Exhortation Station

As we celebrate Yahweh’s appointed time of Yom Teruah (Day of Trumpets or Shouting), I want to share a few things I’ve been encouraged with as relates to this important day.  Let’s start in Leviticus…

Leviticus 23:24 — “…YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, ^{24 ‘}Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. ²⁵ You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to YHWH.”‘”

First of all, I want to briefly discuss the Hebrew word “teruah.”  The Strong’s definition for “teruah” (#8643) is “clamor, that is, acclamation of joy or a battle cry; especially clangor of trumpets, as an alarum.”  Teruah is often thought of as meaning “trumpet,” but perhaps more literally it means a loud sound as is made with a trumpet or with shouting.  Teruah is translated “shout,” (as in Joshua 6:5), “alarm” (as in Num 10:5,6), “shout of joy” (Psalm 33:3), and “joyful sound” (Psalm 89:15), along with a few others.  Yom Teruah, then, is not only about blowing trumpets, but also about the broader idea of making a loud noise to Yahweh.

What is the purpose of making a loud noise to Yahweh?  Notice that Leviticus 23:24 says that Yom Teruah is a “reminder.”  What is Yom Teruah a reminder of?  Here are a few thoughts:

First, Yom Teruah is, to me, a reminder to call out to Yahweh in battle.  Numbers 10:9 says, “When you go to war in your land against the adversary who attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before YHWH your Elohim, and be saved from your enemies.”  Although this passage is talking about physical battle, I think there’s a lesson here that Yahweh wants us to cry out to Him in our spiritual battle (see Eph 6:10-18).

My second thought is that Yom Teruah is a reminder for us to remind Yahweh of His promises.  Notice that Numbers 10:9 says “…that you may be remembered before YHWH your Elohim.”  It’s not that Yahweh is in any way forgetful, but rather that Yahweh wants us to call upon Him.  Numbers 10:10 goes on to say, “Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God.  I am YHWH your Elohim.”

Thirdly, Yom Teruah is a day of rejoicing in Yahweh with shouts of joy!  Listen to the following Psalms that contain the Hebrew word “teruah…”  Psalm 33:3 — “Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy [teruah].”  Psalm 89:15 — “How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound [teruah]!  O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.”  Psalm 150:5 — “Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding [teruah] cymbals.”

Finally, I believe Yom Teruah is prophetic of Yahshua’s return and is a “wake up call” for Yah’s children to be ready for the return of the Bridegroom.  Listen to the the following passages in 1 Thessalonians 4 and Matthew 24.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 — “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Matthew 24:29-31 — “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. ³¹ And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

I’ll conclude with a passage from Revelation 19…

Revelation 19:7-9 — “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” ⁸ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.  Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”

Let us lift our voices and our hearts to Yahweh.  Let us call out to Him in spiritual warfare.  Let us rejoice in Yahweh with shouts of joy, and let us heed the “wake up call” of Yom Teruah so that we will be invited to the marriage supper of the lamb!

(Bible passages NASB unless otherwise indicated; Hebrew transl. and content in brackets added.)