[Darris McNeely] Today is the Feast of Trumpets (Monday, September 17, 2012), one of the annual festivals that God gave to mankind to be observed. We find it recorded in Leviticus chapter 23 that on the first day of the seventh month - the first day of the seventh month on God's calendar was to be a memorial of the blowing of trumpets and a holy gathering, a festival occasion for the people of God, and a day - a holy day, that is still in effect as far as God's calendar, God's plan is today.

[Steve Myers] And it's not a Jewish thing. The Jews today keep Rash Hashanah on this day, but the Feast of Trumpets is actually a Christian celebration. It's a day that Christians are supposed to celebrate and oftentimes overlooked. So why should Christians keep the Feast of Trumpets? Why is that important for those who claim to be God's people?

[Darris McNeely] Well, I think the first reason is that God commands it and it is given to His people. We find ample reference to it in the New Testament, especially in connection with the most significant Christian experience and hope that is the resurrection of the dead, which is described in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 as well as in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 where it says the dead in Christ will rise at the sound of a trumpet. And also in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 is described the resurrection of the dead, when the trumpet shall sound is the time of the change from mortal to immorality, from flesh to spirit. So it's a Christian celebration brought through the Bible especially into this most important hope of every Christian and that is the resurrection of the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-58).

[Steve Myers] And there's no doubt because if you look back at Leviticus 23 where it describes these festivals of God and today especially the Feast of Trumpets, it says these are Feasts of the Lord. They're not Jewish feasts, so they're for us as Christians to keep as well. And if you think about a trumpet in the Old Testament, it announced special things. Something significant was going to happen when the trumpet sounded in ancient Israel.  Well, that's symbolic for today as well. Those trumpets are going to sound and significant things are going to happen, signifying the return of Christ (Leviticus 23:1-2 and Leviticus 23:23-25)

[Darris McNeely] Right, there was also a connection to war by the sounding of trumpets in the Old Testament and what we see in the Bible. A sound of a trumpet or trumpets was a call of alarm and a call to war. We see in many prophecies that this is connected with the timing of the Day of the Lord, the time of events that lead up to the second coming of Jesus Christ. In fact, when you look in Revelation 11:15 it says that, "The sounding of the seventh angel, there were loud voices in heaven, saying 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.'" And so there is a very significant connection in this verse in Revelation 11:15 to the actual time when Jesus Christ appears at the sounding of the seventh trump, and all of these events begin to culminate an actual change over in world events. The climax of this age occurs in connection with this Holy Day and the sounding of trumpets.

[Steve Myers] So, it's an amazing scenario when you see what's happening on the world scene even today and the challenges that this world is faced with right at this time of the year. And there seems to be this connection between what's happening, what God's doing, what is His plan, and how that's going to be fulfilled. And ultimately this day symbolizes that time when man's rule is going to be over and Christ returns.

[Darris McNeely] I think there's a connection with this conflict that seems to take place and events seem to heat up at this time of year, in this fall period, and I think it's a reflection of what is understood to happen when the timing of the Feast of Trumpets and this whole sequence of events begin to unfold upon the world and a changeover in world government will take place.

[Steve Myers] So it is important for Christians. Check into it. Find out about it. Read about the Feast of Trumpets and hopefully you'll begin to see the significance for all of us as Christians to be able to celebrate this day.

[Darris McNeely] That's BT Daily. Join us next time.