When is the Feast of Trumpets?

The Feast of Trumpets is approaching quickly as we finish out the biblical month of Elul.   The month of Elul began on September 1, 2019 and will last through September 29th until sundown.   This will usher in the Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah.  The Feast of Trumpets will begin at sundown on September 29, 2019 and last until sundown October 1.   This date varies on our Gregorian solar calendar each year, but it always occurs on Tishrei 1 and 2 on the biblical Hebrew calendar.   The biblical calendar is a lunar and solar calendar so this is why the date varies on our calendar.  In the past I have written about the amazing meanings behind this special Feast (appointed time) of the Lord.  Here is a link to my other website, which goes into the meaning of Elul, as well as a blog I wrote  on the Feast of Trumpets.  Keep in mind that I wrote the Feast of Trumpets blog a few years back so the date for the Feast of Trumpets in that blog post will be different than this year.  The information about the Feast, however, will be the same.

Burn the Ships – It’s the month of Elul

Rosh Hashanah: The Feast of Trumpets

What is the Feast of Trumpets About?

For this post I want to focus on some amazing details about the Feast of Trumpets, as well as show you how this Feast is tied to Jesus.   The month of Elul precedes the Feast of Trumpets.  Elul is a biblical month that is tied to repentance and turning back to God.  It’s the month of repentance and restoration.  The Feast of Trumpets, which begins right after Elul,  is all about the trumpet.  You are probably thinking of a trumpet that you would see in a band or orchestra.  But, the trumpet of the Bible looks and sounds very different.  The trumpet of the Bible is called the shofar and this trumpet is made of a ram’s horn.

The Trumpet

The Feast of Trumpets focuses specifically on the trumpet (shofar) because it is tied to the forgiveness of sins.  Repentance precedes forgiveness of course.  We confess our sins to Jesus and he is faithful and just to forgive them.  In the Bible, the shofar had many uses, but one of it’s most important uses was to gather the nation to repentance, and to gather the people back to God.

Abraham and Issac are tied to the Feast of Trumpets:  it’s all about the trumpet

The trumpet or shofar is seen in the story of Abraham and Isaac.   Abraham was told to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mt. Moriah.  This was a heart wrenching request from God, but Abraham obeyed and took his beloved son to the altar to be sacrificed.  God’s grace saved the day and Abraham did not end up having to sacrifice his son.  God provided a ram to be the sacrifice.  This, of course, foreshadowed that God would send his only son Jesus, to be sacrificed on the cross for our sins.   In the story of Abraham and Isaac, a ram was used as the sacrifice.  Thus, the ram’s horn is what is used in the Bible, and still in Judaism today, to point to repentance.  It’s meant to be a wake up call to the spirit.  God is spirit and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth.  The Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah, is a reminder that Jesus forgives us of sin and we are called to repentance through his grace and mercy.  Abraham’s obedience and faith mirrors our obedience and faith to Christ.  The ram’s horn takes believers back to that mountain where Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, but God provided.  God would later provide his own son to take our sin and offer us forgiveness through repentance.  Every time a ram’s horn (shofar/trumpet) is blown, it is a reminder of this.

The Feast of  Trumpets and the Rapture

Some biblical scholars have tied the Feast of Trumpets to the Rapture of the church some day in the future.  If you do a study of the traditions of the feast,  you will be able to see many parallels.  The day and the hour of the Rapture are unknown, of course.  The Feast of Trumpets occurs every single year on Tishrei 1 and 2 on the biblical calendar.  Even if scholars think Jesus will return to rapture the Bride on the Feast of Trumpets, the day and hour would still be unknown because the Feast has been celebrated for over 1000 years and will continue to be celebrated every single year as long as time continues.  So it would not be possible to predict what year, day and hour.   Also, it is possible this feast may tie into the many trumpets of Revelation, and even events of the Tribulation.

The Seven Feasts of the Lord

Nonetheless, the Feast is considered an appointment on God’s calendar.  Leviticus 23 lists the seven Feasts of the Lord and describes them as seasons.  Most people think seasons means Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter.  But in this case seasons does not mean this.  In Hebrew the word season is moed.  Moed means appointment.   These feasts are appointments on God’s calendar.  I’d say if God sets an appointment on his calendar, it makes sense that as Christians, we take notice of it.   Jesus has fulfilled four of the the seven feasts already.   Jesus will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets one day.  When?  We don’t know.  How?  We don’t know.   We have some clues, but God is in charge of the details.  But, since it is listed as a convocation- this means dress rehearsal in Hebrew– we know it’s a dress rehearsal for something!  I think that’s very exciting!  It makes me look forward to the Feast every year.  I love celebrating it!  By the way, I do not celebrate it because of a legal obligation.  I celebrate it because it reminds me of my Savior, who forgives my sins and loves me.  Also, one day I know he is coming  back, and even if I don’t know all the details I AM EXCITED!

Rosh Hashanah Prayer Book

little over a year ago a sweet lady from my church gave me an old book called the Union Prayer Book.  She had been given lots of old books that related to Judaism and Israel.   She knew I loved reading about Jewish traditions because Jesus is Jewish and there are many things in Judaism that teach us about Jesus.    She wasn’t sure what the book was, but figured I could find a use.

I was overjoyed when the first page I turned to was all about the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah).  In fact, the whole book was pages and pages of prayers to pray during the month of Elul (the month of repentance prior to the Feast of Trumpets) and there were prayers to pray on the actual feast day.    I noticed the book was dated 1948.  That year was significant because Israel became a nation again on May 14, 1948.  When Israel became a nation again after being scattered for thousands of years it was a miracle!  This fulfilled biblical prophecy!  See Ezekiel 37 for details…..

Here is an example of one of the prayers in the Rosh Hashanah prayer book:  Note how it mentions the trumpet or shofar:

“Prepare to hearken now to the solemn sound of the Shofar.  May it summon us to struggle against of the forces of evil within our hearts and in the world.  Let it arouse within us the will to righteousness and strengthen our trust in God’s justice and love.  May it direct our thoughts to the day when the Shofar will sound for the redemption of all mankind.   Happy is the people that know the joyful sound; they walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance.”

In the excerpt above it says to let the trumpet (shofar) summon us to struggle against the forces of evil.  The trumpet has always been tied to waking up the believer’s spirit in Judaism -during the time of Jesus and after.   When a shofar (trumpet) is played,  you must blow air into the end of the shofar.   If there is no air inside, the shofar is empty.  A sound cannot be made if it is empty.  The air is actually likened to wind.  The air or wind is what fills the shofar so it can be played and this is what produces that piercing sound.  The sound is so piercing it’s like a blaring alarm clock to the believer’s ears.  Jesus compares the Holy Spirit to wind, which is of course, air.  The wind or air of the Holy Spirit is what fills the believer up.  The Holy spirit is what wakes the believer up.  It hearkens them to repent.  It is the piercing sound of our spirit- Jesus’ voice guiding us and waking us up each and every day.  This is how we fight darkness and evil in the world.  The trumpet is a reminder of this truth.

Most Christians are familiar with these verses:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:Then 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.” 1 Thessalonians 16, 17.

“In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:52

The Trumpet and the Rapture of the Church

The trumpet (shofar) is mentioned in both verses.  These verses describe the Rapture of the church- when believers are united with Christ in the air.  The trump or trumpet is the sound that accompanies this magnificent event.  Keep in mind the trumpet (shofar) is a WAKE UP CALL.  In this case, the piercing sound of the trumpet actually wakes the dead! Note that the verses say that the dead will rise.  Those who are not dead when Christ returns at the Rapture will simply be “caught up” in the air/clouds with Jesus.  Then, it’s off to the wedding supper in heaven.  By the way, did you know that Jewish Brides in biblical times were summoned by the sound of the trumpet (shofar)?  Jesus is a Jewish Groom so it makes sense he would summon his Bride with a trumpet as well !

Seek His Presence

Doesn’t it fill you with joy to know that one day we will see Jesus FACE TO FACE!  When he returns we will see him!  It is so hard to wait for this blessed day!   But, until then we are called to seek his face even while we live on this imperfect earth.   In Hebrew, seeking his face means seeking his PRESENCE.   The only way to seek his presence is to have his spirit within us- the Holy Spirit.  Through prayer and worship, we can enter his presence.  Actually, the Feast of Trumpets is all about entering into his PRESENCE.   On the Feast of Trumpets the shofar (trumpet) is sounded 100 times in the synagogue.  Messianic believers (Jewish believers who know Jesus as the Savior) know the 100 piercing sounds of the trumpet are a reminder the King is coming back!  Orthodox Jews (Jewish believers who don’t know Jesus is the Savior) believe a Messiah is coming also.  They just don’t realize he already came once and he’s coming back again!   Some people will be ready when he comes back at the Rapture and they will go to the wedding feast in heaven.  These wedding guests will know Christ and he will know them because they have sought his presence, just like a Bride would seek her Groom.

 

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord

In the Jewish wedding a common salutation for the Groom is, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  As the Groom approaches the chuppah (wedding canopy) the Bride and her family will say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  This means WELCOME.

 

Much of the nation of Israel and much of the world will not know Jesus when he comes at the Rapture.  Only those who have sought his presence (his face) will go with Christ to the Wedding Feast.  This would include both Jews and Gentiles who have received Christ as their Savior (their Groom).  When we receive Christ we are accepting his marriage proposal and entering into a blood covenant with him.   This means when he returns he will know us, just like the parable of the Ten Virgins.  See link….  Those who have the Holy Spirit have the seal- the wedding ring that ties us to our Groom.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A1-13&version=NIV

The Feast of Trumpets and the Tribulation

There will be a second chance to receive Christ for those who missed the Rapture .  The Tribulation will be a seven year period of time where the world will be tested.  It will be a time like no other- also referred to as the Time of Jacob’s Trouble.  (Jacob is another name for Israel.)  But, at the end of it all, Jesus will return to the earth at the Second Coming.  His faithful followers (the Bride) will be with him! Trumpets will be blasting and the whole world will see the King coming to take his rightful place on the throne.  Some will be joyful, while others will mourn.

Jesus will literally show his face to the inhabitants of the earth!  The Bible says that a remnant of Jews who have survived the Tribulation will say something amazing when they see his face!  They will say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  This means they are finally welcoming their Savior!   What a beautiful day that will be.

The Feast of Trumpets is also a wake up call for the nations.  In the Bible, the Lord’s Feasts are often used to remind the people to remember God and to cling to his promises.  In the Book of Nehemiah we read about two amazing men named Nehemiah and Ezra.   Both men were pivotal in making sure the Temple, and the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt.  The nation of Israel had been in captivity for seventy years for their disobedience to God.  Now, their captivity was over and it was time to be joyful.  God granted them favor with the rulers of Persia.   They were given permission by King Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes (in different years) to rebuild the Temple and walls of Jerusalem.   The timing of the completion of the wall around the Temple is quite telling.  Nehemiah 6:15 reads,  “So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.”  Keep in mind that the month of Elul comes right before the Feast of Trumpets.  During the month of Elul, the people were building the walls of Jerusalem.  They finished right before the Feast of Trumpets.  After the wall was finished there was great joy.  The enemies of the people of Israel were not happy.  Read the verses below:

“When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.”

The next thing that happened is amazing and lines up with the Feast of Trumpets.  It says in Nehemiah 8 that…………

“All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.”

 “So on the first day of the seventh month (on the Feast of Trumpets) Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.  He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law………”

“The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there.  They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

The verses say that ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH, the book of the Law was read to the people and the people listened.  In case you aren’t familiar with the biblical calendar, the first day of the seventh month is Tishrei 1 or also known as the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah).   This is significant because the people had not gathered together as a nation to hear from the Book of the Law- the Lord’s Holy Word- since before they went into captivity.  In fact, while they were in captivity they were not able to celebrate the Feasts as a nation at the Temple because there was no Temple.  Now that they had been allowed to rebuild, it is quite fitting that they read the Book of the Law- the Word of God, at the Temple in front of the Water Gate on the Feast of Trumpets.  Why?  Because the Feast of Trumpets points to the return of the King and the reign of the King.  Actually, did you know that the shofar or trumpet was always played when a King was being crowned?  This is even seen in movies and stories about Medieval Kings and Queens.  This tradition goes way back to biblical times.  Jesus, however, is the ONLY TRUE KING!  I find it even more awesome that the Book of the Law was read in front of the Water Gate because Jesus IS THE LIVING WATER!  Not only that, JESUS IS THE LIVING TEMPLE!  Also, JESUS IS THE WORD THAT DWELT AMONG US.  HE IS THE WORD.   All the things being done at just the right time point to Jesus, and they show how the Feasts point to him.

Why Should Christians Celebrate the Feast of Trumpets?

Some Christians have told me, “The Feasts of the Lord are for the Jewish people, not for the Christians.”    The Feasts of the Lord are not Jewish feasts.  In the Bible, God calls them HIS FEASTS.  The Feasts are often referred to as the Feasts of Israel because they were first celebrated by the nation of Israel and continue to be celebrated today.  But, ALL OF THE FEASTS point to Jesus.  They are shadows of what Jesus has done and what he will do.  If you ever have time to study the Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and Pentecost you will be overwhelmed at how they point directly to Jesus and how he fulfilled them right down to the day and the hour.

Also, we must never forget that we were adopted into the family of God through the Jews.  We are adopted into the nation of Israel.  That means the Lord’s feasts are for us as well.  Jesus broke down the wall between Jew and Gentile.  He didn’t tell the two groups to keep the wall between them.  Jericho’s wall came tumbling down with the power of God and the sound of the trumpets.  Jesus took down the wall between the Jew and Gentile with the arrival of the ultimate trumpet- the Holy Spirit!  This does not mean we are bound by the law to celebrate the Feasts.  It simply means they are VALUABLE to Christians and Jews alike because they show truths about Jesus!

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+11&version=NIV

This year, when the Feast of Trumpets comes, be JOYFUL!  This is a Feast of remembrance and celebration!  One day, the trumpet will sound and you will no longer remember the troubles of this life.  You’ll forget the tears you’ve shed.  You will be face to face with the King of Kings.   Will it happen one day on the Feast of Trumpets?  Nobody knows, except the Father in heaven.   We do know, however, that it will happen one day.  Until then, I will keep listening to the sound of the trumpet of my heart- Jesus!  He is always calling me to speak with him face to face.

Feast of Trumpets appointment is at sundown September 29 through sundown October 1. 

How to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets?????

You can go to a synagogue to celebrate with the Jewish people and you will hear the trumpet blown 100 times.  It is awesome!!!! (Messianic believers will know Jesus, so it would be great to go to a Messianic Synagogue).  Some Christian churches also celebrate.   Or, celebrate at home by spending some extra time with Jesus.  You don’t have to play a trumpet to celebrate.  You could have a special dinner with friends and celebrate that Jesus is the Coming King.   There are also websites that will live stream Rosh Hashanah/Feast of Trumpets ceremonies.  See link below…  

https://elshaddaiministries.us/

 

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, NIV version