Incredible New Insight on the
Feast of Trumpets!
Does the
"Feast of Trumpets" portray the second
coming of Jesus Christ?
Don't be too sure! It is
about time we took a closer look at this vital holy
day of God! Here is
new understanding regarding
this key annual holy day, and its REAL meaning!
William
F. Dankenbring
For many decades multiple thousands
have been taught, and have taken for granted, the teaching
that the Feast of Trumpets -- also known as Rosh Hashanah -- pictures the
second coming of Jesus Christ to this earth to set up the
Let's not just take this teaching
for granted, and "assume" that it must be true. For if we analyze it carefully, we should see
immediately that there is something here that just doesn't "add up"
right. First of all, the holy day itself
is not called the "Feast of the Great Trumpet," or "Feast of the
LAST Trumpet." Not at all! Rather, it is named "The Feast of
TRUMPETS" -- that is to say, the word trumpets is PLURAL! This is the Feast of MANY
"trumpets" -- not just the "last" trumpet!
How many trumpets are going to be
blown at the second coming of Jesus Christ?
According to the Word of God, just ONE trumpet is mentioned! Notice it!
"For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel, and with the TRUMPET OF GOD: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we
ever be with the Lord" (I Thess.4:16-17).
Notice! This verse does not say MANY trumpets are
going to be blown when Christ returns -- but just ONE trumpet, the
"trumpet of GOD"! When the
Messiah returns, there will be a loud NOISE -- the voice of the archangel --
and a SHOUT -- and also the loud TRUMPET BLAST of ONE TRUMPET!
The apostle Paul writes further about this colossal event,
the return of Christ:
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMPET:
for the TRUMPET SHALL SOUND, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and WE SHALL BE CHANGED . . ." (I
Cor.15:52).
Notice
further! Not only does Jesus Christ
return at the sounding of a single magnificent trumpet blast, but it will be
the "LAST" trumpet! Clearly,
this implies that there will be many "trumpets" that will sound
BEFORE this last trumpet call is signaled!
Jesus Christ Himself also described His second coming in
these graphic words:
"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in
heaven: and then
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall SEE
the Son of
man coming IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN WITH POWER AND
GREAT
GLORY. And he shall send his angels with
the GREAT SOUND
OF A
TRUMPET, and they shall gather together his elect from the four
winds,
from one end of heaven to the other" (Matt.24:30-31).
Isaiah
wrote of this single, solitary trumpet peal.
He declared:
"And it shall come to pass in that
day, that the LORD shall beat off from
the
channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered
one
by one, O ye children of Israel. And it
shall come to pass in that day,
that
the GREAT TRUMPET shall be blown, and they shall come which were
ready
to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt,
and
shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem" (Isa.27:12-13).
Clearly Christ will return at the sound of one final great
trumpet blast! But the Feast of Trumpets
is NOT the Feast of one great solitary trumpet blast -- it is the Feast of
TRUMPETS -- PLURAL! What,
therefore, does it really signify?
Just what is the significance of the
blowing of trumpets -- plural -- anyway?
Let's take another, closer look into this magnificent Holy Day of God,
and see what it really pictures!
The Meaning of Trumpets
The "Feast of Trumpets," in Hebrew, is Yom
Teruah, and literally means "Day of Blowing," or "Memorial
of blowing of trumpets." We read in
the book of Numbers, "And in the seventh month [Tishri], ye shall have an
holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:
it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you"
(Num.29:1). In the Septuagint,
translated in the Greek language about 250 years before the time of Christ, the
phrase used is hemera semasias, which literally means "a day of
signaling." Trumpets are blown to
"signal" something. But to
signal what, in this case, are these "trumpets" blown for?
In Leviticus, we also read: "Speak unto the children of Israel,
saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a
sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation"
(Lev.23:24).
The Feast of Trumpets fell on the
first day of the seventh month, which was the first day of the civil
calendar. Thus it came to be called
"Rosh Hashanah," the "Head of the year." Because it fell on a new moon, and is the
only annual Holy Feast of God that does so, it is also called the "Feast
of the New Moon."
Unger's Bible Dictionary tells
us how this Feast was observed in ancient times:
"This day was observed as a feast
day, in the strict sense, by resting from all work,
and
as a memorial of blowing of horns, by a holy convocation. In later times, while
the
drink offering of the sacrifice was being poured out, the priests and Levites
chanted
Psalm 81, while at the evening sacrifice they sang Psalm 29. Throughout
the
day trumpets were blown at Jerusalem from morning to evening. In the temple
it
was done even on a Sabbath, but not outside its walls" (p.350).
Notice carefully that trumpets were blown all day long,
from morning to evening -- many trumpets!
Says Peloubet's Bible Dictionary, "Instead of the mere
blowing of the trumpets of the temple at the time of the offering of the
sacrifices, it was 'a day of blowing of trumpets'" (p.707).
Hastings Bible Dictionary informs
us that the instrument used on the Feast of Trumpets was the traditional ram's
horn, known as the shofar. It
also informs us, "Mostly it was the shofar that was used in war
either as a signal either for assembly (Judges 3:27; II Sam.20:1), attack or
retreat (II Sam.2:28)" (volume 4, p.816, "Trumpet"). This authority continues, "The watchman
blew the shofar to raise an alarm or to indicate impending danger (Amos
3:6, Jer.6:1, Ezek.33:6), and Moore (on Judges 6:34) renders shofar by
'WAR HORN'" (ibid.).
The New Westminster Dictionary of
the Bible adds this fascinating insight into the shofar, blown on
the Day of Blowing:
"The sound of the shofar was
audible at a great distance (Exo.19:16, 19); and was
well
adapted to increase the noise of shouting (II Sam.6:15; Psalm 98:6), but was
ill-suited
to be played with harps and pipes in an orchestra. At the shout of the people
and
the blasts of the trumpets the walls of Jericho came tumbling down
(Josh.6:1-20).
THE
SHOFAR WAS USED IN WAR TO ASSEMBLE THE ARMY (Judges 3:27; 6:34;
I
Sam.13:3), TO SOUND THE ATTACK (Job 39:24-25), TO SIGNAL THE
CESSATION
OF
THE PURSUIT (II
Sam.2:28;18:16), and to announce the disbanding of the army
(II
Sam.20:1, 22). WATCHMEN BLEW IT TO
SOUND THE ALARM (Jer.6:1;
Amos
3:6). Its blast proclaimed the
accession of the king (II Sam.15:10; I Kings 1:34;
II
Kings 9:13), and the commencement of the year of jubilee (Lev.25:9). The 1st day
of
the 7th month was celebrated by solemn rest from ordinary labor, a holy
convocation,
and
the offering of special burnt offerings (Lev.23:24; Num.29:1-6), because the
day
marked
a recurring seventh portion of time. It was a day or memorial of blowing of
trumpets,
designed to bring the people into remembrance before the Lord. The
Jewish
tradition is doubtless correct which states that the trumpet used was the shofar
(cf. Lev.25:9)" (Trumpet, p.959).
Notice that the shofar as an instrument is defined
in the Bible as an instrument of WARNING and of ASSEMBLY, especially for a
nation or its army. It was used to
assemble a nation's armed forces for defense or war; it was blown to sound the
"attack" call, much as the Cavalry's bugle in more recent times; and
notice that it was used to SOUND THE ALARM, when a city or nation was
threatened by an invading army or disaster of some kind.
What does this have to do with the
trumpets that are blown on the "Day of Blowing," the Feast of
Trumpets? Before addressing that
question, let us notice what the Jews have to say about the Festival of Rosh
Hashanah.
The
Jewish View of Rosh Hashanah
We read in Judaism by Rabbi
Arthur Hertzberg, concerning this high holy day:
"Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, is the
beginning of the annual cycle of the Jewish
religious
year. It falls on the first of the lunar
month Tishri, when usually occurs
in
September. The TEN DAYS from Rosh
Hashanah (literally, the 'head of the year')
through
Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) are known as the 'TEN DAYS OF
REPENTANCE.' These are the most solemn days of the
year, for this is the period
in
which, in the image of the tradition, ALL THE WORLD IS JUDGED BEFORE
GOD'S
HEAVENLY THRONE. Nonetheless, solemn and
serious as Rosh Hashanah
is,
it is not somber. It is the SEASON OF
REPENTANCE -- and of the faith that
God
forgives the contrite heart" (p.190).
According to the Jewish understanding, the period of God's
judgment of the world begins on Rosh Hashanah, and is finalized and sealed
ten days later, on Yom Kippur, with the fates of the righteous and the
wicked being decided. Judgment begins on
Rosh Hashanah, and the world enters into a period of judgment -- but the actual
judgment is set and finished on Yom Kippur.
Therefore, the ten days from Rosh Hashanah are known as the Ten Days of
Repentance, for during this time mankind is encouraged to repent, and get
right with God, BEFORE the final "Judgment" is set!
In
The Jewish Book of Why, we read that the entire period of introspection
and self-examination actually begins during the month of Elul, thirty days
prior to Rosh Hashanah.
"Actually, the Days of Awe are much
more than the ten day period from Rosh
Hashanah
to Yom Kippur. They commence a full
month before Rosh Hashana
with
the beginning of the month of Elul.
"In
the synagogue, every Sabbath before the coming of the New Moon is a special
Sabbath. But the Sabbath before the New Moon of Elul
is very special, for from that
day
on, at every weekday morning service, the blasts of the shofar reverberate
in the
synagogue,
reminding Jews that the most awesome holidays in the Jewish calendar
are
approaching" (The Jewish Book of Why, Alfred J. Kolatch,
p.221).
Thus the "count-down" really begins 30 days prior
to Rosh Hashanah, which is ten days before Yom Kippur -- a total period of 40
days (symbolizing a "time of trial").
Israel's spies took forty days to spy out Canaan, and then returned with
an "evil report" of the fearful forces lurking in wait to destroy the
Israelites, causing the people to lose heart and faith (Num.13-14). Because of their disobedience, God punished
them forty years, a year for a day (Num.14:34).
Could this annual re-enactment of
God's Plan through the high holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
constitute a prophetic indication that the final forty years of this
"age" will be years when God calls His people to repentance, years of
growing peril and worldwide tribulation and agony? Could not the final "ten days" --
the "Days of Awe" -- between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur represent
the FINAL TEN YEARS OF WARNING that God will give His people, before the final
JUDGMENT takes place -- which will occur at the coming of the Messiah?
In other words, the judgment takes
place on Yom Kippur -- but the final WARNING
of that coming day of final judgment is symbolized by the "blowing
of trumpets" of alarm and calling the people to repentance, on Rosh
Hashanah!
Similar to this theme, The Jewish
Book of Why states:
"Rosh Hashanah, in its lengthy
morning services (from two to seven hours, depending
on
the congregation), stresses the concept of 'return to God,' who in His mercy is
willing
to
receive the penitent, forgive his sins, and offer him an opportunity to begin
the New
Year
with a clean slate. According to Jewish
tradition, God's decision is not made in haste.
"The
gates of repentance remain open until the Day of Atonement, at which time the
FINAL
DECREE is established: 'Who will live and who will die; who will
be serene and
who
will be disturbed; who will be poor and who will be rich; who will be humbled
and
who
will be exalted.'
"Yom
Kippur is popularly considered the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar . . .
Its
five services, beginning with the Kol Nidre service and ending
twenty-four hours
later
with the Neila service, bring to an end the Days of Awe. After the Neila ('the
closing
of the gates') service, the shofar is sounded and the congregation
leaves to face
another
year" (p.222).
Of course the day of Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, is
considered as the "most sacred day in the Jewish calendar." Why is this?
Although modern Jewish people do not understand it, this day represents
the day of the coming of the Messiah -- Jesus Christ -- who will JUDGE the
nations when He returns!
As the apostle Paul put it so
plainly: ". . . the Lord Jesus
shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire
taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
of his power; when he shall COME to be glorified in his saints, and to be
admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was
believed) in that day" (II Thess.1:7-10).
The blowing of the shofar is
an intimate part of this period picturing preparation to meet God, and to
undergo His judgment. Its most important
uses, described in the Bible, were "to intimidate the enemy, to declare
war, and to call the populace to assembly" (Jewish Book of Why, p.225). Originally, the shofar was blown a
short blast every New Moon, marking the beginning of a new month. But on the New Moon of the seventh month,
Tishri 1, the "Feast of Trumpets," prolonged alarm blasts were
sounded. Obviously, these were to herald
a warning to the people, that the time has come to PREPARE TO BE JUDGED BY THE
KING MESSIAH!
These long alarm blasts on the shofar
marked the beginning of a special period of time -- the Ten Days of Awe --
which culminate in the final judgment of Yom Kippur, which occurs at the return
of Christ the Messiah!
The shofar is blown every
morning of every day of the month of Elul, preceding Rosh Hashanah. This is followed by 100 blasts upon the shofar
on Rosh Hashanah itself! At this
point, the urgency of the final judgment looms menacingly near, ominously close
at hand -- and there is no longer any time left to "fool around." It is time to "get serious"!
Says Rabbi Irving Greenberg, in The
Jewish Way: Living the Holidays,
"The liturgical highlight of Rosh
Hashanah is the shofar blowing. The
shofar is
sounded
repeatedly throughout the service, a total of ONE HUNDRED BLASTS
in
the traditional synagogue" (p.194).
The theme of the ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur
is "repentance." Says Rabbi
Greenberg,
"'"Seek God when God is readily
found," these are the ten days from Rosh Hashanah
to
Yom Kippur.' In Kabbalistic terms, this
Talmudic teaching means that God is
somehow
closer during the High Holy Days. More
rationalistically, it means that people
are
more apt to turn to God thanks to the mood of this period. In the face of death and
trial,
many self-deceptions fall away" (p.202).
Repentance is the major theme, beginning with Rosh
Hashanah, the Day of Blowing. The
blowing of the trumpets is a fantastic, incredible call to each individual to
repentance, self-examination, regret for sins committed, and a firm rejection
of the sins committed, and finally a firm resolution or resolve not to
continue committing those sins any longer.
This time of WARNING has begun! The apostle Paul thundered to the Athenians,
"Forasmuch as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the
Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's
device. And the times of this ignorance
God winked at, but now commandeth all men every where to REPENT: because he hath appointed a day, in the which
he will JUDGE the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath
ordained" (Acts 17:29-31).
The "Crisis at the Close"
We are now living in the "crisis at the end" of
this age of mankind (Dan.12:4, Moffatt translation). This is the time of the "crisis at the
close" (verse 9). This is an age of
awesome peril and frightening threats to the survival of mankind (II
Tim.3:1).
In a detailed prophecy of the events
which will occur on the earth, just prior to His Second Coming, Jesus Christ
told His disciples, "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom: and there shall be
famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the BEGINNING of sorrows"
(Matt.24:7-8). These things have already
begun to happen, and on a stepped up scale!
Jesus Christ foretold incredible
upsets of the weather and the natural order.
He declared: "And there
shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the
earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves
roaring: Men's hearts failing them for
fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be
shaken. And then shall they see the Son
of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (Luke 21:25-27).
These things have already begun to
come to pass, with increasing frequency and crescendoing severity.
Following on the heels of these
natural disasters, Jesus foretold widespread religious deception, apostasy, and
persecution upon the true followers of Christ (Matt.24:9-11). Many false prophets and religious leaders
would rise up, deceiving the many -- charismatic leaders, religious
Neanderthals, and autocratic leaders impressed with their own vanity and ego. This has happened. Jesus added, "And because iniquity shall
abound" -- wickedness, lawlessness, pornography, obscenity, cursing, gang
violence, immorality, humanism -- "the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the
END,
the same shall be saved" (Matt.24:11-13).
The apostle Paul also spoke of this
horrible, mind-bending, spine-twisting time of sheer terror coming upon the
earth. He wrote, "This know also,
that in the LAST DAYS PERILOUS TIMES shall
come upon the earth. For men shall be
lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those
that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more
than lovers of God: Having a FORM of
godliness, but denying the power thereof:
from such turn away [have nothing to do with them!]" (II
Tim.3:1-5).
Coming: GREAT TRIBULATION
Jesus went on to say, in His famous Mount Olivet prophecy,
"For then shall be GREAT TRIBULATION [distress, suffering, travail, WAR], such
as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever
shall be. And except those days should
be shortened, there should NO FLESH BE SAVED [alive]: but for the elect's sake, those days shall be
shortened" (Matt.24:21-22).
The gospel of Mark warns: "For in those days shall be AFFLICTION, such
as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this
time, neither shall be" (Mark 13:19).
Luke records: "And when ye
shall see Jerusalem compassed with ARMIES, then know that the desolation
thereof is nigh. Then let them which are
in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it
depart out; and let not them which are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the DAYS OF VENGEANCE, that all
things that are written may be fulfilled.
But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in
those days! for there shall be GREAT
DISTRESS in the land, and WRATH upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword,
and shall be led away captive into all nations:
and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of
the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:20-24).
Moffatt, in his translation, calls
this period of time "the CRISIS at the CLOSE" (Daniel 12:4, 9). Daniel prophesied, "And at that time
shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy
people: and there shall be a TIME OF
TROUBLE, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same
time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be
found written in the book" (Dan.12:1).
Looking into the future, into our
day, the prophet Jeremiah foretold of this same indescribable, unique, incredible
time! He wrote: "Alas!
for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of JACOB'S TROUBLE; but
he shall be saved out of it" (Jer.30:7).
"The
Day of the LORD"
The prophet Haggai was inspired of God to write, "For
thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will SHAKE
THE HEAVENS, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land: And I will shake all nations, and the
desire of all nations [the much-awaited Messiah!] shall come: and I will fill this house [the end-time
Temple of God, which the Jews are even now prepared to rebuild in Jerusalem!]
with glory, saith the LORD of hosts" (Haggai 2:6-7).
The prophet Joel declares,
"BLOW ye the TRUMPET in Zion, SOUND AN ALARM in my holy
mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD
cometh, for it is nigh at hand" (Joel 2:1). Joel goes on to describe the firestorms of
nuclear war (verses 2-10) erupting on the earth. He then calls out to God's people, "For
the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Therefore also now, saith the LORD, TURN
YE EVEN TO ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with
mourning: And rend your heart, and not
your garments, and TURN unto the LORD your God:
for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great
kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind
him . . . BLOW THE TRUMPET in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly
. . ." (Joel 2:11-15).
Friends, we are LIVING IN the
end-time "Days of Awe"! We
are living in the very days depicted by the "Ten Days of
Repentance"!
Have you yet come to real, genuine,
heartfelt repentance?
Notice! The prophet Joel says of this coming
"Day of the Lord" -- "Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a
DESTRUCTION from the Almighty shall it come" (Joel 1:15).
The prophet Zephaniah also prophesies of this coming
"Day of the LORD":
"The great day of the LORD is near,
it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice
of
the day of the LORD: the mighty man
shall cry there bitterly. That day is a
DAY
OF WRATH, A DAY OF TROUBLE AND DISTRESS, A DAY OF
WASTENESS
AND DESOLATION, A DAY OF DARKNESS AND GLOOM-
INESS,
A DAY OF CLOUDS AND THICK DARKNESS.
A day of the TRUMPET
and
alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring
distress
upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned
against
the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as
the
dung. Neither their silver nor their
gold shall be able to deliver them in the
DAY
OF THE LORD'S WRATH; but the whole land shall be devoured by the
fire
of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that
dwell
in
the land" (Zephaniah 1:14-18).
The awesome events soon to come upon
this earth scientists and astronomers will be at a loss to explain. It will stretch, break, and overwhelm all
their most cherished theories.
The prophet Joel goes on:
"And I will shew wonders in the
heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars
of
smoke. The sun shall be turn into
darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE
the
great and the terrible DAY OF THE LORD come" ((Joel 2:30-31).
During this final "day" -- or year -- of man's
rule of planet earth, which will end with the coming of the long-awaited
Messiah, Jesus Christ, to rule the nations, awesome events are predicted and
projected in the prophecies of the Scriptures.
They are symbolized or referred to as "angelic TRUMPET
plagues"! Notice!
The Blowing of SEVEN Awesome
"Trumpets"
According to the book of Revelation,
the soon-coming "Day of the LORD" will be divided up into "seven
trumpets" -- seven angels will blow seven trumpet blasts, and these will
introduce seven calamitous plagues that God will send on the earth. The apostle John writes:
"And I saw the seven angels which
stood before God; and to them were given
SEVEN
TRUMPETS . . . And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets
prepared
themselves to sound" (Rev.8:1-6).
These trumpet blasts of the heavenly
"shofar" are WARNINGS FROM GOD to the inhabitants of the earth, that
the time has come to REPENT of their sins and iniquities -- or suffer the dire
consequences! Notice! The first four of these angelic trumpet
blasts will be followed by physical calamities, or incredible, intense
catastrophes of "nature" gone amok.
Notice these first four plagues of "nature":
"The first angel sounded, and
there followed hail [meteor showers] and fire [burning,
sizzling
meteorites] mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the
third
part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
"And
the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with
fire was cast
into
the sea: and the third part of the sea
became blood; and the third part of the creatures
which
were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of ships were destroyed"
(Rev.
8:7-9).
"And the third angel sounded,
and there FELL A GREAT STAR FROM HEAVEN,
burning
as it were a LAMP [a fiery asteroid from outer space, or a giant comet!], and
it
fell
upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the
name of
the
star is called Wormwood ["bitterness"; Chernobyl, in Russian,
meaning "bitterness"]:
and
the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters,
because
they were made bitter [polluted and poisonous].
"And
the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and
the third
part
of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was
dark-
ened,
and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise"
(Rev.8:10-12).
Here, in graphic description, is a prophecy of natural
disasters prophesied to overwhelm the earth in the year immediately preceding
the coming of the Messiah, at the end of 6,000 years of man's misrule of planet
earth! Mankind will be punished with
natural disasters, because he has polluted, spoiled, desecrated, and destroyed
much of the pristine natural environment which God created him to rule over and
nourish and protect (Gen.1:26-28; Isaiah 45:18; 24:4-6, 16). Because of these grievous sins against the
environment, and the natural world, God will "destroy them which destroy
the earth" (Rev.11:18).
When
Will It All Happen?
When will these awesome plagues be
poured out on our hapless planet and its rebellious inhabitants? When will a massive asteroid such as science
calls a "Doomsday Asteroid" strike our planet? When will these incredible prophecies be
fulfilled?
Although we cannot state with
absolute certainty, the indication from Biblical prophecy and Biblical evidence,
is that the 6,000 years from Adam and Eve should be counted from the time they
sinned, and were expelled from the Garden of Eden. That's when the countdown began. The book of Jubilees tells us that this
occurred seven years after their original creation in 4004 B.C. Thus we have:
4004 B.C. 6000
years 2003
A.D.
-7 -3997
B.C. +1
3997 B.C. 2003 A.D.
2004 A.D.
Since there is no year
"zero," we must make an adjustment when counting from B.C. to A.D. dating or vice versa. When we normally count years, we count
inclusively, but when we subtract one number from another, it is like exclusive
counting. Therefore, we must add
"1" year to our computation to arrive at the correct year. It is strange that even so-called
"academics" don't seem to be aware of this problem, or how it works,
and therefore get confused and mislead the public when they go from B.C. to
A.D. dating!
This information strongly suggests
that the end of 6,000 years is 2004 A.D.
At this point, Daniel’s 70th week (Dan..9:27) – a final
period of seven years – could begin, counting down to the coming of the
Messiah! Or, that final “countdown”
could be TEN YEARS – from 2004 to 2014 – represented by the ten “days” from the
Feast of Trumpets till Yom Kippur – counting a symbolical “day” for a year in
actual fulfillment! Or, we could count
simply an additional 3 years from 2004 till 2007-8, if the 6,000 years
represents the year of Messiah’s return, and if we have to “add in” the 3 years
of Christ’s ministry, when He represented the ‘Kingdom of God” while He was on
earth!
When, then, will all these things
happen? No one knows the day or the hour
– only God the Father! (Matthew 24:36).
The Final Three "Woes"
The last three of these trumpet plagues -- numbers 5, 6,
and 7 -- are also known as the "three woes" (Rev.8:13). These represent the final three rounds of
WORLD WAR, culminating in the return of Christ to settle the issue of who will
rule the earth once and for all!
Notice! In Revelation 9, the "fifth angel
sounded," and the first "woe" followed --
"locusts" which utilize chemical warfare, "tormenting
mankind" for five months" (Rev.9:1-11). The head of this World Empire is Satan the
devil, working through the "Beast" (v.11). "Locusts," in the Bible, are a type
of Assyrian and Babylonian soldiers (see Nahum 3:17-18). God compares the soldiers -- the military --
of this final World Government to "locusts," therefore. But these are peculiar locusts -- they use chemical
and biological weapons to "torment" mankind. In appearance, these soldiers are described
as "women" (Nahum 3:13; Rev.9:8-10).
This world power will inflict
awesome calamities everywhere -- it is the "king of the north"
(compare Daniel 11:40-45).
Following hard on the heels of this
"trumpet plague," John writes, "the sixth angel
sounded," followed by the "second woe" (Rev.9:13).
Notice! This woe will consist of a
massive army from the EAST which will number 200,000,000 men!
(Rev.9:12-21). This huge army will
undoubtedly consist of millions of soldiers from China and possibly India, and
surrounding regions, including the Persians and Russians. This tremendous army, like the terrible
hordes of Genghis Khan, will march westward, into Europe and the Middle
East. These hordes come from
"beyond Euphrates" (Rev.9:14-15; 16:12). They will slay the third part of men
-- about 2 billion human beings will die in the horrendous world war to follow
(v.15).
It is a fascinating fact, today,
that the nation of China has an excess of men over women in the younger
generation. Men outnumber women in that
age group by 9 to 1 -- with an excess of almost 150,000,000 men! This fact is due to the Chinese governmental
policy of limiting each family to having only one child. Since most Chinese families, by culture and
tradition, desire to have a male offspring, someone who can take care of them
in their old age, young girls babies are often aborted, or killed shortly after
childbirth. Growing up lonely, frustrated,
and miserable, these young men will become part of that huge army
that
will attack towards the West!
The
"Third Woe" - ARMAGEDDON!
At this point, after billions have already died in natural
disasters and worldwide wars, the devil and his demons will bring all the
armies of the earth together, for one final "battle" -- to fight
against Jesus Christ at His return! John
writes: "And I saw three unclean
spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of
the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of demons, working
miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world,
TO GATHER THEM TO THE BATTLE OF THAT GREAT DAY OF GOD ALMIGHTY. . . .
"And
he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue, ARMAGEDDON
. . ." (Rev.16:13-16).
Armageddon! Finally, it will happen. The battle of the ages -- the final conflict
-- the final awesome battle between good and evil! We read about the assembling of the armies of
the world, in a final rallying cry for mankind to oppose the rule of God, in
the book of Revelation:
"And the ten horns which thou sawest
are ten kings, which have received
no
kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
These
have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
These
shall MAKE WAR with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:
for
he is Lord of lords, and King of kings:
and they that are with him are
called,
and chosen, and faithful" (Rev.17:12-14).
These "ten kings" represent ten regions of the
earth. They will give their power to the
"Beast" for just "ONE HOUR" -- prophetically speaking. Jesus Christ said that there are "twelve
hours in a day" (John 11:9), and there are 12 months in a year, so
"one hour" evidently equals ONE MONTH in being fulfilled!
Thus this final "alliance"
refers to a final union of the world -- a final form of the "New World
Order" -- which will, apparently under the auspices of the United Nations,
FIGHT AGAINST CHRIST! All the world will
be gathered together to resist Him. All
nations will fight against Him, thinking that He is an "invader from outer
space," some "alien intelligence" seeking to overthrow the
earth!
"Aliens Attack," the
world's headlines will shriek.
"Alien Monsters from the Cosmos Launch Campaign to Subdue the
Earth," news reports will cry out on worldwide television and in the mass
media!
Is it any wonder, then, that the DAY
OF JUDGMENT is soon coming?
Despite these severe warnings, and
massive judgment strokes, however, the vast majority of people will not repent
of their sins (see Rev.9:20-21 and Rev.16:11, 21).
Six powerful angelic trumpets of
Revelation will be blown, calling the nations to repent. They will refuse. They will gather at Armageddon -- Har Megiddo
-- to fight the Messiah when He returns from heaven!
At that moment, the seventh angel
will sound His trumpet -- a final call to repentance. The great shofar will be blown on the great
Jubilee on the Day of Atonement -- and the final judgment will take place.
"And the SEVENTH ANGEL SOUNDED; and
there were great voices in
heaven,
saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of
our
Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever . . . And the
nations
were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they
should
be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the
prophets,
and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, small and great;
and
shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth" (Rev.11:15-18).
When Christ returns, the final Judgment will take
place. All the "preliminaries"
will be finished. John declares: "But in the days of the voice of the seventh
angel, when he shall begin to sound, THE MYSTERY OF GOD SHOULD BE FINISHED, as
he hath declared to his servants the prophets" (Rev.10:7).
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold
a white horse: and he that sat upon him
was
called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth JUDGE and make
WAR. His eyes were a flame of fire, and on his
head were many crowns; and he
had
a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a
vesture
dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies
which
were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white
and
clean. And out of his mouth goeth a
sharp sword, that with it he should smite
the
nations: and he shall rule them with a
rod of iron: and he treadeth the wine-
press
of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (Rev.19:11-16).
This is the awesome judgment
pictured by the final shofar -- the great trumpet -- blown on the Day of
Atonement, which finishes the "Days of Awe" and completes the
"High Holy Days."
The REAL MEANING of the
"Feast of TRUMPETS"
The "Feast of Trumpets"
pictures the many TRUMPETS that will be blown in the "DAY OF THE
LORD," and the accompanying plagues and judgments which a loving God will
send upon a rebellious and stubborn mankind!
However, it also pictures the warnings God is giving His people today,
as He begins pouring out His plagues and wrath upon a disobedient and
rebellious planet!
The "Feast of Trumpets" or
"Yom Teruah" -- the "Day of Blowing" -- pictures in
graphic, detailed symbols, this very time in which we are living! This holy day of God pictures this "time
of the end" -- this period Moffatt calls "the crisis at the close." It pictures vividly God's beginning
PUNISHMENTS and JUDGMENTS that are now falling on this evil, sin-sick
world! It pictures this final ten year
span leading up to Yom Kippur and the Final Judgment which will occur at the
second coming of Jesus Christ!
We are living in this TIME OF AWE --
this season of REPENTANCE -- this time of divine WARNING, symbolized by the
trumpet's blast, the shrill cry of the shofar! And the call of God goes out to everyone who
has an ear to hear:
"For the time is come that JUDGMENT
MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF
GOD:
and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not
the
gospel
of God? And if the righteous scarcely be
saved, where shall the ungodly
and
the sinner appear?" (I Pet.4:17-18).
Almighty God says to this present generation:
"I have heard thee in a time
accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured
thee: BEHOLD, NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME; BEHOLD, NOW
IS THE
DAY
OF SALVATION" (II Cor.6:2).
Today, as in 30 A.D., when the Church first began, when
Peter cried out to the Jews, so I cry out to the modern day descendants of
Israel, and Judah, and the world population:
"REPENT ye therefore, and BE
CONVERTED, that your SINS may be blotted
out,
when the times of
refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts
3:19).
"SAVE YOURSELVES from this
untoward generation" (Acts 2:40).
"The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT YE, and
BELIEVE
the gospel" (Mark
1:15).
"Prepare to meet
your God, O Israel!" (Amos
4:12).