Feast of Trumpets

As usual, we had some very fine special music. Both this service and the earlier service today. We're certainly very blessed to have talented musicians, vocalists, and directors. It's really quite a blessing. Mr. Daniel Reyes was up here blowing the trumpet, and he showed us how to blow that shofar, too. He was really making it sing out there. So I guess I will need to practice. I don't think I'll ever sound as good as he does. Maybe in the Kingdom.

Well, brethren, some may think it's a real challenge to be the fourth speaker on the Feast of Trumpets. The other men had a lot to say. A few of the verses they touched upon. But thankfully, there are many, many facets to the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets, and there's plenty to talk about. So in preparing for this sermon, I also reviewed about 30 messages that I've given over the years. I didn't review all of them, but I considered some of the messages I've given in the past. And it impressed upon me just how tremendously important this day is. What it pictures and what it means, because everything is going to change dramatically and drastically for the better when this day is fulfilled. Now, Mr. Wright mentioned that God always warns His people before He executes judgment, and that's certainly the case.

He did so before the flood in Noah's time. He did so with Nineveh when he sent Jonah the prophet to speak to them. God warned the house of Israel and the house of Judah before they were both taken into captivity, before the temple was destroyed. Now, the Feast of Trumpets is a call to assemble together the firstfruits at Christ's return. You see, now is our day of salvation as firstfruits.

And the annual Feast of Trumpets, we keep it every year. The annual Feast of Trumpets should serve as a warning or wake-up call that Christ is indeed returning, and the bride of Christ is to be very busy making herself ready. In fact, I think it was two years ago I gave a sermon about the ancient wedding and how it pictures, of course, the coming of the groom and how the bride is to prepare itself for the groom's coming. So much could be said about that, but today I would like to focus on a message that Mr. Pritchard also brought out. Today I'd like to focus on the fact that the Feast of Trumpets is indeed a call to repentance. It is a call to repentance, and of course, Mr. Wright also touched upon that. There is much that's going to be happening between now and the return of Jesus Christ, and we should be living intentionally, not just with good intentions, but very specifically and purposely preparing ourselves for the return of Jesus Christ. Now, the Jews believe that the Feast of Trumpets reflects God's desire to summon His people to repentance so that He can vindicate them on the day of His judgment, the day of atonement. They believe that the 10 days between the Feast of Trumpets, beginning right now and the days of all, or I'm sorry, these days they call the days of all, these 10 days or the days of repentance, between now and the day of atonement. And they pray many prayers of penitence or repentance, seeking God's forgiveness and His mercy. They seek a favorable judgment from God, and they see the day of atonement as their judgment day. Now, we're familiar with the High Priest, the human High Priest, and how he would go into the Holy of Holies once a year to make sacrifice, to make an atonement for the people's sins. And there were daily sacrifices. There were many sacrifices on a frequent basis on the high days, the holy days, at various times. So the Jews seek a favorable judgment from God, and they see the day of atonement as their judgment day. Now, we in God's Church, we also look at the day of atonement as a sort of judgment day for Satan the devil, because Satan the devil is going to be bound. And we often speak of that on the day of atonement. Satan will be bound for a thousand years while Christ rules upon the earth.

Now, at the blast of the seventh trumpet, Jesus Christ shall return to this earth, and salvation will be with him. He says he's bringing salvation with him, but salvation for who?

For everyone at that particular time? Or is it not salvation for those who are being called now? Those who are called now? Those who are chosen and faithful right now at this time? Because you see, salvation is for the firstfruits when Christ returns. That's when we'll be changed into spirit, born into the family of God.

God will eventually call everyone, but in his own order.

Let's go to 1 Corinthians 15 and let's review that particular verse. Several verses here in 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection chapter.

1 Corinthians 15, verse 20.

But now Christ is risen from the dead. The Apostle Paul says he's risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep, those who have died. For since by man came death, by Adam came death, but by man, speaking of Jesus Christ, also came the resurrection of the dead. For as an Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order, Christ the firstfruit, afterward those who are Christ at his coming. Then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father. There will be an eternal kingdom, obviously, to follow. But when Christ returns, in a very real sense, that will be our judgment day.

It will be our judgment day because will we rise out of the graves if we've already died? Will we be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet? In 1 Corinthians 15, verse 50, it says, Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. The last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, this flesh, when it's put on incorruption, when it becomes spirit, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. That's right, death will no longer have a hold on the first fruits, those who are changed to spirit at Christ's return. Now in John chapter 5, it also speaks of a resurrection to life, as well as one to condemnation. Let's go ahead and look at John chapter 5, verses 28 and 29. John chapter 5, verse 28. Do not marvel at this, Christ says, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice. This is John speaking of Christ. They will hear Christ's voice, and they will come forth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation. So there will be a resurrection to life at Christ's return. That will be a resurrection for the first fruits. So the Feast of Trumpets is reflective of a day of judgment, but a day of judgment again for whom? The answer is very clear. It is a day of judgment for the first fruits. At the blast of the seventh trumpet, those who are first fruits, those who are called chosen and faithful, will rise from their graves, and those saints who are living at that time will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Those who are not among the first fruits at that time will remain asleep in their graves. They won't come out of their graves at Christ's return. They will remain asleep in their graves, or if they are living, they will be unchanged. They will continue in the flesh, and they will experience the frightful return of Jesus Christ and great power and glory. Some certainly will live into the millennium who are flesh and beings.

The Feast of Trumpets is also a day of judgment for the world, in the sense that the world will be judged. Mr. Wright also mentioned that the world will be judged and punished for its many sins. It is a day of vengeance upon those who refuse to repent, those who remain in their sins. It is very likely that the Feast of Trumpets will begin the day of the Lord, and it will also end the day of the Lord at Christ's return. A day is as a year as God reckons time. The day of the Lord will be a time of vengeance upon a sinning world. It will be a very, very difficult year for mankind, and there will be difficult times even before that, of course.

So the Feast of Trumpets is symbolic of the day of judgment for the firstfruits. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, let's go there for a moment, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

Actually, the men left me quite a few good scriptures here. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

Verse 13 through 18.

Verse 13, But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, Paul says, concerning those who have fallen asleep, those who have died, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. We know that Christ is coming at the sound of the seventh trumpet.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Now Paul thought he would be one of those who would be alive. He missed that by a bit, by close to 2,000 years. God's people don't know everything. His servants don't know everything. Sometimes they speculate on things, and they're not always correct. They're not always right.

Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Certainly Paul is going to be in the first resurrection. He's just having to wait in the grave.

Therefore, comfort one another with these words. And of course, these words are extremely comforting. To know the truth is just amazing. It brings great comfort. It's nice to be a minister and have these words of comfort for people. It really makes certainly our job a lot easier when we know the truth. Now in 1 Peter 4, let's go there for a moment and let's ask ourselves when is the period of judgment? When is the period of judgments? There's a day of judgment, but there's also a period of judgment. When is that? Let's go to 1 Peter 4.

By the way, I noticed the crown up here. Certainly symbolic of the King of Kings, Christ's coming, and also the beautiful flowers. I appreciate that. 1 Peter 4, if you'll go there, verse 12. 1 Peter 4, verse 12.

Beloved, do not think it strains concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you, but rejoiced to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. It is a time of rejoicing the return of Jesus Christ. Yes, there will be some difficult times, some very, very hard times, some unbelievably tumultuous times before Christ's return, but it will be a day of rejoicing when He does return and when He puts an end to rebellion and a thousand years of peace and prosperity and joy will be ushered in. Verse 14. If you are reproach for the name of Christ, blessed are you. For the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blaspheme, but on your part He is glorified. We bring glory to God if we set a proper example of God's character and the way that we live our lives. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, as a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody, a gossip, and other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, as a true follower of Christ, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin. This is what Peter is saying, the time has come. For those who are being called now in this life, beginning back at that time, and for some even before that, judgment was beginning on those who were being called at that time, those who were called and chosen. Would they remain faithful? That's their period of judgment. We have been called, we have been chosen. Now it remains to be seen. Will we be faithful?

For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. And if it begins with us first, with those of us who are members of the church of God, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? The kingdom of God, God's glorious kingdom, his laws that govern and rule his kingdom. Now is our day of salvation. Now is your time of judgment.

So it begins with our call. It begins specifically when he grants us his Holy Spirit. When we step forward in faith, we're baptized, we have hands laid upon us, and we receive God's Holy Spirit as an earnest, as a down payment of something very glorious to come at Christ's return.

We are sealed for the first resurrection at that time when we receive the Spirit of God. And as long as we remain faithful and repentant, God will not take his Spirit from us, and we will be in the first, the better resurrection. In Revelation 11, let's go there for a moment, Revelation 11. A few people touched on a couple of these verses, but I'd like to read them again in this context. They're very powerful verses. Revelation 11, verse 15. Then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He Christ shall reign forever and ever.

And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who was and who is to come, because you have taken your great power and you have reigned. Christ is going to reign upon this earth. The nations were angry, and your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, the firstfruits to be judged, and that you should reward your servants, the prophets, and the saints, and those who fear your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroyed the earth. Christ is coming back with great glory and power to put down rebellion, to stop the sinner in their tracks.

Again, there will be some frightening times ahead of us.

The various prophecies of Daniel, of Isaiah, of Revelation will be fulfilled at that time. In Revelation 17, it speaks of ten nations or kings who will give their authority to the beast's power. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them. For He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and those who are with Him, those who are the saints who have been changed into spirit, they are the ones who are called chosen and faithful. Then He said to me, the waters which you saw where the harlot sits are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.

And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, they will make her desolate and naked, they will actually turn upon each other, eat her flesh, burn her with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose. God's purpose will be fulfilled, to be of one mind and to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth, that Babylon, Babylon the Great, is going to fall. It will rise up very strong in the days ahead, however, and we will, perhaps many of us, see it's rising. Revelation 13 talks about the two beasts that will rise from the earth and from the sea, and we can read about that at another time. But these words are true, and they are faithful, and we should study the book of Revelation, we should study the Bible in its entirety and strive to understand what is coming. In Revelation 19, verse 1, After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Alleluia, salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God, for true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot.

God is not soft on sin. He will judge the great harlot who has corrupted the earth with her fornication, and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her. There will be many who will have their blood shed, as they will have to stand up and be counted in the days ahead. In Revelation 19, verse 11, we see that Christ is coming on a white horse, not on a little burrow or a little donkey the second time, but on a great, powerful white horse.

Verse 11 of chapter 19 of Revelation, Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. The blowing of the trumpet was a call to war, to assemble the troops together. His eyes were like a flame of fire. On his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. So that's what Mr. Wright was talking about. We need to learn to ride the white horses.

I don't think we'll have any problem when the time comes.

Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, and with it he should strike the nations, and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. As Mr. Libey talked about in what that pictures, what that means, he himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and the wrath of Almighty God. And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And those who are firstfruits will rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years.

We'll have his back and he'll have ours, and we'll reign together in unity and in complete harmony. A wonderful time to look forward to a time of peace, unparalleled as never before.

So, brother, now is the time of judgment upon the firstfruits. Right now is our time. In Revelation 19, if we go down to verse 19, And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against him who set on the horse, and against his army, his army of saints and angels. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. If we're alive, we must not bow down to this image. We must not allow the mark of the beast to come upon us.

These two were cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone. So, again, now is the time of judgment on the firstfruits. Symbolically, we may say that it is the time beginning with the spring holy days. Think back on the spring holy days we were here in this building, during part of the spring holy days, at least. We may say it is the time beginning with the spring holy days. But what does Passover mean? What do the days of Unleavened Bread and what do Pentecost all picture? Passover pictures our acceptance of Christ as our Passover Lamb who shed His blood for us. We have accepted Christ as our Savior. The days of Unleavened Bread picture putting sin out of our lives, putting the leaven out of our lives and our homes, and becoming unleavened, putting on the mind of Christ and allowing Christ to live in us. Pentecost pictures the granting of God's Holy Spirit to the firstfruits and the beginning of the Christian Church. And the period of time between Passover and Trumpets pictures our time of salvation. Between Passover, when we're called out and chosen by God, we accept Christ as our Savior. We become baptized. We begin to put sin out of our lives. We're striving to become unleavened. So, the time between Passover and Trumpets pictures our time of salvation, our day or time of judgment. So now is our time to be faithful. Right now, those who have been called out and chosen by God, we need to remain faithful. So how have you been living your life since the spring Holy Days? What kind of example have you set? Have you remained unleavened, being led by God's Holy Spirit each step of the way? If you slipped and sinned, or should I say, when you slipped and sinned, because I question whether anyone here hasn't sinned since the days of 11 bread, since Passover. When you slipped and sinned, were you repentant? Did you readily admit your sin? Were you repentant? Did you seek the atoning blood of your Savior Jesus Christ on your behalf? If so, then you still remain called, chosen and faithful.

And you do not need to fear the return of Jesus Christ. You do not need to fear Christ's return. We should anticipate His return. It's not that we look forward to the difficult and tumultuous times ahead, but we do look forward to Christ's return, because it's imperative that Christ returns.

So remember, brethren, and I've said this before, if you have not learned the lessons of the spring Holy Days, if you have not learned those lessons completely and fully, you will not look forward to the fulfillment of the fall Holy Days. If you haven't learned the lessons of the spring Holy Days, you're not going to look forward to the fulfillment of the fall Holy Days, because only if you learn the lessons of the spring Holy Days will you be prepared for the fulfillment of the fall Holy Days.

So I hope that we take each of these Holy Days very seriously and we realize they picture God's plan of salvation for mankind. Now, you see, that's one of the big problems with the Jews. They didn't recognize and acknowledge and accept Christ as their Savior. So they're ignorant of the true meaning of the spring Holy Days.

They don't get it. And they're also ignorant of the true meaning of these Holy Days, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles.

They're lacking in their understanding because they did not acknowledge Christ at His first coming. They do, however, understand aspects of the Feast of Trumpets that we, as the first fruits, can also apply and use to help us better be better prepared for the return of Christ and the fulfillment of the meaning behind the Feast of Trumpets.

So what I'd like to do in the remainder of this sermon is to talk about some of the Jewish understanding and how it actually relates to a true understanding of what God is doing these fall Holy Days. What is now known as the Feast of Trumpets has no title or an explicit reason for its observance in the Bible. It is simply called the Day of Blowing or a Remembrance Blast. Let's go to Leviticus 23. I don't think anyone went to Leviticus 23.

Let's go here. And it's easy to find trumpets because it's Leviticus 23-23. If you remember Leviticus 23, as were all the Holy Days, will be found. You can remember that verse 23 is the Feast of Trumpets. Then the Lord spoke, the Eternal spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.

So we're basically two weeks away, aren't we, to a full moon? This is the new moon. A full moon is coming. When the Feast of Tabernacles begins, there will be a beautiful full moon. I hope you'll go out and look at the full moon on that opening day, that opening night, and consider what God is doing. Every Feast of Tabernacles, every Passover, there's a full moon.

You shall have a Sabbath rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation, a commanded assembly. You shall do no customary work on it. You shall offer an offering made by fire to the Eternal. So it says here, you shall have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a commanded assembly. It doesn't say a whole lot about what this day means. In Numbers 29 verse 1, Numbers 29 verse 1, if we'll go there briefly, Numbers 29, and in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation, a commanded assembly.

You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets. Now, since the blowing of the trumpets or the shofar was the distinguishing characteristic of the day, it became known as the Feast of Trumpets. The text, given no specific reason for observing the Feast, apparently because the reason was too obvious, perhaps, to make a comment on it. At least, the Jews believe the reason is the blowing of the trumpets was understood to be a call to stand trial before the heavenly throne, to give an account of one's deeds, and to receive the promise of God's mercy.

And by the way, much of what I will be sharing with you, quite a bit of it, comes from Samuel Bakkioki and the book that he has written on the fall holy days. Some of you are familiar with Semiday Adventist Samuel Bakkioki. So, some of this comes from that particular writing, and I'll mention some other things as we go along. Now, the prophets used the metaphor of the shofar to call the people to repentance and return to God. For example, the prophet Joel called for blasts of the shofar in Zion to impress the people with their needed repentance. Let's go to Joel chapter 2 verse 15. Joel was turned to earlier today. Joel chapter 2.

James, Joel chapter 2 verse 15. Notice this, Blow the trumpet in Zion. Blow the trumpet, the ram's horn, the shofar in Zion. Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing babes. Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, the bride from her dressing room, and so forth. Blow the trumpet here in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly. Here we find three major characteristics of these fall holy days that were beginning. The shofar, the fast, and a solemn assembly. Now, whether or not it's literally talking about referring to the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, I don't know that we can say that for sure, but certainly figuratively, it's interesting that it's worded the way it is. Also, during the religious Reformation of King Asa, and there weren't many good kings, but King Asa had a Reformation at that time of spiritual rejuvenation. It says in 2 Chronicles 15 that the Israelites entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers with all of their hearts and all of their souls. And it says, they sealed their oath with trumpets and with horns with the shofarot. The shofar, that's in 2 Chronicles 15 verses 12 through 14.

Now, in Isaiah 58.1, you might go there, Isaiah chapter 58.1, Isaiah explicitly associated the sound of the shofar with an admonition against sin to warn the people against their sins. He says, cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, or a shofar, declare to my people their transgression to the house of Jacob their sins. So, cry aloud, lift up your voice like a trumpet. According to Samuel Bakiochi in this book on the fall holy days, he says, and I quote, The literal and figurative usages of the shofar by the prophets to warn people of their sins and call them to repentance was most likely derived from the Feast of Trumpets, the annual trumpet call to repentance and cleansing in view of the judgment conducted in the heavenly court during the ten days running from the Feast of Trumpets to the Day of Atonement. So, we're going to start a period of ten days between now and the Day of Atonement. So, we shouldn't just let these ten days go by without considering some of their meaning. The Jews have a certain meaning they put to these ten days. In his book, What Christians Should Know About the Jews and Judaism, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein explains that the shofar is sounded on Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of Trumpets, which means the beginning of the year. Rosh Hashanah, it's the beginning of the civil or agricultural year, not the sacred year. That begins in the springtime. But the civil or agricultural year begins now. This is the beginning of the year for the Jews. So, he says, he explains that the shofar is sounded on Rosh Hashanah to arouse us from our moral reverie, to call us to spiritual rejuvenation, and to alert us to the need to engage in teshuvah, which means repentance. The shofar is the clarion call to perform teshuvah, repentance, to search our deeds and mend our ways before the awesome day of judgment, speaking of the day of atonement. It is a reminder of our need to confront our inner selves, just as God confronted Adam after he sinned in the garden with the question, where are you? And basically, what have you been doing? Now, on a similar vein, Mamanitis, the great Jewish philosopher, explained that the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a wake-up call for people to abandon their evil ways and to return to God. I'll quote from Mamanitis. He says, Awake, O you sleepers! Awake from your sleep! Search your deeds and turn in repentance! Now, the potluck was really awesome, and I appreciate everyone, but be careful. It could law you to sleep. All that good food. He says, Awake, you sleepers! Awake! Search your deeds! Turn in repentance! O you who forget the truth in the vanities of time and grow astray all the year! What are you doing all year long? Who go astray all the year after vanity and folly, foolishness, that neither profit nor save? Remember your Creator! Look at your souls and better your ways and actions! Let every one of you abandon his evil ways and his wicked thoughts and return to God so that he may have mercy upon you!

So the shofar was to beckon the people with a solemn message of warning to repent for the time of judgment had come. Now how true is that for you and for me? Now is our day of salvation.

This should be a wake-up call. The annual Feast of Trumpets. Christ is coming back. We can count on that, and we do need to be prepared as a bride ready and adorned for her husband. The shofar beckoned the people with a solemn message of warning to repent for the time of judgment had come. It called upon the people to examine their lives, mend their ways, and experience divine cleansing. We all need to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ through repentance. The blowing of the shofar on the first day of the seventh month was understood by the Jews as the beginning of their trial before the heavenly court, where books would be opened and the destiny of each individual would be decided. The trial lasted for 10 days, again beginning now until the day of atonement. Or Yom Kippur, when God would dispose of their sins in a permanent way. So I'd like to quote from Rabbi Irving Greenberg.

He says in the trial imagery that we're talking about here in regard to this feast of trumpets, or the Rosh Hashanah, in the trial imagery, those 10 days of trial, the shofar blasts communicate, Oi, oi, this court is in session. The right honorable judge of the world is presiding.

So we should look at it in that way. God is the judge. Christ is the judge. We are being judged at this time. We are coming under judgment now. For the Jews, the final judgment that determines the destiny of every human being opened on Rosh Hashanah with the blowing of trumpets, enclosed 10 days later on the day of atonement. For this reason, these 10 days are called by the Jews the days of all. A-W-E. The days of all were days of repentance, a time of reflection. According to at least some of the Jews, during these 10 days, a universal judgment is conducted in heaven. Now, I'm not saying I agree with everything the Jews say. I just find it interesting. And I think there are certain things that we can apply by understanding what the Jews do, because they do have a reason for why they believe what they believe. And some of it is taken certainly from Scripture, and we'll see some of that as we go on. So, according to at least some of the Jews, during these 10 days, a universal judgment is conducted in heaven on the basis of records kept in books on the life of every person. Now, you've heard of the Book of Life. In fact, I've given a sermon here about the Book of Life. This is primarily the Book of Life, and this is what we are to live by. But we will be judged by this Book, by the very Word of God. We will be judged.

Rabbinical literature speaks explicitly of books opened by the heavenly court. So, this is rabbinical literature by the rabbis, things that they've written over the ages.

It speaks explicitly of books opened by the heavenly court on the Feast of Trumpets in order to decide the destiny of every human being. The heavenly judgment that begins on the Feast of Trumpets is sealed or confirmed 10 days later on the Day of Atonement. As the Mishnah puts it, all human beings are judged on Rosh Hashanah, and the divine sentence is sealed on Yom Kippur. That's not what we teach. This is what they say. We have a much richer, deeper meaning of these days. But it is, I think, instructive to know what the Jews believe. Or at least some of the Jews. There's a wide range of belief, I'm sure. The Feast of Trumpets in Old Testament times was understood and experienced as the inauguration of a judgment process that culminated again on the Day of Atonement, with the final disposition of all sins committed during the previous year. So the High Priest would come in on the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. And they would even have a rope tied to his leg in case he would mess up and get struck dead while he was in there. They could then pull him out and not defile the Holy of Holies. So very interesting. In the rabbinic tradition, the Feast of Trumpets is clearly seen as a Day of Judgment. According to John Paul Lean in a book entitled, and this is a very long title, it says, the role of the Hebrew cultists, sanctuary, and the temple in the plot and structure of the Book of Revelation. The central motif of Rosh Hashanah is that of a Day of Judgment. On this day, says tradition, all who enter the world pass before the heavenly judge. Now, I found this interesting. They pass before the heavenly judge like troops in review or like sheep beneath the shepherd's crook. God opens his great book and records the fate of each according to his desire. Who is to live? Who is to die? Who is to rest? Who is to rove? Who to grow rich and who to grow poor? I don't know that God really looks at it that way. I don't believe that's the case, of course. Now, the theme of divine judgment is emphasized in the special morning service on Rosh Hashanah. It's called the Musaf. M-U-S-A-F. And I'd like to quote from Theodore Gaster. He says, the most famous element of this service is the solemn chanting of the hymn entitled, Unetana Toketh. Something like that. It says, it means, now let us recite the majesty of this day in which God is represented as sitting in heavenly as eyes or in judgment to pass a verdict. So it's a legislative judgment that's taking place. God is there. He's sitting on his throne while mankind passes before him in judgment. The great trumpet is blown and a still small voice is heard. The angels quiver in fright. Fear and trembling seize them. And they cry one to another, Behold, the day of judgment is here when the hosts on high shall be visited with judgment, for they are not guiltless in God's eyes. None of us are guiltless in God's eyes. And all that enter the world shall pass before him as troops in review. Even as a shepherd tends his flock, making them to pass beneath his crook, so shall God make every living being to pass beneath his gaze. You know, God does see everything that we do and say. He knows everything about us. As he counts in numbers and tells them and sets his brand upon all creation, and it says here, and seals the doom of each. Well, I don't believe God seals the doom. I don't know why they would have written it quite that way.

But the view of the Feast of Trumpets as the time when God judges the world was pointed out by a man named Abraham P. Block, where he says, this view has its origin in scriptural texts and in the admonitions and proclamations of the prophets in Psalmus, the Rite of the Shofar was another revealing indication of the judgment aspect of the holiday. Another person named Haim Shauls explains that the only difference between the blowing of the shofar on the new moon of other months and that of the seventh month is that short blasts were blown on the new moon of the other months while long alarm blasts. Now, believe it or not, we had some long alarm blasts coming from the shofar when we were outside. Even some of the kids did quite well. So that was encouraging. I know I can do well. If the kids can do well, surely I can do well. I just need to practice a little bit more and get my lips straightened out. So anyway, it's a long alarm blast that is sounded on the new moon of the seventh month. So there was a difference in the way the shofar was blown on the Feast of Trumpets on the seventh month. The blowing of the trumpets was understood to be a call to repent and prepare oneself to stand trial before God who would execute His judgment again 10 days later on the Day of Atonement. The importance of the Feast is indicated by the fact that the Jews anticipated its arrival on the first day of each month on the new moons through short blasts of the shofar. So they were mindful of the Feast of Trumpets coming in the seventh month each month before that when they would blow the shofar in short blasts. These short blasts were in anticipation of the long alarm blasts to be sounded on the new moon of the seventh month. So at the beginning of each month on the new moon, trumpets would be blown as a reminder and a warning of what was to come, the day of judgment or the period of judgment leading up to Atonement. Now let's go to 2 Corinthians 5 and consider a verse here in the New Testament. In light of what we're talking about today, this is a day or a time of judgment for us. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 10, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. This is what the Apostle Paul says, that every one of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

That each one may receive the things done in the body. The body is the temple of God's Holy Spirit. What we do, how we live, is important. We should live intentionally to obey God and to follow Him, to serve Him, to set a proper, godly example of His way and of Him Himself.

It's according to what He has done, whether good or bad. We are being judged on our behavior. How we live.

It says, Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are well known to God. I also trust our well-known in your consciences. God does look at our hearts. God looks into your heart. He sees what type of heart you have, whether it is a stiff-necked, hard-hearted heart, or whether it's malleable, soft, teachable, and repentant.

This Jewish understanding of the Feast of Trumpets as an annual trumpet call to stand trial before God and seek His cleansing grace is certainly relevant for us Christians today.

After all, we too must be reminded periodically that we will appear before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. In fact, we are appearing daily before the judgment seat of Christ. Look at it that way. Every day you live, you're appearing before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. Each and every day you appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Christ sees it all. Christ is the Good Shepherd. He knows what's going on with His sheep. He knows the choices, the decisions that you make. And your decisions will follow you into eternity.

So keep that in mind as you live your daily life that you are coming before judgment each and every day of your life. The blast of trumpets on the Feast of Trumpets provides a much-needed annual wake-up call to prepare oneself to stand before God's judgment. And by the way, I think we have started a tradition of a blowing of trumpets. Some of the kids said, we should do this every year. And I think we'll plan on doing that. Every year, I'll try to remember to bring the horn, the shofar, and whoever wants to blow the trumpet on the day of trumpets will have an opportunity to do so. So it is to act as an annual wake-up call to prepare ourselves to stand before God's judgment throne by repenting and forsaking our sinful ways. I'd like to quote from Rabbi Irving Greenberg again. He helps us capture the mood of the 10 days of penitence, these 10 days leading up to the day of atonement, by giving us this vivid description. On Rosh Hashanah, the trial opens. The judge enters and takes the bench. The evidence is reviewed. Individual Jews hasten forward to plead their cases. The liturgy attempts to capture this mood. On Rosh Hashanah, on the Feast of Trumpets, God as creator and ruler is the central focus of the prayer. The divine quality of awesomeness and judgment stand out in the human mind. By the time of Yom Kippur, the primary liturgical focus shifts to the trial itself and to God's mercy, which more than anything else, sustains the people in the process of the judgment.

Now, it is a pretty weighty thing, I understand, to go before a judge. I've had to go before a judge a few times. Traffic violations. You know, it's kind of unnerving to a point. If I had to go before a judge that could lock me up, I wasn't worried about getting locked up. When I went before the traffic judge, I was just trying to lessen my fine. But I could see where if you were, you know, if you were being judged for murder, let's say, and you didn't do it, but the evidence tended to point that you had, you know, that could be pretty scary. Well, so there's a lot of tension going on, is what I'm saying. So, get back to Rabbi Irving Greenberg. He says, as the trial wears on, the initial panic or tension lightens. And the people relax enough to see that the judge is not an impersonal authority who will be relentless, but rather, what good fortune, he is a loving old friend who will do all to show mercy. So, people look at God in different ways. Some look at God as very harsh. Others look at God as an old friend, merciful and loving and kind and compassionate. So, I found that an interesting quote from Rabbi Irving Greenberg. Also, a medieval rabbi named Nachomanitis, not the same as mac or whatever mamanitis, but this is Nachomanitis, he suggested that in human experience, Rosh Hashanah is a day of judgment with mercy, while Yom Kippur is a day of mercy with judgment. I'll let you think about that one. So, a piece of trumpets is a day of judgment with mercy, while Yom Kippur is a day of mercy with judgment. Now, let's talk about something they do bring from the Bible, and that's the casting away of sins. The casting away of our sins. One of the most suggestive Jewish ceremonies of the Feast of Trumpets is the Tashlik. That's T-A-S-H-L-I-C-H. The Tashlik is the symbolic casting away of sins into a body of water. After the morning religious service of Rosh Hashanah, people go to rivers, they go to oceans, lakes, or anybody of living waters, and they recite special prayers of repentance, such as, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea, and may you cast all the sins of your people, the house of Israel, into a place where they shall no more be remembered, or visited, or ever come to mind. After the prayer, the people will shake crumbs from their pockets. I'm assuming these are leavened crumbs. They will shake crumbs from their pockets into the water to express their belief that as the crumbs float away, so God will carry away their sins represented by the crumbs. So the inspiration for this symbolic ceremony, the Tashlik, as well as the name of the ritual, is derived from Micah, chapter 7. Let's go to Micah, chapter 7. Let's see where they get this. Why they do this. Micah, chapter 7, verse 16.

It doesn't mean we have to do this, of course. It doesn't say that you have to do this ceremony, but this is where the Jews came up with this idea. Micah, chapter 7, verse 16. The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might. They shall put their hand over their mouth. They will become ashamed of what they've done. Their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent. They shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth. They shall be afraid of the Lord our God. That's coming when the whole earth is shaken by God. People are humbled, and they try to hide in the rocks and the clefts of the rocks. They shall be afraid of the Lord our God and shall fear because of you. Verse 18. Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever. God does not retain His anger forever because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all of our sins into the depths of the sea. God is going to cast all of our sins into the depths of the sea, where they will be remembered no more. Aren't you glad that your sins are going to be completely wiped out? I'm certainly glad. I wouldn't want you to know all of my sins. I doubt whether you would want me to know all of your sins. So I'm certainly grateful that God is doing that. That He is a merciful, loving God. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which you have sworn to our fathers from days of old. So that's how they get this, casting all of our sins into the depths of the sea. And they add the crumbs in there to make it a little more meaningful, casting our sins away into the depths of the sea. According to Samuel Bakkioki, the blowing of the shofar during the 10 days of penitence, those days of all, served not only to call upon the Jews to repent, but also to reassure them that God would remember and vindicate them on the day of judgment. The 10 days preceding the day of atonement were not an abstract theological truth. These 10 days, but an existential reality lived out with real trumpet calls to repentance, trusting in God's mercy to vindicate them. So, you know, that's actually a pretty good lesson to learn, is that God does send us warnings. He sends us trumpet calls, calls to repent, calls to put away our sins, to cast our sins into the sea, that they might be forgotten and forever gone. So, brethren, we are greatly blessed to know a deeper meaning of the Feast of Trumpets. I'm talking about what the Church of God understands, that Christ has already returned, He's already come once, He's coming back again at the the blast of the 7th Trumpet. Christ is returning, and at that time there will be a first resurrection, a better resurrection, and the saints will be changed to spirit. Those who will rule and reign with Christ to know that now is our day of salvation is critically important. Now is your day of salvation. We are among the first fruits. We are to be the called chosen and faithful. So, again, we must remain faithful. So, let's utilize our entire lives, but let's think about the next 10 days, because we can do that. 10 days between now and Atonement. I want you to reflect on these days. Remember that you are coming before God in judgment. He's judging you. So, pray like you've never prayed before.

Go to God. Remember one another. Fellowship with one another as much as you can. The Sabbath will be here. Rejoice in the fact that you are called now, that you are chosen now, that now is your day of salvation. God is loving and merciful, and He is kind, but He does expect us to learn the lessons of the spring Holy Days. Have you learned those lessons well? Are you applying them in your life? Are you becoming unleavened day by day? If so, you will not need to fear the tumultuous days ahead. God will see you through those days. So, brethren, let's look forward to the return of Jesus Christ. Let's look forward to the fulfillment of this day, this blowing of trumpets. To us, the blowing of the last trumpet will indeed be a day of great, great rejoicing.