Ancient Israel tracked the months from Abib (the first month) to Tishri (the seventh month) by sounding the trumpet on each new moon. The last trumpet blown announced the new moon of the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) and the seventh month’s holydays. Ten days after the Yom Teruah commemoration was the Day of Atonements (Yom Kippur), followed by Tishri 15’s Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Sukkot’s seven-day festival ended on Tishri 21, celebrated as the last great day, or the great Hosannah. The seventh-month festival season concluded with an Eighth Day summoned assembly and blessing, Tishri 22. After Tishri’s holydays, eight days, 23-30, remained in the month. Counting the seven months (moons) is reminiscent of the count of the seven Sabbath weeks. Like the sound of the trumpets on the seventh Sabbath declared Pentecost, the trumpet’s call on Yom Teruah announced the Sabbath month with its four festivals.

Then YHWH 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, 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 YHWH.'” (Lev. 23:23–25, NKJV)

The term “blowing of trumpets,” teruwah (Strong’s H8643), carries deep significance. It is a call for spiritual awakening, an “acclamation of joy or a battle-cry,” derived from a Hebrew root ruwa (Strong’s H7321), meaning “to split the ears with sound, i.e., shout for alarm or joy.” Ruwa describes the sons of Elohim shouting for joy at the earth’s creation (Job 38:7), and in other passages, it encourages praising God in shouts of victory (Isa. 44:23, Jer. 50:15, Zep. 3:14). On the plains of Moab, just before Israel entered the Promised Land, teruwah is used in an unusual way, “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor hath He seen wickedness in Israel. YHWH his God is with him, and the shout (teruwah) of a King is among them” (Num. 23:21). The verse refers to the triumphant shout of the Groom, His victory crown gained, counting His bride nation righteous, a new people ready to enter the Land, for all those of carnal persuasion were no more. Teruwah occurs first in Leviticus 23:24’s command to blow trumpets in remembrance on the new moon of the seventh month, proclaiming His glory and exultant Presence.

The phrase “a memorial of blowing of trumpets” is “a remembering of shouting” (Strong’s H2143). Zikrown is the Hebrew word for memorial, reminder, remembrance, or to remember through documentation (Strong’s, BDB, and Gesenius’ H2146), rooted in referring to the male head of the family’s role in remembering and passing down the family history through story and name (Ancient Hebrew Lexicon Definitions, H2143). Yom Teruah calls to mind the Father’s words to His children, the history of Adam to Abraham to Moses, pointing to the new Moses, King Yeshua. On this day, we are to remember the human story of exile, who we belong to, and through whom our salvation comes. Forefront is God creating us in His image to partner with Him in covenant, bearing His name enthroned in our minds. We remember that we have come under His banner in all battles, and He is our divine warrior King, always with us. He is the One who brought us out of exile and bondage to sin to Himself, restoring us from death to life. In Hebrew thought, a memorial looks both backward and forward in time (Exo. 3:15). Since the Mount Sinai trumpet blasts were the first and only recorded trumpeting event before Leviticus 23, it alone can be considered a memorial. Celebrating YHWH’s name in the seven Sabbath journey with Israel to His holy mountain, teruwah announced the King’s coming and the covenant consummation between Him and His firstborn holy nation. As the Passover was a memorial of an important event in the past and in the future, likewise, the Feast of Trumpets stands as a memorial of a significant event in the past and in the future.

Traveling from Mount Sinai, in Israel’s immediate future, the trumpeting event at the end of the spring harvest was Israel’s conquest of Jericho. The trumpeting event points forward to a future trumpet shout announcing YHWH’s return as King of kings and Lord of lords and Babylon’s fall, anticipated in the seventh month’s reality (Rev. 19:1). Like YHWH’s seventh Sabbath Sinai presence, the Feast of Trumpets memorializes His descent from heaven by a great shout. Psalm 47 praises YHWH, the Ruler of the Earth, “Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For YHWH Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth… God has gone up with a shout, YHWH with the sound of a trumpet… God reigns over the nations and sits on His holy throne” (vv. 1-2, 5, 8). Paul connects Yeshua’s coming with a shout to a future resurrection.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1Th. 4:16-18

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1Co. 15:50-54

Takeaway:
Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets, is a call to pay attention to the human story, for by recalling our history, we will see YHWH’s hand working salvation in the midst of the earth. Hearing (shema) by remembering implies action. We recognize we were slaves, exiled from God, and He, in covenantal faithfulness, has rescued us so that we may live in the fullness of His wisdom in partnership, ruling the earth in righteousness and justice. Like Israel’s transformation at the end of the seventh Sabbath, which allowed the elders to eat, drink, and see God, we must be changed to sit on His throne with Him in His kingdom. Yom Teruah is a call to action in service to YHWH. 

Fun Factors:
Leviticus 23:23-25 has 114 letters (2 × 3 × 19) in 29 words (10^th prime, 4^th Pythagorean prime; 5² + 2²; 4² +  3² + 2²; 29 + 92 = 121 = 11²; the 29^th prime is 109), totaling 8205, 3 × 5 × 547, the sum of 10 squared numbers: 24² + … + 33²; 8205’s digit product = 80 and its digit sum = 15; 547 is the 101^st prime; the sum of 8205’s prime factors, 3 + 5 + 547 = 555 = 15 × 37.  The numbers point to humanity’s (10) appointed time (6 × 19) of God (37) restoring (15) them to Himself by His holiness (101, 11²) and His love (432), beholding (5) the work of His hand (47) in His holydays (8 × 10).

Verse 24’s Hebrew script lists four things about the first day of the seventh month “will be for you”: 1. a Sabbath (758), 2. a memorial (283), 3. a blast [of trumpets] (681), and 4. a holy convocation (745). The letter sum of these four (758 + 283 + 681 + 745) equals 2467, the 365^th prime number, and the same number of years Enoch, the seventh from Adam, lived. He was taken in his 365^th year and did not die. The factors of 365 are 5 and 73, saying, “Behold wisdom” in the 365 words of Genesis 5.