Exodus: Feast (literally Appointed Time) of Trumpets

The Trumpet (the shofar) is blown on the first day of the seventh month (September-October) in the Jews religious calendar. This is also the date on which their year number changes.

The Shofar is also blown on weekdays during the sixth month of Elul (August-September) — this is part of very old Jewish tradition.

Click here for further information on Elul

Click here for a modern Hebrew calendar, showing their Feast days in 2024 on which they celebrate the Lunar dates of the first Exodus below.

The Jews split Exodus into the following four sections:

1. 50 days plus 1. Exodus 12 - Exodus 19:15 say, 23rd April - 11th June. Coming out of Egypt early in the morning on first day of Passover week (on 15 Nisan when the Egyptians were burying their dead). Apparently a Friday — click here to read the history of the calendar. Exodus 16 records the first Sabbath one month later on 15 Iyar with Manna (Bread) from heaven coming down the following day, Sunday. They arrive at Sinai in the third month on the 50th day, again a Friday. Following day 6 Sivan referred to as Shavuot - Feast of Weeks or Pentecost.

2. 40 days plus 2 Exodus 19:15 - Exodus 32 say, 13th June - 22nd July. Moses upon the mountain. These 40 days and 40 nights are specified in Scripture in Exodus 24:12-18. Starts (on Sunday) with mountain quaking, people becoming fearful of death as they hear God's voice through his angel bringing them the Ten Commandments, and thus asking Moses if he would be their mediator. So after leaving Aaron and Hur in charge, thick cloud descending (for six days), he is summoned to climb the mountain the 7th day, then, during the time of God talking to Moses, giving him the tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, the people gradually get bored and start a riotous, even deadly party (that is from Hur's point of view). Judgment and destruction follow in the month of Tammuz 17-18.

3. 40 days Exodus 33 say, 25th July - 2nd September. These 40 days and 40 nights are specified in Deuteronomy 9:18. See also Hebrews 13:13. God's presence above the appointed meeting tent outside the camp, people worshipping at their tent doors, Moses going daily to the tent outside the camp with various ones, interceding for the people and Aaron, praying that God's presence go with them, then with Joshua actually remaining in the tent.

4. 40 days plus 5 Exodus 34 say, 3rd September - 17th October, 30 days in Elul and 15 days in Tishri. Moses told to reconstruct those stone tablets that he broke and to go back up Mt Sinai again in order that God may write the commandments a second time. After reporting back, his face glowing, he then wore a veil.

It is this fourth section that has the tradition of blowing the Shofar to remind every one not to do what they did the first time Moses was on the mountain. It is blown right up until the second last day of Elul. Then a final blast at the appearance of a sliver of light — the new month of Tishri.

The Jewish authorities made that day a 48 hour day (say, 3rd - 4th October), just so there would be no missing the start of that new month.

Then, 10 days say, 3rd October - 12th October, to Yom Kippur the Day of Atonement (Covering / Reconciliation) reminding the people that there is reconciliation and covering available - providing they have repented - and bringing them into an ongoing relationship with the Lord in preparation for Feast of Tabernacles, 5 days later. Note that after Joshua, it would not be until Nehemiah 8:14, over 1,000 years later, that this feast would be celebrated at a level that involved all the children of Israel.

So in total 178 days (6 lunar months @ 29.54 days per lunar month).

And, in Leviticus 23, seven feasts (or appointed times) are mentioned.

Four feasts were fulfilled 2,000 years ago:

  1. The Sabbath Day: Christ, his life like an intermission has fulfilled the Sabbath and become our Rest.
  2. The Passover Week: 23rd March 31AD, Good Friday, Fifteenth day of the Jewish month and the First day of unleavened bread, when Christ died on the cross for our sins.
  3. The Feast of First Fruits: 25th March 31AD, celebrated as Easter Sunday, when Christ rose from the dead.

    Leviticus 23:10-14 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD plus a grain and drink offering. Don't eat from the harvest prior this."

  4. The Feast of Pentecost: 13th May 31AD, celebrated as Pentecost Sunday, following seven sabbaths (intermissions).

    Deuteronomy 16:9-11 "You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the LORD your God blesses you; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God ..."

There are then three other feasts, the first of which may well have been fulfilled on Rosh Hashanah in 2006 AD.

  1. Feast of Trumpets, 1st day of the seventh month, click here for that announcement, recognizing Israel in the world council, the United Nations, following 2000 years of fighting, along with its accompanying devastation — see Daniel 9:26
  2. Day of Atonement, 10th day of the seventh month. When the sign of the Lord appears in heaven, the Jews see the one they have rejected, and in affliction of their souls, find reconciliation and covering.
  3. Feast of Tabernacles, 15th day of the seventh month for seven days. The world during the millenium, as the camp of the saints rules the world (under Christ).

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