The Feast Of Trumpets Series

2. Notice when this dedication took place – 2 Chron 5:3

a. “All the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.”

b. Now there are three feasts that occur in the seventh month.

(i) Trumpets, Atonement & Tabernacles.

(ii) So which is on view here? In all likelihood, trumpets sparked off all three, – see verse 13.

• Normally there would only have been two trumpets played, but Solomon, always a man for the great state occasion highlighted the significance of the moment by employing 120 trumpeters.

3. Well, what happened on this day?

a. The Construction of the Temple was completed

b. The Ark of the Covenant was placed in the Holy of Holies. (2 Chron 5:7)

c. God’s glory came down (7:1)

d. The Covenants of Israel were renewed – (6:11-14)

e. Sacrifices were started on the altar. (7:1 & 4)

f. Then the feasts were observed covenantally – (8:13)

g. The people were gathered as a nation to meet with the Lord and worship Him – (6:13)

D. Now let us move forward 400 years in time, to the next great occasion at which Trumpets is mentioned – See Ezra 3:1-7

1. In the intervening years between the building of Solomon’s temple and the time of Ezra the Jewish people had apostatised.

2. They had given themselves to idolatry – the consequence being their being taken captivity into Babylon for 70 years.

a. Their longing during that time was to return to Jerusalem and serve the Lord afresh – Psa 137:1-4

b. You see in order to keep their covenant with God and to serve Him by means of His chosen feasts the Jews had to be in Jerusalem.

(i) Deut 12:13-14

(ii) The “there” of Deut 12 from the time of David onward was Jerusalem

(iii) Yet, here they were in Babylon, the temple lying in ruins unable to do what God called upon them to do.

3. The first two chapters of the book of Ezra show how God had not forgotten His people – remember the feast of Trumpets is the Feast of Remembrance, God has made a covenant with Israel and He intends to keep it, so Ezra shows how God stirred the heart of the Persian king Cyrus to allow a remnant to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple – Ezra 3:1

4. And notice that upon completion of the restoration work, the people “From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD.”

5. Well, what exactly happened on this occasion?

a. The people gathered as a nation

b. They offered sacrifices in the Temple

c. They renewed their covenantal obligations by observing the feasts.

6. Do you see a pattern developing here?

E. Now, let us carry on in time another 92 years to the days of Nehemiah and to the revival that occurred after the people had completed the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls.

1. See Nehemiah 8:1-9

2. Again, first of all, just as in Ezra’ s account, the people gathered “as one man” (vs. 1) – in other words this is a national event.

3. Then notice when they gathered – vs. 2 – “the first day the seventh month.” – That the day of the Feast of Trumpets.

4. And what happened?

a. They sacrificed according to the law.