The Ten Days of Awe — Become Quiet Before God (KJV)

Sept 15, 2026 | www.GospelofJesusChrist.blog | River Wilde

There are times when the greatest thing we can do is simply become quiet before God. We have prayed, watched, studied prophecy, searched for signs, and wondered how close we might be to the return of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes all of that watching can become exhausting. Perhaps there comes a point when God does not need us to discover one more clue. Perhaps He wants us simply to turn off the noise, come before Him, and listen.

The period beginning with the Feast of Trumpets and culminating in the Day of Atonement is traditionally known among the Jewish people as the Ten Days of Repentance, and commonly as the Days of Awe. These names are Jewish tradition rather than terminology found in the KJV. Biblically, however, the sequence is unmistakable. The Feast of Trumpets occurs on the first day of the seventh month:

“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.” — Leviticus 23:24 KJV

Then comes the Day of Atonement on the tenth day:

“Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement…” — Leviticus 23:27 KJV

There is therefore an intriguing biblical sequence: Trumpets first, followed by a period leading to Atonement. Christians should be careful not to claim that Scripture explicitly identifies these ten days as a countdown to the Rapture or another end-times event. It does not. But the pattern gives us something valuable to contemplate: the trumpet calls attention, and what follows is a solemn time of turning toward God.

Perhaps that is exactly what we need right now.

Become Quiet Before God

There is a beautiful command in Psalm 46:10:

“Be still, and know that I am God…” — Psalm 46:10 KJV

Those words are particularly meaningful when we have spent months or years trying to understand what God is doing.

To become still and realize the purpose of God’s rescue plan, for this in itself is indeed very humbling.

Rather than becoming discouraged because events have not unfolded according to the timing we had hoped for, we should remember something far more important: the entire plan of God is still in place. Our understanding of the timing may change, but God’s promises have not changed. A delay in what we expected does not mean a change in what He has promised.

Scripture tells us that God will ultimately judge the evil of this world, and the final years described in prophecy will contain hardships almost beyond our comprehension.

Revelation speaks of a time when men “shall seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them” (Revelation 9:6 KJV). These warnings were given so that we would understand the seriousness of what is coming—not so that those who belong to Christ would live every day in fear.

For those of us who believe the Scriptures teach that Christ will gather His own before the outpouring of God’s wrath, there is tremendous comfort in remembering that this period of judgment is not our destination.

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9 KJV). The timing of the rapture may remain elusive to us, but the promise itself does not disappear simply because a date we considered significant has passed.

Perhaps this period of waiting is also teaching us an important distinction between trusting God’s promise and trusting our interpretation of His calendar.

We can study the signs, watch carefully, and remain expectant while still allowing God to keep the timing in His own hands. Jesus said, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42 KJV). Watching was never meant to require that we successfully determine the date; it means remaining ready for Christ whenever He comes.

So, we can become quiet before God, respectful of His timing, and grateful for a Father who has promised to care for His children. We do not need to force another date onto the calendar or become defeated when our expectations are not fulfilled.

The calendar may challenge us, but the promise remains. Christ is still our hope. God’s prophetic plan is still moving forward. And until the moment comes when we hear that trumpet and are “caught up… to meet the Lord in the air,” we can simply remain faithful, peaceful, and ready—“and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17 KJV).

There is so much peace in realizing that we will be rescued prior to the Tribulation Period. And until then, the RESCUE need not take place. The two are linked together, and that doesn’t change regardless of the calendar date which God has chosen, which is HIS plan. He knows best! He can see all of the events and reasons to proceed how He would like to. Let us not challenge His wisdom and knowledge.

What makes “waiting” easier for me is to realize that with each passing day, someone is coming to Christ. Someone is being SAVED! Someone will be spared the Tribulation Period. What if that person were you? Would you be grateful that God waited just one more day?

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV):

That verse is especially meaningful when something seems delayed. Peter explains that what people perceive as God being “slack” is actually His longsuffering. Time that looks like delay to us can mean additional opportunity for someone to turn to Him.

Jesus also said:

“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring…”
—John 10:16 KJV

And Paul wrote:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
—Romans 10:13 KJV