prodigalministries

‘TRUMPETS’ – The Conclusion

A couple weeks back we began a quick glance at ‘Trumpets’ in Scripture and their implication and application in both daily life and in a prophetic sense – then, now and in times to come. We have established from Scripture how ‘Trumpets’ are used by the God of the Bible in a multitude of ways. He awakens the camp and calls them to attention. He sounds the alarm and the call to battle. The Trumpet announces the time of celebration as well as the time of judgment. Trumpets are seen and heard all through the Scriptures, sometimes overtly, sometimes covertly.
Judaism has a tradition concerning ram’s horns. When God provided the Ram whose horns were caught in the thicket ( Gen. 22:13) and Abraham offered it on the altar, tradition says God took one Ram’s Horn and gave Abraham the other. In Exodus 19 and 20 the Scriptures speak of a ‘trumpet waxing louder and louder’. Joshua overcame the great city of Jericho with Trumpets and obedience to God’s instructions. In 2 Samuel, Trumpets marked a great celebration as well as a proposed coronation. In Nehemia, Trumpets sound the call to fight for another. Trumpets are instruments of praise and mark the ascending of GOD, according to the Psalms. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel and Amos all make mention of sounding Trumpets to awaken and warn the people.
The Apostle Paul speaks of the return of Messiah at ‘the last Trumpet’ (1 Cor. 15:52). Revelation speaks of seven trumpets. Psalms 81 speaks of blowing the trumpet on the ‘new moon’, or the first of each biblical month. If a trumpet is blown at the first of each month, starting with the month of Passover in the spring, and continuing each month until the month of Tabernacles, there will have been seven trumpets sounded. The Feast of Tabernacles is in the seventh biblical month, following Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and, according to Zechariah, marks the season of the return of Messiah. That places the return of Messiah at the time of the last of the seven trumpets – the last trumpet. Isn’t it neat how the Old and the New fit together like a hand and a glove . . . almost like it was made that way . . .  Shalom

” All creation declares His Glory . . .”

A ‘slightly bloody’ full moon was sighted over Louisville by our son Jason in the wee hours of this morning ( October 8) as he drove to work.  Chag Sameach

Torah Tidbit – Pentecost

“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.” Exodus 20:18
This is one of those things you read over and again and then all of a sudden you see something you have never seen before. The English text states ‘they saw the thunderings’. When was the last time you saw ‘thunderings’? The Hebrew text says it a little more clearly. ‘And all the people saw the ‘qol’ – the voices (or sounds) – and the torches (or flames of light) and the voice of the shofar, and the mountain smoking; and all the people saw, and they moved and stood at a distance . . .” There is a specific word in the Hebrew for ‘thunder’. It is the word ‘ra-am’. But the word used in Exodus 20:18 is the Hebrew word ‘qol’ for ‘voice’. And the word ‘lightning’ ? In the Hebrew it is the word ‘baraq’. But the word used in Exodus 20:18 is the Hebrew word lappidim or ‘torches’.                                                                                   Where else in Scripture do we have people in the presence of God seeing flames of fire and voices, if you will ? Acts 2:3 says the people saw ‘tongues of flames or fire settled above the heads of the apostles’ and everyone heard in their own language based on that which the people saw.
Did you ever wonder how the folks in Acts 2 knew to call the event ‘Pentecost’ if the event portrayed was the first one of it’s kind? Simple . . . it was not the first. Exodus 19 and 20 was the first Pentecost, and that which brought the followers together in that upper room was the Memorial Observance commanded by God to remember that which took place on the mountain (Mt. Sinai) some 1500 years earlier.
When Moses came down off that mountain with the written Word of God and encountered the sin of the people, 3000 souls died ( Exo. 32:28). In Acts 2:41, during the memorial events of Pentecost, 3000 souls were added to the body of Messiah. Our Heavenly Father is just and righteous as well as gracious and merciful – and all about restoration.
In Exodus 20, the Word of God was given to the people. “ In the beginning was the Word . . . and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . .” In Acts 2 we see the second part of the ‘promise of the Father’ – “And I will pour out My Spirit . . . “ Joel 2:28-29).
“So shall My Word be that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isa. 55:11
Pentecost . . . the giving of the Word of God . . . and the beginning of the last days.

The Calendar . . . Most calendars projected September 24-25 as Feast of Trumpets this year. Many have planned time off from work and family or group activities with these dates in mind. We are aware of the sightings or lack thereof from Israel and how it may be affecting alot of folks’ plans. First, we always encourage and endeavor to walk according to the Scriptural directives as much as we possibly can, understanding we are still in dispersion and life in the ‘diaspora’ is not always geared towards allowing us free reign in our observances. Also, we do not base our gatherings on the sightings in Israel, not that there is anything wrong with using that basis. But we live in Kentucky. And if it were not for internet and instant news access, we would not know of the sightings in The Land until they were ‘come and gone’. We endeavor to use sightings for where we live, for that is where we observe, walk and teach until the time comes we get to be in the Land. The first new moon sliver in KY was 7:13 AM thursday morning Sept 25th. So observing Yom Teruah today ( thursday) either placed us 12 hours early or 12 hours late . . . For those interested or involved, we will not, at this point, change our dates of observance for Yom Kippur or Sukkot. We are sure there are those that will have issues with our decision. Just remember, we ARE still ‘in the nations’ and many are bound by the inflexibility of our societal set-up. For those that CAN make last minute adjustments, praise the Lord, you are blessed. For those that cannot, grace and ‘no condemnation’ are in order. May this be a festive season, and not a fussy one . . . shalom –

The anticipated date for Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) is this Wednesday evening through thursday evening (Sept. 24-25). It is a ‘high sabbath’, the beginning of the fall feasts and a picture of the announcement of the return of Messiah. May Abba bless you and yours in this the beginning of the ‘season of our joy’ . . . Chag Sameach – shalom