God’s not against parties. On the contrary, he commanded the Israelites to celebrate, instituting required feasts within the Mosaic Law. However, God leads us to be holy, set apart. His people, therefore, party differently. Being “holy” means we live in the moment with a heavenly perspective, and God’s feasts follow the same principle. The Lord commanded the Israelites to celebrate the divine, their relationship with God, and his miraculous works. The feasts were full of symbolism and truth, connecting the present to the past and future hope.
Most Christians will be somewhat familiar with the Feasts of Passover and Pentecost, primarily due to their prevalence in the New Testament narratives. The Feast of Trumpets proves more obscure. Yet like all of God’s Word, he doesn’t waste his messages. While we may not be required to follow the specific Jewish traditions, the sons and daughters under the new covenant today enjoy the substance the symbol of the feast express. Looking deeper at the Feast of Trumpets reveals God’s heart and our hope.
What is the Feast of Trumpets?
The Feast of Trumpets was known in Hebrew as Yom Teruah, the day of shouting or blasting. Leviticus 23:23-25 describes this feast, ordained by God, which marked the beginning of the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar, essentially beginning the Jewish New Year. The feast included sounding trumpets, a holy gathering, and Sabbath rest.
Trumpets, especially the shofar (a ram’s horn), had symbolic and ceremonial meaning throughout the Bible. In the wilderness, when God’s presence in the cloud or fire started moving, the trumpet blast would gather people and call them to prepare to follow their leaders. The shofar announced God’s presence (Exodus 19:16-19) and went before times of battle or God’s judgment (Jeremiah 4:506; Joel 2:1). At Mount Sinai, during the giving of the Law, a loud trumpet accompanied God’s presence upon the mountain.
Within the calendar of feasts through the year, the Feast of Trumpets called Israel to examine their hearts and lives to prepare for the coming Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) ten days later. The trumpets drew the people to God, to repent from sin to reach atonement. Even later in Amos, the principle remained; a trumpet warned God’s people to “awake” and return to him (Amos 3:6-8).
The New Testament continues to include trumpets in major events. Jesus said he would return in the last days “with the sound of a loud trumpet” (Matthew 24:11), hearkening back to God’s descent upon Mount Sinai. Jesus will gather the saints, alive and dead, to himself at this point, like the Israelite trumpets would. Paul repeats Jesus’ teaching by writing “the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised” (1 Corinthians 15:52). In Revelation, regarding the end times, seven trumpets announce God’s judgments on the earth (Revelation 8-11).
The Feast of Trumpets connects to God’s covenant to Israel but also points ahead to Jesus fulfilling all things in himself, today and in the future.
Where Do We Find the Feast of Trumpets in the Bible?
The Bible first introduces the Feast of Trumpets in the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 23:23-25, Numbers 29:1-5). God commands to set aside the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) as a day of Sabbath rest, to proclaim it with trumpet blasts, and gather for a holy convocation. No one was to do any normal work, but instead present offerings to God. Numbers 29 lists the specific types of sacrifices to be made on the day: burnt, grain, and sin offerings.
Later, the prophets refer to blasts of trumpets to warn of coming judgment, simultaneously calling the people to repentance, in line with the Feast of Trumpets. “Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain!” (Joel 2:1) Again, trumpets and holy mountains (like Sinai and Jerusalem) continue to symbolize God drawing the nation to himself to live holy and righteous. Amos 3:6 says, “Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid?” This further supports the trumpet to awaken men and women to imminent danger, necessitating desperate action. Zephaniah 1:14-16 connects trumpet blasts with the “day of the Lord,” a time of judgment and great reckoning in the future.
The Feast of Trumpets shows up when the exiled Jews return to Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah. Nehemiah 8:2 records how Ezra the priest reads the law on the first day of the seventh month, the day of the Feast of Trumpets. Here, the Word of God aligns with the idea of sounding a trumpet to repent and follow God, restoring right worship as they rebuilt the Temple and Jerusalem’s walls. When Ezra reads the Law, the people weep, but Nehemiah corrects them, telling them to shout for joy (like a trumpet), because “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
As the Old Testament prepares the world for the real solution, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Feast of Trumpets points ahead to the Son of God.
How Does Feast of Trumpets Point to Jesus?
While the Gospels don’t specifically say, we can assume Jesus celebrated the Feast of Trumpets as a good Jew would. He also fulfilled all the Old Testament, so Christ reveals the deeper meaning of the Feast of Trumpets.
First, the feast symbolizes the Gospel’s call to repentance. Just as the trumpet gathered Israel to prepare for the Day of Atonement, the Gospel calls people to repent and believe in Jesus, offering life and an escape from the coming judgment. Under the new covenant, the call to repent goes out to all the world, Jew and Gentile alike. Like the Feast of Trumpets, the Gospel announces the good news—God loves us and provides a way to return to him through Christ. Believers preach this Gospel boldly and clearly.
Second, the feast symbolizes the joy and hope in Christ. Nehemiah told the people to rejoice in response to God’s grace and restoration (Nehemiah 8). God’s provision of atonement in Christ leads us to praise him, and Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4), living a life of worship and joy. God’s joy becomes our strength, a way to endure the hardships of life. Jesus fulfilled the Law, bore our sin, and offers eternal life for those who follow him.
Finally, the trumpets point to the announcement of Jesus’ second coming. As we discussed above, Jesus will return to set things right, the proverbial Day of the Lord from Scripture, and a trumpet blast will announce his arrival to the entire world. All will see him riding across the sky to gather us, his people, to himself, remove sin and death from the earth, and establish his perfect, eternal Kingdom.
In Christ, we celebrate what God has done for us, how he gives us joy for today, and offers hope in his return, like the Feast of Trumpets.
What Does the Feast of Trumpets Mean for Us Today?
Even though we are not required to observe the specific traditions within the Law, the Feast of Trumpets still teaches us important lessons.
First, the feast reminds us to maintain spiritual readiness. As Israel traveled through the wilderness, they knew to be ready to move when the trumpet sounded. If they didn’t listen or respond fast enough, they might be left behind. God’s supernatural provision of manna and general protection went with his presence. Similarly, in Matthew 24, Jesus gives several parables and teachings regarding those who weren’t “ready” for his return—the ten virgins, the sheep and the goats, etc.
The world purposefully lulls us to a spiritual slumber, but Jesus calls us to holiness, diligence, and remaining watchful, expectant for his return and living every moment with that in mind.
Second, we learn the importance of repentance and searching the heart. The ten days of reflection led up to Israel’s Day of Atonement, and the Bible consistently connects repentance to God with receiving forgiveness. The New Testament urges us to work out our salvation with “fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12), not being afraid of God but taking our spirituality seriously to enjoy God’s benefits and avoid negative consequences. The Holy Spirit guides and empowers us in this process to restore and shape our lives to be more like Christ.
Third, the Feast of Trumpets encourages us to declare the Gospel with courage and power. Trumpets aren’t wimpy instruments. They were used because the sound carried long distances with clear distinction. We should live and speak God’s love and truth unashamedly, loudly for all to hear. Faith comes by hearing the message of Jesus (Romans 10:17), and if we love people, we should absolutely desire their salvation from death and hell. The Church proclaims the same messages: to awaken hearts to the truth, call people to repentance and forgiveness, and point people to the eternal hope only found in Jesus.
Does the Feast of Trumpets Connect with End Times Prophecy?
The Old Testament required God’s people to attend the three main feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and the feasts in the fall, beginning with the Feast of Trumpets and ending with the Feast of Tabernacles. The New Testament makes clear connections between the work of Jesus and a greater, lasting fulfillment of these feasts. He was the Passover Lamb. He sent the Spirit at Pentecost. And Revelation contains symbolism of the Feast of Trumpets, still to come.
1 Corinthians 15:52 talks about the future resurrection, where believers will be raised with new bodies made of spiritual material, immortal. This resurrection will happen at the “last trumpet,” again connecting bodily resurrection of Christians with the return of Christ. Paul, as a Jew educated as a Pharisee, would have been intimately familiar with the Old Testament imagery he used.
The Book of Revelation definitely pulls from the same trumpet symbolism. In chapters 8-11, seven trumpets are sounded by angels, announcing and releasing God’s terrible judgments upon the earth for sin and rebellion. These trumpets during the end times mirror the wake-up call of the Feast of Trumpets, although this time warning the world of the consequences of sin and calling people to repent. Revelation mentions several times how humanity wouldn’t repent in response to God’s judgment; they continued to harden their hearts.
With the trumpets in Revelation, the first four affect nature: hail and fire burn the earth, a fiery mountain poisons the sea, a star (like an angel, called Wormwood) makes freshwater toxic, and darkness covers the sky. The last three are called “woes,” and they judge humanity: demonic locusts torment people, an army kills a third of mankind, and heavenly voices announce God’s Kingdom.
Like the Old Testament Feast of Trumpets prepared for the Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles, Revelation’s seven trumpets announce the arrival of God’s rule and reign on earth. The trumpets cleanse the earth of sin to prepare the world for the new Jerusalem from heaven, God dwelling with his Bride (Revelation 21), as the Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles celebrated.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Priscilla du Preez
