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Trumpets (Le 23)
23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
This feast, called in Hebrew Yom Teruah, Day of Trumpets or Shouting, involves the blowing of trumpets and/or shouting. It is likely a foreshadowing of the return of Messiah. It is further described in Numbers 29:1-6:
1 And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.
2 And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish:
3 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram,
4 And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
5 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you:
6 Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.
Verse 5 mentions a special atoning sacrifice: “And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.” As this feast is just before the Feast of Atonement, perhaps this sin offering is indicative of the special relevance of Trumpets for those who have made a covenant with God by sacrifice prior to His second coming, that God will gather them together unto Him as the Great Judgment begins. (Ps 50:3-6)
The following scriptures also appear related in a prophetic, symbolic sense.
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1Co 15:51-56)
But 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. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For 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. 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1Th 4:13-18)
This feast follows Shavuot, the feast of sowing and harvesting, and may therefore be a prophetic shadow of the end of the harvesting age, the sudden coming of Christ to bring a final end to the rebellion of Man. The ten days between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur, which are named in Jewish tradition the Days of Awe, may be representative of the Millennial reign of Christ and His forceful rule over the nations (Ps 2:9, Re 2:27, Re 20:6), which seems to end in His universal call of all men to the Great White Throne Judgment, evidently symbolized in Yom Kippur. (Jud 1:14-15, Re 20:11-12)
Contemplating the return of Christ during this feast reminds us God is not finished yet; He is working out His plan to expose and address the wickedness and injustice of mankind. He has a purpose in allowing evil and suffering and intends to glorify Himself though all of it. (Ps 76:10) As we see the forces of wickedness growing ever stronger and bold we need not fear. We may give thanks, rejoicing in the sovereignty of God and glorying in His eternal purposes. (Re 15:4) This should give us joyful hope and victory in every circumstance as we abide in Him (1Jn 2:28); in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us. (Ro 8:37)
As for practical activities on this particular feast, the only instruction provided in the feast definitions themselves is to assemble, feast, shout and/or blow trumpets. Since it is the only feast occurring on the first day of the month, Psalm 81 may be relevant: “Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.” (vs 1-5) For the redeemed it is evidently to be a day of loud, spontaneous singing, rejoicing, spiritual comfort and praise to God, foreshadowing the soul-bursting joy that will accompany our gathering together unto Him as He prepares to judge the nations and right all wrongs. (Re 19:6) For those who remain outside of God, the rest of this Psalm appears to be a prophetic lament, a sober testimony against and an indictment of all rebellion and alienation from God. (Ps 73:27)
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