Yom Teruah the feasts of trumpets
Yom Teruah / Feast of Trumpets
Zep. 1:16 A day of trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities and against the high towers
This article is written with the perspective that a King is coming, but there are several sides to the diamond, where we are his bride, his temple and it is the great harvest day for the gathering of God’s people. We will start with some practical info about the day.
Yom Teruah – The Feast of Trumpets is the 1st of Tishri which is in the 7th month. That is in our Sept. or Oct.
It is the 5th feast in the biblical feast calendar
(When the Bible uses the number 7 it means completion and it is the 7th month a picture of where everything is to be put in a state of completion.
Tishri is the 7th month just as the Sabbath is the 7th day, a time to seek God and a picture of full restoration.
The Feast of Trumpets heralds the month of salvation and completion. It proclaims the joy: Now the King is coming, but also the seriousness: Get up and get ready to meet your King, who this time comes on a white horse and not a donkey.
The Feast of Trumpets is a day of joy for his covenant people, the King of Kings comes and saves his people.
What is Yom Teruah / Day of the Blowing of Horns?
We are not specifically told what to commemorate, other than shouting/trumpeting.
The first time it is mentioned is in Leviticus 23:24 – On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a Sabbath, a holy convocation, a memorial with Teruah / Shout.
The word in remembrance / remember is in connection with the blowing of the trumpets.
Numbers 10:10 But at all the new moons you shall blow the trumpets. On the day of your joy, your feasts and your new moons you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your meal offerings, that you may be remembered before your God. I am the Lord your God!
When you go to war in your land against an enemy who attacks you, then the Lord will remember you and you will be saved from your enemies.
As the only one of the 7 feasts, the Day of the Horn Blowing takes place on a new moon day. The day is also called: The day no man knows, since one cannot know exactly which day it falls on. One must wait for the first small sign of silver in the sky and when it can be seen, it is immediately announced with a trumpet sound so that everyone can know.
Jesus also says that no man knows, or knows the day and hour he is coming, only God knows ( Matt 24:36 ) and it is therefore also warned in the gospels after Jesus entered Jerusalem, which we will look at later, that his people must get ready, it is said in many ways in the form of many different parables, such as the 10 virgins who were to have oil in their lamps, so that they were ready for the bridegroom’s coming.
Numbers 10:10 also shows us that when the trumpets are blown it is so that:
The congregations shall be called together and when the camp is to be broken up.
When the whole congregation is gathered to you at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
The day of blowing the trumpets ( Feast of Trumpets ) heralds the climax of the festival calendar, the seventh month, which is the month of salvation and completion, the Sabbath of Sabbaths, the people are brought to remembrance before God. This holiday proclaims that now the month of salvation has come.
The shofar horn announces that the Lord now rises to judgment and salvation.
With the image of the people being brought to remembrance before God, it also means that he sees the people.
But what does he see?
Will he find his people ready, the trumpet / shout that will remind God of us, also reminds us of God.
How is the word Teruah used in the Bible?
I went through the word, Teruah, which is the Feast of Trumpets in Hebrew and also the word Trumpet, Shofar and Jubilee, it is really recommended, just going through Teruah the times the word is mentioned in the Bible was enriching.
Teruah H8643 =
Cry
Alarm for war
War cry
Battle cry
Trumpet blast for marching
Cry of joy / jubilation
Blow (as in trumpet)
The trumpet is a signal, a sign of something coming, or a way to get ready.
This word is used in stories where we have to listen for a noise, cry, or alarm for something, in the stories it was either to sound the alarm, to get the troops ready, as for a march or it could be a battle cry to take over a city, trumpet blasts for a king being announced and also shouts of joy to receive a king, even a public worship of shouts of joy, an example could be when David brought the ark of the covenant with shouts and with trumpets.
Conquering the land the promised land
Joshua 6:5 When Jericho was to be conquered, they had to wait for the priests to blow the trumpets, and then they shouted a great battle cry, the wall of the city will fall flat, and the people will go straight in. In Hebrew it says more precisely; go up to the place, for go straight in.
This word ascend in Hebrew is used in the form of coming out of the land referred to Egypt, and into the new land.
And on the day of the Lord we will ascend.
A Covenant to be the Lord’s people.
Another thing that I saw in connection with trumpets was the covenant, 2 Chronicles 15:14-15 With a loud voice and shouts of joy and with the sound of trumpets and horns they swore an oath to the Lord. All Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they swore with all their heart and with all their soul they sought him and found him, and the Lord gave them peace on every side.
On Mount Sinai, where we also hear trumpets, the Lord comes down to make a covenant with his people.
A King who is to come
I want to take you on a journey now, through the history of emigration
And connect it to the New Testament.
Ready, let’s go!
Pharaoh is the ruler of the Israelites in Egypt and oppresses them and has made them slaves, a kingdom that rules over them, the same is true in the spiritual, the enemy of God the accuser is the one who oppresses and makes God’s people slaves, whether it is illness, fear, depression, work, worry or whatever you can become a slave to, the opposite of having a God’s kingdom mindset, where you are set free, living in the King’s garden, as a royal people with the King of kings.
God says; that he has seen the suffering of his people in Egypt and heard their cries of complaint against the slave masters, that he will come down and save them from the power of Egypt over them, and lead them to a good land. Exodus 3:7-10
God sends Moses, and we see that 10 plagues come upon Egypt, as judgment on all the gods of Egypt. God says that there will be a great cry throughout Egypt, such as has never been heard before and never will be heard again. Now it is the Egyptians who are crying out. Exodus 12:12.
It is the 10th and final plague, the blood of the lamb, that sets God’s people free. The people are now standing at Mount Sinai a while after having passed and been washed through the Red Sea (the Red Sea), they have now come over to the other side, God wants to enter into a covenant with them, so that they can be “Married” to him, become his people, his property, his royal priests.
On the mountain you hear the sound of a trumpet, and what is interesting here is that when in the Bible you also announce that a king has been crowned, or a king is coming, you hear the trumpets, in this scene there is thunder, lightning, a cloud of smoke, darkness, fire and a shofar horn, which are trumpets that sound, God comes down on the mountain and we see here a King who comes, to enter into a covenant with his people.
God said on Mount Sinai; that if they obeyed him and kept his covenant he would make them his property. A kingdom of priests and a holy nation to him. Exodus 19:5-6
However, the people break that covenant very quickly and we see throughout the Old Testament a sinful people who do not obey their king YAHWEH and therefore live in a life of exile under various kings who oppress them. Every time they repent and focus their eyes and thoughts on the Lord, He forgives them and shows them His sovereign great Grace time and time again. God still wants to be their king and make them His people.
Throughout the Old Testament we see pictures of kings ruling over the Israelites, they have also asked for a human king and God granted them their wish, the first King on the field is Saul, Although God is their King and even the King of Kings.
The kings are full of faults, even David who is a really good king.
There is always a desire to have a King who can bring peace to the land and create a “Garden of Eden” to create a way out of exile (Egypt / Pharaoh) and back to Eden
His coming is prophesied, the long-awaited Messiah which means the anointed one, the anointed king who will deliver them from their surrounding enemies and create a kingdom of God here on earth.
When Jesus rides into Jerusalem the people shout Hosanna = Save us, they choose their king here, the same day as they will also choose a lamb for Easter. They had a king in mind who would free them from the Romans and the kingdoms that oppressed them. However, Jesus does not give them what they expected, but by giving his own life, he gives them the freedom they truly need, he defeats their greatest enemy and is installed as king in heaven, he is the King of Kings. The one who has triumphed over the power of death and darkness. He is our triumph, Jesus’ blood is a final covenant, it cannot be broken. So now it no longer depends on our works.
Jesus comes on the scene and he announces that the kingdom of God has come to earth, (the kingdom of God is Jesus in human form) He literally throws the enemy out of people’s houses, by setting people free from demons and diseases, what people are slaves to, he has come to set people free from the ruler of this world, who tries to oppress God’s people and keep them captive in his kingdom, both in mind and body, But God wants his people to have a God’s kingdom mentality and live in freedom and peace with Him, the King of Kings, who gave his life to save us.
Jesus, like in Egypt, sets the people free by the blood of the lamb, He is the Lamb of God who sets us free from the enemy, from death, from slavery. We are now a free people! A God’s kingdom people!
Jesus has come to bring the kingdom of God here on earth, to live and dwell among us, by cleansing the temple, which is our bodies, which are to carry around the kingdom of God and spread his kingdom here on earth.
Our freedom lies in the blood of Jesus!
Jesus has come to bring the kingdom of God here on earth, to live and dwell among us, by cleansing the temple, which is our bodies, which will carry the kingdom of God around and spread his kingdom here on earth.
Through the gospels we see what God wants for his people! But just before we go to Jesus’ second coming, as the reigning and expected King, who will establish a new kingdom here on earth, I want to quickly look at a pattern from the first page of the Bible, where the world is created. There we see 3 enemies, darkness, the sea and desert, a world of tohu va vohu, as it is said in Hebrew, emptiness and desolation, some enemies or conditions that recur in the Bible over and over again. It is 7 days, where God creates and puts everything in order, from having been in a state of chaos and disorder. It is said 10 times that it is good, but in Egypt we see a reverse situation, all creation goes from being created to going back to a state of emptiness and desolation, the 10 plagues are judgment on Egypt and its gods, and the same spaces: the heavens, the sea and the land, which are created in Genesis 1, come from destruction, Pharaoh is judged by the true living God.
In the gospels we see Jesus as a savior, he did not come to judge us, but he has come with salvation, as his name means, salvation for his people, he creates life and peace. He puts all that is broken into a state of order, he shows himself as the new Moses, he does not turn water into blood, but water into wine, I will not go through all 10 plagues, but it is interesting how the plagues are turned by Jesus in the gospels and become creation and life, Jesus himself says that he who is greater than Moses has come and that he does not give manna from heaven, but that he is the very bread of life that came from heaven.
With this in mind:
God and Creation = God creates a world that becomes life, the king’s Garden of Eden, who wants to live with us.
Pharaoh in Egypt = Another King, one who oppresses and enslaves the people, destroys creation.
Jesus and Jerusalem = A king who has come to set people free and bring the kingdom of God on earth, He shows what the kingdom of God is all about. From start to finish, from arrival to departure 🙂
Jesus is coming again, what happened in Egypt and which is fulfilled with our savior and king Jesus, is still also a picture of the grand finale, so to speak, when Jesus comes again he will not come riding into Jerusalem on a Donkey, which means he comes with peace, read more about it here. But he comes on a white horse, which means he comes with war, Judgment on the dragon, pharaoh in this country, He judges everything that must be judged righteously and a lot of trumpets sound, there are lots of plagues and the world is going to its end like Egypt, but this time to create a new earth and heaven, The new Jerusalem is coming down and God’s people will live in the promised and long-awaited land together with the king and savior, a land without the sea, darkness and which is not desolate, a land that is fruitful and where Jesus is our light and life.
It is a day of joy with shouts of joy for the people who belong to the Lord and have put their trust in him, but a cry with cries of lamentation for those who do not have or do not.
Let me summarize it:
The Feast of Trumpets is a preparation for the Messiah’s coronation ceremony on Mount Zion, and every year God says, get ready and set your hope for this. Set your hope for the true King. Every year we call for Yeshua to come and reign.
As I see the Feast of Trumpets, it is a signal that our King is coming, a signal of war that will be shouting and crying, it is a time when the enemy is defeated and judged and it is time to get ready to take and enter the promised land, a land of complete rest and provision, a Sabbath to the Lord.
The trumpet sounds, People get ready, the King of Kings is coming back, will His people be ready, who is your allegiance to? This time Jesus is coming back on the white horse, to bring judgment and righteousness, to put the dragon in the dungeon, so to speak. Jesus is coming back, and it will be seen in the sky. The Day of the Blowing of Horns is an expression of joy, a remembrance of God’s great salvation, but also a reminder to remain in God’s covenant. To hold fast to God’s commandments and repent so that He can give of His salvation and abundance.
I can’t help but think of and compare it to the time when Moses came, the Prince who said from God; Let my people go, that they may worship me. And the 10 plagues will begin. Jesus will come again as the King who will gather his people and those who will trust and rely on him and his blood, will come with him into his kingdom.
The seventh angel blew his trumpet. Then loud voices were heard in heaven, saying:
The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his anointed, and he will reign forever and ever.Revelation 11:15
Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound the alarm on my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord is coming, for it is near.Joel 2:1
And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, neither was their place found any longer in heaven. The great dragon was cast down, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now is come salvation, and power, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony: and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:7-11
For in the end there will come a day when the Lord will be king over all the earth, when the Ancient of Days will sit on his throne, judgment will be set and the books will be opened and eternal dominion will be given to one who looks like a son of man and those who are written in the book of life will rise to eternal life. Zech 14: 1.5.9.16
Trumpet stories
Here are a few examples:
It was a signal in time of war Judges 3:27
Capture of the Promised Land Jericho Joshua 6:20
Coronation of Kings 1 Kings 1:34, 39 and 2 Kings 9.13
God sits on the throne Psalm 47:5-9
A call to repentance Isaiah 58:1
The Messianic Age Isaiah 27:13
The sound of the horn on Mount Sinai, where God comes down and meets with Moses, to make the Israelites his royal people. Ex 19:16-19
The temple was dedicated with trumpet blasts and songs of praise 2 Chronicles 7:6 – 1 Chronicles 15:28
The horn sounded for the warning Ezekiel 33:3-6
Ezra reads the law of Moses to the people Ezra 8:9
The day of the Lord is coming Joel 2:1 and Zephaniah 1:16
Warnings from the prophets Amos 3:6
Gathering of the elect Matt 24:31
Resurrection 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
When Jesus comes 1 Thessalonians 4:16
Tribulations Revelation 8:6
The trumpet sounded when a covenant was made 2 Chronicles 15:14-15
David and all Israel bring the ark 2 Samuel 6:15
