Although traditionally referred to as Rosh Hashanah by Jews, it is biblically known as zikhron teru’ah, or “a memorial of blowing [of horns]”.
Note: Although this is a Christian website, I have included Christian AND Jewish sources, as this is an Old Testament/Hebrew feast. Christians should not be afraid at exploring the Jewish origins of the scriptures. The scriptures are, after all, primarily of a Jewish context by which the gospel was spread to Gentiles.
This post starts with a summary, followed by sections intended to provide the details:
- Summary
- 2 New Years Days?
- What is Yom Teruah?
- Prophetic Fulfillment
- Practical Christian Observance
Feel free to scroll ahead to whatever section you’d like…
Summary
Yom Teruah is found in Leviticus 23. It kicks off a 10 day period of reflection and repentance in preparation for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It’s the first of the Fall festivals. The Spring Festivals are tied to Jesus’ first coming, while the Fall festivals are tied to Jesus’ second coming.
These are the feasts we find in Leviticus 23
The first Passover was right before God delivered his people out of slavery in Egypt, because “God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” In His faithfulness he gave them the symbol of the passover lamb. Exodus 12 tells us that they were not to break its bones, and it was through the blood of the lamb that their firstborn sons were to survive God’s judgment that passes through the land. Jesus, the lamb of God, as declared by John the Baptist, is our passover lamb according to 1 Corinthians 5:7, that once again, as John tells us in John 19:31-36 , citing Psalm 34:20, Jesus’ bones were not broken.
For 7 days, starting on the evening Passover ends, God tells Israel to remember how He set them free out of Egypt. They fled their homes in a hurry, with no time to let the bread leaven. This is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Jesus is our sinless, unleavened bread, the bread of life (John 6:51).
Jesus resurrected on the feast of firstfruits, as the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep, according to 1 Corinthians 15:20-23…
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
50 days later, on the Feast of Weeks, is a celebration of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest. It’s also believed to be when Moses received the Torah from God at Mount Sinai, because of Exodus 19:1. It’s a celebration commemorating God’s provision for and sustaining of his people, also known as Pentecost. we have the pouring out of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2).
The Feast of Trumpets is a time of solemn rest, a Sabbath, that kicks off 10 days of reflection, and repentance as we take the time to do a personal spiritual inventory before the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. The Month before, in the Hebrew month of Elul is a time of spiritual preparation to ensure hearts are right before the Lord. This month of Elul, followed by the Feast of Trumpets, then the 10 days of awe, are 40 days about preparation and climaxing in repentance. Jesus prepared 40 days in the wilderness, before beginning his ministry (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13). John the Baptist, as He prepares the way for the Lord, proclaims repentance. It’s believed these are the same days.
Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets we are looking at today, has both historical and prophetic significance. Historically, it points to Moses receiving the Torah on Mt Sinai when God’s glory appeared with a loud trumpet blast. Jewish tradition also considers Yom Teruah to be the anniversary of the Genesis creation. The final trumpet blast in will culminate in the return of Christ and the resurrection; the ultimate appearance.
God used Moses to lead Israel out of captivity. He then received God’s commandments for Israel, found in the Torah, and God used him to establish the Mosaic covenant. Under Moses’ leadership, God teaches Israel to trust the Lord through the wilderness. However, he could not lead Israel into the Promised land. That privilege was for Joshua (see Joshua 1-6), whose name is a variation of the name Yeshua (Jesus). Jesus, who not only is the Greater Moses described in Hebrews 3:1-6, is also the true Joshua, the one who ultimately leads God’s people into the promised land at His second coming.
Just before Joshua leads the children of Israel into the Promised Land, he meets the One who will one day lead the ultimate, final entry: the commander of the army of the Lord— YHVH Himself, Jesus pre-incarnate. Joshua led them past the now-broken walls of Jericho, into the Promised Land, on the 7th day. In that same manner, so will the Lord Jesus lead us in triumphal entry on the 7th Day we read about in Hebrews 3, into His Kingdom in that same land.
The shofar blast that brought down the walls of Jericho is like the shofar blast that results in the appearing of Jesus, as well as the resurrection of the dead, and our transformation.
The Feast of Booths is a 7 Day festival commemorating God’s faithfulness in bringing Israel through the wilderness into the Promised land. The “marriage feast of the Lamb” will take place during this day. This feast, will also commemorate our own entrance into the promised land, as Jesus returns. Zechariah, describes it like this:
16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths.17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them.18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.19 This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.
Zechariah 14:16-19
[Below is a work in progress. The information is there, but it’s a mess]
2 New Years Days?
23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,24 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.25 You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.”
Leviticus 23:23-25 ESV
In the United States, we use the Gregorian calendar. It marks from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Alongside measuring our regular “years”, there are other types of “years”, such as fiscal years, school years, etc. When you look through a calendar you can notice which specific dates, events and holidays are marked. You will find that often times a calendar will identify summer solstice (longest day of the year), winter solstice (shortest day of the year), equinoxes (when there’s an equal amount of daylight and darkness across all the earth), moon phases, etc. In simpler terms, this means our calendar marks both holidays and celestial events that correlate with seasonal changes such as the start of summer and winter. The dates are fixed, meaning they don’t deviate. This is because our days and nights correlate with the earth’s rotation in relation to the sun, which is consistent year after year. It takes 365.25 days for the earth to orbit the sun. Our years, using the Gregorian calendar, are made up of 365 days. To make up for this slight difference, we add a leap year every 4 years.
Now let’s look at the Hebrew calendar, or the Jewish calendar. Feast of Trumpets is traditionally referred to as Rosh Hashanah, meaning “head of the year”. The problem is that it’s not on the first month of the year, the equivalent to January. Biblically, it’s referred to as “Yom Teruah”, which means “day of shouting” or “blasting”. In the Bible passage quoted at the beginning of this post, regarding Rosh Hashanah, we notice that God told them, “…In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest”.
…so why is it considered the “head of the year”? Well, to make a long answer short… Jewish tradition is the general consensus I was able to find. However, we can unpack that more in the upcoming sections– there is still some important distinctions to note when considering Rosh Hashanah as the “head of the year”.
Here’s an article if you’d like to look more into it:
How Rosh Hashanah Became New Year’s Day | My Jewish Learning
Scripture tells us in Exodus 12 that the month where Passover is observed, is the first month of the year. That month is Nisan, not Tishri.
“Today, because of the restructuring of the Jewish calendar by the sages of the Mishnah in post-second Temple Judaism, this Feast of Trumpets, also known as, “Rosh Hashanah,” is considered the day the civil New Year begins in Israel. Rosh Hashanah, or “head of the year” is celebrated on the first two days of the month of Tishri, and marks the beginning of a ten-day period known as the Days of Awe, which culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
This based on the Torah’s description of the early fall as “the end of the year” in Exodus 23:16. The Jewish calendar has, in fact, four “New Years”: Nisan 1, which is the Biblical New Year; Elul 1, which is the New Year for tithes; Shevat 15, which is the New Year for trees; and Tishri 1, which is the civil New Year as well as the beginning of the Days of Awe. “
–Frontier Alliance International
| Hebrew Months | Gregorian Equivalent | Biblical Feasts/Jewish Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Nisan | March-April | Passover, Yom HaShoah |
| Iyar | April-May | Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzmaut, Lag BaOmer |
| Sivan | May-June | Shavuot |
| Tammuz | June-July | |
| Av | July-August | Tishah B’Av |
| Elul | August-September | |
| Tishri | September-October | Selichot, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah |
| Cheshvan | October-November | |
| Kislev | November-December | Hanukkah |
| Tevet | December-January | |
| Shvat | January-February | Tu BiShvat |
| Adar | February-March | Purim |
Supplementary source: Reform Judaism | Jewish Calendar
What is Yom Teruah?
It’s known as zikhron teru’ah (the Biblical name), Yom Teruah, and Rosh Hashanah.
Numbers 29:1 calls the festival yom teru’ah (“day of blowing [the horn]”). The term rosh hashanah appears once in the Bible (Ezekiel 40:1), where it’s generally talking about the “beginning of the year”, possible in the month of Nisan.
“The holiday marks the beginning of a 10-day period, known as the Yamim Nora-im (“Days of Awe” or “High Holidays”), ushered in by Rosh HaShanah and culminating with Yom Kippur (the “Day of Atonement”).”
- Like a day of self assessment and making necessary changes to ensure the upcoming new year will be pleasing to God (cite)
- Entire month of Elul, leading up to Rosh Hashanah, and into 10 Tishri (Yom Kippur) is a time of spiritual preparation.
- Traditionally believed Moses received the second set of tablets on 1 Elul, and descended on Yom Kippur (Pirke DeRabbi Eliezer 46)
- The Mishnah contains the second known reference to Rosh Hashanah as the “day of judgment” (Yom haDin)
The Offering:
“one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; 3 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah[a] for the bull, two tenths for the ram, 4 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs;5 with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you”
Yom Teruah has both historical and prophetic significance. Historically, it points to Moses receiving the Torah on Mt Sinai as God descended with a loud trumpet blast. Prophetically, it points to Jesus’ birth, as well as the trumpet blast that culminates in the return of Christ and the resurrection. Moses, tied to God’s commandments in the Torah, taught Israel to trust the Lord. However, he could not lead Israel into the Promised land. That privilege was for Joshua (see Joshua 1-6), whose name is a variation of the name Yeshua (Jesus). Jesus, who not only is the Greater Moses (Hebrews 3:1-6) is the one who ultimately leads God’s people into the promised land. Just before Joshua leads the children of Israel into the Promised Land he meets the One who will one day lead the ultimate, final entry: the commander of the army of the Lord, Jesus. Joshua led them in on the 7th day, so will the Lord Jesus lead us in triumphal entry on the 7th Day.
13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped[c] and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Joshua 5:13-15 ESV
- Historically it’s about repentance
- Prophetically it’s looking forward to the resurrection and regathering of the saints.
- the Hebrew isn’t as specific as the English translations… “While many English Bible translations say, “…a memorial proclaimed with the blast of the trumpets” in Leviticus 23:24, the Hebrew is less precise. I think that it is fair to say along with translations such as the American Standard Version or the King James Version, that it does not stretch the text to say, “a memorial of the blowing of trumpets.”
- “Exodus 19:16-20: “On the morning of the third day, there were booms of thunder and flashes of lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.”
- Exodus 19:6, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
- “Immediately after the tribulation 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 the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31
- When all Israel looks upon the one they have pierced, the Son of Man descending from the clouds, they will recognize Him and they will mourn, just as Israel did at the first revelation at Sinai, and at the reading of the word in Nehemiah.[ Zachariah 12:10] But, as in the days of Nehemiah, they shall be comforted: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins…And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”[Isaiah 40:1-2]
8th century writing states: (summarized by me) the Messiah, Elijah, and Zerubbabel will ascend the mount of olives, where the Messiah will tell Elijah to blow the shofar. At the sound of the Shofar, the “light of the 6 days of creation” will return and be seen, the light of the sun and moon will return and there will be healing in the land of Israel. The second blast will result in the resurrection of the dead, and the resurrected will recognize each other, husband and wife, families, friends etc. All will be gathered to Messiah from “the four corners of the earth”, as they “fly on the wings of eagles”.
Ma’ase Daniel, Patai, p. 143
| Hebrew Months | Gregorian Equivalent | Biblical Feasts/Jewish Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Nisan | March-April | Passover, Yom HaShoah |
| Iyar | April-May | Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzmaut, Lag BaOmer |
| Sivan | May-June | Shavuot |
| Tammuz | June-July | |
| Av | July-August | Tishah B’Av |
| Elul | August-September | |
| Tishri | September-October | Selichot, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah |
| Cheshvan | October-November | |
| Kislev | November-December | Hanukkah |
| Tevet | December-January | |
| Shvat | January-February | Tu BiShvat |
| Adar | February-March | Purim |
31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Matthew 24:31
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ 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 Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 ESV
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:50-58 ESV
Practical Christian Observance
- Dinner, then evening service
- Next day lots of worship
- Many orthodox men use water immersion
- Shabbat, where no ordinary work is done. It’s a day of rest and reflection.
- Traditional groups the afternoon spent near a body of water (Micah 7:19) and will throw bread crumbs or pebbles
- day of repentance that kicks off a period of repentance and taking personal spiritual inventory in preparation for Yom Kippur, the day of atonement.
12 In that day from the river Euphrates to the Brook of Egypt the Lord will thresh out the grain, and you will be gleaned one by one, O people of Israel.13 And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.
Isaiah 27:12-13
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
Revelation 4:1 ESV
- Romans 9-11 defines the elect for us
- Gentiles are “grafted in” to Israel, we don’t replace them. God has a plan of redemption for Israel as a nation as well.
- Israel will be exiled during the time of Jacob’s Trouble (Great Tribulation) among the surrounding nations, before redeeming them one and for all. Fulfilling His promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King David.
- The Lord’s people will be gathered to worship the Lord in Jerusalem
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ
Titus 2:11-13 ESV
12 In that day from the river Euphrates to the Brook of Egypt the Lord will thresh out the grain, and you will be gleaned one by one, O people of Israel. 13 And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.
Isaiah 27:12-13
“For as the new heavens and the new earth
that I make
shall remain before me, says the Lord,
so shall your offspring and your name remain.
23 From new moon to new moon,
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me,
declares the Lord.
24 “And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
Isaiah 66:22-24
Resources:
Rosh Hashanah | Discovering the Jewish Jesus
The Appointed Time of the King’s Return | ONE FOR ISRAEL
Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets | Unlearn the Lies
The Nearing of Jesus’ Return | Yahweh’s Fall Holy Days
Frontier Alliance International | Rosh Hashanah
Temple Institute | Sounds of the Shofar
Covenant and Controversy Part II The City of the Great King
Months of the Jewish Year | My Jewish Learning