The announcement, this is fulfilled by our responding (Leviticus 23:24-27)
In the autumn of the year and on the first day of the Tishrei moon trumpets are blown to announce the Hebrew holiday of Rosh Hashanah. It is simply “Yom Teruah–the Day of Blowing.” Since the blowing of the trumpets became the distinguishing characteristic of the day, it became known as the Feasts of the Trumpets: the feast that called people to prepare to stand before the judgment of God. The texts give no specific reason for observing the Feast of the Trumpet. This is surprising because the Bible usually gives the reason for the observance of the feasts. Apparently the reason was self-evident. In his book The Jewish Festivals, Rabbi S. M. Lehrman notes that “The Bible which usually gives the reason for every observance, does not do so in the case of Rosh Hashanah [New year or Feast of Trumpets], deeming the spiritual well-being of each individual too obvious to require comment. To subsequent teachers we owe the picture of a Day of Judgment on which all mortals pass before the Heavenly Throne to give an account of their deeds and to receive the promise of mercy.”1
The blowing of the trumpets was understood to be a call to repent and prepare oneself to stand trial before God who would execute His judgment ten days later on the Day of Atonement. The importance of the feast is indicated by the fact that the Jews anticipated its arrival on the first day of each month (new moon) through short blasts of the shophar (Num 10:10; Ps 81:3). These short blasts were an anticipation of the long alarm blasts to be sounded on the new moon of the seventh month.
The Feast of Trumpets just isn’t like the other days. First we must ask is it really a feast? This event doesn’t really have a title name, it has no reason given for its existence except to call us to assemble for the next Feast, there is no explanation to its observance like the other holidays. It is something God commands us to do, something we are to respond to. We are supposed to blow the trumpets, we are to assembly. It is a sacred gathering, but is the blowing a feast itself, or simply gathering us together for the feast to come? And it doesn’t even say trumpets in the scripture, it just talks about a blowing. Once more it was done throughout the year (Numbers 10:10).
This event is about us and it may have a dual purpose in that it could very well have an end times application or simply refer to the Great Commandment. It is simply our response to the call. The call to repent, the call to follow, to assemble, to get ourselves ready for the Lord. It happens throughout time, we are to respond to the call of the Holy Spirit, the blowing wind, when He pricks our conscience and calls us to repent, and this is throughout time, just like the blowing was every month. The trumpets proclaim Him, it is the proclamation of the Gospel, and it is the pronouncement that He will return. We fulfill this, because we are supposed to blow the trumpets, we are supposed to respond. It may simply be a call to repentance, but it is possible that the Feast of Trumpets has a dual role in that it still reminds the people of the earth that a day of judgment awaits the nations.
Think about this event in light of: Matthew 24:31, Matthew 22:9, Hebrews 12:18-24.
Now view this festival in light of end times: 1 Thessalonians 4:16,
Read this commentary by Matthew Henry
“Leviticus 23:23-32 The institution of the feast of trumpets, on the first day of the seventh month, v. 24, 25. That which was now the seventh month had been reckoned the first month, and the year of jubilee was still to begin with this month (ch.25:8), so that this was their new year’s day. It was to be as their other yearly sabbaths, a day of holy rest—You shall do no servile work therein; and a day of holy work—You shall offer an offering to the Lord; concerning these particular directions were afterwards given, Num. 29:1. That which is here made peculiar to this festival is that it was a memorial of blowing of trumpets. They blew the trumpet every new moon (Ps. 81:3), but in the new moon of the seventh month it was to be done with more than ordinary solemnity; for they began to blow at sun-rise and continued till sun-set. Now, 1. This is here said to be a memorial, perhaps of the sound of the trumpet upon mount Sinai when the law was given, which must never be forgotten. Some think that it was a memorial of the creation of the world, which is supposed to have been in autumn; for which reason this was, till now, the first month. The mighty word by which God made the world is called the voice of his thunder (Ps. 104:7); fitly therefore was it commemorated by blowing of trumpets, or a memorial of shouting, as the Chaldee renders it; for, when the foundations of the earth were fastened, all the sons of God shouted for joy, Job 38:6, 7. 2. The Jewish writers suppose it to have a spiritual signification. Now at the beginning of the year they were called by this sound of trumpet to shake off their spiritual drowsiness, to search and try their ways, and to amend them: the day of atonement was the ninth day after this; and thus they were awakened to prepare for that day, by sincere and serious repentance, that it might be indeed to them a day of atonement. And they say, “The devout Jews exercised themselves more in good works between the feast of trumpets and the day of expiation than at any other time of the year.’ ’ 3. It was typical of the preaching of the gospel, by which joyful sound souls were to be called in to serve God and keep a spiritual feast to him. The conversion of the nations to the faith of Christ is said to be by the blowing of a great trumpet, Isa. 27:13.”1
How we respond to the call of repentance will impact the Day of Atonement the last festival.
1. Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: Complete and unabridged in one volume (Le 23:23–32). Peabody: Hendrickson.
