Yom Teruah’s Greatest Truths and Mysteries (Revealed)

 

Today I want to expand our understanding of Yom Teruah (aka The Day of the Blowing of Trumpets or simply the Day of Trumpets) from the day being just another one of the 7-annual Feasts of YHVH; just that of being the beginning of the 7th month and the Fall Feasts of Yah; from that of being a day symbolized by the blowing of Shofars; from that of being the beginning of the Jewish “Rosh Hashanah” or head of the new year—to that which is much greater in its scope and relevance to Messianics today.

Why Study Yom Teruah’s Truths and Mysteries?

And the reason we need to expand our understanding of Yom Teruah or the Day of Trumpets beyond the common, baseline, tradition-laden understanding of the day is because the deep and expansive spiritual and eschatological importance of the day is the thing that will help prepare us to receive and enter the Kingdom of Yah.

Don’t you want to enter Yah’s coming Kingdom? 

 The Confused Conventional Wisdom Surrounding Yom Teruah

 

The conventional wisdom that is commonly attached and observed as it relates to Yom Teruah today is so truncated; so marginalized; so immersed in tradition that the True Child of the Most High is left to observe the day as simply another biblically mandated feast with a smidgen of historic and eschatological significance attached to it. And with all the low-level understanding that is commonly associated with Yom Teruah today, the level of confusion and division that exists in our beloved Faith Community just continues to grow and grow.

Yeshua is indeed coming back for a remnant. And this mo’ed of Yah that we will be observing and keeping this coming weekend highlights our Master’s irresistible return to this earth as the conquering Messiah, where He will gather His elect from the 4-corners of this world unto Himself; set-up His kingdom in Yerusalayim; render judgment upon the nations of this world and restore paradise lost.

 

Dispelling the Confusion About Yom Teruah

 

Little is directly mentioned about Yom Teruah in scripture apart from the Torah instructions regarding the day. But the Bible does indeed provide us with a ton of obvious links to the meaning and importance of Yom Teruah. Additionally, Jewish writings and teachings and dare I say traditions, also lend greatly to our understanding of the relevance of Yom Teruah to Yah’s Elect and to End Times prophecy.

Those with eyes to see and ears to hear are today in priveledged positions to receive the Spirit and Truths about Yom Teruah that the rest of Yah’s human creation seems to not care at all about.

So let us delve into Yom Teruah’s Greatest Depths of Meaning for the Messianic, Yah’s Elect today.

 

The Feasts of Yah and Their Relevance to Yah’s Elect

 

The prophet Isaiah wrote:

 

 ⁹ Remember the former things of old: for I am Yah, and there is none else; I am Elohiym, and there is none like me,  ¹⁰ Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (Isa 46:9-10 KJV)

 

There are a small number of fundamental things that Messianics and Rooters learn quite early when they come to the knowledge of the True Faith once delivered. And one of those things is the importance of Yah’s set-apart days—Yah’s mo’edim-popularly referred to as the Feasts of Yah–to the life of the elect.

 

Yah’s elect do not view these set-apart days or feasts days as the world sees them—as uniquely Jewish festivals or holidays that have no bearing or relevance to Yah’s people. Instead, Yah’s people see these times in their proper biblical context:

 

For the law having a shadow (I.e., skia) of good things to come (Heb 10:1 KJV; cf. Colossians 2:17).

 

Thus, contained within Torah are “skia” or images, a sketch or outline of “good things that are to come into being.”

 

Contrary to fundamentalists’ thinking, Torah is not a laundry list of “does and don’ts” that YHVH gave to “the Jews” in order to keep them in order (which they were never able to keep) and to show the rest of us that we are of such a depraved nature that we are incapable of keeping Yah’s Ways and thus we need Yah’s grace through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ in order to be saved. As true as bits and pieces of fundamentalists’ thoughts may be on this issue, their understanding of Yah’s Torah falls tragically short. For we know that Yah’s Torah constitutes a way of life that Yah requires His chosen ones to live and walk-out.

 

Embedded within Yah’s way of life—His Torah—are certain days—moedim—that Yah has declared as “sacred” or “set-apart days” that His elect are to keep and observe. These set-apart days, otherwise known as Feasts of Yah are Holy Convocations (I.e., miqra; sacred gatherings; rehearsals) that when kept in Spirit and in Truth rehearse good things that Yah has planned out for His human creation from the very beginning of time (Genesis 1:14).

 

These shadows or images were hidden in Yah’s Feasts so that hasatan would be unaware of Yah’s Plans for Salvation, Restoration and Redemption. For if hasatan had known beforehand the truths hidden in these set-apart days, he and his ilk would not have crucified the Master of Glory (1 Corinthians 2:8).

 

You see, the Feasts of Yah all point to the ministries of our Master Yeshua Messiah: His ministry as the “suffering redeemer/suffering Messiah” and His ministry as “the coming conquering King of kings and Master of masters.” In other words: The spring feasts picture the ministry of the “suffering Messiah” (with its intermittent and final fulfillments). Then the Fall Feasts picture the return of Yeshua Messiah, the gathering of the Bride, the establishing of the Messianic Millennial Kingdom here on earth, the judgment of the nations and the restoration of Paradise Lost and the Creator of the Universe dwelling with His people on a new heaven, earth and from a new Jerusalem.

 

And contrary to the erroneous and dangerous teachings and beliefs of the fundamentalists, Yeshua’s ministry here on earth did not bring an end to Torah-keeping by Yah’s people. In fact, Yeshua described the mission that was given to Him by His Father as clarifying and bringing the Law to its fullest potential (Matthew 5:17). And Master made it known that Torah would remain in effect for Yah’s people until Master hands over the Kingdom to His (our) Father (1 Corinthians 15:24) and Yah establishes a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21). Master said:

 

Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  ¹⁹ Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:18-20 KJV)

 

Somehow the fundamentalists have gotten this whole thing regarding Torah and Feast-keeping completely wrong: The Bride of Messiah will not be those who have chucked Torah to the side and in effect become lawless in their living, but instead are those that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Rev 14:12 KJV)

 

Bible belief always requires obedience. And Yah’s instructions (I.e., Yah’s Torah commandments and provisions) are given to all who desire to follow in His ways—to be His elect; to be His children. In fact, contrary to the beliefs and teachings of the fundamentalists (even Orthodox Jews) who vehemently assert that Torah and all its provisions and festivals and requirements are strictly for the Jews, we are led back to when Torah was first given to us at Sinai:

 

¹⁵ One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.  ¹⁶ One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you. (Num 15:15-16 KJV).

 

Is this clear? One Torah for “native” Israel and for the “sojourner” or “Gentile” if you will. Like the sojourners that attached themselves to Israel in the wilderness when Torah was given to us, we gentiles have been attached to Israel and are thus partakers of the covenants and provisions that have been handed down to Israel by our Heavenly Father. We are thus engrafted and are part and parcel of the commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:11-13; Romans 11).

 

 

Paul wrote to the assemblies at Colossae that they not be bothered nor discouraged by those who sought to criticize them in their walking out their Faith, especially as it applies to their keeping of the weekly Sabbath, the food laws and Yah’s set-apart days. For according to Paul, these are a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:16-17).

 

So let the naysayers condemn us for our keeping of Torah and Yah’s set-apart days. For we know the importance of these days and we are well within our rights as engrafted members of the commonwealth of Israel to keep them; within our duty, being saints of the Most High acting in obedience to His Words; and within our steadfast desire to commune with, bless and glorify our Heavenly Father in Spirit and in Truth.

 

 

Biblical Understanding of Yom Teruah

 

Instructions regarding Yom Teruah is found in Leviticus 23:24-25 and it reads:

 

²⁴ Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. ²⁵ Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. (Lev 23:24-25 KJV)

 

When we break down the requirements for observing and keeping the day, we find the following five elements:

 

1. It is to be a sabbath—a complete day of rest. Thus we are to rest on this day from all our labors as we do each weekly Sabbath.
2. It is to be a memorial of blowing of trumpets and or of joyful shouting. The Hebrew word used for memorial is —zik-rone—a reminder; remembrance. The blowing of trumpets is the Hebrew word “teruah” which can also mean loud sounds made in either a joyous occasion or in victory or in warning. What is being memorialized in the blowing of trumpets? Scripture doesn’t not tell us directly. But we will discuss an interesting applications that may give us a clue as to what is to be memorialized later on in this discussion. Blast of Trumpets=Teruah. Also shouting and joy and praise and alarm (Psa. 47:1; 66:1; 81:1; 100:1). Teruah–Num. 10:5; 23:21; 1 Sam. 4:5; Job 33:26.
3. We are to convene a holy convocation—a miqra—a reading; calling together; a sacred assembly; a rehearsal on this day.
4. We are to perform no servile work on this day. Just as we perform no industrious work on the weekly Sabbaths, we are not to perform no such work on this set apart day.
5. An offering by fire is to be made unto YHVH. 

We find in Leviticus 23 that Yom Teruah is not a pilgrimage feast. We know that the three pilgrimage feasts are: (1) Unleavened Bread (aka Feast of Matzah); (2) Shavuot (aka Pentecost); and (3) Sukkot (aka Feast of Tabernacles among so many other names)(Exodus 23:14, 17; Deuteronomy 16:16). These three pilgrimage feasts required that we actually travel to the place where that Almighty choses (Deuteronomy 16:16). Ultimately that place of pilgrimage became Jerusalem at Solomon’s and Herod’s Temples. However, with the destruction of the Temple by the Roman Army in 68-70 C.E., Yah’s elect for all intents and purposes no longer have such a place to pilgrimage to. Today, our bodies have replaced the once standing and operating Jerusalem Temples and we worship Yah, especially during the Feast, from wherever we are on this planet, in Spirit and in Truth (1 Corinthians 6:19; John 4:23-24). 

 

All sacrifices were rendered exclusively at the place where Yah chose to place His name. They were not to be performed anywhere other than either the Tabernacle or the Temple. Yah commanded:

 

⁵ But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:  ⁶ And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks: ⁷ And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee. (Deu 12:5-7 KJV)

 

Consequently, only the priests were to render sacrifices and offerings unto Yah at Yah’s appointed place, which was either the Tabernacle or the Temple. Lay folks were not permitted to render sacrifices and offerings unto Yah. So the commandment given in our focus passage here that an offering of fire be made unto Yah pertained exclusively to the priests of Yah. 

Yom Teruah is the only mo’ed that falls on the first of a new month and on the sighting of a renewed moon (Num. 10:10). 

 

The Rosh Hashanah Lie

 

One Torah teacher espoused in his discussion on Yom Teruah that “Tradition breeds reverence. It doesn’t trump scripture. It’s fun for historical reasons.”

 Jewish traditions play a huge role in Messianic understanding of Yom Teruah. In fact, many modern day Rooters and Messianics take their lead on the day (I.e., how they understand and keep the day) by observing Jewish Traditions related to Yom Teruah.

 

As interesting and enticing as Jewish Traditions may be to us, it behooves the well-meaning, set-apart Messianic to keep in the forefront of their minds the warnings put forth to us by our Rabbi Yeshua about Jewish traditions:

 

Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?…Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. (Mat 15:2-6 KJV)

 

Folks, when delving into Jewish traditions related to any of the Feasts of Yah, we must be uber careful that we discern within those traditions any elements that make Yah’s commandments of none effect. In fact, I did a teaching on various Jewish tradition trappings associated with Yom Teruah a couple years ago that I would encourage you to check out if you are  so led. This teaching will better alert you to things that our Jewish cousins have adopted in their keeping of Yom Teruah that are contrary to Torah.

 Because I am not one who promotes the keeping of Jewish customs and traditions in this ministry and on this program, my viewership and listenership is substantially less than those programs and teachers that promote Jewish traditions. These ministries amass more views and downloads than I ever could because folks are more interested in Jewish practices than they are the actual, unadulterated Word of Yah.

 

Now I’m not one to condemn those who choose to indulge in certain Jewish traditions: that’s a subject between Yah and that individual. I have no heaven or hell to put anyone into.

 

But I will say this: We are well advised to stick to what is written regarding Yom Teruah (Col. 2:8). There is a lot of following Jewish traditions when it comes to Yom Teruah. Yah is the One who deems a thing holy.

 

I get it: traditions feel good in the natural. They serve to bind us to a people. However, when traditions are weighed alongside Torah such that they run contrary to Torah, they serve to nullify or diminish the primacy of Torah. When traditions clash with Torah, they should stir questions in our spirit. 

 

Now, the only Jewish Yom Teruah tradition I will address here today is the tradition that places Yom Teruah as the head of Yah’s sacred calendar year. And this placing of Yom Teruah as the head of the Faith’s calendar year has resulted in this mo’ed (set apart day) being renamed Rosh Hashanah.

 

Rosh Hashanah literally means “Head of the Year,” and is thus treated as New Year’s Day in Judaism.

 

But how can Yom Teruah be Rosh Hashanah (the head of Father’s calendar year) when Father established the head of His biblical calendar year as the Month of Aviv (aka Abib) (Exodus 12:2; 13:4; 23:15; 34:18; Deuteronomy 16:1)? As you may or may not know, Aviv always falls within the Gregorian Calendar months of March and April each calendar year.

 

Well, apparently this tradition of moving Yom Teruah to the beginning of the year, replacing Aviv 1 is a result of pagan influence and misreading Torah.

 

A great many bible scholars who have either unbiased, and to some degree biased feelings and viewpoints about this twisted tradition have pointed the finger of blame at Canaanite and Babylonian influences. It is proposed by these biased and unbiased scholars that Israel possibly added an additional calendar to the calendar handed down to them by YHVH in Torah. That added calendar is based upon Canaanite and Babylonian agricultural festivals and observances that place the head of their calendar year in the fall, during the planting season. You may come across mention in some writings of “Akitu” and other such pagan holiday observances as being the source or reason for the Rosh Hashanah tradition. But truth be told, there is a lot of debate and disagreement over this contention among scholars. Nevertheless, it is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility that pagan influences fueled this change in Israel’s calendar.

 

The other influence is attributed to a misreading and or misinterpretation of Torah, whereby certain rabbis have taken passages such as Exodus 23:16 (I.e., “…and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in  thy labours out of the field) and Deuteronomy 14:23-28 (I.e., speaking about Sukkot, at the end of three years thou shall bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year) as proof that the end of and beginning of Israel’s calendar year is in the same month as Rosh Hashanah or Yom Teruah. (My understanding of the manipulation of Father’s calendar by the rabbis is one of the main reasons I recently abandoned the prescribed Torah Portion system since the assigned Torah Readings are based upon the altered Hebrew calendar.)

The more liberal Jewish rabbis and Messianics will assert that Israel has received two-calendars: (1) Spring New Year=Nisan 1–Tribute/Religious Calendar (Festival Calendar), and (2) Fall New Year=Tishri 1–Civic and Agricultural Calendar.  

 

The other thing that comes to mind as it relates to this idea of possible pagan ties to the altering of the Creator’s original calendar has to do with the months of the sacred calendar year that was given to us by Father in His Word, with the exception of Aviv, having no names assigned to them. At some point in Judah’s history, pagan names were assigned to the months of the altered calendar. And some scholars have surmised that these names (e.g., Tishri, Elul, Nisan, etc.) are of Babylonian and Canaanite origin.

 

We find evidence of this in various ancient Jewish writings such as the Onkelos and Jonathon Targums (I.e., expansive versions of various books of the Tanach). These writings capture the thinking and practices of the ancients in the midst of their adding and taking away of Yah’s Word:

1 Kings 8:2 Targum Jonathon–“In the month which the ancients called the first month, on the festival, and at present it is the seventh month.”

 

As you can see, at the time the Jonathon Targum was written (~2 C.E.) the month of Tishri (what we know to be the 7th month) had become the 1st month of the Jew’s calendar year. 

 

Bottom line my friends, Rosh Hashanah cannot biblically be attached in any way to Yom Teruah. It is a Jewish Tradition that violates Torah teaching that Aviv 1 is the real head of Yah’s sacred calendar year. 

 

Jewish Writings Reveal Deep Spiritual Themes Attached to Yom Teruah

 

Not all Jewish traditions and thoughts are bad or anti-Torah in their making. Some traditions and thoughts are deeply spiritual in their application to and understanding of Torah. And the various titles that Jewish tradition and thinking have applied to Yom Teruah can, when put through the filter of Scripture, expand one’s understanding of what Yom Teruah means to Yah’s people.

 

Here are a few titles that have been applied to Yom Teruah by ancient Jewish writers. And I want you to keep in the forefront of your minds that these themes and concepts were written centuries before the Brit HaDashah was written.

 

• Yom Teruah—Day of Trumpets Blast ( 29:1; 1 The. 4:13-17; Psm. 47).

 

• Yom Hazikaron—Day of Remembrance—In Yom Hazikaron, the righteous Jew’s name is said to be inscribed in the Book of Remembrance, while the unrighteous’ names are scrubbed from the Book of Remembrance. 3:16-17; Lev. 23:23-25; Psa. 69:28; Dan. 12:1-2; Rev. 3:5; Luk. 10:18-20; Phil. 4:3; Heb. 12:23. Compare this ancient Jewish concept of Yom Hazikaron with Revelation 3:5: “They that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before His angels.” Revelation 13:8: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (I.e., the Beast), whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” And there are other Brit Hadashah references to the Book of Remembrance.

 

• Yom Hadin—Day of Judgment. Daniel 7:9-10—Yom Teruah foreshadowing a time where the books will be opened and the Ancient of Days sitting in counsel judging those before Him.

 

• Yom Hakeseh—Day of Concealment—Day of the Throne. 81.1-4 (Yom Teruah is the only Feast Day that falls on a new moon. This Psalms passage declares the blowing of the shofar in the new moon, in the time appointed, or in the full moon, which is “keseh” in Hebrew. “Keseh” means a concealed moon—such that the moon can not be seen by the naked eye just before the sliver of the renewed moon can be seen. The moon at this stage was considered to be concealed or “keseh.” According to Torah teacher Matthew Vander Els, the first century Sanhedrin made use of a calculated calendar (similar to one Judaism uses today) alongside their observational calendar (similar to what the Karaite Jews use today). When someone claims to have sighted the renewed moon, the Sanhedrin would confirm the observers’ claims by comparing and contrasting these two calendars. Keseh also meant throne. Blow your shofar at the new moon, the festival of the throne. The Targum of Psalms, 81:4—”Blow the horn in the month of Tishri, in the month in which the day of our festivals is concealed.” The LXX of Psm. 81:4—”Blow the trumpet at the new moon, in the glorious day of your feast.” The focus was on Yom Teruah. The gates and doors of heaven are said to be open beginning at Yom Teruah, closing at Yom Kippur. This time of the sacred calendar year would constitute 10-Days of Awe, an intimate time with Father. Psm. 24:7-10. The pre-1st century Jew saw these passages as representative of Yom Teruah. Rev. 4:1-4—the doors and gates of the Temple are open and trumpets blown to assemble the divine counsel to meet and to begin a time of judgment upon the unrighteous on the earth. This takes us back to Dan. 7. Psm. 47:1-5—Clap your hands all ye people—This can be seen as an enthronement ceremony. An enthronement ceremony such as that depicted in 2 Kin. 11:12, where the onlookers clapped their hands and declared “God save the king.”

 

• Hayon Hashem—The Terrible “Day of the Lord.”

 

• Zichron Teruah=Memorial of the blowing of trumpets—In Leviticus 23:24. The Hebrew word “Zichron” is sometimes translated as “memorial” or “remembrance.”

 

In Leviticus 23:23-25 we are commanded to blow trumpets and shout on this day. It’s to also be a day of remembrance, and as we mentioned earlier, we’re not told what is to be to remembered or memorialized.

 

Ancient Jewish thinking suggests that Yom Teruah is a day we are commanded by Yah to blow shofars and get Abba’s attention? It is a day, specifically, to get Abba to “pay attention” or to “remember His people.” Thus the thinking is that we shout and blow shofars and repent during Yom Teruah because we want YHVH to remember us: Lev. 26:40-42.

 

Shofar blowing is also linked to battle cries and warnings. And we know from scripture that Messiah will return with an “army to slay His enemies” (Revelation 19:11-16). Joel 2:1-17 prophesies of the alarm to be sounded for the coming Day of the Yah. 

 

As we mentioned just a moment ago, trumpet blowing is also linked to the enthronement of a king. We know that when our Master returns He will be coming “as the King of kings and Master of masters” with the shout of an archangel and resounding trumpet blast (1 Thessalonians 4:16). 

 

And Shofar blowing is linked to victory. This brings to mind the conquest of Yericho, where the people were commanded to shout and blow trumpets after the 7th circuit around Yericho on the 7th day of the siege of Yericho, resulting in the collapse of the walls of that city (Joshua 6:4-5).

 

In Temple times, when the renewed moon was sighted and verified in the 7th month in Jerusalem, at that moment the trumpet sounds and the fires are lit signaling the rosh chodesh and the start of the high sabbath, Yom Teruah. All work stops and Yom Teruah begins. The ancients described this annual event as occurring on a day and at an hour that no man knows. Compare and contrast this to Yeshua’s statement recorded in Matthew:

 

³² But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. ³³ Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. (Mar 13:32-33 KJV)

 

Of special relevance to Messianics, Judaism knows Yom Teruah as the Day of the Resurrection. Compare and contrast that to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:

 

¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1Th 4:16-17 KJV)

 

Traditionally in Judaism, Yom Teruah begins what is referred to as the “10-Days of Awe” (Yomim Nora’im), which of course leads directly into Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the sacred calendar year. The sounding of the shofar on Yom Teruah serves as a wake-up call to the observant Jew to “teshuvah” (I.e., return) to the commandments of YHVH. Thus these 10-days that are sandwiched in-between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur are supposed to be days of solemn, deep introspection. There is an urgent sense of repentance during this time.

 

Biblical Eschatological Applications to Yom Teruah

 

Many teachers in our Faith have taken a position whereby they will not surmise about eschatological events being tied to the Fall Feasts of Yah. Their position is that we must stick only to what’s written in the Book. Well, as wise as that thinking may be, it seems to me that when individuals who hold such thoughts keep the Feasts of Yah, their Spirit and Truth keeping of the Feasts is severely lacking. Indeed, as long as we resist the tug of making our eschatological links to the Feasts of Yah doctrinal, I believe Yah is quite pleased with us when we search out His Word for the spiritual attachments to His set-apart days that are outlined for us in His Torah.

 

We find in Leviticus 23:1-23 an outline of the Spring Feasts of YHVH. But in verse 24, Yah commands us to not harvest the outskirts of our fields, but to leave those unharvested sections of our fields for the Gentiles to glean. Then in verse 25 Yah goes into an outline of the Fall Feasts of YHVH.

 

Earlier we discussed that the Annual Feasts of Yah are shadows or depictions of good things to come. Another way of looking at this is found in the Hebrew term for “convocation,” which is “miqra.” Miqrah has been interpreted by many as “rehearsals.” When viewed from the perspective of convocations being rehearsals, the Feasts of Yah can be viewed as rehearsals of Yah’s glorious Plan of Redemption, Salvation and Restoration.

 

Thus from an eschatological perspective, is it conceivable that Yah’s commands that we leave portions of our fields unharvested be a foreshadowing of the provisions that Father has made in His Plan of Salvation, Redemption and Restoration for the Gentile? Are we now living under that foreshadowed provision that is depicted in this commandment? Why not? We know that Yah has indeed made provisions, as we discussed earlier, for us to be engrafted into the commonwealth of Israel.

 

So Yom Teruah embodies the gathering of the Gentiles into the commonwealth of Israel. Yom Teruah also embodies the collecting of Yah’s elect from the 4-corners of the world:

 

Mat. 24:30-31—The collecting of Yah’s elect at the sound of the ram’s horn.

 

2 Thes. 2:1-17–The coming of Messiah as the conquering King and the gathering of the bride.

 

Yom Teruah also embodies the resurrection of the “dead in Messiah”:

 

1 Cor. 15:52—in a moment at the last trump, the trump will sound and the dead will raise imperishable and we shall be changed.

 

Yom Teruah is about making noise because of the enthronement of our King:

 

Revelation 19:9—The Marriage Supper of Messiah. (Cf. Revelation 19:16; 21:5—as our Master will be crowned King of kings and Master of masters.)

 

As was part of the mystery of Yom Teruah coming on a day and at an hour no man knows because it is a Day of Concealment, we are reminded the Day of Yah:

 

“…will come as a thief in the night” (2 Peter 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:2).

 

Yom Teruah foreshadows Yeshua returning as the conquering King!

 

 ²⁹ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: ³⁰ And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Mat 24:29-31 KJV)

 

Folks, this is literally the reason for the season.

 

1 The. 4:13-17—We have a hope and expectation.  This is the gathering where the bridegroom receives His bride and takes her to His Kingdom. The elements of this moment is that of a shout and the voice of an archangel and the blast of the shofar. The shaking from the noise that will be made from heaven when Yeshua returns is going to be jarring. Recall the assembling of the people at the foot of Mount Sinai?

 

Yom Teruah is supposed to be a joyous day. It’s the day the bridegroom comes for His bride. This is why we Messianics and Rooters celebrate the way we do. 

We’ve clearly seen depicted in the Apostolic writings where Yom Teruah is linked to the return of Messiah. That return will be marked by great “joy for Yah’s elect.” But for the enemies of Yah and the nations of this world, Yom Teruah is depicted as a time of “judgment” and sorrow and fear. 

 

From the modern Messianic perspective, when we factor in all that we’ve been discussing, we can clearly see that we are commanded by Father on Yom Teruah to make a lot of noise. This noise-making day is in a sense a rehearsal. It is a day where Yah’s elect rehearse the return of Mashiyach (I.e., Messiah) to this earth. And we know from scripture that Master’s return will be accompanied by shouts and shofar/trumpet blasts.

 

Yom Teruah Call to Action

 

So this is what I want you to do this coming Yom Teruah if you are so led and willing:

1. If you get this message in time, purchase a shofar depending upon your budget and your confidence level in learning to properly (or as near as you can get) blow it. There are (not to be insulting) plastic children shofars that you can purchase that have a “gazzoo” type mechanism built into them that when blown, generate a sound similar to that of a ram’s horn that will suit the occasion just right.

 

2. Pray, (and if you are so inclined and led) fast and study in the days leading up to Yom Teruah to prepare to receive the day when it arrives.

 

3. If you’re working, see about getting the day off. If you’re not slated to work, make sure you have the day clear to dedicate the entire 24-hours to Yah.

 

4. Keep your eye and mind on the calendar so that you are aware when the day arrives.

 

5. Make a joyful noise unto Yah when the day arrives, throughout the day.

 

6. Convocate with like-minded brethren on the day if possible. If possible, join a fellowship with like-minded brethren on the day. If you don’t have any opportunity to do so, contact me immediately and I’ll send you a link to an online fellowship Hilary and I will be participating in on Yom Teruah.

 

7. Read associated scriptural passages throughout the day and meditate on his Word. Meditate on the themes of the Day such as teshuvah, resurrection, remembrance, enthronement, salvation, judgment, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, etc.

 

8. Feast and celebrate the day with joy and passion, keeping in mind: ¹¹ And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. ¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. ¹³ Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

 ¹⁴ But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. (Rom 13:11-14 KJV)

 

Have a blessed, powerful and meaningful Yom Teruah my friends.