For the most complete overview in the Bible regarding the whole collection of biblical Feasts and Holy Days, see "These are My Appointed Feasts..." elsewhere on this Times of Refreshing website. For clarification of these terms see the articles "What is a Feast?" and What is a "Holy Day"?.
The following
are the key passages in the Old and New Testaments
related to the observance of the
Day of Trumpets
The Day of Trumpets is called Yom Teruah in Hebrew. It is also referred to in Judaism as Rosh Hashanah--"Head of the Year," as it is considered the beginning of the "civil year."
Old Testament
Leviticus 23:23-25
The commandment to observe the Day of Trumpets
The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts [Hebrew: teruah] Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire.' "
Numbers 29:1
The commandment to observe the Day of Trumpets
On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets.
Exodus 19:10-19
A trumpet [shofar] blast precedes God speaking at Mt. Sinai
And the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live.' Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain." After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the people, "Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations."
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet [Hebrew: shofar] blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
Numbers 10:1-10
Silver trumpets to be made for special ceremonial uses
The LORD said to Moses: "Make two trumpets [Hebrew: chatsotsrah] of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out. When both are sounded [Hebrew: taqah, to make a loud, insistent sound] the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. If only one is sounded, the leaders-the heads of the clans of Israel-are to assemble before you. When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out. At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out. The blast will be the signal for setting out. To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets, but not with the same signal.
"The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come. When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and rescued from your enemies. Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the LORD your God."
Joshua 6:1-5
Trumpet [shofar] blasts at Jericho
Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns [Hebrew: shofar] in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."
Isaiah 58:1
Words of a prophet are like a trumpet
Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet [Hebrew: shofar]. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins.
New Testament
Matthew 24:30-31
Angelic trumpets gather the elect of God at Christ's coming
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
I Cor 15:51-52
A trumpet calls the dead from their graves
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
I Thes 4:14-18
A trumpet calls the dead from their graves
We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
Revelation 8:1-2
Seven trumpets in the vision of John announce events of the End of the Age
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
Revelation 11:15
A final trumpet announces the beginning of the permanent reign of Christ
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."
