The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 44
This, the Day of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25), on which we the blow the shofar, is celebrated as a Sabbath at the beginning of the seventh month of Yahoweh’s calendar. Yet, no one seems to celebrate this Day of Alarm. Indeed, many have attempted to change it to a new year’s celebration, or write it off as unnecessary. Perhaps, though, the reason for this lays in the blast of the ram’s horn itself, and what it calls us to do.
The fall festivals of Yahoweh are announced with the blast of horn and voice, alarming us of the coming fast of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement / Judgment. The sound of the shofar, associated with the presence of Yahoweh in Exodus 19:16-19, is a reminder to get our relationship right with He Who loved us first. To do this, we need to forgive those who have wronged us, and make amends with those we have wronged. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father shall also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither shall your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15).
Teruah means to make a loud shout, so on this Yom, this day of remembrance, we shout in joy an echoing memorial of His Love for us, we call out: “To Yahoweh is all praise!” Yet, one does not have to have a shofar (ram’s horn), as it can be a trumpet, a yearning voice, or, if mute, the clap of hands or the stomping of feet, or even prayer. For how we are able, let us praise Him with our ability!
“And Yahoweh spoke to Mosheh, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying, “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you have a rest, a remembrance of blowing of trumpets, a set-apart gathering. You do no servile work, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to Yahoweh.”’” (Leviticus 23:23-25).
The word for remembrance, Zichron, is often translated as “memorial.” Some say this memorial is for the blast of Yahoweh’s shofar in Exodus 20, where it drove fear and Torah into Israel. A memorial more amazing than anything they had seen before … and they had seen much. No one else’s memorial could stand the test of time save Yahoweh’s great Love / Word alone. It is a memorial of His Salvation! Of Deliverance! Let the blast remind you of this hunger for redemption from slavery to sin, and the need for forgiveness.
The Day of Trumpets is an awesome feast, even though you do not prepare a special meal. There are no special wines or breads, yet nor is there a fast. When you reconcile with your friends, family, and enemies, then there is a great feast! No matter how large the forgiveness was, or how small, the feast in your soul (and the more than likely feast at the home of a previous enemy) will be quite filling. This Day of Alarm is a call announcing the time is near at hand.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:16 the second coming of the Messiah is announced with the blast of the ram’s horn, and will be an announcement of the soon coming Day of Atonement / Judgment. Is the Day of Trumpets the time when the Bridegroom will return? “But concerning that day and the hour no one knows, not even the messengers in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32). It cannot be trumpets or we would know it, right? The unusual thing about trumpets is that it is the first of the seventh month. We do not always know when that is going to be. When will the new moon, signifying the first of the month, be sighted? We do not know the day or the hour! When the sighting is confirmed, it is, at that moment, Sabbath of the Day of Trumpets. Unless you are prepared ahead of time, your work finished, provisions for the feast purchased, and your garments washed, you will not be ready. You will miss the day and the hour. However, during the great day of His return, no one will be able to sight the new moon calling those who love Him to perform this holy rehearsal, for the play will be at hand, and the stage quite dark. “But in those days, after that distress, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give its light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers in the heavens shall be shaken. And then they shall see the Son of Adam coming in the clouds with much power and esteem.” (Mark 13:24-26). No matter what day He returns: We will be ready with only what we have rehearsed.
Consider the parable of the ten virgins found in Matthew 25:1-13. Half were ready and waiting when the Bridegroom came, while the other five were late. Reflect on this in conjunction with that the Master of Sabbath is the Bridegroom we are supposed to be prepared for. Many revere day one—a day too late. One a Menorah, and one a candle stick. Which one will you hold? Some were ready for the Bridegroom’s return, and others were not actually ready, because they did not know Him. When Yahoweh’s Shofar sounds, and the dead are raised, we will all stand before Him. What will He see? You never know if you will be around tomorrow, so while we should keep this feast on His appointed time, the memory of it should echo in our heart daily by being ready for the Bridegroom.
“And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.’” (Mark 2:27). Remember: Sabbath was made for man. Don’t forget that fact after the passage says, “not man for the Sabbath.” “The first to state his own case, seems right, until another comes and examines him.” (Proverbs 18:17). Sabbath was made for man, not the Jew, or Christian, or SDA, but humankind. It is a gift, and to deny a gift from Yahoweh does not show love. Others rant on about whether or not they can break Sabbath and still be saved, but if their mind is only on salvation, then I fear they may have missed its base: love. It should not be, “Can we get away with it?” rather it should be, “If this shows love unto my Saviour, then I accept the gift of Sabbath. After all, it was made for me, and given to me by One Who loves me more than tears can tell.”
“Let those who delight in my righteous cause shout for joy and be glad, and let them always say, ‘Let Yahoweh be made great, Who is desiring the peace of His servant.’” (Psalms 35:27).
“Blow a ram’s horn in Tsiyon, and sound an alarm in My set-apart mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble, for the day of Yahoweh is coming, for it is near:” (Joel 2:1).
“Blow the ram’s horn at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on our festival day. For this is a law for Yisra’el, and a right-ruling of the Elohim of Ya’aqob.” (Psalms 81:3-4). Why is this, “festival day” not days? Though the observance of the new moon was characterized by the blowing of trumpets, it is not to be confused with the Day of Trumpets in Numbers 29:1. The Day of Trumpets, of course, is celebrated at the beginning of the seventh month, not the first day of every month. This observance is one of great thoughtfulness; all business and work is to cease, so that our alarm may be on Yahoweh, rather than the world.
Alas, on your calendar at home you may read this festival date as Rosh Hashanah, which is to say, “Happy New Year.” Not only do they often get the wrong date for Trumpets, but this is the first of the seventh month, and, as I am sure you have noted, we do not celebrate news years seven months after it happened. We don’t, but Babylon does, and Babylon has remained the heart of rabbinical thought for a very long time.
Once upon a time, Yom Teruah would often fall on the same day as the Babylonian New Year’s festival known as Akitu, on the first day of Babylon’s month of Tishrei. Those who disobeyed Torah, merged True faith with pagan religion, and made Yom Teruah a second new years day in order not to feel left out. However, I hope you are the type of person who wants to be left out of Babylon.
“In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of Sovereign Ahashwerosh, someone cast Pur—that is, the lot—before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. (Esther 3:7). The Torah calls it First Month, or Month 1 … but then the people corrected the Truth and said, “which is the month of Nisan.” Yet, it is not the month of Nisan. It is the time of Abib, the First Month, as I have written you before in the Letter: In His Time. They did so again with Month 12.
For awhile, Jews said both the Biblical date and then the pagan date, much in the same way many Messianics will say the True Name and the false names, never realizing that they are a confusing lot. In other words: either call on His Name or don’t! Quit trying to hold the devil’s hand and the Messiah’s hand at the same time!
Let us never forget that when Israel began to approach this festival with insincerity, and treated it as a mere ritual, or even degraded it to be another beginning of the year, Yahoweh condemned its observance in Isaiah 1:13-14. Let us not treat the Giver of this right-ruling, this gift, with such disrespect.
Rabbinical Babylon claims that our shouting can only be done with a Shofar, and not silver trumpets or voice, as the Torah claims. There are more commandments in what is called the New Testament than what is called Old. Therefore, when I say, “Obey the Torah.” You know I mean: Obey all of His Word. Not just the Beginning and not just the End, for the Beginning and the End, Yahoweh, is not divided, but One! He is the Master of Sabbath and Keeper of Feasts! Be holy, for He is Holy. Let us be alarmed and reject the idea of being lawless, for Yahoshuah is not lawless!
What a joyful rehearsal this is, to rehearse His return! Who—who, I cry out—what kind of believer … would want to miss it?
Those who mourn are normally in sackcloth and ash. You would think we should be on such a fearful rehearsal, however, on this day some dress in white (Isaiah 1:18), and are well groomed because of faith in His miracles. Even in Yahoweh’s wrath, He is not devoid of love. Even our judgment will not be devoid of joy, for our debt is paid. On this evening, sound the trumpet, sound the alarm, and speak of the Words of He Who loved you first, when you get up, until, and even after, you lay down to sleep. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing before You, O Yahoweh, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalms 19:14).
The blessings of Yahoweh’s great feasts still rain down on us, and someday, we will celebrate with Him in His great hall, with the pillars higher than the eagles, and a blue floor that looks like the sky. Therefore, let us, “With trumpets and the sound of a horn; raise a shout before Yahoweh, the Sovereign.” (Psalms 98:6).
I envision that the Feast of Trumpets in His Kingdom will indeed shatter the concept of festival, as we hear the silver trumpets of men, the shouts of women and children, the cry of the angels, the trumpeting of the elephants, the roars of lions, and the squeaks of mice safe at their feet, become a soft distant sound as we hear the Thundering River Voice of Yahoweh! It is true, it is no lie, everything with breath will give praise to the One Who gave them breath, and everyone will hear and know that Yahoweh is Awesome! And this day—this day—is a beacon of that Truth for all eternity!
Will you remember this with a shout?
Or will you forget this with silence?
I pray you remember Him.
May Shalom rain down on you as you sound the shofar, trumpet, or voice, and call out His Great Name in prayer. May the Blast ring in your heart every day. May the hunger of Our Father be upon you! May even your enemy have a blessed Day of Trumpets! … Ah, but every call of announcement has a message to follow. Prepare now, in this Sabbath of Alarm, for the Days of Awe preceding the coming Day of Judgment.
Be Blessed and be a Blessing
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
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Additional Scripture References:
Matthew 24:30, 1 Corinthians 15:52, Amos 8:4-5, Isaiah 18:3, Numbers 10:5-6, Psalms 51, 1 Kings 8:2, Matthew 24:27-31, 25:31-34, Romans 5:1-2, 1 Corinthians 15:51,52, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Revelations 10:7, Revelations 11:15, 18
