Feast of Trumpets

All references NKJV unless otherwise shown

Today trumpets are most associated with music either in brass bands or orchestras. They act as heralds like those used to proclaim Charles The King in this country, following the death of The Queen two years ago. The "last post" is often played on a bugle or cavalry trumpet at remembrance services for the war dead but were initially used to indicate that the camp of soldiers was secure for the night. Bugle sounds were also used to begin to move all or some of the troops.

We are familiar with the three feasts of Israel: Passover and the feast of Unleavened bread, Shavuot and the final one the feast of Tabernacles. But when is the feast of trumpets and what is it for?

The use of trumpets

The first mention of the word trumpet comes in Exodus 19:13‑19 two months after the exit from Egypt when God came and revealed Himself to Israel at Sinai. It was a serious and important time for the Hebrews as the Ten Commandments were given to them after Moses went up the mount. With the trumpet call there were thunders, lightnings, smoke and fires. In this case it was the sound of a ram’s horn which in the Hebrew is "shofar." The trumpet call was made again afterwards. (Exod.20:18)

There is another sort of trumpet that was made according to God’s instruction to Moses. He was given the instruction to make two silver trumpets out of one piece each of silver. This is quite a different Hebrew word "chatsotsrah" and it would have made a much different sound.

These silver trumpets were used to assemble the Hebrews and to move camp. The use of one sounding of a trumpet was to assemble the princes or leaders of the 12 tribes. A short trumpet sound was used to move those tribes: the first to move those on the East, the second for those tribes on the South and so on.

The silver trumpets were used to make an alarm call to warn of an enemy attack. But also afterwards for gladness and thankfulness too, and in acknowledgment of God. In addition it was for the feast days or festivals appointed by God and for a new lunar month. (Num.10:1‑10)

At the dedication of the Temple.120 priests blew trumpets. It says it was in the feast of the seventh month, so it was probably not the feast of trumpets when the Temple was dedicated. (2 Chron.5:12) It was though an important event and the glory of God filled the Temple.

Date of the feast of trumpets

"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying.‘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. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD."’" (Lev.23:23‑25) Therefore the feast of trumpets was set in the autumn.

What were the offerings?

"For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets.You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the LORD: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish.Their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil: three‑tenths of an ephah for the bull, two‑tenths for the ram.and one‑tenth for each of the seven lambs; also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, to make atonement for you; besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD." (Num.29:1‑6)

The Second Temple and the reading of the Law

After the 70 years of captivity in Babylon and following the decree of Cyrus the Israelites returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple. It was 445 BC and they assembled at the Water Gate in Jerusalem. One important part was the reading of the law was undertaken. It was read on the first day of the seventh month—the feast of trumpets. "Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month." (Neh.8:2) This was an important part; it’s necessary to know what is important for those capable of understanding and putting it into action.

"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom.10:14) The New Testament shows how important the dissemination of information is. How do any of us believe if we are not informed by someone else or by reading the Bible. It will be a significant part of the Messianic age, the knowledge of God and his plan and purposes. "God...will have all men…to come unto the knowledge of the truth…in due time" (1 Tim.2:3‑6 KJV) "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." (Hab.2:14) As the promise to Israel was "No more shall every man teach his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD." (Jer.31:34)

New Year Celebration

Ezekiel (40:1) mentions a new year in the seventh month. One understanding of this is that it is the commencement of the civil year. Today it is known as Rosh Hashanah. In 2023 it was on 15 September from sunset and it was 2 October in 2024.

It was not the only feast in the seventh month. Yom Kippur also known as the day of atonement was on the tenth day of the seventh month. Then the feast of tabernacles or booths was a week‑long feast from the 15th of the month. It was to remember the time when they lived in tents for forty years in the wilderness and coincided with the end of the harvest at the end of the agricultural year. Zechariah (14:16) mentions that after the final deliverance at the culmination of this age at the feast of tabernacles of the time the people of all nations would go up to Jerusalem for the feast of tabernacles. This brings to mind the blessings and events of the age coming. Therefore this new year celebration could picture all nations in the Millennial or Messianic age.

An eschatological trumpet for Israel

Zech.9:14‑16 "The LORD will be seen over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, (shofar) and go with whirlwinds from the south. The LORD of hosts will defend them; they shall devour and subdue with slingstones. They shall drink and roar as if with wine; they shall be filled with blood like basins, like the corners of the altar. The LORD their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown, lifted like a banner over His land—" The trumpet blowing here announces God taking action to defend his people Israel in full faith and loyalty shown in the abundance of the animal sacrifices on the altar.

New Testament trumpets

The New Testament has one word for trumpet it is "salpingi." Matt 24:31 says "He (the Son of Man) will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." The trumpet is for the gathering of the elect—the Church.

Behold, I tell 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 trumpet.For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Cor.15:51‑52) The trumpet precedes the raising of the church incorruptible.

"We believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the presence of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." (1 Thes.4:14‑16 RVIC) This trumpet also precedes the raising of the Church who will be raised first and before all others, like, in the general resurrection.

"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." (Rev.10:7) This is the announcement of seventh, and last, period of the church during this Gospel age. It will be that after that time there would be no more messengers and the time of sacred secrets would be over and people would see and know not wonder and hope?

"The seventh angel sounded; and there came to be great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever." (Rev.11:15 RVIC) Another announcement at the time of the seventh angel. This time it is to announce the kingdom. This may mean it is future because the kingdoms of this world still exist although it may mean its proclaimed as going to happen before it happens with a period of time before it appears a reality here.

Could these New Testament trumpets be aligned with the feast of trumpets coming prior to the Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles at the start of a new year?

Gideon’s trumpets

Judges 7 recounts the victory of the judge Gideon and his band over the multitudes of the Midianite army which were so many they were as "the sand by the seashore." (v.12) Gideon reduced his army, as directed by God firstly from 32,000 to 10,000 and then to 300 by testing their preparedness for the task at hand. Gideon gives each soldier a trumpet, in this case though a ram’s horn or shofar rather than a silver trumpet. At the appointed time they blew their trumpets, broke their pots, and held their torches which were like sticks of fire. There was so much alarm the Midianites reacted suddenly and began to fight each other. So without one sword of Gideon or the 300 soldiers with trumpets being used in anger to kill the Midianite army in Israel the battle was won and the victory was God’s.

If Gideon pictures our Lord Jesus then the 300 with the shofars could be the "little flock" (Luke 12:32) or the bride of Christ at the battle of Armageddon at the very end of the Gospel age allowing the kingdom to be fully established. Could this be aligned with the feast of trumpets?

Joseph and the trumpet

"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." (Psa.81:3‑5 KJV) It was decreed for a testimony in Joseph. How so? There was a worldwide or regionwide famine, like today in several ways to the famine of the word of God. Pharoah and Joseph bought all the land of Egypt in exchange for the food they gave the farmers and landowners. The plan to save grain in the seven years of plenty meant there was food for Egypt, although not forgetting neighbouring lands like Canaan. The only group who did not need to sell their land were the priests who got their food direct from Pharoah. Hence the world was saved with Joseph picturing Jesus, who is saviour of the world while the priestly class were fed. Like today the church is still being fed from above by God.

Jubilee trumpet

Another aspect of the Day of Atonement in the seventh month was that every 50th year, the year of Jubilee all lands were restored back to their original owners and all servants were given back their freedom from their masters. A trumpet was sounded throughout all the land of Israel to announce that day. (Lev.25:9) This pictures the restitution or restoration of all things that will occur when Christ’s kingdom is established and the resurrection of the dead begins on earth. It was also a time of rest for the land that pictures the rest the world will get from such present hardships as they now experience.

Conclusion

In the old arrangement in Israel the feast of trumpets was the start of the new civil year in the autumn. That month was a special month as it had the day of atonement when the sins of the nation were cleared allowing a fresh start. There was also the feast of tabernacles to remember how God had directed the nation in the wilderness and also marking the end of the agricultural year and the final harvests prior to winter.

It is suggested that the use of trumpets is to sound for a new age and new arrangement in the Divine Plan. They indicate the end of the old age and a new order beginning, the raising of the bride of Christ to immortality and to announce a time of education of the world to God’s ways, unpolluted, no longer to be hidden in any way.

Our responsibility

At this time the message is to prepare ourselves for the end of the age. A time for self‑examination and reflection of our readiness and preparedness for the culmination of the age and making our calling and election sure.

"Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance." (Psa.89:15 KJV)

NAC