Once again, the members of the Church of God find themselves approaching God’s annual fall holy days.  It is with amazement that we find ourselves here, still waiting for Christ to return, following a year of escalating troubles in the world.  Abortion continues to claim the lives of millions of helpless begotten children.  Cloning, the improbable method of reproducing oneself, is nearing acceptance.  Homosexuality has become the norm.  Wars continue to break out across the world; Asia finds itself in very unstable times.  Africa has been written off, a WHOLE continent, unsalvageable.  Power crises threaten the very way we live in America, and now, we see the small nation of Israel embroiled in warfare with a determined, unrelenting foe.  Economic recession has crossed the lips of many economic forecasters around the world, and, in some of the farm areas of America, depression has struck.

We could become very depressed reviewing the past year’s news, but there is very good news ahead.  In the following excerpt from Pagan Holidays---or God’s Holy Days---Which? 1976 edition, Mr. Armstrong presents the good news pictured by the Feast of Trumpets, the hope for all mankind.

FEAST OF TRUMPETS

AND THE Lord spake ... saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial [not a shadow] of blowing of trumpets, an HOLY CONVOCATION. Ye shall do no servile work therein ...” (Lev. 23:23-25).

Here is pictured to us that next blessed event in God’s redemptive plan, when Christ shall COME again, in clouds, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (I Thes. 4:14-17). It shall be “at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall [all] be changed” (I Cor. 15:52).

Unless Christ returns to resurrect the dead, we would never gain eternal life—if there is no resurrection “then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished” (I Cor. 15:18).

Christ directly intervenes in world affairs at the seventh or the last trump (Rev. 11:15-19). A trumpet is a symbol of war. He comes in a time of worldwide war—when the nations are angry! As soon as the work of gathering in the firstfruits (pictured by Pentecost) is completed at the end of this present age, then Christ will begin to set up again the tabernacle of David (Acts 15:16) -- to set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people (Isa. 11:11) -- to search out and to find His lost sheep that the ministers of the churches have failed to search out and save during this period (Ezek. 34:1-14).

Notice exactly when this takes place! “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they [Israel] shall come which were ready to perish ... and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem” (Isa. 27:13).

When will Israel be regathered? At the sound of the trump—at the Second Coming of Christ. Because the churches have forgotten the Festival of Trumpets, many think that the return of a part of the Jews to the Holy Land and the setting up of a nation called Israel now is the fulfillment of this prophecy!

Christ’s direct intervention in world affairs will be the next event in the plan of redemption.

And perhaps the glorious Second Coming shall occur, in whatever year it may be, on this very day of the Feast of Trumpets- -who knows? While we cannot say for certain, yet cannot we see this possibility? The crucifixion was upon the Passover day—the very day! The Holy Spirit came, beginning the selecting of the firstfruits of salvation, on the very day of Pentecost. Had not those 120 disciples been observing this annual Sabbath—had they not been assembled there in holy convocation—could they have received that blessing of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit? Repeatedly Jesus warned us to watch, regarding His Second Coming! Could it be possible that, unless we are observing the Feast of Trumpets, as the first-century Church of God was observing Pentecost, that we shall not be ready, or caught up to meet Him? We do not—we cannot, of course say; but we do ask the question. Is it not possible? Let us humbly and willingly yield to walk obediently in all the light.

The Festival of Trumpets is a day of rejoicing—and, as the weekly Sabbath, holy unto the Lord (Neh. 8:2, 9-12).