GATHERING
THE SABBATH
WHAT IS IT?
Each of the first four annual Appointed Times have corresponded to harvest times and have also had a prophetic picture the Messiah. The first three Appointed Times are in the spring during at the beginning of the barley harvest. The fourth Appointed Time, Shavuot, is in the early summer at the beginning of the wheat harvest. All four appointed times hade had a future fulfillment with key Messianic events in the history of the world. These events occurred in order – the Crucifixion, Burial, Resurrection, and the giving of the Holy Spirit, corresponding to Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Shavuot, respectively.
The final three annual appointed times are in the fall, and occur at the end of the annual harvest season when the harvest of grapes, olives, figs, dates, and pomegranates have been harvested. Since the how clearly the first three appointed times pointed, in chronological order, toward the key events of the Messiah and the giving of the Holy Spirit, it would seem logical that the last three appointed times may also point us toward coming events related to the Messiah in the latter days. Since the next major Messianic even we anticipate is the return of the Messiah, it would seem plausible that the next (fifth) appointed time points to this event.
The fifth appointed time is Yom Teruah, the Day of Trumpets. It is sometimes called Rosh Hashanah (New Year), however Scripture designates this day as Yom Teruah.
Leviticus 23:24–25
Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to YHWH.
Scripture never says WHY we are to blow the trumpet on this day - only that we are to blow it. It is to be a day of rest (like a Sabbath) in which we gather together with other believers and with the sound of trumpets proclaim this day a special day of celebration. We are left to ponder what it may signify.
Historically, the blowing of the trumpet was something done to:
· Gather people together for an appointed time.
· Gather people together or to announce a meeting or special event.
· Gather people to prepare for battle.
· Proclaim the crowning of a king
· Proclaim the anointing of a high priest,
· Announce the arrival of a bridegroom as he comes to claim his bride
When Yeshua returns, will he not be fulfilling each of these things associated with the trumpet blast? He returns as both King and High Priest, as a Bridegroom to claim his Bride, to gather his people together in preparation for final battle.
Scriptures clearly links the return of the Messiah to the sound of the trumpet. While we don’t know the day or hour of His return, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see Him on the very day His people are celebrating Yom Teruah.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
HOW TO CELEBRATE
PLACEHOLDER FOR LATER
SCRIPTURES TO STUDY
Leviticus 23:23-25. YHWH gives his people instructions on keeping Yom Teruah.
Numbers 29:1-6. More instructions from YHWH on keeping Yom Teruah.
Genesis 21-22. According to Jewish tradition, it was on the day of Yom Teruah that God “remembered” Sarah and allowed her to miraculously conceive Isaac, and then many years later on the very same day when Isaac was to be sacrificed by his father Abraham. However as a substitute, God provided a ram, caught in the thicket by his horns (trumpet = shofar = ram’s horn). This account foreshadows YHWH’s provision of the Messiah who would give his life as a substitute for ours. The shofar played a key role in this account, making it a symbol of our salvation, and correspondingly, a symbol of Yeshua.
1 Samuel 1.1 - 2:10. According to Jewish tradition, it was on the day of Yom Teruah that God “remembered” Hannah and allowed her to miraculously conceive Samuel. 1 Samuel 2 is also seen to be a prophetic chapter pointing us to the return of the Messiah. Hannah’s prayer speaks of her “horn” (honor, dignity) being exalted as she rejoices “in your Yeshua”. And the prayer ends with YHWH will exalt the horn of his Messiah.
Psalm 81. This psalm seems to have been written with Yom Teruah in mind. “Blow the trumpet on the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.”
Jeremiah 31:1-19. Here is a prophetic description of YHWH regathering his people from among the nations. Note that the latter part of this chapter (Jeremiah 31:31-40) foretells of the implementation of the New Covenant.
Isaiah 27:6-13. This passage prophesies of the time when YHWH will regather his people from the nations. “In that day a great trumpet will be blown.” (Isaiah 27:13)
Nehemiah 8. On Yom Teruah, Ezra reads the newly discovered “Book of Torah” to all the assembly of people. A great revival takes place.
Zechariah 9:9-17. In the prophetic passage, the Messiah’s first and second comings are both foretold. On the day that “YHWH will sound the trumpet,” he will save his people.
Micah 7:18-20. This passage is traditionally read by Jewish people on Yom Teruah as it indicates God will again have compassion on His people. When he regathers His people, He will no longer remember our sins. From this passage comes the tradition of “Tashlikh” (casting away), where people throw small objects like pieces of bread or stones into the water as symbolic of God “casting away” their sins.
Matthew 24. Yeshua describes the end of days, and links it to what will happen when the trumpet sounds (Matt 24:31).
1 Corinthians 15:50-58. Paul speaks about the return of the Messiah when “the last trumpet will sound.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Paul speaks about the return of the Messiah at “the sound of the trumpet of God.”
Revelation 11:15-17. John writes his revelation of the events that will take place in the end times at the blowing of the final (seventh) trumpet. This is the announcement that the Messiah has returned and “has taken his great power and begun to reign”. It seems that Yom Teruah foreshadows this very event in Revelation.