All of the Biblical Holy Days are listed in Leviticus 23. The Feast of Trumpets has the shortest description of all of them. After telling us when it occurs, the only thing it tells us to do that is sets it apart from other Holy Days is blow trumpets as a memorial. Which begs the question, “memorial of what?” Here is all that it says.
Lev 23:23 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. 25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
If you like this (or not), check out my other articles at the
Between The Ears BLOG INDEX, with titles and summaries.
Between The Ears BLOG INDEX, with titles and summaries.
We in the Churches of God usually focus on the future fulfillment of this day - UCG(Feast Of Trumpets) [1], when Christ “descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” - 1 Thess 4:16. But Lev 23 was penned by Moses when Israel was still in the wilderness. No one could have known the future meaning of the day until Thessalonians was written, so again, “memorial of what”? Can we set aside what we know the Feast of Trumpets pictures in the future, and put ourselves in the place of ancient Israel 3500 years ago? Let’s start by seeing what we can learn by examining verse 24 more carefully. Here’s the "Freeman" translation of Lev 23:24.
Lev 23:24 It will be to (all of) you a Sabbath, a memorial of Teruah*, a holy meeting.*According to Lexicon-Concordance [2], the word Teruah is variously translated as :
shout 11
shouting 8
alarm 6
sound 3
blow 1
blowing 2
joy 2
jubilee 1
noise 1
rejoicing 1
 |
| The wals of Jericho fell at the sound of the shofars |
1. Six days of Jericho parallel six "trumpet plagues of Revelation.
- For six days seven priests walk around Jericho with the ark blowing shofars - Josh 6.
- In Revelation, six trumpet plagues fall upon the earth - Rev 8-11.
2. Jericho typifies the fall of this world at the seventh blast.
- On the seventh day, the priests circled Jericho seven times, and at the seventh circuit, the people shouted when the priests blew the shofars ... the wall collapsed - Josh 6:20.
- Rev 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
3. Possession of the Kingdom.
- Israel began to take possession of the Promised Land with the collapse of Jericho.
- Revelation 11:18 the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name.
You can find more parallels between Day of Teruah
and Jericho - Trumpets And Fall Of Jericho [3]. But Jericho was conquered after Israel entered the promised
land. So The Day of Teruah couldn’t be a memorial of Jericho. The
Battle of Jericho is certainly a type of the ultimate Day of Teruah , that is Christ's return, but the Day of Teruah
is not a memorial of Jericho. As best I can tell, Leviticus was written just
after the Tabernacle was built, meaning within two years of leaving Egypt, but
clearly before entering the promised land - Wikipedia(Book_of_Leviticus) [4]. When else do we read about a shofar blast? A shofar blast familiar to
all Israel? In their collective memory so to speak?
 |
| Mount Sinai |
At Sinai. We associate the giving of the Ten Commandments with Sinai on the Feast of Pentecost - Israel arrives at Mount Sinai [5]. But before the Ten Commandments were given, here’s what happened.
Exodus 19:18 Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. 19 When the sound of the trumpet [shofar] grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder.
In fact, it is the first use of the word shofar in
the Bible. And here’s what happened before that.
Exodus 19:3 Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. 5 Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!”
So for ancient Israel, in the desert, before
entering the Promised Land, the shofar blast was a direct reminder of the
covenant they made with God Himself at Mount Sinai, not that many years before.
Note the people repeat their acceptance of the covenant in Ex 24:7. God’s voice
is likened to a shofar blast, and it made quite an impression on Israel. Here’s
their reaction after hearing the shofar and the Ten Commandments from God
Himself,
Exodus 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
 |
| Depiction of sound/color synesthesia |
 |
| The original memory aid |
 |
| Remember these! |
References
1. https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/gods-holy-day-plan-the-promise-of-hope-for-all-mankind/the-feast-of-trumpets-a-turning-point-in-history
2. http://lexiconcordance.com/hebrew/8643.html
3. https://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Audio.details/ID/1240/Trumpets-and-Fall-Jericho.htm
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Leviticus
5. http://bible.ucg.org/bible-commentary/Exodus/Israel-arrives-at-Mount-Sinai/
6. https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2587173/jewish/Seeing-the-Sounds.htm
7. http://www.aish.com/tp/i/wbr/48943241.html
8. http://aryehbderech.blogspot.com/2013/10/seeing-sounds.html
9. https://steinsaltz.org/essay/the-first-step
Verses with an admonition to remember
Exodus 13:3
And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from
Egypt
Exodus 20:8
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Numbers
15:39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and
remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them ;
Numbers
15:40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your
God.
Deuteronomy
5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the
Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched
out arm:
Deuteronomy
7:18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the Lord
thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;
Deuteronomy
8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these
forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what
was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
Deuteronomy
8:18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee
power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy
fathers, as it is this day.
Deuteronomy
9:7 Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in
the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt,
until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord.
Deuteronomy
15:15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt,
and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.
Deuteronomy
16:3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat
unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth
out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou
camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
Deuteronomy
16:12 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt
observe and do these statutes.
Deuteronomy
24:9 Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye
were come forth out of Egypt.
Deuteronomy
24:18 But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt
Deuteronomy
24:22 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt
Deuteronomy
25:17 Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth
out of Egypt;
Deuteronomy
32:7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy
father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.
Joshua 1:13
Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying,
The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.
1 Chronicles
16:12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the
judgments of his mouth;
Nehemiah
4:14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers,
and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord,
which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your
daughters, your wives, and your houses.
Esther 9:28
And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation,
every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim
should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their
seed.
Job 36:24
Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.
Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of
the Lord our God.
Psalm 22:27
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the
kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
Psalm 45:17
I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the
people praise thee for ever and ever.
Psalm 63:6
When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. 7
Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I
rejoice.
Psalm 77:11
I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of
old.
Psalm 103:18
To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do
them.
Psalm 105:5
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments
of his mouth;
Psalm 111:4
He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and
full of compassion.
Psalm 119:52
I remembered thy judgments of old, O Lord; and have comforted myself.
Psalm 119:55
I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy law.
Psalm 137:1
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered
Zion.
Ecclesiastes
11:8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him
remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is
vanity.
Ecclesiastes
12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days
come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in
them;
Isaiah 46:9
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am
God, and there is none like me,
Ezekiel
16:43 Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted
me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon
thine head, saith the Lord God: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above
all thine abominations.
Micah 6:5 O
my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the
son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the
righteousness of the Lord.
Malachi 4:4
Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb
for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
Luke 17:32
Remember Lot's wife.
John 15:20
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his
lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have
kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
2 Timothy
2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead
according to my gospel:
Hebrews 13:3
Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer
adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
Hebrews 13:7
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word
of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
Revelation
3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and
repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and
thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
