On the first day of the seventh biblical month (1 Tishri), a special feast is
celebrated: the Feast of Trumpets.
(Lev. 23:23-24) And
the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (24) “Speak to the people of
Israel, saying, “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall
observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a
holy convocation.
It is the day to blow the trumpets (heb. Yom
Teruah).
(Num. 29:1) On the first
day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do
any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets,
Why is the trumpet or
the shofar blown? According to Hebrew tradition, the shofar is blown for
different reasons:
- As a call of attention for the congregation.
- As an alarm for an imminent threat.
- To assemble the congregation.
The shofar works as an alarm; it is a call for the people to
wake up. Why do we need to wake up? Paul explains it:
(Ephesians 5:14-17) “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and
Christ will shine on you.” (15) Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise
but as wise, (16) making the best use of the time, because the days are
evil. (17) Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of
the Lord is.
In Hebrew, the word for “repentance” is: Teshuva,
which literally means: return. In the biblical concept, repentance is returning
to the Good Way, to the will of God. Sinning implies leaving the way, and
repenting implies going back to doing things as God commands.
The sound of the shofar in Yom Teruah awakens us
from “sleep”, and calls us to analyze our lives and returning if we have gone
astray.
THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT
IS NEAR
The Day of Trumpets works as an alarm or as a warning that
the “Day of Judgment” is near, which is linked to the Day of Atonement (Heb. Yom
Kippur).
(Joel 2:1) Blow a trumpet
in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near,
The Day of Trumpets opens a period of ten days of
repentance, which in Hebrew tradition are known as the “Days of Awe”. They are the last days in which the people have an
opportunity to repent and settle their debts with God, before the Day of
Atonement comes, which is prophetically linked with the Second Coming of Jesus
and the day of judgment (Zeph. 1:14-18).
(Zephaniah 2:1-3) Gather
together, yes, gather, O shameless nation, (2) before the decree takes effect —before
the day passes away like chaff— before there comes upon you the burning anger
of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of
the LORD. (3) Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his
just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on
the day of the anger of the LORD.
The trumpet is a call to repentance. It is a call to the
people of God to check our lives, and fix our ways.
(Joel 2:15-17) Blow the
trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the
people. Consecrate the congregation; … and say, “Spare your people, O LORD…
God’s answer to repentance is forgiveness.
(Joel 2:18) Then
the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people.
(Micah 7:18-19) Who is a God
like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of
his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in
steadfast love. (19) He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our
iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
You can hear the sound of the shofar by following this link: The Sound of the Shofar
[Note: this link will take you to our original, spanish blog. The title of the video reads: "Sound of the Shofar"].
[Note: this link will take you to our original, spanish blog. The title of the video reads: "Sound of the Shofar"].
** Next Post…
The Feast of the
Trumpets (Heb. Yom Teruah) is also known as “Rosh Hashanah”. On the
next post we will see why…
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