The Feast of Trumpets – What is it?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah, initiates a ten-day period of consecration and repentance before God, marking the beginning of the fall feasts. Mentioned in the Torah, it involves the blowing of trumpets as a call to prepare for the Day of Atonement. In the New Testament, trumpets symbolize significant events like Christ's return and the resurrection of believers. Today, the Feast of Trumpets reminds us of the need for repentance and readiness for Christ's second coming, emphasizing the fulfillment found in Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah, meaning "Head of the Year," marked a ten-day period of consecration and repentance to God.
• The Feast of Trumpets was one of the seven original Jewish feasts mentioned in the Torah and was the first of three feasts to take place in the fall of the year.
• The name of the Feast of Trumpets is taken from the biblical teaching to blow trumpets on the first day of the seventh month, along with doing no regular work and offering various sacrifices. Those commands are found in Leviticus 23:24 and Numbers 29:1–6.
• The Day of Atonement occurred on the tenth day of this month, and the Festival of Booths (or Tents) began on the fifteenth day. The blowing of horns marked a serious time to prepare for the Day of Atonement. This is also why this time was called "Ten Days of Repentance."
• Joel 2:1 predicted, "Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near." The Feast of Trumpets, as with other celebrations of the Jewish people, pointed toward certain aspects of Christ's work, in this case referring to the Day of the Lord.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• In the New Testament, it is interesting to find that the second coming of Jesus will include the sound of a trumpet. First Corinthians 15:51–52 states, "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 imperishable, and we shall be changed." First Thessalonians 4:16 likewise notes, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first." Trumpets are also mentioned in the judgments of Revelation 8—9 and Revelation 11.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The Feast of Trumpets served as an important cultural and religious tradition in ancient Israel. Its call to repentance and reflection continue to hold value for our lives today, though we find our repentance through faith in Jesus Christ, who fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament. Today, believers look forward to the time when Christ will return and a different trumpet will sound, calling those who know Christ to be with Him forever.

UNDERSTAND

• The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) is one of the seven original Jewish feasts commanded in the Torah, marking the Jewish civil new year and a time of spiritual reflection.
• Central to the Feast of Trumpets is the blowing of the trumpet, symbolizing a call to repentance and renewal.
• The feast emphasizes themes of repentance (teshuvah) and seeking forgiveness, setting the stage for introspection and preparation leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

REFLECT

• What is the importance of reflection and repentance regularly in your life, not just at salvation?
• What do you learn about God as He instituted the Feast of Trumpets for the Israelites?
• How does the anticipation of Christ's return, linked with the trumpet blasts, inspire you to live faithfully and expectantly each day?

ENGAGE

• There is some debate regarding the type of horn used in this holiday. The Hebrew word indicates a straight trumpet. However, Psalm 81:3 and other passages reveal that a shofar may likely have also been used at this time. Historically, both types of horns have been used in the celebration.
• Some interpreters link the Feast of Trumpet’s themes of repentance and renewal to eschatological expectations of Christ's return, while others view it as primarily marking the Jewish New Year without explicit Messianic implications. These debates often hinge on differing theological interpretations of biblical passages and Jewish tradition.
• Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah with prayers, special meals including symbolic foods like apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year, and blowing the shofar (ram's horn). It marks the Jewish New Year and is a time of introspection, repentance, and renewal, symbolizing a fresh start and the beginning of the High Holy Days leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah holds deep spiritual significance as a time to reflect on one's actions from the past year and seek forgiveness from both God and others.