What is the Feast of Trumpets?
By Kelly McDonald, Jr.
The Feast of Trumpets is one of the Lord’s Feasts. This special day is also called Yom Teruah. What does this festive day represent? How should we approach its celebration?
In Lev. 23:24, God said, “ye shall have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation” (Lev. 23:24b). In Hebrew, the phrase translated as “a memorial of blowing of trumpets” is Zikron teruah. The Hebrew word Zikron means a memorial, and Teruah mostly refers to a shout, praise, or the sound of the trumpet. Its root word ruah has a similar meaning.
In Numbers 29:1, God calls this day Yom Teruah. Yom means day; it is the day of the Trumpet blast or the day of shouting. Ever year it is held on the first day of the seventh month on the Hebrew Calendar.
The verses where Yom Teruah is first mentioned do not appear to convey much information about the day. However, the Hebrew words used to describe this feast and their usage throughout the Bible will unearth rich meaning behind it. They will help us understand the importance of Yom Teruah!
Two Kinds of Trumpets
Most people are not aware that two kinds of trumpets are mentioned in the Bible. The first type is the ram’s horn or shofar in Hebrew. Most of the time when you see the word trumpet in the Old Testament, it refers to this instrument. The second type is the silver trumpets; they are not referenced as often.
We will start by examining the silver trumpets. In Numbers 10, God told the Israelites to make two trumpets of silver. These were only to be blown by priests, who were the sons of Aaron. They were blown: 1) to assemble the people; 2) to order the camp to march; 3) to request God’s help when an enemy attacked the people; and 4) over offerings on the New Moons and Feasts.
In two of these specific examples, the word teruah or ruah is used. In Numbers 10:5-6, the teruah was blown once to call the camps on the East side to lead in the journey. If the teruah sounded twice, then the camps on the south side were to lead the camp in the journey forward.
In Numbers 10:9, we learn about a fascinating use of these trumpets. “And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm [ruah] with the Trumpets and ye shall be remembered [zekar] before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.”
If God’s people were attacked, then the ruah or alarm was sounded. God would then remember and save His people. This does not mean that God forgot His people and then remembered them suddenly when these trumpets were sounded. Zekar, which is the root word for zikron, refers to actively retaining a person or thing in your mind. When the trumpet is sounded for this scenario, God’s attention is brought to the situation (see Num. 31:6 as an example.
In the Bible, silver trumpets were also used in the following situations: when Joash was declared king (2 Kings 11:14, 2 Chron. 23:13); when the ark was brought up to Jerusalem (I Chron. 13:8, 15:24-28); when the silver trumpets were blown continually before the Ark (I Chron. 16:6, 42); and to celebrate victory over their enemies (2 Chron. 20:28). Silver trumpets sounded when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid (Ezra 3:10) and the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 12:35, 41).
The Hebrew word shofar was first used in Exodus 19 and 20 when it was used to call the Israelites up to God. The Lord God of Israel most likely used this instrument! The shofar was also sounded to signal the beginning of the Jubilee year (Lev. 25:9).
While the silver trumpets were blown when their enemies distressed them, the shofar was blown to initiate war. In Joshua 6:4-20, God commanded the Israelites to march around Jericho every day for seven days. Seven priests were commanded to go in front of the ark; each of them blew the shofar. On the seventh day, the people were commanded to march around the city seven times. After the last time around the city, the priests were commanded to blow with a great trumpet blast.
The shofar was used to gather people and even to initiate war in other places in the Bible, such as in the time of Ehud and Gideon (Judges 3:27, 6:34, 7:8-22). The shofar could be blown to cease armed people from their pursuit (2 Samuel 2:28, 18:16, 20:22). When the Ark was brought up to Jerusalem by David, it was accompanied by the sounding of the shofar (2 Sam. 6:15).
This trumpet was also used when a king was to be declared over Israel and then Judah (2 Sam. 15:10, 2 Sam. 20:1, 1 Kings 1:34, 1:41, 2 Kings 9:13). The shofar was also used while praising God, especially at the New Moons and Feast days (Psalm 81:3, 150:3).
This instrument was used to call the people together to fast for sins (Joel 2:15) and is specifically used in connection to the final judgment during this age (Joel 2:1; Zeph. 1:16). The shofar will be blown in the future to signify Christ’s return to rule and reign (Isaiah 18:3, Isaiah 27:13, Zechariah 9:14).
Teruah and Ruah
The terms teruah and ruah are also important to examine to understand Yom Teruah. As reviewed earlier, these sounds are connected to the silver trumpets. However, they are also associated with humans using their voice.
In the time of Joshua, the word teruah was used of the people shouting when the walls fell (Joshua 6:5, 20). Many years later it was used when the Ark came into the camp (I Sam. 4:5-6), the Ark went to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:15, I Chron. 15:28) and God’s people forming a covenant with Him (2 Chron 15:14).
In the days of Ezra, the foundation of the Lord was laid. The teruah was a sound of jubilation and excitement for the people as juxtaposed with the voice of weeping (Ezra 3:11-13). This sound is also connected with the shouting of war and battle (2 Chron. 13:12, Jer. 419-20, 49:2, Ezekiel 21:22, Amos 1:14, Amos 2:2, Zeph 1:16).
In the Psalms, we are called blessed if we know the sound of the teruah! “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound (teruah): they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance” (Psalm 89:15). Apparently even the Lord God shouts as a king among His people. “God is with him and the shout (teruah) of a king is among them” (Num. 23:21).
The Hebrew word Ruah is also used in connection with our human voice shouting to God in praise or song. Sometimes in the Psalms it is translated as a joyful noise (Ps. 65:13, 66:1, 81:1, 95:1-2, 100:1). Like teruah, ruah is used for shouting, such as: when fleeing from an attacker (Judges 7:21); against an enemy (Judges 15:14); for the king (1 Sam. 17:20); for war (I Sam. 17:20, 2 Chron. 13:15); and over someone, especially an enemy (Psalm 41:11, 60:8, 108:9).
A last word connected to this celebration is zikron. It refers to a memorial and is connected to many things in the Bible. Passover and Unleavened Bread were called zikron (Ex. 12:14, Ex. 13:9). The stones on the ephod were a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord (Ex. 28:12, 29). Atonement money and the dedicated things of Israel were called memorials (Ex. 30:16, Num. 31:54). The Israelites left the stones at the Jordan as a memorial of God’s faithfulness to them (Joshua 4:7). In the days of Nehemiah, the people who undermined their efforts did not have a memorial there (Neh. 2:19-20). The root word for zikron is zakar, and it is often connected with God actively remembering His promises (Gen. 8:1, 9:15, Ex. 2:24).
Putting the Pieces Together
In this article, we have spent some time laying the foundation to understand this day based on the language that God uses about it. Now we can begin to develop our understanding of the day.
Many verses connected to end-time events before and during Jesus’ public return mention trumpets, ruah, and teruah. In the New Testament, the Greek word used for trumpet does not distinguishing which kind of trumpet. Despite this detail, the foundation of knowledge we have laid so far will help clarify the meaning of certain verses.
There are two time periods which indicate the close of this age. The first is known as the Great Tribulation. The second is the Wrath of God; trumpets and the teruah are connected to this second prophetic epoch. In the book of Revelation, this second period is initiated through the blowing of Trumpets!
During the first period, there will be saints slain for the Word of God and their testimony. We learn about this in Revelation 6:9-11, 7:9-17; these saints cry out to be avenged for their deaths. John had a vision of them in Heaven worshiping before the throne of God.
Immediately after this event, angels in Heaven offer up incense and the prayers of the saints on the golden altar in Heaven (Rev. 8:1-6). Seven angels then sound seven trumpets to initiate the judgments upon the earth; it is the beginning of the Wrath of God. Which trumpets are referenced in this passage?
In Revelation 8:1-6, we see that angels can carry out priestly duties in Heaven such as offering incense. In the Old Covenant, this was carried out by the priests. By inference, we can reason that the angels are blowing a Heavenly equivalent of the silver trumpets.
The context also confirms this conclusion. Numbers 10:9 tells us that the silver trumpets are to be blown when God’s people have been harassed by their enemies in their land. The whole earth belongs to the righteous and the meek (Psalms 37:29, Matthew 5:5). These details add greater depth to our understanding the Trumpet judgments of Revelation.
The trumpet judgments are God’s way of answering the pleas of His suffering saints and punishing unrepentant mankind. The seventh trumpet is also interesting because after it is sounded, the Ark in Heaven is revealed (Rev. 11:15-19). This also has an ancient parallel as the silver trumpets were blown as the ark went up to Jerusalem.
Seven bowl judgments follow the seven trumpets (Rev. 15-16). To learn more about the Wrath of God, see the article “Why the Wrath of God” at the end of this magazine. At the conclusion of the seven bowls, a series of shouting, praising, and trumpets ring in the glorious return of Jesus.
In Revelation 19:1-10, 17, we read: “After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.’ And again they shouted: ‘Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.’ The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: ‘Amen, Hallelujah!’…Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.’ (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)…And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, ‘Come, gather together for the great supper of God…’”
The shouting and praising which happens here in Revelation is exactly the kind described with the terms teruah and ruah. Towards the end of this wrath, there is praising in Heaven. The shofar and teruah are sounded on earth and in Heaven. This is discussed in the book of Zephaniah.
“…the great day of the Lord is near, near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD, the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. A day of the trumpet [shofar] and alarm [teruah] against the fenced cities, and against the high towers…” (Zephaniah 1:14-16)
In other passages, we learn that the sounding of the trumpet will signify several events connected to the return of the Lord!
“For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be…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. 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 the heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:27, 30- 31).
“And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven” (Mark 13:27).
Just before the return of the Lord, there is a gathering of the heavenly host to return with Jesus. In Mark, we learn that the elect on earth will also be gathered. This latter reference is connected to those who seek the Lord in their captivity.
This is described in Isaiah 27:12-13: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall bear off from the channel of the river unto the steam of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet [shofar gadol] shall be blown and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.”
The repentant remnant of Israel and Judah who are in captivity will return to the land at the sound of the great shofar. This shofar will be blown by the Lord in Heaven. These were protected from at least some of the wrath because they sought Him (Zeph. 2:3-7). The Lord Jesus blows the shofar one more time to signify His public return.
“And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the LORD GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with the whirlwinds of the south, 15 the LORD Of hosts shall defend them, and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones and they shall drink and make a noise as through wine, and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar” (Zechariah 9:14).
It is then that the armies of Heaven will follow the Lord Jesus to fight at the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 19:11-21). It is interesting that Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem in the gospels happened with a rua (Zech. 9:9). His public return is ushered in with teruah (Rev. 19:1-10, 17)!
As we survey all the uses of the silver trumpets, shofar, teruah and ruah, it connects us to the prophetic meaning of Yom Teruah. This day is prophetically connected to God’s judgment on the world and the celebration of Christ’s return with His Bride and other resurrected saints! When the silver trumpets and shofar are sounded during this period, it will be to signify all of the following events: 1) to initiate the battle, 2) to gather those who are scattered, 3) to praise God, 4) to initiate a king, 5) to make a covenant with God. This parallels their usage in the Old Testament.
There is one last event for us to discuss connected to this celebration. Daniel chapter 7 discusses events connected to the return of the Lord Jesus. We learn that the Father will be in the atmosphere of the earth during this event. As part of this event, books will be opened. “A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:10).
In the Bible there are various heavenly books mentioned. At least one of them recorded a person’s life and works (Ps. 56:8, 139:16). The book of the living is mentioned in Psalm 69:28. When God forgives people’s sins, those actions are erased out of the book (Isaiah 43:25, 44:22). The book of life is also mentioned (Rev. 3:5, 17:8, 20:12, 21:27). Other books are mentioned, but not named (Rev. 20:12). Another book mentioned is the book of remembrance or zikron; it is in the very presence of God (Malachi 3:16).
These heavenly books immediately connect us to the Feast of Trumpets. The future prophetic events connected to Trumpets have a personal application. On the Feast of Trumpets, we are reminded that our works are written in Heaven. What is being written in Heaven about you right now? Are you written in the book of life and the book of remembrance? Too often, we care about earthly opinions, but we need to care more about what is written in Heaven. Earthly opinions will die; heavenly ones are eternal.
The people who are spared from the Wrath are those whose names are written in the book of life (Rev. 13:8). On Yom Teruah, we are reminded that our names are written in Heaven if we belong to Him. We are not destined for wrath (I Thess. 5:9).
There are many events in the past where the shofar or silver trumpets were blown and God answered His people. The Feast of Trumpets or Zikron Teruah is a time for us to remember that we can call out to the Lord, and He will hear us. When we cry out to Him with a ruah or teruah He will hear us. We also need to remind ourselves to praise God for His greatness and faithfulness in our lives. A joyful noise or ruah delights the Lord God. Too often we don’t offer Him praise according to His greatness. This feast also reminds us that a great tumult is welcome when it comes to praising Him.
On the Feast of Trumpets, your teruah creates a memorial or zikron in Heaven (Acts 10:1-8). We want to leave a memorial before God for this upcoming year. Therefore, our preparation for this day is so important.
In the month leading up to Trumpets is a time called teshuvah. It means to turn or return. We spend this month examining ourselves, repenting, and turning to God. We take an inventory of how we served Him this past year or if we served Him at all. Take the time to do that this year.
We emphasize this preparation because the Feast of Trumpets is a day is connected to your memorial in Heaven. This preparation gives depth to the teruah we offer Him. What memorial will you create in Heaven this year? What service will you offer a teruah for?
“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:20-21).
I pray that you will offer a teruah unto the Lord based upon a life of surrender to His will for your life. May your name be found in the Lamb’s book of life and the book of remembrance this Yom Teruah!
Kelly McDonald, Jr. served as BSA President from 2016-2023. He presently serves as the Pastor of David’s Tent Christian Fellowship www.davidstentjackson.com.