The End Time Mystery of Trumpets

The ancient Hebrew holy days ordained by God over 3,000 years ago are not just historical observances; they form a prophetic blueprint that reveals the entire age, from the Messiah’s first coming to His glorious return. Jonathan Cahn explores the profound mystery surrounding the Feast of Trumpets, known in Hebrew as Yom Teruah, emphasizing that this autumn feast is key to understanding the End Times and the Second Coming of Jesus (Yeshua).

As the world enters the “Days of Awe,” Cahn calls believers to spiritual readiness, highlighting the critical role of the Shofar (trumpet) as both an alarm and a herald of the coming King.

The Prophetic Blueprint: Spring Fulfilled, Autumn Awaits (H2)

God set up the sacred year—as revealed in Leviticus 23—according to a specific pattern. He also set up the entire age according to the same pattern.

The First Coming: The Spring Feasts (H3)

The holy days of spring were fulfilled precisely by Messiah in His First Coming.

1. Passover (Pesak): The day of redemption, when the Lamb dies and His blood causes judgment to pass over God’s people. The age began when the Lamb of God died, redeeming us from bondage.
2. First Fruits (Rashit): The day the first fruit of the harvest is consecrated to God. This was fulfilled when Messiah was raised from the dead as the First Fruit of new life.
3. Shavuot (Pentecost): The Feast of Harvest, which begins the long summer harvest. This was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit came, starting the great spiritual harvest of the age—the great going out from Jerusalem to the whole earth.

The Waiting Period: The Long Summer Harvest (H3)

We are currently living in the long summer harvest—the period between the fulfillment of Pentecost and the beginning of the autumn holy days. This is the time when the Church is called to “sow and reap and spread the gospel, proclaim it to all nations”.

The Second Coming: The Autumn Mystery (H3)

The autumn holy days—beginning with the Feast of Trumpets—are often shrouded in mystery for most believers because they have not yet been prophetically fulfilled. These feasts are entirely focused on the Second Coming of Messiah. Jesus will fulfill these days just as He did the spring feasts.

Yom Teruah: The Day of the Great Blast (H2)

The Feast of Trumpets, often called Rosh Hashanah (the Head of the Year), is actually referred to in the original command as a “reminder by the blowing of the Shofar, a holy gathering”. God explicitly calls it the seventh month, meaning it is not the beginning, but the closing of the sacred year.

The core term for the day is Yom Teruah, which means the Day of the Teruah—the great blast or sounding of the trumpet.

The Shofar: Seven Messages for the End Times (H3)

The sound of the shofar is a potent symbol with multiple layers of prophetic meaning for the last days:

1. War and Alarm: The shofar is the sound of an invading or advancing army and the sound of the watchman’s alarm. This signifies that the last days will be days of war, conflict, and peril. This was tragically evidenced by alarms sounding across Israel as missiles were launched during the approach of the Feast of Trumpets.
2. The Power of God: The shofar heralds the power of God, symbolizing victory over the enemy in battle (like at Jericho) and God’s descent (as heard at Mount Sinai). Tradition holds that when the shofar sounds, the enemy must flee.
3. The Great Gathering: The trumpet was used to call the people of God together for appointed gatherings. Prophecy speaks of a time when a “great shofar will sound in the heavenlies,” and all of God’s people will gather. This aligns with the modern gathering of Israel from the ends of the Earth.
4. Judgment (Yom Hadin): The Feast of Trumpets is also called Yom Hadin, meaning the Day of Judgment. Jewish tradition holds that God takes up His court in heaven and passes judgment on this day. The last days are directly linked to coming judgment.
5. Prophetic Voice: The shofar is the sound of the prophets, who were commanded to “set your mouth to the trumpet” and “lift your voice as a trumpet”. The last days will be profoundly prophetic days.
6. Heralding the King: The trumpet is blown to herald the coming of a King. The Feast of Trumpets is the day that declares: “The King is coming!”.
7. The Call to Repentance and Return: The shofar marks the start of the Days of Awe, which is a call to Tshuvah, meaning repentance, and also return. The end-time believer must return to their “possession”—to the radical, revolutionary, on-fire zeal of the Book of Acts, just as ancient Israel returned to their land.