As Israel approaches the Holy convocation of Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets also known as the Days of Awe, that culminates with Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement, some Christians have incorrectly associated this annual God-appointed Holy convocation with the one-time-only gathering of the saints, which is the Resurrection & rapture.
The confusion comes from a misunderstanding of the two different types of “trumpets” and their specified uses by God in the Old Testament.
Two Silver Trumpets
In the book of Numbers chapter 10, God commands Moses & the children of Israel to make two silver trumpets for the specific purposes of “summoning the congregation” and “having the camps move out.”
Summoning the Congregation
God clarifies that if both silver trumpets are blown, the whole congregation is being gathered to the tent of meeting (Numbers 10:3). But, if only one silver trumpet is blown, only the leaders are being summoned to the tent of meeting (Numbers 10:4).
Having the Camps Move Out
God further clarifies that in addition to gathering the congregation, the two silver trumpets are used to sound the alarm for the camps to move out. At the sounding of the alarm of the first trumpet, the camps east of the tabernacle are to move out. At second sounding of the alarm, the camps south of the tabernacle are to move out.
So, the sounding of the two silver trumpets are used for gathering the congregation, and then to sound the alarm to have them depart, first from the east of the tabernacle and then from the south.
Why the east and then the south? To understand this, we have to move from the time of the tabernacle to the temple, and the temple mount’s fixed location in Jerusalem once David took the city, became king and then Solomon built the temple. The eastern facing gate of the temple is where the Messiah is to enter the temple (Ezekiel 43:4, 44:1-2, 46:1-2). To this day, eastward from where that gate was, lies the dead and buried. Cemeteries of Jews, muslims, and Christians are just east of where the eastern gate once stood.
The City of David is south of the temple mount. The people coming from the City of David would enter the temple through the southern gate.
This departure of the camps after the alarms of the two silver trumpets is prophetically pointing us to the Resurrection and rapture event. By the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote that “with the trumpet of God, the dead in Christ will rise first” and then the living in Christ will be caught up with them and together will depart to be with the LORD forever.
So, the sounding of the two silver trumpets is to gather the whole congregation and then sound the alarm for the camps to depart, first the dead in Christ (Resurrection) and then immediately the living in Christ (rapture).
Also, notice that God does not specify a given month or day of the year for this to happen. The departure is not associated with the Feasts of the LORD, the Days of Awe / Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), or the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
“You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”” Luke 12:40 NASB1995
“I am coming suddenly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” Revelation 3:11 NASB1995
““And behold, I am coming suddenly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”” Revelation 22:7 NASB1995
It is however, preceded by a series of specified events.
By the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Church that “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together with Him” will not come until “the apostasy comes first,” then “the man of lawlessness is revealed,” when he “opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship” and “takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as God.”
Jesus Himself confirmed this when He told His disciples to expect His return & the end of the age “when you see the Abomination of Desolation (see above) which was spoken of through Daniel the Prophet, standing in the Holy Place… then there will be Great Tribulation such as not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be… for just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
Matthew 24:15, 21, 27, 29-31 NASB1995
The Seven Rams Horns
The Holy convocation of Yom Teruah, known as the “Feast of Trumpets” begins with the sounding of ram’s horn trumpets. The ram’s horn trumpet is called a shofar, and when there are more than two they are called shofarim.
In the Book of Numbers chapter 29, God instructs Moses & the children of Israel concerning the annual observance of the Holy convocations of Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) that precede Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles). These are the annual autumn Holy feasts designated by God according to His prophetic calendar. The dates are based on Israel’s lunar calendar.
In the Book of Leviticus chapter 25, God instructs Moses & the children of Israel concerning the Year of Jubilee (teruah – trumpets) at the sounding ram’s horn trumpets, when the land will be released from its inhabitants, the return of all Israel to their own designated property in the land and family according to God’s covenant. All debts will be forgiven, and it will be a year of Sabbath rest for the people and the land.
That Jubilee Sabbath rest is a culmination of the previous 49 (seven times seven years) annual feasts of Trumpets & Days of Atonement observed by Israel. Leviticus 25:8.
The Year of Jubilee will begin with the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) in the seventh month on the tenth day of the month in the 50th year (according to Israel’s lunar calendar). “You shall sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month.”
This “sounding of seven ram’s horn trumpets” at a specified time and date, in a pattern of repeating sevens is the exact pattern that God told Joshua & the children of Israel to use when defeating Jericho in their first battle in claiming the land of Israel according to God’s covenant.
So Jericho was a type of Jubilee where the land began to be released from it’s inhabitants and the children of Israel took hold of their God-given property in the land, and were gathered each to their own families, which eventually led to David anointed as King of Israel by God Himself, then persecuted by a king chosen by the people, finally accepted by the united nation of Israel as King of Israel, and the building of the first temple, where God dwelled among His people (Sukkot).
Do you notice the intentional pattern that God has established in His Word for Israel and the world? It is all based on His established prophetic calendar and its repeating fulfillments in Israel’s history until the final fulfillment at Christ’s return to judge Israel, deliver Israel, and dwell among His people Israel in the land of Israel from Jerusalem as King over God’s kingdom on earth!
Summary
According to God’s Word, there are two different types of trumpets, and they are used for two very different purposes.
One set, the two silver trumpets, is used for the gathering & departure of the congregation at any unspecified time. This set points prophetically to the Resurrection & rapture event that Jesus and the Apostle Paul tell us happens after the revealing of the Antichrist and before the return of the Lord to Jerusalem.
The other set, the ram’s horn trumpets (shofarim), is used at a specified time each year in the autumn to prepare Israel for the days of judgment, the Day of Atonement, the Year of Jubilee, and God dwelling with His people. This set points prophetically to national Israel’s judgment, purification, and preparation for the reign of Jesus the Messiah & King of Israel, on earth from Jerusalem.
by Dane Gay
Category: Posts
Tags: Bible, Days of Awe, disciplefish.net, Equipping the Saints, Kingdom of God, Rapture, Resurrection, shofar, trumpets, Yom Teruah