“Tell the Israelites: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a day of complete rest, commemoration, and trumpet blasts—a sacred assembly.” (Leviticus 23:24)
As I write this, the Biblical Feast of Trumpets, Yom Teruah (yohm the-roo’-ah, the Day of Sounding), is about to begin. Since biblical days begin at sundown, 2024’s Feast of Trumpets starts tonight, Wednesday, October 2, at sundown.
BLAST!
Don’t worry. That was just me, warming up on my shofar. Shofar, sho good. (Thanks. I’ll see my way out.)
Seriously, tonight begins a deeply somber time in the biblical calendar. The Spring Feasts – Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits (occurring in March-April), and Weeks (May-June), are generally more joyous celebrations. However, the Feast of Trumpets begins a special time of ten days leading up to the Day of Atonement, known in Hebrew as Yom Kippur. These ten days, called the Days of Awe/the Terrible Days/the Time of Jacob’s Trouble (from Jeremiah 30), are highly solemn because the Jewish people believe that a person’s fate hangs in the balance during that time, to be sealed for a good or bad year after the Day of Atonement.
Before I explain how that correlates with our Christian beliefs (from the messianic stream of Judaism instituted by Jesus), let me explain the Feast of Trumpets.
Under the Sinai covenant, as recorded in the Hebrew scriptures, God commanded the Israelites to observe a set of spring and fall celebrations, called the Feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23). Most of the feasts have clear, detailed instructions about how to observe them. The Feast of Trumpets, however, doesn’t.
“The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: `On the first day of the seventh month (per the biblical calendar, which falls in September to October) you are to have a day of rest (a festival sabbath), a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.” (Leviticus 23:23-25, italics author).
“On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets. As an aroma pleasing to the LORD, prepare a burnt offering of one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. With the bull prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. These are in addition to the monthly and daily burnt offerings with their grain offerings and drink offerings as specified. They are offerings made to the LORD by fire-- a pleasing aroma.” (Numbers 29:1-6)
Yup, that’s it. Blow trumpets, don’t work, offer a prescribed sacrifice at the Tabernacle/Temple.
As expected, Israel’s sages and rabbis wanted to know, “Why blow ram’s-horn trumpets?” Not finding the explanation in the above verses, they searched the scriptures to see where shofarim were blown with a loud blast. This is what they found.
To signal the beginning of the appointed (mo’edim) Feasts. “Blow the horn on the day of our feasts during the new moon and during the full moon” (Psalm 81:3).
For gathering troops, during battles, and after victory (Jericho, Joshua 6; Ehud, Judges 3:27; Gideon, Judges 7:18; Jonathan and Saul, 1 Samuel 13:3).
For rejoicing (1 Chronicles 15:28).
For coronations (Solomon, 1 Kings 1:39; Jehu, 2 Kings 9:13)
For weddings (Israel and God at Sinai, Exodus 19:19. Yes, the rabbis view the Sinai event as a wedding.).
The Torah/the Law was given with the sound of the Shofar (Ibid.).
For warning people of impending judgment. (Literally as a warning of an approaching enemy army, Jeremiah 6:1. Metaphorically, the trumpet’s sound was a metaphor for the prophetic word, Ezekiel 33:3-6, Isaiah 58:1).
The Day of the Lord would be announced with a trumpet blast (Joel 2, Zephaniah 1:16, Zechariah 9:14). Don’t worry. I’ll explain the Day of the Lord shortly.
The Jubilee Year was announced with a trumpet blast (Leviticus 25:9).
Therefore, shofarim will be sounded on the Day of the Lord to signal the start of a unique time of warfare, impending judgment, a coronation, a wedding, God’s Laws being enforced, and a time of release and freedom.
After going through this list, something should begin to look eerily familiar. Taken together, these scriptures paint a picture of the End Times: The Tribulation, Jesus’ return as Israel’s King, the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, the wicked being judged, God’s kingdom on earth beginning with His Law as the global law, and freedom for His people – saved Israel and the other born-again Gentiles – culminating in Jesus’ return during the End Time Day of the Lord.
What is the Day of the Lord? Don’t be confused. The Lord’s Day is the Sabbath, Saturday, the 7th day of the week. This Lord’s Day happens weekly. The Day of the Lord “(identifies) a span of time during which God personally intervenes in history, directly or indirectly, to accomplish some specific aspect of His plan” (gotquestions.org). Long answer short, many Days of the Lord are referenced in scripture where God personally acted in human history to further His plan. Context determines clarity.
The Day of the Lord that’s connected with the Feast of Trumpets and the rest of the Fall Feasts (the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles, I.e., Tents) is the moment when God personally intervenes via the Son of Man to set up His geo-political kingdom on earth. (Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 24:29-30)
Don’t take my word for it. Read it for yourself.
“And suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14, italics author)
“Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:29-30)
What signals King Jesus’ arrival as the Son of Man? The sound of a trumpet, a shofar.
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
Yup. That’s Jesus arriving to stop global destruction, remove the rebelling sinners, and establish international peace and righteousness.
According to the Bible, a shofar announces the Day of the Lord when the earth will be rocked by Tribulation (the Seven Trumpets of Revelation), and another shofar announces the end of the Tribulation and Jesus’ arrival. Trumpets announce the onset and culmination of the Day of the Lord with Jesus as firmly ensconced as the Davidic king over Israel and global potentate.
Remember when I wrote earlier about the ten days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement called the Days of Awe/Terrible Days/Jacob’s Trouble? Isn’t it interesting that Tribulation begins with a shofar blast and ends with Jesus returning with a trumpet blast? Do you see the prophetic picture revealed through the Fall Feasts of Trumpets and Day of Atonement?
What I find incredibly fascinating is that the Father gave His Feasts to His faithful followers to seemingly teach, practice, and prepare for what’s to come.
As world events heat up with the threat of wars breaking out around the world, it would be wise to see the correlation between Iran attacking Israel yesterday, Tuesday, October 1, on the eve of the Feast of Trumpets at sundown today, Wednesday, October 2.
When you read this, who knows if the Middle East will be embroiled in war? I hope not. But if the Fall Feasts reveal God’s prophetic plan as I believe it does, it wouldn’t surprise me that such a conflagration during this time of year is in line with the prophetic themes of the Feast of Trumpets.
I’m just sayin’.
So, let me just throw this out there. I believe the Father gave His people (Jews and Christians) the Feasts of the Lord to teach us about His plan of salvation and restoring the earth to its designed glory.
If you want to learn more about the Feasts of the Lord and their prophetic meaning, I created a 17-hour study with detailed notes to teach what the Feasts are, why they’re crucial for understanding Bible scriptures, why they reveal Jesus’ first coming and return, and how we can participate in them to prepare for the ultimate Day of the Lord.
The best news? The entire seminar is online for $25. Total!
It’s here: Feast Teachings (The Feasts of the Lord: God’s Blueprint of Redemption), https://courses.highbeamministryteachings.com/.
My students who have gone through it enthusiastically recommend it to others. The Feast of the Lord study works well for personal and group learning, Christian Ed, and academic settings.
Now is a great time to learn about our Father’s magnificent plan of salvation and how it will come to fruition, possibly soon.
Now, excuse me. The sun is almost at the horizon, and I have some warming up to do on my shofar.
The neighbors are gonna love this.
Hag Sameach, Hebrew for “Happy Feast Days!”
Sources:
What is the day of the Lord?, https://www.gotquestions.org/day-of-the-Lord.html
Feast Teachings, https://courses.highbeamministryteachings.com/
Shining the Light of God’s Truth on the Road Ahead
Pastor Jay Christianson
The Truth Barista, Frothy Thoughts