Trumpets: Christian and Jewish Views of that Feast
By COGwriter
In the Continuing Church of God (CCOG), as well as many other Church of God (COG) groups which had leaders once associated with the old Worldwide Church of God, we keep various biblical holy days, including the Feast of Trumpets (two sermon videos of related interest would be The Last Trumpet and the Book of Life and The Trumpet Release). It is called Rosh Hashanah by most Jews. Messianic Jews' and some others also keep it.
The Feast of Trumpets begins the evening of the first of day of the seventh month of the biblical calendar (a month that almost always begins in September on the Roman calendar--for Holy Day dates check out Holy Day Calendar).
The Feast of Trumpets is on September 19 in 2020, September 7 in 2021, September 26 in 2022, September 16 in 2023, and October 3 in 2024 (its observance begins the evening before the Roman calendar date and runs until sunset on the Roman calendar dates shown).
How do Jews view this day? How do Christians?
Does this Holy Day have any applications for Christians? Did the ancient Jewish teachers know something about this day that most who profess Christ do not seem to realize?
People in the COG have long kept it.
One COG leader, Herbert W. Armstrong, taught:
"AND THE Lord spake . . . saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial [not a shadow] of blowing of trumpets, an HOLY CONVOCATION. Ye shall do no servile work therein . . ." (Leviticus 23:23-25).
Here is pictured to us that next blessed event in God's redemptive plan, when Christ shall COME again, in clouds with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (I Thessalonians 4:14-17). It shall be "at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall [all] be changed" (I Corinthians 15:52).
Unless Christ returns to resurrect the dead, we would never gain eternal life if there is no resurrection "then also those which are fallen asleep in Christ have perished" (I Corinthians 15:18).
Christ directly intervenes in world affairs at the seventh or the last trump (Revelation 11:15-19). A trumpet is a symbol of war. He comes in a time of worldwide war when the nation are angry! As soon as the work of gathering in the firstfruits (pictured by Pentecost) is completed at the end of this present age, then Christ will begin to set up again the tabernacle of David (Acts 15:16) to set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people (Isaiah 11:11) to search out and to find His lost sheep that the ministers of the churches have failed to search out and save during this period (Ezekiel 34:1-14).
Notice exactly when this takes place! "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they [Israel] shall come which were ready to perish ... and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem" (Isaiah 27:13).
When will Israel be regathered? At the sound of the trump at the Second Coming of Christ. Because the churches have forgotten the Festival of Trumpets, many think that the return of a part of the Jews to the Holy Land and the setting up of a nation called Israel now is the fulfillment of this prophecy!
Christ's direct intervention in world affairs will be the next event in the plan of redemption. (Armstrong HW. Pagan Holidays- or God's Holy Days-Which?).
The Feast of Trumpets certainly points to the blowing of trumpets and the Bible shows a variety of prophetic events will accompany the blasts of various trumpets.
Here is a link to a related sermon: Christian vs. Jewish Views on the Feast of Trumpets.
Mentioned in the Old Testament
The Hebrew scriptures state:
2 The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts ...
24 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 (Leviticus 23:2,24, NKJV throughout except as noted).
The old Worldwide Church of God published the following:
Notice that the Israelites were to mark this particular day as a memorial of the meaning trumpets had for their nation, both physically and symbolically.
God instructed them to use silver trumpets to gather the Tribes for assemblies and to signal when it was time to move during their migration to the promised land. The Israelites were to blow the trumpets when they were preparing to attack or to defend against an attack. Moreover, trumpets were blown during God's festivals and at the beginning of each month. Each use of the trumpets gave added meaning to the festivals as the Israelites understood them (Num. 10:1-10).
Since the Israelites, awestruck and trembling, had already experienced God's tremendous use of a blaring trumpet when God gave them the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19:19), they were familiar with the use of trumpets in correlation with momentaus events in their lives!
God continued to associate trumpet blasts with important events after that era as well — and He does so for us today. (Kackos GM. The Feast of Trumpets and YOUR Future. Good News, August 1982)
Here is more about the Day of Blowing of Trumpets from the Bible:
1 'And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets. 2 You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish. 3 Their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, 4 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; 5 also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6 besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. (Numbers 29:1-6)
The blowing of the trumpets term is teruw'ah (Strong's #8643). The Jewish Bible translates that word as shofar there and a Tanakh version says it is a horn.
Here is something from the Book of Ezra:
4 They also kept the Feast of Tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings in the number required by ordinance for each day. 5 Afterwards they offered the regular burnt offering, and those for New Moons and for all the appointed feasts of the Lord that were consecrated, and those of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to the Lord. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, although the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid. (Ezra 3:4-6)
Note: Because animal sacrifices are past in Christ per Hebrews 10:3-10, we Christians do not offer burnt offerings--we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). However traditionally a financial offering is taken up on this day consistent with what the Apostle Paul taught in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, as well as Deuteronomy 16:16 as Ezra is tying the first day of the seventh month in with the Feast of Tabernacles.
The seventh month is called Ethanim in the Bible in 1 Kings 8:2:
2 Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month. (1 Kings 8:2)
This month is normally called Tishri by the Jews as that was the name used when they were in Babylonian captivity. The Feast of Trumpets is referred to as the first of Tishri in some Jewish literature.
Although the Jews now call the festival Rosh Hoshanah, they acknowledge that was not its original name:
"Rosh Hashana, which literally means head of the year" {it was} "not called Rosh Hashanah until Talmudic times" (Kramer, Amy J. Rosh Hashana Origins. Copyright © 1998-1999 Everything Jewish, Inc. http://www.everythingjewish.com/RoshH/RH_origins.htm 9/16/04).
Alongside special offerings in the Holy Temple, Torah assigns one single commandment to be performed on Rosh HaShana: The sounding of the shofar. In fact, Torah doesn't refer to the first day of the seventh month as Rosh HaShana, (which is a later appellation), but merely as Yom Hatru'a - the Day of the Shofar Blast. (Shana Tova! The Temple Institute email newsletter. Elul 29, 5778/September 9, 2018)
(The time of the primary development of the Talmud was 70-500 A.D.) But the Book of Leviticus DOES NOT call it the day of the shofar blast, but the day of the blowing of trumpets (teruw'ah, Strong's #8643).
Since the terms 'head' and 'year' are not in the Old Testament passages about it, it appears that the COG term for it, the Feast of Trumpets, appears to be more biblically-based that the relatively-new Jewish term 'Rosh Hashanah' (which has numerous spellings).
Book of Life
According to current Jewish tradition:
After Rosh Hashanah services, as the congregants leave the synagogue they say to each other ... "May you be inscribed in the Book of Life"" (The Jewish Holiday of Rosh Hashanah. High Holy Days on the Net. http://www.holidays.net/highholydays/rosh.htm accessed 9/21/16).
The prevalent practice among Ashkenazi Jews is “L’Shana Tova Ti’kateivu v’Tekhateimu,” “You should be written and sealed for a good year.” This is often shortened to simply “Shana Tova,” “a good year.” This greeting expresses a basic hope we all have on Rosh Hashanah — that we be inscribed in the Book of Life for another good year. Other greeting customs also use the metaphor of the Book of Life to convey the essence of the holiday, but use it in a different way.
Similar to the Ashkenazi custom, Kurdish Jews greet each other with a variation on this theme, saying: “T’kateiv b’sefer chaim tovim,” “You should be written in the book of good life.” Instead of focusing on a “good year,” the Kurdish greeting emphasizes a “good life.”
Rabbi Abraham Danzig, writing in 18th century Vilna, records his Rosh Hashanah greeting as “T’kateiv v’Tekhatem l’alter l’chaim tovim,” “You should be written and sealed immediately for a good life.” Rabbi Danzig references a midrash that tzaddikim, righteous people, are immediately written in the Book of Life. (Peltz M, Rabbi. What is in a Rosh Hashanah greeting? Haaretz, September 17, 2012. http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/rabbis-round-table/what-is-in-a-rosh-hashanah-greeting-1.465357 viewed 09/10/14)
Note: The term 'midrash' refers to Jewish interpretation of a commentary or scripture.
The Talmud itself essentially concludes that the fact of the three different trumpet blasts in Numbers 10:1-10, represents three books, one of them being the Book of Life. However, it appears that more than three trumpet blasts are mentioned, so somehow they must be consolidating them.
As far as a Jewish interpretation of some of this, notice also the following:
Book of Life
I heard the idea that during the High Holidays, God writes one's name in a book. Where does this concept come from, and how can this concept bring meaning to the holidays for me?
The Aish Rabbi Replies:
The Talmud . . . says that on Rosh Hashana, God inscribes everyone's name into one of three books. The righteous go into the Book of Life, the evil go into the Book of Death, and those in-between have judgment suspended until Yom Kippur.
In actuality, the vast majority of us are neither totally good nor bad. We're more like 50/50, so we have a few more days until Yom Kippur to tip the scales. That's why the Code of Jewish Law recommends going out of our way to do extra mitzvot during this time. ...
So to ensure getting into the Book of Life, we need something really dramatic. For example, someone who sincerely chooses to take on Jewish observance has a 1,000-ton weight going for him. The act of coming full circle to Torah is a rare type of decision that can transform you into a different person.
Of course, wherever you're holding, it's important to do as much as you can. Don't gossip, show respect to your parents, eat kosher food. Whatever you can do, add to it. But what we're really looking for is the mega-ton weights. Look for breakthroughs - the one major decision that can truly change you. (Book of Life. Ask the Rabbi. http://www.aish.com/atr/Book_of_Life.html viewed 09/10/14)
So, basically Jews believe they need to be stricter about laws and traditions (the 613 mitzvots) so they can make it. But that is not what the Bible teaches.
The first biblical allusion to the Book of Life appears to be Exodus 32:32-34:
"Yet now, if You will forgive their sin--but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written."
And the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin."
Moses knew that he was mentioned in this book. It also appears from the above passage that God is speaking both about a book and a day of punishment.
The apparently same book is mentioned in Psalm 69:27-28 where both concepts are also discussed:
Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous (NIV).
In Malachi 3:16 it states:
16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.
These verses show that those that fear the LORD are mentioned in a book, but those that are not righteous are not in it.
Christians who are inscribed in the Book of Life, will be born-again, at the resurrection which occurs with the seventh-trumpet mentioned in the Book of Revelation (watch also Trumpets and Being Born Again).
In Isaiah 27:13 it is written:
So it shall be in that day:
The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt,
And shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.
These passages appear to be referring to the last trumpet-the one signalling the return of Christ and the establishing of the Kingdom of God. This passage DOES use the term for shofar (Strong's 7782).
Perhaps it should be mentioned that the type of trumpet involved with the Feast of Trumpets in the Old Testament, as well as with most alarms for battle and judgments is often the Hebrew term, showphar, more commonly spelled shofar. This type of trumpet is some type of animal horn (normally some type of ram).
There are other trumpets mentioned in various verses such as a yowbel (in Exodus 19:13, which could be either silver or a ram's horn) and the frequently mentioned chatsotserah (Numbers 10:2, which was probably always metal) but they seemed to have more instrumental use, though sometimes they were also used for alarm.
Some Jewish Practices and Views in the 21st Century
While the Christian view of the Feast of Trumpets has to do with prophetic judgments, accept some connection to the Book of Life, and teach its relevance in regards to the return of Jesus Christ, Judaism has a variety of views and traditions about it (other than the Book of Life and those previously mentioned).
Here are some:
1. During Rosh Hashanah, majority of time is spent in the synagogue, a Jewish or Samaritan house of prayer, as no work is allowed on Rosh Hashanah.
2. One of the major synagogue rituals for Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the "shofar."...
3. According to legends, Rosh Hashanah was the day when Adam was created out of clay. It was also the birthday of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
4. ... Rosh Hashanah does not involve fasting ... On Rosh Hashanah, many Jews follow a custom called "tashlich" (casting off), in which they walk to a river or stream and symbolically cast off their sins committed during the previous year by throwing pieces of bread into the water. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/379347/20120831/rosh-hashanah-2012-jewish-new-year-september.htm
Some of the above are facts, while others are traditions, which may or may not correct, but I thought might be of interest to some readers. Perhaps it should be noted that although the Bible is not clear about the date that Adam was created, connecting all-the-dots shows that Jesus was most likely born in the Fall. After the Apostle Paul mentions that "first Adam," he refers to Jesus as the "last Adam" in 1 Corinthians 15:45 and a few verses later he mentions the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Again, that is not proof that Adam was created on the Feast of Trumpets, but may suggest a possible connection. The calendar day of the births of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not specified in scripture.
The fact that some Jews symbolically cast off their sins through going to the water, sounds a bit like spiritual debt release as well as almost touching on baptism.
Here is more information on shofars and the Jewish view of this day (note the links will allow you to hear the actually blowing of shofar blasts):
A shofar is an instrument made from the horn of a ram or other kosher animal. It was used in ancient Israel to announce the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) and call people together. It was also blown on Rosh Hashanah ... signifying both the need to wake up to the call to repentance, and in connection with the portion read on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the Binding of Isaac (Genesis, chapter 22) in which Abraham sacrifices a ram in place of his son, Isaac.
Today, the shofar is featured most prominently in the Rosh Hashanah morning services. It is considered a commandment to hear the shofar blown.
Before the shofar is blown a special blessing is said:
I praise God, who is King and Ruler over all,
who commanded us to hear the sound of the shofar.
There are four different shofar blasts:
The Tekiah: the "blast," one long blast with a clear tone. Click to hear it!
The Shevarim: a "broken," sighing sound of three short calls. Click to hear it!
The Teruah: the "alarm," a rapid series of nine or more very short notes. Click to hear it!
The Tekiah Gedolah: "the great Tekiah," a single unbroken blast, held as long as possible. Click to hear it!
There is a great deal of symbolism tied in with the legal requirements for what constitutes a proper shofar. The shofar of Rosh Hashanah, whose purpose it is to rouse the Divine in the listener, may not be constructed of an artificial instrument. It must be an instrument in its natural form and naturally hollow, through whom sound is produced by human breath, which God breathes into human beings. This pure, and natural sound, symbolizes the lives it calls Jews to lead. What is more, the most desirable shofar is the bent horn of a ram. The ram reminds one of Abraham's willing sacrifice of that which was most precious to him. The curve in the horn mirrors the contrition of the one who repents. (http://www.templesanjose.org/JudaismInfo/faq/shofar.htm viewed 09/19/14)
So, the Jews do realize that the shofar is intended to get people's attention and that people need to repent.
Jews tend to blow it 100 times:
Question:
Why do we blow the shofar so many times on Rosh Hashanah?
Answer:
There are different customs as to how many times the shofar is blown on Rosh Hashanah. In most communities, the shofar is blown one hundred times. http://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/746659/jewish/Why-do-we-blow-the-shofar-so-many-times.htm viewed 09/19/14
It has become a widespread custom to sound the shofar one hundred times on Rosh Hashanah - including tekiot, shevarim and teruot. These hundred sounds are considered symbolic of the one hundred and one letters contained in the lament of Sisera's mother as she awaited her son's return from the battlefield as recorded in the Song of Devorah (Judges, 4).
Although Jews normally blow a shofar 100 times, that is a tradition and not biblical command. http://www.chabad.org/holidays/JewishNewYear/template_cdo/aid/4387/jewish/100-Sounds.htm viewed 09/19/14
Here is a reference to another Jewish tradition:
Rosh HaShana, 5779 begins on Sunday evening, and concludes on Tuesday evening. (Shana Tova! The Temple Institute email newsletter. Elul 29, 5778/September 9, 2018)
The Jewish reckoning of the year is off, and this was due to intentional miscounts according the facts of history and certain Jewish writers (for more details, check out: Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?). The one beginning on 1 Tishri 2020 is their claimed year 5781 from the creation of Adam, but in reality closer to about 5990 years from when Adam was put out of the Garden of Eden.
Furthermore, the Feast of Trumpets is only one day, not two (cf. Leviticus 23:23-24) The FIRST day of the month is only one approximately 24 hour day. The Bible never says that the second day of the seventh month needs to be kept as part of this Holy Day. The keeping of an extra day is an unnecessary Jewish tradition related to the diaspora.
Jesus had issues with added traditions of the Jews (cf. Mark 7:5-13). And we in the CCOG realize we are not at bound by Jewish traditions or practices not enjoined in scripture.
Some Jewish Points and CCOG Comments on the First Day of the Seventh Month
Let’s look at seven Jewish points in an article titled The Rosh Hashanah Guide for the Perplexed, 2014 (September 24, 2014. http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/09/24/the-rosh-hashanah-guide-for-the-perplexed-2014/) which is intended to give an explanation to Jews about the current Jewish meaning of the day.
Here is Jewish point one:
1. Rosh Hashanah is a universal, stock-taking, renewal, and hopeful holiday, celebrated on the 6th day of The Creation, which produced the first human being, Adam.
The following, which basically agrees, is from the Jewish Federation of North America:
There is a view put forth by the rabbis in the Talmud that the day of Rosh Hashanah coincides with the sixth day of creation, when humanity was created. According to this view, Rosh Hashanah becomes the birthday of all peoples, and of course, one celebrates a birthday.
Nonetheless, according to this interpretation, the day on which humanity was created is the same day on which it sinned and was judged. Adam and Eve were formed, given life, ate of the forbidden fruit, called to account for this act, and consequently exiled from the Garden of Eden, all on the same day. These events can be thought of as the model upon which we learn many of the themes and theology for Rosh Hashanah. It is a day to celebrate our creation, but also a day of accounting and judgment for our actions. One of the consequences of Adam and Eve's sin was the introduction of death or mortality into the world. The stakes are quite high in the original model and they remain equally high in the Jewish world's approach to the day.
On Rosh Hashanah, we relate to God as the Ultimate Judge. The Book of Life is opened before the Divine Being and we become advocates for our personal inscription into this book. We review the choices we have made over the past year, our actions and our intentions, as we attempt to honestly evaluate ourselves. Ultimately we hope our names are inscribed in the Book of Life, an image that speaks clearly of securing our destinies in a positive way for the coming year. It is traditional to greet each other with the wish that the person be inscribed in the Book of Life for the coming year. It is significant that God's decisions are influenced by each person's actions and intentions.
Repentance is a key theme of Rosh Hashanah. While evaluating the past year, each person engages in avenues of repentant behavior that can affect the Divine decree. True repentance can take several forms, including recognition of error, intent to correct ourselves, and, if possible, acts of repentance to follow. These actions allow us to participate in and influence our own destinies.
With the model of Adam and Eve before us, we remember that the consequences of eating the forbidden fruit included exile from the Garden of Eden, toiling the earth for food, and the labor of bearing and raising children. Likewise, the destinies that God decrees for the coming year may include changes in livelihood, fertility, and family harmony. For example, whether or not we prosper financially in the coming year is included in the Divine decrees. This scenario may seem to raise questions of predetermination, i.e., if all is decided on Rosh Hashanah, then what difference do our actions make? However, the element of partnering in our destiny comes to the fore with the intention and action of repentance. The idea is not to simply live out the Divine decree, but to mitigate and ultimately change it in our favor. (Rosh Hashanah Theology and Themes. The Jewish Federation of North America. http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=46318 viewed 09/10/14)
(Note: The Bible does NOT teach that Adam and Eve sinned on the first day they were made--while commentators, Jewish and otherwise, sometimes have points, all should be careful to not rely on them above inspired scripture.)
Because they do not recognize that it is only the elect/firstborn that are raised at the last trumpet, the Jews are somewhat confused on this point. It is not totally clear how or when the Jews tied together the "Book of Life" and the Feast of Trumpets (a Talmud quote later in this article shows that they did some time ago), but they did.
The Bible states that on the first day of the seventh month on the biblical calendar, there will be “a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:23-24). The idea that this coincides with the sixth day of creation is a view put forth by certain rabbis in the Talmud. The Talmud is basically a book of traditions written between 70 – 500 A.D.
From my reading in the Talmud, it appears that since many Jewish leaders believed that God created the world on the Feast of Trumpets (certain Jewish teachers taught that the creation was most likely in the Fall, rather than in the Spring because in Genesis 1:11 when God states, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit," this would be the Fall, for that is when there is grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit on trees), that the Feast of Trumpets symbolized the beginning of creation, and hence by, inference, life.
The creation probably was in the Fall, but Genesis 1:3-4 more likely was the first day of the seventh month as it is called the first day than when humans were created (Genesis 1:24-31), but that seventh month designation is not certain from the Bible.
Because Jesus will return with the last trumpet blast, the Feast of Trumpets certainly represents hope for Christians.
Here is Jewish point two:
2. Rosh means, in Hebrew, ”beginning,” “first,” “head,” “chief.” The Hebrew spelling of Rosh (ראש) is the root of the Hebrew word for Genesis (בראשית), which is the first word in the Bible.
While that is interesting, as mentioned earlier, it should be understood that the day was not called Rosh Hoshanah by the Jews until Talmudic times. The term ‘Rosh’ is not used in the scriptures that specifically mention the festival on the first day of the seventh month, and the term is an interpretation of Jewish tradition.
Notice some scriptures cited before:
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. … 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. (Leviticus 23:12, 23-24)
Since Leviticus 23:2 states it lists God’s feasts, and the one that begins on the first day of the seventh month is a feast for the memorial of blowing trumpets, we in the Continuing Church of God believe that the name Feast of Trumpets better conveys the name than the later adopted Jewish term Rosh Hoshanah.
Here is Jewish point three:
3. Rosh Hashanah is celebrated at the beginning of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, which means beginning/Genesis in ancient Akkadian.The Hebrew spelling of Tishrei (תשרי) is included in the spelling of Genesis (בראשית).
It is correct that the Feast of Trumpets is to be observed starting at the beginning of the seventh month of the biblical calendar that the the Jews now call Tishri/Tishrei. As mentioned earlier, in the Bible the month has a different name, Ethanim (1 Kings 8:2).
It should be noted that the months in the Bible can have different names. The first month is called Abib (cf. Exodus 12:2; 13:4) and Nisan (Esther 3:7) in the Hebrew scriptures. Renaming the seventh month probably came from a Talmudic tradition.
More Jewish Views and the Book of Revelation
Here is Jewish point four:
4. Rosh Hashanah is also referred to as “Ha’rat Olam” (the pregnancy of the world), and its prayers highlight motherhood, optimism, and the pregnancies of Sarah and Rachel, the Matriarchs, and Hannah, who gave birth to Isaac, Joseph and Benjamin, and the Prophet Samuel respectively.
While it is likely that the world was created in the seventh month, calling the day the “pregnancy of the world” is a Jewish tradition.
The Bible does not refer to it as a time of motherhood. But if we consider that Jesus will return with the last trumpet, a time of restoration, a rebirth if you will, will come to the world during the millennial Kingdom of God.
Furthermore, prior to the Jesus return, the period called "beginning of sorrows" has also been translated as the "beginning of birth pains" (ESV, NIV, etc.) as the Greek word for sorrows is associated with childbirth. Hence, there may be a birth connection, though distant, associated with the Feast of Trumpets.
While the first six trumpet blasts are associated with plagues and problems, the seventh is the cause for optimism.
The first six, in a sense, lead to a conncetion with Jewish point five:
5. Rosh Hashanah underlines human fallibility, humility, soul-searching, responsibility (as a precondition to the realization of opportunity), renewal/rebirth, memory (lessons of history), and the need for systematic education.
Humans are fallible and in need of humility, repentance (Acts 2:38; 17:30), and learning the truth (cf. John 8:31-32; 2 Peter 3:18).
In the Book of Revelation, we see trumpets being blown that point to human fallibility. However, we do not tend to see humility as the Bible suggests that while humans should be repenting, the bulk will refuse. As far as the specific trumpets of Revelation go, here is information on the first six trumpets (italics shown below are not in the Bible, but were added by commentators/editors):
8:1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck
7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck
8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck
10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.
Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck
12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. 13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"
Fifth Trumpet: The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit
9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. 7 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. 9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. 12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.
Sixth Trumpet: The Angels from the Euphrates
13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed — by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.
20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 8:1-13, 9:1-21)
Here is Jewish point six:
6. The Shofar (ritual horn) is blown on Rosh Hashanah as a wake-up call to mend human behavior. Rosh Hashanah is also called “Yom Te’roo’ah” (the day of blowing the Shofar). Shofar (שופר) is a derivative of the Hebrew word for enhancement/improvement (שפור), which is constantly expected of human beings. It requires humility, symbolized by the Shofar, which is bent and is not supposed to be decorated.
As mentioned before a shofar is often blown on this day. Notice the following:
3 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
4 For this is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob. (Psalms 81:3-4)
The Hebrew word for shofar is the one translated as “trumpet” in Psalm 81:3. The idea that it is a naturally bent horn and that humans need improvement is an interesting one that is consistent with the truth. This Psalm is traditionally considered for the Feast of Trumpets by Jews.
Here is Jewish point seven:
7. The pomegranate – one of the seven species blessing the Land of Israel – features during Rosh Hashanah meals and in a key blessing on Rosh Hashanah: “May you be credited with as many rewards as the seeds of the pomegranate.” The pomegranate becomes ripe on time for Rosh Hashanah and contains – genetically - 613 seeds, which is the number of Jewish statutes (of Moses).
There are two different points to make here. The first is about a possible connection between pomegranates and trumpets. Notice the following which mention the pomegranate tree and the blowing of a trumpet:
12 The vine has dried up,
And the fig tree has withered;
The pomegranate tree,
The palm tree also,
And the apple tree —
All the trees of the field are withered;
Surely joy has withered away from the sons of men.
13 Gird yourselves and lament, you priests;
Wail, you who minister before the altar;
Come, lie all night in sackcloth,
You who minister to my God;
For the grain offering and the drink offering
Are withheld from the house of your God.
14 Consecrate a fast,
Call a sacred assembly;
Gather the elders
And all the inhabitants of the land
Into the house of the Lord your God,
And cry out to the Lord.
15 Alas for the day!
For the day of the Lord is at hand;
It shall come as destruction from the Almighty. (Joel 1:12-15)
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. (Joel 2:1-2)
Notice that the pomegranate tree is referred to in Joel 1:12 in a destructive time, and that the trumpet (from the Hebrew word for Shofar) is telling of the time of the day of the Lord (see also When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? What is the Day of the Lord?). So, it could be said that there seems to be a type of connection.
But what about the 613 seeds of pomegranates?
Notice what one Jewish rabbi wrote:
Misconception: According to rabbinic tradition, a pomegranate (rimon) has 613 seeds.
Fact: The pomegranate is used in rabbinic tradition as an example of a fruit that contains many seeds, but not necessarily 613. …
The misconception about the pomegranate having 613 seeds is widespread, but its source is readily apparent. In a discussion on the meaning of seeing the fruit in a dream, the gemara in Berachot4 explains that “seeing small ones portends business being as fruitful as a pomegranate, while seeing large ones means that business will multiply like pomegranates. If, in the dream, the pomegranates are split open, if the dreamer is a scholar he may hope to learn more Torah … while if he is unlearned, he can hope to perform mitzvot ….” Drawing upon a verse in Shir HaShirim (4:3; 6:7), the gemara concludes by stating that even “the empty ones among the Jews are full of mitzvot like a pomegranate [is full of seeds].”5 Many misread this gemara to mean that there are precisely 613 seeds in a pomegranate, as there are 613 mitzvot. It should be clear, however, that the gemara uses pomegranates to imply an abundance. In fact, the very name “pomegranate” is derived from Latin’s “pomum” (apple) and “granatus” (seeded), alluding to the fruit’s many seeds. (Zivotofsky A. What’s the Truth about … Pomegranate Seeds? Jewish Action, September 20, 2008. http://www.ou.org/jewish_action/09/2008/whats_the_truth_about_pomegranate_seeds/
So, there are not normally 613 seeds in a pomegranate--it matters not that some Jewish Talmuic writings suggest otherwise.
What about the so-called 613 Jewish statutes of Moses?
As it turns out, many of them are NOT statutes that God inspired Moses to write. Instead, they were developed by one or more Jewish rabbis and based upon various traditions, many of which were not adopted from the Bible. See also Which Laws were Superceded? Which Remain? What about the 613 mitzvot? Moses did NOT write all of the 613 statutes that Jews and certain others believe they need to keep.
Anyway, as far as the Feast of Trumpets goes, some of the Jewish points are accurate, some have a scriptural connection, and some others are based more upon improper tradition than biblical truth.
We in the Continuing Church of God are Christian. And while we believe that the Bible and church history enjoin the observance of the Feast of Trumpets on true believers, we are not Messianic Jews (many of which claim believe that they should keep the 613 mitzvot) nor do we fully share the views of the Jews on this Holy Day.
We, unlike the Jews, also accept the New Testament as scripture, which means some of our understanding of this day comes from the New Testament, hence we have a better understanding of this day and how it fits in with God’s plan of salvation.
In the New Testament, the Bible shows that during the time period known as the Day of the Lord that there will be seven trumpets blown. And the last one, the seventh one, announces the return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the saints, and meeting Jesus in the air:
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:50-54)
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18)
Those are points that the Jewish interpretation of this Holy Day seem to miss. As Christians, we can draw comfort from the words of the New Testament, while we appreciate that there is a tie to the Old Testament.
Notice also the following Christian perspective of the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets:
Meaning of this Feast
The meaning, then, of the Feast of Trumpets, which pictures Christ's return to establish God's Kingdom on earth, is revealed by the various uses of trumpets throughout the Bible.
Old Covenant Israel had a limited, physical understanding of the Feast of Trumpets. But the Philadelphia era of God's Church understands, through God's Word, and with the help of God's Holy Spirit, its commission to offer this dying world this tremendous news about the future. We are to provide the trumpet blast that gives the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this world.
The Feast of Trumpets is not obsolete at all. God has placed great meaning in it. We need to rehearse that meaning each year by keeping this Festival.
By doing so, we show our obedience to God's Word. We proclaim our belief in God's warning messages, the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the saints. In addition, we prepare ourselves for the Family of God.
Truly, God has been gracious to give us this Festival! (Kackos G. The Feast of Trumpets and YOUR Future. Good News, August 1982)
And there is more.
The New Testament and the Return of Jesus
Notice another Jewish tradition or point (from another article):
"Rosh Hashana ... is the Day of Judgement ... It is the Day of Shofar Blowing ..." (The Jewish Holiday of Rosh Hashanah. High Holy Days on the Net. http://www.holidays.net/highholydays/rosh.htm verified 9/12/07).
The New Testament frequently mentions the blowing of trumpets (though it does not clearly appear to distinguish between shofar trumpets and other trumpets)--though shofars are probably the type most likely being referred to when prophetic matters of judgment are involved.
That being said notice the following from the Apostle Paul:
1
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom. (2 Timothy 4:1)
So, there is at least one judgment associated with Jesus' appearing
Consider also that, Jesus taught:
29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31).
This is similar to what Paul taught in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
Both Jesus and Paul taught that the saints would be gathered when a particular trumpet sound goes forth. And that Jesus will come with a trumpet blast, and that was AFTER the great tribulation begins (Matthew 24:21), hence the pre-tribulation rapturists are in error as far as when Jesus returns. (For details and many scriptures why those rapturists are wrong, check out the article Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected?).
Which trumpet?
The last trumpet:
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ...
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:52, 58).
Because this is referring to the last trumpet, scripture clearly does not support the concept of a pre-tribulation rapture, like many evangelicals believe in. This last trumpet shows that TRUE CHRISTIANS WILL WIN. They will put on immortality as they are the ones written in the Book of Life!
Although his writings are not part of the New Testament, Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John and looked forward to the fulfillment of this trumpet as he wrote:
Wherefore, girding up your loins," "serve the Lord in fear" and truth, as those who have forsaken the vain, empty talk and error of the multitude, and "believed in Him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and gave Him glory," and a throne at His right hand. To Him all things" in heaven and on earth are subject. Him every spirit serves. He comes as the Judge of the living and the dead. His blood will God require of those who do not believe in Him. But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise up us also, if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved (Polycarp. Letter to the Philippians, chapter II. Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1 as edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885.)
Let's go back a little earlier in 1 Corinthians:
12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up — if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:12-27)
This resurrection to life happens at the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52. This is apparently the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15:
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!"
So, Jesus will return with the sound of a trumpet. And we know this is a trumpet because it is the seventh as it is part of the sequence that is discussed in Revelation 8:
1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7 The first angel sounded ... (Revelation 8:1-6)
So, it is clear Jesus returns with a trumpet.
Now what about Jesus' statement in Matthew?
36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only...44...for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
(Matthew 24:36,44)
We do not know when this final trumpet will be blown yet, but it will be to announce Jesus' return.
Continuing Church of God Statement of Beliefs on the Feast of Trumpets
In its Statement of Beliefs , the Continuing Church of God states:
The Feast of Trumpets helps picture the blowing of the seven trumpets in the Book of Revelation announcing events taking place during the ‘Day of the Lord’ (Revelation 8,9,11:15-18; 15:1-8; 16:1-21; 19:1-20). The last trumpet signals the resurrection of the saints and the second coming of Jesus, “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52) “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Every seven years, a year of land-rest and debt release begins with this Holy Day (Leviticus 25:1-7; Deuteronomy 15:7-11).
Thus, because of its New Testament fulfillements, the Feast of Trumpets is something that should be highly relevant for Christians. Jesus is coming on the seventh trump. In spite of this, a least one fourth century leader, who had antisemetic tendencies, condemned this day and other Fall Holy Days (see article Did Early Christians Observe the Fall Holy Days?)--however, the Bible itself shows that the Feast of Trumpets is important for Christians.
The Feast of Trumpets From A Greco-Roman Catholic
Although he did not truly observe it, the fourth century Catholic Bishop Ambrose of Milan understood something about the Bible and the Feast of Trumpets as he wrote:
105. But it is now time, I think, to speak of the trumpets since my discourse is nearing its end, that the trumpet may also be the sign of the finishing of my address. We read of seven trumpets in the Revelation of John, which seven angels received. And there you read that when the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, there was a great voice from heaven, saying: “The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.”. The word trumpet is also used for a voice, as you read: “Behold a door opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard, as of a trumpet speaking with me and saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass.”We read also: “Blow up the trumpet at the beginning of the month [the new moon]”;and again elsewhere: “Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet.”
106. Therefore we ought with all our power to observe what is the signification of the trumpets, lest, accepting them, like old women, as part of the story, we should be in danger if we were to think things unworthy of spiritual teaching, or not befitting the dignity of the Scriptures. For when we read that our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual hosts of wickedness, which are in high places,we ought not to think of weapons of the flesh, but of such as are mighty before God. It is not enough that one see the trumpet or hear its sound, unless one understands the signification of the sound. For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, how shall one prepare himself for war?. Wherefore it is important that we understand the meaning of the voice of the trumpet, lest we seem barbarians, when we either hear or utter trumpet-sounds of this sort. And therefore when we speak, let us pray that the Holy Spirit would interpret them to us.
107. Let us, then, investigate what we read in the Old Testament concerning the kinds of trumpets, considering that those festivals which were enjoined on the Jews by the Law are the shadow of joys above and of heavenly festivals. For here is the shadow, there the truth. Let us endeavour to attain to the truth by means of the shadow. Of which truth the figure is expressed in this manner, where we read that the Lord said to Moses: “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a rest unto you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, it shall be called holy unto you. Ye shall not do any servile work, and ye shall kindle a whole burnt-offering unto the Lord.” And in the Book of Numbers: “The Lord spake unto Moses, saying: Make thee two trumpets of beaten work, of silver shalt thou make them, and they shall be to thee for calling the assembly and for the journeying of the camp. And thou shalt blow with them, and all the congregation shall be gathered together at the door of the tabernacle of witness. But if thou blow with one trumpet, all the princes and leaders of Israel shall come to thee; and ye shall blow a signal with the trumpet the first time, and they shall move the camp forward, and place it on the east. And ye shall blow a signal with the trumpet the second time, and they shall move the camp forward, and place it towards Libanus. And ye shall blow a signal with the trumpet the third time, and they shall move the camp forward, which shall be placed towards the north [Boream]. And ye shall blow a signal with the trumpet the fourth time, and they shall move the camp forward, which shall be placed towards the north [Aquilonem]. They shall blow a signal with the trumpet when they move forward. And when ye shall gather together the assembly, blow with the trumpet, but not the signal. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets, and it shall be for you a statute for ever throughout your generations. But if ye shall go out to war into your own land, against the adversaries who resist you, ye shall sound a signal with the trumpets and ye shall be remembered before the Lord, and have deliverance from your dead. Also in the days of your gladness, and on your feast days, and on your new moons, ye shall blow with the trumpets, and at your whole burnt sacrifices and at your peace-offerings, and it shall be for you for your memorial before the Lord, saith the Lord.”
Let us, then, seek the body of Christ which the voice of the Father, from heaven, as it were the last trumpet, has shown to you at the time when the Jews said that it thundered; the body of Christ, which again the last trump shall reveal; for “the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven at the voice of the Archangel, and at the trump of God, and they that are dead in Christ shall rise again;” for “where the body is, there too are the eagles,” where the body of Christ is, there is the truth. The seventh trumpet, then, seems to signify the sabbath of the week...Therefore the shadow of the future rest is figured in time in the days, months, and years of this world... and therefore the children of Israel are commanded by Moses, that in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, a rest should be established for all at the “memorial of the trumpets;” and that no servile work should be done, but a sacrifice be offered to God, because that at the end of the week, as it were the sabbath of the world, spiritual and not bodily work is required of us. (Ambrose of Milan. Book II. On the Belief in the Resurrection, sections105-107, 108. A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church: Socrates, Sozomenus: Church histories. Schaff P, Wace H, editors. Christian literature Company, 1896 Original from the University of Virginia Digitized Nov 11, 2008).
Ambrose also believed that God would offer salvation to all (see Hope of Salvation). Actually, those who wish to base their doctrines on Sola Scriptura may wish to read the article Universal Salvation? There are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the True Doctrine of Apocatastasis.
Concluding Comments on the Feast of Trumpets
The Feast of Trumpets is important and should be considered to be highly relevant for those who profess Christ. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus will come with the sound of a trumpet blast (Matthew 24:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), and calls that the "last trump" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Those that do not observe the biblical holy days, simply cannot properly understand biblical prophecy, and many who call themselves evangelicals have accepted a pre-tribulation rapture theory that cannot occur, as 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 cannot occur until the last trumpet is blown (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
The Bible does support the view that those currently listed in the Book of Life will be resurrected at the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-52), which is pictured by the Feast of Trumpets (that occurs on Tishri 1).
Some Jewish traditions about the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets have similarities to what the New Testament seems to teach about it, though there are limits as this article has shown.
It is interesting, that even without having the benefit of relying on the New Testament, some of those Jewish teachers who all kept the biblical Holy Days listed in Leviticus 23, do seem to have a better picture (though blurred in major ways) of God's plan of salvation than those who allegedly believe in the New Testament, but who fail to observe those days.
But, sadly, Jews do not accept Jesus is the prophesied Messiah--though they should (see the free online book Proof Jesus is the Messiah) and that He will return at the last trumpet, which is a major part of the optimism about the Feast of Trumpets.
Those of us in the Continuing Church of God are blessed as, unlike the Jews, we believe the New Testament and observe the biblical Holy Days.
Therefore, we can have a more accurate (cf. Acts 18:26) understanding of what God's plan truly is.
Here is a link to a related sermon: Christian vs. Jewish Views on the Feast of Trumpets.
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B. Thiel. Trumpets: Christian and Jewish Views of that Feast. https://www.cogwriter.com/trumpets-christian-jewish.htm 2020 0912
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