Rosh Hashanah, Yom Teruah, Feast of Trumpets

Feast of Trumpets has so many Names. Is there a reason, and should a Christian participate?

Michelle Enterline

9/16/202613 min read

The Biblical Name: Yom Teruah

Let’s start with the Name: this Feast day has several names. We will stick with the biblical Name and what Israel calls this feast Day. First, the biblical Name Yom Teruah: Yom means day, and Teruah means to shout. The more recognized name for this biblical holiday is Rosh Hashanah. Rosh = Head, Ha=The, and Shanah=Year. For a better understanding of how important this Holiday we need to start with the commandment of God.

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Leviticus 23:2 (NASB 95)

2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord’s appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:

Notice that Adonai did not say these were Jewish holidays. He said they were the Adonai’s appointed times, or in Hebrew, Moedim. We go further into Lev. 23; in verses 23–25 is God’s instruction for the Feast of Trumpets.

Leviticus 23:23–25 (TLV)

23Adonai spoke to Moses saying: 24“Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a Shabbat rest, a memorial of blowing (shofarot), a holy convocation. 25You are to do no regular work, and you are to present an offering made by fire to Adonai.”

In Numbers, the commandment includes the required burnt, grain and drink offerings.

Numbers 29:1–6 (TLV)

1“On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a sacred assembly. You are to do no laborious work. It is for you a day for sounding the shofar. 2You are to prepare a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to Adonai: one young bull from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, without flaw, 3with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah with the bull, two tenths with the ram, 4and one tenth with each of the seven lambs, 5as well as one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for yourselves. 6Also offer the burnt offering for the month with its grain offering, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their appropriate drink offerings as a pleasing aroma to Adonai, as an offering by fire.

Notice that Adonai did not call it the Head of the Year.

Understanding the Commandment

Let’s go through each part of the commandment in Lev. 23.

· Feast is in the seventh month and the 1st day.

· We are to take a day of Rest

· Remember/ Memorial of blowing the shofar

· Holy Convocation

· Offering by Fire

The Seventh Month and the Head of the Year

According to Scripture, this day lands on the 7th month, so how can it be the head of the year? Scripture does tell us what the beginning of the year is. The head of the year is in Ex. 12:2.

Exodus 12:1–2 (NASB 95)

1 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

This month is the month of Nissan and is the Passover month in the spring. The 7th month is the month of Tishri and is in the fall. Why would Israel call the 7th month the head of the year? Is there a scriptural reason? Let’s look.

In Leviticus 25:8–9 (NASB 95)

8 ‘You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years. 9 You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land.

In Lev. 25, God commands the counting of the Jubilee years to start on the 7th month, 10th day, which is the Day of Atonement. So, for agriculture and civil matters concerning land and slaves and inheritance, this day is the beginning, or the head of the year. Read all of 25 for the Jubilee laws.

The Mishnah states there are at least four Head of Year Dates for different events: One is for the actual first of the Year; One is for the tithe of Animals; One is for trees and the tithe of the fruit; and one for the counting of the sabbatical and jubilee year.

The Shabbat Rest

The next part of the commandment in Lev. 23 is, “you are to have a Shabbat rest.” This part of the commandment is easy: just don’t do any work. I believe Sabbaths are important for the body, mind, and spirit. It may be that Adonai wants our full attention on Him and His appointed time. I love the Sabbaths. They are just good for you and are needed. A Sabbath during a feast is considered a High Sabbath, so it is not mistaken for the weekly Sabbath. This year, Yom Teruah lands on a weekly Sabbath, so no extra Sabbath this year.

A Memorial of Blowing

The next instruction for the appointed time Yom Teruah is “a memorial of blowing”. Which blowing is God talking about? Interesting, the first time in Scripture where we hear the sound of the shofar is in Exodus 19.

This is where God wants to speak to Israel, and He bids the people to come to the edge of the mountain so He could speak to them as a nation, not just through a prophet. This is when God gave Moses the Law, what we call the Mosaic Law.

Exodus 19:13 (NASB 95)

13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.”

Exodus 19:16–19 (NASB 95)

16 So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. 19 When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder.

The Shofar and the Assembly

The shofar blast was a commandment to call the people to assembly, warn the people, announce feast days, announce the new moon of the month, and many other things. The shofar was to get the people’s attention. Announce the crowning of a new king

Numbers 10:10 (NASB 95)

10 Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the Lord your God.”

Psalm 81:3–4 (NASB 95)

3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. 4 For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

Yom Teruah is the first day of the month. It is the only feast of Adonai that is on the first day of the month. God has commanded us to blow the trumpet at the new moon and the feast day. So God has two commandments for the Day of Blowing the shofar. The first day of the month and the feast day, which make the Feast of Trumpets significant.

The New Moon and the Calendar

The sighting of the new moon is very important in Israel for several reasons, mainly the calendar, to announce the head of the year. Based on Deuteronomy 19:15 (NASB 95)… on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed; the new moon must be sighted by two to three witnesses before the shofar blast. Because of weather changes, cloudy skies, and visibility issues, one would have to stay vigilant to watch for that sliver of the moon for two or three days. I would encourage you to look into the whole system of how they sighted the moon! They had to be accurate to count the Jubilee years, but each year they never knew the day nor the hour it would be sighted.

The Memorial of the Shofar Blast

The memorial we are to remember: the very shofar blast they heard when God bid them to come to Him on the mountain, and He came to them. Then, in chapter 20, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the rest of the laws to give to the people. So, in the first exodus, when they were completely delivered from Egypt, they were given what is now called the Law of Moses, “The Word of God,” Yeshua.

Let’s look at other times that Yom Teruah was celebrated.

The Second Exodus: Return from Babylon

The second Exodus was from captivity in Babylon, and Jerusalem and the temple were restored. The Word was given again. Who is “The Word of God”? Yeshua. This story in Ezra and Nehemiah is a beautiful story of God’s Mercy when a people desire to repent, but it is also a prophecy fulfilled. Let’s take a look.

Israel Returns to Jerusalem

Israel returned to Jerusalem after their captivity in Babylon. In Ezra, Israel was scattered; they were not a nation. They were given permission by the King Cyrus of Persia to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. This temple is considered the Second Temple.

Around 538/537 BC, King Cyrus decreed that the Second Temple be built.

Ezra 1:1–4 (NASB 95)

1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying: 2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’ ”

The First Day of the Seventh Month in Ezra

So the Jews were released from captivity. The very first Moedim, or appointed time, mention is the Day of Blowing of the Shofar, but no shofar is mentioned, nor was the temple built yet, not even the foundation; this is interesting—no temple, no gates, nothing, just the people.

This was in and around 537/536 BC.

Ezra 3:1–6 (NASB 95)

1 Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. 3 So they set up the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 They celebrated the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the fixed number of burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day required; 5 and afterward there was a continual burnt offering, also for the new moons and for all the fixed festivals of the Lord that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a freewill offering to the Lord. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, but the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid.

Yom Teruah in Nehemiah

The next time we see the Yom Teruah was in Nehemiah 8. By then, the temple had already been built and finished around 516/515 BC. Around 445/444 BC, this was almost 72 years after the temple was finished and 93 years after they were allowed to come back to Jerusalem. Nehemiah finished the walls of Jerusalem. The city walls and temple were finally complete. Then it was the first day of the Seventh month. They gathered, and Ezra the priestly scribe was asked to read the “The Word of God” Yeshua

Nehemiah 8:1–2 (NASB 95)

1 And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel. 2 Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.

This seems to be the first time since the city and temple were finished, but also the first time since their return that the Law of Moses was read aloud to all of the inhabitants of Israel. The response was mournful, and they wept when they heard the words of the Law. They probably had not heard the Word of God as the congregation, as a nation, since being taken captive.

Nehemiah 8:9–10 (NASB 95)

9 Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Do you see a theme here: deliverance from captivity, and then the First day of the seventh month, and then “The Word of God,” Yeshua

Yom Teruah and Messiah’s Return

Let’s compare the new Covenant with Yom Teruah was Nehemiah and Moses prophesying Messiah’s return. When they asked Jesus when the day of His return, His response was:

Matthew 24:36 (NASB 95)

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

We never know when Yom Teruah starts because of the New Moon sightings. Traditions for sighting the New moon require at least 2 days of watching.

Matthew 24:42–44 (NASB 95)

42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

The Trumpet and the Return of Yeshua

If we look for more Scripture about the trumpet, shofar blast, or shouting, we can see that Yeshua will come back with a trumpet and a shout.

Matthew 24:31 (NASB 95)

31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–17 (NASB 95)

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:51–57 (NASB 95)

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:6 (NASB 95)

6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

Isaiah 27:12–13 (NASB 95)

12 In that day the Lord will start His threshing from the flowing stream of the Euphrates to the brook of Egypt, and you will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel. 13 It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

Remember Moses and the shofar blast. They were told to come up to the mountain.

The Day of the Lord

Then, in 1 Thessalonians 5:2–6, we see that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief to those who are in darkness, but not those who walk in the light.

1 Thessalonians 5:2–6 (NASB 95)

2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

Zechariah 9:14–15 (NASB 95)

14 Then the Lord will appear over them, And His arrow will go forth like lightning; And the Lord God will blow the trumpet, And will march in the storm winds of the south. 15 The Lord of hosts will defend them. And they will devour and trample on the sling stones; And they will drink and be boisterous as with wine; And they will be filled like a sacrificial basin, Drenched like the corners of the altar.

Be Ready Before the Trumpet Sounds

The message across all these Scriptures is identical to the theme of Yom Teruah: when you hear the sound of the alarm, it is too late to prepare. True readiness happens before the trumpet sounds. There are many other Scriptures that we could dig into.

Zephaniah 1:14–16, Joel 2:1–18, Zechariah 9:14

A Final Encouragement

The Jews all over the world have many traditions for this time frame, and even in their tradition, they point to Messiah Yeshua. Today’s message is one to encourage you to keep watch. Participating in the Adonai Moedim/appointed times or feast days will help you know the season and time of Adonai, not to mention that every one of God’s appointed times reveals Yeshua. Follow God’s calendar. Don’t let the Day of the Lord catch you off guard like a thief in the night.