joel 2: 1 and Zephaniah 1: 14 & 16), adding that the ancient Israelites used animal horns for various purposes which included announcing the new moon, calling an assembly, calling for judgment, for war and for giving signal against foreign aggression or imminent danger amongst others. The theatre director maintained that for historical emphasis, the Israelites were God’s chosen and covenant people and the Church are the Israelites of this contemporary age. Never-the-less, the spiritual bond tying Israel to God expressed in the Abrahamic covenant still holds sway. Okoronkwo opined that the Feast of Horns (or Feast of Trumpets) reminds both contemporary Jews and Christians alike of the mighty acts of God in human history, the saving grace in Christ Jesus who is the Horn of our Salvation, the grave devastation that will come upon evil doers at the end of time, and the recompense of eternal life awaiting believers who are upright in heart and deeds. Copy this link and past on your browser. www.mynewswatchtimesng.com/nigerian-christian-drama-group-enacts-jewish-festival-on-stage/ OR visit Temple Glamour Theatre Official website: tgtart.simplesite.com
