The Feast of Trumpets and the Book of Life

by Leonard V Johnson

Here we are again, dear brethren, coming up on the LORD God’s glorious Feast of Trumpets, September 12th, 2026! Hello to our beloved Brethren, Co-Workers, and Friends in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Lahore, Pakistan, Manchester, England, UK, Owensboro, Kentucky, and Fayetteville, NC!

Here at the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries (COJCOM), we continue to keep and celebrate the LORD God’s biblical holy days and feasts, including the Feast of Trumpets, also called Rosh Hashanah by our Jewish brethren. Two older sermons of related interest would be “Feast of Trumpets and the Church” and “Prophecy – Feast of Trumpets 2022.”

The LORD’s Feast of Trumpets is on September 12th this year──2026. Its observance begins the evening before, at sunset, on the Gregorian calendar and runs until sunset on the Gregorian calendar.

Let’s turn in our Bible to Leviticus 23 ──

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24) ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial [not a shadow] of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.’

25) ‘You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.’” – Leviticus 23:23-25.

Here is pictured within the memorial of blowing of trumpets the next phase of the LORD God’s redemptive plan, when our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, shall come, in the clouds with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17) For it shall be AT THE LAST TRUMP “for the trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” – 1 Corinthians 15:52.

Unless our Lord Jesus returns to resurrect the dead in Christ, we would never gain eternal life if there were no resurrection: “Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.” – 1 Corinthians 15:18.

Our Lord Jesus will directly intervene in world affairs upon the SEVENTH BLOWING OF THE TRUMPET ──

“The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

15) Then the SEVENTH ANGEL SOUNDED: And there were loud voices in [the atmosphere], saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord [God the Father] and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” – Revelation 11:14-15.

A trumpet in God’s living word can symbolize war. He will come during a time of worldwide war when the nations are angry!

So, let us notice exactly when this takes place ──

“’ So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They [ISRAEL] will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they [ISRAEL] who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.’” – Isaiah 27:13.

Now, when will ISRAEL be gathered together? At the sound of the SEVENTH TRUMPET, at the glorious and powerful coming of our Lord Jesus! Most churches have forgotten or are blatantly ignorant of the LORD’s Feast of Trumpets; they believe that the return of the Jews to the holy land and the establishment of a nation which is called Israel was the fulfillment of the above prophecy.

The LORD’s Feast of Trumpets clearly points to the blowing of trumpets, and God’s living word shows us a variety of prophetic events that will accompany the cacophony of blasts.

In this article, I’d like to cover with you the relevance of the Feast of Trumpets and the Book of Life.

The Feast of Trumpets in the Old Testament

God’s word tells us ──

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2) ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, THESE ARE MY FEASTS. …

24) ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial [not a shadow] of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.’

25) ‘You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.’” – Leviticus 23:23-25.

Let us note that the children of Israel were to mark this particular day as A MEMORIAL OF THE MEANING THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS HAS FOR THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL──both physically and symbolically. 

The Eternal One instructed the children of Israel to ‘make two silver trumpets to use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps.’ They were to gather the Tribes of Israel for assemblies and signal when it was time to move during their migration to the Promised Land. They were also instructed to blow them when they were preparing for a military attack or to defend against an enemy. Moreover, trumpets were blown during the LORD’s festivals and at the beginning of each month ── cf. Numbers 10:1-10.

The children of Israel had already experienced the awesome and ear-splitting trumpet and its blast when the LORD God gave them the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:19). So, the Lord continued associating trumpet blasts with important events and happenings──as the LORD God continues for us today!

Here is a little more regarding the ‘day of blowing of trumpets’ from God’s living word ──

“’ And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month [Tishri], you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets. 2) You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the LORD: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish. 3) Their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, 4) and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; 5) also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6) besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the regular burnt offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.” – Numbers 29:1-6.

In the Strong’s Concordance of the Bible (#8643), the ‘blowing of the trumpets’ term is terû‘â. “Alarm, signal, sound of trumpet. This is a feminine noun formed from the root rûa’. It is a purely Hebrew formation and occurs thirty-six times in the OT, mostly in the singular. There are four distinct senses in which it is used. It is used for “signal” (Lev. 25:9), the “sound of the trumpet” for the blowing of the shofar on the day of atonement. It is also used for “alarm” as in case of attack (Josh 6:5; Jer 4:19), “I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.” In addition, it is used for the trumpet in the tumult of the battle, “And Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting, and the sound of the trumpet” (Amos 2:2). Lastly, the noun is used for the exultation of praise to God, “Praise Him with trumpet sound, praise Him with lute and harp” (Ps 150:3).” 1

Now, because animal sacrifices are no longer required (cf. Hebrews 10:3-10), Christians do not offer burnt offerings, grain offerings, or drink offerings made by fire──we are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). However, traditionally, a financial offering is taken up on this holy day consistent with what the Apostle Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 9 ──

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7) So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.

Also notice what the LORD God tells us in Deuteronomy 16 ──

“’ Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, at the FEAST OF WEEKS [PENTECOST], and at the FEAST OF TABERNACLES; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. 17) Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.” – Deuteronomy 16:16-17.

This coming SEVENTH MONTH is called Ethanim in God’s living word ──

“Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month.” – 1 Kings 8:2.

However, this month is typically called Tishri by our Jewish brethren, as that was the name used when they were in Babylonian captivity. And although our Jewish brethren call the LORD’s feast Rosh Hashanah, that was never its original name.

“Rosh Hashanah actually means “Head of the Year.” What: Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the universe, the day G‑d created Adam and Eve, and it’s celebrated as the head of the Jewish year.” 2

The Jewish Talmud was compiled between the 1st and 7th centuries, with the Babylonian Talmud, which is considered the main version, completed around 500 AD. And since the meaning of the name Rosh Hashanah means “Head” and “Year” ── which is nowhere to be found in God’s living word ── we use the term “the Feast of Trumpets.

The Book of Life

True Christians have our names written in God’s Book of Life (cf. Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5).

The first allusion to the Book of Life appears in Exodus 32 ──

“’ Yet now, if You will forgive their sin ── but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.’ 33) And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me I will blot him out of My book.’” – Exodus 32:32-33.

Besides Exodus, Psalm 69:28 talks about being blotted ‘out of the book of the living,’ Daniel 12:1 mentions those whose names are written ‘in the book’ shall be delivered, Malachi 3:16 refers to ‘a book of remembrance’ for the faithful, and Isaiah 4:3 alludes to a list of those ‘who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.’

My heart swells with great joy knowing that His mighty prophets of old weren’t just guessing ── they heard the LORD God speak of a heavenly book, the “Book of Life,” long before we ever heard of it. They spoke of it in visions and writings, marking the righteous for all eternity.

Our beloved Prophet Moses knew that his name was written in the Book of Life.

Additionally, the Book of Life could very well be mentioned in three other Psalms ──

“Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8) I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.’” – Psalm 40:7-8.

“You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?” – Psalm 56:8.

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.” – Psalm 139:16.

God’s word clearly shows us that those who reverently fear the LORD our God have their name written in the Book of Life, but those who do not and are not righteous don’t have their name written in the Book of Life.

True Christians who are inscribed in the Book of Life will be born-again at the glorious resurrection which occurs with the blowing of THE SEVENTH TRUMPET BLAST spoken of in the Book of Revelation. Eternal life will be given at the time of the LAST TRUMPET to the LORD God’s chosen people.

The Prophet Isaiah appears to be referencing this LAST TRUMP, the one that signals the glorious and powerful return of our Savior Jesus Christ and the calling ‘with a great sound of a trumpet, gathering together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other’ ──

“So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.” – Isaiah 27:13.

CHOOSE LIFE

Our Holy Father and our Holy Savior want all people to choose life ──

“’ I call heaven and earth as witnesses TODAY against you, that I have set before you LIFE and DEATH, BLESSING and CURSING; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.’” – Deuteronomy 30:19.

Now, I’ve spoken of this before, like in my recent Personal From… Christ’s Coming! There are physical laws, and there are spiritual laws, and every single one of us must choose as to whether we will accept and follow the LORD God’s spiritual laws or not. Because if we neglect so great a salvation, as the LORD God has offered to us, we are turning our back on the LORD God, and we will find only death. The penalty of sin. We must choose LIFE, and we must choose LIFE of our own volition, voluntarily. Our OWN FREE WILL! No one can choose it for you ── no armchair televangelist, no door-to-door preacher, no minister, rabbi, no Imam. And it doesn’t matter how much they promise you salvation, a heavenly paradise, or seventy-two virgins! They can’t save you!

You know, I can’t help but think of my sister-in-law’s friend that was visiting our home once, and I was asked about ── why I don’t believe in the rapture ── and after my brief biblical teaching on this subject, and explaining and solemnly testifying of the kingdom of God, teaching Jesus and of eternal life, she laughed and said, “Everybody is a savior.” I couldn’t save her. I just taught the truth. Our whole private relationship with the LORD is between you and Him! And it is true that we are often brought into certain circumstances, and that the LORD God can bring about certain circumstances that bring a person to a place where a decision must be made, a decision is offered ── to choose life or to choose death. Sadly, my sister-in-law’s friend died about 2 weeks later. The LORD God will never force you to accept His living word. Now, she’s not “lost” or “burning in a hellfire.” She will be resurrected among those of the “Great White Throne Judgment,” and ‘books will be opened for her. And another book will be opened, which is the Book of Life, and she will be judged according to her works, by the things which are written in the books.’ – Revelation 20:11-15. I have placed her name among my “list.” And I pray to our heavenly Father and Elder Brother that I will have the great pleasure and honor to speak with her once again the glorious testimony of the kingdom of God, teaching Jesus and of eternal life.

Let’s go back to verse 17, “’ But IF your heart turns away so that you do not hear, …’” You see, the LORD God allows us to turn away, He allows us to rebel, when He says, “IF” ── because if He was forcing us to obey Him, then He couldn’t say, “IF.” So, IF “ …’ your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18) I ANNOUNCE TO YOU TODAY THAT YOU SHALL SURELY PERISH; …’”

Our Holy Father is the great Ancient of Days ── the Supreme Ruler of all that is. And the LORD God says here, “‘I have set before you life and death [the second death], blessing and cursing; therefore CHOOSE LIFE.’” He desires us to choose life, yet the LORD allows us to disobey “’ that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for HE IS YOUR LIFE …’” And how wonderful it is when you see and hear clearly what His Spirit has to say regarding this! The kingdom of God is the family of God. And if you choose life, you will be begotten of God and later born-again into the family of God! More on the PLAN OF GOD… FROM THE BEGINNING can be found in our message “God’s Master Plan… From the Beginning!”

Trumpets in the New Testament

An ancient Greek warrior blowing a salpinx

God’s living word in the New Testament frequently speaks of the blowing of trumpets.

Our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us ──

“’ And He will send His angels with a great sound of a TRUMPET, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’” – Matthew 24:31.

The Greek word here is salpinx, meaning an ancient Greek trumpet used for military and ceremonial purposes.

The Apostle Paul teaches the same ──

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the TRUMPET OF GOD. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

So, both our Savior and the Apostle Paul taught that His saints would be gathered together when the TRUMPET OF GOD is sounded. And that our Lord Jesus will return upon the LAST TRUMPET BLAST, which is after ‘the tribulation of those days’ (Matthew 24:15-29). Therefore, those who are “pre-tribulation rapturists” are in error. Check out our message, “Is There a ‘Secret Rapture’?”

THE LAST TRUMPET is the RESURRECTION TRUMPET ──

“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMPET. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. … 58) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 15:52, 58.

Our beloved Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 69–155 AD), a disciple of the Apostle John, also wrote about and looked forward to the blowing of this LAST TRUMPET ──

“Wherefore, girding up your loins,” “serve the Lord in fear” and truth, as those who have forsaken the vain, empty talk and error of the multitude, and “believed in Him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and gave Him glory,” and a throne at His right hand. To Him all things in heaven and on earth are subject. Him every spirit serves. He comes as the Judge of the living and the dead. His blood will God require of those who do not believe in Him. But He who raised Him from the dead will raise us up also, if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved, …” 3

Our Lord Jesus teaches us ──

“’ But those WHO ARE COUNTED WORTHY to attain that age [the age to come], and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36) nor can they die anymore, for they are equal [in this regard] to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

37) But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38) For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.’” – Luke 20:35-38.

Let us always PRAISE THE LORD OUR GOD ── the resurrection from the dead brings one back to life!

Our Lord Jesus also teaches us ──

“ … ‘if you want to enter into life, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS.’” – Matthew 19:17.

“’ And as Moses LIFTED UP THE SERPENT IN THE WILDERNESS, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM should not perish but have everlasting life. 17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED.’” – John 3:14-17.

Moses placing a bronze fiery serpent on an old wooden pole (Numbers 21:8-9) (ChatGPT-generated illustration for COJCOM)

Let us also notice the living words of our Savior ──

“’ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25) Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.

26) For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27) and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

28) Do not marvel at this: for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29) and come forth ── those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of [judgment].’” – John 5:24-29.

There is a resurrection to life for those who ‘have done good.’ And there is a resurrection to ‘judgment for those who have done evil.’

Returning again to the beloved Apostle Paul ──

“Now IF Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection? …” – The Sadducees were a Jewish sect that denied the resurrection of the dead, and, sadly, there are a great many peoples today that continue to deny the truth concerning the resurrection of the dead. 13) But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14) And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

15) Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up ── if in fact the dead do not rise.

16) For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17) And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18) Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19) If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

20) But now CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21) For since by man came death [the first death here], by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23) But EACH ONE IN HIS OWN ORDER: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24) Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom of God the Father, when he puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

25) For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26) The last enemy that will be destroyed is death [the second death].” – 1 Corinthians 15:12-26.

We do not know upon what day or hour that this LAST TRUMPET BLAST will be blown, but it will announce the glorious and powerful return of our Savior, Jesus Christ! (Matthew 24:36, 44).

~ Be sure to also read “Conversation With AI Regarding the Meaning of ‘the beginning of sorrows’ ── and ‘Then’ (Part I)” where additional trumpets are spoken in the Book of Revelation ~

Is Your Name Written in God’s Book of Life?

Does God’s living word teach us whose names are in His Book of Life?

Indeed, it does!

Our Lord Jesus alludes to the Book of Life in the Book of Luke here ──

“And He said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19) Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions [symbolize evil, danger, deception, and spiritual adversaries], and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

20) Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice BECAUSE YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN.’” – Luke 10:18-20.

So, all true Christians have their names written ‘in heaven’ ── which surely is in the Book of Life.

The Apostle Paul implored “Euodia and … Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.” And I, like the Apostle Paul, implore you, my beloved and longed-for brothers and sisters in Christ, my joy and my crown, to stand fast in the Lord, and continue having your name written in His Book of Life! (cf. Philippians 4:1-3). Let not your name be blotted out and removed.

Also notice ──

“But you have come to MOUNT ZION and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem [see: Revelation 21:2], to AN INNUMERABLE COMPANY OF ANGELS, 23) to the general assembly and Church of the firstborn WHO WAS REGISTERED IN HEAVEN, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect.” – Hebrews 12:22-23.

Our Lord Jesus Christ says to His Church ──

“’ He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.’” – Revelation 3:5.

We are warned within the Book of Revelation that those who worship the ‘beast’ and its mouth piece, and partake of the ‘mark’ of the ‘beast’ (Revelation 13:1, 8; 17:8), and those who are involved in abominations (Revelation 21:27), and those who ‘adds to the living word’s written in the Book, or takes away from the living words of the Book and its prophecies, He shall take away your part from the Book of Life, and from the holy city of God, and from any blessings spoken of in the Book (Revelation 22:18-19). □

Sources:

1 Harris L. R., Archer, L. Gleason, Jr., and Waltke K. Bruce. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 1980, #2135b, pg. 839.

2 Chabad.org, “Rosh Hashanah” What Is Rosh Hashanah? Retrieved 25 Aug 2026.

3 New Advent, Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians, CH. II: An Exhortation to Virtue. (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0136.htm).