THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST AND RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD
“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing trumpets, a holy convocation.” (Leviticus 23: 24)
God’s festivals and holy days fall into three holy day seasons. In the spring or first festival season, the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread are celebrated. These festivals remind us of Jesus’ suffering and death as our Passover lamb, our deliverance from the bondage of sin and death, the newness and holiness of the Christian walk, and our hope in the resurrection of the dead because Jesus was resurrected! In the second holy day season, we celebrate the Day of Pentecost. This holy day commemorates God’s on-going work of redemption, the out-pouring of God’s holy spirit, and the birth of the church. The Day of Pentecost also reminds us that as laborers of Jesus Christ, we are tasked with making disciples of all nations. Finally, there is the fall holy season. During this festival season, we celebrate the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and Last Great Day. This article will review the Feast of Trumpets.
The Feast of Trumpets initiates the fall festival season and is celebrated on the first day of the month of Tishri. Tishri is the seventh or sabbatical month of the Hebrew Calendar. In celebrating the Feast of Trumpets, God commanded the Israelites to commemorate this day by blowing loud trumpets throughout the land. “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.’” (Leviticus 23: 23-24)
But what was the significance of blowing trumpets to this feast day? Trumpets served an important and symbolic role in the Old Testament. First of all, trumpets were blown to call God into remembrance of His promises to protect and deliver Israel. Interestingly, the blowing of trumpets seems to have been a means of getting God’s attention. “When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies.” (Numbers 10: 9) Secondly, trumpets were blown by the “watchmen” of Israel to warn their people of impending danger or war. If the watchmen failed to blow the trumpet as a warning, then the blood of their fellow kinsmen would be upon their shoulders. (Ezekiel 33: 1-9) As watchman for the people on behalf of God, the prophets were to warn the Israelites of their sin and transgression. “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins”. (Isaiah 58: 1)
The Feast of Trumpets also points to the Day of the Lord and the return of Jesus Christ! “Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound the alarm in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the Day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand.” (Joel 2: 1) The use of trumpets in the battle for the city of Jericho is worth noting as we consider the Day of the Lord and the Feast of Trumpets. In this battle, God commanded the Israelites to march once around the city for six consecutive days. As they marched around the city, seven priests blew seven trumpets. But on the seventh day, God commanded the Israelites to march around Jericho seven times while the seven priests blew their trumpets. Then, after circling the city for the seventh time, Joshua and the people shouted and the walls of Jericho fell. (Joshua 6) Jericho was the first city taken in the Promised Land. This battle with its unique ceremony pointed to the return of Jesus Christ and events yet to come!
In the book of Revelation, prophetic events leading up to the return of Jesus Christ unfold in a manner very similar to that of the battle of Jericho. In Revelation 8, seven angels are given seven trumpets. As each angel blows his trumpet, various plagues are poured out upon the earth. And with each trumpet blast, a disobedient and unbelieving world is called to repentance before Jesus’ second coming! Then, when the last trumpet finally sounds, Jesus returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great glory. And He 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.” (Matthew 24: 30-31)
The Feast of Trumpets points to one other great event – the resurrection of the dead! Notice what Paul says in I Thessalonians 4: 16-17: “For 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. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds…” When Jesus returns, the dead in Christ are resurrected while those who are still alive are changed! In I Corinthians 15: 51-52, Paul explains that the resurrection of the dead occurs when the seventh and last trumpet is blown. “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.”
Now, notice what else the bible tells us regarding this resurrection in Revelation 20: 4-6: “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. 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. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Did you notice that? The resurrection of the dead associated with the return of Jesus Christ is only the first resurrection. Those who are in this first resurrection are called “blessed and holy”, and they reign with Christ for one thousand years. These are God’s firstfruits. (See article on Day of Pentecost.) Upon them, the second death has no power for they are given eternal life. Regarding the rest of the dead, they do not come to life again until after the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ. (See article on “Last Great Day”.)
The Feast of Trumpets commemorates the return of Jesus Christ and the first resurrection. These stupendous events occur when the seventh and final trumpet is blown. They are the hope of every Christian. So, come celebrate with us as we look forward to that great day!
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great glory. And He 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. (Matthew 24: 30-31)
Joe Weicks