Biblical Foundation on Shofar Blowing

Pr Paul Howe

22-09-2018

In most of the English translations of the Old Testament, we do not find the word ‘shofar’ as it has been replaced by the word ‘trumpet’, ‘trumpets’ and ‘horns’.

The words ‘trumpet’ and ‘trumpets’ in the Old Testament are translated from the Hebrew word ‘shofar’.

‘Shofar’ is defined in Strong’s Number: 07782 as horn, ram’s horn.

In biblical times, shofars were sounded to communicate signals in battle and announce certain religious occasions.

In modern times, shofars are sounded at synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).

Trumpet in the New Testament

In The Complete Jewish bible, the word ‘trumpet’ is translated as ‘shofar’.

Various authors, commentators and writers when referring to the Greek word ‘trumpet’ in the New Testament would describe it as ‘shofar’.

Is such a description accurate or correct?

Trumpet: In the New Testament, the word ‘trumpet’ is translated from the Greek word “salpigx”.

Salpigx: a trumpet-like instrument of the ancient Greeks

The key is that Hebrew is taken as the foundational language of Scripture.

While the New Testament manuscripts are in Greek, the concepts refer to Hebraic foundations.

So the Greek is not the original, as it were, and David Stern in the Complete Jewish Bible was correct in recalling the Hebrew origins.

New Testament trumpets are the same as Old Testament trumpets.

The horns that are used to make shofars are weapons of war.

The shofar is a symbol of power.

When we sound the shofar, we are making a declaration and proclamation that all authority, power and strength belong to Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus the Messiah) who is King of kings and Lord of lords.

The shofar was used as an instrument for various purposes including

• ritual use
• signal use
• military use, and
• musical use

Sounded at the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai

The first blowing of the shofar was described in the book of Exodus when God called Moses to the summit of Mount Sinai to give him and the Israelites the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets.

God revealed Himself to His people accompanied by the loud sound of the shofar.

Sounded to prepare the people for the Day of Atonement

The shofar was sounded during the Feast of Trumpets to prepare the people for the Day of Atonement.

The purpose of the Day of Atonement was for the priest to make an atonement for and to cleanse the Israelites according to certain rituals and sacrifices of atonement that those who had a repentant heart may be clean from all sins before the LORD.

Blowing the shofar today reminds us that atonement, forgiveness, reconciliation and cleansing have been accomplished by Jesus who came to call sinners to repentance.

Sounded at the battle of Jericho

Jericho was a spiritual stronghold. During warfare, the Lord directed Joshua to instruct his men to blow the shofar to bring down the walls of Jericho.

Joshua responded in faith.

At the sound of the shofar, the people shouted and the walls fell down.

It was a demonstration of God’s awesome power over the power of the enemy.

Sounded as a declaration of praise and thanksgiving

Blowing the shofar today signifies our declaration of praise in the glory of a triumphant God. We are reminded of His majesty, power and authority over all creation.

Sounded as a warning signal of danger

Amos 3:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁶ If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?

Ezekiel 33:3-5 New King James Version (NKJV)

³ when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, ⁴ then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. ⁵ He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life.

Sounded to represent the voice of God

The voice of God is like the sound of a trumpet (shofar).

When a shofar is sounded by a Christian, it is as if the Lord’s voice is speaking and projected through the shofar.

Psalm 29:3-9 New King James Version (NKJV)

³ The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The Lord is over many waters.
⁴ The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

⁵ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶ He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷ The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.

⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
⁹ The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!”

Psalm 29:3-9 records that the voice of the Lord is creative, glorious, majestic and powerful.

Revelation 1:10 New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁰ I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,

Revelation 4:1 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Throne Room of Heaven

4 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

Sounded at the resurrection of the dead and the removal of the church from the earth

The sounding of the trumpets in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is a declaration of the Lord’s return to planet Earth and His power to raise the dead.

The trumpet blast symbolises the sound of resurrection of the dead.

It is an end times announcement.

Blowing a shofar is about praise, worship and calls (calling the people together).

Different sounds:

1) Tekiah (a call to praise get ready) 

2) Teruah (sound of awakening, arise)

Breaks out into nine tones

3) Shevarim (sound of brokenness, intercession, cry, travail, prayer)

4) Tekiah gedolah (sound of thanksgiving, high praise)

Long blast that is as long as your breath can hold, very strong sound of the shofar

Unless the watchman sound a certain sound, people will not know. When they hear the traditional sound of the shofar, then you know what's going on.

How to train yourself to get the sound?

The 10-second method trains you to be patient and be confident.

If you don't train this way, you won't be able to train your lips.

This method is so easy but yet people fail because of impatience.

It trains your diaphragm. In China, it is called Qi gong. Whatever you call it, it trains your diaphragm.

There is a certain discipline.

This is an instrument that the devil wants to throw away. The devil knows that this is an efficient instrument in the hands of the saints.

In AD312, King Constantine gathered all the believers of God together and said, "Anything that is of the Jews, throw out!"

All instruments that have been returned to the church have been returned with controversies.

The first piano that came back to the church - it was a coffin. 

Guitar (ukulele) - instrument belongs to the taverns.

Drums - African war drums. 

There is still a lot of resistance with the shofar until today.

The devil doesn't want the proclamation that He has worn the victor's crown.

Romans 2:29 New King James Version (NKJV)

29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose [a]praise is not from men but from God.

You are more a Jew if a Jew doesn't believe in Jesus Christ.

Circumcision is of the heart--by the Spirit, not the letter. 

Romans 8:15 New King James Version (NKJV)

15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba,[a] Father.”

We are all spiritual Jews. It is because the spirt of God that came into us, we begin to cry out Abba Father.

Romans 11:24-26 New King James Version (NKJV)

24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own [a]opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be [b]saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,

And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

The Lord says He will come back for the Jews. He will come back for Jerusalem. We are all Jews.

How to wash a shofar?

1) Flush out saliva with 80 degree water with some salt.

2) Blow dry with hair dryer direct to the mouth. 

3) Clean with a little olive oil to give it a shine.

If you do not clean it, saliva accumulates and black fungus forms and shofar becomes clogged.

A shofar is a personal instrument. Not encouraged to share shofars. 

Keeping the shofar:

Don't keep the shofar in a bag at home.

Must air the shofar.

Humity will cause fungus to grow.

There's no such thing as chasing the devil away

A shofar is to praise the Lord. God is light. The devil is dark.

A shofar is a worship instrument to declare His victory.