Occasions to Blow the Shofar

The Shofar is blasting 100 times all around the world shortly! Celebrate the Jewish New Year 5776 with us!-2

Occasions to Blow the Shofar

In the Biblical times of Israel, the shofar was blown for several reasons:

1. To mark the arrival of a new moon;
2. To celebrate a simcha (joyous occasion);
3. To proclaim liberty to the captives;
4. To hail a king at his coronation;
5. To warn of impending judgment;
6. To gather troops to battle;
7. To sound an alarm;
8. To call a sacred assembly and time of fasting;
9. To confuse the enemy camp; and
10. To draw God’s attention.

 Some of these purposes are demonstrated in the prophecies of Joel:

Sounding the Shofar as an Alarm

“Blow the trumpet [shofar] in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord comes, for it is close at hand; a day of darkness and gloominess....  “Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord, your God; for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity."  (Joel 2:1–2, 13)

Sounding the Shofar to Call an Assembly

“Blow the trumpet [shofar] in Zion!  Sanctify a fast.  Call a solemn assembly.”  (Joel 2:15)

Men reading Torah at the Bialystoker Synagogue in New York City

The Shofar of Mercy: the Binding of Isaac

“Abraham said, ‘God will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’”  (Genesis 22:8)

Since the shofar is a ram’s horn, it may be understood to represent God’s mercy as demonstrated in the Book of Genesis when God spared the life of Isaac. In obedience to God’s command, Abraham had prepared to offer up his son on the altar as a sacrifice; however, true to Abraham’s faith, God stayed His hand and provided a ram caught in the thicket for the sacrifice (Genesis 22). Although some may blow the ram's horn (shofar) to remind us of God’s mercy to Abraham, God has revealed His mercy to us even more so through Yeshua (Jesus). He did not spare the life of His only Son, Yeshua, but gave it up for us in order that our names may be written in the Book of Life (Romans 8:32). With this in mind, it is entirely fitting that we, along with the entire household of Israel, greet one another at this season with the traditional blessing: May your name be inscribed in the Book of Life! "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life."  (Revelation 21:27, see also Revelation 3:5, Exodus 32:32, Psalm 139:16)

The Torah passage read at Rosh HaShanah, with the pertinent
section, Leviticus 23:23–26, in sharpest focus.

  

The Shofar in Warfare

“So the people shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets [shofarot].  It happened, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet [shofar], that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.”  (Joshua 6:20) The Bible contains many references to the shofar being used in battle; for instance, in the Book of Joshua, we read that Joshua and his Israelite army took the enemy city of Jericho with the sounding of the shofarot (plural of shofar). In another example found in the Book of Judges, Gideon and his small band of men blew their shofarot and gained a victory over the Midianites (Judges 7:19–25). “When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords.”  (Judges 7:22)

 The Taking of Jericho.

How does this relate to us, as people of the God of Israel today?

God’s promise in the Book of Numbers to deliver His people when they blow the shofar in battle is still applicable: “When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets [shofarot].  Then you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.”  (Numbers 10:9) Today, the shofar is being re-discovered as a powerful instrument of spiritual warfare. For that reason, it is blown not only in Jewish synagogues during the High Holy Days, but also in Messianic Jewish Congregations and Christian Churches all over the world as a declaration of spiritual warfare.

Believers sometimes sound the shofar as a declaration of spiritual warfare.

The Shofar of Impending Judgment

In chapter eight of the Book of Revelation, judgment begins with the blast of the shofar—and the earth is struck with plagues reminiscent of those in Egypt: “The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth.  A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”  (Revelation 8:7) The blasts of the shofar will also herald the return of Yeshua (Jesus) and the resurrection of the dead.  Yeshua the Messiah will return with a shout and the "shofar call of God." “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the shofar call of God, and the dead in Messiah will rise first.”  (1 Thessalonians 4:16) In First Corinthians, the resurrection of the dead in Messiah is also connected with the last shofar blast: “Behold, I tell you a mystery.  We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet [shofar].  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.”  (1 Corinthians 15:51–52)

The seventh and final shofar that we read about in
the Book of Revelation will sound when Yeshua
returns.  It will hail Him as King Messiah.

The Shofar Hailing King Messiah

“The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Messiah.  He will reign forever and ever!’”  (Revelation 11:15) The eleventh chapter of the Book of Revelation reveals that Yeshua will be hailed as King with the sounding of the seventh and final shofar. As the time for the sounding of that seventh shofar draws ever nearer, we ask that you help us to sound the shofar of liberty to captive Israel and proclaim King Messiah Yeshua to the Jewish People. “Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain!  Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord comes, for it is close at hand.”  (Joel 2:1)

Honey and apple, foods traditionally served at Rosh HaShanah,
symbolize the desire for a sweet new year.

Let us pray so that the Good News will share to the people of Israel in this Rosh HaShanah (Yom Teruah) that Yeshua is the Messiah and He is returning soon.