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In fact, what is traditionally called
Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish New Year, is called in the Scriptures Yom
HaTeruah, which means the Day of the Blowing of Trumpets.
*(Jesus’ name in Hebrew)
Purpose of the Trumpet
There are essentially two types of trumpets mentioned in the Bible: the
ram’s horn, and the silver trumpets. Trumpets are used in Scripture for
many occasions and purposes: a call to assembly; a command for Israel to
‘move out’; a call to war; preparation for an announcement; a warning of
judgment to come; or a call to celebration and worship.
Behold, a Mystery!
Because so little is said about this feast
in the Hebrew Scriptures, there has always been a sense of mystery
regarding what the Feast of Trumpets refers to. The rabbis have looked
to Israel’s past spiritual experiences for the answer. Some believe it
refers to Exodus 19:16, where trumpets announced God’s descent on Mt.
Sinai to give the Torah to Moses. Other rabbinical traditions teach the
blowing of trumpets is a reminder of the shofarot (or ram’s horns) blown
by Joshua and the Israelites at Jericho (Joshua 6); and also, the Feast
of Trumpets is a reminder of the ram that Abraham sacrificed in place of
his son Isaac (Genesis 22). Though these are reminders of God’s
wonderful works in the past, Scripture reveals much more about this
mysterious Feast of Trumpets. This feast doesn’t point us to the past,
but to the future! Although resurrection is a concept taught throughout
the Tanakh (see Dan. 12:2), there is an aspect of the resurrection
heralded by the Feast of Trumpets: the mystery known as “The Rapture of
the Body of Messiah.” It is a reminder that one day the trumpet of God
will sound, and we should always be ready to respond.
The Rapture
There are two portions of New Covenant
Scripture that deal with this future event, and in both we see the
trumpet involved: “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 imperishable, and we shall be changed...”(1 Cor. 15:51,52). Paul
also writes: “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 Messiah shall 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. Therefore comfort
one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:13-18).
Our Gathering Together Unto Him
The doctrine of the Rapture is often misunderstood, discounted, or
denied altogether. But, the Rapture is a consistent theme throughout the
New Covenant, and has a powerful moral impact upon the life of the
believer, and even a seeker. The Rapture is presented as imminent, but
because no one knows the exact time of this future blowing of the
trumpet, the Feast of Trumpets should motivate us to readiness and
service, as we are “...looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of
the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua” (Titus 2:13).
Remembering our ‘blessed hope’, we are motivated to live a godly life
before the Lord. As John writes in his first letter, “Beloved, now we
are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We
know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see
Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies
himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2,3).
The Time of Jacob’s
Trouble
The Trumpet of the Lord will not only be
the call for believers to go and meet the Lord in the air, but that same
Trumpet will be the catalyst for the last seven years of this present
age, the period known as “the time of Jacob’s trouble”(Jer. 30:7). It is
this period that our Lord Yeshua referred to when He said, “For then
there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the
beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days
had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of
the elect those days shall be cut short” (Matthew 24:21,22).
Left Behind
If you can, imagine the sheer terror that people who are left behind
will experience at the time of the Rapture. Suddenly, without any
apparent warning, millions of people disappear from Planet Earth, in
mid-sentence, mid-stride--loved ones, children, spouses, friends,
co-workers, simply vanish. Chaos will ensue. It is into this resulting
void the Scriptures warn that the ultimate false-messiah, the
Anti-Christ, shall arise. “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it
will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of
lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts
himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes
his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God” (2 Thes.
2:3,4). This false Messiah will oppose God, not overtly, but subtly,
just as the serpent opposed the truth and deceived Eve in the Garden of
Eden. The ‘Man of Sin’ will claim to be the true messiah, promising
peace he will deceive the entire world. As Daniel writes, he will “by
peace destroy many” (Dan. 8:25), and lead this world in rebellion
against God, down a road to sudden destruction.
O Jerusalem!
This false savior will go into a yet-to-be-rebuilt temple in Jerusalem,
and declare Himself to be God, and declare all-out war against Israel!
“...so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself
as being God.” Regarding this Yeshua said, “Therefore when you see the
abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the
prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then
let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…”(Matt. 24:15,16).
The day is coming when man must reckon with His Maker. In God’s great
love and patience He bears long with us, “not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter. 3:9). God does,
however, allow circumstances to get to a point in our lives where we
have nowhere else to turn, but to Him. This will be Israel’s situation
in the time yet to come (Joel 2:1,2,12-15).
For Believers, Work While
it is Day
As believers we want Israel to return, not only to the land, but to the
Lord. May we reach out to people today, and seek to lead them to Messiah
while there is time, to believe now, before the day of wrath appears. As
Yeshua said, we “must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it
is day; night is coming, when no man can work” (John 9:4). Let us
re-evaluate our lives, priorities, and schedules, as we care for those
who don’t yet know the Lord. Share the Good News of Messiah with Jews
and Gentiles alike, as we wait expectantly for the Feast of Trumpets,
and our Messiah’s glorious return!
Will His Trumpet be for
you?
If the trumpet of the Lord should sound,
would you go to meet the Lord in the air? Or would you be left behind to
face the most terrifying era in human history. If you’re not ready,
won’t you right now simply say ‘yes’ to Yeshua? Let Him rescue you from
your sins, and allow Him to give you the joy and peace you’ve longed for
all your life!
If the Lord doesn’t return first, we will be celebrating the Feast of
Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah at
Hope of Israel
Congregation on Friday, September 22, at 7:30 pm. Be sure to
bring a friend to hear Messiah’s Great News for Jew and Non-Jew alike.
L’Shana Tova! Happy New Year!
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