The Feast of Trumpets - A Christian Service - by Elisheva ishah Raphael
Opening Ceremony at Sundown
Yom Teru’ah, the Feast of Trumpets, has been practiced by the House of Israel since ancient times. Teru’ah means a loud noise made by a shofar (a ram’s horn, Lev.25:9), a trumpet (Num. 10:5-6), or a shout (Psalm 100:1). The Feast of Trumpets was commanded by God as one of the 7 Holy Days His people were to keep. Of these special holidays the Lord said, “The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts…. which you shall proclaim at their appointed times," and, "It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations,” (Leviticus 23 NKJV).
Yom Teru’ah was changed by Jewish leaders during Talmudic times to include the celebration of a new year, and was subsequently called Rosh Hashanah, meaning “The Head of the Year.” We strive in our observance to remain as close to the way God commanded as our understanding allows. The Torah teaches: “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest for remembering, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.’ ” (Leviticus 23:23-24). This Holy Day is also called “Yom he-Zikaron,” the “Day of Remembrance,” because we are commanded to REMEMBER and sound the trumpet/shofar. But what are we to remember?
We find clues in the repetition of the number 7, which symbolically references completion, wholeness, or perfection. We’re commanded to observe this Holy Feast on the first day of the 7th month of the biblical (Hebrew, lunar) calendar. God created the earth in six days and on the 7th day, He rested. All Sabbaths are reminders of this. Torah reads, “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation,” (Leviticus 23:3). The Feast of Trumpets is a special Sabbath of Remembrance. At this time we remember the day Earth’s creation was completed, and we worshiped our God as Lord God, King of the Universe. Did the Hosts of Heaven shout and sound the trump in celebration that day? In observing the Feast of Trumpets we remember the beginning.
SOUNDING THE SHOFAR -1
There are four traditional types of shofar blasts:
Tekiah - a long blast
Shevarim - three short blasts
Teru-ah - nine staccato blasts
Tekiah Gedolah - a great long blast for as long as you can blow
The blast of the shofar is meant to jolt us from our slumber. It is the start of a ten-day period of remembrance and reflection, of introspection, prayer, and forgiveness— culminating with the Yom Kippur fast. Blow the four Shofar blasts for the 1st time, in memory of that great day, when the Lord’s creative work was completed and He rested.
SING - FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH
For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
During Yom Teru’ah, we reflect on the beginning, and we also remember to watch and prepare for the ending; the day our Messiah, Yeshua Hamashiach, will return, when all things will be made new and time will be no more. The Feast of Trumpets points to the Day of the Lord, described in the book of Revelation—the time preceding the return of Jesus Christ, during which the 7th seal will be opened and the 7 trumps of God will sound (Revelation 6:17; 8:1–13; 9:1–21; 11:15; Isaiah 34:8; 63:4). We blast the shofar 7 times throughout the Holy Day, symbolizing those 7 trumps that will usher in the Second Coming and Millennial Reign of our Savior.
SOUNDING THE SHOFAR -2
Blow the four Shofar blasts for the 2nd time, to remind us to watch for that long awaited great and last day, when the final trump shall sound and our Savior will return in the clouds in great glory!
SING - LET ZION IN HER BEAUTY RISE
Let Zion in her beauty rise;
Her light begins to shine.
Ere long her King will rend the skies,
Majestic and divine,
The gospel spreading thru the land,
A people to prepare
To meet the Lord and Enoch’s band
Triumphant in the air.
Ye heralds, sound the golden trump
To earth’s remotest bound.
Go spread the news from pole to pole
In all the nations round:
That Jesus in the clouds above,
With hosts of angels too,
Will soon appear, his Saints to save,
His enemies subdue.
That glorious rest will then commence
Which prophets did foretell,
When Saints will reign with Christ on earth,
And in his presence dwell
A thousand years, oh, glorious day!
Dear Lord, prepare my heart
To stand with thee on Zion’s mount
And nevermore to part.
TORAH READING
The Feast of Trumpets is also about “teshuva”, or returning to God through repentance. Traditionally, at this time we remember the sacrifice of Isaac, a type and shadow of the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The story of Isaac is retold to remind us that submission to God is the way to demonstrate a faithful and repentant attitude before the Lord, and ultimately to remind us that our Heavenly Father sacrificed His Only Begotten Son to save us.
Genesis 22:1-19
“God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning … and took Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. … So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
SOUNDING THE SHOFAR - 3
The shofar, made of a ram’s horn, is symbolic of the sacrificial ram Abraham offered up in place of his son. On Yom Teru’ah God commands. “you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord,” (Leviticus 23:24). As Christ was the Great and Last Sacrifice, we give as our offering “a broken and a contrite heart,” (Psalm 51:17). Blow the four Shofar blasts for the 3rd time, both in remembrance of the faithful sacrifice of our Father Abraham and his son Issac, and the ultimate sacrifice of Heavenly Father and His Son, Yeshua Hamashiach.
SING - REDEEMER OF ISRAEL
Redeemer of Israel, our only delight,
On whom for a blessing we call,
Our shadow by day and our pillar by night,
Our King, our Deliv’rer, our all!
We know he is coming to gather his sheep
And lead them to Zion in love,
For why in the valley of death should they weep
Or in the lone wilderness rove?
How long we have wandered as strangers in sin
And cried in the desert for thee!
Our foes have rejoiced when our sorrows they’ve seen,
But Israel will shortly be free.
As children of Zion, good tidings for us.
The tokens already appear.
Fear not, and be just, for the kingdom is ours.
The hour of redemption is near.
Restore, my dear Savior, the light of thy face;
Thy soul-cheering comfort impart;
And let the sweet longing for thy holy place
Bring hope to my desolate heart.
He looks! and ten thousands of angels rejoice,
And myriads wait for his word;
He speaks! and eternity, filled with his voice,
Re-echoes the praise of the Lord.
As we gather together to begin, and the following day to conclude, the holiday with a festive meal, we will say a few short blessings before eating. As always, there is symbolism in much of what we do.
THE PRAYER FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
We begin the holiday blessings with the shehecheyanu prayer, thankful that we have reached this holiday and arrived at another season.
Transliteration (Head): Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm sheh-heh-kheh-yah-noo veh-kee-mah-noo ve-hih-gee-ah-noo liz-mahn hah-zeh
Translation (Family): Blessed are You, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.
THE CANDLE BLESSING
Next we do the traditional candle lighting just before sunset. We cover our heads and light candles to remind us that this occasion is holy and distinct from our day-to-day lives. The light reminds us of the Light of the gospel which teaches us, the Light of Christ which guides us, and the Light of The Holy Spirit which sanctifies us. The Mother of the home lights two candles and each daughter of age lights one. Now repeat the words of the prayer:
Transliteration (Head): Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm ah-sher ki-deh-shah-noo beh-mitz-voh-tahv veh-tzee-vah-noo leh-hahd-lik nehr shehl shah-baht vih-shehl yohm hah-zi-kah-rohn.
Translation (Family): Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who sanctifies us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holy Shabbat and of the Day of Remembrance.
May this coming year be a time of health and goodness for our friends and family and for all people. May the light of these holiday candles remind us of the Holy Spirit, which brings illumination and peace to our souls, comfort and gladness to our hearts, and happiness and harmony in our home.
The Mother prays for her family, for the new year, and over the coming meal.
SOUNDING THE SHOFAR - 4
Blow the four Shofar blasts for the 4th time now in gratitude and remembrance of the Light that sustains us.
WASHING OF HANDS
Bread has the special requirement that we ritually wash our hands before partaking of it. Fill a large cup with water and pour it three times over your right hand, then three times over the left. Lift your hands, rub them together, and as you do so recite the following blessing:
Transliteration (Head): Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm, ah-sher ki-deh-shah-noo beh-mitz-voh-tahv veh-tzee-vah-noo al ne-ti-lat ya-day-im.
Translation (Family): Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctifies us with His commandments, and commands us on the washing of hands.
We are thankful for the food which we are about to eat. We are aware of those who are less fortunate than we are. We pledge to honor the Torah commitment to help others and seek the guidance of the Spirit in doing so.
BLESSING OF BREAD
We eat Challah, baked into braids, and shaped into round loaves, reminding us of the circular nature of our interweaving lives; that we are all connected to each other and to God. The round Challah further symbolizes the eternal promise of God’s Word, and ultimately Jesus Christ who is the Bread of Life. The two loaves are a symbol of God's sustaining care and remind us of the double portion of Manna given to the Isrealites on Shabbat. The head of the home breaks the bottom loaf of bread and serves it to the family, then follows with this blessing on bread before they eat:
Transliteration (Head): Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm Hah-moh-tzee Leh-chehm Meen Hah-ah-rehtz..
Translation (Family): Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.
SOUNDING THE SHOFAR - 6
Blow the four Shofar blasts for the 6th time, in remembrance and gratitude for God’s sustenance.
BLESSING OF WINE
Next we recite a blessing, or Kiddush, on the wine (or grape juice). We raise our glasses together and say:
Transliteration (Head): Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm, boh-ray peh-ree hah-gah-fehn.
Translation (Family): Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
The wine represents the blood of Christ, shed for us. Through his bitter suffering on our behalf, we have Hope for the sweetness of Eternal Life. As we share in the sweetness of this wine, also a symbol of joy and gladness, we are thankful for the blessings of life and health. We pray that the coming year will be a year of happiness and meaningful work in the service of our God. This High Holiday presents us with a time to reflect and think about who we are and what we stand for. This is the idea behind teshuva and it challenges us to begin a process of self-reflection that results in recommitting to God and turning toward our higher purpose. As part of this reflection, we forgive others their trespasses against us, we ask forgiveness from those we may have wronged, and we ask God for forgiveness and strength to do better, allowing us to begin this new year with a fresh start and a clean slate.
SOUNDING THE SHOFAR - 5
Blow the four Shofar blasts for the 5th time to celebrate the joy of Redemption through Yeshua Hamashiach, and the hope for a new year and new beginnings.
FINAL BLESSINGS
To open our feast, we eat apple slices dipped in honey, to symbolize our Hope for a sweet, good year ahead. As we taste the sweetness, we take a moment to savor it and remind ourselves that even when life is bitter, we can find sweetness and joy in the love of our Savior, Yeshua Hamashiach. Eat the apples and honey now, then raise your wine glasses for a final blessing for the New Year.
Transliteration (Father): Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm, boh-ray peh-ree hah-gah-fehn.
Translation (Family): Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. May it be thy will, Lord our God, and God of our ancestors, to renew unto us a sweet and good year.
SOUNDING THE SHOFAR - 7
Blow the four Shofar blasts for the 7th and final time now to open our feast. Shana tovah!