The Feast of Trumpets, Pt. 2 (09/16/2001)

Turn with me if you would to Luke chapter 21 this morning most people in our church don't believe things happen by coincidence and This Monday evening and Tuesday September the 16th and through I'm sorry, the 17th through the 18th is the Feast of Trumpets In Israel.

And So last Sunday the Lord led me to begin a message or two on the Feast of Trumpets and I had really planned to start that today. And it's like as if the Lord let me know where you'll need more time than one Sunday for it.

So start this Sunday, which was last Sunday, so we did and I don't know how many of you thought about that or not during the week but the Feast of Trumpets is a picture of the tribulation period and It's just very interesting how what happened on Tuesday Could cause us to really have a better ear for hearing for the remainder of this message today so While you're turning to Luke 21, let me read Leviticus 23 24 where this feast was instituted.

Speaking to the children of Israel saying in the seventh month in the first day of the month shall you have a Sabbath a memorial of blowing of trumpets and holy convocation and we began a message on this last time and pointed out how the ancient rabbis believe that the Lord created the world on the first day of the week of the month of Tishri, which is this this month roughly their calendar is different than ours, but it's this time of the year and.

And so we spoke about some of those things then we went into Nehemiah chapter 7 and we showed a time when the nation of Israel came out of captivity and actually Celebrated this Feast of Trumpets and we studied a little bit about how that looked if you remember What happened was that Ezra Opened the book in the sight of all the people and Began to read from the book.

The people stood as he opened the book in Reverence to God's Word and Ezra blessed the Lord and they praised God with uplifted hands and then they fell on their faces and worshiped in silence. And we pointed out how there's a parallel passage to this this was happening on the earth.

And there's a parallel passage that shows what happens in the heavenlies in the book of Revelation chapter 5 in verse 3 and no man in heaven nor in earth neither under the earth was able to Open the book.

Neither to look thereon and I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book neither to look thereon and. And so we talked about how the book was open they praise God they worship God and.

And we looked at some of the other things that occurred and we'll finish with that this morning. Let's have a word of prayer and we'll begin father. We Thank you for your sovereign hand your strong right arm.

But the fact that you say that we your children are engraven in the palm of your hand and Lord we know that our nation has Thumbed its nose at you for many years now during much of my lifetime and Lord we know that that will not go on Forever.

That there must be a correction and even a punishment and so father we Realize that the scriptures tell us and the prophecies of things to come that these types of things will take place. But you also give us a glimpse of the glory.

That will be that awaits for us your children both in this life, but in the life to come as well and. So father you comfort our hearts you give us passages of scripture where you even exhorted us to Read these to one another and comfort one another with these words.

So as we study these words today, we ask that you would comfort our hearts. But also reveal to us your perfect will for our lives in the immediate days to come. That we might be your servants in our generation and we ask these things in Jesus name.

Amen. Now keep your hand in Luke chapter 21. Turn to Revelation 5 verse 5. Follow along with me for a moment. The few of you were not here last time. So I want to complete a little short review. That's the passage where it gives this heavenly view.

And let's continue on there and one of the elders saith unto me weep not behold the lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof. And as we get into a study of the seven seals, which you must study to get to the seven trumpets.

Which is what the Feast of Trumpets is all about. I just cannot imagine how this message could have been magnified more than by what's happened this week because you Believe this if you go back a hundred years ago.

The book of Revelation was pretty much a closed book. The Bible scholars weren't studying it. They you couldn't find a commentary. This said anything about what they thought was happening. The nation of Israel didn't even exist yet that they were still dispersed into all the world and yet as time goes by the nation is brought back into existence in the 1940s and and all the different things as Russ said every other week.

There's a car bomb explosion killing their little school children, and they just live with that day in and day out. They're surrounded on all sides if they're not if you're not going off into the Mediterranean then you're surrounded by enemies on all sides and We see that the focal point of the entire world is on this little piece of real estate.

That really makes no sense from a human viewpoint except for the fact that God said it would be so and I Believe that as time moves forward we will understand that those who are students of the word will understand more and more about the book of Revelation and about the end times and our study of eschatology we will See it more clearly than we ever have before.

But this one who is about to open these books is none other or this book is none other than the root of David and He hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof. Verse 6 says and I beheld and low in the midst of the throne and the four beasts in the midst of the elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain.

Having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And When he had taken the book before beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors which are the prayers of the Saints.

And They sung a new song saying thou worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof. For thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by the blood by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and has made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on earth.

And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne of the beasts and the elders and the Number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lamb.

And we pointed out last week while they in Ezra's day when they were began to lift their hands and praise God it was an earthly view of what happens in the heavenlies and here it is magnified by tens of thousands and thousands and thousands of thousands of praises going on and saying with a loud voice worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and Blessing and every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying blessing and honor and Glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever.

And the four beasts said. Amen they were Baptist weren't they and the way Baptist used to be and The four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped him that liveth forever and ever. Sad to be used to be Baptist.

It's better to be that than to be present modern Baptists, I Don't know. I'm debating taking it off the side. I don't even know what we are. Let's just put the word Bible out there or do like Johnny Pope did he's an independent Baptist pastor.

He just changed the name of his church recently to Christ Church. I like that Christ Church but They said amen and the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped him that liveth forever and ever. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals and I heard as it were the noise of thunder one of the four beasts saying come and See and the curtain was drawn back and John was allowed to see what was going to happen in these last days.

The Need to Hear God's Word Distinctly

Well We talked about that a little bit last time and then we went on into this passage Where they were teaching God's people the Word of God. And it says that they taught them Distinctly which means how to separate or rightly divide the word of truth and they taught them to understand which means to separate it mentally but they gave the sense and caused the people to understand the reading and As they began to teach God's Word, which is an art that's almost been lost in the pulpits today.

There's so much just Preaching and there's nothing wrong with preaching. Preaching means to proclaim but the modern idea of preaching means to shout and holler maybe give one verse and then shout and holler for 40 minutes and Entertain the people or to tell the people how to be successful or to tell the people How how God wants them to be wealthy or all the different things that are preached today.

But in the Bible what happened when they preached was they taught the people the Word of God? Distinctly and gave the sense of it what God meant by it and caused the people to understand and the result of that was found in verse 9 of this passage where it says in Nehemiah, which is Where it says and all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

People wept because they didn't just hear it. They heard it with understanding. Down through the years the Jews have believed that the blowing of trumpets at during the Feast of Trumpets has a threefold purpose.

The first purpose in their view and I'm not saying this is biblical. There's one you won't blow it. You would have scared everybody to death if you just pick that thing up and blown it the bit he has.

He has one back here. The trumpet. You were probably tempted to do that too, weren't you? Yes. One of their views is that the trumpet sound is a call to repentance. Now. This is what the what the Jews believe.

Are you ready? Are you ready? That wasn't the right one. There's two. Let's see if there's seven of them. That's interesting and the blowing of the trumpets. The trumpet sound first was a call to repentance.

It was a call to the dead Among them to rise and live again spiritually. It was a call to those who were of the nation of Israel Who did not know the Lord and could care less and never gave him a thought.

It was a call to them to rise and to repent. That regeneration through repentance might take place and that they might wake up. So that's the first thing they thought that this trumpet was for. Now as you go into Revelation chapter 6 and You begin to see the seals and then the last of the seals that leads into the trumpets.

You can vividly see God giving a wake-up call. But he doesn't just Predominantly this wake-up call is for the Jew and for the nation of Israel. But it'll also be a wake-up call for the entire world.

And certainly right now America got a wake-up call on Tuesday, and I believe in many cases People are thinking about it. But let me go into Luke chapter 21 now you're there already took you a while to find it.

But I'm sure you found it by now. Luke chapter 21. And let's look at this passage. We're primarily going to be studying in the book of Revelation about these things, but I want you to see what the Lord Jesus Taught his apostles Shortly before he left this world Physically and They asked him a question.

They said tell us what the signs of the times will be. Tell us what the signs at the end of this age will be. And it's interesting as they asked this question. You find it in verse 7 and they asked him saying master.

But when shall these things be and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass. And in other? Parallel passages in Matthew 24. And mark 13 in some cases they said and what will be the sign at the end of the age?

So you find in these passages a mix of Near prophecy and far prophecy. At least that's my opinion you see the near prophecy of Which was prophetic at the time it was written that in the year 70 AD Titus and the Roman legions would come through and destroy Jerusalem and Israel and scatter the Jews into all the world.

It speaks of that as prophecy because that was about seven seven. Well, not quite 70 40 years out from the time this was given. But there's also a far or distant prophecy that goes out into what we call the tribulation.

Period and you see very obviously that there are a few verses and even in the passage in Luke which many scholars say it's it's. Totally speaking of the 70 AD event I don't believe that because there are a few verses that don't make any sense if that's all it's talking about.

So my opinion is your pastor is that even the passage in Luke deals with a near view and a far view of prophecy. But I want you to look at what our Lord Jesus Said about these things as he answered their question and I picked this passage I I just I love the one in Matthew 24.

We read from it some last Sunday, but I Love this passage. So vivid look at verse 8 and Jesus said Take heed that ye be not deceived. For many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and the time draweth near.

Go ye not therefore after them. Now don't you think it's interesting that one of the first warnings he gave is that during these end times There'll be a lot of false prophecy. But one of the greatest false prophecies that will be is those that are saying the time is now.

The time is now now how many groups have we seen in our own history modern history? They've come up and said that the event is going to take place on this day. Do you remember a few years in the early 80s a guy sent a little book out to every preacher got one.

I'm sure a lot of people got one where he said the end was gonna come at The Feast of the Trumpets in September of that year. How many of you got that book? I got one. Did you get one brother Russ? I guess I only sent it to preachers.

Well, I'm glad you didn't get it. It was a waste of time. Besides that three days after that date. He wasn't anywhere found. Nobody could interview him because he missed the date and. Then it goes on though and it says in verse 9, but when ye shall hear of wars and Commotions, I like that word commotions.

It's an interesting word. Be not terrified. Now this is Jesus talking to his children. And to us to our little ones who are in this room this morning. He said don't be terrified by these things and He goes on and says there will be wars and commotions be not terrified for these things must first come to pass.

But the end is not by and by in other words, the end is not yet. There's some things that have to happen first. Now later, he's gonna give a little parable where he's gonna teach us that we don't have to be in the dark concerning these things.

We don't have to be caught surprised by surprise By these things and so therefore there are some things we are going to see. With our eyes around us and experience in that going on in this world. That will allow us to know that the fig tree is budding and that we are in the season and That summer is nigh now.

You won't be able to pick the date the exact day or the hour. But you can know when you're in the season. In fact, Jesus is giving us some of these Indications that can end up being the little buds that we look for.

He says Verse 9 He says but when ye shall hear of wars and commotions be not terrified. Verse 10 says then said he into them Nation that means race by the way. It doesn't mean nation. It means ray. It does mean nation if it's a nation like Japan Or China where it's a race of people, but the literal rendering is race.

So he says race shall rise against race. This is what's been happening over in Bosnia and all over the world saw what always been the case. But if we see it happening still today Race shall rise against race and kingdom against kingdom.

Now, that's more like a country that's like America could be considered a kingdom even though we're a mix of races and Great earthquakes shall be in diverse places and famines and pestilences and fearful sites and great signs.

Shall there be from heaven? But before all these They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the synagogues now you can see a near view here because this is exactly what they did with the Apostles.

And Into prisons we can see the Apostle Paul here Suspended on the wall in the prison. Being brought before kings and rulers for not my name's sake we can certainly see Paul who went to the highest ruler of his day and was able to preach the gospel and It shall turn to you for a testimony.

Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate before what you shall answer for I will give you a mouth and wisdom. Which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And as you read Fox's book of martyrs.

And you see the words that came out of the mouths of some of God's Saints as they were being burned by a cool fire. They wouldn't get the fire hot. They left it a cold fire so they could sizzle all day.

And some of the words that came from the mouths of those people you think how did they ever think that up? What a perfect thing to say in this situation. Well, they didn't think it up. Jesus said very clearly that the truth is the Holy Spirit will speak.

You don't even have to met premeditate what you'll say now. Is there a far view here perhaps? Could some of this happen to our generation and ye well you say no then just go to Red China right now. It's already happening.

There are places all over the world today where this happens right now and it's happened the last ten years twenty years twenty five Fifty-hundred years all the way back to the time of Jesus and ye shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren and kinfolks and friends and some of you shall they cause to be put to death and Ye shall be hated of all men.

I noticed that doesn't say Jesus didn't say all of you shall be put to death. That's what's taught in our our books about the tribulation that we read. You know that all every Christian will be killed.

Jesus said some of you will be put to death. Well, that's been the case through every generation since Jesus went to be with in heaven and You shall be hated of all men for my name's sake but there shall not a hair of your head perish and that an interesting verse and Your patience possess you your souls and now pay strict attention to this starting with verse 20.

When you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with armies. Then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Now there's certainly a near view and a far view in that one because in 70 AD this happened, but it's going to happen again.

The Bible teaches then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains and let them which are in the midst of It depart out and let not them that are in the countries enter there into. For these be the days of vengeance.

That all things which are written may be fulfilled now that certainly didn't happen in 70 AD. Did it do you think all things all the prophecies of the Bible were fulfilled in that event? No, they were not.

So this gives us a far view of this prophecy. But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days for there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people and they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all nations.

There's a near view and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled and that certainly didn't happen in 70 AD. It just began actually. And there should be signs in the Sun and in the moon and in the stars and upon the earth distress of nations.

Now we begin to see distress of nations and look at this little phrase with perplexity. Don't you think it's interesting that? How many people did you hear on television this week? They would ask them the question.

Maybe to the head of the fire department. I heard last night an interview with the top police official in New York City and they asked the question. Were you prepared for this don't you know, it's easy to ask questions, but but but the The news people they are so stupid.

They don't even ask very good questions. I'm amazed that these people even answer them. Were you prepared for this? Great question great question. Oh, yes, we were prepared. In fact, we almost kept it from happening.

But we decided to go ahead and let it happen so we could practice our skills on getting 10 ,000 people out from under Six billion tons of rubble buried in a hole. What a ridiculous question. But you know what they all answered.

No, we've never even conceived of anything like this. We don't know how to handle this. We don't know how to rescue the people that are under the rubble. In fact, it's almost been too many days and we don't know how and we're just taking each day at a time.

You know what? That is ladies and gentlemen, that's perplexity. The governments of this world are going to be perplexed and already are perplexed at How to take care of the needs of a people who have been taught for the last 25 years.

That it's the government's responsibility to take care of the needs of the people. The sea and the waves roaring that's a picture of the waves in the sea of humanity men's hearts failing them for fear and Look at this and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.

How many things like what happened Tuesday? Would it take in this country to make it very difficult for our government to handle it at all and For looking after those things which are happening. Their hearts are failing.

It's too much for them for the powers of heaven shall be shaken and Look at verse 27. Remember who's talking now? This is Jesus. He's saying now beware. They're gonna be people to say lo. He's in the desert.

Lo. He's in a secret chamber over here in New York City. They're a group of Jews that said that about ten years ago that their Messiah was in a secret chamber. And they built a duplicate building that was in New York City.

They actually built it over in Israel. For this rabbi that they thought was the Messiah. I'm sure he's dead now, but they thought he was the Messiah. Jesus said don't listen to them. He says here's how you'll know when it's really me in verse 27 and then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory and Look at this interesting exhortation.

When these things what things all these things we just read about begin to take come to pass. When they begin to come to pass. Then look up and lift up your heads. For your redemption draweth nigh. Now this afternoon in this afternoon's Bible study we're going to discuss that verse a little bit and what the word redemption means in this context.

But I'll tell you what it means. It means the rapture. That's what it means and Look at the context of where Jesus put the rapture in this List of things that happened. It's maybe a little different than some of the books you've read on when the rapture occurs.

But I can see what our Lord says. I don't have any preconceived notions about it myself I had for my mentor was dr Rocky Freeman who held four earned doctorate degrees and he told me the rapture happens at the first tribulation.

So I believed it never studied it in my life. Other than just reading the scriptures. That's man. That's too intricate I it takes a mind like that to get into those things and I'm talking about as a young preacher I didn't worry about it.

I said well, it must be the way it is. Everybody's written books about it. Dwight Pentecost wrote the great book things to come where he put it all out there and Brother Bill and brother Clarence and I went out to dr MacArthur's Church for a conference this year and that the head of his seminary taught a class on the pre-tribulation Rapture and he said to all of us.

He said well, I'm gonna give you about six points. He said I have to confess to you that no one of these points can prove that that's when the rapture takes place. He said in fact, it's I'm hard put to prove that that's when the rack rapture takes place.

But he said if you take the weight of each point Consecutively piled upon the other it makes one lean in that direction. Now, that's the best proof the man had now I take that as proof of my point earlier that Our understanding of this book is an ongoing learning process.

It's a process of revelation where God reveals to his people when they need to know it. How many times have you heard people say? Well, you know if the worst comes to our family God will give us grace to get through it when we need it.

We don't feel like we have that grace now, but he gives that grace in time of need. You've you've said that. You look at a family who's grieving over the loss of a loved one and you say it's amazing the piece that they have in that family.

And you feel like you couldn't have it, don't you? But you know what you would have it when the time comes when you need it. And I believe that this is what's happening with this book is as God sees that we need it.

He reveals and opens our eyes through circumstances that we see around that help us to interpret these passages we are living in the day when we need to know more about what this means and You can be sure your pastor for the last month has been studying these things because we're talking we're teaching through Systematic theology we're gonna get to eschatology and I've already been studying for months but when this happened Tuesday my study accelerated and I'm not gonna give you hashed over things that people have said.

I won't teach anything like that. It'll be something straight from the Word of God and you need to be studying as well. But I'll tell you this that when these things begin to come to pass. Look up and lift up your head for the rapture draws near.

And we'll talk about that a little bit more this afternoon now. Want you to think a little bit? About what the Jew is looking at go into Revelation chapter 6 with me now. The Feast of the Trumpets with which the Jew kept this time of year all through their history up to this present day.

And the Bible tells us in the New Testament that all these things were given as types and End-samples for those of us who live in the end of time that we might look at what they did and learn spiritual truths from them and Certainly this Feast of the Trumpets has some truths in it that we can learn and we need to learn of all times.

Right now we need to get in high gear and study Everything that God has to say about the end times because we're there. We're living in the end times. Paul felt he was living in the end times. And if he thought that we certainly are living in the end times.

And so As we look at this they study these they talk about the trumpets the blowing of the trumpets. Which takes place beginning in Revelation chapter 6 it leads up to the blowing of the trumpets. And the Bible says in a passage in the book of Corinthians that at the last Trump It describes the rapture very vividly and So we we see that the Jew had a picture.

He couldn't see the details. But he had a picture of this blowing of the trumpets. What's so fascinating about the Jew even today. He doesn't see clearly. Because he doesn't believe the New Testament.

Unless he's a born-again Jew and they see very clearly. My mentor. Dr. Freeman was a born-again Jew. I thank God for that. He's in heaven now. So he knows the answers to when the Rapture is coming and all these questions that he spent his whole life studying.

He knows exactly I'm sure. Well, maybe he doesn't maybe only the father knows. But as We look at what they did see they saw Pentecost the feast of I'm sorry the feast of Passover. Passover. Which we've studied recently so vividly shows the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ and then they go to Pentecost which was both the birthday of the Nation of Israel and the birthday of the church and Then you have from that feast a long season of no feasts until the fall feast began with the blowing of the trumpets and To them that picture now what's interesting is after the blowing of the trumpets you have a ten-day period which they call the ten awesome or awful days and It is it is for repentance for those who are in that second book.

Remember, they think there are three books and I'm not saying this is biblical that they're that the three books They think exist are biblical but this is what the Jew thinks the first book is for those who are perfectly righteous their names are in that book and At the first of the blowing of the trumpets this feast those people already get their blessings.

But they also believe there aren't hardly any people in that book and they believe nearly everybody's in the second book which is a book that has people that are neither thoroughly wicked nor are they thoroughly perfect and in the third book is for those who are thoroughly evil and and they they're gonna have no part in anything but hell and and so they focus on this second book and they feel that most of them are in this book and so during the ten days between the blowing of the trumpets and Yom Kippur which pictures the second coming we have hindsight and foresight to know that with our New Testament Pictures the second coming there is a period of time in between the blowing of the trumpets and the second coming which is a time That's given in their mind to repentance and Getting right with God.

And they feel in fact if you watch in Israel in that time period starting, I think I'm right. Isn't it Monday and Tuesday? It's Tuesday is is the blowing of the trumpets starting at that time for the next ten days.

If you ever want to see it you do a good deed for you cross his path. Is he gonna do something for you? Because he is working his way back into a right standing with God he thinks and so they do many good deeds.

They give much money to the needy they do a lot of things during these ten days because this these ten days picture a an awful time of Getting right with God and then the judgment day comes. Yom Kippur pictures that Time period which we know is the second coming so what we see so clearly is that this feast of trumpets is a feast that typifies the entire what we call the tribulation period and It is a time when God is using tribulation to get his people the Jews to the place.