Fall or Autumn Appointed Times: Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah-Rosh Hashanah), Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot-Booths).
Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah
The Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25, Num. 29: 1-6) or Rosh Hashanah (New Year’s Day), which is observed in the fall, marked the start of a new agricultural and civil year in Israel. This appointed time was announced with the blast of trumpets, commencing ten days of solemn dedication and repentance before the Lord. Trumpets were used in history for different occasions: the coming/arrival of a king, an enemy approaching (watchmen on the wall), war (signals of attack) and victory (walls of Jericho), but above all we read of a loud trumpet sound at Mt. Sinai when the Lord made himself known to the Israelites. All this is interesting but what has it to do with the here and now? Christianity does not celebrate the fall/autumn appointed times as ordained by God. The trumpets as described in the book of Revelation (chapters 8-11) are heralding catastrophe, doom and gloom, but the seventh trumpet heralds the victory. Revelation 11:15, “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ; and he will reign forever and ever.’” In our understanding the autumnal trumpet blast will herald in the 1000 year reign of Christ on the earth (Millenium reign).
Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur
For the Jews, the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32, Num. 29:7-11) or Yom Kippur was the highest and holiest day of the Lord’s appointed times, falling nine days after the Feast of Trumpets. This day called for solemn fasting, deep repentance, and sacrifice. Only on this day, once a year, could the high priest enter the holy of holies in the tabernacle or temple and make an atoning blood sacrifice for the sins of all the people of Israel. As a complete Sabbath, no work was done on the Day of Atonement. Aaron slaughtered the bull and goat and brought the blood inside the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat 7 times. The burning of the sacrifice took place outside the camp. Once a year atonement was made for the people’s sins. Every year it needed to be repeated. The sacrifices could not take away the sin permanently. Entry into the Most Holy Place was not yet open for anyone else as long as the first tabernacle was still standing (Hebrews 9:8 HCSB) . The fulfilment was made by Christ’s sacrifice, the veil was torn and free access made available for all to come boldly into the throneroom. Full access – no longer was access denied !!! No separation anymore, no more sin consciousness from dead works, no more satan’s lie, no more belief in “un-s” (unworthy-undeserving- unwellness etc.) anymore. When Christ comes for the second time, not to sacrifice himself again, but to them (humanity) he will bring salvation (our wrong thinking of who we are and our inclusion in the godhead), to its fulfilment (Hebrews 9:28 YLT).
It should be noted that although the High Priest sacrificed for the atonement of the people, it was in fact an atonement for the nation. It ‘cemented’ the people as a nation as belonging to God and under His protection and providence. When we look at this feast as an end-times appointment, we see some enlightening details. The Jewish people as a whole will be atoned with God, the veil having been removed, giving them face-to-face access to God, their Messiah, Jesus. In Ephesians 2:11-17 Paul presents a reconciliation between Jew and Gentile. It is plausible that the fulfilment of this bond of peace will occur at that end-time’s Yom Kippur.
A closer look in Leviticus 16:5 where in detail the sacrifice is described, brings us to focus on the 2 goats, both presented before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. One goat was to be sacrificed as a sin offering for the sins of all the people of Israel. The other one was chosen by lot for ‘Azazel’, to make purification by laying the sins of the people on the head of the goat and sending the goat away into the wilderness. The term Azazel is highly debated, but can be identified as another name for satan or demon. The Azazel goat is sent into the wilderness, representing the people sending their sins back to the place from where it came, to satan.
The goat cannot be confused with Jesus as some people believe that “Jesus is our scapegoat”. Jesus was/is the lamb of God; not the goat of God. Jesus was not banished, but satan will be. In our understanding the Azazel goat could be satan’s banishment to the pit (abyss) during the Millennial reign when Christ returns and reigns with the saints upon the earth as per Revelation 20:2-3. Then satan will be released for a short time till finally thrown in the fiery pit forever.
