The term ‘crescendo’ is well-known among musicians, signifying the way music intensifies by building upon preceding notes to reach a peak of intensity. Crescendo can also be evidenced in a person’s life. Legendary leadership expert Stephen R. Covey explains1 how this works.
When a piece of music reaches a crescendo, it does not just get louder. The sense of growing, intensifying, and expanding in a composition or performance results from an expressive mix of rhythm, harmony, and melody…Living your Life in Crescendo means continually growing in contribution, learning, and influence. The mindset that ‘your most important work is always ahead of you’ is an optimistic, forward-thinking mentality that teaches you can always contribute regardless of what’s happened to you or what stage you are in.
The Creator’s appointed times are more than mere religious rituals; their meaning and significance grow and intensify over time. These feast days act as signposts, guiding us through the journey of personal sanctification toward the ultimate goal of becoming a community of fully redeemed individuals who inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.
As the master composer and conductor of a believer’s life journey, YHWH orchestrates our experiences to reach a crescendo of purpose and fulfillment. A beautiful illustration of this can be found in the way His appointed times and feast days are ordered.
The Overture of the Weekly Sabbath
The development process of each believer begins with small steps. As a musical overture is an introduction to something more substantial, so is the mandate to take a weekly rest day – the Sabbath.
For six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath; a day of rest and a holy gathering dedicated to YHWH. You shall not do any work; it is a Sabbath to YHWH wherever you live. Leviticus 23:3
An example of Yah’s creation rest, the seventh day is set apart as the sign of the covenant between Eloah (God) and his people. As such it teaches us the foundational principles of worship and reverence. It is also symbolic of how Yeshua provides rest for our souls.
Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Shavuot
Situated between the overture and the coda of a musical piece are the exposition and development sections. In the context of our music composition metaphor, Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Shavuot qualify. These three annual observances focus squarely on the individual’s spiritual growth.
During Passover observances, we learn to trust in Yeshua who redeems us from sin. The Feast of Unleavened Bread highlights the practice and necessity of removing sin from our own lives. Our attention then shifts to Shavuot, which focuses on Yah’s covenant. Our commitment to covenant fidelity entails faithfully upholding the terms of this eternal covenant, emphasizing our duties to Yah and the promises He has given us. (Leviticus 23:4-22)
The Day of Trumpets
The Day of Trumpets marks the next big event on Yah’s appointed times calendar. In Leviticus, Moses informed the children of Yisrael that the first day of the seventh month – Day of Trumpets2 – was to be a Sabbath day of rest, a set-apart convocation, and a memorial of trumpets. It was meant to be a time of reflection and preparation for the upcoming Day of Atonement.
The Hebrew word for trumpet is teruah which generally means a loud noise or shout, often associated with the blast of a shofar3. Throughout Hebrew history, the blowing of trumpets has held significant religious, communal, and military importance in ancient Yisrael.

Trumpets were blown to call the people to repentance or signal the start of a new year. (Leviticus 23:24-25) Their blasts facilitated community gatherings for festivals and special events or directed the movement of the camp in the wilderness. (Numbers 10:1-10, 2 Samuel 6:12-15) Trumpets served as battle signals, conveying orders and rallying troops. (Joshua 6:4-20, Numbers 10:9) They were also blown to announce and celebrate the anointing and ascension of a new king. (1 Kings 1:39, 2 Kings 9:13)
One day in the future the blowing of the seventh trumpet will cause a prophetic syncopation4 to occur – one that evokes jubilation and joy for the righteous, but shock and horror for the unrepentant.
Up until now, the day of mercy has existed; and He has been merciful and patient toward all who dwell on the earth. But when the time comes, then the power, the punishment, and the judgment; which Yahuah Tseva’oth has prepared for those who submit to the judgment of righteousness, for those who reject that judgment, and for those who take His name in vain. That day has been prepared as a covenant for the elect and as an inquisition for sinners. 1 Enoch (Chanok) 59:4-6
The seventh trumpet blast will:
- Announce the return of Yeshua to establish the Kingdom of Eloah on earth
- Set in motion the seven last plagues of judgment
- Signal the resurrection and redemption of saints in Sheol
- Bring New Jerusalem down to occupy the land promised to Shem/Yisrael
As we prepare for the Autumn Feast days we can’t help but imagine the second most pivotal moment in human history – the first being Yeshua’s first coming. At Yeshua’s second coming the elect will be taken up to New Jerusalem (above) while chaos unfolds on the earth.
Do you think this is the city5 of which I said, “I have engraved you on the palms of My hands”? This building6 now constructed in your midst is not the one revealed to Me, the one prepared from the time I decided to create Paradise and showed it to Adam before he sinned. When he transgressed the commandment, it was taken away from him, along with Paradise. After these things, I showed it to My servant Abraham at night among the portions of the sacrifices. I also showed it to Moses on Mount Sinai when I revealed to him the design of the Tabernacle and all its furnishings. And now, behold, it is preserved with Me, just like Paradise. Therefore, go and do as I command you. 2 Baruch 4:2-7
This ‘last trump’ will also mark the beginning of the third ‘woe.’ The Greek word for woe is ouai and can be defined as a deep and inconsolable grief, misery, or calamity.

During this time angels are tasked with separating the wheat from the chaff. The winepress of Yah’s wrath will destroy many. This unimaginable woe is felt by YHWH as well as those who will experience the brunt of these cataclysmic judgments described by the Apostle.
The Most High wishes for everyone to be saved, yet humanity’s stubbornness and sinful nature often resist the truth of His word. Nevertheless, the righteous will be safeguarded, much like the children of Israel in Goshen during the judgments on Egypt.
Come, my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself for a little while until the fury has passed. For behold the Lord7 is coming out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her blood and will no longer cover her slain. Isaiah 26:20-21
When the Apostle John uses the expression ‘the Day of YHWH’, does he mean a literal 24-hour time period or is he referring to an elongated period of time – maybe weeks or even months – when end-time events play out to a prescribed conclusion?
It seems probable that all of the events leading up to and during this awful time in human history will take longer than a day to be realized. After all, the judgments against Egypt prior to the Exodus took months to complete. (Exodus 7-15)
Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles & The Addition
As we near the coda of this end time composition, the remaining Fall Feast days come to the forefront. The Day of Atonement, coming ten days after Trumpets marks a time of somber reflection.
The Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot is all about family. We will finally see our Father and our King face-to-face and behold their glory. Our roles as kings and priests will focus on teaching righteousness to those who survived the great tribulation and were spared in the sheep and goats judgment.
The eight-day Addition at the end of Sukkot will be a time of never-ending joy and righteousness. We will dwell in eternal bliss, clothed in our new bodies, never to sin again. Shouts of HalleluYah will take on a whole new meaning.
The Great Pivot
The Feast of Trumpets is a significant turning point, marking a shift in focus. It encourages reflection on the Spring feast observances of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Shavuot, where Yah ministered to believers individually. As Autumn unfolds after Trumpets, His attention transitions to larger groups, highlighting a communal dynamic.
This concluding chapter or coda in Yah’s magnificent composition of love and redemption serves as a testament to the Creator’s patience and mercy toward us, His children.
Footnotes
1 Covey, Stephen R., and Cynthia Covey Haller. Live Life in Crescendo: Your Most Important Work is Always Ahead, Simon & Schuster, 2022.
2 Leviticus 23:24
3 A ram’s-horn trumpet used by ancient Hebrews. On the Hebrew calendar during Moses’ day, the civil year and the ecclesiastical year began at different times. The civil year started with the Feast of Trumpets, (or Yom Teruah) in autumn, marking the beginning of the agricultural and fiscal year. The ecclesiastical year, on the other hand, began in spring with the month of Abib, marked by Passover, and was primarily concerned with religious festivals and observances.
4 In music, syncopation refers to the use of various rhythms played simultaneously to create an off-beat effect in a piece. Essentially, syncopation involves disrupting the regular flow of rhythm by placing stresses or accents in unexpected places.
5 Jerusalem (earthly)
6 The Temple in Jerusalem
7 In many Bible translations, “LORD” (in all capital letters) typically represents the Tetragrammaton, YHWH (יהוה), the personal name of God in Hebrew. It emphasizes His covenant relationship with Israel. “Lord” (with only the first letter capitalized) usually refers to a title of respect or authority, often used for Yeshua (ישוע).
Brenda Ross is a co-author of the book, "The Gospel Worth Dying For." She is a former major market radio and television broadcaster who has served as Single’s Ministry Director at one of Houston’s Memorial Drive-area churches, a Jews for Jesus staff volunteer, and participated in mission outreach activities in Costa Rica, Mexico, and China. Urban mission experience includes volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity and catering to the homeless in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district.
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