THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Part I: THE BLOWING OF TRUMPETS
On the 1st. DAY of the 7th. Month
Because you have experienced ‘The Feast of Pentecost’ complete with testimonies . . . coming before the Lord with full hands . . .you are now better equipped to hear the Voice of His Trumpets. His words of command that will lead you right into experiencing the ‘Day of Atonement’ and the ‘Feast of Tabernacles’.
Leviticus 23: 23-25.
(23) And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
(24) Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
(25) Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
This is something extremely important. Your surrender to the ‘Lordship’ of Christ is a vague thing unless you KNOW to what you are surrendering.
The gifts of the Spirit will help us to focus on His Will, His great plan, His timings, His emphases, which add up to being transformed into His Image and fullness.
CHALLENGES . . .
Psalm 89:15 (revised version) Blessed is the people that know the TRUMPET sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.
Those who know what the Trumpet is about, they will be walking in the presence of the Lord.
1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
We shall be looking at ‘the last trumpet’ as to what to expect and when to expect it . . . approximately.
1 Thes 4:16 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:
When God blows His Trumpet, we had better know what to do!
1. TWO TYPES OF ‘TRUMPETS’
2.
i] Made from horns . . . called in Hebrew, SHOPHAR which means ‘to glisten’.
Joshua 6:4-13 . . . the shophars were sounded for the walls of Jericho to fall down.
Exodus 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
Mount Sinai which parallels the ‘Feast of Pentecost’ (including the receiving of the Word of God) in their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.
(19) And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
Oh to experience such a relationship with the Lord! To hear His voice so very clearly and to ‘chat’ back and forth about His plans, ideas, ways and so on!
Both the above instances, the Shophar was sounded. The shophars or horns were made by sacrifice of the rams. It takes a laying down of one’s life in order to hear from God. Sacrificing one’s time, energy and desires.
ii] Made from SILVER . . . called in Hebrew, YOBALE which means ‘to cause to follow’.
Silver speaks of ‘redemption’.
Numbers 10: 1-10 lays out for us the messages that the trumpet brings. Let us see what they meant to the Children of Israel back in the old days and then we shall see what they mean for us today.
(1) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
(2) Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.
Two trumpets from the one source. Two expressions of redemption that come from one source. . . giving and the receiving.
Christ provides and directs and His Body receives and obeys.
A TRUMPET SPEAKS OF THE VOICE OR
THE WORD OF GOD BEING PROCLAIMED.
Isaiah 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
A clear or distinct word, a confident word . . . presented by prophecy in a gathering . . . will many times come forth with a loud voice.
Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Luke 8:18 gives a warning... take heed how you hear! AND then eight times God says, ‘He that has ears to hear, let him hear’. Do you have ears to hear ?
The trumpets are blown for the following reasons:
1. CALLING THE ASSEMBLY TOGETHER
(a bit like ‘church bells’ today in older countries to remind folk that ‘service’ is nearly ready to begin). . . to meet with God.
God is calling a people unto HIMSELF in these days (Psalm 50:5)
God is calling a people to come out of the ‘Babylonish system of religion’ (Revelation 18:4).
The Gk. word for ‘Church’ = EKKLESIA which means ‘called-out ones’.
Calling His people into ONE BODY, ONE CHURCH (Ephesians 4:4).
Revelation 1:10
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Calling us . . . to the unity of the faith. The coming together is prompted by simple hunger for holiness, for ‘present truth’, for worship in the Spirit etc.
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
Matthew 24:30,31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
God is gathering His elect together.
The word ‘elect’ = Gk. EKLEKTOS = out-chosen (chosen out from . . .)
There is not a hunger in all and therefore not all will hear a clear trumpet sound and know what to do.
1 Cor 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
God’s people need to be taught to hear the trumpet of God’s Spirit declaring His directions.
2. IT IS TIME FOR THE WHOLE CAMP TO MOVE ON. verse 2 . . . and
(3) And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Numbers 9:15-17
(15) And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely , the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.
(16) So it was always: the cloud covered it by day , and the appearance of fire by night.
(17) And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
It was simply a matter of following the Pillar of Cloud by day and the Fire by night kept them where He led them. If you don’t follow the Cloud, then the Egyptians will get you!!!
Just as the Children of Israel were on a journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, so are we on a similar journey from when we received initial salvation to the fullness of the Lord. The Cloud (Holy Spirit) will lead all the way . . . IF . . . you are hungry enough to learn the ways of the trumpet and be willing to obey its message. It can be put in this way. . . JOURNEY. . . from Egypt which is sin and the old life
. . . from the Wilderness of an immature walk
. . . into the high calling of God in Christ-Jesus.
Listen to the trumpet soundings and move accordingly.
3. THE LEADERSHIP ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER.
(4) And if they blow but with one trumpet , then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.
God desires to instruct ALL those He has called into leadership so that they hear the same instructions etc.
4. THE BLOWING OF ALARMS . . . VERSES 5-7
(5) When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.
(6) When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
(7) But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
One trumpet sounding alone would be for certain tribes to go forward . . . those on the EAST side. Those who have an expectancy for this new day. Blow that same trumpet for a second time, and the other selected camps go forward.
God’s people need to move in ‘Divine Order’. . . with those leaders who can sound an alarm when the route is missed or when an enemy attacks. There is also a need for leadership to warn God’s people of what is ahead.
Joel 2 . . .
(1) Blow ye 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 cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
(2) A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
(3) A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
Amos 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
(7) Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
What one can see here is that not everybody goes forward at exactly the same time.
To walk into ‘new’ territory requires a trumpet command. . . it cannot be left for ‘man’ to decide.
TRUMPET-BLOWING EFFECT STILL APPLIES verse 8
(8) And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.
5. PREPARATION FOR WAR verse 9
(9) And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
Prepare to ward off any oppressing enemy particularly those enemies with ‘gossip’ arrows.
We fight not against the natural realm but rather against wicked spirits (Ephesians 6:11,12). Sometimes the attack comes from within the Body of Christ.
We do battle in the spirit by moving in the anointed word that God releases in each situation as we ask Him. (Revelation 12:11). Look at Numbers 31:6
(6) And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.
6. FOR DAYS OF GLADNESS & CELEBRATIONS . . . verse 10
(10) Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.
The special occasions such as God’s Feasts, are heralded so that no-one misses them.
For example, David was bringing the ARK of the COVENANT back into Jerusalem with great rejoicing . . .
II Samuel 6:13-15
(13) And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
(14) And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
(15) So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
The Presence of the Lord was going into its right place . . . long overdue!
Psalm 150 declares a place for the trumpet in worship.
7. Also at the times called ‘SOLEMN ASSEMBLIES’ . . . Joel 2:15 . . . verse 10
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
Notice where this trumpet was blown . . . IN ZION . . . the called-out ones . . . they need reminding too! There are also special times of need . . . solemn times. . . e.g. crying out for deliverance. The cry of/for VICTORY.
8. NEW BEGINNINGS
“NEW MONTHS” speak of progressive landmarks . . . the next thing the Lord desires to do in you. e.g. baptism in the Spirit is now needed since you have been baptized in water etc. . . . or Feast of Pentecost experience will follow the Feast of Passover experience. Numbers 28:11 for progressive landmarks.
Numbers 28:11 And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;
1 Thes 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
The people of God (the Church) must learn to recognize the trumpeted word of the hour. . . discern what God purposes with each word that He declares.
9. AT OFFERING AND SACRIFICE TIMES . . . verse 10
There is a challenge or exhortation for us to move into our ‘priestly’ ministry. I Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES FOR US TODAY
1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
We are LIVELY stones built up into HIS HOUSE for a purpose . . . to offer up sacrifices . . . Remember a sacrifice always costs you something.
I Samuel 24:24 mentions that David would not offer to the Lord that which didn’t cost him something.
Psalm 27:6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
Hb. for ‘joy’ means SHOUTING.
Note it is in the PLURAL. . . sacrificeS. It is easy to sing praises about ourselves or to sing ABOUT GOD (in the third person); much more of a sacrifice to sing TO HIM (in the first person).
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
A broken spirit = HE has surely increased and I have surely decreased in my daily walk.
A contrite heart = a willingness to change anything (through repentance and renewal).
Psalm 116:17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.
When you cannot see the answer . . . you still give thanks because of what He has decreed in His word to you.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Your hands raised in adoration to God costs you something; therefore it becomes a sacrifice. Your lips are also a part of your body!
Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Praise/worship is NOT silent. It is the fruit of our lips and therefore not just one person doing it ! It is to be CONTINUAL . . . thus it becomes a LIFESTYLE and it all happens BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Philippians 4:18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
Here it is the THINGS that you sent . . . tangible practical gifts when you see the need.
10. WHEN KINGS WERE ANOINTED
2 Sam 15:10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.
2 Kings 9:13 Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.
The trumpet of God sounds when Christ-Jesus is made KING OF KINGS . . . I Thessalonians 4:16. . . where HE shows Himself as who He is.
We too are kings in training. . . we are being changed from our ‘Jacob’ (conniving/twisting nature that looks after self) to ‘Israel’ (prince or ruler with God). Jesus before His resurrection was ‘Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6) but after rising victorious over death, He is now KING of Peace (Melchisedec High priest - Hebrews 7:1, King of (Jeru)Salem). The trumpeted word of God that we hear and yield to, will bring us to the Throne in Him where we are ‘by faith’ at this time.
11. DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE
II Chronicles 5:11-14 The dedication of the ‘natural’ temple.
(11) And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:
(12) Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)
120 Priests blowing trumpets at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. See below to Acts 1:15, there were 120 disciples trumpeting forth the words of God as the Spiritual temple was dedicated.
(13) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
(14) So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
Acts 1:15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
‘Trumpets’ in the New Covenant are WORDS FROM GOD. Revelation 1:10 again shows this. God IS Word says John 1:1, so why shouldn’t the ‘trumpet of God’ of God be words from His mouth ?
12. jubilee trumpets
This trumpet was very special: It was sounded on the DAY OF ATONEMENT which we shall see was the 10th. day of the 7th. Month. and then only every 50th. year (i.e. after 49 years).
Lev 25:8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.
(9) Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.
(10) And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
(11) A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.
(12) For it is the jubilee; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.
(13) In the year of this jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession.
At this time there was RELEASE, RESTORATION and REUNION. . . a might time which all looked forward to.
In passing . . .
Moses was 40 years in Pharaoh’s Palace — 40 years in his desert training — 40 years leading God’s people. After the 120 years the people entered into the Promised Land (The fullness of God). This pattern of years is underlined by the 120 priests being in BOTH temple dedications imply that the same 120 will be evident when the FULLNESS temple is dedicated.
40 x 50 jubilees = 2000 years.
2000 years from Adam to Abraham: 2000 years from Abraham to Jesus Christ; 2000 years from Jesus being the Seed to Jesus in all His Promised fullness . . . when He shows Himself in all His glory of achievement.
A total of 6000 years. . . the 6 days accomplishment when God rests. This = the 120 jubilees (with 120 being the end of ALL flesh).
The LAST TRUMPET will be the 120th. and will be sounded on the ‘Day of Atonement’ which is a central part of the ‘Feast of Tabernacles’ . . . which is available to whoever will come to Jesus on the Throne in the Holiest of All.
This Jubilee trumpet is covered under a separate study.
THE CELEBRATION OF THE BLOWING OF TRUMPETS is to prepare God’s people for the Feast of Tabernacles which starts with the day of Atonement.
This day was to be A SABBATH in which no ‘servant-like’ work was to be done. Nothing of man’s efforts will be seen in this celebration.
In History: 1500’s Luther & Reformers brought back the fulfillment of the Feast of Passover
1700’s the Wesley Bros. brought back holiness and separation . . . the Feast of Unleavened Bread
1900’s at Azusa Street L.A. brought back the Feast of Pentecost
1948 onwards brought back the Blowing of Trumpets declaring what God was doing and preparing God’s people for the Feast of Tabernacles which is now.
The Feast of tabernacles concludes with THE FEAST OF HIS APPEARING.
God’s ways have not and will not change because of Who He is.
Passover came. . . Pentecost came . . . therefore Tabernacles will come . . . indeed has come to those who hearkened to the Trumpets with wisdom and understanding.
QUESTIONS
1. Why does the ‘Blowing of Trumpets’ come AFTER the ‘Feast of Pentecost’ ?
2. How important is it to you to hear God’s commands for this ‘hour’ ? . . . and state reason(s).
3. Write out the list of what could be involved when a ‘trumpet is blown’.
4. What is needful for me to be able ‘to blow a trumpet’ on God’s behalf ?
Ray and Sheila Knight
2544 Summit Drive
Blind Bay BC V0E 1H1
Canada