What do these terms have to do with Christ’s return? You need to separate truth from fiction.
Transcript
Every autumn the Jewish community observes a holiday called Rosh Hashanah, also called the Feast of Trumpets. On this day a shofar, or ram’s horn, is blown.
Most Christians find little meaning in the Feast of Trumpets, but this day holds an important message for you and your future?
There are connections between this ancient holy day, the idea of the Christian Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Join us on Beyond Today as we explore The Shofar, the Rapture and the Feast of Trumpets.
Jackie has been a Christian all of her life. She believes that we are fast approaching a time of massive war, disease epidemics and natural calamities.
She also believes that God is going to save her by the “Rapture.” Many Christians believe that the Rapture is a prophesied event where Christ “raptures” away Christians into the clouds before the time of the Great Tribulation.
She worries about her husband, who isn’t concerned with any church or the Bible. Will he be left behind to suffer and possibly die?
At a synagogue down the street a group of Orthodox Jews meet to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets.
Part of this ceremony will be the blowing of the shofar, or ram’s horn. In ancient times the shofar was blown for various reasons, including a call to waror the heralding of an important event.
It would appear that these two events: a Christian woman thinking about the Rapture and a group of Orthodox Jews observing the Feast of Trumpets have nothing in common.
The truth is that the Feast of Trumpets is a celebration of one of the most important times for both Jews and Christians. It is a day that celebrates events that are yet to happen!
On Beyond Today we’re going to explore the wonderful meaning of the Feast of Trumpets and how—for Christians—understanding what this day pictures can change your understanding of God’s plan for all humanity…and for you personally.
The book of Revelation tells of a time when seven angels will blast seven trumpets, each one heralds a great event during the time leading to the return of Jesus Christ as the King of Kings.
A careful study of these events shows that Jackie’s concern about the Rapture is based on a wrong understanding of the prophecies.
If you’re a Christian who believes in the Rapture, about this time you’re saying, “I know this guy is wrong. The Rapture is mentioned in the Bible by the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians.”
Let’s take a look at those verses. If you don’t have a Bible in front of you get one and follow along. Let’s turn to 1 Thessalonians 4:13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.×. Here the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica
Let’s look at what Jesus taught about His Second Coming and the gathering of the saints: Matthew 24:29-31 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 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. ×.
We can see that there are remarkable similarities between what Paul wrote and what Jesus says about the events that take place at the end of the tribulation.
Are Jesus and Paul talking of two different events? Are they contradicting themselves?
To answer these questions we have two other passages to explore, but before we do I want to personally offer you a free booklet that explains what the Bible really teaches about the Feast of Trumpets and its importance for Christians.
God’s Holy Day Plan will take you step by step through the annual holy days given by God to ancient Israel and observed by Jesus and the early Church. You’ve probably heard that these are Jewish observances and are not important to Christians. It’s not true! These divinely ordained holy days reveal God’s plan of salvation for humanity.
God’s Holy Day Plan will show you the deep spiritual meaning of the Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. In reading this booklet your walk with God will change forever!
Go online right now to beyondtoday.tv to read or order your free copy of God’s Holy Day Plan. Or, call toll-free 1-triple-eight-886-8632. That's, 1-triple-eight-886-8632, or go online to beyondtoday.tv.
What does the Bible really teach about the Rapture? So far we’ve compared what Paul taught in 1 Thessalonians with what Jesus taught in Matthew 24. Now, let’s go to another passage by Paul where he writes of this same future event.
The book of Revelation states that there will be seven major events that happen toward the end of the Tribulation. These events are called the “Seven Trumpets.” At the last, or seventh trumpet, Christ returns.
Let’s compare one last passage. This time from the book of Revelation.
REVELATION 20:4-6
When we look at these scriptures it is plain that there is little support for the pre-Tribulation Rapture. Jesus Christ is returning for His followers, but it will be at the end of the Tribulation, at the sound of the last, or seventh, trumpet, when all the elect and dead are changed together.
We’ve seen the importance of the blowing of the shofar, or trumpet, and how it fits into understanding the Rapture.
But what does this have to do with you and the Feast of Trumpets? We’ll be back to explain something you’ve probably never heard and help you understand God’s grand design for the future of humanity.
