"Behold, I show 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Cor.
15:51,52). The hope of the resurrection at the last trump, is longed
for by all true believers. 1 Th.4:16 teaches us that the Master,
Yahshua the Messiah, will return at the same time; "For the Master
himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of Yahweh: and the dead in Messiah
shall rise first."
We learn from these two passages that the trumpet that heralds
Yahshua's return is the last trumpet. What is meant by 'the last
trump'? Taking the phrase literally would mean it is the last trumpet
to be blown. If we check the scriptures we will find that the seventh
trumpet of the book of Revelation is the last trumpet mentioned in
the Bible. Rev 11:18 shows that the seventh and last trumpet marks
"the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou
should give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints,
and them that fear thy name, small and great." The judgment spoken of
is the resurrection from the dead.
It is commonly believed by most Feast Day keepers that the
fulfillment of the Day of Trumpets is this same event, the return of
Yahshua to resurrect the dead at the last trump. This, however, is
not necessarily true. The fact that the shadow and the reality have a
trumpet in common has led to that simplistic conclusion. A more in
depth study of this issue will yield a different conclusion.
Lev.23:24 says, "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." Notice that this sabbath deals with the blowing of
several trumpets as opposed to just the last trumpet. The last
trumpet is the final trumpet in a series of trumpets blown in
Rev.8:7-11:15. These trumpets mark the beginning of the Day of Yahweh
or Yahweh's wrath upon the wicked. Joel 2:31 says, "The sun shall be
turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the
terrible day of Yahweh come." This event is the result of the sixth
seal being opened in Rev.6:12; "And I beheld when he had opened the
sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became
black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;" Verse 17
says, "For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able
to stand?"
After the events
of the sixth seal the 144,000 of Rev 7 are sealed. This sealing is so
that Yahweh's servants will be protected from His wrath (see Rev.9:4
concerning the fifth trumpet). Yahweh's wrath is depicted by the
results of the seven trumpets, the beginning of the Day of Yahweh. It
is a time of war, Yahweh against the wicked.
Looking back at how trumpets were used in ancient
times will help us to understand their symbolism. Nu.10:9 reads, "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 Yahweh your Elohim, and ye shall be saved from your
enemies." The trumpets of Revelation are alarm trumpets signaling a
call to war. These trumpets (plural) are the fulfillment of the Day
of Trumpets (plural).
Is there another Holy Day that utilizes a trumpet that may depict the
return of Yahshua to resurrect the dead? Yes, the Day of Atonement!
Lev.25:9 says, "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."
One single trumpet was blown on the Day of Atonement to herald a
Jubilee year. The Jubilee year is a tremendous time in which liberty
is proclaimed throughout the land. It meant freedom for Israelite
slaves, many of whom had sold themselves because of debt. Yahshua
alluded to the Jubilee year when he read Is.61:1. His words are found
in Lu.4:18,19; "The Spirit of Yahweh is upon me, because he hath
anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal
the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives , and
recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised, To preach the acceptable year
of Yahweh." At that point Yahshua
closed the book. Had he read further he would have said, "and the day
of vengeance of our Elohim." I believe the 'acceptable year' is the
Jubilee year. When Yahshua returns he will set free those that have
been held captive by death. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave,
where is thy victory?"
It is more logical to believe Yahshua the Messiah will return on a
Day of Atonement that falls in a Jubilee year. At that time, the
seventh and last trumpet will be blown. That trumpet not only heralds
Yahshua's return and the resurrection of the dead, it also heralds
the Jubilee year and liberty for the captives of death.
How can we be certain this understanding is correct? By studying the
events that took place on the typical Day of Atonement. Lev.16:5-17
details the important events of that day. Yahshua is Yahweh's goat.
As the book of Hebrews tells us, Yahshua fulfilled those verses. They
were shadows of something greater. The reality was Yahshua, our High
Priest, taking his own blood into the heavenly sanctuary to cleanse
it (Heb.9:11-14, 23-28). But what was to happen next? The earthly
High Priest had to come out of the tabernacle to make atonement for
the altar. Lev.16:18 reads, "And he shall go out unto the altar that
is before Yahweh, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the
blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon
the horns of the altar round about." This portion of the shadow, as
well as the events that follow it, has not yet been fulfilled by
Messiah, the new High Priest. Yahshua has been sitting on Yahweh's
right hand since entering the heavenly Most Holy Place and has yet to
leave the heavenly sanctuary (Heb.8:1,2;10:12).
The earthly High Priest had to sprinkle the blood
of animals upon the horns of the altar with his finger "seven times"
to cleanse it and restore its holiness. This will be fulfilled by
Messiah during the last seven years of earths history under man's
rule.
As in Dan.4:16 & 23 and Rev.12:14, a "time" is understood to
equal one year. Therefore, "seven times" in Lev 16:19 can be
understood to mean seven years as the reality of the shadow. The
symbolism of the "finger" is similar to that spoken of in Lu. 11:20
and Mt.12:28 where the "finger of Yahweh" equals His Holy Spirit
power. Yahweh's High Priest, through the power of the Holy Spirit,
will cleanse the altar for seven years. What is the altar?
Traditionally, the altar was the location where animal sacrifices
took place. It was located directly outside the entrance to the Holy
Place. If Yahweh's throne (the Ark) is located in the "Holiest of
all" (Heb.9:3,4) and heaven itself is said to be the Holy Place
(Heb.9:24), then the area directly outside the Holy Place (or heaven)
would be earth (or the altar). In Rev.6:9, John saw the souls of
slain saints "under the altar." Where are slain saints now? All sleep
in the grave until the resurrection, therefore, all are under the
earth.
Before the earthly altar was put into use it had to be sanctified.
This was accomplished by making an atonement for it seven days at
which time it would become "most Holy" (Ex. 29:36,37). This can also
refer to a seven year prophetic meaning using the "day equals a year"
theory. But what is even more interesting is the designation "most
Holy." Once the altar was cleansed for seven days it became "most
Holy" and was then "anointed." Is it possible that Dan.9:24, "and to
anoint the most Holy" is a reference to the final act of cleansing
the earth for seven years to conclude the "seventy weeks?" Once the
seventieth week is concluded, which coincides with earth's last seven
years under man, Messiah will establish the Kingdom of Yahweh on a
sanctified, cleansed earth.
The reference to the "horns of the altar" in Lev.16:18 pertains to
the four horns that were constructed on each corner of the earthly
altar (Ex.27:1,2). The symbolic meaning would be a cleansing of all
the earth, from north to south and from east to west.
The Apostle Peter said in Acts 3:18-21, "But those things, which
Yahweh before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that
Messiah should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and
be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of
refreshing shall come from the presence of Yahweh; And He shall send
Yahshua Messiah, which before was preached unto you:
Whom the heaven must receive
until the times of restitution of all
things , which Yahweh hath
spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."
The word "restitution" means to restore something to its original
state of perfection. That is what Yahshua will do when he returns
from heaven on the Day of Atonement. He will begin to restore the
earth to its former state of perfection. This cleansing and
restoration will be accomplished symbolically through his blood and
literally through the effects of Yahweh's wrath.
The last seven years of earth's history under man's rule can be seen
in Rev.12:14 and Rev.13:5. During the first half of the seven years
(3 1/2 years), which begins with the resurrection, the remaining
saints (those that are "alive and remain") are brought to a place of
safety prepared by Yahweh. During the last half of the seven years
(42 months or 3 1/2 years), which ends at the return of Yahshua at
Armageddon, the beast will make war with the saints and overcome them
(kill them all) (Rev.13:7).
A proper understanding of the shadows of the Feast Days and their
fulfillment will provide a firm foundation on which to build our
prophetic understanding. Looking for Yahshua's return and the
resurrection of the dead on the Day of Trumpets will only confuse our
escatology. The last trump is the trumpet of Jubilee.
Keep in mind that the Apostle Paul said the Feast Days are shadows of realities yet to come. It is very difficult to perceive the reality of the Day of Trumpets. Therefore, no one can be absolutely certain of the prophetic fulfillment of this or any other Holy Day. I offer this study as an alternate view which I believe is more Scripturally based and logical than the prevailing view.