Feast of Trumpets (Christian holiday)

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See also Rosh Hashanah also called a "Day [of] teruah" ("Blowing [of the Shofar]/Trumpeting" in the Torah) about Judaism's New Year Jewish holiday.
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The Feast of Trumpets is a holiday observed by Christians who believe in keeping the Seven Feasts of Israel. Members of the Seventh Day Church of God groups, especially those who claim association with Herbert Armstrong, observe the day. It coincides with the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah and is believed by most observers to have Christian applications. Evangelical Christians are also interested in the Feast of Trumpets. Some view its fulfilment as a key waypoint into the End times. They believe that this epic future "day of the blowing of the shofar" will be a landmark day in history.

The Bible refers to the day as "The Day of the Blowing of the Shofar" (Yom Terua, Leviticus 23:24), and rabbinic literature and the liturgy itself describe Rosh Hashanah as "The Day of Judgment" (Yom ha-Din) and "The Day of Remembrance" (Yom ha-Zikkaron). Some midrashic descriptions depict God as sitting upon a throne, while books containing the deeds of all humanity are opened for review, and each person passing in front of Him for evaluation of his or her deeds. A shofar is normally a trumpet made from a ram's or goat's horn.

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[edit] Date

The Feast of Trumpets is specifically and biblically the first day of the month of Tishri. Leviticus 23:24 states, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation" (NKJV). It is the only Hebrew feast to occur on a new moon.

The Jewish festival of Rosh Hashanah always occurs in the month of September or October in modern calendars. It extends over the first two days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, even in Israel where most holidays last only one day. (Since days in the Hebrew calendar begin at sunset, the beginning of Rosh Hashanah is when sunset occurs at the end of the 29th of Elul.)

The second day is a later addition and does not follow from the literal reading of the Biblical commandment, which states that the holiday should be celebrated on the first day. Christians who observe the Feast of Trumpets typically only celebrate it on one day (the first of Tishri).

[edit] New Testament

Some Christian groups, most notably those associated with Herbert Armstrong, also observe Rosh Hashanah, though they normally call it by the Biblical expression Feast of Trumpets. They believe that this day represents what is referred to throughout the entire Bible as "The Day of the LORD", the future time when Christ will return, fight the rebellious nations of the earth and establish His world-ruling government, the Kingdom of God.

There are many New Testament passages that mention trumpets, and those who observe the Feast of Trumpets consider that these trumpet blasts and the events mentioned in the New Testament are the actual fulfillment of what this day actually represents in Leviticus 23 and other passages in what they call the Old Testament.

For example, one passage from the Hebrew Bible that suggests a future fulfillment is Isaiah 27:13, which states "So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem" (NKJV).

Many of the New Testament passages are in the Book of Revelation, where there is a blowing of seven trumpets. In chapter 8, verse 6 it states, "So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound." The subsequent verses describe a variety of punishments somewhat intended to encourage humans to repent (which chapter 9 verse 20 suggests that they do not do). However, the Book of Revelation does suggest that positive developments occur on the seventh (and final) trumpet blast, but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets (Revelation 10:7).

Specifically, many believe that Jesus will return on the final trumpet blast. This is partially based up Pauls writing in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. NKJV

Others who do not observe the Feast of Trumpets normally do acknowledge that the New Testament teaches that Jesus will return with the sound of a trumpet.

[edit] John Chrysostom

People who observe the Feast of Trumpets have sometimes been subject to ridicule or condemnation.

Here is some of what the Roman Catholic saint John Chrysostom preached the following in 387 A.D.:

The festivals of the pitiful and miserable Jews are soon to march upon us one after the other and in quick succession: the feast of Trumpets, the feast of Tabernacles, the fasts. There are many in our ranks who say they think as we do. Yet some of these are going to watch the festivals and others will join the Jews in keeping their feasts and observing their fasts. I wish to drive this perverse custom from the Church right now...If the Jewish ceremonies are venerable and great, ours are lies...Does God hate their festivals and do you share in them? He did not say this or that festival, but all of them together. (John Chrysostom. Homily I Against the Jews I:5;VI:5;VII:2. Preached at Antioch, Syria in the Fall of 387 AD. Medieval Sourcebook: Saint John Chrysostom (c.347-407) : Eight Homilies Against the Jews. Fordham University. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/chrysostom-jews6.html 12/10/05).

John Chrysostom preached against the Fall holy days then, because some who professed Christ were observing them. It is interesting to note that he must have realized that the second century church kept Passover the same time as the Jews did (this was even true in the early second century in Rome). And that the Catholic Church still kept Pentecost when he wrote that. Hence it is unclear why he railed against some "feasts of the Jews" and not others.

Those who continue to observe these days do not consider that they are Jewish Feasts, but that they are biblical feasts of God, citing Leviticus 23:1 where God calls them "My feasts".

[edit] Book of Life

Some Christians, like most who hold to the Jewish faith, believe that the Feast of Trumpets has a tie to the Book of Life. Some Christians who observe the Feast of Trumpets tie together the fact that true Christians, those whose names are in the Book of Life, are the ones who are resurrected at the final great trumpet. Interestingly, both Church of God observers and the Jewish Talmudic tradition believe that the righteous have their names written in the Book of Life and that they will be rewarded on a future climactic Day of Atonement or Day of Reckoning. Church of God observers agree with the Jewish position that others will also have their names in it later.

Both the Church of God position and Jewish tradition state that the righteous have their names written in the Book of Life and that they will be rewarded on Tishri 1. The New Testament also agree with the Jewish position that others will be also have their names in it later: Revelation 20:11-15,

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Jewish tradition also teaches that those that are not truly wicked (the intermediate) will not be saved or destroyed at that time, but that they will have a ten day period until the Day of Atonement (which they call Yom Kippur) for judgment.

While this time of judgment is mentioned in Revelation 20:11-15, the Church of God position has tended to be that those who have not rejected God (blasphemed the Holy Spirit), will have an opportunity for salvation later, the period of which may last 100 years (Isaiah 65:20), and that this is shown by the last Holy Day, the Last Great Day, which happens on the twenty-second day of Tishri. Based upon Revelation 20:4-5 (which states, "Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."), the Church of God position is (and has been) that there is at least 1,000 years between when the righteous (those whose names are now written in the Book of Life) and the others being resurrected, thus the New Testament disagrees with the Jewish idea that the wicked are handled on the same Feast of Trumpets that the righteous are (it also disagrees with the 10 day position for those the Jews called 'intermediate'--not righteous, not wicked).

[edit] End-time chronology

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Evangelical Christians, who are generally pre-millennialists (but not part of the Seventh Day Churches of God), are increasingly interested in the Seven Feasts of Israel. This began after Zola Levitt, a Messianic Jew and a television broadcaster from Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote a little booklet by the same name back in the 1980's.

The first four of the Feasts of Israel have been fulfilled in the New Covenant. Jesus Christ was crucified on Passover, the 14th of Nisan. (Believers in the Messiah believe He was the promised Sacrifice Lamb, the Savior sent into the world as a 'Light to the World'. He was laid in the tomb on the same day just before sunset, for the Feast of Unleavened Bread which came on the 15th of Nisan. He rose from the dead three days and three nights after Passover on the 17th of Nisan. Fifty days later, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell on the 120 in the upper room. The Day of Pentecost was the day on the Hebrew calendar when Moses brought down the Torah from Mount Sinai to establish the Old Covenant. In the crucifixion year the Day of Pentecost came into its New Covenant fulfilment. The birthday of the Church occur on that very same day on the Hebrew calendar. Many evangelical Christians consider that these first four of the Feasts of God came into their New Covenant fulfilment during the spring and summer of the year of Christ's passion. The Fall Feasts are yet to be fulfilled. Quite understandably many Christians with a biblical world view are wondering what will come next.

The first four of the seven Feasts of God have been fulfilled in epic fashion. The Fall Feasts, the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, await fulfilment. There is a growing realization among evangelical Christian believers that these fifth and sixth feasts will erupt into their ultimate New Covenant fulfilment in just as spectacular fashion as the former ones did. These will be two epic and climactic days breaking forth in future holy history. Some Bible scholars believe that the next feast to be fulfilled, the Feast of Trumpets, which is Rosh Hashanah, (or the Hebrews New Year), will mark the occasion in which the epic peace treaty prophesied by the prophet Daniel in Daniel 9:27 will be confirmed. This will be a day of great searchings of the heart for all those who love Israel. Eretz Israel, the land owned by Israel in a trust with YHVH/God will be divided up. Sovereign land and sovereign political power will be handed over by God's covenant people to a coming global peacemaker. The covenant will be for a term of seven years. The information concerning this future treaty, which will promise peace to the Middle East, was given to the prophet Daniel by the angel Gabriel. This is an extremely important prophecy for all Jews and for all Christians. The disposal of YHVH/God's Holy Land by covenant to the powers of this world is not a light matter. Like most treaties it will lead to war. In this case, the fallout will be very serious. The treaty will lead on seven years later to the Battle of Armageddon and to the coming of Messiah as Judge of the nations. At that time He will deliver His people, those in Jerusalem at Armageddon and also out in the nations at the Bozrah deliverance.

Many Bible students are coming to believe that the Feast of Trumpets will herald the seven year peace covenant of Daniel 9:27. This awesome future event fits the spirit, nature, and character of the Feast of Trumpets very well. Evangelicals have also noticed that the timespan encompassing the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement (Christian holiday) when they are seven years apart and when they comprise 86 moons on the metatonic cycle, (and not 87 moons), is 2550 days.

86 moons = 86 x 29.530589 days + 10 days = 2550 days (inclusive). This is the timespan that begins on Tishri 1 in year X and extends out seven years to Tishri 10 on year X + 7.

2550 days is a very special number of days. It happens to very precisely encompass the timespan of the 70th week of Daniel with the 30 day extension of the second half of the 70th Week going beyond the 1260 days to the 1290 days. This period of 1290 days was prophesied by Daniel in Dan.12:11. The number of days for the final seven years of this age then becomes, - 1260 days + 1290 days = 2550 days.

There is a perfect agreement of the two timespans. And the nature of the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement fits the Dan.9:27 seven year covenant and the last day, the Day of Reckoning respectively. This indicates that the final seven years of this age will begin on a Jewish new year somewhere in the September-October time of the year.

The calculations of these Feast of Trumpets to Day of Atonement timespans across 86 moons or across seven years are simple and easily verifiable. They can be confirmed quite readily using lunar data from the United States Naval Observatory or by using the Hebrew Calendar Converter available online at Hebcal.com.

The Feast of Trumpets is yet to erupt into world history. The entire prophecy of Joel relates to the latter days. It features the coming of a stupendous day of celebration, and also shock and awe. The nature, character, and spirit of the shofar being blown in alarm and its attendant call to assembly before YHVH/God fits the stark reality of what will happen on this epic future day. Israel will enter into a binding covenant with a global peacemaker. The deal will be for a term of seven years. The prophet Daniel gives details of this landmark event in Dan. 9:27. Moses warned the covenant people of YHVH-God that their disobedience would lead them into tribulation in the latter days. This prophecy is recorded in Deut.4:29-31. Jesus Himself spoke of His people entering into covenant with one who would come "in his own name". This is recorded in John 5:43.

The Holy Scriptures clearly indicate that the sovereign ground of Eretz Israel will be divided up. The Holy Land will be ceded to someone who is outside the covenant. Here is Joel's word to God's covenant people when they see this happen.

Joel 2
15 "Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and nursing babes;
Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.
17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord weep between the porch and the altar; ..."

The Feast of Trumpets is the very next feast due to come into its epic New Covenant fulfilment. Because of the reasons given above many evangelicals believe that this next feast will be the Daniel 9:27 treaty and that this will be the terminus of the Road map for peace in the Middle East. The 7 year treaty will be confirmed on a very auspicious day. On a future Hebrew New Year Israel will sign this seven year peace treaty. They will enter into covenant with a global peacemaker. This prince will be a megadealer from outside the covenants of Israel. Daniel's prophecy clearly indicates that this man will eventually turn out to be a false messiah. This explains the trumpets or shofars being blown on that awesome future day. It will be a day of combined celebration and alarm.

[edit] Conclusion

Several Christian groups observe the Feast of Trumpets and those that do believe it has prophetic importance (although the prophetic understandings do vary somewhat by group). They have not accepted the criticism that it is only intended as a Jewish practice that they should not observe.

[edit] See also

[edit] Further reading

  • Edward Chumney. The Seven Festivals of the Messiah. Treasure House, 1994. ISBN 1560437677
  • Howard, Kevin. The Feasts Of The Lord God's Prophetic Calendar From Calvary To The Kingdom. Nelson Books, 1997. ISBN 0785275185

[edit] External links