Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. - Psalm 100:1
The first annual Sabbath of the autumn season is called in English the Feast of Trumpets. To those of us who know and love Jesus and celebrate this sacred day, its meaning goes forward to the 7 trumpets of Revelation, specifically perhaps the last, the return of Jesus with power, glory and salvation in His hands.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, though, the term doesn't show up. At least not in that exact form.
The day is called two different things in the Law: "a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts" (Lev 23:24) and "day for you to sound the trumpets" (Num 29:1). That is in Hebrew: Zichron Teruah and Yom Teruah respectively.
The NIV and most every English translation uses the word "trumpet", but the word teruah actually has a meaning that goes further than that. Strong's Hebrew dictionary defines it as: "clamo[u]r, i.e. acclamation of joy or a battle-cry; especially clango[u]r of trumpets, as an alarum". It's translated as "shout" numerous times in the Bible, for example Joshua 6:5, referring to the shout that the people if Israel let out at Jericho.
It's cool that the word teruah actually coincides with two sounds that Paul says will accompany Jesus' return:
1 Thess 4:16 - For the Lord himself shall descend 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:
Teruah does refer to the trumpet blast, which is manifested in Orthodox Jewish practise of blowing the shofar (ram's horn) on this day. But it also refers to the act of shouting or letting out sounds of praise. We see some examples in these Psalms:
Psalm 47: 1 - Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
Psalm 66:1 - Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Psalm 150:5 - praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
The first two of these examples contain the verb form, ruah, while the third has the word teruah itself.
So... what does this have to do with the Feast of Trumpets?
Zechariah 9 refers to the coming of Jesus as King and trumpet blast:
Zechariah 9:14 - Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south,
Just a few verses earlier, Zechariah wrote:
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Another prophet, Zephaniah wrote associated with the coming of salvation to Jerusalem, Jesus' coming:
Zephaniah 3:14 - Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
The teruah of praise associated with the trump of God. It is my belief that the shout of the archangel and the trumpet of God won't be the only clangour that the world will hear when Jesus returns. The cries of joy, from us, those who receive His gift of salvation, will join with them. And the world will hear.
So, I submit a further way to understand this sacred day: a Day or Memorial of our praises, our response to God's great goodness, faithfulness and salvation. Our proclamation to God and to the world that we love Him for who He is, not what we do or can do. Praise with our voices, with clangour or instruments to His great and holy name.
And we'll continue to praise Him forever and ever. (Psalm 52:9) Amen.
"Shout to the Lord. It's an eternal principle. It works."
Darlene Zschech
Darlene Zschech
