Trumpets (יוֹם תְּרוּעָה)

A trumpet gains attention!  When we hear it, we must stop.  Consider a car horn.  If you are close to the horn, can you ignore it?  When we examine the biblical reason for trumpets blasts we will see a pattern of warning and gaining attention.  Let’s see what the bible says about the use of a trumpet.

^{1 Samuel 13:3} Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, "Let the Hebrews hear!" ⁴ So all Israel heard the news: "Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines." And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

^{2 Samuel 2:28} So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

^{Joshua 6:20} When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.

^{Psalm 150:2} Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. ³ Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,  

^{Psalm 81:2} Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre. ³ Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;  

^{Ezekiel 33:2} "Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, ³ and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, ⁴ then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. ⁵ Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. ⁶ But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’ 

^{Jeremiah 4:5} "Announce in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem and say: ‘Sound the trumpet throughout the land!’ Cry aloud and say: ‘Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities!’ ⁶ Raise the signal to go to Zion! Flee for safety without delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, even terrible destruction."

4.1 The Timeline

The Feast of Trumpets herald a soon coming Kingdom. Repeatedly in the bible, you will find the theme and timeline of the return of Christ.  There is a consistency throughout several books:  Joel, Jeremiah, Daniel, Psalms, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, and Revelation all share this common theme and timeline.  However, contained in one book, Revelation illustrates the chronology of the return of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom here on earth.

 

The word Apocalypses is the Greek word for Revelation and it does not mean war. Additionally, this is not the revelation of John, but rather the revelation of Christ!

^{Revelation 1:1}The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ²who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. ³Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

The timeline and the theme graphically illustrate the removal of one evil kingdom and the establishment of another Holy Kingdom.  The trumpet blasts indicate the very strong announcement of this major universal shaking event.  Remember these verses when reading Revelation:

^{Luke 4:5}The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ⁷So if you worship me, it will all be yours."  ⁸Jesus answered, "It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’"

^{John 14:30}I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me,

^{2 Corinthians 4:4}The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

It is said that Satan took a third of the angels with him.  Revelation illustrates this by using stars as symbols of angels.  Now on the earth, Satan rules with his perverted angels known as demons.

^{Revelation 12:4}His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.

^{Revelation 12:7}And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

 

Notice that Satan has dominion over the world and that he “took a third of the stars”.  A third of the earth, sea and heavens are destroyed, possibly paralleling the third of the power of the fallen angels which Satan leads.  As the trumpets sound, Satan’s kingdom falls apart piece by piece!

4.2 Day of the Lord

Consider what a day is to the Lord:

^{2 Peter 3:8}But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

This verse is mentioned when describing of the day of the Lord. As a result, current thinking leads many to say that the “day” of the Lord will last 1000 years.  This is more fully illustrated during the Feast of Tabernacles.  But the “day” starts with the Feast of Trumpets!

 

This day will start with much pain as this world’s evil kingdom is removed and Satan is dethroned.  God always provides a witness and warning before He does anything.  This witness is seen through several very unusual and very concerning things!

^{2 Peter 3:10}But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

^{Joel 2:1} Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand- ² a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come.

^{Matthew 24:26}"So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. ²⁹"Immediately after the distress of those days " ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’^[c]

^{<Luke 21:20}"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. ²¹Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. ²²For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. ²³How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. ²⁴They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ²⁵"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. ²⁶Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.

^{<Acts 2:20}The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

4.3 Second Coming

4.3.1 The Timing

When considering the Feast of Trumpets and the phase of the moon, you will note that this is the only Feast coinciding with a “new moon”.  In order to determine which day to start the Feast of Trumpets (Tishri 1), one must “watch” for the new moon.  And no one is certain which day the Feast will start.  So some celebrate two days just to be safe!

 

Likewise, it is clear that no one will know exactly when Christ returns.  But we are commanded to “watch”!

^{Matthew 24:36}"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

^{1 Thessalonians 5:2}for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

^{<Luke 21:34}"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. ³⁵For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." 

^{Leviticus 23:23} The LORD said to Moses, ²⁴ "Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. ²⁵ Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.’ "

4.3.2 The Arrival

Six of the seven trumpets have blown.  Finally, the last trump, the seventh trumpet is blown and Christ returns!  The foundation of Satan’s world has collapsed, Jesus returns to establish His.

 

^{Zechariah 14:5} You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 

^{Matthew 24:30}"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. ³¹And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. 

^{Mark 8:38}If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels." 

^{Luke 21:27}At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." ²⁹He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. ³¹Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

^{Acts 1:9}After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. ¹⁰They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

^{1 Corinthians 15:23}But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

^{Hebrews 9:28}so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

4.3.3 The Resurrection

As the last trumpet is blown, Christ returns and the dead in Christ are resurrected. Then those alive are transformed from physical to spiritual. Christ the Firstfruits will resurrect His “called out ones”. 

 

Notice when the “change” occurs.  Can you find a point in the Revelation timeline when Christ returns?  Find the verse.

^{Matthew 22:32}‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'[a]? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

^{1 Corinthians 15:50}I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵²in 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. ⁵³For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."[g] ⁵⁵"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"[h] ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

^{1 Corinthians 15:42}So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

^{1 Thessalonians 4:13} Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. ¹⁴We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage each other with these words.

^{Revelation 20:4}I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁵(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. ⁶Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

4.3.3.1 King David

We know through the scriptures that King David a man after God’s heart is still in his grave to this day.  He has not been resurrected but is waiting for this special day.

^{1 Samuel 16:12} So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." ¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.

^{John 3:13}No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[d]

^{Acts 13:22}After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

^{Acts 1:29}"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.

^{Acts 1:34}For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, " ‘The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand ³⁵until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." ‘[g]

King David, like other’s who died with God’s Holy Spirit, are still awaiting the resurrection.

^{Matthew 10:28}And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna). [AMP]

^{Luke 21:27}At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

4.3.3.2 Daniel

God provides a similar promise to Daniel.   Daniel will be resurrected with David and many others.  After Daniel’s resurrection, he will receive his reward.

^{Daniel 12:8} I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?" ⁹ He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. ¹⁰ Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. ¹¹ "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. ¹² Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. ¹³ "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."

4.4 The Kingdom

4.4.1 His Feet

Examine the scriptures when Christ departed the earth and when He arrives a second time.  Where is He?  The Mount of Olives!  Here is an interesting article from Wikipedia on the subject:

“In the Book of Zechariah the Mount of Olives is identified as the place from which God will begin to redeem the dead at the end of days. For this reason, Jews have always sought to be buried on the mountain, and from Biblical times to the present day the mountain has been used as a cemetery for the Jews of Jerusalem. There are an estimated 150,000 graves on the Mount, including those of many famous figures.”

 

Image Google Earth

Left Temple Mount and Right Mount of Olives

 

Remember when Christ ascended into heaven and words of the angels:

^{Acts 1:10}They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." ¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk[b] from the city.

And here is the prophecy of His return:

^{Zechariah 14:4} On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.

4.4.2 The Welcome Committee

The people of the world will not be pleased with Christ as the new leader!  As strange as this sounds, they will fight against Him.  At first, Christ is not welcome as the new leader of the world.

^{Zechariah 14:2} I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. ³ Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle.

^{Zechariah 14:12} This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. ¹³ On that day men will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other. ¹⁴ Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. ¹⁵ A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.

4.4.3 Peace at Last

Once Christ has established Himself as the King, the earth will finally experience peace it has never known.

^{Zechariah 14:9} The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.

^{Isaiah 9:6} For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

^{Isaiah 11:9} They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. ¹⁰ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

^{Revelation 11:15}The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."

Now that Christ has established Himself as the King of the earth, established peace, and established His kingdom, He must do some house cleaning!  We will see how this happens in the next Feast, the Day of Atonement.

 4.5 Questions

1. Consider a trumpet blast you have heard in the past.  How did it affect you?
2. Do “trumpets” have a new meaning for you?
3. Is your understanding of the book of Revelation and the Day of the Lord clearer than when you started this study?  Why or why not?
4. Consider the moon for the Feast of Trumpets and the return of Christ.  How do they compare?
5. Is the return of Christ as you expected it? Why or why not?
6. Have you considered your resurrection?  Will it be when Christ returns or after the millennium?  How will you know
7. When do you think that King David and Daniel will be resurrected?
8. For Christ’s Second Coming, why did Christ come to the earth?  Rather why don’t we all go to heaven for His kingdom?