The annual celebration

The epic future event

The shofar is blown at the western wall on the new moon of he seventh month, the Autumn month of Tishri to celebrate Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets. This holy day is yet to be fulfilled in the New Covenant. It is also known in Jewish tradition as Rosh Hashanah, the head of the civil year.

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. Biblical Christians refer to it as the Feast of Trumpets. It is the 5th of the Seven Feasts of Israel. The ultimate New Covenant fulfillment of this future Jewish New Year, (Tishrei 1 on the Hebrew calendar), will be spectacular beyond words. The feast will explode into holy history. And it will be a blockbuster. Moses declared and prophesied that it would become a "memorial of blowing of trumpets" (Lev. 23:24,25) It seems that many faithful saints will suffer at the hands of the powers when they blow the trumpet of alarm on Yom Teruah, that awesome future Rosh Hashanah. (Ezek.33) That epic coming feast day will see the faithful watchmen of Israel faithful to the call. And "they will not be silent". This 5th feast was instituted by Moses at Sinai approximately 3,500 years ago. It marks the first day of the Hebrew (civil) new year. 'Rosh Hashanah' means 'head of the year'. The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the three, yet to be fulfilled, Fall Feasts of Israel. These Autumn Feasts relate to Kingdom/political issues rather than the High Priestly/religious matters that we saw Messiah address in the spring feasts during His first coming 2,000 years ago. Back then we saw Him ride into Jerusalem on a donkey as the 'Suffering Servant'. But when Messiah returns this next time He will come as the Conquering King. After Trumpets on Tishrei 1 comes the "Ten days of awe" which lead on to Yom Kippur on Tishrei 10 which is the Day of Atonement. This is the most solemn day of the year. On this awesome Day of Reckoning all accounts between YHVH-God and all His covenant people are settled. The Jubilee Year is also announced on this same tenth day of Tishri. Trumpets are also blown during special times of national crisis. God's covenant people are summoned to gather themselves together in a solemn assembly before the God of Israel. Trumpets are sounded during battle in times of warfare. Trumpets also announce the approach and soon arrival of a king.

On a future Yom Teruah, on the new moon of Tishri, the shofars will begin to sound on a day like no other. The ultimate epic future Feast of Trumpets will burst onto the world stage and into holy history. This will be an awesome day of mixed celebration and alarm. YHVH-God's determined times for Daniel's Prophecy of the 70 Weeks will resume in earnest. All of God's covenant people from both houses of Israel will be "called out", summoned to solemn assembly at YHVH-God's new and revamped 'ekklesia', His new 'congregation', 'synagogue', or 'church' of the 70th Week". The saints will be crying out to God and this will spark the climactic End-Time Revival that Joel saw. (Joel 2:28,29,30,31,32) We now have very strong evidence that this future Rosh Hashanah will mark the terminus of the "Roadmap to Peace". This will be the day when Israel signs the seven year peace covenant written about in Daniel 9:27. Israel will agree to divide and sell the Holy Land and their national sovereignty for a pocketful of promises of "peace and safety". Moses spoke of this final dalliance of Israel and predicted the ensuing Great Tribulation. Jesus Christ, Yeshua Hamashiach, said that they would reject Him who came in His Father's Name and said that His covenant people would consort with a false messiah, a man who came "in his own name". John 5:43. Seven momentous years will then bring in the end-time witness. Then comes the final awesome Day of Atonement. Trumpets of Jubilee will herald the opening of the Day of the Lord which opens on the very next day. Angels of wrath will pluck up the wicked as tares for the fires. (Mat.13:30) At some unknown time in those ensuing days before the Feast of Tabernacles comes into its fulfillment the last trumpet will sound and all of God's Elect, (singular), will be gathered. The climactic future Resurrection-Rapture will see Messiah gather His Chosen from the nation of Israel and from among the heathen gentiles. All the saints, the quick and the dead, from every nation, race, and tribe, from both sides of Calvary will be there. And they will all enter the glory together. (Isa.49:6 and 1Thes. 4:15,16,17.

A study by Gavin Finley MD
endtimepilgrim.org - 2003

An mp3 Audio Commentary
of this article by Notebook LM

The SEVEN FEASTS

The SPRING FEASTS

The PASSOVER

UNLEAVENED BREAD

FIRSTFRUITS

PENTECOST

The FALL FEASTS

TRUMPETS

ATONEMENT

TABERNACLES

The first of those four yet to be fulfilled Fall Feasts is the Feast of Tumpets. Our Jewish friends call it Rosh Hashanah, which means "head of the year". But its somewhat hidden name from the Hebrew word "te'rua" we see used in Leviticus 23 is Yom Teruah.

Leviticus 23
23 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
24 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying:
'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month,
you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of
blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
25 You shall do no customary work on it; and you
shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.'"

Thus the Feast of Trumpets began. Moses instituted this feast as the fifth of seven feasts.
God introduced the Seven Feasts of Israel as the children of Israel were encamped at Mount Sinai.

So as we see, the autumn season of harvest brings in the 5th, 6th, and 7th feasts. These are the Fall Feasts of Israel. And the Feast of Trumpets is the very next feast due to unfold. As we can see, the Feast of Trumpets is up next.
Do the Judeo-Christian people know its purpose and meaning? Do they know what future earthshaking event the Feast of Trumpets will signal? This will be our focus now as we go on into our journey of discovery.

What is God showing us in the Fall Feasts? The spring feasts in their New Covenant fulfilment revealed Messiah in His priestly role. We saw Him as the Sacrifice Lamb and the Suffering Servant. But the fall feasts will be different. Messiah will be dealing with His covenant people in His political or Kingdom role. This will be a global rule. Because the coming Messiah is not just returning to His national people Israel. At the Second Coming He will be returning to take up a worldwide rulership as King of kings and Lord of lords.

So the Fall Feasts are of a kingdom or political nature. They celebrate God's righteous rule upon this earth as the real and literal future Messiah. This is the future glory Handel presented in His magnificent musical presentation of Messiah. On a certain future fall season Israel and all mankind will arrive at a day of great import. They will see God's Kingdom announced with the blowing of trumpets. This will be the fulfilment of the Feast of Trumpets. What will have happened? That will be our focus as we move on in this study.

The day this epic future Feast of Trumpets unfolds will be an awesome day in world history. Because the 70th Week of Daniel will have begun. And God will resume His covenant dealings with His people down here amidst the earthly politics of men. The nations will be raging. (Psalm 2) And why? Because the Kingdom of God will be coming into world history. And many antagonists, angelic and human, will be in an uproar.

Despite the platitudes of state clergymen the Kingdom of God has not yet fully come. Messiah has certainly come to His throne in men's hearts this is true. But He is also destined to come to this earth and to minister and rule for a literal thousand years. (See Rev.20)

Messiah will come again. Only on this occasion He will not be the Suffering Servant. He will be the returning Conquering King. Israel and the nations will see Messiah in His Kingdom role. His judgment and wrath will be poured out on the wicked. Jerusalem will see His wonderful deliverance at Armageddon. And His covenant people in exile will experience His magnificent deliverance at Bozrah. After His second coming Christ/Messiah will establish that long awaited glorious Millennium of Messiah.

So why are the coming fulfilments of the Fall Feasts so awesome? Because they open the final epic end time drama. Many people in the nations, the heathen, hate and despise Jesus Christ/Yeshua Hamashiach. They are the playthings of their dark angels. These angels fear and dread His coming as Messiah. And so without understanding why they do it depraved mankind, the peasants, princes, and priests rage against the any Jewish or evangelical witness that would testify of the coming Messiah. This rebellion against the coming Messiah is part of the mystery of iniquity.

King David wrote a song about this. And he told of the terrible shock these rebels will have. (Psalm 2) The people who dread the coming Son of David, (and many who don't want to talk about it), actually despise the Throne of David. They loathe the coming righteous earthly Millennial Rule of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is the heart of the main conspiracy against YHVH-God that is at work among men. The plot it is cloaked and hidden under a smokescreen of diplomatic and ecclesiastical disinformation. But nevertheless this hatred of the coming Throne of David is the root cause of all anti-Semitism. In its true essence hatred of Jews (who are people of Judah, the royal tribe of Israel), is a spiritual hatred against the coming rule and reign of Messiah/Christ. It is not a racial thing at all.

Unfortunately we still see ecumenist churchmen pressuring Israel to compromise themselves by giving up God's sovereign Holy Land. This is the current manifestation of ecclesiastical Anti-Semitism in the Church.

As we have seen, the Spring Feasts have been fulfilled. The Fall Feasts, feasts #5, #6, and #7 are yet future. They are still mysteries. They have not yet come into their New Covenant manifestation. But they will. In some future fall season we shall see them.

The Fall Feasts are becoming the subject of much study and discussion right now. Many Christian believers in the Western Church are finally beginning to realize that the "Holy One of Israel" is in control of world events. He is the sovereign overseer of history. And He is not silent. Nor is He absent, unknowing, uncaring, or dead. He is very much alive! And he has an agenda. In fact, His Plan is unfolding. And it is right on schedule!

So the Fall Feasts are up next. They have not come to their New Covenant fulfilment yet. But knowing YHVH-God, we can be sure of this. When they erupt into holy history in some future fall season of the year these Fall Feasts will be every bit as spectacular as the four events that preceded them.

The fifth feast, the Feast of Trumpets is next to be fulfilled. And the fulfillment of the sixth feast, (actually a fast), will follow this, probably seven years later, (as we shall see). In fact this final Day of Atonement will almost certainly be the second to last day of this age. This stupendous day in history will be the last day to repent. This will be the awesome climactic Day of Reckoning/Day of Accounting.

Afterwards, Messiah will come. He would judge the wicked. (Mat.23:30) Then He will deliver and glorify His Elect. He will then return to judge the nations at the sheep-goat judgement. After that, at the Feast of Tabernacles, He will establish His Millennial Kingdom . So three epic end time events will be marked by the Fall Feasts of Israel. And they are up ahead in our future.

*******************

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is not like other gods. He is real. And He can be known in a personal way. He comes to indwell those who open their hearts and lives to Him and those who exercise faith, and put their trust in Him. The Fall Feasts were set to showcase the Messiah of Israel, not only in the realms of religion and personal faith but also as he comes to re-enter world history as King of Kings.

The Holy One of Israel is the "God who is there". He is the eternally existent God who was, is, and is to come. Messiah has already come down into our cosmos once. The terminus of the first 69 weeks of Daniel's 70 Weeks of years showcased the first coming of Messiah. On that day, Palm Sunday, we saw Messiah come in His priestly religious role. That event marked the terminus of the 69 weeks. One week, or one "seven" of years remains.

Quite clearly our Messiah has not finished His work on this planet and in our cosmos. The terminus of the future 70th Week of Daniel, the final 7 years of this age will see Him come again, this time in His Kingdom, or political role. Even now He is in the process of drawing out a covenant people to Himself, not only from national Israel but from all the nations. His chosen "called out people", His "Ekklesia", is the global "Congregation of Israel", which includes the true Church. They are destined to be regathered at the end of this age as a single Elect or Chosen people, drawn out from scattered Israel and from the nations. His Elect, (singular), will be gathered from both sides of Calvary, from the ancient patriarchs to the very last Tribulation Saint. The Holy One of Israel is a gracious God. And He has one single grand all encompassing salvation plan. His covenant people, drawn from Israel and from the nations are all destined to become unified under Messiah as "a royal priesthood and a holy nation". (1Pet.2:9)

Our God is not dead. Nor is He a do-nothing God. He is at work. And He has a grand Plan. The final seven years of this age will see Him deal with His people on blood covenant matters their religious leaders have omitted to tell them of. And so He will call forth His witnesses, Then He will return to judge the world, restore Israel, establish His Kingdom. He will go on to restore the ecosystems of His creation and so bring His divine agenda to completion. The Seven Feasts are waypoints that mark out the thresholds in this grand plan. They were destined to showcase the acts of Messiah, not only to Israel but to the nations. Jesus/Yeshua is not only our personal Savior but also our coming international Messiah. His covenant people are not passive in all this as they have been told. As the Body of Christ they are in vital union with Messiah and active agents in the end time drama. These annual celebrations lay out YHVH-God's agenda for redemption, sanctification, and then finally, the glorification of all His remnant Elect at the Resurrection-Rapture at the last day.

So YHVH/God is not silent, unknowing, uncaring, or absent from the scene. The Day of the Lord, or Day of Christ, (see Eph.2), will surely open up on the day after that final epic Day of Atonement. Indeed most of the Book of Revelation is a heavenly court case in which YHVH-God presides. God is not dead. Rumors of His death, spoken of by certain high churchmen, are quite incorrect. These clerics who say such things do not know and love the God of the Holy Scriptures. They are hired men of the state and the marketplace, many of them quite lost and deceived. Dark religious spirits have been feeding them disinformation for them to pass on to the poor spiritually undernourished sheep of God's pasture. The Holy One of Israel will not tolerate this forever. He is alive and well. And in the Scriptures He has made available to us information that is true and correct. It is the revealed Word of God. At the close of this age Messiah will be delivering this living Word personally by His own earthly Presence in His resurrected body. And at His Second Coming His holy agenda will be brought to a magnificent climax.

The Feast of Trumpets is the next feast due to be fulfilled. It is the first of the three Fall Feasts of Israel. It is celebrated on the first day of the new moon of Tishrei. It is called Rosh Hashanah which means "head of the year".

The Feast of Trumpets is the only one of the seven feasts to open up on a new moon, a dark and moonless night. Is this significant? Is this a portent of something ominous for this 5th feast? Will there be some sinister goings on when the Feast of Trumpets erupts into holy history? Is there something hanging over God's Judeo-Christian people on some future dark night as that awesome future moon of Tishrei is about to appear?

In times past the new moon was typically the time of the month when Israel got up to mischief. They would go up to the high places on these moonless nights. There, under cover of darkness, they would break the covenant they had made with YHVH-God. They would commit great evil. They would worship idols in the groves on the high places. And they would engage in acts of sexual immorality.

The Feast of Trumpets is the only feast to be celebrated on a new moon. Could it be that some sinister event of great importance is destined to unfold in the gloom of some future new moon of Tishrei? Will something momentous occur on this night that will be a cause for general alarm around the world among God's covenant people? And will this event call for the blowing of trumpets?

The first day of any given Hebrew month is the new moon. This is the time when the first thin crescent of the new moon can just be made out with the naked eye. This is well demonstated in this article which features a photograph from an Islamic website. It shows a new moon just 25 hours old. It is barely able to be seen. At that time of the month the moon is just a barely discernable crescent seen at dawn and at dusk in the direction of the rising or setting sun.

The next feast due for fulfillment is the Feast of Trumpets. It is celebrated on the new moon of Tishrei as Rosh Hoshanah, the "head of the year", or the Jewish new year. It will be maked by a blowing of trumpets. The watchmen of Israel will be sounding the alarm. (Ezek. 33:1-6) All of God's covenant people, Jewish or non-Jewish, will be called to solemn assembly.

This will be an awesome day in the history of Israel and Christendom. Some big event will happen on some future new moon of Tishrei. As we shall demonstrate further down in this article, this will almost certainly be the signing of the momentous seven year Middle East peace covenant of Daniel 9:27. Daniel indicates that the deal will be brokered by and with a certain "prince". God's people will be entering into a seven year protection covenant. They will make a seven year treaty with someone who promises to bring them, (and the world), the peace they so fervently desire.

Moses said that this would happen. He said that God's covenant people would depart from the faith and get themselves into a world of trouble and tribulation. He told them this quite clearly in the Song of Moses.

And Jesus Himself said that this would happen. He said that His people would sign away the covenant things of God. This involves the land of Eretz Israel, the so called "West Bank" and the holy precepts of the God of Israel the Church was supposed to uphold. Jesus Himself said that His covenant people would enter into another covenant with someone who ominously will come not in the Father's name but "in his own name". This is the "prince" of Daniel 9:27. He will be a global megadealer and peacemaker. This nefarious deal will in fact bring in a limited peace, for a time. But he will turn out to be a false messiah. (John 5:43)

This will be a wicked business. Instead of crying out to God in their hour of trial, His Judeo-Christian people will be playing political games, even as Gomer with her lovers. They will choose to enter into a deal with a certain "prince", a man who is a Luciferian selfist. And that's not all. God's people will allow themselves to take on a responsibility and assume an authority which they cannot perform. John the apostle was astounded at the vision of Revelation 17. A Harlot will emerge, riding a beast with ten horns.

Dear saints, this will be an occasion in which Israel in Judah and Israel in the mystery get themselves entangled in some serious skullduggery. Is this why the Feast of Trumpets is the only feast to come on the dark night of a new moon?

The prophet Joel saw the scenario very well.
And he saw the response from the throne of God.
He heard YHVH-God issue His command,

Joel 2
1. "Blow the trumpet in Zion,
Sound the alarm on My holy mountain,
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble.

15. Set apart a fast; Call a solemn assembly.
Gather the people. Sanctify the congregation.
......Let the priests weep between the porch and the altar."

When the trumpets sound on that epic future Jewish New Year an awful thing will have just happened. Like Esau, God's people will have signed away their birthright and their blessing for a political mess of pottage. And there will be consequences. They will have just bought themselves some serious trouble! Under the covering of this political compromise and spiritual harlotry they maythinkthat they are safe. But they are not. They will have just given themselves over into the control and power of a selfist ruler. He will have in turn honored them with his authority and power in the nations. But the whole thing will be a sham. The authority they now have is illegitimate before God. They will have become a harlot politico-religious system. Now they will have to start persecuting the true believers of YHVH-God to shut down their witness. And there are more serious trials to come In fact they are just three and a half years away from the midweek Abomination of Desolation which brings in 666 and the final 3.5 years of theGreat Tribulation.

The nefarious deal will call for congregational and national repentance in the royal Jewish House of Judah and in the wider Commonwealth of Israel drawn from lost Israel and the heathen nations. For the faithful Elect the situation unfolding at this time will be clearly unacceptable. And their position as witnesses to all this will become quite untenable.

As the prophet Jeremiah lamented,

Jeremiah 5
31 The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule by their own authority;
And My people love to have it so.

Then Jeremiah went on to ask,

"But what will you do in the end?"

Fortunately all is not lost.

Hosea 9:8
"The watchman of Ephraim is with my God;
But the prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways —
Enmity in the house of his God."

This will be an awesome and stupendous day. The trumpets will be blowing. All of God's covenant people, those in Israel and those abroad among the nations will be "called out". They will be summoned to assemble themselves before the God of Israel. It will be day like no other. As He did at Sinai, YHVH-God will again be asking,

"Who is on the Lord's side?
Let him come and stand by Me!"

Thus we shall begin the 70th Week of Daniel. In spite of the protestations and denials by Preterists and Dominionists this seven year period still remains to unfold. It has to happen. the final 70th Week of Daniel has been set by God. This seven years, (like the seven years of famine in Egypt at the time of the patriarchs), will be the time of God has determined. He has set the time for some heart to heart dealings with His covenant people.

Yehovah-God is being exceedingly gracious here. His people will be given a chance to make things right. They will be given a clear picture of the false and the true. They will see with their own eyes what is real Messiah and what is a phony false messiah. God's people will be given time to change their minds and change their heart attitude. Above all, they will be given a fresh opportunity to come to love God.

The true remnant Church will be on the unlearning curve and the learning curve. The true saints will dump their low grade religion. As the final expression of the Church of Laodicea they will then begin to buy "gold refined in the fire", "white raiment" of God's righteousness, and "eye salve" so that they begin to see. The "deal with God" they purchased cheaply at the religious bazaars will have to be renegotiated at a higher more legitimate level. And the "free ticket to heaven" will be traded in for a more personal Eternal Covenant with God which involves a relationship of total commitment. Those who go on to embrace the "final witness" will go on to discover the joy of the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. They will enter into the true and faithful blood covenant relationship to which they have been called.

And what will happen to our Jewish brethren in Judah and in Eretz Israel?
By the time the 70th week of Daniel is over something wonderful will have happened.
The Jewish House of Judah will be saved!
The royal House of Israel will repent and come to recognize and know their Messiah!
(See Zech. 12:10-14, also Joel 2:28-32, and Romans 11)

The Feast of Trumpets is the first day of the Hebrew year on the civil calendar. On this day God's people stop work. It is a holiday, or a 'holy day'. And it is called Rosh Hashanah, meaning in Hebrew, 'head of the year'.

The fact that this celebration marks the beginning of the civil year for Israel is an important point. The religious calendar begins six months before in the springtime in the first month, the month of Nisan, (or Abib). From this we can surmise that the Feast of Trumpets, (and all the fall feasts), relate to civil, political, or royal kingdom issues. This would seem to suggest that these three autumn feasts relate to certain pivotal events connected to the birth pangs and the birthing of the coming Kingdom of God as it manifests in world history.

Our coming Messiah is in the Order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek as King of Salem or 'peace' was also Priest of God most High. So our Messiah has dual offices or authority. He is to be both King of Kings and High Priest. He rules in the priestly or religious authority. He also rules in the royal or kingdom authority. His Kingdom is to be ruled from the Throne of David of the Jewish House of Judah.

So as our coming Messiah He is therefore both priest and king. This is a very important point. His future Millennial dominion embraces both the realms of politics and also religion or Church and state as it were. This is a key prophecy for us to understand.

Messiah's First coming fulfilled the spring feasts.
The three of them celebrate His priestly ministry at Calvary and the Garden Tomb.

Messiah's Second coming Fall Feasts.
They will celebrate the coming of His kingdom rule with the Millennium of Messiah.

This issue of the dual offices of the Order of Melchizedek is very important. It is a key to our understanding of the feasts in their spring and fall groupings. The kingdom and priestly offices of Messiah also helps us understand the basis for the the eventual reconciliation of both houses of Israel and the gathering of all the covenant people of God. God will seek out His people. He will call them from out of the Church. He will also call them out from the Jewish nation. The New Covenant will also go out to connect with people from all across the world. The Light of Israel will bring salvation to the ends of the earth.

This long awaited and magnificent reconciliation of both houses of Israel has been prophesied in many places by the Old Testament prophets. It will surely come to pass in crucible of the end-time. The believing portion of national Israel and the believing portion of the Church will come into confluence. A single glorious Elect will be showcased before men and before a heavenly audience which includes the watching angels. This will bring to pass that prophesied "royal priesthood and holy nation". Moses and the Apostle Peter both spoke about this. - Exod.19:6 & 1Pet.2:9

God has an agenda for holy history. It has been set forth plainly in the Holy Scriptures. Our Messiah came 2,000 years ago as the prophesied Suffering Servant. At that time He was manifest in His priestly role as both our High Priest and also our promised Sacrifice Lamb. In His priestly role, we saw Him fulfill the first three feasts, which are the spring feasts. Now we await the fulfilment of the Fall Feasts.

In the Fall Feasts we shall be seeing Messiah emerge in His Royal Kingdom role. It will be the politics of Messiah that will be seen this time. He will come as the conquering King of Kings. God's determined dealing with His covenant people will begin. And this final seven year period, the final "week" of Daniel's 70th Week will begin. It will be announced with the blowing of Trumpets.

When Messiah comes next time it will be quite different from his former coming. We shall see Him emerge in His royal or kingdom role. He will assume rulership on this earth as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, ruling from the Throne of David. At His second coming our Lord Jesus will assume His royal office on this earth as King of Kings.

Messiah has two offices. He has a priestly office and a royal Kingdom office. The Christian Church is familiar with His priestly role. That is what the Gospel is all about. But they are not familiar with His kingdom role.

Ezekiel saw two offices for Messiah. They were exemplified by the two sticks that became one in his hand. (Ezek.37:15-28) Messiah comes into human hearts and into this world in the dual authorities of the Order of Melchizedek. - Ps.110:4.

Does everyone want Messiah to come to rule and minister as Messiah? Unfortunately there are many in this world, many in national Israel, and many in the Church who have not yet welcomed Messiah into their heart. They do not know Him. What they imagine` in their hearts is that He will be a tyrant ruler. This rebellion against the Throne of David is the essential root cause of all Antisemitism. This hidden hatred fomented by the principalities and powers, the angelic rulers of this present darkness, is aimed squarely at Israel's Messiah or Christ. It is the spirit of Antichrist as viewed from the kingdom perspective of the royal tribe of Judah. Even now it is becoming quite clear that the politics of this world is centered around a little fledgling country in the Middle East which arose in 1948 after a desolation going back to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

Why do the nations hate Israel and the Jews? It is because they do not really know Him. And their lesser angels who currently rule over the nations are hostile to the coming Messiah. These ruling angelic powers are currently operating up in the second heaven. They know that the return of Messiah will be their undoing. They will be cast down. The returning Messiah will bring their shady rulership to an end even as the stars fall at the 6th seal. - Rev. 6 Of course the principalities and powers, the angelic rulers in the second heaven know that this has been prophesied to happen. But they rage against it anyway. And these dark rulers have their own agenda in the coming showdown of the Apocalypse. They want to drag the nations and all the peoples and races they possibly can down with them. They invite debauched and depraved men to come and join them in their doomed rebellion against the returning Messiah. They know His Second coming will terminate their rule. They are pretty disturbed about this. (See Psalm 2) Many humanistic, self worshiping Luciferian men share the same sentiments as the dark angels that pull their strings.

Do the anti-Semitic ultra nationalists, racists, and skinheads know about this epic contest of the ages? Unfortunately the answer is no. Most of them haven't a clue as to who is pulling their strings. They think that they themselves are controlling their lives. They imagine that they are the captain of their fate and the master of their own destiny. But they are wrong. They are in complete ignorance of spiritual matters. They are totally unaware that in rejecting the peaceful rule of Messiah in their heart they have unwittingly become pawns of their own evil angels. Their spiritual masters are spirits of wickedness. And these angels of deception are doomed. They will fall out of their heavenly places at the coming 6th seal judgement. They will be brought low at the end of this age, even as the stars fall. At that time the Day of the Lord will open up. The sun will turn to darkness, the moon to blood, and the stars will fall. It will be then that these hideous evil angels of destruction will be brought down. -Psalm 78:49 These will be the angels of wrath that will be seen on earth in the Apocalypse. They will gather the wicked as tares at the last day. (Mat.13:30)

The angels of wrath will come to gather the men they have duped. The grapes of wrath will be gathered in this horrific and wretched harvest. Horrified men will be plucked up as weeds by angels of unimaginable horror. (Mat.13:30) These are the evil angels of destruction spoken of in Psalm 78:49. Jesus Himself told us quite clearly that the wicked will be gathered up as tares/weeds at the end of this age. They will be carried off to be burned in the fires of Hell. (Mat.13:40-42)

These awesome events of the end-time will surely come to pass at the end of the 70th Week of Daniel. World history for this age will come to its tumultuous climax. The 5th seal witness of the saints will be followed by the 6th seal appearance of the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens. - Mat.24:30

All this history will come to pass in the coming Great Tribulation. God is gracious. This period of time will give all who hear the call a chance to change their minds about their Messiah. Because ready or not, He is coming! Of course many hardened rebels will continue to rage against Him right up to the very end. John in vision saw men at the end of the age blaspheming God and shaking their fist at heaven. - Rev.16:9 But then many will come into the merciful flows of God right up to the very end of the age. - Joel 2:28-32 This will include the entire Jewish nation. - Zech.12:10

The Fall Feasts of Israel will be different from the feasts we have seen so far. They will bring in the fulfilment of God's kingdom agenda, even the 'Gospel of the Kingdom'. Jesus spoke of this quite often. The Kingdom is the place of His rule. He rules first in the hearts of men, and then upon the earth in His Messianic Kingdom.

14. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations,
and then the end will come. -Mat.24:14

If we do a word study of 'trumpets' or 'blowing of trumpets' throughout the Bible we come to a clear and straightforward conclusion. Apart from the annual and ceremonial events the occasions when trumpets were blown are pivotal momemts in the history of God's people. Typically the blowing of trumpests marked the emergence of some crisis in the history of the nation of Israel. So wrapped up in this act of blowing of trumpets is the idea of watchfulness and, (when necessary), the sounding of an alarm.

"Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others,
but let us watch and be sober-minded." (I Thessalonians 5:6)

There is also a vital element of information warfare involved here. In blowing the trumpet the watchman is announcing to the people under his care,

"Look, pay attention!! Here, I am bringing you some vital information concerning an imminent and present danger. Come, let us gather together as an assembled corporate body of people. And let us deal with this crisis before our God."

This is how a faithful watchman operates. In doing this he may well be putting his own life in jeopardy. The first order of business for an invader is to take out the sentries. Those are just the facts of life for a watchman.

Such is the work of a watchman. If the people are forewarned and if they have responded and brought themselves into readiness then this timely warning can turn a potential disaster into a victory. In the case of God's covenant people it is no different. We are in a spiritual war and increasingly so as the Day approaches. Our enemy certainly knows a lot of what is going on. And he knows that the day of his judgement is approaching. The church is advancing expanding by leaps and bounds over in the third world. Our enemy is actively responding to these developing realities. How about us back here in the comfort zone as we sit in our padded pews? Do we know what's going on? And when the big event occurs will the trumpets be blown? Will we be warned?

The day will come when the church, as Sleeping Beauty, will need to wake up and smell the coffee. Information warfare is essential to ensure our readiness in God. The right information must get to the right people at the right time. God's covenant people must be warned when that critical moment arrives. If they are warned then many will be saved. If they are not warned then many will be lost.

Our religious leaders have an awesome responsibility here. We are told that God holds His ministers responsible for the proper and timely warning of His people. When the enemy is sighted by the watchmen on the wall they have a sacred responsibility. The people need to be warned. When an enemy threatens to attack or maneuvers against their city or camp then the watchman is expected to blow the trumpet and sound the alarm.

Being a sentry is and always has been a dangerous and formidable task. An approaching army's first action is to silently 'take out' the sentries. They will try to silence those watchmen if they can. So to save his skin a sentry having seen the enemy coming may simply withdraw from his post. He may pretend not to see the approaching peril. He may just melt into the shadows and keep his silence. He may not want to raise an alarm lest he draw attention to himself and bring his life into jeopardy. But here is the rub. If he does not blow the trumpet and sound the alarm then this puts his whole company at risk. This amounts to treason. In many armies, even today, a sentry who is found asleep or fails to raise the alarm is court martialed or even shot.

In the spiritual arena there are also serious consequences for an unfaithful watchman. Ezekiel had this spelled out for him very clearly. God said that as a prophet he, Ezekiel, had been made a watchman over the House of Israel. He was told that if he saw the enemy coming and he failed to blow the trumpet and sound the alarm then there would be some dreadful consequences for him. God said that He will actually require the blood of the people at the watchman's hand.

This is an awful thing. Ministers of today are wise to heed this warning. It is clearly laid out for them in God's Holy Word. It is their responsibility to warn the church of things that are threatening them even if those things are in the early stages and just beginning to happen. They are to inform God's covenant people of what is coming. And they are to help prepare the congregation of God for their essential role of witness in the coming trials. Here is our scripture from Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 33
Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: 'When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.' Ezek.33:2-6

The sounding of the trumpet is an alarm, calling the people of God to 'wake up' and 'pay attention'. But that is not all. The trumpets also summon the covenant people to assemble themselves before God. Indeed this positive response to God's call to assembly is what actually makes them the 'called out', the 'Ekklesia'/'church', or the 'Congregation' of God.

As the Bible clearly shows, the the blowing of trumpets is a call of alarm. It comes in response to a crisis in God's camp. The covenant people of God are 'called out' to assemble themselves. They are to come before God in worship and in solemn response to this crisis. As they gather together they are given the facts and told just what the problem is. Then they are shown what can and must be done about it. They are God's human agents and His witnesses on earth. As His covenant partners they are the responsible ones here. As His witnesses they are very much 'in the loop'. They are the 'called out' congregation, the 'Ekklesia', the 'church in the wilderness' of which Moses spoke about back at Sinai. - Acts 7:38

Whenever the trumpets are blown the Judeo-Christian people are being 'called out' to make a judgment on some matter. Out of this will come repentance, a new direction, a new anointing, and a new beginning. True saints will be thankful for the corrective action God has taken in warning them. And they will appreciate Him calling them to conference on the matter. They are in a crisis yes. But in it they realize that they have arrived at a new threshold. Surely new vistas must be just up ahead! With joy they will make a positive response to God's call. Then they set a new course for their future pilgrimage.

For the saints the judgment of God is not a grievous thing.
Even in chastening a new opportunity is being offered to them.
Their God is not being unkind.
Not at all. He loves His people.

In this crisis He has their best interests at heart.
He has them by the hand.
And He is leading them out of spiritual danger.
He is showing them the Way ahead,

It is a gateway onto the paradise road.
The 'highway of holiness' leads upward;
Towards the gates of splendor;
And into glories yet unseen.

In the days of ancient Israel the blowing of the trumpet was a "calling out" of the covenant people to assemble themselves before their God for an epic covenant "meeting of the minds". During these times of national crisis there was a call to national corporate and personal repentance. The subsequent revival and worship brought God's Elect into a re-alignment with the plans and purposes of God. This prepared them spiritually and galvanized them for the required response and action. There was a national corporate response to the encroaching evil which ensured the subsequent victory. In the case of Gideon it the national repentance led on to a declaration of war on the encroaching Midianites who had all but taken over Israel at that time.

Judges 6
34. But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon;
then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.
35. And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh,
who also gathered behind him. He also sent messengers to Asher,
Zebulun, and Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. - Judges 6:34-35

Here is another example of the trumpets being blown, this time in warfare. This scripture gives us valuable details as to just how the end-time victory will be achieved.

Judges 7
19. So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands.
20. Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers--they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing--and they cried, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!"
21. And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled.
22. When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.

Here we have a select group of men. They are a 'sold out' or 'broken vessel' company. But when their empty vessels of clay, (symbolic of our bodies of flesh), are broken the inner Light shines forth in the darkness. Then they blow the trumpets and cry out in a declaration of victory. The enemy scatters in total confusion, turning their swords upon each other as they flee.

This is a magnificent story. It is a type or a pattern of things to come. It lays out the spiritual principles which will see the true church and the remnant of Israel come into their ultimate triumph. At that time a single refined and totally committed elect company will be bringing forth the final witness before men and angels. - Heb.12:1 With total abandonment of concerns for their own lives they will let their light shine forth even from the brokenness of their very own bodies. They will take up the trumpet to announce the coming Kingdom of God on this earth. The call will go out to all of God's people to respond in the same manner. The days of their decisive faithful witness will have come. It will be in this final climactic action that the witnessing saints will bring this church age to a close.
And then Messiah will return.

Dear saints, we should be fully informed and persuaded concerning these awesome realities. And we should be fully committed to follow this course of action in witness to our Lord Jesus should that time come in our lifetime. Because this is precisely the manner in which God will bring this age to its appointed victorious conclusion.

It is not in our own power to bring this witness. We can't do it.
He is the One who enables and empowers us to do this.
And He is the One who will lead us on into the glory.
So..... All that being understood.
Who would want to miss out on this grand adventure in God?

The following scriptures from the book of Revelation show us the final victory.
This will occur as the seventh trumpet, the last trumpet, is blown.

Rev. 10:7
"but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound,
the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets."

Rev. 11:15
"Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of
our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'"

Rev. 16:17
"Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice
came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!"

If we go looking for the next big prophesied event due for fulfilment we don't have to look very far. As we saw in our study of The 70 Weeks of Daniel 69 weeks have already been fulfilled. One 'week' or 'seven' of years remains to unfold into holy history. The next major event on God's timetable is the signing of the 7 year covenant spoken of by Daniel inDan.9:27. This big blowout event sets the clock ticking into the 70th week of Daniel, the final seven years of this age. The signing of this unprecedented sovereignty sharing megadeal involving Israel and the G7 nations will be an epic event. God's people will have entered into covenant with a false messiah!

Image from the television series
"Beauty and the Beast".
An endemic theme in our culture.

The Bible indicates that this will be the opening crisis of the end-time. Might we therefore expect that it will be heralded by the blowing of trumpets?

For God's people in that incredible future day the blowing of the trumpets might well be a call to corporate international repentance both in Israel and in the church. It will be a sounding of alarm, a call to worship and a summons to assembly. And what would be the nature of this crisis? If Israel, and possibly a large part of the established church are involved with the 7 years covenant with a global peacemaker then quite clearly they will be into some mischief and up to no good. Jesus Himself told us quite clearly that this indeed would happen.

"I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me;
if another comes in his own name, him you will receive".
- John 5:43

This is a dreadful and ominous warning from our Lord Jesus Christ. We would do well to mark His words well. And pay attention. The trumpets will most certainly be sounded in response to this outrage. They would be blowing in response to the great apostasy of Daniel 9:27.

If this is truly the case and the Feast of Trumpets instituted by Moses and installed on the 1st of Tishrei in the calendar of the ages is indeed to be fulfilled with the alarm that goes up when the 7 year covenant of Dan.9:27 is signed by Israel then surely there is some prophetic Bible passage bearing witness to this.
Is there such a scripture?

The prophecy of Joel chapter 2 may well be one.
I shall leave it up to the reader to decide.

Joel Chapter 2
1 Blow 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 is coming, For it is at hand: 2 A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. 3 A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. 5 With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array....................
10 The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. 11 The Lord gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?

12 "Now, therefore," says the Lord, "Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." 13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. 14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him-- A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; 16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room. 17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, "Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?' "

This is an awesome scripture. Obviously something of major importance has happened here. The scripture above clearly states that this particular blowing of trumpets here in Joel 2 is in the context of the close approach of the Day of the Lord. The prophecy is time linked into the late 70th week with the mention of the cosmic signs of the sun and moon turning to darkness. Further on in Joel chapter 2 we see the encirclement of Jerusalem by the nations (plural). This too is a clear reference to the late 70th week mustering of armies towards Jerusalem in the Valley of Megiddo, or Armageddon.

If God's covenant people are prophesied to make a deal with the forces of darkness then there will be consequences for them. All of the people of Israel and Christendom as well will then be in real trouble. The people who know their God will realize this. The ignorant ones who have compromised themselves and signed the 7 year covenant with the global peacemaker will not. Hence the sounding of the alarm and the epic blowing of trumpets. All of God's people will need to assemble when this awesome and historic day opens.

So when this great coming crisis opens up on some future Feast of Trumpets then how shall God's people respond? They will respond in precisely the same way thay have responded in times past. As in the crises of times past there must be a judgment. There will be a new and holy calling and a new separation unto God. It will be a new gathering, a new ekklesia, a new assembly of God. Once more the call will go out.

"Who is on the Lord's side?!
Let him come and stand by Me!" - Exodus 32:26

How shall we answer?
Pray God that each one of us will respond to the call,
both in Word and in deed, on that coming awesome day.

When the trumpets sound in that future time the saints will respond. But the response and action called for in that cataclysmic future time will not be a call to the sword and a call to war although that will be happening. The response will be on a higher plane than we have ever seen before in the nation of Israel or in the nations of Christendom. In that day the call will go out for God's covenant people to return to the eternal covenant with YHVH-God and to seek His face. The saints will enter into a campaign of holy and positive witness. The sword and the gun will have no part to play in the victory that will come out of all this. (See Dan. 7 and Dan 12, and Rev.13) The saints will be taking up the 'Sword of the Spirit' which is the Word of God. True saints will operate in the realm of spiritual warfare rather than earthly military warfare. And even in a day of thick darkness they will 'rise and shine'. - Isa.60

Our Apostle Paul brings us a similar warning about taking up the sword in a time that clearly calls for gracious witness. He says,

"The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God,
for the pulling down of strongholds". - 2Cor.10:4

As Christian believers today our first order of business before God in a time of crisis is to respond to Him in holiness and with a clear conscience. We are to respond in faith before God rather than responding in fear before the circumstances. For us the blowing of the trumpet is a call to assemble before God Almighty.
He is the One who will give us our instructions in that day.
No one else qualifies.

Dear saints, we must understand something of church-state politic here. To see the whole church to break the habit of 17 centuries will be highly unlikely. Since 325 A.D. and the Council of Nicea the established Christian church has sought out and taken the protection offered by the sword of earthly secular princes. But when that big crisis up ahead erupts into history it will be different. It will be an unthinkable compromise for God's elect to sign onto that Dan.9:27 deal. Others may do it to then be drawn down the garden path on into deeper harlotry. But we cannot do this.

Thus begins the first 3.5 years of the end-time drama. The persecutions during those early years, will not come from the Antichrist. As we have seen before in post-Nicean church history the persecution will come from inside the church. Yes, it will continue the pattern of the centuries past. The persecutions that are unleashed upon uncompromised Christians comes from compromised Christians. Pagans are not our problem. It is compromised fellow Christians of the harlot church who stoop down and bring the grief to the saints. This is an old repeated pattern. (Rev.17:6).

This is sad, but true. Christian history gives an abundance of evidence of this. Church persecution will be a feature of the first half of the 7 years. These are the three and a half years before the 'abomination of desolation'. The peacemaking antichrist will undergo a character change to become the 666 Beast Right there in the middle of those 7 years the Antichrist will be revealed. -Dan.9:27b

In all of this our God will be taking an active role in world history. The Holy One of Israel will be 'calling His people out'. We are called to bring forth the witness of Messiah and to walk in holiness. The trumpets will be calling us to assembly and to attention. In that coming day the trumpets will be summoning us to lay down all the covenants we have made with this world and to fully and totally embrace Christ's Kingdom. When the Daniel 9:27covenant is confirmed and that awesome future time in holy history we simply cannot enter into this 7 year covenant with the political or religious princes of this world. Certainly not when we know just how that covenant will be broken by the other party 3.5 years later. The prophet Daniel tells us what will happen. (Dan.9:27b) At the midpoint of those seven years he will stop the daily sacrifices and commit the 'abomination that makes desolate. The peacemaker will no longer be Mr. Nice-guy. The restrainer we see spoken of in Daniel 10:21 will be taken out of the way. (2Thes 2:6) And the world leader will be possessed by the Beast demon of the bottomless pit. (Rev.17:11) And so at the midpoint of the seven years he will undergo a character change to be revealed as the 666 Beast Antichrist. (Rev. 13)

As we have seen, that epic future Feast of Trumpets will come into its New Covenant fulfillment. The people of God will be summoned to sacred assembly. They will be called by the God of Israel to attend to some covenant business of extreme importance. The burning issues which necessitate this sacred assembly of God's 'ekklesia' or 'called out congregation' will be of an intensely spiritual nature. This also involves ou political allegiances. God is calling people into His Kingdom. Quite clearly many of the kings and rulers do not like this one bit. (See King David's song in Psalm 2). But they will have to get over it or be swept aside. Because Messiah is coming!

Ah, politics. The trumpets are proclaiming a new king, even the coming Messiah. He is the prophesied future King of Kings. The principalities and powers pull the strings of high government officials. They know what this announcement means for them. It means their doom. So they do not like this announcing of the Kingdom of Messiah one bit. Is this is why we have not yet heard the 'rest of the story' of this Feast of Trumpets? Is this just too sensitive to teach from a pulpit set up right next to a national flag? Since the Council of Nicea the church has been deeply involved and compromised with the secular princes and powers of this world. The event which triggers the Feast of Trumpets and the summons the Jewish nation and the Christian church to holy assembly will be a momentous event. It will be a earthshattering upheaval of the whole church-state accord which we have lived under for 1700 years.

What will happen to the church on this awesome day of decision? We might well expect to see the church split up again into those same three factions that are seen in every crisis in church history. The three church factions will be

1. A continuing compromised harlot church described by John as the 'Whore of Babylon'. She is destined for destruction. -Rev.17 & 18

2. A warring raging nationalistic church allying with patriots and 'freedom fighters' in the nations. This movement will be crushed. (Dan. 7:21&25, Dan.12:7, Rev.13:7-9)

3. A separated and holy witnessing pilgrim church, some of its members dying in the witness, and often seen migrating or exiled to places afar. (Rev.12:6)

The Fall Feasts will see the unfolding of the final histories of this age. This world and the Christian church as we know it today will be changed forever. It will never be the same. This is why Biblical information on the coming epic Feast of Trumpets has been 'cloaked' by the ecclesiastical powers. The real story has been hidden. It has been hidden for good political and ecclesiastical reasons. Why is this so?

The church and Christendom generally is carnal and unruly. It is inclined to take up the sword. It is wont to go crusading when facing a spiritual challenge. It also has a very poor record of grace and patience under trial.

But as we approach the endtime drama the faithful and devoted Christian believers will be there. And they will go up onto the stage of human history, in the days when the 5th seal is opened. They will be going up to witness before kings and princes. (Mark 13:9) So the saints have reason to know what is going on. There is an information war going on. The saints deserve to know God's truth. They need to have a full understanding of what their purpose will be. It seems that in these spellbinding future times they will be the ones who will on the stage of holy history. They will bring in the epic 'final witness' before the Ancient of Days and before the courts of heaven. Then the Word will be given. And Messiah will return.

If what we have said about the coming Feast of Trumpets is correct and is truly the case then why have we not heard of it before? And what sort of religious smokescreens have been put up to obscure the real story of the Feast of Trumpets.

For most of the older denominations this is a moot point. Since they believe all the covenants with Israel have been transcended and swallowed up in the church these studies of the Seven Feasts of Israel do not even come up on their ecclesiastical radar screens. The Jewish Feasts to them and to their members are completely irrelevant. They consider the feasts to be quaint relics of a past glory of an ancient Israel that is gone forever and never to be seen again. This is the so called "replacement theology".

Bible reading evangelicals know better. They know that God still has plans and purposes for the Jewish people and for the entire nation of Israel, the latter of which the Church cannot even "see". Biblical Christians do know that the church has been "grafted in" to the olive tree of Israel. (Romans 11) They also realise that the Promised Sacrifice Lamb which the Old Testament saints believed God would provide the ultimate blood of covering, blood of atonement, is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Redeemer of Israel. So for the sharp Bible reading evangelical believers the Feasts of Israel are indeed relevant and exceedingly important. The upcoming unfulfilled Fall Feasts of Israel cry out for an explanation. Only the evangelicals have shown enough interest to actually tackle the subject. So just what have we been told so far?

In the 'cover story' that evangelicals have been given the Feast of Trumpets does in fact have a connection to Daniel 9:27. But it is loose and understated. The signing of the 7 year covenant with the worldly prince is suggested. But it is overshadowed by what is, (to them), a much bigger story. They say that the Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled by the Pre-tribulation Rapture.

This sounds very comforting and comfortable.
But is this scripturally founded?

The Bible certainly does speak of the 'last trumpet'. And yes this "last trumpet" is indeed associated with the resurrection-rapture. (1Cor.15:52 & Mat.24:29). But there is no Biblical evidence that this 'last trumpet' or its associated rapture is what the Feast of Trumpets is all about. The attachment of the Feast of Trumpets to an early special express rapture, (while it may be appealing to many), is without any direct scriptural foundation. Nevertheless it is received gladly by many and without too many raised eyebrows.

People want to believe in a rapture at the beginning of the 70th Week. It seems to many that everybody else is believing it. So for them it becomes the 'truth' of the group or "groupspeak". Peer pressure and loyalty to Bible teachers who are excellent in every other way keeps the 'Feast of Trumpets = Pre-Tribulation Rapture' doctrine in place. It has become church "lore". And so it is believed by a broad segment of Christians even in the absence of compelling scriptural evidence for it.

As we have seen in the other articles on this website, there is no scriptural basis for the prevailing doctrine of an isolated rapture in an early pre-tribulation time slot seven years short of the end of this age. The doctrine has, however, become extremely popular with the sort of Christian crowds we see gathering in today's western church. The church in the rich nations today is becoming increasingly carnal and operating predominantly in the lukewarm spirit of the church at Laodicea. - Rev.3:14-22 This is to our shame. We should have shown more Berean style diligence and been more careful in our handling of the Holy Scriptures. And we should have had the courage to question Bible teachers when the shaky pre-trib doctrine was first taught. Unfortunately we are so busy in today's society that diligent Holy Spirit led personal Bible study has become uncommon.

Beloved of God, the event that initiates the blowing of trumpets to issue in the 70th week will be a test and a trial; a day of searching of the hearts. It will be a test for every person who has a covenant connection with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The worldly powers of politics and religion will be calling us to covenant with them nationally and internationally in a way that we have never done before. We must not respond politically to any of this. Nor should we enlist in their any crusades or join any insurrections. Jesus in the Olivet Discourse said that all these things must happen. For God's covenant people to involve themselves with this historic church compromise or to join nationalistic rebellions and wage war with the sword of Roman iron using the arm of flesh would be a big mistake. Such a move would run counter to our true calling. Instead we are called to understand that this time must come. We are called to bring our witness to Jesus Christ / Yeshua Hamashiach right throughout the whole seven years, first under the harlot and then under the Beast Antichrist. We are called to respond in faith rather than in fear using the spiritual weapons our Apostle Paul laid out for us in Ephesians 6:10-18. Chief among them is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

In all this we need have no fear. The victory is ours. The coming epic Feast of Trumpets will set in motion the events that will see both the fullness of the gentiles brought in and the national salvation of Israel. (Zechariah 12:7-13:1) We have not seen these climactic breakthroughs before this time because we have not yet been summoned in a corporate and global way to the 'high calling' in Christ. There have been regional revivals this is true, but generally the Holy Spirit has dealt with us at a local and personal level. Church history has not yet seen the high degree of corporate worldwide church responsiveness that this coming trial will call into existence. But in that hour of decision the true saints will answer the call. The level of devotion and witness this world will see among the saints as they come into that hour of trial will be magnificent beyond words. And our God will not be standing back doing nothing. He will respond and move by His Holy Spirit in an unprecedented way. Hosea saw the end-time-revival and spoke specifically about it. (Hosea 6:2). As with Abraham at the beginning of the covenant four millennia ago this breakthrough will not be our own doing. -Gen.15:17Like Abraham, we may be overcome with the burden of the covenant. We may collapse in a heap and be unable to rise to the occasion. But since the Abrahamic covenant is an unconditional covenant God Himself, our covenant Partner will be carrying us, even as a Bridegroom carries His bride across the threshold. There will be one set of footprints in the sand. Because He will be carrying us. We are His witnesses. And He is a great God. Let us not forget that. He bore all our sorrows at the cross. All that is required of us is that we show up and be there. Our eyes will be upon Him as our Covenant Partner. He is the One who will uphold us and empower us for witness in this covenant. We don't do it. He does. It is not our 'works'. It is His indwelling divine enabling empowering grace. Many ordinary saints have gone before us and been caught up in extraordinary times. But we have an extraordinary God. And He will carry us through. He will be our shield and defender even as He has been for all the saints that have gone before us. Now they are looking to us to finish the final leg of the race for them. They are cheering us on! (Heb.12:1)

Let us make no mistake here. The victory is the Lord's. He is there waiting for us to walk out and take our positions of witness with for Him with joy. He has won the victory for us at Calvary. All that awaits now is for the end time saints to take their responsibility seriously. We have a vital and essential role of witness in the end-time. But Christ is our head. And we are his body. And so He will lead us and tell us what to say. In His passion, death and resurrection He defeated Satan. . He triumphed over and all the forces of darkness and that included the last enemy, death.

Now is the time for us to repent of our waywardness. When we seek God's face and align ourselves with Him we come into His program. We set a new course with Him into the future. As we go forward we find ourselves on the train to glory. On the passage we find ourselves entering into a serendipity. In the midst of the adventure we find ourselves strengthened from within. It is only in Him that we become overcomers It is in the witness and power of the Gospel that we prevail against the forces of darkness. The Bible tells us so. Our Apostle John actually saw the final victory of the saints.

'They overcame him,(Satan), by the blood of the Lamb,
And by the word of their testimony,
And they loved not their lives unto the death.' - Rev.12:11

Beloved of God, this is how we win.

Yes the trumpets will sound as this age comes into the 70th Week of Daniel and on into its appointed climax at the end of those final seven years. The Elect of God will most certainly be up front and center for this one. This will be the moment in which the endtime drama will begin in earnest. When the trumpets begin to sound the saints will go up onstage. There, before the watching world, they will bring their witness to Jesus Christ/Yeshua Hamashiach. This is our calling as servants of the Most High God. The New Covenant is the Eternal Covenant by which men come to faith and fellowship in God. It is a blood covenant commitment. We are not passive in this anymore than a bride is passive in a wedding ceremony. It is not our works. We love Him! It is in the power of His Love, which is wrapped up in that covenant, that ordinary saints do the extraordinary. The Love of God draws us on into witness. And thus we shall fulfil our calling in the witness of the New Covenant.

The testimony of the lives of the end-time saints and their message concerning the unfolding of Bible prophecy will signal the next and final event of this age. The unfolding of the 5th seal will make way for the opening of the 6th seal. The trumpets will go on to announce the Rapture of the Church which will come seven years later.

As we can readily see from scripture, the effect of the unfolding of the Feast of Trumpets into human history will be astounding beyond words. For the church, for Israel, and for the world at large this future Feast of Trumpets which opens up the 70th week of Daniel will be the most momentous Rosh Hoshahah in all of holy history. It will be nothing short of mind-boggling.

The Day of Atonement will be our next study as we move on through the feasts and towards our glorious future destiny in Jesus Christ/Yeshua Hamashiach.

Grace and peace to all who love His appearing.