the feast of trumpets
What to Know
What it is - An appointed Feast with prophetic significance, The Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23–25; Numbers 29:1–6) begins the fall holy days and marks the beginning of the fall harvest. It is marked by the blowing of the shofar, rest from work, and sacred assembly. It reveals God’s intervention in history, His call to repentance, and His promise to establish His Kingdom.
Trumpets and Their Meaning - In the Old Testament, trumpets signaled worship, assembly, danger, and kingship. Spiritually, they serve as a divine wake-up call, warning of the Day of the Lord (Joel 2:1). The watchman principle in Ezekiel 33 shows believers’ responsibility to sound the warning.
A Call to Vigilance and Mission - Jesus Christ and Paul stressed watchfulness (Matthew 24:42; 2 Timothy 4:5). Believers are spiritual watchmen, tasked with proclaiming the Gospel and preparing the world for Christ’s return (Matthew 28:16–20; Acts 20:26–27).
Resurrection and Christ’s Return - Paul links the Feast to the resurrection at the last trumpet
(1 Corinthians 15:51–52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). The trumpet announces Christ’s return and the transformation of believers.Revelation’s Trumpet Judgments - The seven trumpets (Revelation 8–11) mark God’s direct intervention. The seventh trumpet proclaims Christ’s eternal reign (Revelation 11:15), fulfilling God’s promises and establishing His everlasting Kingdom.
Personal and Spiritual Message - The Feast of Trumpets calls for repentance, self-examination, and readiness. The bowed heads of ripe wheat picture all humanity bowing before Christ at His triumphant return (Luke 19:38).
Still Relevant Today - Unlike man-made holidays, the Feast of Trumpets is biblically ordained.
It points believers to Christ’s second coming, the hope of resurrection, and the fulfillment of God’s plan.
The Feast of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah in Hebrew, is the first of God’s appointed holy days in the fall season and marks the beginning of the fall harvest. Like God’s other Biblical feasts, this holy day is often overlooked, yet it holds profound prophetic and spiritual significance, offering insights into God’s ultimate plan for humanity. Like all of God’s appointed Feasts, the Feast of Trumpets is introduced in the Old Testament and finds its ultimate meaning and fulfillment through New Testament revelation. The Feast of Trumpets reveals God’s intervention in human history, His call for repentance, and the climactic events that lead to the establishment of His eternal Kingdom. Observing the Feast of Trumpets is far from an antiquated ritual or merely a Jewish tradition — it is an acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty, a celebration of His redemptive work, and a vital reminder of His promise to return and establish His everlasting Kingdom.
The foundation of the Feast of Trumpets is found in Leviticus 23:23-25, where God commanded the Israelites to observe a sacred assembly on the first day of the seventh month. This day was marked by the blowing of trumpets, a rest from customary work, and the offering of sacrifices. Numbers 29:1-6 provides further details, emphasizing the central role of the shofar (ram’s horn) in this holy day’s observance. In the Old Testament — and in ancient cultures more broadly — the blowing of trumpets served several purposes: as a call to worship, a signal for assembly, a warning of impending danger, and a proclamation of kingship. These functions highlight the multifaceted symbolism of the Feast of Trumpets and point to its ultimate prophetic fulfillment in God’s redemptive plan.
The Feast of Trumpets carries a profound message, serving as a divine wake-up call for repentance and spiritual vigilance. This theme resonates throughout the Old Testament, where the blowing of trumpets signified God’s intervention in human affairs. Joel 2:1 declares, “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand.” The trumpet’s sound serves as a call to prepare for the Day of the Lord — a time of judgment and redemption that will mark the end of humanity’s rule on Earth and the establishment of God’s Kingdom.
This concept is further illustrated in Ezekiel 33:1-9, where God appoints Ezekiel as a watchman responsible for warning the people of impending danger. If the watchman fails to sound the trumpet and calamity strikes, the people’s blood will be on his hands. Conversely, if he warns them and they ignore the warning, they bear the responsibility for their own fate. While this principle originates in the Old Testament, its application extends into the New Testament, shedding light on one of the Feast of Trumpets' deeper meanings.
In the Gospels, Jesus Christ frequently emphasized the need for vigilance. Matthew 24:42 states, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” Similarly, Paul exhorts believers in 2 Timothy 4:5 to “be watchful in all things.” Followers of Jesus Christ are called not only to proclaim the Gospel, as commanded in Matthew 28:16-20, but also to warn the world of Christ’s return and the approaching Day of the Lord. Like the trumpet in Joel 2:1, which signals alarm for the Day of the Lord, believers are to "blow the trumpet" by preaching repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ. Neglecting this duty is akin to the watchman failing to sound the alarm.
Paul underscores this responsibility in Acts 20:26-27, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” This highlights the dual role of believers as proclaimers of the Gospel and spiritual watchmen, tasked with preparing the world for Christ’s return. The Feast of Trumpets, therefore, is not just a historical observance but a call to action, reminding believers of their privilege and responsibility to remain vigilant, share the message of salvation, and sound the warning of the coming Kingdom of God. This deeper understanding ties the Feast of Trumpets to God’s ultimate plan of redemption, making it a vital and relevant observance for believers today.
In the New Testament, the Feast of Trumpets gains further significance through its connection to Christ’s second coming and the events of the end times. The apostle Paul links the sound of the trumpet to the resurrection of the dead and the transformation of believers at Christ’s return. In 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, he writes, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” Similarly, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 describes, “The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” These passages emphasize the Feast of Trumpets’ connection to the hope of resurrection to eternal life, the return of Christ, and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises, made possible only by Christ’s death and resurrection.
The book of Revelation amplifies the prophetic significance of this Feast, particularly through the seven trumpet judgments that lead up to Christ’s triumphant return. These events, recorded in Revelation 8-11, mark God’s direct intervention in human history, culminating in the establishment of His Kingdom. Revelation 11:15 proclaims, “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign for ever and ever.’” The blowing of the seventh trumpet signals the climax of God’s plan, where His sovereignty is fully realized, His promises fulfilled, and His people avenged (Revelation 6:9-10). Observing the Feast of Trumpets invites believers to reflect on these momentous events and look forward to the day when God’s Kingdom will be established on Earth.
The Feast of Trumpets carries a deeply personal and practical message for followers of Christ today. It calls followers to examine their lives, turn from sin, and remain spiritually alert. Just as ripened wheat bends low under the weight of its fullness, signaling its readiness for harvest, so too will all humanity bow when God’s great harvest of the Earth is complete. This holy day looks ahead to the time when not only God’s people, but the entire world, will acknowledge Christ’s sovereignty at His triumphant return.
The Gospels record how the crowds honored Jesus at His first coming - spreading cloaks and branches on the road and shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:8-10). In an even greater way, the redeemed together with all nations, will bow before Him at His second coming. The bowed heads of the wheat offer a vivid picture of this moment: the harvest is ripe and ready, the faithful bend low in reverence, and the King returns to establish His everlasting Kingdom. The Feast of Trumpets is therefore both a wake-up call to readiness and a prophetic reminder of the day when all creation will recognize and submit to Christ’s reign.
Unlike man-made holidays such as Easter, Halloween, or Christmas — traditions without biblical foundation — the Feast of Trumpets stands on the unshakable ground of Scripture. It proclaims the ultimate hope of Christ’s triumphant return and the establishment of His everlasting Kingdom. But let us ask ourselves: If this day reveals God’s plan for the redemption of all humanity, can any mainstream holiday compare to its meaning? If God Himself ordained this holy day, why would we cling to traditions of men that neither point to Christ’s return nor carry His authority? Isn’t it far more powerful to celebrate a Feast that not only looks back to His promises, but also points forward to His ultimate victory? The Feast of Trumpets, like all of God’s holy days, challenges us: Which will we choose to honor — the fleeting customs of this world, or the eternal plan of God?