THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS AND ITS CHRISTIAN SIGNIFICANCE
by David Kiern
When grapes ripen on the vine, pomegranates turn red on the tree and a slight chill fills the early morning air, it means something special is almost here...
The Fall Feasts are about to begin!
Wednesday night at sundown, (October 2nd, 2024) the first of the Biblical Fall Feasts will begin. The Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) is a festival which revolves around hearing the blast of the shofar, connecting with God and repentance. This day is also commonly called Rosh HaShanah (Head of the Year).
Of all the feasts, Yom Teruah is the most concealed and shrouded in mystery. Whereas the other festivals commemorate an event from Israel's history or have specific religious purposes around them, God's people were not told the reason to celebrate Yom Teruah in the Scriptures. They were simply told to gather together and blow the shofar.
The sound of the shofar elevates the hearts of men and women with the sense that the King is coming!
The most prominent activity of Yom Teruah is the blowing of the shofar (ram’s horn). There are over one hundred shofar blasts heard throughout the prayer services, culminating with a final blast being known as the “Last Trump.” This regal sound is a call to repentance that reaches the souls of all who hear, with each blast denoting a sense of spiritual awakening.
Based on Biblical clues ancient tradition, Jews believe that God breathed life into Adam on Yom Teruah. In the days of the Bible, this was the date on the calendar when the kings of Israel were crowned and took the throne. The resurrection of the dead and complete ingathering of Israel are also tied to Yom Teruah.
Today, the Jewish people see Yom Teruah as the day when the Bridegroom will return for His bride. The prophets foretold:
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and those that suck the breast. Let the Bridegroom go forth from His chamber, and the bride out of her closet.”
JOEL 2
CHRISTIAN SIGNIFICANCE
Christians see the Biblical holy days as foreshadows of the work of the Messiah — what He has accomplished and what He will accomplish in the future. While the Spring Feasts look back at Yeshua's First Coming, the Fall Feasts look forward to His Second Coming.
After Pentecost, there is a long summer break before the next Biblical appointed time. This is prophetic for the time in which we live now, since Messiah's atonement. This long period of time will suddenly come to an end when the blast of the trumpet sounds.
Followers of Jesus see Yom Teruah as the future day when the "Last Trump" will sound, Yeshua will again set His feet on this earth, the faithful will be resurrected and the long awaited King of Israel will sit on the throne of His father David.
"For the Lord Himself shall come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the blast of God’s shofar, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left behind, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air—and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words."
- I THESSALONIANS 4
One more cool thing! The Feast of Trumpets is also called Yom Hakeseh – The Hidden Day – because it is the only holy day designated by the LORD to be kept on a new moon. In ancient Israel, sighting the small sliver of the new moon could be challenging and unpredictable. Unlike the other feast days, no one could precisely calculate the exact day or hour the festival could begin. (That's why even today, two days are reserved for the Feast in case the moon isn't visible on the first night).
When the disciples asked Yeshua what will be the sign of His coming, He told them, "Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the Son, except the Father alone." (Matthew 24). This saying is one of the many reasons why Believers connect the Feast of Trumpets with Yeshua's Return!
Shalom and Shanah Tovah (Good Year) to you and your family!
Read more about the Biblical Feasts of Israel in our new hardcover coffee table book, I AM ISRAEL: The Believer's Guide to the Rebirth of the Promised Land.
This fall, share the miracle of Israel with your friends and family! Get your Buy 2, Get 1 FREE DVD bundle today!
