Home Services Publications Links What's New
Mustard Seed September/October 2008
Repentance and the Feast of Trumpets
Repentance and the Feast of Trumpets
Mustard Seed - September/October 2008
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD” (Leviticus 23:23-25 All scriptures quoted from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted). There isn’t much information in these verses about the meaning of this biblical festival, commonly called the Feast of Trumpets. By examining the various events and themes associated with trumpets in the Bible, we gain a deeper understanding into the meaning of this festival. This article will explore one of these themes; repentance and what it teaches us about this Festival.
What is Repentance?
According to the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, “The biblical notion of repentance refers to the radical turning away from anything which hinders one’s wholehearted devotion to God, and the corresponding turning to God in love and obedience.” (Jonathan M Lunde, “Repentance,” InterVaristy Press 2001) The New Bible Dictionary elaborates upon this: “In the OT two words are regularly translated ‘repent’ or some near equivalent—nāḥam (‘be sorry, change one’s mind’) and šûḇ (in the sense, ‘turn back, return’). . . . In the NT the words translated ‘repent’ are metanoeō and metamelomai. In Gk. they usually mean ‘to change one’s mind’, and so also ‘to regret, feel remorse’ (i.e. over the view previously held). This note of remorse is present in the parable of the tax collector (Lk. 18:13), probably in Mt. 21:29, 32; 27:3 and Lk. 17:4 (‘I am sorry’), and most explicitly in 2 Cor. 7:8–10. But the NT usage is much more influenced by the OT šûḇ; that is, repentance not just as a feeling sorry, or changing one’s mind, but as a turning round, a complete alteration of the basic motivation and direction of one’s life" (J. D. G. Dunn, “Repentance,” InterVarsity Press, 1996).
Biblical repentance involves an acknowledgment that we have sinned, and are sorry for what we have done. But this remorse must include more then just a change in mind; that is expressing sorrow for what we did wrong. It must include a change in the direction of our lives. This type of repentance has action. The apostle Paul brings this out in his second letter to the Corinthians. In his first letter to them, he soundly corrects them for several problems. This correction worked. In his second letter he comments on their positive response to what he had to say: “Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter” (1 Corinthians 7:8-11 New International Version).
Paul shows that being sorry for what we have done wrong is not enough. He calls this worldly sorrow. What we need is godly sorrow, a sorrow that leads to repentance. A repentance that produces a change in our lives that seeks at every point to prove ourselves innocent.
Trumpets and Repentance
In the Old Testament the sound of a trumpet can be a call to repentance. The book of Isaiah likens the human voice to a trumpet. Chapter fifty-eight begins with God telling Isaiah to “Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.” Then God identifies some of Israel’s sins, and the changes they must make in their lives if they are to repent (verses 2-14). In Ezekiel Thirty-three, we again see the human voice used as a trumpet calling people to repent of their sins. God speaks of the importance of a watchman to a city during a time of war. The watchman is to warn the people of an advancing army by blowing a trumpet. If the people don’t head the warning, and they die, it’s their own fault, not the watchman’s. But, if the watchman doesn’t warn them by sounding the trumpet, God will hold the watchman accountable (verses 1-6). God goes on to say He has made Ezekiel a watchman to the house of Israel. Ezekiel is to use his voice like a trumpet calling Israel to repent, and warning them of the consequences of their sins. If Ezekiel fails to warn Israel, and they die in their iniquity, God will hold him responsible (verses 7-9). In the book of Joel we see a trumpet blown, calling the nation to a fast of repentance (Joel 2:12-17).
In the New Testament the sound of a trumpet is also a call to repentance. Another theme associated with the Feast of Trumpets are the events surrounding Jesus’ second coming. In the Book of Revelation we find there is a special scroll sealed with seven seals (Revelation 5:1-8). As the Lamb (Jesus), opens the first six seals certain events occur on earth (Revelation 6:1-17). The opening of the seventh seal brings forth seven angels, blowing on seven trumpets, resulting in various catastrophic events (Revelation 8:7-9:21; 10:7; 11:15-19). The sounding of the seventh trumpet results in the pouring out the seven “bowls of the wrath of God on the earth” (Revelation 16:2-21), culminating in Jesus’ return (Revelation 19:11-21).
The result of blowing the sixth trumpet (Revelation 9:13-21) is the death of “a third of mankind” by “fire and the smoke and the brimstone” (verse 18). The purpose of these plagues is to bring mankind to repentance, but they refuse (verses 20-21).
As we have seen, the seventh trumpet of the Book of Revelation (Revelation 10:7; 11:15-19), consists of the seven “bowls of the wrath of God” (Revelation 16:1-21). God’s purpose for the fourth and fifth bowls of wrath is to motivate mankind to repent. But they fail to respond to this correction and won’t repent (Revelation 16:8-11).
Self-Examination
As trumpets are a call to repentance. We should approach the Feast of Trumpets not only as a call for mankind to repent of its sins, but as a call for our own repentance. Self-examination is an important part of the Christian life. The apostle Paul writes: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? --unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5). We should use this festival as a time to examine our lives in light of God’s truth and make needed changes.
Conclusion
We have seen that one of the themes of the Feast of Trumpets is repentance. In both the Old and New Testaments the sound of a trumpet is a call to repent of sin. We should approach the Feast of Trumpets as a call for universal and personal repentance
Calvin Lashway
Updated Audio Version