Trumpets

September 25th, beginning at sundown the evening before, is the Biblical Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah – Day of the Blast. On some calendars it is referred to as Rosh Hashanah (The Head of the Year) or the Jewish New Year. We won’t take time here to address these other titles but will use the Biblical terms ‘Day of the Blast’ or ‘Feast of Trumpets’. We will, however, take a moment and look at this rather obscure-appearing celebration in the Biblical text and see if it has any relevance to non-Jewish folks today.
First, what is the purpose of ‘trumpets’ are ‘the blasts’ according the Scripture ? Leviticus 23:24 reads “ in the seventh ( Biblical) month on the first of the month, you shall have a Sabbath, a reminder or memorial by blowing ( Teruah – Blasts) of trumpets, a holy set-part assembling. ( parentheses added) Numbers chapter 10 indicates trumpets are to summon the camp and direct it’s movement; to summon the leaders to gather; to sound the advance; 9 “When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, you shall sound an alarm (Teruah) with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.”   10 “Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets . . .”    And accordingly, these ‘blasts’ are individual and distinct and each with a purpose. Paul makes mention of this in his first letter to the Corinthians by saying “For if the trumpet produces an indistinct sound, who will know to prepare for battle?” 14:8
In Revelation there are seven trumpets and Psalm 81 mandates we ‘blow (Teqia) the trumpet on each new moon, and at the Full Moon Feast Days ( Passover and Tabernacles). Again Paul speaks to the congregation at Corinth with these words –
“ in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised and those that remain shall be changed.”   In Exodus 19 the trumpet heralded the very Presence of God and preceded His speaking. 1 Thess. 4:16 tells us “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,(Teruah) with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” And the Prophet Joel urges to ‘Blow the trumpet in Zion. Sound the alarm . . . for the Day of the Lord is at hand . . .”
We see God using the ‘trumpet’ for a multitude of reasons. He summons His people, assembles them and directs the movements of the camp. The trumpet is used in the time of war as well as in our celebrations and our seasons of joy. The trumpet alerts the people, sounds the alarm and awakens the camp. It even announces the coming, the speaking and the very Presence of the King.    So how does that apply to me today?  Ponder this for a little while until we continue our exploration of ‘Trumpets’.
Until then – Shalom –