Introduction to our Discussion

 

Welcome to the Day of the Blowing of Trumpets, or better, the Blowing of Shofars 2022. And with that, we pray that you are earnestly preparing and eagerly awaiting the arrival of Yom Teruah 2022.

 

The title of our Discussion today is “The Realities of the Day of the Blowing of Trumpets-Yom Teruah 2022.” And this will be Part 2 of our Fall Feasts of the LORD 2022 Series.

 

What do I mean by “The Realities of the Day of the Blowing of Trumpets/Yom Teruah 2022?”

 

At the time of this posting, we are just 5 or 6 days away from Yom Teruah 2022. And because of the present realities of the world in which we live, this Yom Teruah promises to be unlike the others before it. Why?

 

The present realities of the world we’re living seem to be driving us towards some inevitable end. Scripturally, that end will be glorious and wonderful for some, while at the same time fearsome and terrible for the rest.

 

 

Ancient Purposes for Shofars 

 

One reason the ancients blew shofars was to warn of an approaching danger. Other reasons were to proclaim or announce good things that were coming their way (i.e., a Rosh Chodesh sighting; the start of a feast day; the crowing of a new king to rule over Yisra’el; etc.).

 

Both shofar blowing scenarios certainly seem appropriate for this year’s Yom Teruah observance.

 

The Present State of this World–A Sense of Foreboding Prevails

 

So much has taken place in our world since the last two Yom Teruah observances. In those observances, most of us were having to deal with the “plandemic” and all its associated challenges. But as difficult as these last two years may have been, there wasn’t the level of foreboding that we seem to be having in the world at this present time.

 

The Imminent Arrival of the Great Tribulation and the Rise of the Anti-Christ

Well, many knowledgeable and influential people of faith, both within and outside our faith community have recently suggested that we have officially entered the End Times. Some of these have gone so far as to suggest that by this time next year, we will have entered the Great Tribulation.

 

One prominent Messianic teacher recently expressed his belief that with the death of England’s Queen Elizabeth II that her son, now King Charles III, is the prophesied antichrist/anti messiah.

 

Red Heifers Precursors of a Third Temple?

 

Then we have the amazing story of the nation of Israel having recently five-rabbinically-certified “red heifers.” Consequently, many believe this to be a clear sign that the building of the 3rd Temple is imminent.

 

The New World Order and the Coming Great Reset

 

There’s a great deal of talk of late regarding what the globalists refer to as “The Great Reset“being implemented throughout the world as soon as next year. This Great Reset seems to possess the characteristics of the prophesied “One World Government” or “Beast System” as described in the Book of Revelation.

 

We also find that governments of this world are at war with their citizens in a very profound way.

 

Along with all this is talk of an imminent global food shortage, a massive global financial collapse, and global warming induced extreme weather events that will result in worldwide death, destruction, and chaos.

 

Morality and faith in the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov have been declared an anathema on this planet, while the Gospel of the Green New Deal, the promises of a Nany State, the virtues of wokeness, and the LBGTQ agenda are being forced down the throats of a beatdown world populace.

 

The Voice of the Shofar Remains Relevant for Today

 

Beloved, as we enter the Fall Feasts this year, in particular Yom Teruah, let us be mindful that the voice of the shofar is all the more relevant today than it ever has been. For the voice of the shofar is needed to warn the world that a day of “great shaking” is coming. Furthermore, the voice of the shofar is needed today to proclaim and celebrate the coming of our Master Yahoshua in the clouds with great power and glory as He ushers in Yah’s eternal and holy kingdom here on earth (Mark 13:26).

 

We are Instructed to Watch and Pray

 

In the interim, we the elect of Yah have been instructed by our Master to “watch and pray” (Mark 13: 33-37).

We watch, pray, and await our Master’s return using our physical eyes to observe the “signs of the time” (Matthew 16:3).

But we also watch and wait by rehearsing Yah’s Feasts each year. For the Feasts provide us with prophetic shadow pictures of good things to come (Hebrews 10:1).

 

The Timing of Yom Teruah on Yah’s Sacred Calendar

 

The determination of Aviv 1 directly influences the timing of Yom Teruah. For if we do not correctly determine when the Biblical Rosh Hashanah is—Aviv 1, we will invariably get the timing of Yom Teruah wrong. And this is a crucial aspect of our keeping Yah’s set-apart days. For as I mentioned in our Fall Feasts of the LORD overview last week, the Feasts of the LORD are very special days that our Creator set-aside on His calendar for purposes of meeting with us. Therefore, if we don’t correctly determine the Head of each Biblical Year we will miss Yah.

 

The Relevance of Rosh Chodesh

 

The whole concept of Rosh Chodesh (that is, the New Moon observance) every month is, in part, to teach us to watch and wait for Yahoshua’s return. This is why I often refer to the “observational calendar” as a calendar of faith.

 

We know that our Master’s return is imminent, so to speak. And we see the signs of His return taking shape each day. Fortunately, we have in the Feasts of the LORD as the framework whereby we know the season for His return.

 

In reality, our Master’s second coming and the first resurrection are framed within the Fall Feasts of the LORD.

 

Since Yom Teruah always falls on the 1st-day of the 7th biblical calendar month, it is a special Rosh Chodesh. Recall that Torah addresses what our responsibilities are regarding each Rosh Chodesh in Numbers/Bemidbar 10:10. In fact, silver trumpets were to be blown over the burnt offerings and sacrifices of every Rosh Chodesh (Numbers/Bemidbar 28:11-15).

 

However, when we get to the 7th-Rosh Chodesh which is Yom Teruah, there are additional things that Yisra’el was required to perform. Those additional things include additional offerings and sacrifices (Numbers/Bemidbar 29:1-9), performing no occupational work; observing a Sabbath rest, blow shofars; remember the relevance of this set-apart day, and convene a holy convocation (Leviticus/Vayiqra 23:24-25).

 

Yah Refers to Yom Teruah as a Memorial

Yehovah referred to Yom Teruah as “a memorial of blowing of trumpets” (Leviticus/Vayiqra 23:24). What day is Yom Teruah supposed to memorialize?

 

Torah records that supernatural shofars were blown from heaven and Mount Sinai just prior to Yah speaking His Torah to our ancient Hebrew cousins. The supernatural voice of the shofar on that day not only announced Yah’s awesome presence to the mixed multitude gathered at the base of the mountain, but it also allegorically announced Yah’s pending marriage to Yisra’el. (Exo 19:18-20 KJV).

 

The shofar that sounded that day would prove to be a precursor to Yeshua’s second coming being proclaimed by the sound of heavenly shofar blasts (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

 

Offerings to be Rendered unto Yah on Yom Teruah

Since the Temple and the Levitical Priesthood are no longer in operation, one must determine in what form his or her offerings or sacrifices are to be take. The rendering of sacrifices and offerings are in every sense essential forms of worship. And we are required to render unto Yah proper sacrifices and offerings on Yom Teruah.

 

So, what form should our offerings take?

 

Well, the primary form our offerings should take today is in the form of monies that we give to the ministries that feed and teach us Yah’s Word (Luke 11:42; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Philippians 4:18). Beyond the physical monetary offerings that we are compelled to render unto Yah, there are spiritual sacrifices that scripture also mentions:

 

(4) “So, as you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and priceless in Yah’s sight, (5) you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to Yah through Yeshua Messiah” (1 Peter/Kefa 2:4-5; NET).

 

Okay, so what are these spiritual sacrifices?

 

First and foremost, our bodies are to be offered up to Yah as sacrifices:

 

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Yah, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1; KJV).

 

Thus, we render service unto Yah by way of worshiping Him. Keeping His instructions. And imaging and glorifying Him in the world.

 

Which leads to the third form of sacrifices and offerings: Giving praise unto Yah our Elohim:

 

“By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to Yah continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name” (Hebrews 13:15; KJV).

 

And lastly, to simply do good in the world:

 

“And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for Elohim is pleased with such sacrifices” (Hebrews 13:16; NET).

 

 

Yom Teruah Not Mentioned in Scripture, but it is Alluded to

One should be acutely aware that, beyond the instructions given for the day in Torah, there is no specific mention of Yom Teruah being kept by Yah’s people in Scripture. But there are apparent references to it.

 

When Judah returned to the Land after her Babylonian captivity, she restored the once destroyed Brazen Altar on Yom Teruah:

 

(5) Afterward they offered the continual burnt offerings and those for the new moons and those for all the holy assemblies of the LORD and all those that were being voluntarily offered to the LORD. (6) From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD. However, the LORD’S temple was not at that time established” (Ezra 3:5-6; NET).

 

We also learn that the Torah was read to the people on the first Yom Teruah of their return:

 

(8) They read from the Book of Yah’s Torah, explaining it and imparting insight. Thus, the people gained understanding from what was read. (9) Then Nehemiah, the governor, Ezra, the priestly scribe, and the Levites who were imparting understanding to the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to Yah your Elohim. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of Torah. (10) He said to them, “Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Master/Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of Yah is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:8-10; NET).

 

From this passage we get a sense of the spirit that Yah intended His people to possess when honoring and celebrating Yom Teruah. Not one of regret and anguish and sadness. But rather, one of joy and celebration and doing that which is good for one another.

 

We find in Psalm 81 a clear reference to Yom Teruah without the name of the day ever being mentioned.

 

In the passage the Psalmist admonishes Yah’s people to perform the following on Yom Teruah:

 

1. Sing songs and play instruments (vs. 2).

 

2. Sound the ram’s horn (I.e., the shofar), especially when the set-apart day begins (vs. 3).

 

3. Honor and keep the day as a requirement of Yah (vs. 4).

 

4. Remember Yah’s longsuffering and faithfulness on this set-apart day (vss. 9-16).

 

Did our Master Yahoshua keep Yom Teruah?

 

Well, given that He was the walking-talking Torah, He would have absolutely kept Yom Teruah in strict accordance with His Father’s instructions (Hebrews 4:15). This despite the Gospel writers not mentioning anything about Yeshua keeping or observing Yom Teruah during His earthly ministry.

 

When we really look at the entirety of the Gospel record, we find specifically mentioned just Passover and Sukkot/Tabernacles as feast days that Yeshua is recorded keeping.

 

Consequently, there is no specific record or mention of Yom Teruah in the Brit Hadashah.

 

Yeshua Describes the Central Theme of Yom Teruah in One of His Teachings

 

Master Yahoshua touched upon seems to have used the biblically inspired theme of Yom Teruah in one of His prophetic teachings. There He revealed to His disciples what His second coming would look like:

 

(29) “Immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. (30) Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet (I.e., a shofar) blast, and they will gather His elect from the four-winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:29-31; NET).

 

This in a nutshell is the prophetic shadow picture of Yom Teruah.

 

And so, as it relates to this prophetic shadow picture of our Master returning for His elect ones with great power and glory amidst the voice of a heavenly shofar, we find the Apostle Paul (aka Shaul) adding to this image:

 

(16) For the Master (I.e., Yahoshua) will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of Yah. And the dead in Mashiyach will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Master in the air, and so, we will always be with the Master” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; ESV).

 

Furthermore, we find Yochanan the Revelator revealing that the blowing of the 7th-heavenly shofar will signal the start of the Millennial Reign of our Master Yahoshua here on earth (Revelation 11:15-18).

 

The Transition of Yom Teruah to Rosh Hashanah

 

As truth seeking Torah observing Messianics/Netarim, we will in the course of our studies, invariably come across several places where the rabbis have grossly tampered with the Feasts of the LORD. Unfortunately, Yom Teruah did not escape the rabbi’s tampering. For this set-apart day is not even referred to as Yom Teruah. Nor is the day kept and understood as Yah instructed.

 

To religious Jews around the world today, Yom Teruah is Rosh Hashanah: The Head of the Jewish new year.

 

The transition or transformation of Yom Teruah to Rosh Hashanah was most certainly influenced by Judah’s years in Babylonian Captivity. It is believed by some, including myself,  that this period of captivity not only led to Yom Teruah being transformed into Rosh Hashanah, but also to the adoption of Babylonian names replacing Torah’s numerical titling of each month (cf. Leviticus/Vayiqra 23 and Numbers/Bemidbar 28).

 

It turns out that the Babylonians followed a luni-solar calendar, very similar to that of the Hebrew’s luni-solar calendar. Consequently, Yom Teruah would often fall out on the same day as the Babylonian New Year’s Day of “Akitu.”

 

It is highly likely that with the Jews’ adoption of the Babylonian month of Tishri as their 7th-month, it would have been an easy transition for our ancient Jewish cousins to syncretize the Babylonian “Akitu festival” into their Yom Teruah holy day observances. The rabbis ultimately deemed Yom Teruah their New Year’s Day.

 

Messianic Halachah—How Should we Consider Keeping Yom Teruah in 2022?

 

So, with all that we’ve been discussing regarding Yom Teruah, where does the proverbial rubber meet the road in terms of a Messianic/Netzari keeping this set-apart day?

 

Well, personally, the first thing I would do is to scrap the Rosh Hashanah rabbinic traditions. For the Jewish Rosh Hashanah has little to nothing to do with Yah’s Yom Teruah

 

So, as it relates to our honoring, keeping, and celebrating Yom Teruah, I say instead that we make the decision today to die to self and give everything over to Yah through the Person and Ministries of Yeshua Messiah. Trust in the Person and Ministries of Yeshua Messiah. Walk unwaveringly in the covenant relationship we possess with the Creator of the Universe.

 

And as Yom Teruah approaches, let us become intimately knowledgeable about the day and what it means for the elect of Yah. Let us make a joyful noise throughout that day. If we have a shofar, blow it. If we don’t, then make a joyful noise unto Yehovah. This is supposed to be a day of rejoicing and joy and reflecting on the steadfast love and mercies of our heavenly Father. It’s not a day of somber regret and repentance as the rabbis have asserted.

 

Of course, we need to take off from work, and not engage in any laborious activities. We are to give Yah our undivided attention on that day. For Yom Teruah is a day that He set aside to commune with us and love on us and teach us and dwell with us. So, the least we can do beloved is give Him our undivided attention.

 

We need to remember and rehearse the prophetic shadows that are embedded in this day. Which means we need to make sure we’re ready to receive Yeshua when He returns. Make sure our oil lamps are full and that we are ready to receive the Bridegroom when He comes.

 

In terms of offerings and sacrifices, I would counsel that we let Yah’s Spirit lead our giving, whether it be in the form of monetary gifts to those ministries that feed us, or in our praise and worship of Yah; in doing good on this day; in helping others who are in need. Blessing Yah with our gifts. Stirring up the gift of Yah which is in us (2 Timothy 1:6).

 

And we should be watching and waiting. Contemplating and reflecting on the amazing truths of this season. Looking up and assessing the season we’re in, for our redemption draws ever so close with each passing Yom Teruah.

 

These are some of the realities of Yom Teruah.

 

When is Yom Teruah in 2022?

 

If you are keeping the observational calendar, Yom Teruah is PROJECTED to begin at sundown on T-esday, 9/27/2022. If the 7^th Rosh Chodesh is not sighted on 9/27/2022, Yom Teruah will begin by default on W-dnesday, 9/28/2022.

 

And for those of us who keep the rabbinic calendar, Yom Teruah will begin at sundown on S-nday, 9/25/2022.

 

I should also mention that I’ve posted previous teachings on Yom Teruah that may be a blessing to you. I’ll go ahead and put the links to those teachings in the discussion’s transcript for your convenience.

 

We will continue our discussion on the Fall Feasts of the LORD in our next discussion, which will be on Yom HaKippurim—The Day of the Atonements—Abba willing.

 

Chag Sameach Yom Teruah Beloved.

 

 Previous Yom Teruah Postings:

 

Yom Teruah’s Greatest Truths and Mysteries Revealed 

 

The Fall Feasts of Yah-Trumpets-Yom Teruah

 

Day of Trumpets-Rosh Hashanah-Subject to God or Rabbis?