The Four Themes of the Feast of Trumpets

What are the four principal themes of the Feast of Trumpets? They are resurrection, judgment, tribulation, and or war both, and victory. Those four themes—resurrection, judgment, tribulation, and victory. Today we shall focus more on resurrection and victory.

Jewish tradition holds that Rosh Hashanah celebrates the anniversary of the creation of the world. And also, continuing after the creation, it is a day when God takes stock of all of His creations, like to step back and view the whole creation, view the universe. Imagine what that would be like if you had that power to step back and view the whole creation, the universe. We scientists are discovering more and more heavenly bodies and even galaxies that are hundreds of light years away. It seems there's no end to the universe. It's almost infinite. And then to look upon the earth and the ones that He's created in His own image, the ones who are destined, if they follow the right way, to become sons and daughters in the kingdom of God. So according to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah celebrates the anniversary of the creation of the world at a time when God just steps back and looks at the whole creation. The word Rosh Hashanah means head of the year. The word Rosh, R-O-S-H, means head, and Hashanah means years. Jews believe that God's judgment on this day determines the course of the coming year. The Jews observe two New Year's days each year. The first is in the month of Nisan, the first month of the sacred calendar. And then they observe this day, the first day of the civil calendar. The seventh month is called Tishri, and it begins the new civil year. So the sacred year begins the first day of Nisan, and then this day begins the civil year. The Jews call the day Rosh Hashanah, as we've noted, the head of the year. And they also, of course, know that this is the day in which the Feast of Trumpets is to be kept. Rosh Hashanah is celebrated for two days by the Jews. The second day was added by the rabbis around 500 B.C. But of course, we follow what the Bible says, and the benefit of talking about what the Jews do is, of course, Jesus was a Jew. He's praying from the tribe of Judah. And a lot of the symbolism that is involved with the Holy Days is applicable in the spiritual sense as well. So let's turn to Leviticus 23 and verse 23. Of course, in Leviticus 23, all of the Holy Days are listed. And briefly, not much is said here about the Feast of Trumpets in Leviticus 23.

Leviticus 23 and verse 23, The Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, speaking to the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, Rosh Hashanah, the head of the year, the head of the civil year, shall you have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing trumpets and holy convocation.

Now, the word, Trumpets, is not in the original text. It is assumed that it is blowing trumpets. And the same is true in Numbers 29 and verse 1. As you heard in the sermon, there are two different kinds of trumpets that are spoken of in the Old Testament. One, the silver trumpets, the katso-tosua.

And you can try to say that, too, but...

And also, the shofar, or the ram's horn. The shofar was the one that was blown on the Feast of Trumpets.

The shofar is distinctive from the silver trumpets blown on the other new moons.

Silver trumpets were sounded at the daily burn offerings at the beginning of each new month. But the shofar specifically was blown on the beginning of the seventh month tishri. So, it is seen as showing feature of the Feast of Trumpets as a climatic blast. The Jews call it the tekiyot shofar.

This is not the usual series of short blasts signaling the alarm of bad news or call to arms or an emergency. Rather, this blast of the shofar on the day of trumpets is a blast signaling good news or victory.

This is apparently the last blast that is referred to as the last trump.

In Jewish circles, it is called the Day of the Awakening Blast. It was a different long blast that continued for some time.

They call it the Day of the Awakening Blast because, according to Jewish tradition, it is the blast that awakens the dead. We know that God the Father and Jesus Christ are the ones that awaken the dead, but that's according to their tradition. So the Jews have historically associated the Feast of Trumpets with the resurrection of the dead. The resurrection of the dead is a cornerstone in God's plan of salvation.

Where would we be without the resurrection of the dead?

The understanding of the resurrection of the dead dates back at least to the days of Abraham and perhaps earlier. Look at Hebrews 11. I find some of this in the Old Testament. We're going to look at some of the accounts of resurrection in the Old Testament.

I find this fascinating. In Hebrews 11, we call it the Faith Chapter, where faith is mentioned. The definition of faith is given. And then examples of men and women who were faithful through the ages.

We note here in Hebrews 11 and 17 specifically this example of Abraham and Isaac. In Hebrews 11, verse 17, By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises, offered up his only begotten son.

Obviously, you just imagine what consternation that would be when you had been promised a son. And through Abraham, it also had been promised that through his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. But now he's asked to sacrifice the son. But Abraham was so filled with faith, notice this, of whom it was said that in Isaac shall your seed be called. And that is one seed, and that seed of course is Christ, as in Galatians 3, verses 15, 16, 17, accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure. In other words, in Abraham's mind, even though he might be called upon to kill Isaac, he was as good as alive in resurrection. So Abraham knew about the resurrection. In Job 14, verse 14, we often read these two verses here. In Job 14, at funerals, Job 14 and verse 14, of course some scholars would debate whether Job was older than Abraham. In the chronological sense, did Job come before Abraham or Job after Abraham? Remember back in the days of worldwide, we even had an article talking about the Ephraim building the pyramid, speculating that perhaps Job was a key ops, and one of the ones who built, or the one who built the Great Pyramid. But that aside, we do know this, we look at Job 14. If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come. You shall call and will answer. You shall have a desire to the work of your hand. So Job had an understanding of the resurrection. The prophet Ezekiel spoke of a great resurrection. We generally read this on the eighth day with regard to everyone having an opportunity for salvation. We'll note now in Ezekiel 37, remember what we're doing, we're showing that the understanding of resurrection goes back into the Old Testament a long ways, for sure, back to the days of Abraham. So here in Ezekiel 37, verse 12, this is the account of Judah and Israel coming together as one stick. They are raised to physical life. So we're seeing that sprinkled through the Old Testament examples of resurrection. In Ezekiel 37, verse 12, Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O my people, I will open your graves and cause you to come out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel, resurrection from the dead. This is resurrection to physical life, their opportunity for salvation. And of course, all peoples who've ever lived will have an opportunity. And you shall know that I am the Eternal, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves. So once again, the resurrection here, that's a physical resurrection, opportunity for salvation. The prophet Isaiah spoke of the resurrection of the dead. You might be surprised at some of these scriptures with regard to resurrection, because some of them are quoted in the New Testament as well. Look at Isaiah 25, Isaiah 25, and verse 8.

In Isaiah 25 and verse 8, I find Isaiah, say, from chapter 20 through chapter 30, and Isaiah just so fascinating as one word. If you've never read and studied those chapters, I would encourage you to do so.

One of the things that we have not done very well is just to teach the whole book of Isaiah. It's very difficult to do. There are 66 chapters, and you could be in the church for 40-50 years, and just occasionally in a sermon or Bible study, someone would turn to the book of Isaiah. But to get the whole picture of Isaiah is quite a study.

In Isaiah 25 and verse 8, You know where that's found in the New Testament? I would say it's in the resurrection chapter. He will swallow up death in victory, and the eternal God will wipe away tears from all faces.

Where would you find that in the New Testament? I would say in Revelation. And the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth, for the eternal has spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, that day is a prophetic utterance. Those two words, three words. In that day. In that day is what's called a prophetic utterance, that it introduces a prophetic truth. And in that day, Lo, this is, they shall say, or shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God. We have waited for him. He will save us. This is the eternal. We have waited on him.

We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. So you cannot even imagine the joy that's going to be. There's great joy in heaven when one sinner repents. How much joy is there going to be when God and Christ raise people out of their graves as born spirit beings? We'll talk about resurrection being equated with birth in a moment or two. Look at Isaiah 26 in verse 18. In Isaiah 26 and verse 18, we have been with child. See, we have been with child. So the analogy here is like a woman that is pregnant.

The church in the womb of her mother, and at a certain time she is in travail. We'll read Isaiah 66 in a moment. She then is born. So that's what it's talking about. We have been with child. We have been in pain, travail, tribulation. The church will be in mourning. We have, as it were, brought forth seed. We have not brought any deliverance in the earth, neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. The dead men shall live together with my dead body, shall they arise awake and sing, you that dwell in the dust, for your dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Once again, resurrection. Now look at this in Isaiah 52, verse 1. Just to imagine what you're going to look at, as I use the expression very often, a glorious, radiant spirit being. What will you look like as a glorious, radiant spirit being? In Isaiah 52, verse 1, Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion. Now what is Zion symbolic of? Of course, Zion is a literal geographical place in the environs of Jerusalem south of the Temple Mount. But Zion also symbolizes a church. Remember Hebrews 12, 22, 23, for you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the general assembly of the church of the firstborn.

Awake, awake, put on your strength, put on your beautiful garments. See, you don't put beautiful garments on a geographical place. Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city. And sometimes Zion and Jerusalem are used interchangeably. And in Galatians 4, verse 26, I think it is, it says that the Jerusalem above is the mother of us all. So Jerusalem, in that sense, is referred to as the church. The holy city, for henceforth there shall no more come unto you, the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Shake yourself from the dust, arise and sit down, O Jerusalem. Loose yourself from the bands of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. That mourning and that travail and that pain of this current life shall cease on the resurrection of the dead. Now we look at Isaiah 66, once again using the analogy of human birth to the birth of the saints as spirit beings. In Isaiah 66, verse 5, Hear the word of the Eternal, you that tremble at his word, your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified, but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

Oh, there's going to come so great a persecution on the church that it will be unbelievable as Satan and his minions attempt to destroy it. And they shall be ashamed, a voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice from the Eternal that renderers recompense to his enemies. Before she travail, she brought forth, before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child. Where would you find that in the New Testament?

Well, try Revelation 12. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such a thing? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day, or shall a nation be born? Yes, you are a holy nation. First Peter 2 and verse 9. Shall a nation be born at once, for as soon as Zion travailed, as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring forth the birth, and not cause to bring forth, says the Eternal? Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the wound, says your God? Rejoice you with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you that love her.

Rejoice for joy with her, all you that mourn for her. One of the most beautiful places in the whole Bible, and we sing this with regard to resurrection and the equating of resurrection with birth in the Old Testament, is found in Psalm 87. And we sing this, glorious things of the earth, spoken Zion, O City of our God. Let's read that. When I sing this psalm, and as it just happened, when I talked about this, it's sort of like chills went up over the side of my face.

In this case, sometimes the nape of your neck, as you sing about yourself, Zion, Psalm 87. His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion, spiritual Israel, more than the gates of Jacob. Generally, Jacob refers to physical Israel in the Old Testament.

Glorious things of thee are spoken, O City of God. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know not, Behold, Philistea and Tyre with Ethiopia, this man was born there. Born where?

Next verse. And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her, in Zion. How is that possible? Everybody is not buried in Zion, in the geographical place. There are people who have died in the faith that are scattered all over the face of the earth. Some have been burned to life, some have drowned in the sea, and all kinds of places.

God is going to resurrect these people that are in the Israel of God, in the Zion of God, you might say, No matter where they live or where they were buried.

And of Zion shall it be said, This man was born in her, and the highest himself shall establish her.

I've said this before, but I could say it a thousand times, and some...

I don't even know why I said that.

Juan and I were able to visit Jerusalem in 1988, and we stood on the Temple Mount and looked over to the east, to the Mount of Olives, and saw little white dots sprinkled across there. And I asked the guide, who by the way was in Arab, and the input in Patata was underway.

At that time, and many of the Arab places were closed, but I asked the guide, What are those little dots sprinkled over there? He said, Those are tombstones of Jews who want to be buried there, because they think they'll get a head start on the resurrection, because it says in Zechariah, in that day his foot shall stand on the Mount of Olives.

But I don't think they'll get a head start. You may be buried here in the Glade Water Memorial, and you'll be resurrected at the same time that those... And I don't know if any of those will be in the first resurrection in the first place. They might be in what Ezekiel describes.

And if Zion shall be said, this and that man was born in her, and the highest himself shall establish her, the eternal shall count when he writes up the people that this man was born there. Where? In Zion.

And what does Zion symbolize?

As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there. All my springs are in you.

And springs, water, symbolizes the Holy Spirit. So we see that, and we'll see this also later in the New Testament, of birth being... or resurrection being equated with birth, and I'm already a horse and haven't even begun.

In Daniel chapter 12, we also see resurrection, Daniel chapter 12.

In Daniel chapter 12, of course this is speaking of the very end time, and at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince, which stands for the children of your people, and there shall be a time of trouble, as was never since. Where would you read that in the New Testament?

Matthew 24, the Olivet prophecy, great tribulation.

Also in Revelation chapter 3, Such as was never, there was a nation even to that same time, and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book, the book of life.

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, glorious, radiant spirit beings, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. To some degree that's where I get glorious, radiant spirit beings.

And they shall turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. You shall be made kings and priests, and shall reign upon the earth. Jesus preached the resurrection from the dead, as was one of the cornerstones of his message. We'll look at that in John 5. In John 5, we'll notice Jesus and the apostles preached the resurrection from the dead. John 5, beginning in verse 25.

In John 5.25, Verily, verily, I say unto you that the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they shall, and they that hear, shall live. For as the Father has life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. Now we'll pause there, and we'll come back to this if you want to hold your place there.

This part about the resurrection from the dead, in many places in the New Testament, it says that the Father raised Jesus from the dead, and the Father also, since he is the Father, he is the one that begets us with the Spirit. Jesus Christ plays some kind of role in that, because it says in Titus 3 that the Holy Spirit is shed on us through Christ. We'll read these verses in a moment. And then it says here that he will call, and they shall live. Now look at Acts 13. We were just talking about in Psalm 87 of resurrection being equated with birth, being equated with resurrection.

In Acts 13, and we'll begin in about verse 29, and when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, this is talking about what the Jews did to Jesus Christ, so there are three great sermons that are recorded in the book of Acts, Acts 2, the Pentecost, Acts 7, Stephen, and then Acts 13, Paul's great sermon. You don't hear much about Paul's great sermon in Acts 13, but he preached a great sermon there, and here's part of it.

And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they pilot that he should be slain, whom shall I release unto you, Barabbas or this man? And they said, Barabbas. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a sepulcher. But God raised him from the dead. Many places that are talking about God or the Father, raised him from the dead. And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God has fulfilled the same unto you, their children, in that he has raised up Jesus again, as it had also written in the second psalm. The second psalm talks of resurrection. The second psalm, this is Psalm 2.7. I'm just going to quote it. It says, This day have I begotten you. Now the word in Psalm 2.7 translated begotten in Hebrew is yalat. This is important. You haven't...yalat. Yalat corresponds to ganao in the New Testament.

Yalat can mean begotten or it can mean brought to birth. Ganao can mean begotten or brought to birth. This day have I yalat you. Paul quotes Psalm 2.7. He uses ganao instead of yalat, of course, because New Testament is written in Greek. So we look at it, verse 33 again. God has fulfilled the same unto you, his children, in that he has raised up Jesus again, as it was written in the second psalm. You are my son.

This day have I, ganao you, brought you to birth. And as concerning that, he raised him up from the dead. Now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise. I will give him the surer mercies of David. Now you look back in Romans 8, Romans 8, about this resurrection from the dead. Romans 8, verse 11. Romans 8 and verse 11. But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, the spirit of him, we just read it was the Father, that raised him up from the dead, dwell in you.

He that raised up Christ, who raised up Christ? He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also make alive your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwells in you. The same spirit that is in God, that is in Christ, that is in us, there is one spirit, as it says in Ephesians chapter 4. We are in unity through that one spirit. Now you look at Romans 8, 29. Notice what it says. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

How did he become the firstborn among many brethren? By the resurrection from the dead. Look at Revelation 1, verse 5. Revelation 1, verse 5. See, when Paul was confronting the philosophers on Mars Hill, and he talked about the resurrection of the dead, oh, they made fun of him. And eventually, even say there were two main sects, S-A-C-T-S, of the Jews, the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, and the Pharisees did.

In Revelation 1, 5, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the firstborn, Prototocos, the Greek word is Prototocos, and the firstborn of the dead. How was he born through a resurrection? He was raised from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us and watched us from our sins in his own blood.

The Apostle Paul preached the resurrection from the dead. If we have hope in this life, we are of all men most miserable. So let's look at 1 Corinthians 15. In 1 Corinthians 15, verse 12, Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection from the dead?

There were people attending the church in Corinth who were saying there was no resurrection from the dead. How is that possible? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen? And if Christ be not risen, then as our preaching vain and your faith is also vain. Now look at 20, but now as Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept, for since by man came death, on man came the resurrection of the dead, for his anatom all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

But every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits afterward, they that are Christ had his coming. So the resurrection from the dead. Does the resurrection and the second coming occur at precisely the same time? According to Revelation 10, let's go to Revelation 10, Revelation 10, it says when the seventh angel begins to sound, the days in which the seventh angel begins to sound, the mystery of God should be finished.

The great mystery is how that man born of the flesh, born of woman, can become a spirit bee. See, that's the great mystery. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Jesus Christ went through that same process. He was born of woman. He had the Holy Spirit without measure. But yet he was a man. And when he died, he died as some say all over. There was no consciousness in the grave.

We have read several scriptures that talk about how he was resurrected and became the firstborn among many brethren. We go through that same process. Begotten of the Spirit, tried, tested in this life. We die in the faith, awaiting the resurrection. Revelation 10, verse 6, that's several places in the Bible. 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 has declared to his servants the prophets. And we have read several of the prophets that understood about the resurrection from the dead.

And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke again and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which stands upon the sea and upon the earth. Of course, it talks about this book, and the witness has to be made again.

So the resurrection takes place as this angel begins to sound, according to the Bible, not according to Donald Ward, or anybody else, any other human, is what it says. We'll read it again. And 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 has declared to his servants the prophets. Now, you recall from Leviticus 23 verse 24, it is a memorial of the blowing of trumpets, and when the seventh angel begins to sound, the Scriptures emphasizes the resurrection at the blowing of the last trump. So let's notice that. We'll go back to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 50. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, according to this. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Now, spirit beings are going to rule over physical beings in the millennium. He has made us kings and priests. We shall reign on the earth. One of our great purposes will be to help God the Father and Jesus Christ bring all nations into a relationship with God and Christ and into the Israel of God. Now this I say, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Neither does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we all shall be changed. In a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, when the seventh angel begins to sound, the mystery of God should be finished. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality. We do not have an inherent immortality. We do not have an immortal soul. Soul is what you are, not something you possess. We speak of soul and use it interchangeably as the center of the very essence and being of a person, especially in the feeling and compassion sense. Does he have heart? Does he have soul? For the corruptible must put on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, this mortal shall put on immortality. Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. Remember, we read this from Isaiah 25. Death is swallowed up in victory. What did I say about those themes of the day of trumpets? Oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, grave, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be unto God, which gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. If God be for you, who can be against you? Jesus Christ is there fighting our battles. We have faith. I don't know if any of us have in our minds that you're resurrected on the Feast of Trumpets, caught up in the air, attend the marriage supper of the Lamb, come back with Christ to fight the battle of the great day of God Almighty in a 24-hour period. As was brought out in the sermon, there are seven vials of wrath that are to be poured out. Let's turn to Revelation 16. There are seven vials of wrath that are to be poured out. So the seventh trumpet is divided also into these seven vials of wrath. And the battle of the great day of God Almighty comes down later, even in the vials of wrath. In Revelation 16, verse 1, you'll notice here the word trumpet is not used. And I heard a great voice. Of course, trumpet can be symbolic of voice. A voice can be symbolic of trumpet. I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, pour out the vials of his wrath of God, of the wrath of God upon the earth.

And the first went forth, poured out his vial upon the earth, and there fell a noisome grievous sower upon the men, which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And there's no record of anyone repenting during this period of time. And we come on down to verse 12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water therein was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. So these three, called the unholy triad, the unholy triad of Satan the devil, the beast and false prophet are still in league at this time.

For they are the spirits of devils, demons, working miracles which go forth to the kings of the earth and the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Of course, then the warning to us. And you might wonder about verses 15 and 16. With all of these things going on, how would he write, Behold, I come as a thief. This is verse 15. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments lest he walk naked and they shall see his shame. And he gathered them together, that are these nations, these armies, into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And then the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air. There came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done. Voices thundering. Verse 15, the great city was divided. Verse 20, the islands fled. Verse 21, There was fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent. And men blasphemed God, blasphemed God, because of the hail, for the plagues thereof was exceeding great. The Feast of Trumpets is also known as the coronation of the Messiah, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, when he shall begin to reign as Messiah. Psalm 45, if you'll turn there, is often referred to as the great coronation and marriage ceremony hymn that describes the coronation of the King and his bride. Psalm 45, if you'll turn to Psalm 45. Yes, the only page in the Bible that's torn three places. Psalm 45, verse 1, My heart is indicting a good matter. I speak of the things which I have made touching the King. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. You are fairer than the children of men. Grace is poured upon your lips. Therefore God has blessed you forever. You heard your sword upon your thigh, almost mighty, with the glory and your majesty. And in your majesty, right prosperously, because of truth and meekness and righteousness, in your right hand shall touch these terrible things. These arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies, whereby the people fell under you. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. This is quoted in Hebrews chapter 1. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. Your scepter of your kingdom is a right scepter. You love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, hath anointed you. Therefore God, your God. You get that? Therefore God, your God.

God the Father has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows. And it goes on to describe the coronation ceremony. You look at verse 13. You know, the King's daughter is all glorious. Within her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework. The virgins, her companions that follow her, shall be brought unto you. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought. They shall enter into the King's palace. You can see why this is called the coronation psalm or hymn. In the Jewish wedding, the groom comes for his bride like a thief in the night to take her away into the bridal chamber for the bridal week at his father's house. Because the Feast of Trumpets falls on the first day of the seventh month, it falls on a new moon. That is, when the first sliver of the new moon appears in the evening skies where the rabbis or the priests can discern it, it's the beginning of the lunar month. Sometime tomorrow, I think it's three something in the afternoon, the official date for the beginning of fall begins. It's down to hour, minute, second, so on. But there was always uncertainty as to when the new moon would appear or it could be seen, especially if it were cloudy.

Now, some people believe that, and I don't necessarily believe this, but just this and some of the speculation that you find out there, some people believe that it is for this reason that Jesus spoke of his coming in Matthew 25 in the way that he did, but there's much, much more in that. Let's look at that in Matthew 25, the parable of the ten virgins.

The parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25, and a lot of people let this pass over their head, Matthew 25 is a part of the Olivet prophecy. Let me say that again. If you don't have that firmly in your thinking, place it there. Matthew 25 is a part of the Olivet prophecy.

It is a continuation. The Olivet prophecy doesn't end until the first verse, maybe the second verse of chapter 26.

See, in these events that are described where the apostles ask what shall be the sign of your coming in the end of the age, and Jesus gives all these various things in chapter 24.

Then he comes down to chapter 25 verse 1. Then, when? When all of those things are taking place in 24. When all of the things are taking place in 24. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto a virgin, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

Five of them were wise, five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels, while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. See, in Matthew 24 it warns about saying, My Lord delays his coming, and going out and doing your usual thing, especially that of speaking evil and slaying your brother. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold the bridegroom comes, go you out to meet him. Then all these virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And one of the main things, what do you get out of this, is one of the main things. Well, two or three main things. One, all of them are asleep.

It takes, apparently, all of them by surprise. But five were wise, they had oil in their lamps. Five were not. Now, you look at the warning in verse 13. In view of this, verse 13, What you therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour, see, that's where people get this, well, they can completely say that the new year had begun because they hadn't seen the sliver of the moon or whatever. But it's much more than that. What you therefore, for you neither know the day nor the hour, wherein the Son of Man comes.

The literal and spiritual fulfillment of each of the Holy Days marks a great epic in the plan of God.

Let's briefly look at that. This is very important. See, Passover, Jesus Christ was slain on the day of Pentecost.

Jesus Christ was slain. He was crucified on Passover. If you look at the literal fulfillment in the physical sense, on Passover, they sprinkled, they slaughtered lambs and ticked the blood, sprinkled it on the doorpost, and God passed over their household, and they were freed from the slavery of Egypt, symbolic of sin and death.

Jesus Christ was literally killed, crucified on the day of Passover, enabling us to be free from the penalty of sin and death and escape spiritual Egypt. Also, Jesus Christ was the wave sheath who was waved before the Father, and His sacrifice accepted, making it possible for sin to be remitted and for sin to be put out of our lives.

On the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, according to Jewish tradition, they crossed the Red Sea.

See, we, then after repentance and faith in the sacrifice of Christ, we are baptized.

And from that point on, we are to live the resurrected life, where the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost.

Now, if you go back, according to Jewish tradition, the law was given on the day of Pentecost.

The law of the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20, was given on the day of Pentecost.

On the day of Pentecost, God sent the Holy Spirit.

And the Holy Spirit then is the down payment on eternal life and helps us to overcome and to obey the spiritual law of God.

So we should be reminded of the spiritual applications of the Holy Days and apply it to our lives right now.

So since the Feast of Trumpet pictures resurrection, we are to live the resurrected life now.

We are to live on top of the water, as it were.

Look at Romans 6.

Romans 6.

In baptismal counseling, I draw a little wavy line.

I put a representing water, baptismal water.

Then I draw a little stick man under the water.

And so this is the old man being put to death.

Then I draw a stick man on top of the water with a smile on his face. He is now to live on top of the water and keep that old man down.

In other words, he is to live the resurrected life now.

So in Romans 6, in verse 4, Therefore we are beared with him by baptism unto death, that is like Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, which we have thoroughly covered. Even so, we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, under the water, to stay under the water, dead, that the body of sin might be destroyed, and henceforth we should not serve sin.

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Now you look at 1 Peter 3.18.

1 Peter 3.18 tells you that you are to live on top of the water, just like it is that death. The resurrected life. 1 Peter 3.18.

For Christ has also suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in his flesh, but made alive in the Spirit. We have read those verses being raised from the dead, by which also he went and preached under the spirits in prison.

Which sometimes were disobedient when the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water. So you can see here that Jesus Christ was very active in Old Testament times. When the ark was preparing, what did he do? He went and preached to the lost souls in prison. The demons who were held in a condition of Tartaroo, and I suspect after the flood the additional restraints were placed on them. Which sometimes were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water. The like figure, listen to this, the like figure wherein two, baptism, does also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, not that part of being under the water, but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, by living on top of the water and putting to death the old man continually.

Now we are in the literal fulfillment in the spiritual sense. We're between Pentecost and trumpets. As far as our own lives, we're to be keeping Passover and leavened bread, Pentecost, trumpets, atonement, putting Satan away, living under God's government as in the millennium now, and also going on to perfection when the whole world will be able to go on to perfection after the last day or the eighth day.

So we are called out now, destined to become a royal priesthood and a holy nation. And we are in that period of time in which all peoples across the face of the earth are beginning to feel the pains that eventually lead to the culmination of life, as we know it on this earth, and a new age, that true new age and the true new world order that this day will usher in. Resurrection, judgment, war, victory. And at midnight the bridegroom came and the wise virgin rose to meet him with her lamps filled with oil.

And the final victory, the final victory, resurrection from the dead. So as we look back at this day and as we sit here today in one of the critical, crucial periods of human history, we too need to really examine ourselves and realize what's before us.

The joy, the what, like Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2.9, I have not seen, ears not heard, neither has it entered in the hearts of man what God has prepared for those that love Him. Awake, O Zion, put on your beautiful garments.

Glorious, radiant spirit beings in resurrection, born of the Spirit of God. Now literally spirit beings in the kingdom of God, heirs of God and joint heirs of Jesus Christ. That's Romans 8, 17.

Brother, there is no weight in human terms that we can fully describe what is in store for all of those who remain faithful through all this period of time. God, through Christ and the Holy Spirit, has given us the wherewithal to have the strength to go through this and hold our heads high.

And as this day draws nigh, let us close with this admonition in Romans chapter 13.

So we will close here with this.

Verse 11, Romans 13. And then knowing that the time now is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness. Let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and in being, but put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh nor the lust thereof. So, brethren, let's put on the armor and let us stand.