Trumpets

[Bible verses]

Psalm 47:5

God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.

Psalm 98:6

With trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn—
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

Psalm 150:3

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,

Isaiah 27:13

And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.

I Chronicles 16:6

and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

Leviticus 23:24

"Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.'"

[My reflections]

There are several musical instruments that are frequently mentioned in the Bible. Among these are trumpets, horns, harps, lyres and cymbals. Of these, trumpets are mentioned 116 times in the Bible and certainly play an important role. They were to be blown by selected priests (Numbers 10:8, I Chronicles 15:24, 16:6,42, Nehemiah 12:35). And on the first day of the seventh month Tishrei or Rosh Hashanah, which is the New Year's Day for the Israelites, trumpets were blown to signal the beginning of the Feast of Trumpets. According to the Hebrew tradition, this day marks the sixth day of Creation, when mankind was created.

There are several meanings to blowing of the trumpets. First, trumpets signal the coming down of the Lord God (Exodus 19:16,19, 20:18). As the Lord came down to Israel, trumpets were sounded to gather the people of Israel and have them march out (Numbers 10). So, when Israel went out to a war, they would blow the trumpets so that they would go out with the Lord (Joshua 6, Judges 3:27, 6:34, 7:19-22, I Samuel 13:3). Second, trumpets were blown to praise the Lord. In the psalms above or in such places as I Chronicles 13:8, II Chronicles 5:12-13, 7:6, 29:26-27, we can see how the Israelites used the trumpets to sing and celebrate the great mercy and enduring love of the Lord. Third, trumpets signify a warning and a call to repentance. The trumpet is the watchman's tool (Ezekiel 33:3-6, Joel 2;1) to tell the people of the imminent wrath and judgment of the Lord. In the last days, blowing of the trumpets by the angels is followed by the seven woes (Revelations 8 & 9). As one hears the loud blowing of the trumpet, he needs to repent of his sins before the wrath of the Lord is poured on him (Isaiah 58:1, Joel 2:15). So the tenth day of the Feast of Trumpets was kept as the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 25:9). Fourth, the trumpet will sound with the Second Coming of the Lord (Matthew 24:31). With the sound of the trumpet, we will be resurrected in glory (I Corinthians 15:51-52, I Thessalonians 4:16). And the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus will be established and we will live there with Him for ever (Revelations 11:15).

When I sing praises to the Lord, I hope to sing at the height of my voice, like the trumpet sounds. The Lord is exalted and glorified among our praises.