Yom Teruah 2023 – Day of Trumpets • Messianic Rosh Hashana Celebration | Yeshua is Returning | Jesus

Understanding the Significance of Yom Teruah

Today’s teaching at Founded in Truth Fellowship focuses on the biblical holiday of Yom Teruah, also known traditionally as Rosh Hashanah. The speaker, Matthew Vander Els, begins by extending a welcome and mentioning a fellowship meal to follow. He introduces Yom Teruah as a very special day referred to in scripture as the day of the trumpet blast. To understand its significance, he directs the congregation to Leviticus 23, where the religious calendar for Israel is outlined. This calendar lists several holidays, each designed to bring the community together and celebrate different aspects of God’s goodness, mercy, and grace. The detailed descriptions of each holiday were intended to ensure future generations understood how to observe these important days, citing examples like Passover, First Fruits, Shavuot, Sukkot, and Yom Kippur, each with specific instructions and significance.

The teaching then shifts to Yom Teruah, highlighted in Leviticus 23:23. God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites that the first day of the seventh month is to be a day of Sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated by teruah, which translates to trumpet blasts, clamor, or loudness. On this day, regular work is prohibited, and a food offering is to be presented to the Lord. Interestingly, the description of Yom Teruah in Leviticus lacks the extensive details provided for other feasts; it simply states to “toot horns” and make a joyful noise. Adding to its unique nature, Yom Teruah is the only feast day without a specific date, as it falls on the first day of the seventh month, coinciding with the new moon of the lunar calendar, making its exact timing uncertain. This has led to much discussion and varied interpretations throughout history.

Historical Interpretations and Deeper Meaning

Philo, a first-century historian and contemporary of the Apostle Paul, believed that the alarm sounded on this day was a war cry, a reminder of God’s victories. A more prominent ancient Jewish perspective views Yom Teruah as a proclamation of the inauguration of God as King, with the trumpet blasts and shouts serving as a testimony to His enduring reign and love. This perspective emphasizes that God remains on His throne, unshaken by worldly events. This understanding is further supported by the events at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19, where the gathering of Israel was marked by a loud trumpet sound accompanying the revelation of God’s power and kingship. The increasing volume of the trumpet, along with thunder and lightning, symbolized God’s sovereignty.

Psalm 81 also references this day, linking it to the new moon and a feast day. The verses preceding this reference call for singing joyfully to God, the source of strength. This highlights the intended mindset for this day: one of joy and recognition of God’s power. The teaching then delves into the creation narrative in Genesis 2, where Adam is formed from the dust (ha-adamah) and receives the breath of life (Ruach) from God, transforming him into a living being. Humanity was created to be co-rulers of creation, as stated in Genesis 1:26. However, mankind had an initial inadequacy, needing life, symbolized by the creation of Eve as an equal power to Adam.

The Power of the Breath of Life

The act of naming the animals by Adam in Genesis 2 is presented as an example of the power of the breath of life, where his spoken words brought definition and, in a sense, life to them. This concept suggests that the breath of life is not merely metaphorical but possesses a tangible power. God bestowed this breath upon humanity, calling them to be stewards and gardeners of His creation, reflecting His image. Being the image of God implies that through humans, others should experience God’s kingdom and presence, including the power of the Ruach. Adam was intended to use this breath to speak life and positivity, participating in God’s good creation.

The theme of God empowering individuals through His touch and words continues with Moses, where God promises to speak with him “mouth to mouth” (Numbers 12:8). This direct contact enabled Moses to speak forth God’s power and revelation. Similarly, in Isaiah 6, a seraphim touches the prophet’s lips with a burning coal from the altar so that he could speak forth life and God’s word. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1) and Ezekiel are also cited as examples of prophets whose mouths were touched by God, empowering them to speak the life-giving truth. The narrative of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, choosing to determine good and evil for themselves, is presented as a deviation from this intended purpose of using the breath of life for good. Adam’s silence at the tree is noted as a missed opportunity to speak life.

The New Creation and Yom Teruah

The Gospel of John emphasizes a new creation through Yeshua (Jesus), referencing the Genesis account in its opening. In John 20, the resurrected Yeshua breathes on his disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This act is interpreted as a deliberate connection back to the creation of humanity, where God breathed life into Adam. Yeshua’s act inaugurates a new humanity, restored with the vitality of God through the Ruach, the Spirit, the breath of life. This indwelling Spirit empowers believers to speak forth God’s promises, hope, and the reality of His strength and power, testifying to His kingship. Therefore, Yom Teruah becomes a celebration of this new creation and a time to sound the alarm or proclamation of God’s kingship through the breath and the trumpet. The shout accompanying the trumpet blast is an expression of the hope received and a declaration of God’s goodness and power.

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Application for Everyday Life

• Recognize the power of your breath and words: Choose to speak life, encouragement, and truth.
• Remember God’s kingship: Like the trumpet blast on Yom Teruah, let your life be a proclamation of God’s reign and power.
• Cultivate a mindset of joy and strength in God: Reflect the spirit of Psalm 81 by singing for joy and remembering that God is your strength.
• Embrace the new creation in Yeshua: Recognize that through Yeshua, you have the breath of God within you.
• Share your testimony: Encourage others by sharing how God has worked in your life.
• Pray with faith and persistence: Continue to bring your needs and the needs of your loved ones before God.
• Be open to God’s surprising ways of encouragement: God often uses unexpected people and situations to provide support.
• Trust in God’s timing and plan: God’s timing is perfect, even if it doesn’t align with our expectations.
• Love and honor others: Continue to love and honor those around you, trusting that God can work in their lives.
• Actively participate in God’s good work: Use your gifts and talents to contribute to His kingdom.

References

• Leviticus 23: biblehub.com/leviticus/23.htm
• Exodus 19: biblehub.com/exodus/19.htm
• Psalm 81: biblehub.com/psalms/81.htm