The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts. It is called Rosh Hashanah by the Jewish people. Often referred to as the feast of which no man knows the day nor hour. This feast only begins at the breaking of the new moon, of which no man knows the day nor hour it will take place. So this particular feast requires a lot of watching and looking up.  When the new moon breaks and only the slightest crescent is visible, only then do they rush into the court yard and blast their trumps to announce the beginning. It is based solely on the lunar event, which is why it changes between September and October.  At some point the rabbis added a second day to be sure they didn't miss it due to weather. With modern technology of course, we know when each new moon will break. You can find Rosh Hashanah on most calendars. This need for watchfulness and preparedness in connection with the Feast of Trumpets is echoed and reechoed throughout the New Testament in connection with the Lord's coming.

 Rosh Hashanah literally means, "Head of the Year". It's the day God created man, Adam, God's final and most precious creation. It is observed as the beginning of the civil year (in contrast to the religious year which starts just prior to Passover) on the Jewish calendar. However, this designation was never given to the Feast of Trumpets in the Bible. The idea of associating the Feast of Trumpets with the Jewish New Year began in the second century A.D. (shortly after the destruction of the Temple) and more than 1,500 years after it's inception in the time of Moses. The Feast of Trumpets is so important in Jewish thinking that it stands alongside Yom Kippur ("the Day of Atonement") to comprise what Judaism calls "the high holy days."

 The interval of time between the last of the spring feasts (Pentecost) and the first of the fall feasts (Trumpets) corresponds to this present age. Put another way, we are presently living between Israel's fourth and fifth feasts. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost began the Church Age; and Trumpets, which will signal Jesus' second coming to rapture the Church and judge the wicked, will end the Church Age.

 In Israel's religious ritual, they used two different types of trumpets. One was long and flared and made of silver. Numbers 10:2Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.

 The other was a ram's horn and is called, in Hebrew, the shofar. It is the second instrument used in the elaborate service connected with the Feast of Trumpets.
The blowing of the trumpet in ancient Israel had two primary functions. The first was to call a solemn assembly; that is , when the children of Israel were to be summoned to God's presence, the trumpet was blown. (Exodus 19:13, 17, 19; Numbers 10:2)
 Second, when Israel, under divine direction, was to go to war, the trumpet was to be blown. (Numbers 10:9; Judges 7:16-22; Jeremiah 4:19-21)
 Joshua blew the shofar in the conquest of Jericho.  (Joshua 6:20)
 Gideon blew the trumpet in the battle with the Midianites. (Judges 7:16-22)
 Nehemiah commanded that the trumpets be blown in the event of an attack when rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 4:19-20)
  The prophets of Israel repeatedly spoke of a future day when God would directly intervene in the affairs of men.

 They called that day, "the Day of the Lord."
 Isaiah 13:6Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

Ezekiel 13:5Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.

Ezekiel 30:2Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! 3For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.  (NOT THE CHURCH).

Joel 1:15Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

 Joel 3:14Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

 Amos 5:17And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD. 18Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.

 Zephaniah 1:14The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. 15That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. Chapter 3 speaks entirely of these things in the Day of the Lord.

 Zechariah 14:1Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (All speaking of Tribulation).

 Two major themes are associated with the Day of the Lord. First is the deliverance of the believers. Second is the judgment of the wicked. The Lord will call out His own and begin the war against His enemies. It is the blowing of a trumpet which will signal these two events. In the classic Rapture text of
1Thessalonians 4:13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout (Come up hither! Rev. 4:1), with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.  
  Then in 1Thessalonians 5:2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord (judgment, as we read) so cometh as a thief in the night (describing the Rapture). 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

 1Thessalonians 5:6Therefore let us not sleep (be slack), as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God hath not appointed us to wrath (no tribulation for believers), but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep (alive or dead), we should live together with him. 11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 12And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 13And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

 In the most basic terms, the Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah depicts the coming of the Lord to snatch away the Church and begin the judgment of the wicked/unbelieving. There are always those that will balk and argue that the feast days are in no way connected to the Church. They believe that these only concern the Jews, therefore the Feast of Trumpets can not be a Rapture of the Church.

 Let's make the following observations:

The feast of Passover was given to Israel, but it depicts the Lord's death on Calvary for the sins of the world. Clearly, it's provision goes beyond Israel.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was given to Israel, but it depicts the fact that the Lord's body would not decay in the grave. Again, crucial Church doctrine.

The Feast of Firstfruits was given to Israel. However, it depicts the Lord's triumphant resurrection. It is because He lives that the Church will also live.

 The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) was given to Israel, but it depicts the birth of the Church through the New Covenant. Believing Jews and Gentiles became one in Christ.

 The Abrahamic Covenant (Gen.12:1-3) was made with the father of the Jewish nation, but it is the source of every blessing the Church possesses.

 The Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:8-16) was made to Israel's king, but it is the basis of the the Lord's return as the Son of David and Lion of the tribe of Judah to take His rightful throne as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

 The New Covenant was made with Israel (Jer.31:31; Mat.26:28), but the Church has entered into it's provision for salvation.

 The Lord's table was initiated with the elements of the Jewish Passover table with Jewish disciples, but it is one of the ordinances of the Church.

 The command to evangelize the world was given to eleven Jewish disciples (Mat.28:16-20), But it is commonly known as "the Great Commission of the Church."

Ephesians 2:18For through him we both (Jew and Gentile) have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints (Jews), and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  
  Israel and the Church are distinct entities. The Church is not Israel, and Israel is not the Church. There are promises made to both. It is equally clear, however, that there is a tight knit relationship between Israel and the Church. Every blessing the Church now enjoys comes out of covenants and provisions which God made with Israel. Therefore, it should not seem strange or unusual that the Feast of Trumpets which the Lord gave to Israel should depict the Rapture of the Church immediately prior to the outpouring of God's wrath during the Day of the Lord.

 Watchfulness is the critical ingredient of this feast!

 Here is something very interesting! Blood red moons 

Feast Days part 5

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