Zikhron Teru‘ah -
The Feast of Trumpets
A very special day!
André H. Roosma
6 Sept. 2013
Yesterday it was celebrated (update: celebration
starts at sundown on 13 Sept. in 2015; 2 Oct. 2016; 20 Sept. 2017; 9 Sept.
2018; 29 Sept. 2019; 18 Sept. 2020; 6 Sept. 2021; 25 Sept. 2022),
what the Bible calls: the Zikhron
Teru‘ah, in English also
called: the Feast of Trumpets. In Israel big shoutings of victory and blowing
Shofars (ram’s horns) announced
the beginning of a new season: that of the fall feasts. As God announced
it in Leviticus 23: 24 to Mosheh (Moses):
Speak to the descendants of Israel, and say: In
the seventh month, at the first (day) of the
month, you will have a rest day, a זִכְרֹון
תְּרוּעָה
(zikhron teru‘ah), a holy
gathering.
How do we translate here the expression zikhron
teru‘ah ? The word zikhron is related to the verb
zakhar - to commemorate or speak with joy, that I discussed previously. From there it
can be understood that zikhron is a day on which you commemorate or
speak something with joy; in short: a memorial. That it is a one day event
appears also from its parallel text from Numbers 29: 1, that speaks about a
yom teru‘ah (yom = day).
Then we have the word תְּרוּעָה -
teru‘ah. In the original
script1 of Israel it read:      . Literally: to see the cross (sign) or the
completion of God’s covenant and worship with joy. This worship was
done with a loud voice, often accompanied by blowing shofars (ram's horns, sanctified for worship).
From there the old English name for this day: Feast of Trumpets. A better name
would be: the memorial festival day of shouting, or of jubilation.
When Israel could already do that in those days of old – seeing the
cross (sign) or the completion of God’s covenant and worship with joy
–, how much more can we do it now, knowing how Yeshu‘ah (Jesus) completed and fulfilled God’s
covenant at the cross in an unparalleled way for us...
That central happening from world history – about which even our
calender reminds us – certainly was the announcement of a new beginning.
It calls us to turn around. Turn from the ways we chose ourselves, to
a life in surrender to this Great Saviour and God!
Sufficient reason for a feastly day of rest, and for some massive shouts
of joy, it seems to me! A day at which we collectively set ourselves apart
for Him, in preparation for and anticipation of the great Day of Atonement!
This happening then culminates after nine days in that Great Day of
Atonement: Yom Ha-Kippurim – the
feastday at which we celebrate God’s reconciliations, offered to us in
Yeshu‘ah.
Hallelu YaH !
Notes
According to the traditional explanation, תְּרוּעָה -
teru‘ah [8643] is derived from the verb רוּע - ru‘a [7321] - to shout, cry out, give a blast, make
(lots of) noise (out of joy, to show appreciation, upon victory, in
worship). To draw it closer: what one hears in a European soccer stadion
when one of the parties scores a goal can be seen as an example of
ru‘a... The old way of writing this word was in line with this:
.
Literally: to see the covenant of God. Yes, when we really see that, we
will shout with joy! The question may be asked, why don’t we hear
such an enthousiastic sound more often in our churches and communities?
By the way, do you see the similarity of רוּע - ru‘a with the word רוּח - ruach [7307] - spirit; the word that the
Bible uses for, e.g. the Spirit of God? That coincides with the etymology of
our word enthousiastic, which refers to the God inside. It is by the Spirit
of God that we can be so enthousiastic about Him (cf. Mat.16:16-17).
What strikes me is that in the Jewish religion there
is so much that distracts from the essence of this wonderful day. It starts
already with the name. The name Zikhron Teru‘ah is not or hardly ever used in Judaism. Sometimes it is
referred to as Yom Teru‘ah, but
mostly it is called Rosh HaShanah - the head or beginning
of the year. In the Torah, I have not been able to find any basis for
this. The teaching on Rosh HaShanah comes mainly from the Mishnah and
the Talmud. The term Rosh HaShanah even appears only once in the
entire Tanakh in Ezekiel 40: 1, but even there not connected to this
festival. In the Bible the year begins in Springtime, with the month of
Nissan or actually אָבִיב - ’Abhibh,
to use the proper Biblical name of that month (Exodus 12: 2). The Biblical
years starts off with God’s initiative that forms the basis of the
Spring Festivals. The Autumn Festivals then follow later in the year from
what God has given on the basis of the Spring Festivals. It is a great pity
that in Judaism all this has become so much obscured...
For the Babylonian (!) background of Rosh
HaShanah, see also this explanation of the Karaite Jew
Nehemia Gordon: ‘Yom Teruah – How the Day of Shouting
Became Rosh Hashanah’.
Informative.
Many Jews hold that Adam was
born this day and there is significant evidence that this was also the birth
of the New Man Jesus.
André
Thanks, Caleb, for your reaction!
Yes, I am aware that it can be derived from the Bible that Jesus was
probably born during the Fall Festival times.
Blessings!
Next article: ‘Yom Ha-Kippurim – the great Day of Atonement –
Another very special day!’.
|
, a living document by
André H. Roosma, 1st English version:
18 April 2011 (
