The Feast of Trumpets
Yom Teruah is the day of the sounding of the trumpet.
Again Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a memorial by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall bring an offering by fire near to Yahweh.’”
Leviticus 23:23-25, LSB
It is also referred to as Yom Ha-Zikkaron, meaning “day of remembrance”, or Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets. To some Jewish and Christian theologians, this day represents the celebration of the first day of creation. For the Jews, it is the beginning of the civil year, and it is the date from which years are numbered. It is used as the reference date to determine the Sabbatical and Jubilee years.
Because it is the first day of the civil year, this day is also a celebration of the first day of creation. As a celebration of the first day of creation, it would be the day used to establish all other cycles of Sabbath days, years, the Jubilee cycle, and feasts by counting from creation itself. Since God established these very specific days and times, it is important to observe them on the days He has ordained.
This represented the start of the Fall Feasts which were associated with the great ingathering of food with the fall harvest. Thus, a food offering was ordained by God. God was worshipped by confession that all produce of the fields was provided by God’s providence. He gave the harvest. The workers went into the fields and harvested the fruit of God’s provision.
God commanded the use of trumpets by the Israelites. These are different from a shofar, which is made of an animal horn. These trumpets were made of silver, and their use apparently limited to the Priests. This use and message was specific so the people would know what to do based on specific sounds produce by these horns.
One use was in gathering the people. A call to assemble in a specific place. When both were sounded, everyone was to gather. When only one sounded, only the leaders were to come to the place of meeting. (Numbers 10:1-3)
There was a different trumpet sound designed to move the Israelite camp in the wilderness. This different sound would be a signal for the camp to move. First those on the east, and then at a second trump sound, those on the south would begin moving. In this way, all the people would be brought into a single, cohesive movement. (Numbers 10:5-6) God emphasized this sound must be different from the sound used to summon the people together. It was important the sound be unambiguous in meaning.
There were two more uses for these specific trumpets. When the nation was attacked, they were used as a confession of the nation’s need for God to go before them in battle (Numbers 10:9). A reminder that they did not act on their own, in the absence of God.
Finally, these trumpets were to be sounded as part of their worship during the Appearance Feasts, as well as on the first day of every month. (Numbers 10:10)
Paul made reference to the “trumpet of God” as he comforted believers that feared for their fellow Christians who had died ahead of the Lord’s promised return. He comforted them by reminding them those who had died would be resurrected to meet the Lord, and then those alive who also be “caught up together”.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain 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 comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, LSB
Some Christians have understood this to be a reference of the Rapture which initiates a sequence of events leading to the Second Coming of Jesus, Christ. Others believe the return of Jesus will not be followed by the Rapture, with Jesus’ return and establishment of His kingdom a single, immediate event. In either case, both these views require a real physical return. The words in the letter to the Thessalonians are “the Lord Himself”. Not an emissary or analogy. The real Messiah.
If Jesus continues to follow the pattern of fulfilling the Feasts of Appearance, the next event will be a call to assemble before Him at the Feast of Trumpets.
Since the Feast of Trumpets is quickly followed by the next two feasts, it is clear the events they portend will also be associated in time. The events will also occur in sequence with no separation of time between them.
Next: Feast of Atonement
Why Six Days? 