The Feast of Trumpets and The Rapture: Connections and Assumptions
Each year, the end of summer means the Jewish High Holy Days are just around the corner. Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) are upon us. These Fall feasts are very meaningful to the Jewish people and, prophetically speaking, have great significance. When we look at Leviticus 23, we can see all the feasts of the Lord given to the children of Israel in a particular order. All seven feasts are called yearly convocations and are divided into two distinct categories: Spring Festivals and Fall Feasts.
We can also derive a prophetic significance from these festivals, as they pertain to the redemptive ministry of Yeshua the Messiah. This can be both a blessing AND a curse depending on how we establish the prophetic connection and how much we assume. The study of biblical prophecy can suffer from friends and foes, and yet, it is critical that as modern-day disciples of Yeshua, we study the prophetic words of the Bible. The connections exist, and they are strong.
The Spring Festivals have been fulfilled by the First Coming of Yeshua the Messiah:
• Passover: Leviticus 23:4-8 – Death of the Messiah (Isaiah 53:5-8; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8)
• First Fruits: Leviticus 23:9-14 – Resurrection of the Messiah (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17, 20-24)
• Pentecost: Leviticus 23:15-21 – Birth of the Body of Messiah (Exodus 19:1, 3-8, Acts 2:1-4)
Prophetically speaking, these festivals are behind us, and there are three more to look forward to. They are known as the Fall Feasts and,
The Fall Feasts will be fulfilled at the Second Coming of Yeshua the Messiah:
• Rosh Hashanah: Leviticus 23:23-25, Numbers 29:1 – The Regathering of the Saints (Isaiah 27:12-13 – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians. 15:15-58)
• Yom Kippur: Leviticus 23:26-32 – The Great Tribulation (Ezekiel 36:24-25; Zechariah 13:8-9, 12:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10)
• Sukkot: Leviticus 23:33-44 – The Ingathering of the Messiah and the Believers (John 7:38-39, 8:12; Zechariah 14:16-19; Matthew 17:4)
Based on several biblical reasons–the Levitical Feasts of the Lord not being the least of them–I adhere to a pre-tribulational, pre-millennial view of the end times. In other words, Rosh Hashanah comes before Yom Kippur, which comes before Sukkot, so logically and biblically, we can look at the Regathering of the Believers, the Great Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom in that order. These connections can be made on a biblical foundation, but how does that help us with the timing of the Rapture, or does it?
More books, articles and videos than I can count have been produced trying to prove that the Rapture will take place on Rosh Hashanah. There is no doubt that people are very interested in the Rapture, and they should, but can a date be set? The extent to which people go to calculate the date of the Rapture is mind-boggling. Let’s try to connect some dots.
• Connection between Rosh Hashanah and the Rapture: The Blowing of the Trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Paul’s Jewish audience couldn’t have known about the trumpets of Revelation since the book had not been written when he addressed the Corinthians. They would know about the last trumpet of Rosh Hashanah, known as the “Tekiah Gedolah.” When God brings an end to the Church age–which is the fulfillment of the interval of several months between Shavuot (Pentecost) and Rosh Hashanah (Leviticus 23:22)–He will send Yeshua to gather the saints (dead and alive.) Shofars were used to call to battle, announce a new moon or call a gathering of people. So, there is a thematic connection between the Last Trump and the Rapture since it will be the time chosen by God to regather the Saints to Himself. Thematic, YES, calendar date, NO!
• Assumption between Rosh Hashanah and the Rapture:
Because of the Last Trumpet connection, many have come to place the Rapture on Rosh Hashanah, using other “proofs” from numerology, Talmudic writings and other sources. Could the Rapture happen on Rosh Hashanah? ABSOLUTELY! But, if it does, it will not be BECAUSE it is Rosh Hashanah, but because that will be the day God has picked in His infinite wisdom.
If we seek passages about Yeshua’s return to get us, we cannot find a specific date, so the Rapture is signless. Assigning an exact date to the Rapture completely dismisses the doctrine of Imminency. Nothing needs to happen before the Rapture takes place…NOTHING! We know that Yeshua is preparing a home for us and that He will return to get us all. Yet, the Bible doesn’t tell us when by date.
Rabbis teach that the fate of all Jews is decided on Yom T’ruah (The Day of Trumpets), but it isn’t sealed until Yom Kippur. This is a time of introspection and repentance when Jewish people go out of their way to seek forgiveness from anyone they might have hurt throughout the year. The sabbath that falls within these ten days is known as Shabbat Shuvah (the Sabbath of repentance.)
An event in Yeshua’s redemptive ministry doesn’t have to happen on the exact day of a feast to fulfill that feast, but the event’s meaning and symbolism suffice to fulfill one of the Levitical feasts. That will be true for the Rapture, the Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom. If Rosh Hashanah, the Great Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom are the fulfillment of the last three Fall feasts, while they do not require to happen on the exact day of each feast–but they could–they still will occur in the immutable order of the feasts found in Leviticus 23: Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot…That we know!
So, the real question is not “When will the Rapture take place?” but, “When the Rapture takes place, am I going to be taken up or left behind?”
If you have placed your trust in the death and resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah for your sins, you have eternal life in God’s presence and YOU WILL BE RAPTURED. Don’t speculate on dates that cannot be calculated but invest your time in boldly sharing our hope in Yeshua with the lost. You never know… The Rapture could happen before, during, or after Rosh Hashanah–that’s entirely up to God–but after it happens, our influence on those who don’t know Yeshua will be gone. Let’s use the time we have left wisely.
Great job on the article!
Hi,
It is my understanding that the major occurrences in Jesus' ministry occurred on the exact days of each of those four spring feasts. Is that correct?
If it is correct, then shouldn't we expect the next three major occurrences in the ministry of Jesus to also occur on the exact days of the feasts?
In other words, why would the first four major occurrences occur on the exact days of each feast but the last three would not necessarily do that?
Thank you!!!
Thank you, Vicki!
God is a God of order.
His scriptures tell us continually that He wants us to know Him, not just about Him.
We have the Jewish feasts.
We have the voluminous number of signs (human degradation, collapsing nature, signs in the heavens, earthquakes, etc).
We have the numerous witnesses in the Dead Sea scrolls.
We have actual dates verified through calendars and writings.
We have solid interpretation of scripture when comparing scripture to scripture and scripture to church fathers and ancient Rabbinic teachings.
So many are sticking to their false teachings rather than listening to what we are told through all the truth God is showing us.
Knowledge is increasing for God's people.
Looking up and listening for our soon Blessed Hope!
Vickie~I totally relate to your conjecture…If the 4 Spring Feasts (including Unleavened Bread ~Jesus’ Burial) not mentioned here, why not the 3 Fall Feasts? My local pastor was the first to teach me this, and to be aware of “patterns,” like this one could imply. Another thing this article does not mention is that Rosh Hashanah is over a 2-Day period because looking for a new moon is difficult for the rabbis and the precise hour the new moon begins is difficult to say, so thus this 2-Day Feast has been coined “The Day That No Man Knows The Day Or The Hour.” Sound familiar? So, in reality even when the 2-Day Feast of Rosh Hashanah is speculated to perhaps include the Rapture happening then, based on God’s 4 Spring Feast patterns, the “precise day” still cannot be given (it could be either day!) And the hour? Well, depending on where you live in the world, our time zones being varied, the Rapture will be at different times. Even if the time zone is Jerusalem time (which I also suspect it is within sundown to sundown 2 days later), it would still be uncertain in a 48 hour period, let alone 24, & different times for the rest of the world. Jesus said that no one knows the day or hour, not even Him, but only the Father, so while we can “assume” the Rapture “may” happen one of the 2 days of the Rosh Hashanah Feast, we still do NOT know “which” of the 2 days it is. And even if we “think” the exact time “may” be some-time between the start of the new moon & the end of sundown 2 days later Jerusalem time, we still do NOT know the exact time, because it would be different depending on the time zone we live in.
In conclusion, the article above says, we simply canNOT “positively” conclude that the Father will choose one of these 2-Day Days or a “Time” within this 48 hour window, it IS REASONABLE to me and no doubt many others, (like the article says ii could) to speculate it that the Rapture could “likely” happen during this 2-Day Biblical Feast starting next week 9/22-24/25, Jerusalem Time (that I go by) and calculate approximately the time difference where I live, withOUT compromising what Scripture teaches.
So, I’ll close Vickie and thank you for asking that reasonable question, hoping what I have learned from my Pastor & shared benefitted you & others to read & at least prayerfully ponder. “Here/There/Or In The Air! Maranatha! Come Quickly, Lord Jesus!🙌✝️✡️🕊❤️
While I have heard all of the reasons why people think that the rapture will happen on the feast of trumpets, I can't help but think that the fall feasts will be fulfilled in order at Christ's 2nd coming. My reasoning is this. All of the spring feasts were fulfilled in order in the space of a couple of months not over a period of years. Why would that pattern change now? Would I love for the rapture to happen in the next few days? Absolutely! I would have been happy if it would have happened last week or last month too.
I just get tired of everyone hyping this up every year and then saying, "Well, it clearly wasn't THIS year." I don't want to have to think that I have to wait another whole year if He doesn't come and get us next week.
Amen, in agreement. Thanks Olivier.
I'm a gentile believer.
I adhere to a pre-trip pre-millennium anyday rapture.
Paul instructed believers to follow his example.
He was looking for Jesus coming in the cloud in his time.
The Thessaloniki believers thought they had missed the rapture because of the tribulation that had come upon them and the falsified letter claiming so.
That's before :-
1. Israel was even a nation (they were under Roman rule)
2. Before the Tribulation (in Revelation)
3. Most of the Apostles were still alive when 1 Thessalonians was written around AD50-51.
4. Peter in his 2nd letter confirmed Paul's writing in all his epistles concerning all these things.
Simple faith and biblical examples tell me to expect my God and Saviour anytime, before the day of Jacob's Trouble, Daniel's 70th week and the Tribulation of Revelation.
I'm looking for the coming of Jesus in the cloud for us. Maranatha!!
I would say that if the feast of trumpets does represent the rapture, then the rapture would happen on that day. I don't understand though why people are saying there are two days. My understanding is that the feast goes from sunset 1 Tishri to sunset 2 Tishri, one Jewish day. The question is, does the feast of Trumpets truly represent the rapture or not, and what year is it? So many boys that cry wolf have made any warning seem like another failed prediction. It appears that 2025 is a better candidate, as WW3 seems to be right around the corner (and would have the interesting fact of starting 86 years after the start of WW2 in 1939, as the US Civil War started in 1865, 86 years after the Revolutionary War began in 1775).
I recently rediscovered that the shofar was blown every fiftieth Yom Kippur. Maybe, as the church of Smyrna was told they would have tribulation ten days, the "little while" of the fifth seal corresponds to the ten days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, the holiest and most awesome day in the Jewish year. The sixth seal then could
signal the return of Christ on Yom Kippur.
Jesus left his apostles, 40 days after his resurrection, through a cloud, and two angels told them that Jesus is coming in like manner as they saw him go. Therefore, we've been watching for the return of Jesus on Ascension Day, hoping it will be the day of ascension (rapture) for the church, which in 2026 is Israel's 78th anniversary--just our opinion.
Acts 1:9-11 (KJV), And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.