The sound of the shofar has echoed through history, reminding God’s people of His power, His covenant and His coming kingdom. At Mount Sinai, Scripture records that a trumpet from heaven sounded as the Creator broke into the world to reveal Himself to Israel. Centuries later, the Bible declares that Jesus will return again at the sound of the trumpet.
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Rabbi Schneider emphasizes that the Feast of Trumpets is more than a Jewish holiday. “The proof that these holy days that are contained in the Hebrew Scriptures are important to you, if you’re a Gentile Christian today, is the fact that Jesus timed His earthly ministry to God’s holy days,” he says. “If Jesus was crucified on Passover, buried on the next holy day called Unleavened Bread, rose on the next holy day called the Feast of Firstfruits, then gave us His Spirit on Pentecost, which is called in Hebrew Shavuot, that should tell us there’s something about these holy days—that everything that God is doing, He’s timing to them.”
These appointed times carry prophetic significance. This celebration marks the beginning of the seventh month, Tishrei, a holy time of reflection and preparation. “In the seventh month, on the first of the month, you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets,” Schneider reads from Leviticus 23:24. “The first thing that we need to do if we want to take this seriously is we want to stop… We have to ‘selah.’ We have to pause. Why do we have to pause? To create a window for God to speak to us, to create a window for God to impart something to us.”
As Schneider points out, the shofar itself is a divine reminder. “This is what Teruah means—trumpets or blowing. The key is that it’s a reminder,” Schneider says. “It reminds us… it elevates us to remember that God broke into the world....that the Creator broke into the world and revealed Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai as a cosmic shofar, as the divine shofar blew from heaven.” Israel was commanded to prepare for this moment: “The Lord told Moses, ‘Say to Israel, I want you to consecrate yourself for three days, because on the third day you’re going to meet me.’”
The shofar blast points not only backward to Sinai but forward to the return of Messiah. Schneider declares, “The trumpet sounded, and the trumpet, beloved, has sounded again as we’ve entered into the Feast of Trumpets, and God wants you to know that the Creator is alive. He’s watching over you and I. We’re going to give an account to Him. And Yeshua’s going to come back with the sounding of the trumpet, and He’s going to reward every man according to what he has done. So let’s prepare our hearts and get ready to meet the Creator.”
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The continuity of Israel’s story testifies to God’s faithfulness. Despite dispersion and persecution, the Jewish people have retained their identity and remembrance of God’s covenant. And just as the shofar once marked God’s revelation at Sinai, it will herald the day when Jesus returns in glory. The Feast of Trumpets calls every believer to pause, consecrate their hearts, and prepare for the trumpet that will announce the King’s return.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
