NOTE- Today is the Feast of Trumpets!!!!!
By Garner Ted Armstrong
In gleaning every bit of information we can from the Word of God, we are struck by the following points:
Trumpets were used as a means of mass communication in ancient Israel, in their camps in the wilderness. The trumpets were used to summon the leaders of the tribes; to commence the march in specific order; to announce special assemblies and convocations; to give a sound of alarm; or to call to war!
From time immemorial, the military organizations of the world have used trumpets because of their shrill, strident, exciting and piercing tones, in marshalling and moving military bands and groups of men.
What veteran of the service is not familiar with reveille, general quarters," "chow call" and "taps"?
Also, we learn that God's prophets and evangelists are to "lift up their voices like a trumpet and show God's people their sins" (Isaiah 58: 1).
The very work of God of being a witness and a WARNING (like a warning trumpet blast!) is characterized by the Feast of Trumpets.
Finally, and most important, the Bible uses the type of TRUMPETS for the great ear-splitting cry from heaven above announcing the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST! "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
"And He shall send His angels with a GREAT SOUND OF A TRUMPET, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:30, 31).
Also, at the moment of the RESURRECTION, God says, "Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMP: For the TRUMPET SHALL SOUND, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed"! (1 Corinthians 15:51, 52).
Think of the insane, ridiculous, childish "reasons" why many nations celebrate various "national holidays." Think of the demonic, satanic, ridiculous frivolities associated with "Halloween," with decorations consisting of witches, goblins, ghosts and ghouls! What about "April Fool's Day, " New Year's Eve with its drunken ribaldry and revelry; "Easter," with its sex and fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs?
It would seem, if there was ever an excuse or a "reason" to observe an annual festival, it would be one of the greatest excuses in all of history to observe a festival commemorating the FACT of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ—which guarantees that WE, TOO, can be RAISED FROM THE DEAD—made IMMORTAL, changed into SPIRIT, given ETERNAL LIFE!
Then WHY such resistance to observing the same ceremony (called "the Passover") as did Jesus Christ?
What could be a greater "excuse" than a gigantic FALL FESTIVAL celebrating the coming establishment of the very KINGDOM OF GOD on earth? What could be GREATER than celebrating, not only the physical harvest of the land, but looking forward to the vast, SPIRITUAL HARVEST of the WHOLE EARTH?
In looking at all of the holy days simultaneously, we celebrate, seven times annually, the very PURPOSE OF LIFE! If there was ever a "CELEBRATION OF LIFE," the seven annual holy days of God constitute such a celebration!
But, of course, God's people have not merely sought "an excuse" to observe the feast!
How Should We Worship God?
What is idolatry? Why are the Ten Commandments so arranged that the first two have to do with false worship; worshipping other gods and making idols? Probably because God knew these would be the very FIRST commandments men would tend to break! What is true worship? It is mimicking, IMITATING, obeying, serving the one being worshipped! It is love, adoration, adulation and a desire to BE LIKE the one being worshipped!
Almighty God portrays to us His feasts; Jesus Christ shows that the first GREAT COMMAND to be issued from His exalted throne as supreme WORLD RULER will be: "You must come up to keep the FEAST OF TABERNACLES! " How can it be conceivable to ANY human mind that an individual will DISOBEY that thunderous command?
Yet the book of Zechariah seems to predict that some nations will have to be FORCED through back-breaking drought and famine; through the SHATTERING of their remaining economy, to OBEY GOD!
If you are a worshiper of God, then God requires that you DO WHAT HE SAYS! False worship, idolatry, is illustrated by millions of human beings who "mimic" the actions, voice mannerisms, dress, appearance, hair styles and other affectations of their "matinee idols."
Some people worship other people; some people worship themselves. Though few recognize it, MILLIONS are literally worshipping Satan the devil, who masquerades as "an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11: 13-15) and are worshipping a FALSE Christ, and "another gospel"!
This FALSE Christ they are perfectly willing to "obey," for the FALSE Christ that is portrayed to the world hands the world easily palatable, easily acceptable, meaningless, lackadaisical, empty, weird FANTASIES instead of obedience!
The world lets out nary a whimper as it rushes madly about spending literally BILLIONS of dollars on nonsensical "gifts" in lavish commercialism during the "Christmas season."
It protests with nary a word as it scampers about, carefully attempting to avoid razor blades or needles in apples, LSD or poisons in candy, ground glass in cookies, shouting "trick or treat" from behind the grotesque mask on "the Evening of All Hallows" (Halloween).
Of course, all of this nonsense teaches nothing, educates not a whit and only in a remote manner—totally overshadowed by the pagan accoutrements of the season—allegedly represents "Christianity. "
But inform some of these same partygoers at Christmas time over the eggnog bowl, or kissing under the mistletoe, that they OUGHT to be observing God's FEAST OF TABERNACLES, and you may find yourself forcibly ejected from the scene!
But God says we are to WORSHIP God! Jesus said we are to worship God in spirit and in truth. Paul urged, "Be ye followers [imitators] of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). Peter said Jesus Christ set us an example that we should follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21).
God has ordained that we must act out a part of His plan by observing His annual holy days. By living for eight short days with converted brethren in the actual conditions which will soon prevail on earth, we come to impress upon ourselves His great plan.
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