Hopefully from the previous blog, some of the confusion about the Hebrew “New Year” was cleared.   I also shared what trumpets meant as well, so now let’s build on that and discuss what happens on the Feast of Trumpets.

When the seventh month of the Hebrew year arrived, the ram’s horn was blown for Firstfruits when the sliver of the moon was spotted in the sky on the darkest night of the month. Afterwards, the silver trumpet was blown to signify it was the Feast of Trumpets, or also known as the “Day of Awakening.”

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying; ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month (Firstfruits), you shall have a Sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation” (Lev. 23:24; also found in Numbers 29:1-6).

On this “appointed” day, there were two separate types of horns signifying two events that were happening at the same time. One was made by the Lord from the horn of an animal, which is the shofar.  The other was made by man from silver – the trumpet. Both the man-made trumpets and the God-made shofar came together as ONE on this day of REMEMBRANCE, READINESS, and RESURRECTION.

The shofar was blown for Firstfruits as a reminder that God is the one who provides and honors His Covenant, inspiring a response of thankfulness to the Lord (Num 10:10).  This then became the sound of the beginning of “Firstfruits.” It was also a reminder to the children of Israel of the event when God stopped Abraham from offering up Isaac and supplied the ram in which the shofar was made of (Gen. 22:13,14).

“Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a ticket by its horns.  So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.  And Abraham called the name o the place, “The-Lord-Will-Provide; and it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided”(Gen. 22:13-14).

The silver trumpet was blown to awaken to a memorial.. of what?

The Lord instructed the children of Israel to always remember the sound of the trumpet as it related to events that transpired at Mt. Sinai.  What event was that?

To answer that question, we have to go back to Ex. 19:5, when God proposes to the children of Israel to be His “special treasure”above all other people.  The people responded in verse 8 and said “We do.”  God instructs Moses on how He wants the “marriage ceremony” to go and it happened like this:

“Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled (Ex. 19:16).  

Moses brought the people (bride) out to meet God (Ex. 19:17).

“Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire….And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.  THEN the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai on the top of the mountain.  And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up” (Ex. 19:18-20).

Jesus shares a prophetic proclamation of the future event that will take place when He would return.  The same symbolism of the thunderings and lightnings are given; the thunder of HIs glory flashing from the east to the west as He comes to get His bride:

“For as the lightning comes form the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:27).

God wanted His people to always remember the Covenant of Marriage then, so we will understand how the Covenant is redeemed up ahead through Christ.  As the children of Israel waited at the base of Mt. Sinai and the Lord descended and came down to the people in the form of a cloud, lightning, thundering, fire and VOICE, it was a moment of matrimony. I wish I could have been there!

When Moses went up the mountain by himself afterwards, it was symbolic of Christ ascending and presenting Himself as the “Firstfruits.” 

“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep…..But each one in his own order:  Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1Cor. 15:20,23).

We too anticipate the time when we will be able to follow Christ’s example and be able to go before the throne in heaven and come back to earth in a glorified body.  The Feast of Trumpets marks the beginning of the fulfillment of that promise of resurrection, followed by another “wedding ceremony” of the Bride (Church) with the Groom (Christ).

It is worth noting that in Deut. 4:25-40, we get an account of how the children of Israel responded to the voice of God.  They trembled out of fear, hid, and asked Moses to stand before them.

In Ex. 20:19-21 it says:

“Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’  And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may no sin.’  So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.”

Today, we have had Christ make a way for the Lord’s voice to be heard again through the Holy Spirit.  Believers are faced with the same choice now that the children of Israel had: to draw near to His voice as Moses did, or hide and have another stand in the gap and become the voice of God (religious leaders).

I am certainly not saying it’s not important to hear what religious leaders have to share.  But we should not lean on them first to hear the Lord for our own lives.

We also learn from this blueprint  in Exodus that believers who draw near to the Lord’s voice and His presence, as did Moses, will be caught up (rapture) to meet God in the “air” and come back with Him to reign in the Millennium.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him an dine with him and he with me.  To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”(Rev. 3:20-22).

The Trumpet signals to the Bride to awaken because the groom has determined it is time to for the ceremony of union to begin.  Those who hear and are ready will run towards the Lord.  Those who aren’t will want to hide.  The Day of Atonement that follows after the Feast of Trumpets sifts this all out.

In the next blog, I will begin sharing about the resurrection.

 

It is my heart to share about the Fall Feasts in the next few blogs.  These blogs will not give a full account of every detail concerning each Feast as it would be too much information, but to share the overall understanding of the blueprint and the purpose of these Feasts.

So what is the significance of the Feast of Trumpets?  The literal Hebrew translation is “a memorial of blasts.” In Hebrew, this Feast is called “Yom Teruah.”  Yom means day, but Teruah doesn’t mean trumpets.  It means a shout or blast of war, alarm or joy. So literally translated, this is a Feast that is a “Day of Blasting or Shouting.”

The Feast of Trumpets is the ONLY Feast that is celebrated on Firstfruits; tying it’s meaning with “firsts” and making this day the “grand daddy” of all Firstfruits celebrations. It is believed by biblical historians that Adam was born on this day, along with Jesus as well when He was born of the Virgin Mary.  It has also been known as the “Anniversary of Creation.”

The seventh Hebrew month of Tishri was originally the first month of the Hebrew calendar UNTIL God Himself changed it when speaking to Moses and Aaron in Ex. 12:2.

“This month (Nisan) shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first of the year to you” (Ex. 12:2).  God followed this commandment with His the instructions for Passover.  Afterwards, He declared, “So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations.  You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance”(Ex. 12:14).

Later on when the children of Israel arrived at Mt. Sinai, God gave instruction for all 7 Feasts after He sealed His Covenant with them and set them apart from all the other nations.  The month of Tishri was now changed to be the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar, and according to the Feasts schedule, the first day of the harvest (blessed) season and the month in which all the Fall Feasts were celebrated.

“Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, At the full moon, on our solemn feast day”(Psalm 81:3).

There is much confusion today as to when the Hebrew calendar starts because the Jews today celebrate the beginning of their civil year in the month of Tishri, even though God changed the first month in Ex. 12.  Today, the Jews celebrate the first day of Tishri as Rosh Hashanah; translated as “the ‘head/first’ of the year.”   Why have they reverted to the old calendar?

To find the answers as to why this is, we can go back to biblical history when the twelve tribes of Israel were split into two kingdoms after King Solomon’s reign (1 Kings 11).  Subsequently, the Israelites were divided into the Southern Kingdom, also known as the House of Judah; and Northern Kingdom, also known as the House of Israel (1 Kings 11). The House of Judah consisted of the two tribes, one being the tribe of Judah where the Jews originated from.

After the Babylonian captivity, the House of Judah picked up the Jewish Civil (King) year again in the first and second century because of the writings that were compiled in what is known as the “Mishnah.” Sometime between the finality of the writing of the Torah by Ezra, and the creation and codification of the Mishnah, the autumn new year gained acceptance, and transformed into a major celebration, and the Nisan new year was left as a marker of the months and festivals in the calendar year.

The Northern Kingdom (House of Israel), made up of the remaining ten tribes, originally kept the Ecclesiastical (Priest) year that God commanded them to follow in Ex. 12 as well.  But when the House of Israel was captured by the Assyrians and scattered all over the nations, they lost their heritage, name, and blueprint of Covenant, including following the Hebrew calendar.  They weren’t even around when the Mishnah was created and it’s writings executed as ” Jewish tradition.”

Technically, both calendars are correct, because both calendars existed (An example today is that January is the New Year, but September is the new school year).  But the ecclesiastic (priestly) calendar God created in Ex. 12 is tied to the pattern, timing, and purpose of Christ redeeming the Covenant promise; which included Him coming FIRST to fulfill the requirements of becoming our High Priest.  This purpose required Christ to come as a servant, and to be the sacrificial lamb, and it had to PRECEDE the time Jesus would fulfill the pattern of becoming our King of kings.

Because the House of Judah had been inherently celebrating their Civil calendar, which is the calendar tied to the awaiting for the KING to come FIRST, they missed Christ’s first appearance.  However, when Christ does come back the second time, He will be coming to take His rightful position as King, and many Jews will recognize Him because they have set their hearts ready for His return.

When Christ comes back, it will indeed be “new beginnings” as the Millennium will begin with the fulfillment of these Fall Feasts, and Christ will reign as King which then falls in line with the heart of the Civil Jewish calendar.  It will take on the fulfillment of it’s intended meaning of being the “Head of the Year” as Christ is our HEAD, and His return will kick off His reign here on the earth as King.

God changed this calendar in Ex. 12 to “set apart” His Covenant promises of how Christ would become our High Priest FIRST, and also prophesied in this blueprint the silent period between the Spring Feasts and Fall Feasts as to the time it will take for His Church (the people in covenant with the Lord), to go through a sanctification process needed in order to reign with Christ as priests in the Millennium.

“You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and and priest priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 4:9,10).

So in it’s simplicity, the purpose of the Feast of Trumpets is to awaken us with the sound of the trumpet.  What are we awaking to?

The trumpet has many significant meanings in the Bible.  

The trumpet was blown to signal war against the adversary (Josh. 6:5; Jer. 51:27; 1 Cor. 14:8)

“When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies (Numbers 10:9).

It was also used to announce the king (2 Kings 9:13; 11:14).

“Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon.  And they blew the horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” (1 Kings 1:39).

The trumpet was the sound to wake up the Church: (Rev. 1:10).

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet.”

All of these reasons (and there are many more) of why the trumpet is used are all united together on the Feast of Trumpets.  This “dress rehearsal” shares it’s purpose of becoming the signal (/sign/proclamation/alarm/shout) to awaken us, to announce war against the adversary, to announce the return of the King, and to summon God’s people who are IN covenant with Him.  And when this Feast goes “LIVE,” it will mark the beginning of the Millennium.

I will continue more on the Feast of Trumpets in the next blog.

 

 

 

The Fall Feasts are right around the corner, and given that I believe this feast season is extremely significant, I thought I would start blogging about their relevance.   So what’s the big deal about these Feasts?

God commanded the children of Israel to honor the Lord seven times a year through His “Feast Calendar”(Lev. 23). As a matter of fact, the Lord Himself referred to  these Feasts days as  “Convocations;” which when translated, means “dress rehearsals.” He called them “Holy” and gave specific instruction for each dress rehearsal.

The word “feast” in Hebrew is “moed,” which means “divine appointment.”

The importance of these “Feasts” dates that God established has NOT ceased, changed or become irrelevant, even though we now live in the Age of the New Covenant.  On the contrary, as believers, the invitation is actually more relevant to us now since we can see through the lens of the Old AND New Testament of how Jesus fulfills the blueprint. Honoring the Feasts aren’t a requirement for our salvation of course, but they do serve a kingdom purpose of a SIGN to the world of Christ as Savior and King.  In the years ahead, they will also be used as a measuring stick as to what nations are aligned with Christ in the Millennium:

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁷ And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. ¹⁸ If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁹ This shall be the ^[a]punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zech. 14:16-19).

The purpose of any dress rehearsal is to put into practice a production/show in its entirety before the “live performance.”  The children of Israel (representing those IN COVENANT WITH GOD) were chosen to be a part of the cast of what I am going to coin, the Lord’s “Redemption Production.”  In this production, the manuscript was written by the “finger of God,” and given to the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai (Lev. 23).  Their role was to follow each Feast as instructed so that WHEN Christ came many years later, there was no doubt of who the Lord was.

We can read about the whole blueprint of the Spring Feasts going “LIVE” in the Gospels when Christ became the Passover lamb, died, rose from the dead, and sent the Holy Spirit as a promise of His return.  As the Spring Feasts come around each year now, believers can celebrate the memory of that “live performance,” and thank God for sending Christ to fulfill the script.

Today, believers have been given the privilege of participating in the cast of the second act of the “Redemption Production;”  preparing for the time when Christ will return as King.

The final three Feasts that we are waiting for the Lord to fulfill are celebrated in the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, Tishri, and are known as the “Fall Feasts.” Given that ALL Christians have great hope and expectation of Christ’s return, it serves us well to study the manuscript so we understand our role and participate in the “dress rehearsal” so that our hearts are ready!

The Fall Feasts consist of the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.  The Feast of Trumpets this year will begin at sundown on September 9th and marks the beginning of the celebration of these Fall Feasts.  Ten days later on September 18th, is the Day of Atonement, followed by the Feast of Tabernacles five days later on the 23rd.  The Feast of Tabernacles is an 8 day celebration, in which the last day is a corporate celebration on the 30th.  September will be a month of celebration.

Next blog:  Feast of Trumpets!