I have always been intrigued with portions of the Jewish Calendar, although I have never been to a Jewish service. What I find intriguing is that some of the teaching that is used around some of these holy days on the calendar is not listened to. Not all calendars include the Jewish calendar but starting on September 22, 2025, at sundown you have the beginning of Rosh Hashanah and it concludes at nightfall on September 24, 2025. This begins the Ten Days of Awe / Repentance and then ends with Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), which begins before sundown on Wednesday, October 1, and ends after nightfall on Thursday, October 2, 2025. These are referred to as High Holy Days.
Rosh Hashanah is also known as The Feast of the Trumpets and Yom Teruah. Rosh Hashanah is the head of the year which will be 5786. Today we are going to be focusing on the trumpet / shofar that is blown during these High Holy Days. “The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is blowing the shofar (ram’s horn) on both mornings of the holiday (except on Shabbat), which is normally done in synagogue as part of the day’s services.” “The central mitzvah (commandment) of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) is to hear the shofar being blown—often in synagogue, ideally as part of the prayer service.” It is really important that you hear the blast of the trumpet. It is said “the shofar speaks to the soul of every Jew.” The shofar is also blown “following the fast of Yom Kippur.”
The Jews have been observing these High Holy Days since God commanded them to. One writer said, “The origins of Rosh Hashanah are found in the Bible. The Book of Leviticus (23:24-25) declares: “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of rest, a memorial proclaimed with the blowing of the shofar, a holy convocation.” Although this day eventually became Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, it was not originally known as such.” “As we read in the Rosh Hashanah prayers, each year on this day “all inhabitants of the world pass before G‑d like a flock of sheep,” and it is decreed in the heavenly court “who shall live, and who shall die ... who shall be impoverished and who shall be enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise.” It is a day of prayer, a time to ask the Almighty to grant us a year of peace, prosperity and blessing. But it is also a joyous day when we proclaim G‑d King of the Universe.” So obviously this day is very important to the Jew as they feel their very lives depend on it. Also, they do not print out the name of God. Here’s why: “Following the Torah’s instruction to “obliterate the name” of idolatry in the Land of Israel. “Writing G‑d’s name could lead to erasing or disrespecting G‑d’s name.”
First, I want to talk about the blast of the shofar from the Jewish perspective. I thought this list of ten reasons on why to blow the shofar from a Rabbi were interesting. “1. On Rosh Hashanah we coronate G‑d as King of the world. The shofar’s trumpeting call heralds this exciting event. 2. Its piercing wail serves to awaken slumbering souls that have grown complacent. 3. It evokes the shofar blasts that were heard when G‑d descended on Mount Sinai and gave us the Torah. 4. It echoes the cries of the prophets who urged Israel to mend their ways and return to G‑d and His commandments. 5. It reminds us of the war cries of our enemies as they broke into the Temple in Jerusalem and destroyed it. 6. Made of a ram’s horn, the shofar recalls the near-sacrifice of Isaac, who was saved when G‑d showed Abraham a ram to bring as an offering in his stead. 7. Its loud piercing sound humbles us and fills us with awe before G‑d. 8. It foreshadows the day of judgment at the end of days, which the prophet describes as “a day of shofar and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers.” 9. It gives us hope, mirroring the sound of the “great shofar” that will call together the Jewish people who are scattered to the corners of the earth at the time of the coming of Mashiach Messiah. 10. It reminds us of the Revival of the Dead, about which we read, “dwellers of the earth ... a shofar is sounded you shall hear.” Another writer also had a list and said “On Rosh Hashanah, the first of the Ten Days of Repentance, we awake from our spiritual slumber. The shofar is like an alarm that calls on us to examine our deeds and correct our ways, as we return to G-d. On Rosh Hashanah, we blow the shofar to remind us to rededicate ourselves to Torah study—and to remind G‑d of our original commitment and sincerity. The shofar reminds us of the voice of the prophets, who like the blast of the shofar called upon us to correct our ways, follow G‑d’s commandments, and act properly with others. The shofar’s cry reminds us of the cries and tears shed for the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, galvanizing us to bring Moshiach and hasten the rebuilding of the Temple. The shofar will be blown on the Day of Judgment when Moshiach comes. We thus blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah to remind us to examine our deeds and contemplate how we can improve them.”
As I said I am intrigued by some of this and I was surprised that a few of these were included on the list. The two I am focusing on today are the warnings of the prophets and the destruction by their enemies. “It echoes the cries of the prophets who urged Israel to mend their ways and return to G‑d and His commandments. It reminds us of the war cries of our enemies as they broke into the Temple in Jerusalem and destroyed it. The other writer said “The shofar is like an alarm that calls on us to examine our deeds and correct our ways, as we return to G-d. The shofar reminds us of the voice of the prophets, who like the blast of the shofar called upon us to correct our ways, follow G‑d’s commandments, and act properly with others. The shofar’s cry reminds us of the cries and tears shed for the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, galvanizing us to bring Moshiach and hasten the rebuilding of the Temple.” To this day the Jews have rejected Jesus even though the prophets spoke of Jesus coming. Most prophets were killed because they spoke the word of the Lord. Instead they listened to the false prophets. Jesus said to the disciples Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Luke 6:26 “Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.” Jesus said to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, Matthew 23:29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started! 33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation. 37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” They would end up murdering Jesus, just as many prophets were murdered. Matthew 27:22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” 25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.”
One of the prophets, Jeremiah, spoke to the people over and over again. Jeremiah 7:25 “From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their ancestors.’ 27 “When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer. 28 Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.” Jeremiah 36:1 “In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. 3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.” The king burned the scroll. Jeremiah 37:1 “Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim. 2 Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.” Another time Jeremiah spoke the word of the Lord. Jeremiah 26:4 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, 5 and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse among all the nations of the earth.’” 7 The priests, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in the house of the Lord. 8 But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the Lord had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, “You must die!”
Then we have this verse. Jeremiah 6:10 “To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. 11 But I am full of the wrath of the Lord, and I cannot hold it in. 17 I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But you said, ‘We will not listen.’” Nothing has changed and the Jews are still saying we will not listen Yet they are reminded every year that the prophets tried to speak to them. Paul said 2 Corinthians 3:12 “Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Paul also said Romans 11:1 “I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”
Peter preached the good news to all the Jews from many different nations at Pentecost. Acts 2:5 “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Peter went on and said to those who listened to him, Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” Those who were listening, 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
All the Jews that heard Peter saw the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit as they heard the word of God in their own language (Don’t be deceived by the babble of the charismatics.) and still rejected the word of the Lord. To this day the Jews have rejected their own Messiah and King and still say we will not listen. It was so bad that Paul responded Acts 13:44 “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” It is important also to go back to Romans 11 to hear more about this. Paul also said, Romans 11:17 “If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!”
At this time of Rash Hashanah, the shofar / trumpet blasts a hundred times. I want to include this from one writer about these blasts of the shofar. “Among Sephardic communities, an additional tekiah is sounded before the recital of Alenu at the end of Musaf, for a total of one hundred and one shofar sounds. This corresponds to the numerical value of the letters of the name Michael, Israel's guardian angel who seeks mercy on their behalf. It is customary to sound a long blast as the concluding sound of the shofar in order to confuse satan and prevent him from accusing Israel of lacking fear of Divine judgment because they eat a festive meal after the services. When satan hears that the shofar is sounded more times than the Torah requires, he becomes confused and is apprehensive that the additional sounds might be that of the shofar of Mashiach. But is it possible that satan, the fearless accuser of Israel who is capable of setting clever traps for mankind, is so foolish that he is frightened of a sound that even a child knows is not the sound of the shofar of Mashiach? We learn that when the people of Israel hear the shofar sounded on Rosh Hashanah, they are brought to a level wherein they are indeed capable of bringing about the final redemption. When they sound the shofar in fulfillment of the precepts of the day, their closed hearts are opened, they regret their sins, and their thoughts turn to repentance. Satan knows the power of the sounds of the shofar. Though they might originate from man's lips, they can well culminate with the coming of Mashiach ben David.”
This is both ridiculous and sad at the same time. What those one hundred blasts of the shofar really represents is the sound of satan’s victory over God’s people. When Israel took Jericho, Jericho 6:16 “The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 20 When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.” They were also told Numbers 10:9 “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.” The trumpet was the sound of victory, but that is not what we have now, as the sound of the shofar is a sound of defeat. The Jews as we read earlier proclaim God as king but reject His kingdom. They wait for the Messiah but reject their Messiah who already came. They remember the prophets who gave warning and prophesied about Jesus but do not turn away from their sin. They remember their temples destroyed by their enemies yet do not turn from their wicked ways. As we read in Jeremiah 6:17 “17 I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But you said, ‘We will not listen.’”
The trumpet is sounding, but the Jews continue to say we will not listen. Jeremiah 2:5 “This is what the Lord says: What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. 6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and utter darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’ 7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. 8 The priests did not ask, Where is the Lord?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols. 9 “Therefore I bring charges against you again,” declares the Lord. “And I will bring charges against your children’s children. 11 Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols. 12 Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the Lord. 13 “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
Nothing has changed with the Jews, and they continue to reject their Messiah and King, yet believe with everything they have that they are the bearers of truth. Jeremiah 8:4 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “‘When people fall down, do they not get up? When someone turns away, do they not return? 5 Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. 6 I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. None of them repent of their wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues their own course like a horse charging into battle. 7 Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord. 8 “‘How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the Lord,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? 9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have? From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. 11 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace. 12 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord.” To this day the Jews refuse to listen.
Most in today’s church do not listen to the blast of the shofar, instead instruments are used as part of worship. Like with the blast of the shofar, God is not listening because like the Jews the Gentiles have also rebelled against God’s word. Amos 5:21 “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. 22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. 23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.” Though instruments have replaced the shofar, the trumpet is still sounding and people in the church are still saying “we will not listen.” Earlier we read Romans 11 where Paul gave the Gentiles a warning. Romans 11:18 “Do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.” Paul also said Romans 12:3 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Paul said 1 Corinthians 10:1 “For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
Scripture is filled with trumpet blasts. Basically, the bible is a huge trumpet blast. As we read, the church should have learned from Israel, Judah and the Jews, but the church has also said we will not listen. We were warned by Daniel, Daniel 8:26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” 27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.” Jesus warned us about the abomination that causes desolation, but the church said we will not listen and has been decimated by it.” Jesus warned us and said, Matthew 24:4 “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand. 22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.” This was a huge blast of the trumpet but the church said, “we will not listen.” Jesus also said Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Paul said Acts 20:29 “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Again and again the trumpet has blasted.
Prophets like Jeremiah warned the people, and they refused to listen. Jeremiah 18:11 “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ 12 But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’” Jeremiah told them what God wanted him to say and the people responded, “18 “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says.” Jeremiah would later say Jeremiah 37:19 “Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, ‘The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land’?” Then the word of the Lord, the disaster that Jeremiah spoke of took place. Jeremiah 19:3 “Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Listen! I am going to bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle.” 2 Chronicles 36:15 “The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. 20 He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.”
People quote Jeremiah 29 all the time but leave out a few crucial verses, the captivity for rebellion part. Jeremiah 29:10 “This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Just as they do with 2 Chronicles 7:13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” The church is in a severe famine just as was prophesied (another trumpet blast) Amos 8: 11 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.”
Yet the people continue to say we will not listen. Although Peter also said, 2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” Paul said to Timothy 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” Like the famine of hearing the word of the Lord, that time is already here.
We can see an example of this in real time. We have been talking about the feast of trumpets or Rash Hashanah and I came across this ridiculous post that is predicting the rapture of the church during the Feast of Trumpets. This is the doctrine of demons rapture, not the second coming of Jesus to take us into eternity. That trumpet blast you will not want to hear if you have been deceived and are following another Jesus and other gospels as millions who call themselves Christians are presently. 1 Corinthians 15:52 “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.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15 “According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.” As false prophets do, they distort the word of the Lord so that God’s word is changed to adhere to their own doctrines and beliefs even though we are warned not to do that.
Many people have fallen for and will continue to fall for this as seen in this post. I am not going to include all of this ridiculous post but here are few clips. They talk about this year’s dates of the Feast of Trumpets. “I share this with you because a lot of people think that September 23rd and 24th are the feast days of trumpets when Jesus will Rapture His Bride back to Heaven. I’m not trying to set a date, even though I believe it will happen on The Feast of Trumpets this year.” Interesting how this person is not setting a date but talking about a specific date. They continue to say why God will follow their timing. “Also, this is a rare year that the feast of trumpets lands on the fall equinox. Having both of those events to happen in the same time is very, very rare. And yes, if the Rapture doesn’t happen this year, I am going to be greatly disappointed. But, God knows the day and there is no question, it is very soon.” Yes, the timing no one knows except these people. This is from a Pre-tribulation rapture point of view. There is no such thing as this rapture and millions have been deceived by this doctrine of demons. Not only will they not be raptured they will hear ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” because they followed other gospels.
This is how deadly the abomination that causes desolation is and has been. Millions of Christians have been deceived even though the trumpet has been blasting its warning, but like those who follow false teachings like the rapture, they will continue to say “we will not listen.” They have no fear even though they are following a doctrine of demons, other gospels and a different Jesus. They should be responding as Jeremiah responded when this was said. Jeremiah 4:5 “Announce in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem and say: ‘Sound the trumpet throughout the land!’ Cry aloud and say: ‘Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities!’ 6 Raise the signal to go to Zion! Flee for safety without delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, even terrible destruction. 16 “Tell this to the nations, proclaim concerning Jerusalem: ‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land, raising a war cry against the cities of Judah. 17 They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me,’” declares the Lord. 18 “Your own conduct and actions have brought this on you. This is your punishment.” Jeremiah responds, Jeremiah 4:19 “Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry. 20 Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins. In an instant my tents are destroyed, my shelter in a moment. 21 How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?” God then says “22 “My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.” The church has all but been destroyed but people continue as if nothing is wrong.
As I read the post about the rapture happening in the next couple of days, I saw a sense of excitement and hope that Jesus was going to take them from this earth. They had great anticipation for this event that they thought and hoped was going to happen. They are told to be ready for the rapture as you do not want to miss it and be left behind. Think back to the horrible movie “A Thief in the Night.” The problem is many have not put their hope in Jesus and His word and what they anticipate is the teaching of man and doctrines of demons and most will not repent from their wicked ways, so there really is no hope for them. What they anticipate will not be at all what they had hoped for.
This battle the church is in will be cut short and come to an end, so that means the church will once again rise up and do as Jesus did. Not only should we be ready for the end of all things when Jesus returns to take His church into eternity, the church must be ready to go to war. As we talked about this is not against flesh and blood but against satan’s powers. On our own we have no power. As king Jehoshaphat said, 2 Chronicles 20:12 “Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Every year the Jews go through the same ritual and though the trumpet is a symbol of rebellion, they refuse to bow before Jesus their Messiah and they continue in their unbelief. The Gentiles have done the same as seen from the post from above, which is just one example of the deception and delusion of the church. Again, that is just one area of the church, like Christian Nationalism we talked about last time, where the church has turned away from God’s word to go their own way. The church continues to rebel even though the trumpet has been blasting since Jesus walked this earth. We must all be ready because at any second our life could be over and that will be it. Sadly, the church continues to say “we will not listen.” It really is amazing across the church how many who call themselves Christians who have been seduced by satan and brought under delusion by God and continue in their wicked ways. Paul describes the delusion of the Jews, but it also applies to the Gentiles. Romans 11:8 “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day.” Matthew 13:15 “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’” Mark 7:6 “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
Paul said that people are with excuse. Romans 1:18 “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” God gave a promise to David that there would always be a remnant of survivors. Jeremiah 33:9 “The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’” The sun and moon are still doing what they were created to do so there is still hope.
So, though the church has been almost completely destroyed, just like the first two temples, there is hope. No, another temple will not be built though they are trying because Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.” The third temple was God dwelling among His people. Ephesians 2:19 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” The abomination that causes desolation will come to an end, then the gospel will be preached to the ends of the earth. The words of Jesus still apply. Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” When the kingdom comes near that means God has turned His face back to the church and when His face is turned back, the power and authority given at Pentecost will return and the church will once again do as Jesus did. Zechariah 1:3 “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
The problem is that the church refuses to return to God’s word and continues to be desolate. Zechariah 7:13 “‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the Lord Almighty. 14 ‘I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.’” The church became desolate because those who called themselves Christians rebelled against God’s word by following a different Jesus and other gospels. Most say they follow the Way but have chosen their own paths and walk those paths in their own strength. Deuteronomy 31:18 “And I will certainly hide my face in that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.”
But there is still hope in all this desolation and destruction. 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” King Hezekiah told the people, 2 Chronicles 30:6 “People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9 If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.” God said He would return so as the church returns, we wait for the power and authority to do as Jesus did to return. Isaiah 8:17 “I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.”
Once again the trumpet will sound and Numbers 10:9 “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.” Once again the church will rise up and do as Jesus did. Jesus showed the church in the Gospels and empowered the church in Acts. Matthew 4:23 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” Jesus said He would confirm His word with signs that would accompany it. Acts 8:4 “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.”
Today there is a choice, heed the sound of the trumpet or continue to say we will not listen. Ezekiel 33:1 “The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’” When the final trumpet sounds it will be too late, so choose life not death today; don’t wait. Hebrews 3:7 “So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. 10 That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
