For “Scripture Sunday”: The Feast of Trumpets is celebrated all over the world this week:
Rosh Hashanah 2017: Rosh Hashanah, The Feast of Trumpets begins at sunset Wednesday, September 20, 2017 and ends at nightfall Friday, September 22, 2017.
The Feast of Trumpets: Alarm of War, Announcement of Peace.“Trumpets are used as signals of important events, and the Bible describes earthshaking end-time events that are pictured by the Feast of Trumpets.
The first three festivals, Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost, reenact events that have already taken place and are ongoing in the lives of Christians. The last four festivals listed in Leviticus 23 preview dramatic future events in God’s plan of salvation. All four festivals occur during the fall harvest season in the Holy Land.
The fall festivals begin with the Feast of Trumpets. Trumpets are used as signals of important events, and the Bible describes earthshaking end-time events that are pictured by this festival.
Trumpet plagues
The book of Revelation lists seven terrible plagues announced by seven trumpets (Revelation 8-11). These plagues will come in the times just ahead of us because of humanity’s sins. Consider the sixth trumpet and its announcement of a 200-million-man army preparing for a battle that will kill a third of humanity (Revelation 9:16-18). In spite of these punishments, human leaders and their subjects will continue to pursue selfish and ungodly goals and sins (Revelation 9:20-21).
Thankfully, the seventh trumpet also heralds good news: “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 shall reign forever and ever!’” (Revelation 11:15).
Finally Jesus Christ will intervene in world affairs to stop humanity from self-destruction (Matthew 24:21-22). He will then begin to establish His long-promised utopian Kingdom of God.
The first resurrection to eternal life
At Jesus Christ’s return another incredible event will occur. The apostle Paul announced it this way:
“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. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Paul also made clear that this would occur when Jesus Christ was returning (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
The Feast of Trumpets focuses on these pivotal events that signal the end of human rule and the establishment of God’s wonderful Kingdom on earth.
Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19 recount the final battle when the evil end-time “beast” and other world leaders try to fight the returning Christ. They will prove no match to our all-powerful Messiah, and the stage will be set for the fifth step in God’s plan, pictured by the Day of Atonement.”
From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/feast-of-trumpets/
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The Feast of Trumpets, A Turning Point in History.
“The Feast of Trumpets depicts the return of Jesus Christ to earth to establish the Kingdom of God.
God instructed ancient Israel in the appropriate use of trumpets—a hollow animal horn, known as a shofar, and metal instruments—to communicate important messages.
The Feast of Trumpets introduces the autumn festivals—representing the culmination of the present age of man and the beginning of an incredible time during which God will play a much more direct part in world events. Indeed, this festival, a Holy Day, signals the intervention of God in the affairs of humanity on a global basis. The Feast of Trumpets thus represents a dramatic turning point in mankind’s history.
This particular festival also marks the beginning of the third and final feast season (Exodus 23:14; Deuteronomy 16:16), which includes the final four Holy Days of the year.
The return of Jesus Christ!
The Feast of Trumpets depicts nothing less than the return of Jesus Christ to the earth to establish the Kingdom of God! The book of Revelation reveals a sequence of earth-shaking events heralded by angels sounding a series of seven trumpet blasts. The seventh angel’s sounding of the last trumpet signifies that “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15, English Standard Version). The Bible foretells that at this time Jesus Christ will at last return to the earth. Of all the prophecies in the Bible, this one surely heralds the most exciting news possible for this weary, sin-filled world!
The Feast of Trumpets also marks the future fulfillment of the many Old Testament prophecies that speak of a Messiah coming as a king of the line of David who will sit on the throne of Israel and rule with power and authority over all nations. The concept of a conquering Messiah was on the minds of the apostles immediately after Jesus’ resurrection. When He appeared to them just before returning to heaven, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).
Even in His earthly ministry, Jesus had spoken of distinctions between His first and second comings. When Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, questioned Him before the crucifixion, Jesus stated clearly that He had not come to rule at that time. “My kingdom is not of this world,” Jesus told the governor. “If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” So Pilate asked Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus responded that He was: “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth” (John 18:36-37).
After Christ’s resurrection, the apostles excitedly anticipated the fulfillment of Jesus’ promises. They were aware of messianic prophecies such as Isaiah’s that describe a time when “the government will be upon His shoulder” and “of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
In answer to the apostles’ question as to whether He would then establish the Kingdom, Jesus told them it was not for them to know the “times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (Acts 1:7). Instead, Christ told them to focus on spreading the gospel—the good news—throughout the world. Later, in due time, the apostles realized that His second coming was not necessarily imminent. Numerous scriptures describe the saints as eagerly looking forward to His return.
Why the symbolism of trumpets?
The excitement of this Holy Day, picturing these monumental events, is captured in the symbolism of this festival. Ancient Israel celebrated it with “a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts” (Leviticus 23:24, NIV).
What is the significance of the dramatic sounds accompanying the observance of this day? To help us understand the symbolism of trumpets, let’s consider the use of that musical instrument in the Bible.
God instructed ancient Israel in the appropriate use of trumpets—in that day, a hollow animal horn, known as a shofar, and metal instruments—to communicate important messages. The sounding of one silver trumpet meant a meeting of the leaders of Israel. Two sounded to call a gathering of all of the people (Numbers 10:3-4). God also used a shofar to herald His meeting with Israel when He descended upon Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16).
Trumpets could also sound a warning. Numbers 10:9 states, “When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets.” In this case the trumpets sounded a warning of impending danger and imminent warfare.
Trumpets could also furnish a festive sound: “Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets . . . and they shall be a memorial for you before your God” (Numbers 10:10).
With their ability to transmit sound over great distances, trumpets were in ancient times excellent instruments for attracting people’s attention. In connection with this feast day, Psalms 81:3 exhorts, “Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon … on our solemn feast day.”
Complete article at: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/gods-holy-day-plan-the-promise-of-hope-for-all-mankind/the-feast-of-0
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Update:
I have been busy all week, but it doesn’t really show. Just catching up on things around the house, and answering the ad that I put in the local website for some part-time help. Jay got drunk and was nasty to me on the phone after I had caught him taking things that didn’t belong to him, so when he called again, all nice, asking if he could come back to work, I said “You’ve got to be kidding!!”.
The four kittens left on Wednesday evening to go to Chris’ so that she could take them to the vet early on Thusday for their neutering surgeries. She took care of them on Thursday night and Friday then took them to our SPCA Cat Habitat inside Petco on Saturday. They will be there for about 4 weeks. They should show well and there should be some adoption applications for them soon. Also on Thursday she brought me a tortoiseshell cat called Flower to stay with me. Flower and her folks were in the flood so I am taking care of her until they get their home back in order. So now I have two ‘torties’ here and they look very much alike except for their body size. My foster cat, Puddin is fatter. Flower and Puddin just avoid each other, but at least they aren’t fighting.
So on Thurday morning I cleaned up my grooming room and cleaned the cages where I had kept the four kittens. I have the cages up at table height as I can’t go grovelling on the floor to tend to cats in cages. But the cages needed to be got down to clean underneath them, and I just can’t do it by myself. Also I have a lot of stuff here that I need to get down to take pictures to sell it. That’s when I knew that I have to have some part time help. But even though the pay has not been discussed, people just don’t show up.
My van is back, but with the price of mechanics these days, it might as well have gone in for gold-plating, so I was able to drive myself to church. I took a crockpot of organic chicken and veggies, and another smaller one with steamed, buttered new potatoes, and some more hydroponic butter lettuce.
The Bible readings were Deut. 7:12-11:25, Isa. 49:14-51:3, Heb. 11:8-12 and Rom. 8:31-39. The teaching was about ‘Spiritual Warfare’, and also how we need each other’s fellowship to keep us on the right path.
Our church is going to celebrate the two day Feast of Trumpets on Friday, and then we will have another Sabbath the next day. So we are going to take enough food for two days.
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