Numbers 31:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Among those present was Phinehas, the priest's son, along with sacred instruments and trumpets known as signal trumpets. The valiant men possess Christ, our supreme high priest, as their ally and companion, and the angels fight alongside them, symbolically represented by the sacred instruments. The celestial beings residing in heaven are indeed sanctified and revered, chosen by God to assist us. Similarly, the signal trumpets represent the proclamations of preachers regarding God, which clarify how we can triumph over our foes, specifically the inner passions we face. Therefore, the priest Phinehas symbolizes Christ, the holy instruments represent the angels, and the signal trumpets are those who share God's word with us.

The trumpets that heralded the banner preceding the tabernacle symbolize the prophetic voices that proclaimed, ‘Immanuel is come’; while the trumpets that accompanied the banner of the tabernacle reflect the evangelists who declared, ‘Immanuel is come.’