New Video: Yom Teruah Past, Present and Future

In this video, I discuss Yom Teruah vs. Rosh Hashanah, the end-time prophetic implications of YT relating to the resurrection and second coming, and everything you want to know about the shofar including how it was used historically, why you should have one, how the shofar is at the center of the YT celebration.

 

New Video: Shofar Show and Tell

In this video, Natan shows you his private shofar collection including some exotic horns, and some of his homemade shofars. You will learn how to blow a shofar and see ram’s horns in their raw state. Natan then recounts his personal testimonies of supernatural things happening when he has sounded the shofar. Ever see a seaweed shofar? This video will show you several.

 

Time to Awaken from Spiritual Slumber—Messiah Is Coming!

This year, the biblical festival of Yom Teruah (the Day of Shofar Blowing or Shouting or “Rosh Hashanah”) will likely be on Sunday, Sept. 8 according to the ancient biblical Hebrew calendar. This festival is a prophetically pictures the  beginning of the events that will surround the second coming of our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. It is time to get ready, for no man knows the day or the hour of the King’s coming! 

“Arise thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Messiah shall give thee light.” (Eph 5:14, also 8–16)

Shofar blower-36093847

Yom Teruah or the Day of Shouting or the Shofar Blasts (commonly called “Rosh Hashanah”) occurs at the end of the summer months and marked the beginning of the fall harvest and biblical festival season for the ancient Hebrews. Prophetically, the summer months between the spring Feast of Weeks (Heb. Shavuot or Pentecost) and the fall feast of Yom Teruah is a spiritual picture of what is often called the “Church Age,” which is the period of time from the Feast of Pentecost in Acts 2 until the return of Yeshua the Messiah at the end of the age and lasting for approximately 2000 years. For many, especially those living in hotter climes, summer is a time of leisure, vacation, weariness and fatigue due to the excessive heat. Likewise, many Bible believers have fallen asleep spiritually growing weary while waiting for the return of the Messiah. Yeshua discusses this issue in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt 25) who are all found snoozing awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom (Yeshua).

This all changes on the first day of the seventh month of the biblical Hebrew calendar when off in the distance the sound of a shout (or shofar blast?) suddenly pierces the atmosphere and awakens the virgins from their summer doldrums. Not only does the sound signal the beginning of the seventh month when the new crescent moon is sighted, but it announces the return of the Bridegroom (Yeshua) coming for his bride (the virgin saints). As in the Parable of the Ten Virgins, the cry went forth that the bridegroom was coming and all awoke from their slumber to prepare for his arrival. In these end days, that cry is going forth even now for all to hear, to awake and to prepare for the arrival of Yeshua the Messiah.

In the biblical calendar, the visible sighting of the crescent new moon always marks the beginning of the month and is announced by the shofar blast (Ps 81:3). Likewise, on the first day of the seventh month of the biblical calendar, the arrival of the new moon (Heb. rosh chodesh) when the shofar sound marks the beginning of Yom Teruah. This is the first day of the fall (festival) harvest season and is the time when the call goes out for the Continue reading

 

Joyous Yom Teruah!

Yom Teruah—The Beginning of the Fall (End-Time) Harvest

Yom Teruah or the Day of Shouting; the Shofar Blasts or the Awakening Blast (commonly called “Rosh Hashana”) occurs at the end of the summer months and marked the beginning of the fall harvest or festival season for the ancient Hebrews. Prophetically, the summer months between the spring feast of Shavuot/Weeks (Pentecost) and the fall feast of Yom Teruah is a spiritual picture of what is often called the “Church Age,” which is the period of time from the Feast of Pentecost in Acts 2 until the return of Yeshua the Messiah at the end of the age and lasting for approximately 2000 years. For many, especially those living in hotter climes, summer is a time of leisure, vacation, weariness and fatigue due to the excessive heat. Likewise, many Bible believers have fallen asleep growing spiritually weary while waiting for the return of the Messiah. Yeshua discusses this issue in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt 25) who all grew weary and fell asleep awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom (Yeshua).

This all changes on the first day of the seventh month of the biblical Hebrew calendar when off in the distance the sound of a shofar blast suddenly pierces the atmosphere and registers in the eardrums of those who have fallen asleep. Not only does this shofar blast signal the beginning of the seventh month when the new crescent moon is sighted, but it announces the return of the Bridegroom (Yeshua) coming for his bride (the virgin saints). As in the Parable of the Ten Virgins, the cry went forth that the bridegroom was coming and all awoke from their slumber to prepare for his arrival. In these end days, that cry is going forth even now for all to hear, to awake and to prepare for the arrival of Yeshua the Messiah.

In the biblical calendar, the visible sighting of the crescent new moon always marks the beginning of the month and is announced by the shofar blast (Ps 81:3). Likewise, on the first day of the seventh month of the biblical calendar, the arrival of the new moon (called Rosh Chodesh) when the shofar sounds marks the beginning of Yom Teruah. This is the first day of the fall (festival) harvest season and is the time when the call goes out for the spiritual drowsy to awake, and to hear the voice of YHVH, to be invigorated by the breath or voice of the shofar, which is symbolic of YHVH’s prophetic word or oracle going forth across the earth in the last days.

Furthermore, the ram’s horn shofar is bent into a curved shape to represent the contrite heart of both the blower and the hearer. This is the season for the righteous to bend their hearts in humility and contrition before YHVH and repent of spiritual lassitude and lukewarmness and to awake to spiritual action and preparation, for the fall feasts point to awesome end time events that will occur at some point in time in the near future. It is a time to be refreshed by the breath of YHVH, and a time of new beginnings. Let YHVH breathe on you, revive you and empower you as you enter into the fall biblical festival season, and as you prepare to meet your King and Redeemer, Yeshua, in the air.

Yom Teruah also begins a season that prophetically speaks of war and battle, for in ancient times the shofar was a weapon of warfare in Israel, and it will be used again as such in the end times. It was used to call Israel to battle, to defeat her enemies with the help of YHVH. The shofar was then used to proclaim victory after the battle was won and to worship YHVH who had given them the victory. The battle against Israel’s enemies still rages on—even in the end times. Today, the enemies of the redeemed Israelites are mostly spiritual. They are the world, the flesh and the devil (Jas 3:15; Eph 2:2–3). Through faith in Yeshua the Messiah who defeated death, hell and the grave, we can have victory over mortality, sin, the devil and this world (1 Cor 15:51–57; Rom 8:27; 1 John 4:4; 5:4; Rev 12:11). As we hear the sound of the shofar calling us to arise from spiritual slumber, YHVH is telling his people to become overcomers so that they may be worthy to partake of the glories of his eternal kingdom (Rev 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21).

Yom Teruah is also the time of the reaping of the summer harvest. Spiritually speaking, this period will be the time of the reaping of the righteous to their reward (Rev 14:4) and the harvest of the wicked to the great winepress of Elohim’s wrath (Rev 14:14-20). It is the time of the resurrection of the dead in Messiah Yeshua at the end of the tribulation (Matt 24:29) and the beginning of Elohim’s wrath being poured out upon the nations (see Joel 3:11-13). This begins the Wrath of Elohim time pictured by Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement, which occurs ten days after Yom Teruah) before which time the dead saints will have been resurrected and given their spiritual, glorified, second Adam bodies.

To learn more about Yom Teruah (the Day of Shofar Blowing/Shouting), which is the fifth of YHVH’s seven biblical feasts, go to http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/yom_teruah.pdf. Enjoy!

 

Got a Shofar?

Psalms 81:3, Blow the trumpet [Heb. shofar] at the time of the New Moon [or concealed, covered], at the full moon, on our solemn feast day (NKJV). The ArtScroll Stone Edition Tanach translates this verse alternatively as follows,

Blow the shofar at the moon’s renewal, at the time appointed for our festive day.


The origins of the Hebrew word keseh behind the phrase “full moon” is uncertain and there is debate among the experts on this subject. Some Hebrew lexicons relate it to a Hebrew root word meaning “to conceal, to cover” (Strong’s number H3677 cp. H3678), while others tell us that it is an Aramaic loan word meaning “full moon” (Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon).

Orthodox Jewish scholars tell us that keseh means “to conceal or to cover.” They say that the only biblical festival that occurs at the time of the new moon (biblically, when the first sliver of the new moon becomes visible) is Yom Teruah (or Rosh HaShanah), which occurs on the first day of the seventh month (in late summer). At this time, the moon is nearly completely covered or concealed except for a small, visible sliver.

The next phrase in this verse speaks of a solemn feast day, which is the Hebrew word chag. This word refers to the three pilgrimage festivals, which are Passover/the Feast (chag) of Unleavened, the Feast (chag) of Weeks or Pentecost and the Feast (chag) of Tabernacles (Exod 23:14–16; Deut 16:16).

Jewish scholars relate the word chag to Yom Teruah (which they say refers to Rosh HaShanah, see The ArtScroll Tanach Series Tehillim/Psalms Commentary on this verse). The problem with this interpretation is that the Scriptures never call the day of the new moon (rosh chodesh) a chag, nor is Yom Teruah technically a chag either in the strictest sense. Therefore, the word keseh, if it means “concealment” must be referring to both the new moon day (the first day of each month, and to Yom Teruah, which occurs on the first day of the seventh month), while the chag must be referring to the three pilgrimage festivals.

Those scholars who take the word keseh to mean “full moon” say that the phrase in this verse containing this word refers to the pilgrimage festivals (Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks, and Feast of Tabernacles), which all occurred on or very near the time of the full moon.

Whichever interpretation you side with, the bottom line is this: The Scriptures command us to sound the shofar at the time of the New Moon, on Yom Teruah and during the three pilgrimage feasts. Similarly Numbers 10:10 tells us,

[Sound the shofar a]lso in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your Elohim: I am YHVH your Elohim. (NKJV)

So go get yourself a shofar and join in the fun!

 

When Was the Shofar Blown in Ancient Israel?

Psalms 47:5, Elohim has gone up with…the sound of the shofar. The shofar is an instrument unique to the ancient Hebrews and their descendants. In the Scriptures, we see that the shofar played a highly significant role in Hebraic culture. Below are some examples this instrument’s importance:

  • The very first time the Scriptures
    records the blowing of the shofar occurring was to herald YHVH’s giving of theTorah at Mount Sinai (Exod 19:16, 19 and 20:18).
  • The shofar was blown to usher in Yom Teruah. This was a call to Sabbath rest, a memorial of blowing trumpets, a set-apart convocation and marked the beginning of a ten-day period of self-examination and repentance culminating with the Day of Atonement (Num 29:1).
  • The shofar was blown to herald the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) to announce the Year of Jubilee. Every fifty years slaves were freed, debts were forgiven and land returned to the original owner (Lev  25:9-10 [verse 10 says, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants” and is inscribed on the Liberty Bell.”])
  • Shofars were blown continually by seven priests before the Ark of the Covenant, as part of the battle plan to take the city of Jericho as the Israelites were entering the Promised Land (Josh 6:4–20).
  • Shofars were blown by Gideon to rally Israelites soldiers against the Midianites and again by his 300 soldiers in their battle against Midian (Judg 6:34 and 7:8,16,20).
  • Shofars were blown to welcome the Ark of the Covenant (representing the anointed and glorious presence of YHVH among his people) while David danced with all his might (2 Sam 6:15; I Chron 15:14).
  • The shofar was blown when a king was anointed (1 Kgs 1:34, 39, 41; 2 Kgs 9:13).
  • The shofar was blown when the Israelites swore an oath of allegiance to YHVH (2 Chron 15:14).
  • The shofar was blown to rally the troops (Num 10:9–10; Neh 4:18, 20).
  • Israel sounded the shofar in the time of war to be remembered by YHVH, to be saved from its enemies,  and rout the enemies of Israel by sending fear into their hearts and confusion into their camps (Num 10:9–10; Judg 7:20–22).
  • The shofar was blown to announce YHVH’s presence and to praise and worship Him (Pss 47:5, 98:6; 150:3; Isa 18:3; 27:13; Rev 1:10)
  • The shofar was blown to call people to repentance or fasting (Isa 58:1; Hos 8:1; Joel 2:1)
  • The shofar was blown to sound the alarm of war (Jer 4:19, 21; 6:1; 17; 51:27; Joel 2:1, 15).
  • The shofar was blown to sound the warning of danger (Amos 2:2; 3:6; Zeph 1:16; Hos 5:8, 8:1; Ezek 33:2-9; Isa. 58:1). The sound of the shofar is compared to a prophet’s voice.
  • The shofar was blown by YHVH (Zech 9:14).
  • The shofar was blown by the angels (Matt 24:31; Rev 8:2,3; 9:1,13–14; 10:7; 11:15).
  • The shofar was blown to announce the coming of a Jewish bridegroom to fetch his betrothed — a picture of Yeshua returning for his bride, the saints. All the righteous living and the righteous dead will receive glorified, resurrected bodies and will meet him in the air at the sound of the shofar. (Compare Matt 24:31; 25:6; 1 Cor 15:52;
    1 Thess 4:16; Rev 11:15–18).

When the righteous hear the sound of the shofar these things should be called to remembrance. The shofar is a powerful reminder of the mighty right arm of YHVH outstretched on behalf of his people. The sound of the shofar sends tremors of fear throughout the camp of the enemies of YHVH and his people and rallies the righteous to take courage and to rise up against evil knowing they will be victorious through faith in YHVH Elohim.

When was the first time you heard the sound of the shofar? How did it impact your life? How has the shofar affected your life since then?