The Moedim – Trumpets – Yom Teruah

Lev. 23:23-25 the day, first day of seventh month (Tishrei); Num. 29:1-6 the offerings, plus the Rosh Kodesh (new moon) offerings Num. 28:11-15

Read Lev. 23:23-36 – outline the three autumn Moedim

Jewish Month	Approximate Secular Date	Festivals of Lev. 23	Farming season
Nissan	March–April	Passover/Unleavened Bread/Firstfruits	Latter rains; Barley harvest
Iyar	April–May	(Counting the Omer 50 days)	Hot desert winds; first figs
Sivan	May–June	Shavuot (Latter Firstfruits)	Wheat harvest
Tammuz	June–July
Menachem Av	July–August
Elul	August–September		Date harvest; summer figs
Tishrei	September–October	Yom Teruah – Trumpets Yom Kippur – Atonement Sukkot – Tabernacles	Start of civil year Early rains; Fruit and Olive harvests

Teruah can indicate a trumpet, or the sound made by a trumpet or shofar, or a shout, or even jubilee, as in Lev. 25:9 the ‘shofar of jubilee (teruah)’. Three different words used for trumpets:

• teruah H8643 (the most common word in the Torah) from rua H7321
• shofar H7782 (only occurs 4 times in the Torah – 3 times at Sinai, and used to announce the year of Jubilee Lev. 25:9)
• chatsotsrah H2689 (29 times)

Read Num. 10:1, 9-10 chatsotsrah is the trumpet in Num. 10:1-10, the word specifically indicating the two silver trumpets, which were used to sound an alarm, or give an order to march. A long blast with both trumpets signalled the entire assembly to meet at the Tabernacle. A blast on a single trumpet summoned only the leaders to meet. When the trumpets were sounded with short blasts, it was time to break camp and set out. A series of short blasts on both trumpets was to be sounded during times of war. The trumpets were also to be blown to announce Sabbaths, festival days, new moons, and the times of sacrifice, and are especially associated with the Temple musicians. Note v.9 & 10 – the sounding of the trumpets was to ensure that the Lord remembered His people and that the people remembered their God.

So trumpets are associated with remembrance, gathering, worship and war.

New Moon celebrations

Firstly, let’s note what happened every new moon, as the “Blowing of the Trumpet” in the seventh month was in addition to that. Num. 10:10 and Psa. 81:3 tell us that the trumpets (chatsotsrah and shofar) were sounded at the New Moon (this was before people had phones, clocks or even calendars!).

It may be that this celebration was instituted to keep the people from the pagan idolatry that apparently celebrated the new moon with extravagance. (Recorded in Egypt and Persia – and right up to today – Google New Moon celebrations and you’ll get results for Wicca, Mindfulness, Women’s Health, amongst many other things I haven’t even heard of!)

The monthly celebrations for the New Moon are recorded in Num. 28:11-15 and involved:

• A burnt offering consisting of:
  • Two young bulls
  • One ram
  • Seven one year old lambs
  • With their associated grain and drink offerings
• One goat for a sin offering
• In addition to the daily offerings

New Year celebrations

Read Num. 29:1-7 On the first day of the seventh month (interestingly, the seventh trumpet of the year?)

• A burnt offering consisting of:
  • One young bull
  • One ram
  • Seven one year old lambs
  • With their associated grain and drink offerings
• One goat for a sin offering
• In addition to the new month and the daily offerings

So in total, 23 animals would be offered on this day (25 if it was a Sabbath), accompanied by the blowing of the silver trumpets (Num. 10:10)

• Three young bulls
• Two rams
• Sixteen one year old lambs
• Two goats

With their associated grain and drink offerings

Note: There are four new years in the Jewish calendar.

1. Nisan 1 is the New Year’s day of kings (the date for determining how many years a king has ruled) and for months (Nisan is the first month).
2. Elul 1 is the new year for the tithing of animals.
3. Shevat 15 (Tu Bishvat) is the new year for the trees
4. Tishrei 1 is the new year of years. In Rabbinic thought, it also marks the anniversary of the creation of the world. (They find it encoded in Gen. 1:1: “in the beginning,” when changed around, reads, Aleph b’Tishrei, or “on the first of Tishrei”, with a possible reference in Job 38:7 when the sons of God ‘shouted for joy’ ruaI at the Creation)

Long break since last festival of Shavuot – indicating Hos. 3:4? Note v.22 includes the Gentiles. Could hint at the church age? Then Trumpets reflects the regathering of Israel in ‘the latter days’ of Hos. 3:5 – trumpets are connected with gathering the people, as we have seen.

Many names for this festival (which marks the start of the ‘high holidays’ of autumn), listed in ”The Seven Festivals of Messiah” by Eddie Chumney, the founder of Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int’l. (downloadable from https://www.friendsofsabbath.org/Further_Research/Holy%20Days/The-Seven-Festivals-of-the-Messiah.pdf), rearranged, with my comments :

Biblical names

• Feast of Ingathering Ex. 34:22 at the turn of the year
• Yom Teruah Lev. 23:24 a day of blowing of Trumpets (Psa. 89:15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound/shout – teruah)
• Yom HaZikkaron – the Day of Remembrance or memorial, Lev. 23:24 – remember what?

1. God’s appearance at Mount Sinai and giving of the Decalogue were accompanied by shofar blasts (Ex 19:16,19; 20:18)
2. To call upon God to remember his people and act on their behalf (Num. 10:9-10)
3. To remember their sins and call them to repentance (Isa 58:1)

Names and ideas probably linked to Babylon

• Best known is Rosh HaShanah – the head of the year; Birthday of the World (see above)

Maybe derived from Babylonian myths and connected with Marduk, the principle deity in the Babylonian pantheon – the creator of the universe and connected with new year festivities (Akitu chronicle). The next 2 titles may be connected with the ‘room of fate’ over which he presided, although I’ve not been able to confirm that (Peter Sammons “The Messiah Pattern” p. 104)

• Yom HaDin – the Day of Judgment

An annual call to self-examination and repentance. As in Daniel 7:9-10, heavenly books are opened, books recording each person’s deeds. All are judged, and the verdict is finalized ten days later, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The tribe of Dan (’judge’) is associated with the seventh month, as is the zodiac sign of the Scales.

• The opening of the gates (they are closed on Yom Kippur)

Jewish understanding that the gates of heaven are opened on this day so that the righteous may go in (Psa. 118:19-20)

Other Jewish names and connections

• Teshuvah – repentance

Observed for the previous 30 days – month of Elul with the trumpet blown every day except day 30 – see next point – and preparing for the days leading up to the Day of Atonement (see Lev. 23:27b)

• The time of Jacob’s (Ya’akov) trouble – the birthpangs of the Messiah, Chevlai shel Mashiach

• Kiddushin/Nesu’in – the Wedding of Messiah

‘Behold the Bridegroom comes’ with a shout and the sound or a shofar (Matt. 25:6)

• HaMelech – the Coronation of the Messiah

Psa. 47:5-9 (timing Isa. 16:5?)

• The last trump

Three significant ‘trumpet blasts’ during the year:

1. The first trump – blown at Shavuot (Ex. 19:19)
2. The last trump of 100 blasts blown on Yom Teruah, teki’ah gedolah
3. The great trumpet – blown on Yom Kippur – shofar ha’gadol Isa. 27:13 connected with the final regathering of the outcasts of Israel (Isa. 11:12; 56:8)

• Natzal – the resurrection of the dead – (H5337 snatch away, rapture, deliver) ‘At the last trump’ 1 Cor. 15:52

We will be considering the p[rophetic significance of some of these aspects as we dive in to the other 2 Autumn Feasts over the next few weeks.