The Feast of Trumpets

The second coming of Christ has been anticipated by Christians for 2000 years. It is an event foretold by Jesus himself and reiterated throughout the New Testament. I think I can tell you what day Christ will return, but I don’t know what year it will be.

Let me explain. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year, but historically it was called the Feast of Trumpets. It initiates the three fall feasts which Jews have always celebrated. These three feasts have yet to find their fulfillment in Christ, unlike the spring feasts.

All four of the spring feasts were fulfilled in Christ’s first advent on the earth. Jesus was the Lamb of God, crucified on Passover, his shed blood setting us free from the penalty and bondage of sin. The Festival of Unleavened Bread is celebrated the day after Passover. Jesus Christ was without sin, without leaven, and became the bread of life for all who believe in Him. The Feast of Firstfruits occurs in close succession with the previous two, on the first day after the Sabbath. Jesus rose from death on the first day of the week, becoming the firstfruits of all the believers who will rise from the grave and inherit eternal life (I Cor 15:20).

Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) follows the first three spring feasts, fifty days after Firstfruits. Celebrating the harvest, the priests would bake two loaves of bread and wave them before the Lord. The first Pentecost after the crucifixion and resurrection is when Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit upon the newly born Church.  Two chosen people of God – Israel and the church. I find it profoundly interesting that at the first celebration of Pentecost, at Mount Sinai, 3000 people were killed (Ex 32:5, 28), while at the first Pentecost of the Church 3000 people were saved (Acts 2:41).

Now we get to the Feast of Trumpets, the first of the three fall festivals yet to be fulfilled in Christ. The second coming of Christ will occur at the last trumpet (I Cor 15:52). Jesus said that His return would be accompanied by a loud trumpet call (Mt 24:31). The trumpets sounded at the presence of God at Mt Sinai, very loud. Then they got louder (Ex 9:16-19). The trumpets will be just as loud when Jesus returns, on Rosh Hashanah.

The last two of the seven feasts to be fulfilled in Christ are the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). The day of Atonement will be fulfilled when Christ returns. At the rapture, all the saints will realize the final step in our redemption, the resurrection of our bodies, the ultimate victory over sin and death (I Cor 15:50-57). The Feast of Tabernacles will be fulfilled in the Millennial kingdom, when Jesus Christ comes to earth and dwells among men.

And there you have it. I would suspect that when the seventh beast, America, has been destroyed and the build-up to Armageddon is in full swing, that would be the year to expect our final redemption, on Rosh Hashanah.