articlesforchristians

Understanding Yom Teruah: The Day of Shouting Explained

Trumpets: Yom Teru’ah

On the 1st day of the Seventh Month (Tishrei) the Bible commands us to observe the Holy day of Yom Teruah which means Day of Shouting (Leviticus 23:23‑25; Numbers 29:1‑6). Yom Teruah is a day of rest on which work is forbidden.

One of the unique things about Yom Teruah is that the Bible does not say what the purpose of this Holy day is. The Bible gives at least one reason for all the other holy days and two reasons for some. The Feast of Matzot (Unleavened Bread) commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, but it is also a celebration of the beginning of the barley harvest (Exodus 23:15; Leviticus 23:4-14). The Feast of Shavuot (Weeks) is a celebration of the wheat harvest (Exodus 23:16; 34:22). Yom Ha‑Kippurim is a National Day of Atonement as described in great detail in Leviticus 16. Finally, the Feast of Sukkot (Booths or Tabernacles) commemorates the wandering of the Israelites in the desert and is also a celebration of the ingathering of agricultural produce (Exodus 23:16). In contrast to all these Torah festivals, Yom Teruah has no clear purpose other than that we are commended to rest on this day.

Nevertheless, the name of Yom Teruah provides a clue as to its purpose. Teruah literally means to make a loud noise. This word can describe the noise made by a trumpet but it also describes the noise made by a large gathering of people shouting in unison. For example:

• Joshua 6:5 (KJV) “And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.”

In this verse the word “shout” appears twice, once as the verb form of Teruah and a second time as the noun form of Teruah. Although this verse mentions the sound of the shofar (ram’s horn), the two instances of Teruah do not refer to the shofar. In fact, in this verse, Teruah refers to the shouting of the Israelites which was followed by the fall of the walls of Jericho.

While the Bible does not explicitly tell us the purpose of Yom Teruah, its name may indicate that it is intended as a day of public prayer. The verb form of Teruah often refers to the noise made by a gathering of the faithful calling out to the Almighty in unison. For example:

• Clap hands, all nations, shout to God, with a singing voice! (Psalms 47:2)
• Shout to God, all the earth! (Psalms 66:1)
• Sing to God, our strength, shout to the God of Jacob! (Psalms 81:2)
• Shout to Jehovah, all the earth! (Psalms 100:1)

In Leviticus 23:24, Yom Teruah is also referred to as Zichron Teruah. The word Zichron is sometimes translated as memorial, but this Hebrew word also means to mention, often in reference to speaking the name of God. For example, Exodus 3:15; Isaiah 12:4; Isaiah 26:13; Psalms 45:18. The day of Zichron Teruah, the Mentioning Shout, may refer to a day of gathering in public prayer in which the crowd of the faithful shouts the name of God in unison.

We as Christians can look to the New Testament for the answer as to the reason for celebrating this Holy Day.

• 1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

The Trumpet referred to in scriptures is more commonly today called a Shofar.

Today, few people remember the biblical name of Yom Teruah and instead it is widely known as Rosh Hashanah which literally means head of the year and hence also New Years Day. The transformation of Yom Teruah (Day of Shouting) into Rosh Hashanah (New Year’s) is the result of pagan Babylonian influence upon the Jewish nation. The first stage in the transformation was the adoption of the Babylonian month names. In the Torah, the months are numbered as First Month, Second Month, Third Month, etc. (Leviticus 23; Numbers 28). During their sojourn in Babylonia the people began to use the pagan Babylonian month names. 

How to celebrate:

• It should be clear on how to celebrate. We are to sing, shout, and make a joyful noise to the Lord on this day.
• There are no food restrictions on this day, except for keeping it Kosher (see the section on Kosher).
• You may also want to thank the LORD for the holiday as a revelation of Jesus at this time. The Blessing is…
  • Blessed art You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us holidays, customs, and seasons of happiness, for the glory of our Lord Jesus, the Light of the world.