August 9, 2026 | www.gospelofjesuschrist.blog | River Wilde
I am not writing this today to predict a date of the rapture. However, for those who study end times, we have learned that God desires that we know the season of the return of Jesus Christ. Keeping that in mind, I, like many of you, know that we are indeed in the season of the rapture.
Let’s begin by investigating the “Jewish Holidays,” and the role that the play in the parallel of Jesus Christ.
From a Christian reading of the KJV, the biblical feasts given to Israel can be understood as patterns that point forward to Jesus Christ. The New Testament itself gives us the key principle: “Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (Colossians 2:17). Paul similarly calls Christ “our Passover” (1 Corinthians 5:7).
A striking pattern appears in the seven appointed feasts of Leviticus 23. I have provided the “dates” to correspond with each holiday. Their specific calendar dates change each year based upon certain criteria, so they are not the exact calendar day each year, like we associate our modern holidays with.
Here are SEVEN Key Jewish Holidays that we need to consider in our investigation.
1. Passover – March April of each year
It was on the “holiday” that Jesus Christ Died.
Jesus’ sacrificial death — “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).
2. Unleavened Bread – March April of each year
It was on this “holiday” that Jesus Christ was Buried.
Christ’s sinlessness and His body given for us; Paul applies unleavened-bread imagery to Christian purity (1 Corinthians 5:7–8).
3. Firstfruits – March April of each year
It was on this “holiday” That Jesus Christ was Resurrected.
Jesus’ resurrection — Christ is explicitly called “the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
4. Pentecost – May June of each year
It was on this “holiday” that the Holy Ghost was Poured Out.
The Holy Ghost was poured out at Pentecost and the apostolic witness went forth (Acts 2:1–4).
5. Feast of Trumpets – Sept Oct – (in 2026 it will be Sept 11-13).
This “holiday” will be the Gathering of His People. Rapture?
Christians often connect its trumpet imagery with Christ’s future gathering of His people in an event known as the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; 1 Corinthians 15:51–52), although the New Testament does not explicitly identify the Feast of Trumpets SPECIFICALLY with the Rapture.
6. Day of Atonement – Sept Oct of each year
This “holiday” will be Israel’s Repentance and the RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST.
Christ is our great High Priest whose sacrifice provides the true and final atonement (Hebrews 9:11–14; 10:10–14).
7. Feast of Tabernacles – Sept Oct of each year
This “holiday” will mark the Beginning of the 1,000-year Millennial Reign, under the Rule of Our King, JESUS CHRIST
God’s dwelling with His people; Christians often see its ultimate fulfillment in the future reign and presence of God (John 1:14; Revelation 21:3).
Did you notice something very intriguing here? The “Spring” holidays have all been fulfilled, and have something to do with Jesus Christ when He was on the earth. The “Fall” holidays, have yet to be fulfilled:
Feast of Trumpets – The Rapture?
Day Of Atonement – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ?
Feast of Tabernacles – The beginning of the Millennial Period?
With this information identified, there is enough “credible intrigue” that we should at least explore the rapture in greater detail, specific to occurring on the Feast of Trumpets holiday. Let’s return to the scriptures for further insight.
The Rapture and the Feast of Trumpets
The Feast of Trumpets—called Yom Teruah in the Old Testament—is established in Leviticus 23:
Leviticus 23:24 (KJV)
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.”
And:
Numbers 29:1 (KJV)
“And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.”
The obvious connection with the Rapture is that a trumpet also accompanies the catching away and resurrection of believers. The “seventh month” is also intriguing.
The Trump of God
Paul gives perhaps the clearest description of the Rapture:
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (KJV)
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Notice the sequence:
Christ descends from heaven → Trump of God sounds → Dead in Christ rise → Living believers are caught up → All meet Christ in the air.
Paul describes the same transformation elsewhere:
1 Corinthians 15:51–52 (KJV)
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
So, we have two unmistakable Rapture/resurrection passages involving a trumpet.
That does not prove Feast of Trumpets is the exact day—but it certainly explains why prophecy students have noticed the parallel.
The Feast Pattern Makes It More Interesting
PASSOVER → Christ sacrificed
UNLEAVENED BREAD → Christ’s death/burial imagery
FIRSTFRUITS → Christ resurrected
PENTECOST → Holy Ghost poured out
Then comes the long interval between the spring and autumn feasts.
And what is the first autumn feast?
The Feast of Trumpets.
That is precisely where the prophetic possibility becomes fascinating.
Could the Long Gap Represent the Church Age?
Some prophecy interpreters see the long calendar interval between Pentecost and Trumpets as a picture of the present age in which the Gospel goes throughout the world.
Then the next feast begins with trumpets.
If the first feasts prophetically corresponded with events surrounding Christ’s First Coming, one can reasonably ask whether the remaining feasts might correspond with events surrounding His Second Coming.
It is a remarkably coherent pattern—but again, the last three associations are interpretations, not explicit statements of Scripture.
The strongest case isn’t built upon the phrase “last trump” alone. It comes from the broader combination of trumpet + resurrection + transformation + gathering + the sequence of biblical feasts.
What About “No Man Knoweth the Day nor the Hour”?
Jesus said:
Matthew 24:36 (KJV)
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
Are you ready for this one?!?!
Did you know that traditionally, the Feast of Trumpets holiday was called a feast for which “no man knows the day or hour,” because its beginning depended upon observation of the new moon.
That connection is extremely popular in modern prophecy teaching. This in itself is not “evidence” that the rapture will occur on the Feast of Trumpets, yet it helps establish another reason to place this holiday, as a “High Watch” rapture date.
The Seventh Month in the Lunar Calendar – The New Moon Connection
Now let’s go back to the “Seventh Month” reference. In the biblical Hebrew lunar/lunisolar calendar, the seventh month is Tishri. It generally falls during September–October on our Gregorian calendar.
This is especially important to our Feast of Trumpets investigation because God commanded:
Leviticus 23:24 (KJV)
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.”
Because the biblical months were associated with the lunar calendar, Trumpets occurs at the beginning of the month, and the seventh month is either September or October depending upon the year. This year, the Seventh month begins in September.
This makes it different from several other appointed feasts and contributes to its distinctive imagery of announcement and trumpet blowing.
The Gathering of God’s People Also Involves a Trumpet
Jesus gives another remarkable passage:
Matthew 24:31 (KJV)
“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
There is a very notable connection that I would like to point out with the following scripture that we have already discussed:
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (KJV)
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
WHO is Jesus Christ Coming for to “Catch Up” to meet Him in the air?
Matthew 24:31 – says that it is “His Elect”
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 states that it is those “in Christ”
The Rapture is not presented in Scripture as the rescue of everyone who simply belongs to a Christian religion, attends a church, or calls himself a Christian. Paul identifies those involved with a very specific expression: those who are “in Christ.”
That little phrase is tremendously important.
What Does It Mean to Be “In Christ”?
According to the New Testament, a person becomes Christ’s through faith in Him and receives new spiritual life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV):
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
That connects beautifully with what Jesus told Nicodemus:
John 3:3 (KJV):
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Being “in Christ” therefore isn’t simply having your name on the membership records of a church. It describes a person whose relationship with God has been transformed through Christ.
Paul says:
Romans 8:1 (KJV):
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…”
And:
Romans 10:9–10 (KJV):
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
What About “His Elect”?
Jesus also helps us understand who the elect are.
“Elect” means God’s chosen. The New Testament applies this language to believers:
Colossians 3:12 (KJV):
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved…”
And Peter writes to believers:
1 Peter 1:2 (KJV):
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ…”
How Does Someone Become One of Christ’s?
This is where the Gospel becomes more important than the prophetic timetable.
Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV):
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Salvation isn’t earned through temple ceremonies, religious ordinances, financial contributions, church positions, or accumulating enough good works. According to Paul, it is God’s gift received through faith.
Jesus said:
“Ye must be born again.”
— John 3:7
Paul said:
“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
And concerning the Rapture:
“the dead in Christ shall rise first.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16
Those three statements fit together beautifully:
Born again → In Christ → Belonging to Christ then He comes to gather “His church” for the rapture.
So, if we’re asking, “Who is Jesus coming for?”, the safest KJV answer is not a particular denomination or earthly religious organization. He comes for those who belong to Him—those who are “in Christ” who are “His elect.”
That also explains why the most important preparation for the Rapture isn’t figuring out its exact date—even if Feast of Trumpets proves prophetically significant. The essential preparation is to belong to Jesus Christ.
The Feast of Trumpets presents a fascinating possible prophetic picture of the Rapture. The trumpet imagery, resurrection language, gathering of believers, and position of Trumpets immediately following the long interval after Pentecost make the connection worthy of serious study. Yet Scripture deliberately stops short of identifying the feast of trumpets as the date. Therefore, Christians may reasonably regard Feast of Trumpets as a period of special prophetic interest while remaining prepared for Christ at any time.
And for 2026 specifically, that makes the Feast of Trumpets period especially interesting to acknowledge—but the next step should be ensuring that you are prepared for the rapture, by being “born again” as the scriptures so vividly testify.
I personally, feel a deep spiritual connection to the feast of trumpets holiday, being the time when Jesus Christ will come to rescue those who are “in Christ.” And, although I am very aware that this glorious rescue could happen at any day, I am particularly watchful during this time.
As I close this “investigation,” I realize that the rapture teaching might be new to some of you. I invite you to take this scripture teaching to God in prayer, and ask Him for continued learning of this prophecy. You will find His Words in the writings of His prophets, Jesus Christ Himself, as well as three of His apostles, who were on the earth with Christ, recorded in THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK ON EARTH – The BIBLE!
God wants you to KNOW the details of our final days on earth, and because of this He has given us this promise:
Amos 3:7 (KJV)
“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
God does not act blindly or without purpose; throughout Scripture, He reveals His plans and warnings through the prophets He has chosen.
Before the Flood, God warned Noah; before judgment came upon nations, He sent prophets to call people to repentance; and the prophets were given revelations concerning events that would occur far into the future, including the coming of Jesus Christ and God’s final judgments.
This does not necessarily mean that God reveals every detail or exact date beforehand, but it does show an important biblical pattern: God warns before He judges. And…GOD WILL BE JUDGING the earth very soon, and He has shared tremendous details about how He intends on doing that. God’s final judgment during the final 7 years on earth is BRUTAL!
If you are interested to see just how brutal God’s judgment will be, study the 7 Bowls of Wrath that He intends to pour out onto the earth. Study the 7 Seals that Jesus Christ Himself will be opening, which will create tremendous during this time. Let me just give you a sample:
Revelation 9:6 (KJV)
“And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”
Understanding what is coming, should shift your entire focus onto wanting to make sure that you are rescued by Jesus Christ during the rapture, which will occur BEFORE the final 7 years on earth even begin.
I have also come to know why God’s plan for the 7-year Tribulation Period is so tremulous. He is punishing and defeating evil, but it is also to serve another purpose entirely.
Because of pride, the loss of humility, and mankind’s determination to hold tightly to a “comfortable religion” rather than surrender completely to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, many who enter the Tribulation will face what Jesus described as the most difficult period the world has ever known. Yet even within those terrible judgments, we can see God’s call for humanity to humble themselves, repent, and turn to Jesus Christ. God is giving people one last chance to come to HIM!
The purpose is not simply suffering for suffering’s sake; throughout Scripture, God’s warnings and judgments repeatedly call people back to Him. The message will remain the same message Jesus is giving us right now: stop trusting in ourselves, our works, or our religious institutions and come directly to Christ. “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7, KJV). God is giving mankind the opportunity to respond to that invitation today—before the terrible events described in biblical prophecy ever arrive.
So to conclude, the question is NOT, “What date is the rapture going to happen?” It is simply:
“Have you Been Born Again, as so beautify taught in the New Testament of the Bible, so that you will be included in God’s rescue plan of the Rapture?”
It is my hope and prayer that all of you will come to have the PEACE that I have found through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I do not fear the future, for I know exactly what is going to happen. I give praise to a loving God who is planning on rescuing His people, just as he did with Noah and his family during the flood. I KNOW that the final Seven Years on earth is NOT for His children, for they have already found Him, and have been sealed to Him through a spiritual rebirth.
I look forward to being raptured, and immediately taken to the Judgment Seat of Christ. To be a part of the Wedding Feast of Christ, as the Bridegroom has come for His bride, in tremendous celebration.
I also look forward to “riding down” with Jesus Christ, for His final return to earth in seven years, and witnessing first-hand His destruction of the evil that has longed plagued our lives. He is my Leader, He is my King. I also have come to know that from the moment of the rapture, throughout eternity, I shall, “…forever be with the Lord!”
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