SCRIPTURE READING: Leviticus 23:23-25.

1. The Lord spoke to Moses and proclaimed holy convocations. Whose festivals are these? Leviticus 23:1-2.

2. Were the Israelites told to observe festivals at three times each year and what were the names of these festivals? Exodus 23:14-16, 34:18, 22-23; Deut. 16:16; 2 Chronicles 8:13.

(Note: These three annual festival seasons were centered around the three harvests in Israel, the early spring harvest, the latter spring harvest and the fall harvest.)

In this Bible Study lesson we want to focus in on God’s festival called the Feast of Trumpets.

3. Did God make the first day of the seventh month a holy convocation and a Sabbath-rest? (Leviticus 23:23-25). Did He make it a memorial of blowing of trumpets? (Same verse). The Feast of Trumpets gets its name from the phrase "a memorial of blowing of trumpets" in Leviticus 23:24.

(Note: Seven is God’s special number indicating completeness and perfection. Let’s notice that there are seven festivals of the Lord and the Feast of Trumpets occurs in the seventh month and as we continue our study, we will find that there are seven seals, seven trumpets and the seven last plagues involved in this prophecy which begins with this special Feast of Trumpets.)

4. How many silver trumpets did God tell Moses to make? (Numbers 10:1-2). What were they to be used for? (Numbers 10:2-10). Were the trumpets to be used to sound an alarm for war? (Verse 9). Were the trumpets to be blown at God’s appointed feasts, and at the beginning of the months? (Verse 10).

(Note: The silver trumpets were to be used for calling the congregation, for directing the movement of the camps, to sound the alarm of war and in the day of gladness at God’s festivals.)

5. What was another type of trumpet that was blown on the Feast of Trumpets? (Joel 2:1).

(Note: The trumpet mentioned in this passage is the Hebrew word "shophar" which is a ram’s horn. The shophar is mentioned in the Bible about 70 times and is translated as "trumpet" or "cornet". Request our free feature article: The Shophar" which describes how it was made, how and when it was used, and even some spiritual qualities that are associated with it.)

6. How did Jeremiah react when he heard the sound of the shophar? (Jeremiah 4:19-21).

(Note: Jeremiah was filled with fear at the sound of the shophar realizing that the alarm of war meant that death and destruction was close at hand. It is this warning of war that gives the joyous Feast of Trumpets its contrasting note of solemnity).

7. Why does God bring war on a nation? (Isaiah 59:1-2).

(Note: God brings war on a nation because of sin and rebellion which separates us from Him. The book of Jeremiah was filled with many prophecies from God and was delivered by Jeremiah to the House of Judah. The prophecies stated that if they did not repent then God would have to fulfill the curses of their breaking the covenant that He had made with them, which meant that they would be invaded by King Nebuchadnezzar and carried off as slaves to Babylon. They refused to repent and the prophecy was fulfilled just as God said that it would be).

8. What was the first sign that Jesus said to watch for at the end of the age? (Matthew 24:3-5).

(Note: The first sign that Jesus gave was that false prophets would try to deceive you. How do you prevent from being deceived? The one sure way is to read and study your Bible and pray to God that He will open your mind and reveal His truth to you.)

9. What are some of the other signs that Jesus revealed to watch for? (Matthew 24:6-8, 21-22).

(Note: Jesus revealed that there would be wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes and great tribulation. Jesus said: "unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved" alive!)

10. Did Jesus mention a "great sound of a trumpet" would occur at His return? (Matthew 24:30-31).

(Note: Jesus is talking about the first resurrection when He returns and gathers the saints.)

11. Did the apostle Paul teach that the blowing of a trumpet would take place at Christ’s return? (1 Corinthians 15:50-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).

12. Does Revelation 6 reveal six seals? (Note: These six seals parallels the Olivet prophecy of Matthew 24 involving false prophets, wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, the great tribulation and the heavenly signs.)

13. Were seven trumpets given to seven angels when the seventh seal was opened? (Revelation 8:1-2, 8-9; 9:20)

(Note: The seventh seal is composed of seven stages, each called a trumpet.)

14. Does Jesus return at the seventh trump or last trump? (Revelation 11:15-19).

(Note: The seventh angel sounds the last of the seven trumpets. It is at this last trumpet that Jesus Christ returns and the first resurrection of the saints takes place - two events of enormous importance to Christians).

In Conclusion: The Feast of Trumpets is a day of solemnity. It begins by picturing war but it ends with the return of Jesus Christ at the seventh trump.

1. (Leviticus 23:1-2 NKJV) "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, {2} "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts."

2. (Exodus 23:14-16 NKJV) ""Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: {15} "You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty); {16} "and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field."

(Exodus 34:18 NKJV) ""The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt."

(Exodus 34:22-23 NKJV) ""And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. {23} "Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the LORD God of Israel."

(Deuteronomy 16:16 NKJV) ""Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed."

(2 Chronicles 8:13 NKJV) "according to the daily rate, offering according to the commandment of Moses, for the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the three appointed yearly feasts; the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles."

3. (Leviticus 23:23-25 NKJV) "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, {24} "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. {25} 'You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.'""

4. (Numbers 10:1-10 NKJV) "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: {2} "Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps. {3} "When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. {4} "But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you. {5} "When you sound the advance, the camps that lie on the east side shall then begin their journey. {6} "When you sound the advance the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall begin their journey; they shall sound the call for them to begin their journeys. {7} "And when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but not sound the advance. {8} "The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your generations. {9} "When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies. {10} "Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your God.""

5. (Joel 2:1 HG) showphar: H7782. showphar, sho-far'; or sho-phar, sho-far'; from H8231 in the orig. sense of incising; a cornet (as giving a clear sound) or curved horn:--cornet, trumpet.

(Joel 2:1 NKJV) "Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand:"

6. (Jeremiah 4:19-21 NKJV) "O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war. {20} Destruction upon destruction is cried, For the whole land is plundered. Suddenly my tents are plundered, And my curtains in a moment. {21} How long will I see the standard, And hear the sound of the trumpet?"

7. (Isaiah 59:1-2 NKJV) "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. {2} But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear."

8. (Matthew 24:3-5 NKJV) "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" {4} And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. {5} "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."

9. (Matthew 24:6-8 NKJV) ""And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. {7} "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. {8} "All these are the beginning of sorrows."

(Matthew 24:21-22 NKJV) ""For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. {22} "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."

10. (Matthew 24:30-31 NKJV) ""Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. {31} "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

11. (1 Corinthians 15:50-52 NKJV) "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. {51} Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; {52} 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 Thessalonians 4:16 NKJV) "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."

13. Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets

(Revelation 8:1-2 NKJV) "When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. {2} And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets."

Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck

(Revelation 8:8-9 NKJV) "Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. {9} And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed."

(Revelation 9:20 NKJV) "But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk."

14. Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed

(Revelation 11:15-19 NKJV) "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!" {16} And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, {17} 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 reigned. {18} The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should 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 destroy the earth." {19} Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail."