Revelation 11:15, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." The Day of Trumpets Memorial of Blowing of Trumpets Leviticus 23:24-25, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath [Jewish translation, "shall be a solemn rest unto you"], a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. Numbers 29:1-6, 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. And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the LORD; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish; And their meat offering . . . . And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you: Beside the burnt offering of the month, [see Numbers 28:11-15] and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering [Numbers 28:3], and his meat offering, and their drink offerings . . . a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD. Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles) and Revolution of Year Exodus 23:16-17, . . . and the feast of ingathering which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labors out of the field. Three times [seasons] in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God. Exodus 34:22-23, And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end [margin: "revolution of the year"]. NOTE: The Day of Trumpets is the first day of the civil year. That is why Jews call it Rosh Hashana, "head of the year." The Feast of Tabernacles is the end of the sacred year, the last of the holy day season. Trumpets is associated with Tabernacles. Trumpets will become the New Year with the return of the Messiah. Ezra Read Law to the Returning Jews from Captivity Nehemiah 8:1-12, And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein . . . from the morning until midday . . . and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law . . . and the Levites caused the people to understand the law . . . . So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly [with interpretation], and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah . . . and Ezra . . . and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is Holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be you sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength . . . . Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. The Day of Trumpets is New Moon, with Blowing of Trumpets Numbers 10:10, Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with trumpets over your burnt offerings . . . that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God. Psalm 81:3-4, Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed [Hebrew: "at the full moon"], on our solemn feast day. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. NOTE: Properly translated, this verse does not show the Day of Trumpets is a feast (Hebrew: hag or chag) day. It is a festival (moed), but not a Feast Time (hag) like Passover/Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Numbers 28:11, And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot. New Moons are one of the Three Types of Sacred Times 2Chronicles 31:2-3, And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites . . . [for the service of] [1] the sabbaths, and for [2] the new moons, and for [3] the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD. Ezekiel 45:17, . . . in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths . . . . NOTE: Since the Day of Trumpets is the only new moon that is a holy day, it is also spoken of as "the new moon." Amos 8:4-5, O ye that swallow up the needy, . . . . Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat . . . falsifying the balances by deceit? Ezekiel 46:1, 6, The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened . . . in the day of the new moon . . . . Colossians 2:16, Let no man therefore judge you . . . in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon or of the sabbath days. Trumpets used to Notify, Warn or Assemble Israel for War Numbers 10:2-9, Make thee two trumpets of silver . . . for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle . . . . And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee . . . they shall blow an alarm for their journeys . . . . And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations. And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies. Jeremiah 4:19, My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart . . . the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Amos 3:6, Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Examples of trumpets to call soldiers to battle: (1) Phinehas, Numbers 31:6; (2) Ehud, Judges 3:27; (3) Gideon, Judges 6:34, 7:8-22; (4) Saul, 1Samuel 13:3. Trumpets used as a Sound of Peace, End of Strife 2Samuel 2:28, So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more. See also 18:16, 20:22. Trumpets Signified Crowning a King, or Revolt 2Samuel 15:10, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron. 2Samuel 20:1, . . . a man of Belial . . . Sheba . . . blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David . . . every man to his tents, O Israel. 1Kings 1:34, 39, And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon . . . . And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon . . . and all the people said, God save King Solomon. 2Kings 9:13, Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king. 2Kings 11:12, 14, . . . they made him [Joash] king, and anointed him . . . the king stood by the pillar, as the manner was . . . and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets . . . . Trumpet used in Temple Worship Solomon's Temple was dedicated during the feast of the seventh month: 2Chronicles 5:3, 12-14, 7:6, . . . in the feast which was in the seventh month . . . an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets: It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; . . . for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God . . . the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood. The foundation of the second temple was just after the Day of Trumpets. Ezra 3:6, 10, 11, From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid . . . . And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, . . . they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. Trumpets were used in worship, 1Chronicles 15:24, 16:42, etc. God's Voice is Full of Awesome Power, Like a Trumpet Revelation 1:10-11, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. Revelation 4:1 . . . a door was opened in Heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me. Psalm 29, [whole chapter, especially verses 4, 10:] The voice of the LORD is powerful [in power]; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty [in majesty] . . . . The LORD sitteth King for ever. God's Trumpet-Like Voice at Mt. Sinai Exodus 19:16, 19, . . . on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings . . . and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled . . . . And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. Exodus 20:18, And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet . . . they removed, and stood afar off. God's presence is far more awesome than even this! And we must listen to what he says, and fear and respect Him! Hebrews 12:18-29, For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched . . . . And the sound of the trumpet, and the voice of words . . . For they could not endure that which was commanded . . . But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God . . . See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh . . . Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven . . . . [Let us therefore] serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire. Day of Trumpets should place us in a reverent attitude Amos 3:6, Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Psalm 2:11, Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Hebrews 10:31, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Trumpets and the Lord's Judgment Day Joel 2:1, 2, 11, Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness . . . . And the LORD shall utter His voice before His army . . . for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Zephaniah 1:6-7, 14-18, . . . [I will cut off] them that are turned back from the LORD [us, if we fall away]; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor inquired for Him. Hold thy peace at the presence of the LORD God: for the day of the LORD is at hand . . . . The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers . . . . Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath . . . . Psalm 98:6, 9, With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King . . . for He cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity. See also Deuteronomy 32:36. Message of Day of Trumpets is that we should repent Joel 2:1, 12-13, Blow ye the trumpet in Zion . . . for the day of the LORD cometh . . . . Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God . . . . Joel 2:15, 19, 32, Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly . . . . Yea, the LORD will answer . . . whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered . . . . Zephaniah 1:14, 16; 2:3, The great day of the LORD is near . . . a day of the trumpet . . . . Seek ye the LORD, . . . it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger. Christ comes to Rule Earth on the Day of Trumpets Psalm 47:5, 7, 8, God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet . . . . For God is the King of all the earth . . . God reigneth over the heathen: God sits upon the Throne of His holiness. Zechariah 9:14, And the LORD shall be seen over them, and His arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. Revelation 11:15, And the seventh angel sounded [the seventh trumpet] . . . The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. Righteous Dead will be Resurrected on Trumpets Matthew 24:31, And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds . . . . 1Corinthians 15:52, 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. 1Thessalonians 4:16-17, 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. For the righteous, instead of a day of wrath, the trumpet will signify a day of joy. Psalm 89:15, Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Thy countenance. Psalm 98:6, With trumpets and sound of the cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. Message to us on the Day of Trumpets: Better be alive now or you will never be resurrected later! Ephesians 5:14-16, Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead [Isaiah 26:19 compared with Isaiah 27:13], and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Israel to be Regathered at the Sound of the Trumpet Isaiah 27:12-13, . . . ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the Holy mount at Jerusalem. Trumpet used to rally God's people Nehemiah 4:19-20, [during the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall] . . . The work is great and large, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another. In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us [Nehemiah, the leader]: our God shall fight for us. Some keep the New Moon and other Feast Days in vain Mark 7:7, Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Amos 8:4-5, 10-11, Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy . . . . Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? And the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat . . . falsifying the balances by deceit? . . . I will turn your feasts into mourning . . . and the end thereof as a bitter day. [because they do not keep God's feast days and sabbaths with the right attitude] Behold, the days come . . . that I will send a famine in the land, . . . of hearing the words of the LORD. Hosea 2:8-11, For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, [margin: wherewith they made Baal]. Therefore will I return, and take away [my blessings] . . . . I will also cause all her mirth [revelry] to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. Isaiah 1:11-15, [Jewish translation] To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me? . . . Bring no more vain oblations; It is an offering of abomination unto Me; new moon and sabbath, the holding of convocations -- I cannot endure iniquity along with the solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed seasons My soul hates . . . . And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide My eyes from you . . . your hands are full of blood. NOTE: The phrase "your feasts" does not necessarily mean that they were keeping days different than God instituted, but that they were not "God's feasts" in the sense that they were not kept unto the LORD, but for human vanity and pretense. New Moons will be Religiously Observed in the Millennium Isaiah 66:23, And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the LORD. See also Ezekiel 45:17; 46:3, 6. Trumpets, Atonement closely related Joel 2:15, Blow a trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly. [Why? verse 1, the day of the LORD is at hand] Blow ye the trumpet in Zion . . . for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand. [What should we do because of this nearness?, verses 12-13] turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting . . . . Leviticus 25:9, Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee [50th year of release, or liberty, when every man returns to his possessions, verse 10] to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. NOTE: Christ's coming is likened to a jubilee year, in which He releases the world from bondage to Satan. He comes on the last trumpet (Revelation 11:15) so here we see that the relation between Trumpets and Atonement demonstrates that one of the first things Christ does when He returns is to give liberty [jubilee] to the earth. The Day of Trumpets is a Memorial Memorial is from the Hebrew word zikrown, which means memorial, record, remembrance. Passover and Trumpets are both Holy Day memorials. Passover reminds us of Israel's exodus from Egypt and the death of the Messiah. Trumpets is a memorial of the greatest event in human history: the return of the Messiah to establish His kingdom. Exodus 12:14, 13:9, And this day [Passover] shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever . . . . And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt. Leviticus 23:24, . . . a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Numbers 10:10, Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God. Joshua 4:7, . . . That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. Malachi 3:16, Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name. Trumpets Scripture Readings Psalms which begin with "The LORD reigneth," were originally designed for recitation at the new year festival. See Psalm 93, 97, and 99. Three types of shofar notes are blown: A short base blast ending abruptly A long resonant blast Quavers, or a series of trills, like a person wailing in distress.
The shofar is blown at set ways during the Jewish service after which various verses are recited: "Kingship verses" to celebrate God's kingship, Exodus 15:18; Numbers 23:21; Deuteronomy 33:5; Psalm 22:28, 24:7-10, 93:1; Isaiah 44:6; Obadiah 1:21; Zechariah 14:9; Deuteronomy 6:4; "Memorial verses" Genesis 8:1; Exodus 2:24; Leviticus 26:42; Psalm 111:4, 5, 106:45; Jeremiah 2:2; Ezekiel 16:60; Jeremiah 31:20; Leviticus 26:45; "Shofar verses" Exodus 19:16, 19, 20:18; Psalm 47:5, 81:3, 98:6, Psalm 150; Isaiah 18:3; Zechariah 9:14; Numbers 10:10.
Days of Penitence (Repentance) Beginning on the Day of Trumpets and ending on the Day of Atonement is what Jews call the "Ten Days of Penitence," or "Days of Awe," dedicated to the inner cleansing of the man. They are also known as "Days of Return," because we are to examine ourselves and return to God. Jewish tradition relates that figuratively, on Trumpets, God opens three books: The first containing the names of the righteous, who are in the book of life The second contains the names of those irremediably wicked whose fate is death, and The third book has the names of those in between, who have until Atonement to determine their fates.
Jews understand that there are three resurrections, or three classes of people God deals with. One of the verses Jews recite during these days is Exodus 34:5-7, 9, which emphasizes repentance and God's mercy. Revelation 20:12-15 refers to God's book of eternal life. The weekly Sabbath between Trumpets and Atonement is known as Sabbath Shubah ("return"), meaning "repentance Sabbath." Hosea 14:1-9 and Micah 7:19-20 are read on this Sabbath. Repentance is the vehicle God has assigned through which man may reach Him. The only way to approach God is through repentance. The value of repentance is also emphasized by the Biblical example of King Hezekiah, who, when upon his deathbed, pleaded with God for mercy. God granted Hezekiah's request and extended his life for fifteen years, 2Kings 20:1-11. There are three areas of repentance in Jewish understanding: (1) thought, (2) speech, (3) action. Unless one corrects his actions, he is not truly repentant. Jewish Customs that have meaning for Christians Elul, the sixth month, precedes Tishri. Jewish tradition holds that Moses went up on Sinai on Elul, to receive the second tablets of stone, stayed there 40 days, until the Day of Atonement when he brought the Law again to Israel. Jews read Psalm 27 during the month of Elul. Verse 1, "The LORD is my light," [compare with "brightness of His coming," 2Thessalonians 2:8, this is referring to the Day of Trumpets] and my salvation [referring to the Day of Atonement, on which our sins are atoned, see Leviticus 16:34] shows that this Psalm is about the Fall Festivals. Verse 5, "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock [Petra?]," refers to the Day of Tabernacles. The theme of Psalm 27 is about faith and trust in God, the desire "to dwell in God's house," the appeal to God to not hide His face, teach us His ways, answer our prayers. This Psalm evokes an introspective mood, which is the purpose behind the solemn days of Trumpets and Atonement. Jews also read Micah 7:19, "He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea," reminding us that God will forgive. Jews have a custom of going to a river and reciting this and other penitential verses. A "custom" that we may do on the Day of Trumpets is to remember our baptism, considering whether we have really buried the old self. "Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, Call ye upon Him while He is near," Isaiah 55:6, implies there is a time when it is easiest to seek God. Jewish Rabbis feel that the Ten Days from Trumpets to Atonement are such a special time, when men should submit themselves to severe self-scrutiny in the effort to improve the quality of their lives. A Jewish custom during and after Trumpets is to greet one another with, "May you be inscribed (or sealed) in the Book of Life for a good year." Stopping and considering whether or not you are in the Book of Life is a good lesson for us today of the Feast of Trumpets (see Revelation 3:5). Franz Rosenzweig (1886-1929) wrote: "The horn blown on New Year's Day at the peak of the festival stamps the day as a 'day of judgment' . . . . [on this day] the individual in all his naked individuality stands before God." Maimonides, the great Jewish teacher, summed up the meaning of the Trumpets as follows: "Awake, ye slumberers, from your sleep and rouse you from your lethargy. Make search into your deeds and turn in repentance. Remember your Creator, you who forgot truth in the trifles of the hour, who go astray all your years after vain illusions which can neither profit nor save. Look to your souls and mend your ways and your actions let every one of you leave his evil path and his unworthy purpose. Seek the way of God; this is the meaning of life." Day of Trumpets in the Talmud and Jewish WritersThe first day of Nisan is the New Year for kings and festivals; but the first of Tishri is the New Year for the tithe of cattle and vegetables, reckoning of the years, and for release and jubilee years. At four times, judgment is passed on the world: at Passover in respect of produce; at Pentecost in respect of fruit, at New Year all men are judged, "He that fashions the heart of them all, that considers all their doings," Psalm 33:15; and on Tabernacles judgment is passed in respect of rain. -- Rosh Hashanah 1.1-2 Rabbi Judah says: "Man is judged on New Year and his doom is sealed on the Day of Atonement." R. Jose says: "Man is judged every day, as it says, 'and you do visit him every morning,' Job 7:18." R. Nathan says: "Man is judged every moment, as it says, 'You do try him every moment'." -- Rosh Hashanah 16a The fate of everything in nature is under judgment on Rosh Hashanah, and is sealed on various days: the fate of grain on Passover, fruit on Shabuot, water on Sukkot, "the fate of man, however, is sealed on Yom Kippur." -- Rosh Hashanah, 16a On New Year, Sarah, Rachel and Hannah were remembered on high [and they conceived]; on New Year Joseph went forth from prison; on New Year the bondage of our ancestors in Egypt ceased [although their exodus was delayed until Passover]. -- Rosh Hashanah 10b - 11a The Hallel Psalm [Psalm 146-150] are not sung on the New Year and on the Day of Atonement, because: "Is it possible that the King should sit on the throne of judgment, with the books of those destined to live and destined to die before Him, and Israel should sing a song before Me?" -- Arakhin 10b The shofar was created for the welfare of Israel. The Torah was given to Israel with the sound of the shofar, as it is said: "When the voice of the shofar waxed louder and louder," Exodus 19:19. Israel conquered in the battle of Jericho with the blast of the shofar: "When the people heard the sound of the shofar that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat," Joshua 6:20. Israel will be advised of the advent of the Messiah with the sound of the shofar: "And the Lord God will blow the shofarZechariah 9:14." And the Holy One . . . will sound the shofar at the ingathering of the exiles of Israel to their place: "and it shall come to pass in that day, that a great shofar shall be blown; and they shall come that were lost in the land of Assyria, and they that were dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they shall worship the Lord in the holy mountain at Jerusalem," Isaiah 27:13. -- Eliyahn Zuta 2 Rosh Hashanah is a day of judgment with mercy and Yom Kippur is a day of mercy with judgment. -- Moses Nahmanides Ten Reasons why God Commanded us to keep the Day of Trumpets The first reason: Because this day is the beginning of creation, on which the Holy One blessed be He, created the world and reigned over it. Just as is with kings at the start of their reign -- trumpets and horns are blown in their presence to make it known and to let it be heard in every place -- thus it is when we designate the Creator, may He be blessed, as King on this day, for David said: With trumpets and sound of the horn, shout ye before the King, the Lord, Psalm 98:6. The second reason: Because the day of New Year is the first of the ten days of repentance, the shofar is sounded on it to announce to us as one warns and says: "Whosoever wants to repent -- let him repent; and if he does not, let him reproach himself." Thus do the kings: first they warn the people of their decrees; then if one violates a decree after the warning, his excuse is not accepted. The third reason: To remind us of Mount Sinai, . . . The blare of the horn grew louder and louder, Exodus 19:19, and that we should accept for ourselves the covenant that our ancestors accepted for themselves, as they said we will do and obey, Exodus 24:7. The fourth reason: To remind us of the words of the prophets that were compared to the sound of the shofar, as it is said: Then whosoever heareth the sound of the horn, and taketh not warning, if the sword come, and taketh him away, his blood shall be upon his own head . . . whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul, Ezekiel 33:4-5. The fifth reason: To remind us of the destruction of the Temple . . . , O my soul, the sound of the horn, the alarm of war, Jeremiah 4:19. When we hear the sound of the shofar, we will ask God to rebuild the Temple. The sixth reason: To remind us of the binding of Isaac who offered his life to Heaven. We should also offer our lives for the sanctification of His Name, and thus we will be remembered for good. The seventh reason: When we will hear the blowing of the shofar, we will be fearful, and we will tremble, and we will humble ourselves before the Creator, for that is the nature of the shofar -- it causes fear and trembling, as it is written: Shall the horn be blown in a city and the people not tremble? Amos 3:6. The eighth reason: To recall the day of the great judgment and to be fearful of it, as it is said: The great day of the Lord is near, it is near and hasteth greatly . . . a day of the horn and alarm, Zephaniah 1:14-16. The ninth reason: To remind us of the ingathering of the scattered ones of Israel, that we ardently desire, as it is said: And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great horn shall be blown; and they shall come that were lost in the land of Assyria . . . and they shall worship the Lord in the holy mountain at Jerusalem, Isaiah 27:13. The tenth reason: To remind us of the resurrection of the dead and the belief in it, as it is said: All ye inhabitants of the world, and ye dwellers on the earth, when an ensign is lifted up on the mountains, see ye; and when the horn is blown, hear ye, Isaiah 18:3.
Day of Trumpets and Revelation There are so many staggering problems in the world today. Is there a solution? Yes, thank God, there is! We need the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God when He was on this earth in human form. This is the message that the churches should be preaching as a warning and witness to the world. This message says that Christ will return and set up the government of God on this earth. This part of God's Plan for us and the rest of the world is the essence of the Day of Trumpets. Seventh Month God's Plan began in the First Month of His Calendar (Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread), continues fifty days later (Pentecost), and will end with the seventh month of His Calendar. The first day of the seventh month (seven is the number for perfection and completion) is the Day of Trumpets which will herald the return of Jesus Christ who will set up the Kingdom of God and bring to an end all that is now wrong in this world. The Day of Trumpets will begin the Great Fall Harvest, during which time all of mankind that responds to God's call will be saved and become a part of the Kingdom of God. It is time for those now called to let God's trumpet sound in our lives as we strive to overcome our problems so that we can be in God's kingdom. Trumpet Plagues The Day of Trumpets, the pivotal middle festival in God's Plan, is not a pleasant time for earth's inhabitants. It is a time of destruction as God and Jesus Christ tear down Satan's world and prepare to set up the Kingdom of God. Great plagues are visited upon the inhabitants of the earth as each trumpet is sounded, ending with the Seventh Trumpet and the Seven Last Plagues including the Battle of Armageddon, Revelation 16:16. Triumphal Return Although the sounding of the trumpets will bring bone-chilling, terrifying and cataclysmic destruction and ruin to this world, there is also a very joyful note: the heralding of the triumphal return of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. With Him He will bring His people (saints) who will reign and rule with Him on this earth. The government (kingdom) of God will bring the wonderful joy, happiness, and peace that this world has agonized and longed for. The Day of Trumpets comes to fulfillment as Jesus returns to stand on the Mount of Olives. At this time the Mount will cleave in two and healing waters will flow east and west into all the world, Zechariah 14:4, 8. The Seven Trumpets of Revelation | | | | | Trumpet | | What Happens | | | 1st Trumpet
(Revelation 8:7) | | 1/3rd of all Trees Burnt | | | | | 2nd Trumpet
(Revelation 8:8-9) | | 1/3rd of all Sea Creatures Die | | | | | 3rd Trumpet
(Revelation 8:10-11) | | 1/3rd of all Fresh Water Poisoned | | | | | 4th Trumpet
(Revelation 8:12) | | Sun, Moon, Stars Darkened by 1/3rd | | | | | 5th Trumpet
(Revelation 9:1-12) | | Bottomless Pit Opened;
Locusts, Scorpians;
People on Earth Tormented | | | | | 6th Trumpet
(Revelation 9:13-21) | | Four Angels Loosed;
Army of two-hundred million;
1/3rd of all Mankind killed. | | | | | 7th Trumpet
(Revelation 15:1 ,7-8; 16:1-21) | | Seven Last Plagues | The Seven Last Plagues of the Seventh Trumpet: 1st -- Boils & Sores 2nd -- Sea Becomes Blood 3rd -- Fresh Water Becomes Blood 4th -- Sun's Heat Becomes Red Hot 5th -- Darkness 6th -- Battle of Armageddon 7th -- Thunder, Lightning, Great Earthquake, Great Hail Christ Returns (Revelation 19:11-16) Miscellaneous information on the Day of TrumpetsCain and Abel were said to have offered their sacrifices on Rosh Hashanah, the time of paying tithes. The binding of Isaac as a sacrifice was on Rosh Hashanah, and because the ram was sacrificed in his stead, its horn is used for the shofar. Jacob was said to have arrived at Bethel on New Year, where he built an altar. Isaiah 55:6, "Seek Lord when He is near." When is God near? During the Ten Days of Repentance [Tishri 1-10]. -- Otzar Midrashim, page 495 "On Rosh Hashanah we should go about with a subdued spirit; on Yom Kippur with an exalted spirit." --Rosh Hashanah, 26 Sound the Shofar so that God may recall the martyrdom of Isaac, and consider it as if you too are ready to suffer martyrdom for His sake. -- Rosh Hashanah, 16 Rosh Hashanah is a time of judgment, yet Israel is not dejected and somber, but dresses in holiday attire and eats a festive meal. Why? "They are confident of God's mercies." -- Y. Rosh Hashanah, 1,3. Do you ask for God's compassion upon you? Be compassionate then upon your fellow-men . . . the Lord restored the prosperity of Job when he prayed on behalf of his friends [Job 42:10]. When did Abraham have a son from Sarah? When he prayed on behalf of Abimelech. [Thus, Sarah became pregnant on Rosh Hashanah, a time of birth and begettal.] -- Pesikta Rabbati, 39 Abraham's sons are judged each year on Rosh Hashanah, the day he offered up Isaac. God remembers Abraham's loyalty when the ram's horn was sounded, for the ram was substituted for Isaac. -- Pesikta Rabbati, 41, 6. Ten Animals were sacrificed on Rosh to correspond to the ten days of repentance, ten sayings by which the world was created, ten Commandments. -- Pesikta Rabbati, 41, 5. The Sages said: "And God will say unto Israel -- yea, unto humanity, too -- 'My children, I look upon you as if today, on Rosh Hashanah, you have been made for the anew, as if today I created you -- a new being, a new people, a new humanity'." -- Wayyikra Rabbah, 29:10.
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