Trumpets

Old Testament
Old T esrament passages regarding
this feast are found in: Psalm 81:3,4;
Leviticus 23:23-25; and Numbers 29: 1-
6. A study of these reveals tire following:
1) The reast was held on tire firstd;ly
oftheseventhmonth(Ttshri). Trumpets
marked the begiIming of the fall festival
season, and the beginning of the end of
the harvest and liturgical!religiol.\S year.
This day, however, also began tire civil
year in Israel; it was Clater) called Rosh
Hashanah (New Years). It prefigured the
fiftieth year ofJubileewith the blowing of
trumpets.
(As previously noted, the monthly
"new moon" festivals INum. 10: 10;
28: 11-15) Were somewhat symbolic of
the annual seventh month Feast of
Trumpets [Lev. 23:23-25; Num. 29:1-
6], and for purposes of our study are
included within this section.)
2)TruIDpecswasadayofresc,sacrifice,
and worship, when Israel was gathered
before Jehovah, looking to Him for
covenant , blessings. The people came
together repentandy, in preparation for
the corning Day of Atonement (10th of
month) and Feast ofTabemacles (15th-
22nd of month). This can he seen in
Joel'sprophecy, wheretlrerrompetalann
of2:1 preceded the mourning of 2: 11-
15. Thl;lS, the Jews were reminded of
God's judgmentsaswellas His blessings.
3) During this time the Yhwh
eIithronement pSalms (47,93,96-99)
were sung, looking eschatologically to
tire day when the Messiah would come
and rule over the nations. Mention is
made ofihis day in Ezekiel 40: I, where
the prophet speaks of the day of Rosh
Hashanah, whichanticipatesthecoming
Kingdom of God. (Ezekiel 40-48 is
prophetical of the Kingdom of God age.
From the perspective of the Old
Testament, thisKingdomagewasviewed
as one "undivided unit." The New
Testament, however, with its further
revelation, teaches that the Kingdom of
God is to unfold itself in two stages.
Phase one began at the first advent of
Christ. Phase two is eSchatological; itwill
occur when the Son of M!rt retums in
glory.)
New Tesfilmatt
The New Tesl'a!ilent passages on this
feast are found in: Matthew 24:2931
and Acts 2:16-21 (in the context oUoel
2). The following is noted:
8 lUE. COUNSEL of Chalcedon April, 1992
DIn 'Matthew 24:1"34 the LOrd
'Jesus foretold theovenhrowdfjerusalem
andthefullestablishmentoftlreKingdom
ofGod(cf.lk21:5-32Inotev.31D. This
tookplaceinAD, 70. TheOldTestament
dispensation, with all of its ceremony,
sactificial system, etc., was once for all
abollshed,Jesussaidthatthisdesrroction
would be the fulfillment ofTrumpets (v.
31); and a sign that tire Son of Man was
ruling in heavenev. ,30). , Thus, we
recogniZe the fulfillmeIit of the Yhwh
enthronement Psalms in the person and
work of Christ (d. Rev, 1:5;Mt. 28:18).
At this time, said Jesus, tire Lord
would send forthHismessengers (gospel
, ministers) and gather His elect from all
over the world (y', 31). funce, we
understand that Trumpets preceded the
ingatheting of 'the lil.ll harvest of God's
children, as reflected in Tabernacles (see
below), The Feast of Trumpets is also a
harbinger of tire Jubilee, which will be
discussed in a later article.
2) The fulfillment of this feast is also
recognized in Acts 2:16- 21. In these
verses, we read of Peter quoting tire
prophecy of Joel 2:28-32. As noted
above, in the broader context oOoel2,
we see tha: the mourning of sin in verses
1 1-15 follOws the rrompet alann of verse
l. The point is that when the lsraelit.es
were gathered together with repentant
hearts at Feast of Trumpets, they
anticipated the coming blessings of
Jehovah. In,Acts2:38-41 wereadofsuch
an occurrence at Pentecost.
The fulfilhnent of Trumpets was
further manifested by the overthrow of
the apostate Jewish nation, which was
foretold by ]oeI2:30-32, Once the Old
Testament system was abolished,the
Kingdom of God was fully established.
Peter speaks to this in Acts 2:20b,2l.
, , Day of Atonement
Old TeSfament
Old Testament ontheDay
of Atonement are found in: Leviticus 16'
. ",.' . : '

The follov;i!lg IS '"
1) The Day of Atonement took place
on the tenth day of the seventh month
(Tishri). It was to be a day of fasting,
showing true repenrance, as well as a day
of rest (Sabbath). It was a time of re-
dedication of one's life to God. Spedal
offerings were presented to Jehovah
(Num. 29:8-11). This was Israel's only
"required" last day (albeit there were
other "non-mandated" days of fasting; cr.
Zech. 8: 19);itwasadayof"humbling [or
afflicting] of the soul" (whichiswhatthe
Hebrew anah ["last") means; Lev. 16:29-
31; :23:27-3:2).
:2) This teast day was considered the
holiest day of the year, because it was on
the tenth of the seventh , .
monththatthehighpriest ' :<
went into the Holy of i)
Holiestomakeasacrifice (f
for the "coveling" of the :()
sins of the whole narion. ,: .. '
Thus, it was called Yom i<
Kippur, "the day of ;", /
covering." Yom Kippur :.
was the only day that ,.:
anyone could enter into : '
the direct presence of , >
God. Here blood was : .
sprinlded on the mercy ::
seat (or "propitiatory"), :
to propitiate the wrath of :.
God.
3) The ceremony of
this day involved the use
. of two goats. One goat was sacrificed for
the sins of the people. The other goat
underwent the priestly "laying on of
hands." At this point the sins of Israel
were CsymbolicaIly) transferedto thegoat,
after which he was driven off into dle
wilderness. In this ceremony, Israel's
sins were forgiven and remembered no
more. But even here, on Israel's most
sacred of days, in her most holy of
sacrifices, the Day of Atonement was
merely symbolic of the uue sacrifice:
Jesus Christ (Heb. 8-10).
4) The Day of Atonement preceded
the greatestfeastdayof theyear, the Feast
of Tabemacles, which was symbolic of
the Kingdom of God (see below).
Likewise, it is significant that the year of
Jubilee began on this most holy of days
(Lev. :25:9).
New Testament
New Testament passages regarding
this Feast are found in: Mark 15::22-41;
Romans 324-:26; Hebrew 9:7; 10:3,19-
n. A study of these verses reveals the
following:
1) Ezekiel (40: 1) prophesied that the
Day of Atonement would usher in the
Kingdom of God. This, of course, was
fulfilled in the person and work of Christ
CMkI5::22-41;Mt.4:17; U:28). Itisthe
frugality ,md sobriety, so that as far as
possible it bears some resemblance to a
fast."l
But the Christian life is also to be a
continual feasting on Jesus Christ (Mt.
n:I-14). Zecheriah8prophesiedoffuis
time in redemptive history, when the
church's fasting and weeping would be
turned into a great, continual feast. And
even though this will only be ultimately
fulfilled in the eternal state, the Christian
has already begun to partake of this feast
due to his relationship with Christ CMt.
:2:2:1-14; :26::29; Rev. 19:7-9).
4) In His person and work, the Lord
jesus fulfilled the role ofboth goats ofthe
::,:': ." " .": Day of Atonement. He is
..' ........ : . :. the Great High Priestwho
,:.: ;) madetheultimatesacrifice
.. .......i : (Himself) in the Holy of
.'H:: Holies(Heb.5:1-1O;9::l3-
, : .' 25). InHissacriliceblood
, . ., was shed for the for-
,,,: ':,'.:jll::ii : i
., .. , .... , .. ,. , .. in that He was sacrificed
cross work ofChristthat causes the elect outside the camp (in the wilderness)
totrulymoum their sins and tum toHinl
for "covering" (see Zech. 1:2: 10-13: 1; cpo
Mt. :27:54; Acts :2:23,37).
2) Ukewise, jubilee began on [his
day, which prefigured the fullness of the
Messianic Kingdom.
3) In Mark :2:18-:22, the Lord Jesus
taught that the last days have been fulfilled
in Hinl. This does not mean that the
church is neverto fast (d. Mt 6:16-18),
but there is no longer one ' mandatory
day, as onthe Day of Atonement. Indeed,
according to john Calvin: the whole
Christian life "oughtto be tempered with
CHeb. 13: U). Due to the completeness
of Christ's cross work, God has forgiven
the elect their sins, and remembers them
no more (cr. Heb. 8:1:2; 10:16,17).
Tabernacles
Old Testament
Old Testament passages on this feast
are found in: Exodus :23: 14- 17; 34::22;
Leviticus :23:33-36,39-43; Numbers
:29:U-34;Deuteronomy 16:13-17;31:9-
13; Haggai :2:1.9; and Zechariah 14:16-
21. The follOwing can be understood
from a study of these passages:
April, 1992 t TIlE COUNSEL of Chalcedon t 9
1) Thdeast on the 15th-
22nd of me seventh month (TlShri) of
t:h.eJewish year. Iiwasca1led Tabernacles,
BoothS, and Ingathering. The week long
festiVal was Ii celebration for harvest
fruit crop,including the. aodoil. At
this ti)ne,a tithe from the crop was
biough.f (0 JerusiUem.
',Tabernacles symbolized God's
protection of aodprovision for His
people. Itcomtrtemoratedthetimewhen
He kept Israel safe and sound during the
fonyyeatS of her wilderness wandering,
aftercommgout ofEgypt.lSraeUteswere
to be mindful of the fact that God had
continually dwelt as Immanuel in the
presence of His people
sanctuary of Israel (thus Ingathering).
Thisconceptstemmed from Genesis 10,
: where sevenry nations were numbered
as representative of all of the peoples of
the world. It is also likely that Exodus
15:27 is symbolic of the rwelve tribes of
Israel watering the seventy nations. The
pOint is that the sacrifice had
eschatological significaoce. Zechariah
14:16-21 supports this. Here we read of
the nations of the world coming
(gathering) to the Peast of Booths to
worship Jehovah.
5) In Deuteronomy 31:9-l3, weleam
that every seventh year, on the occasion
of this festival, the law was to be read to
ili';<ll:,:
people ,lived in ;,?,:'
tabernacleslbooths(thus ',',"" ",'
Tabemacle.,or BOOths) , .
during the week to
memorialize this past., ,
period of their ' history. ,: ;:"
Ukewise, the !east was a .
time of giving ofthaoks
to God for the laod of
Canaan. . Israelites
gathered.on this feStive
occasion.tosaCriJ:k;e, and
to worship their
Sovereign Lord. "
2) This feast was "
col1$idered the greatest
of all of the festivals, as it was the end of
the harvest year, and therefore,
represented the end of the life. cycle.
Tabernacles was the CUImtnation of the
calendar in I$ael as
sherea!izedthefinalblessingsofbringing
the harvest home.
3) Tal:ietnades followed on the heels
of the Day of Atonement, shoWing that
only through the redemptive: work of
Jehovah Could there be true blessing on
the people aod their work.
. .
4)IhNumbers29, we read that there
were to beSeventybullssacrificedduring
the Peast of Booths. ThiS was sYmbolic of
the gathering of the nations to the
the whole Jewish nation (d. Neh. 8:l3-
18).
6) Tabernacles was celebrated by the
waving of palm braoches as a symbol of
peace aod prosperity. RabbinicwritiIlgs
tell us that it was also celebrated by daily
water libations from Siloam, as an act of
worship, .and by the nighdy lighting of
the Menorah (the seven-branched
caodelabrum of the Jewish temple) ..
7) The feast was concluded with a
sacred assembly on the 22nd of the
month (eighth day) - a day of holy
convocation. This daywasa memorial of
israel'sredemptionfromslaveryinEgypt.
Thecycleoffeastswastenninatedforthe
10 'f' 'IRE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 'f' April, 1992
year at Tabernacles. Both the first and
,eighthdaysweteSabba:ths,omvbichrest .
and wot$hip were mandatqry. .
8) This \\las the third aod final feast at
wbichallofthemaleswererequiredtobe;
present in Jerusalem.
New Testament
NewTestament passages On thisfeast
are found in: Matthew 11:4; John 7,8;
aodRevelation 7. Thefollowingisnoted:
1) The eighth day follOWing
the seven day festival, js symbolic of the
resurrection of Christ. and the
establishment of Sunday as the Quistiao
Sabbath. The eighth day represented the
begirmingofanewwejlk
- it was a new' fj.I$t day.
The New Testament
, ..... Sabbathisamemorialof
: >.' (thetrueredemptionthat
. . was accomplished by
Christ.
now been boundso'that
heisno longerable to deceive the nations
CRev.20:1-3). Thus,ourLordcouldand
did give the great . connnission. to His
church, to evangelize the nations of the
world (Mt. 28:18-20).
3) Revelation 7 picturesthefulfiUmem
of Booths. Hereweseethesahu:SwaVing
palm branches at tbe harvest home feast
in glory. Elect from every nation ate
worshipping the God of Scripture.
4) Revelation 7 is to be viewed as, that
which will take place in its ultimate furm
in the etemalstate, the Kingdom of glory.
But we must .recognize that God's
Kingdom has already come. The
ushered in this Kingdom at His first
,
,
advent(Mk 1:15). Thenewheavensand
earth came, in seed Conn, at that time
(Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22-24).
This can be seen through the
fulfllhnent of Haggai 2. Haggai's second
prophecy(vv.I-9) came on the last day
of the Feast of Booths (just before the
sacred assembly of the 22nd day - v. 1).
He spoke of a coming day in which the
glory .of God would once again fill the
temple; theLord would shake the heavens
and the earth. The author of Hebrews
(12:22-29) teaches us that the fulfillment
of this prophecy OC01rred at the first
advent of Christ, and the intitial stage of
the coming of His Kingdom, Its
consummation will take place at the
second coming in the Kingdom of glory
(Tit. 2:13; Rev. 7).
. Notice also that Zerubbabel (Hag.
2:4,23)isa Christ type (v. 23; Mt.1:13).
The remple restoration of Haggai's day,
underZerubbabel, wasmerelytypological
of the building of the New Testament
temple, the church CEph. 2: 19-22; 1 Pet.
4:4-10), by the LordJesus. The temple of
Haggai's day did not contain the ark of
the covenant, nor was it ever filled with
the Shekinah glory of God (as was
Solomon's temple; d. 1 Kgs. 8:10-12).
These things were beingreseri;ed for
Christ, the true temple incarnate On.
2:19), and His church (which as the
body of Christ is the New Testament
temple). Jesus came as the Shekinah
gloryofGodincarnateOn. l:14).AndHe
is the true ark of the covenant, as the
Propitiatory/Mercy Seat incarnate (Rom.
3:25; 1 In. 2:2). He is the personal
embodiment of Immanuel, "God with
us," who tabemacles in the midst of the
new Israel On 1:14).
5) The gospel of] ohn reveals Christ
as the fulfillment of Tabernacles in
9:Iapters 7 and 8. Here we read of the
Lord attending the feast in Jerusalem
(7:i). On t)le last day of this feast (7:37),
Jesus proclaimed that He is the living
water (not just a libation from Siloam)
'from which a man l\lust drink if he
would have etemallife. Ukewise,jesus
taught (8: 12) that He is the light of the
world (not just the Menorah) to which
men must yield if they would leave the
domain of darkness for the Kingdom of
light(Col.l:13).Asthistookplaceonthe
final day ()fBooths; we understand that
the Lord was revealing that He saw
Himself, and His. already pr.esent
Kingdom, as the fulfillment of Haggai's
prophecy (see Hag. 2:1).
6) The Zechariah 14: 16-21 passage is
to beunderstoodasfulfilled (progessively)
in the New Testament age. The nations
of the world, as stated above, are now
being evangelized into the Kingdom of
God; they are going up to the new/
heavenly Jerusalem to worship (Heb.
12:22-29).
Peter understood the implications of
this fulfillment on the mount of
Transfiguration, when he suggested that
"booths" be rnade for Jesus, Moses; and
Elijah (Mt. 17:4). Peter's exegesis was
correct, but his timing was wrong. He
recognized the fulfillment ofTabernacles
in the person of Christ and the coming of
His Kingdom. Buthehadnotyetgrasped
the fact that the growth of this KingdOni
was to be gradual in this age, as per
Matthew 13:31- 33, andeonsummated
in glory (Rev. 21,22).
7) The Deuteronomy 31:9-13 law
reading requirement is fulfilled in the
New Testament age by the internalizing
of the Word of God (Heb. 8:8-12).
8) The New Testament also sees the
fulfillment ofTabernacles in the fact that
the present age is considered the "last
days" of redemptive histOry (Heb. 1:1-
3). Thus,asthisOldTeslament feastwas
the "last days" of the liturgical year, with
its ceremony, sacrifices, etc., so the "last
days" of redemptive history have brought
an end to the entire sacrificial system, in
Christ. God has provided forand fully
protected His people through the person
and work ()eHis Son.
9) Just as lsraelbrbught the tithe of
wineandoilfromthefruitCfOpatBcoths,
so the New Testament sees this fulfilled
in Christ. In Mark 2:18-22,]esus taught
that He was the one who came to pour
new wine intO new wineskins. The new
creation had commenced, in seed form,
at His (first) coming.
Ukewise, Jesus promised that He
would give His people the Holy Spirit to
complete the work that He had begun
Gn. 16:8-15). The Spirit, often
symbollzed by "oil" (1 Sam, 16:13; Heb.
1:9 with Mk. 1: 10), was pOured out on
the church at Pentecost in Acts 2.
10) As mentioned above, the Feast of
Tabernacles was a time when Israel gave
thanks for the land of Canaan which God .
had given her. For the New Testament
implications ofthissee the later article on
Canaan and the Kingdom of God.
Endnotes
l.SeeJohnCalvin,Institutes)V:12:18.
Apm, 1992* THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon f 11
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