Yom Terua -The Feast Of Trumpets

This feast is also known as the Day of Blowing and as Rosh Hashannah (civil new years day when the year number changes, traditionally, the anniversary of Creation, and biblically the first day of the year before Exodus 12.)

Introduction

“…In the fullness of time, God sent forth his Son “(Gal 4:4).
“…when the day of Pentecost had fully come…” (Acts 2:1).

These two scriptures demonstrate that God has specific dates on His Divine Calendar. Some prophetic words have been awaiting fulfillment for thousands of years. They cannot happen until they are scheduled to happen on God’s Calendar,

So far we have dealt with festivals that have ALREADY had their prophetic fulfillment. The remaining festivals did not occur in the early church era, nor can they UNTIL THE FULLNESS OF TIME appointed for them. But the time in which we are now living is very probably the time.

With those few words, let’s press into an understanding of the Feast of Trumpets.

“Say to Israel, ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work but present an offering made to the Lord by fire'” (Lev 23:23-25).

A. PAST AND PROPHETIC ASPECTS

The Feast of Trumpets marked the beginning of the third great festival season observed by Israel. It came at the time of the third, final and greatest of the harvest seasons.

1. The “Ingathering”

You remember, there was a tiny harvest at Firstfruits and a larger springtime harvest at Pentecost; but the greatest harvest came in the late summer. It was called the “ingathering.”

“And thou shall observe … the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.” (Kxo 34:22).

This has great significance for those of us doing the Lord’s work. Jesus told us “…the harvest is the end of the age… ” (Matt 13:39). So we can expect more people to respond to the gospel in the time of the Feast of Trumpets than at any other time in the history of the world. I believe we are now entering this time.

2. From May Until October

There is quite a long period of time between Pentecost and Trumpets. Prophetically this is important.

There is no New Testament record of the Feast of Trumpets being fulfilled.

However, if God fulfilled Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and Pentecost, He will surely fulfill the rest. The question is when?

Could not this long separation between Pentecost and Trumpets suggest this? Just as Pentecost was observed at the springtime harvest and the Feast of Trumpets many months later at the final ingathering – so God began something at Pentecost that He will complete in the last days at the time of the Second Coming of our Lord.

Of Pentecost, Peter says, “But this is the beginning of that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16 amp). What the early Church experienced was the beginning of what would find its finale in our day and time.

3. Trumpets At His Coming

What accompanies Jesus’ Second Coming?

”… They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. “And I shall send forth my angels [messengersj with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast.. ” (Matt 24:30,31).

“Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will 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 imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Cor 15:51,52 nrsv).

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first “(l Thes 4:16).

All this suggests that the Feast of Trumpets has much to do with events at the end of the Church age – the day and time we now live in.

B. THE SEVENTH TRUMPET

“Speak, to the people of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of complete rest, a holy convocation commemorated with trumpet blasts” (Lev 23:24 nrsv).

1. Time Of Rest

The character of the Feast of Trumpets is that it is A TIME OF REST. Jesus teaches us that since Adam and Eve fell into sin, God has not been resting. He works to save and deliver.

Moses sought to bring the Israelites he led out of Egypt across the Jordan into the Promised Land – the place of rest.

However, Hebrews 4:8,9 says that rest never came in the days of Moses, OR Joshua. In fact… because Israel failed to obtain (appropriate) the promise, the promise remains for us today.

“There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work just as God did from his.

“Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following Israel’s example of disobedience”(Heb 4:9-11).

This New Testament statement declares that this Sabbath Rest, this Feast of Trumpets Rest, has still to happen.

In other words, in New Testament days, it has not yet been fulfilled. The Church Age is now almost 2,000 years old. I believe we are near the blowing of trumpets.

The work of God must progress in our day by the power of God, not only by human effort and work. A dear elderly saint told me some years ago, “When we strive and work to make things happen in our strength and power, GOD RESTS. When we rest, and pray, and depend on His Spirit to work mightily through us, HE WORKS and we rest.” I believe that.

a. Body Of Christ Completed.

The story in Revelation 10:7 tells us what will happen when the seventh and last trumpet is about to sound. The message of God at this Trumpet is this: the mystery of God is now to be completed.

Ephesians 3 leaches clearly that the Church is the mystery of God (Eph 3:2-12). The mystery (hidden in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testaent) is that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs with the Jews, having been united in Jesus Christ. The mystery is that Jew and believing Gentile are being formed together into a single Body.

Now the Body of Christ has been in the process of formation since the beginning of the Church on the Day of Pentecost It has not yet been completed.

When a normal human birth takes place, the head comes first. So it is with the Body of Christ, Jesus, the Head, came forth first, and the birth process of the Body is at present being brought into completion.

Paul describes the process in these words:

“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits [at the beginning of the Church age]; afterward [in the last days – at the end of the Church age] they that are Christ’s at his coming” (1 Cor 15:23).

The completion of the Body of Christ is the mystery that is going to be finished at the Seventh (and last) Trumpet. This Body will have great power and authority.

This is illustrated in the “man-child” in Revelation 12. The man-child represents the Body, with Christ as its Head, that will ultimately rule all nations.

b. Daniel’s Prophecy And Vision.

Daniel describes this royal ruling Body.

“But the saints of she most high shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever “(Dan 7:18).

Yet it is clear that Jesus is the Head of this ruling Body or Family. “I saw… one like the Son of Man [Christ] come with the clouds of heaven. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be de- stroyed “(Dan 7:13,14).

Daniel had a vision of a huge statue with a head of gold, shoulders and breast of silver, thighs of brass, legs of iron and feet of part iron and clay. Daniel is told (in Chapter 2) that this statue represents the present and future political kingdoms of the world. It was a symbol and prophetic forecast of coming Gentile world powers and kingdoms. It is an alternative body that does not have Christ as its head, but seeks to rule the world without God.

But in Daniel 2:44 we read that God’s Kingdom will triumph when the age of man’s rulership of the earth ends.

The gold head of this statue represented the man ruling in Daniel’s day in the person of Nebuchadnezzar. He was the head of gold.

The feet of the statue made of iron and clay represent the last of these Gentile world powers who will be ruling in the last days.

c. The Church In The Last Days.

Just as the statue represented a progression of events starting with the head and ending with the feet – so it is with the formation of Christ’s Body. It started with the Head, Christ, and ends with the feet. The feet come last. Thus we conclude that the feet must represent the Church in the last days at the time Jesus comes again.

This is illustrated in Joshua’s conquest of Canaan- “…Joshua culled… and said unto the captains of the men of war … Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them” (Josh 10:24).

By putting their feet on the necks of these kings, they were subduing and demonstrating their dominance over them and their kingdoms.

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread [with your feet] on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke l0:19).

“And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet… “(Rom 16:20).

God will bring all things into submission under Christ’s feet, namely under the Body of Christ…

In the days of the seventh trumpet, the Body of Christ will be fully revealed. At that time all God’s purposes for the natural descendants of Israel and the Spiritual Israel (the Church) will be fulfilled. With this concept, we are able to look at the Word of God from a new perspective altogether. It is as if the veil has been pulled away.

For instance, Ephesians 2:11-22 clearly explains this unity between the natural descendants of Israel and the Body of Christ.

Romans 9-11 also comes into sharp focus, explaining the relationship between the sons of Abraham by flesh and those who are Abraham’s children by faith (Gal 3:6-14).

This Galatian passage does not deny that Israelites arc sons of Abraham. Rather, it emphasizes that those who believe in Jesus Christ become sons of Abraham through their faith in Christ.

Clearly a spirit of wisdom and revelation (Eph 1:18) must come upon us if we are to understand this truth. It is essential if we arc to sense what God is doing in our age.

It is my firm conviction that this is the day that the FEAST OF TRUMPETS is starting to be fulfilled, when the mystery of God is coming to its fulfillment and its consummation.

Look for and expect a great increase in true prophetic voices in this time of blowing of trumpets. The trumpet is God’s chosen symbol of a prophetic voice, crying out warning and instruction.

C. THE SEVENTH MONTH

Numerology is the study of the meaning of numbers in the Bible. Seven is the number of completeness and rest. For example, “…on the seventh day God ended [finished or completed] his work… and he rested on the seventh day from all his work…” (Gen 2:2).

There is good reason to believe the six days of Creation and the seventh day of rest are prophetic in this sense. They lay out God’s timetable for His plan of redemption for mankind.

1. Prophetic Time Measurement

When the Bible says, “…that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2Pet 3:8) – this gives us a rule of measurement for prophetic time.

By this rule, six days would be six thousand years.

From the fall of Adam until Christ came was approximately 4,000 years (four days).

From Christ until the present is approximately 2,000 years (two days).

So we are near the end of the sixth day (4 days + 2 days = 6 days).

The seventh day is about to begin. The seventh day was a day when God’s work was completed and He rested.

2. Three Major Eras Symbolized

There are several passages in the Bible that imply there will be three major eras as outlined above. Lei us briefly examine them.

a. The Tabernacle of Moses.

When you calculate the dimensions of the Outer Court, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, you note this pattern:

The Outer Court was 100 cubits long by 50 cubits wide surrounded by a white linen hanging five cubits high (Exo 27:18). When you add 100 + 100 (the two sides) and 50 + 50 (the two ends) the result is 300 cubits (the horizontal distance around the outer court).

Multiply this by the height of 5 cubits (300×5) and the result is 1,500 sq. cubits. (We calculate sq. cubits because this is open space, not enclosed space. What we are dealing with therefore is the total length, the perimeter, around the enclosure, multiplied by height of the “fence”. Length times height is 2-dimensional, hence has to do with area.) At 1 sq. cubit per year, this was the approximate number of years from Moses to Christ. This represented the Dispensation of Law.

The Holy Place was 20 cubits long, 10 cubits wide and lO cubits high (Exo 26:1- 37), which equals 2,000 cubic cubits. (The Holy Place was totally enclosed, and hence we are dealing with the volume of the 3-dimensional space enclosed.) This represents the Dispensation of Grace (the Church age), which would be 2,000 years (a cubic cubit for a year).

The Holy of Holies was 10 cubits long, 10 cubits wide and 10 cubits high (Exo 26:1-37), which equals 1,000 cubic cubits. This represents the Millennium.

b. Hosea describes the national repentance of Israel in the latter days, and God’s mercy to Israel at that time:

Hosea 6:1: Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces hut he will heal us: he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 6:2: After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence” (niv).

The phrase “after two days” signifies a 2,000-year period (the Church Age or Dispensation of Grace).

The reference to the third day refers to a 1,000-year period when all is restored. This could be nothing else but the Millennium.

c. Jesus’ Words.

King Herod was looking for Jesus to kill Him. The people warned Jesus to flee for His life. Instead, “He said lo them, Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen. I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work'” (Luke 13:32 nrsv).

When Jesus said He would continue to cast out demons and heal the people for two days (today and tomorrow), He was speaking of His work that would continue through the Church for two thousand years (two prophetic days).

He then said He would perfect or finish His work the third day (1,000 years). This is undoubtedly a reference to the Millennium.

Ihis day (1,000-year period) is spoken of in the Bible.

“And he [Jesus] laid hold on … Satan, and bound him a thousand years … Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection … they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (read Revelation 20:2-6).

This 1,000-year period, when the “blessed and holy” are given the privilege of reigning with Christ, is called “the Millennium” by theologians.

Most Bible students believe this is the time when ancient prophecies such as Isaiah’s will be fulfilled.

“In that day the wolf and the lamb will lie down together, and the leopard and goats will be at peace. Calves and fat cattle will be safe among lions, and a little child shall lead them all.

“The cows will graze among bears: cubs and calves will lie down together, and lions will eat grass like the cows.

“Babies will crawl safely among poisonous snakes, and a little child who puts his hand in a nest of deadly adders [snakes] will pull it out unharmed.

“Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so shall the earth befall of the knowledge of the Lord.

“In that day he who created the royal dynasty of David will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, for the land where he lives will be a glorious place ” (Isa 11:6-10 tlb).

This ties in with our study of the Feast of Trumpets. This seventh-month feast is a prophetic pageant of events taking place at the end of the Church age (sixth day) and the beginning of the Millennium (seventh day). If we understand this connection, then many things become understandable in the Bible.

D. A PROPHETIC PAGEANT

Of the Feast of Trumpets the Bible says, “…On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.” (Lev. 23:23-25).

1. Symbolism of the Trumpet

a. Message of Warning

A trumpet symbolizes an urgent prophetic from God (usually a warning) through one of His servants. God says to the prophet Isaiah:

“Cry aloud … lift up your voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions ” (Isa 58:1.2).

In Ezekiel 33, God makes the prophet Ezekiel a watchman to the house of Israel. Ezekiel is appointed to speak to the nation in warning.

“If anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning… his blood will be on his own head”(Eze 33:4).

b. Message Of Mobilization.

The trumpet was also used by the military to communicate a message to mobilize to a large number of soldiers. This concept is found in Paul’s letter:

“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?”(1Cor 14:8).

2. Prophetic Ministries In Last Days

Two things to keep in mind are these:

[1] This Feast is fulfilled as the Church age is ending.
[2] Trumpets speak of PROPHETIC ministries.

I then conclude from this that the consummation of the Church age will be marked by strong prophetic voices raised up by God for these days.

Further, the Scriptures seem to clearly indicate as much.

a. Foretold by Jesus.

Jesus said, “This is what God says about you: ‘I will send prophets and apostles to you, and you will kill some of them and chase away the others'”(Luke ll:49 tlb).

‘Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets… and some of them ye shall kill and crucify, and some of them shall ye… persecute from city to city” (Matt 23:34 kjv).

After being up on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus is having a discussion with His disciples. They ask Him an important question about Malachi’s prophecy some 500 years previous to Jesus’ time: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD”(Mal 4:5).

Note the disciples’ question about this and Jesus’ answer: “And she disciples asked him. Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

“He replied, Elijah is indeed coming [pointing to a future fulfillment) and will restore all things: hut I tell you that Elijah has already come [a present fulfillment], and they did not recognize him… Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist” (Matt 17:10-13 nrsv).

Prophecies can have multiple fulfillments. They often are not exhausted in one occurrence. This is certainly true of Malachi’s prophecy concerning Elijah.

Elijah’s anointing (mantle) rested first upon Elijah, then upon Elisha (2Ki 1:9- 14), then upon John the Baptist. It will rest in the future upon another. I believe that day is not too far distant. The trumpet will again sound (that is, a prophetic voice will again be heard).

Matthew 17 is a little-understood but extremely important passage of Scripture, as it relates to understanding events that happen as the sixth day ends and the seventh begins (the time we are living in now).

I think it worthy of time and space to clearly explain this passage word by word and verse by verse. It gives us a key to understanding the day in which we live.

Matthew 16:28: “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. “

Jesus was going to show His inner circle of three what would be happening when the “Son of Man comes in his kingdom.” What follows is the explanation of how this happened.

Matthew 17:1: “After six days [Why after six days? This is prophetic time. What they saw in vision, will happen. It will be at the end of the Church age – after six days] Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

This inner circle of highly committed followers of Jesus will be the ones who arc drawn by the Spirit into a place where they are alone with the Lord.

Most believers will be too caught up with “…the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, which choke the word…”(Matt 13:22).

For these reasons, they will not respond to the call, “Come up here, and I will show you what must fake place after this” (Rev 4:1 nrsv).

They will not heed the prophetic admonition, “Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth”(Hos 6:3).

Oh, my friend, hear the call to the high mountain to be alone with Jesus until He unfolds the glorious revelation of Himself and His purposes to you!

Matthew 17:2: “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as while as the light.”

Matthew 17:3: “Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.”

This is the essence of “.,. the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. “It is Jesus in His glory communicating with the great prophetic ministries that will appear “…in the end of the age… “(Heb 9:26).

John saw a similar scene in Revelation 8:2: “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.”

Neither time nor space allows us to comment except on the seventh of these angels.

“Then the [seventh] angel whom I saw standing on the sea and the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever…

“There will be no more delay, hut in the days when the seventh angel is to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, as he announced to his servants the prophets” (Rev 10:5-7 nrsv).

We learn several important things from this passage:

1) Angels Are Involved.

Angels (special messengers) are involved in the Feast of Trumpets. Seven trumpets sound – the seventh announces the consummation of the Church age: “…the mystery of God will he consummated, accomplished and fulfilled” (read Ephesians 3:1-11).

2) Secrets Revealed.

The prophetic ministries will receive revelation about the specifics of what is to be. This is consistent with what the Lord told Amos: “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

See how point [2| above is confirmed as we continue with John’s revelation of these days:

“These two prophets… have power to shut the skies so shut no ruin will fall [Elijah’s ministry] during the three and a half years they prophesy, audio turn rivers and oceans to blood, and to send every kind of plague upon the earth as often as they wish [Moses’ ministry] “(Rev 11:4-6 niv).

Does this sound like what the three disciples saw on the mount with Jesus? The essence of “His kingdom coming with power” was Jesus in His glorified Body – and Moses and Elijah with Him.

The outcome of this is described in verses 11-17: “For just then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting down from heaven, ‘The kingdom of this world now belong to our Lord, and to his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.’

“And the twenty-four Elders sitting on their thrones before God threw themselves down in worship, saying. We give thanks, Lord God Almighty, who is and was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign'”(Rev 11:15-17).

b. Will Announce End Of The Age.

It is clear to me that the seventh day (when Christ’s reign begins) will be ushered in by powerful prophetic ministries.

In Jesus’ first visit to earth, His coming was preceded by a strong prophetic voice in the person of John the Baptist. The religious people did not recognize Elijah (in the person of John the Baptist).

I believe it could be that way again. These great prophetic anointings will fall on persons around the world. But only those who have eyes to see by the Spirit’s revelation will recognize whose prophetic mantle has fallen on the prophetic ministries.

The Festival of Trumpets (powerful prophetic voices) will announce the end of this age and the beginning of the next. What glorious days are these!

K. HOW TO EXPERIENCE THIS FEAST

Numbers 10 teaches us a vital truth about this. It explains what was to happen when the trumpets are blown:

“When the priests shall blow with the trumpets, the congregation [nation of Israel in the wilderness] shall assemble themselves at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation” Num 10:3).

1. Gather Together As One

Visualize this: in the wilderness, three tribes were located lo the North, three to the South, three to the East and three to the West. All Israel way camped around the tabernacle of Moses in their tribal groups. But when the trumpet began to sound, they gathered together as one people to the tabernacle.

In Ephesians 1:9,10 we read that Jesus is going to do something similar. “He has made known to us the mystery of his will… that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times he might gather together in one all things in Christ. “

Christian Church denominations today are rather like the tribes of Israel. Each has a name they are proud of and distinctives they think make them superior lo others. In Ihe Feast of Trumpets mere is to be a gathering together, it is God’s purpose to bring about this unity.

I am not condemning the tribalism and distinctives of our denominations. I am emphasizing that there are times when God’s purpose lor the whole Body of believers being together is more important.

God is blowing the trumpet and the Body is gathering together, It is lime to see that this is what God is doing in our age. It is time to cooperate with God’s purpose.

We need to demonstrate a higher loyalty to the Head of the Body, Jesus the King of our Kingdom, than to our denomination (if the two conflict).

2. Be Baptized In The Spirit

What experience is bringing this higher loyalty into operation in the Church? It is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Saints must experience Pentecost BEFORE TRUMPETS.

This Baptism, when genuinely and honestly received, is uniting people regardless of their denominational background. They come back to their tribe (denomination) speaking in tongues… it is not long before the tribe notices the difference.

Many tribes and clans (local churches) are trying to prevent this happening to their members. It is like trying to stop the sun from rising! God is doing it; no one can stop it.

The trumpet is sounding, and all over the world men and women are coming together in Holy Spirit conferences and renewal meetings. These meetings are like being called by the Trump of God to as- semble together at the door of the tabernacle.

“I am the door… “(John 10:9). It was prophesied of Jesus in the Old Testament, “…unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen 49:10). We are gathering to the door – JESUS’ “Now we beseech you. brethren, by… our Lord Jesw Christ, and by our gathering together unto him” (2Ths2:l),

In the past we came together around doctrinal statements, experiences and great causes. But today Jesus says, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me “(John 12:32).

A major phenomenon of the Church in this age is the I IUGE number of people being baptized in the Holy Spirit regardless of their denomination. They are experiencing Pentecost, and then being drawn to other Spirit-baptized believers.

This work of God has brought more people together than any other Protestant denominational group, evangelical alliance or tribe. No one can stop God pouring out His Spirit with the accompanying consequence of glossolalia (meaning: speaking in a naturally unacquired tongue or language hy the Spirit).

The trumpet is blowing, calling us to work together and prepare for the feast of ingathering [Tabernacles] that follows – when the greatest Harvest of souls in human history will be brought into the Church.

3. Move Forward With Cod

Another use of the Trumpet is found in Numbers 10:5,6: “…when ye blow the alarm [with the trumpets], then the camps that tie on the east parts shall go forward. “

There is a tremendous sense that God is moving forward – in a progressive, maturing work in the Church. God does not stand still. He has not revealed all His truth to the Catholic Church, the Reformation stream churches or the Pentecostal groups that began in the beginning of the 20lh century. There are truths we can only learn when we come together.

God is calling the whole Body into a deeper and more meaningful knowledge of Him self.

We cannot tell God lhat our denominational constitution contains ail that God has to say. He has much more He wants to do and say to us. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come. he will guide you info all truth… and he will shew you things to come ” (John 16:13).

He is blowing the trumpet and sending us forward. We are like Israel in the wilderness. When they saw the Shekinah (Glory cloud) pick up and start moving from their encampment, they packed up and moved on with God (Num 9:17-23).

This trumpet blast that moves God’s people on is called the “alarm.” There is a sense of urgency about it.

When God wants His people to move forward, we need to be prepared to move quickly. This is the way it was in Moses’ time. ”., .you left Egypt in such a hurry that there was no time for the bread to rise. Remember that day all the rest of your lives’.” (Deut 16:3).

Let us be careful lest we become a casualty rather than a conqueror. “He also that that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the Word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the Word, and he hecometh unfruitful”(Mat 13:22).

We see in Hebrews 11:13 that we can only live as pilgrims and aliens to this world and its allurements if we have a hunger for God and a sensitivity to His voice. We must have a listening car and a yielded heart.

Often a denomination or a local church is like a refreshing oasis like Elim, where there were twelve wells and seventy palm trees (Exo 15:27).

In such a comfortable place we can become settled and satisfied with the level of our spirituality – even to becoming smugly self-righteous.

Then if we hear God blowing the alarm calling us to move on, we block up our ears and drive in the tcnt-pcgs a little deeper in the desert sand.

Progress always involves change, and change is unsettling. Most find change very difficult. Because they have become settled, they cannot believe that change is progress.

4. Walk In Unity And Love

When those who have an ear to hear realize the TRUMPET alarm is sounding – they start packing up to move on. Those who do not want to follow the cloud of Glory will shout “you are causing division!”

But when the cloud moves, when the alarm sounds and we sense that God is moving us on, we must be prepared to move.

The most tragic division is when God moves and His people don’t follow and so become separated from Him – and each other. Because they were too comfortable and settled, they failed to move on.

Some even think that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the pinnacle of spirituality. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the Feast of Pentecost.

Beyond that there is the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. Our pursuit of the Lord’s presence must ever be in the spirit of “my utmost for God’s highest.”

The aged Apostle Paul put it in these words: “No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, hut I am bringing all my energies in bear on this one thing: Forgeting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.

“I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us” (Phil 3•12-14 tlb).

The Spirit-filled believer must hear the trumpet! He must see that God is calling him to be one with all the Body of Spirit-filled believers. He must see that God wants to put him into his own place as a member of the Body of Christ.

The Spirit-filled believer must not be content to enjoy his personal Pentecost alone by himself. “We were baptized by one Spirit INTO ONE BODY” (ICor 12:12,13).

The Trumpet is calling the Body together to the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation! God says, “there will I meet with you.”

Let us move on from the Feast of Pentecost, into the unity and love of the Feast of Trumpets. Then, on further into God’s plans and purposes – together! Let us lay aside our denominational, trihalistic sectarianism and become one with Christ and ALL the members of His Body – the true Church.