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PART III In the first two parts, we have learned how the Spring
holydays are tied to Yahshua and His firstfruits assembly. There is a division
between the Spring and Fall season. That division is called the heat and ensuing
tribulations of His people until the beginning of the fulfillment of the fall
festival season. The fall season, once again, witnesses to Yahshua, His people
and His kingdom. By Jerry Healan We found that during the first month a count of
fifty days began, which brought us to the Feast of Pentecost. But another count
begins with the first month. That count has to do with a countdown to the
seventh month. This number “seven” is so important and significant to Yahweh
and His people! It will take another in-depth article to research and reveal the
importance and significance thereof. The Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread reveal Yahshua in His character
as a meek, humble Lamb, slain without blemish. This character is continually
portrayed of Him until the feasts of the seventh month begin! When the trumpets of the seventh month begin to be blown, Yahshua’s nature
will change into that of a LION! We can understand this concept by going to the
book of Revelation chapter 5. Yahweh, the Father, is sitting on His throne with a book in His hand, sealed
with SEVEN seals. No one is found worthy to open that book except Yahshua. John
weeps because no one is found worthy, but one of the elders before the throne of
Yahweh tells John, “Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root
of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals
thereof.’ And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne of the four beasts,
and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having SEVEN
horns and SEVEN eyes, which are the SEVEN Spirits of Yahweh sent forth into all
the earth,” vv. 5-6. Contained in the SEVENTH seal are SEVEN trumpets. The blowing of these SEVEN
trumpets signifies the end of the age, the end of the rule of the beast kingdoms
and the ushering in of the PROMISED kingdom of heaven. Yahweh had commanded Moses, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying,
‘In the SEVENth month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a
sabbaton, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, and holy convocation’,” Lev.
23:24. This feast of the first day of the SEVENth month is the time when the SEVEN
trumpets of the SEVENth seal will begin to be blown. Believe it or not, there are twelve themes associated with this one feast
day even though there are only three verses associated with it in the book of
Leviticus. It takes a study of the complete Scriptures in order to distil these
twelve themes. The
first theme of trumpets is found in Lev. 23:24, “In the seventh month, in the
first of the month, shall ye have a sabbaton, a memorial of blowing of trumpets.” The
Hebrew for “memorial” is zikrown. Interestingly, Yahweh gave Israel three very important memorials before,
during and after their deliverance from Egypt. The
first memorial was His name, given to Moses before He sent Him into Egypt to
bring them out (Ex. 3, esp. vv. 13-15). The
second memorial was the Passover (Ex. 12, esp. v. 14), given to them during
their deliverance. The
third memorial was the seventh day Sabbath (Ex. 16; 20: 8-11, esp. v. 8). A
search of the Scriptures reveals that the number seven is extremely important to
Yahweh. The seventh day of the week was hallowed (made holy) and set aside as a
rest day in the very beginning. In
Genesis 21 we find that the number seven is associated with making and swearing
an oath, a witness, and a covenant (esp. v.v. 23-24, 27-32). The
first day of the seventh month is found to be extremely important, because even
though it is the fourth high day of the sacred calendar year, it begins the
seventh month wherein the final four annual high days are contained and
observed. That has to be very significant with Yahweh when the number seven is
involved. The seventh month contains the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh annual high days. Interestingly,
this first day of the seventh month is a “sabbaton,” a rest day in like
fashion to the seventh day Sabbath. This first day of the seventh month begins
the month wherein the other feast days are contained which reveal the completion
of Yahweh’s plan of salvation. Yahweh will remember (zikrown) His oath to the
creation. The word “zikrown” not only means “memorial,” but it also
means “to remember.” We
have appointed a day that we call “Memorial Day.” It is established so that
we will “remember” all those who have served our country, especially those
who have given their lives for it to preserve our freedom. But the Feast of
Trumpets is a far, far, far greater “Memorial Day.” The observance of this
day reminds us that He will, sometime in the future, fulfill His word of promise
to His creation to bring into reality the Kingdom of Heaven to this earth. The
new moon of the seventh month is usually the most difficult new moon to spot.
The Jews make this a two day feast because of this. Before
Yahshua ascended on high, the disciples gathered to Him asking, “Master, wilt
Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said unto them,
‘It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put
in His own power,” Acts. 1:6-7. In
the book of Mark, chapter 13, verses 31-37, Yahshua told His disciples that no
one but the Father knows of that day and hour, not the angels, nor even Yahshua
Himself. Many
men have made fools of themselves by trying to figure out when the Messiah will
return to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. This author was a member of
a work, the Worldwide Church of God, which prophesied that 1975 would be the
year of the appearance of the Savior. When this failed, a new study supposedly
revealed that their figures were off about 10 years. But 1985 has come and gone
and the Savior still hasn’t appeared. Another
man prophesied that Yahshua would return around Passover in the early to mid
1990’s. He even went so far as to say if He didn’t appear, then he would be
found to be a false prophet. When one uses this own man’s words against him,
he is the one who is excoriated while the false prophet continues his work. The
WWCG did the same. Excuses have to be made. The sheep are gullible and swallow
the excuses hook, line, and sinker. The false prophets continue to flourish. Yahshua
explained that no one knows when He will appear. He explained that He would come
as a thief in the night (see Mt. 24:36-42, 25:13; Mk. 13:31-37; Rev. 3:3,
16:15). The key is to be observant, alert, awake, vigilant, and ready at all
times. Both
Israel and Judah have turned away from their Creator, Father, and Husband Yahweh
in accordance with the Scriptures. Their own History proves this fact. The Feast
of Trumpets represents the intervention of Yahweh into not only the world’s
affairs, but to correct and chasten the Hebrews for their waywardness. The Feast
of Trumpets represents the “Day of Yahweh.” Isaiah
proclaims, “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of
Yahweh, and for the glory of His majesty. The lofty looks of man (Adam) shall be
humbled, and the haughtiness (Heb. = ruwm [Rome?] of men shall be bowed down,
and Yahweh alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of Yahweh of hosts
shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty he shall be brought low: and
upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the
oaks of Bashan, and upon all the high (ruwm/Roman) mountains, and upon all the
hills that are lifted up, and upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,
and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. For the
loftiness of man shall be bowed down and the haughtiness (Rome) of men shall be
made low: and Yahweh alone shall be exalted in that day,” Isa. 2:10-17. Jeremiah
calls this day “the day of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7), but he adds that he
shall be saved out of it. Ezekiel
speaks of the end that is coming. Yahweh says that he is going to pour His fury
out upon the land of Israel because the rod of violence and pride has budded and
blossomed into a rod of wickedness. The trumpet will be blown, but none will go
to battle because of the wrath of Yahweh that will be poured out upon the
multitude (Ez. 7). Zephaniah
declares that the day of Yahweh is a time of the trumpet and alarm (1:16). It is
a day of wrath, trouble, distress, wastness, desolation, gloominess, clouds and
thick darkness (1:15). The blood of men will be poured out like dust and their
flesh will be as dung (1:17). Yahweh will make a speedy riddance of all who
dwell in the land (1:18). Zechariah declares that all nations will come
against Jerusalem to battle. The city will be taken, the houses rifled, the
women ravished with half of the city going into captivity. These
along with many other places in the prophets declare the wrath and fury that
Yahweh will pour out upon the earth because of the waywardness of man. He will
begin His judgment upon the houses of Israel and then will turn upon the
non-Hebrew nations. But He will eventually deliver Israel out of it. Yahweh
had warned Israel that if they refused to obey Him, He would make their heaven
as brass and their earth as iron (Dt. 24:23). He also declared that Israel’s
brow was brass and their neck iron (Isa. 48:4). Interestingly,
Yahweh overthrew Israel placing them under the power of world ruling governments
which were gold (Babylon), silver (Persia), brass (Greece) and iron (Rome) in
succession. The
Greeks were democratic in governmental form, while the Romans were republican.
Does this ring a bell with you? Isn’t that the form of our government and most
governments in Europe and other parts of the world to this day? Furthermore,
the Christian religion is Greek (brass) in nature. Thus, the prophecy of turning
their heaven into brass has also been fulfilled. The Greeks hated the Hebrews
and anything associated with Yahweh, because they wanted to exalt their supreme
deity, Zeus! Christianity has been deceived to do this very thing. They are,
therefore, shut up behind the gates of brass and iron to this day. It
is prophesied, “Thus saith Yahweh to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand
I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of
kings, to open before him the two
leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places
straight: I
will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of
darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I,
Yahweh, which call thee by thy name, am the Elohim of Israel. For Jacob my
servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I
have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me,” Isa. 45:1-4. Cyrus
was the king of Persia who overthrew Babylon. While Persia was in succession
with the metallic kingdoms of Daniel chapter two, it was during the time of the
reign of the Persian kings that a contingency of Hebrews returned to the land to
rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. Thus, Cyrus is a type of the Messiah Who will
intervene in world affairs in the latter days to overthrow the last two metallic
kingdoms of Greece and Rome. The kingdoms of brass and iron. All
of the people of the earth have been shut up behind the gates of brass and iron.
The brass and iron are typology of the governments and religions of Greece and
Rome. Soon, Yahweh is going to open those gates and set the people free through
the true Messiah Yahshua. The
book of Psalms proclaims, “Oh that men would praise Yahweh for his goodness,
and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he hath broken the gates
of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder,” Psa. 107:15-16. When
these gates of brass and iron are finally broken asunder, then the gates of
righteousness will be opened, “In that day shall this song be sung in the land
of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will Elohim appoint for walls and
bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth
may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in Yahweh for ever: for in Yah Yahweh is
everlasting strength,” Isa. 26:1-4. How
can we achieve this righteousness spoken of here in Isaiah? Through the true
door to righteousness, Yahshua the Messiah, “Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other
way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is
the shepherd of the sheep….Then said Yahshua unto them again, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are
thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if
any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find
pasture,” Jn. 10:1-2, 7-9. “And
to the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that
is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no
man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have
set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little
strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name,” Rev. 3:7-8. It
is also in the book of Revelation that a trumpet is sounded and a door is opened
(Rev. 4:1) to reveal things that should take place hereafter. The sounding of a
trumpet on the day of Trumpets will break asunder the leaved gates of Babylon
the Great; the gates of brass and iron, setting the people free to enter into
the door, the gate of righteousness. Each
month was attributed to one of the tribes of Israel. The seventh month was
attributed to the tribe of Dan. Dan means to judge. Peter
writes, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there
shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,
even denying Yahweh that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the
way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with
feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time
lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not...Yahweh knoweth how to
deliver the righteous out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be
punished,” 2 Pet. 3:1-3, 9. “This
second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure
minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were
spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of
Sovereign and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last
days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise
of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they
were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant
of, that by the word of Yahweh the heavens were of old, and the earth standing
out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being
overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now,
by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and
perdition of unrighteous men,” 2 Pet. 3:1-7. A
day of judgment is coming at the end of this age. That judgment is specifically
to be trumpeted in against Babylon and its successors, “And I saw another
angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto
them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and
people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear Elohim, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is
come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth,
and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel,
saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all
nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,” Rev. 14:6-8. The
Babylonian system will fall. This system is filled with the merchandising of a
great overburdening political and religious system. The kings and merchants of
the earth are especially involved in this great system. While Babylon began as a
head of gold, its latter end is shown to be filled with devils, foul spirits and
a cage of every unclean and hateful bird (Rev. 18:1-10). Her
judgment, when it comes, will come swiftly, in one day, the day of trumpets. Her
judgment will come in one hour. (Rev. 18:10) While
Yahweh’s people must live under this system until the appearance of the
kingdom of heaven, they must not take part in its political and religious evils. Yahshua
began to reveal things to the Apostle John through the sound of
a great voice as of a trumpet (Rev. 1:10). The
book of Revelation is composed of seven seals, seven trumpet plagues and seven
vials. Yahweh will reveal His judgment on the Babylonian systems of this world
and also reveal who His people are during this period of time. Paul
writes, “For the Sovereign himself (Yahshua) shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of Elohim: and the
dead in the Messiah shall rise first,” 1 Thes. 4:16. Interestingly,
the word “voice” in the above verse is translated from the Greek word
“phone” (fo-nay). It comes from another Greek word “phaino” and promotes
the idea of “disclosure” (revelation). This
voice is the voice of the archangel or “chief messenger.” All of the
writings of Moses, the Psalms, Prophets and Apostles focus on the “chief
messenger” of Elohim, to wit: Yahshua the Messiah. This will be revealed in
its entirety in that day of trumpets when the last or seventh trumpet is blown
in heaven. Trumpets
not only signify the judgment of the great whore, Babylon, “And after these
things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia;
Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto Yahweh our Yahweh: For true
and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did
corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his
servants at her hand,” Rev. 19:1-2, but they also war against her seed, “And
I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was
called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and
he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with
a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of Yahweh. And the
armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it
he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he
treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty Yahweh. And he
hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND
SOVEREIGN OF SOVEREIGN. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried
with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come
and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great Elohim; That ye may
eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men,
and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men,
both free and bond, both small and great. And
I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together
to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought
miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of
the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a
lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword
of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all
the fowls were filled with their flesh,” Rev. 19:11-21. Zechariah
is inspired to write, “Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even
to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee; When I have bent Judah
for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy
sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. And Yahweh shall be
seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Sovereign
Yahweh shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.
Yahweh of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling
stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall
be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar,” Zech. 9:12-15. Please
notice who will be making war against whom. Of course, the head over it all will
be Yahweh, but His people are Zion who will be raised up against Greece.
Shouldn’t this tell us something about those who want to continue to promote
the Grecian names and faith? In
Zechariah 14 we find that the feet of Yahweh will stand upon the Mount of Olives
in that day of trumpets, judgment and war. This is the very place from whence
Yahshua ascended into heaven. The disciples watched Yahshua ascend until a cloud
received Him out of their sight (Acts 1:9). He will come again to the Mount of
Olives with the sound of a great trumpet and with the clouds of heaven (Rev.
1:7) to make war against the kingdoms of this earth. Paul
writes, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of Elohim; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew
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. For this corruptible must put on
incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible
shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up
in victory,” 1 Cor. 15:50-54. Again,
he writes, “For Sovereign himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of Elohim: and the dead in the Messiah shall rise
first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Sovereign in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Sovereign. Wherefore comfort one another with these words,” 1 Thes.
4:16-18. The
Jews call the Feast of Trumpets “Rosh HaShanah.” “Rosh” means head,
chief, first, etc. “Ha” is simply the Hebrew letter “hei” which
generally stands for the article “the” when placed at the beginning of a
word. “Shanah” has various meanings. It can mean a year, or the beginning of
a year. It can mean to alter or change. It also means to fold, i.e. duplicate or
transmute. Because
of this term “Rosh HaShanah,” the Jews begin the civil year on the feast of
trumpets. However, in the spiritual realm of things, it would signify “the
first (rosh) resurrection (shanah).” This
is one of the most important themes of the Feast of Trumpets. Trumpets
were blown when the kings of Israel were anointed to their position (1 Ki. 1:39,
2 Ki. 9:13, etc.). The
Feast of Trumpets signifies the coronation of Yahshua as King of Kings and
Sovereign of Sovereigns. Yahshua
told Pilate that He was born to be King of the Jews (Jn. 18:33-37). But He told
His disciples that He had to go away into a far country (heaven) to receive His
kingdom and then to return (Lk. 11:15-19). In
Revelation 5, the Heavenly Father is sitting on His throne with a scroll sealed
with seven seals. Yahshua, as the Lamb of Elohim comes and takes the scroll out
of His hand and begins to remove the seals from the scroll. Yahshua is, at this
time, functioning as the Lamb of Elohim, but has not yet been coronated. In
Revelation 11 we read, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great
voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms
of Yahweh and His Anointed (Messiah); and He shall reign for ever and
ever’.” (v. 15) |
