“Are We There Yet?” (Part 4)

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And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.” (Leviticus 23:2)

Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) is celebrated on the first two days of Tisri of the Hebrew lunar calendar, which usually falls in September or October according to our Gregorian solar calendar.

After the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, the chief rabbis redefined Judaism via the Mishnah (or Oral Tradition) so that the Feast of Trumpets started the Jewish civil year. Thus, the feast is also known as Rosh Hashanah  (Jewish New Year.)

It is believed that the offering of Isaac occurred on Feast of Trumpets. It is said among the Jews that when God hears the shofar, He is moved to leave His judgment seat and go to His seat of mercy and forgiveness. Every year, the Jews read the story of the binding of Isaac by Abraham and blow shofars to remind God of His mercy.

So, the Feast of Trumpets is likened to a day of Judgment with mercy extended and the Feast of Yom Kippur is a day of mercy while atoning for our sins with Justice. It is a day to remind people to repent of their sins and to remind God of His mercy. (Mark Bilttz)

The Feast of Trumpets is a time of rejoicing for the New Year and a time of repentance, as it is the first day of the Ten Days of Awe or Repentance, leading up to Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).

Interesting enough, the Feast of Trumpets is also known as the Hidden Day:

The Feast is the only one that falls on a new moon, which can happen on one of two days at the beginning of a lunar month. The new moon must be spotted by two witnesses and since it happens at night when people are sleeping, they just celebrate it as one long day. Thus, it is known as the “Feast that no one knows the day or the hour,” as in Matthew 24:36.(Mark Biltz)

Prophetically, the Feast of Trumpets is probably when Tribulation begins, when the First Resurrection (or Rapture) happens, when Messiah marries His bride, and when the coronation of Messiah as King occurs.

This is just a brief overlay of the Feast of Trumpets. So, if you want to learn more, take the time to watch Mark Biltz’s great video here. You will be blessed for watching it.

Next, we will look at Yom Kippur.

(Continued in Part 5…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)