THE SHOFAR
The shofar in biblical times was sounded for nearly every
significant occasion in the life of the ancient Israelites.
It was to them what the telephone, email, radio and text messaging is to us today.
It was their main source of instant communications.
significant occasion in the life of the ancient Israelites.
It was to them what the telephone, email, radio and text messaging is to us today.
It was their main source of instant communications.
The shofar was blown for the following reasons:
- It announced the Day of Shouting or Blowing (Heb. Yom Teruah), the full moon feasts (Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and Tabernacles) and the new moon (Ps 81:4).
- It signaled the first day of the seventh month (Lev 23:24; Num 29:1) the Day of Blowing (Yom Teruah).
- It was a call to repentance (Isa 58:1; Joel 2:15).
- The shofar was blown when a king was anointed (1 Kgs 1:34, 39, 41; 2 Kgs 9:13).
- It’s a call to battle (Job 39:24–25; Ps 47:5). It signified the start of war (Josh 6:4; Judg 3:27; 7:16, 20; 1 Sam
- 8:3; Jer 4:5, 19; 6:1, 4), and was used during military campaigns (Judg 7:22).
- It sounded during celebratory religious processions (2 Sam 6:15; 1 Chron 15:28).
- It was used as a musical accompaniment in praising YHVH (Ps 98:6; comp. ib. 47:5; 150:3).
- Sounding the shofar declares the YHVH Elohim is the king of the universe (Ps 98:6)
- It was sounded on the Day of Atonement to announce the jubilee year (Lev 25:8–13).
- It signaled Israel’s glorious redemption Israel out of the lands of their captivity at the second exodus (Isa 27:13).
- It signals the approach of the day of the YHVH (Joel 2:1).
- A watchman on the wall of a city would sound a shofar to warn the inhabitants of impending danger such as an
- approaching enemy (Ezek 33:3–6; Neh 4:18–20; Jer 6:17; 42:14).
- In the last days, the elect will be gathered after the shofar is sounded (Matt 24:31). They will be resurrected from the
- graves and along with those who are alive will be caught up into the air to meet Yeshua (1 Thess 4:16; 1 Cor 15:51–57).
- Seven heavenly shofarot will signal YHVH’s judgments being poured out upon the earth just before the second coming of
- Ye s h u a ( Rev 8:7–9:20; 11:15). The seventh shofar announces Yeshua’s victory over the kingdoms of this world that he is the King of kings who will rule forever and ever (Rev 11:15).
- It was sounded to gather YHVH’s people together to hear him (Exod 19:16–17).
- It warned the people of their sin of breaking YHVH’s covenants and Torah-commandments and impending judgment as a
- result (Hos 8:1–3).
- The shofar was blown to announce the coming of a Jewish bridegroom to fetch his betrothed — a picture of Yeshua
- returning for his bride, the saints. All the righteous living and the righteous dead will receive glorified, resurrected bodies
- and will meet him in the air at the sound of the shofar. (Compare Matt 24:31; 25:6; 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16; Rev
- 11:15–18).
What Should Be Our Focus When We Hear the Shofar Sound?
Blowing the shofar is more than just a religious ceremonial activity. It is full of deep meaning that should call to
remembrance several significant spiritual truths in the mind and heart of the hearer.!
The shofar is a powerful reminder of the mighty right arm of YHVH outstretched on behalf of his people.!
The sound of the shofar sends tremors of fear throughout the camp of YHVH’s enemies, and his people and rallies the
righteous to take courage and to rise up against evil knowing they will be victorious through faith in YHVH Elohim.
The shofar proclaims and announces that Elohim is the King of the universe, and that Yeshua the Messiah, his Son is
returning to the earth and will be crowned King of kings after the destruction of all his enemies including his arch-
Adversary, Satan the devil.
The shofar should awaken the hearts and minds of the redeemed righteous from a state of spiritual sleepiness, and to
prepare for the coming of Yeshua the Messiah, our spiritual Bridegroom.
When we hear the shofar blowing, it should remind us of the shofar that our forefathers heard at Mount Sinai when they
accepted YHVH’s Torah
Finally, the wailing sound of the ram’s horn shofar represents man’s appealing to YHVH with a simple, primal cry from the
depth of the human soul!
What Should Be Our Response When We Hear the Shofar?
We should have the same response as the Israelites when they heard the heavenly shofar for the first time. They trembled and came out to meet Elohim and stood at attention waiting to hear from him (Exod 19:16–17). It’s a time to fear and return to Elohim. Similarly, when the jubilee shofar sounded on the fiftieth year, each person returned to his family clan and property (Lev 25:8–10). The sound of the shofar should bring us back to our physical and spiritual roots.
When the ancient Israelites heard the shofar, they gathered together (Judg 3:27; 6:34; 7:8). Again, the shofar was their
means of instant communication to the nation as a whole before the invention of telephones, radio, email and text messaging.
They would stop what they were doing and come to attention. The sound of the shofar was a call to action. The specific
shofar call communicated what response was expected.
Above from: https://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2020/02/12/whats-so-significant-about-the-shofar-and-its-sound/
