Trumpeting the Declarations

The Jewish Feasts instituted in the Old Testament had an immediate meaning to God’s people in terms of their agricultural seasons and their relationship with God. They also serve as prophetic shadows of the Messiah, particularly Jesus’ finished work.  The spring feasts—Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost—were fulfilled with Christ’s first coming.
 
The fall feasts—Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles—will be fulfilled with Christ’s second coming. This year the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) began this past Friday evening (Sept. 18) and lasts until sundown on Sunday (Sept. 20). It is followed by the days of Atonement, leading up to the Feast of Tabernacles (Yom Kippur), starting at sundown on September 28th.
 
For Christians, the fall festivals speak of the rest we have in the finished work of Jesus. He is our “Horn of Salvation.” The prerequisite for entering into this rest is to be yoked with Christ. “For My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30). When we are walking in unison with Him by the Spirit, He keeps us in His path of righteousness and delivers us from our enemies.
 
The Feast of Trumpets is often associated with the believer’s warfare. Yet even this “warfare” is conducted from a position of rest in the finished work of Jesus. We don’t defeat Satan and evil in ourselves; Jesus already did that (Colossians 2:15). We simply stand and declare the victory.
 
A call has gone out to the Body of Christ to come together in the unity of the Spirit to pray for repentance in the people of this nation, for the upcoming election, and a renewed move of God’s power through the Church for a harvest of souls. A day of prayer has been called for Saturday, Sept. 26, followed by 40 days of prayer leading up to the election.
 
It is an opportunity for the Bride to use the two-edged sword given to us as part of our spiritual armor of Christ. Psalm 149:6 and Revelation 1:16 remind us that the high praises of God exalt His Word. He speaks (the first edge) and then we agree on earth as it is in Heaven (the second edge). When we pray, we need to make sure that we are declaring what God has spoken. The best way to do that is to let the Spirit lead you to the Word that needs to be spoken forth by your authority in Christ.
 
Check out Isaiah 54:17 and Colossians 1:13 for starters. We declare that the Word of God prevails. Let the words of the kingdoms of this world fall to the ground (1 Samuel 3:19), in Jesus’ name, the name above all names (Ephesians 1:21; Philippians 2:9). It’s time to practice our heavenly calling!