PJ HanleySeptember 2026
Over the years, Christians have speculated that the Rapture will take place on the Feast of Trumpets. Unfortunately, many who hold this position have gone on to make wild predictions about an upcoming, imminent Rapture every time the autumn feasts come around. This kind of hype and irresponsible date-setting causes panic among the immature and turns many Christians away from the biblical message of the Rapture. For example, this year Rapture predictions are on the rise again because the Feast of Trumpets falls on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Some are espousing that the overlap of the festival with this date is significant and a sign that the Rapture will take place.
Rosh Hashanah (Yom Teruah)
“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, In the seventh month on the first of the month, you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.'” Lev 23:23-25
Rosh Hashanah (Yom Teruah) is the first day of the seventh month, Tishri (Sept – Oct). It was a day set aside as a Sabbath, a time to blow shofars and be reminded of the fast approaching of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Since Yom Teruah is also the beginning of the New Year, its name was later changed to Rosh Hashanah, which means “head of the year.” Rosh Hashanah is the day when the people of Israel take stock of their spiritual condition and make the necessary changes to ensure that the upcoming New Year will be pleasing to God. There is still time. After Atonement (Yom Kippur), the book is closed. The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called “The Days of Awe.” Consequently, Rosh Hashanah is known as “The Day of the Awakening Blast.” Four shofars are sounded: Tekia (Blast), Shevarim (Broken notes), Teruah (Alarm), and Tekia Gedolah (The Great Blast). Rosh Hashanah is a wake-up call. It is the sound of an alarm.
“Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; surely it is near…” Joel 2:1
Rosh Hashanah is the official beginning of the Jewish year. It is also the official beginning of Daniel’s Seventieth Week and the Day of the Lord, the Millennium. Besides this, Rosh Hashanah has many other ancient themes. It is the day of concealment, resurrection, and kingly coronation. The themes of resurrection and concealment of the remnant are seen in the following passage:
“As the pregnant woman approaches the time to give birth, she writhes and cries out in her labor pains, thus were we before Thee, O LORD. We were pregnant, we writhed in labor, we gave birth, as it were, only to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth nor were inhabitants of the world born. Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn, and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits. Come, my people, enter into your rooms, and close your doors behind you; hide for a little while, until indignation runs its course. For behold, the LORD is about to come out from His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; and the earth will reveal her bloodshed, and will no longer cover her slain.” Isaiah 26:17-21
Because of the theme of resurrection connected to Rosh Hashanah, many “Pre-Weekers” speculate that the rapture will take place on Rosh Hashanah at the beginning of Daniel’s Seventieth Week. Some “Post-Tribbers” also use this connection to suggest that the rapture happens on Rosh Hashanah at the end of the Great Tribulation. However, there is a resurrection on Rosh Hashanah, but it is not the resurrection mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. This is the resurrection of the Bride, those who died in Messiah. The resurrection on Rosh Hashanah, at the end of the Great Tribulation, is what’s known to the Jews as the “General Resurrection.” It is the resurrection of the righteous, the so called “Old Testament Saints” and those believers in Messiah who have been martyred during the Time of Wrath (Dan 12:2,13, Rev 20:4).
A Unique Day
Rosh HaShanah is unique among all the festivals in that it is the only festival that begins on the New Moon itself.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. Ps 81:3
This verse is a reference to Rosh HaShanah, the Day of the Awakening Blast. However, the translation of “keseh” into full moon, which occurs in most of our Bibles, is incorrect. There is no feast that occurs on a full moon, and certainly not on a full moon and a new moon at the same time. The word should have been translated “set time” or “appointed time.” The King James Version has it correctly:
“Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.” Psalm 81:3 KJV
The fact that Rosh HaShanah began on the New Moon meant that it was a day that was declared and not merely calculated from the New Moon or beginning of the month. It was known in ancient times as “the day no man knows.” Two witnesses were sent out by the Jewish leaders to sight the New Moon. These witnesses were specially chosen and given unique powers. Once they sighted the New Moon, they would report back to the Nassi (president of the Sanhedrin), and he would make the determination as to whether or not the sighting was correct. Then he would declare the New Moon, and immediately word would go out to all Israel, through a system of fires (like flares) on hilltops, that the festival had begun. Thus, the Nassi or leader of the Sanhedrin, would be the only one to know of the day or hour. It could not be calculated in advance or determined by any other source. This may very well be what Jesus had in mind when He said that not even He knew the day or the hour but only the Father. Could it be possible that God the Son, the Creator of the universe, did not know when the Millennium was to begin? Would the Father have hidden this thing from His one and only Son? It’s possible, but unlikely. Jesus knew everything else; why not this? Could it be that Jesus was merely saying that this was not His call but the Father’s, something He had said on other occasions? (Mt 20:23, Acts 1:7) Was He actually referring to the feast? Was He pointing to “the day no man knows?” Let’s consider the following passage from Mark’s gospel:
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the Sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth, to the farthest end of heaven. Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near, right at the door. Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is.” Mark 13:24-33
The NAS (New American Standard Version) captures, I believe, the true meaning of verse 33 when it inserts the word “appointed.” The Greek word “KAIROS” denotes a specific time and not time in general, as in the word “CHRONOS.” It is a “set time” or “appointed time.” This was Jewish terminology for the feasts of Israel. Jesus may very well be alluding to Rosh HaShanah and “the day no man knows.” Now, with this in view, let’s dissect the rest of the passage.
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the Sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”
This passage is, of course, part of the Olivet Discourse. After explaining the signs leading up to “the end” (The End of The Age or The Day of The Lord) which is initiated by the Abomination of Desolation in verse 14, Jesus now mentions what happens on Rosh HaShanah at the end of the Tribulation. These are the cosmic signs prophesied by the prophets (Joel 2:30-32) as coming before the Millennium – the Day of the Lord proper. This is a parallel passage with Mt 24:29-31.
“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn…”
On Rosh HaShanah at the end of the Tribulation, when the New Moon is supposed to take place, a new light appears. It is not the new, renewed light of the moon, nor is it the light of the Sun, but rather, the “sign of the Son of Man.” When this sign appears, there will be great mourning in the earth, particularly in Israel. This mourning is in keeping with Rosh HaShanah, the Day of the Awakening Blast, but this time it is mourning over Him who was pierced. Consider this passage in Zechariah:
“And it will come about in that day that I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born. In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
And the land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves. ” Zech 12:9-14
Another passage in Zechariah chapter 14 seems to agree with this and perhaps identifies the feast of Rosh Hashanah.
“Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him! In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.” Zech 14:1-8
The prophet indicates that all the nations will be gathered to Jerusalem to battle. And just when they are planning to finish off the remnant of Israel there will be a great earthquake and a valley created through the Mount of Olives on the east through which the remnant will flee. When it says that “His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,” we have tended to think that it is a reference to Jesus Himself. However, it may not be Jesus but instead the angel of the Lord, since the next verse says, “Then the Lord, my God will come.” Also, if the feet are the feet of Jesus the remnant would be seen as fleeing from Him. In any event, we see that the day is a Unique Day and there is no light because the luminaries have dwindled. This is a reference to the cosmic signs spoken about by many of the prophets and the Lord Himself. Then it says that in the midst of the darkness there will be light. Perhaps this light is the sign of the Son of Man that appears throughout the Days of Awe.
The time between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur (Atonement), on the tenth of Tishri, was called “the days of awe.” It appears that during these ten days the powers of the heavens will be literally shaken, and the sign of the Son of Man will be visible to the earth. Perhaps these cosmic disturbances are caused by the great conflagration known as Armageddon, which takes place prior to and during this time. In any event, ten days later on Yom Kippur the Son of Man is seen coming on the clouds with power and great glory.
“…and they (notice it’s not “you’) will see the Son of Man coming (ERCHOMAI not PAROUSIA) on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth, to the farthest end of heaven.”
This gathering here which takes place when the Great Shofar is blown on Yom Kippur is not to be confused with the rapture of the Bride. The term “elect” is a term used of Israel and not of the “church.” This is clearly illustrated by Jesus in the same Olivet Discourse when He said that if the Great Tribulation had not been cut short, no life (Lit. “flesh”) would be saved. But for the sake of “the elect”, He said, the time was cut short. If all Christians alive during the Tribulation were to be killed, this would not be a victory for satan or a defeat for God or the church. Thus, cutting the time short would be of no consequence. Jesus is here saying that if the time had not been made short, no people would be left. But in order to preserve the remnant of Jacob (the natural descendants of Jacob), the time was cut short. If the Jews were to be completely wiped out as a race of people, then God’s covenant promises would be made null and void, and satan would have prevented God from fulfilling his promises to the Jewish people. This, of course, cannot happen. A remnant will be delivered and protected.
“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near, right at the door. Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”
Here Jesus interjects a word of encouragement for His followers. It appears in each of the gospels where the Olivet Discourse is recorded. Its placement toward the end of the discourse may lead some to conclude that the cosmic events at the end of the Tribulation are what Jesus was referring to when He said, “When you see these things take place.” However, it seems more likely that He was saying that the generation that sees any of these things take place will see all of them. This comes out clearly in Luke’s account where the phrase “when you see these things begin to take place” is added (Luke 21:28). In this case the reference seems to be the recapture of Jerusalem and the end of the Times of The Gentiles. Another indication that Jesus is referring to the return of Israel to the land and specifically to Jerusalem (Old City), is the reference to the fig tree. Many Bible teachers believe that the fig tree is a type of Israel. Also, for Jesus to say that, when you see the cosmic signs and disturbances in the heavens followed by the appearance of the Son of Man in power and great glory recognize that the end is near, would be completely redundant.
Conclusion
These believers rightly see that the Feasts of the Lord will play a major role at the end of the age, but their understanding of this feast in particular is incorrect. The Feast of Trumpets is a day of warning that is meant to prepare the nation of Israel for the national cleansing that was to come through the Day of Atonement, 10 days later. As the church, we can use this holiday for the same purpose of reflection and repentance. If an individual’s heart was not in the right place with his God, then the atonement offered would be of no benefit to him. The trumpet blasts of this feast were not a call to gather together but a warning to repent. As we come into the Feast of Trumpets and the other Fall Feasts, let us have the right heart. Let’s repent of sin, turn to God and await His Coming.
“For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
This article is an excerpt from the Torah book by PJ Hanley, which is an accompaniment to the Banner of Love School of the Bible. Find below a link to the book and a link to the free Bible School.
For more teaching on the timing of the Rapture, check out the links below: