The first day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar (September 16 in 2023) is known as the Day of Trumpets (Yom Teruah in Hebrew). The Bible describes this day as a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets (Lev 23:24).
The type of trumpet traditionally blown on Yom Teruah is a ram’s horn, the shofar, an instrument effective at capturing the attention of anyone within earshot. Since it proclaims a memorial, the shofar’s piercing sound invites hearers to remember something.
Investigating the use of trumpet imagery in Scripture can help us identify what is to be remembered.
First, trumpets announce the sovereignty and kingship of God. God’s appearance at Mount Sinai and giving of the Decalogue were accompanied by shofar blasts (Ex 19:16,19; 20:18). Psalm 47, a psalm associated with the Day of Trumpets, pictures God ascending to his heavenly throne with the sound of a trumpet (verse 5).
Second, biblical prophets lift their voices like trumpets to declare the sins of the people and call them to repentance (Isa 58:1; Eze 33:1-9). The sound of the shofar announces the coming of the Day of the Lord, a time when God intervenes in human affairs to judge the nations and establish justice (Joel 2:1, 15; Zep 1:14-16). The Day of the Lord is a day of trumpet blast and battle cry (Zep 1:16).
Trumpets in the Bible, then, give a call to repentance and a warning of coming judgment from the Supreme Judge. Trumpets prompt God’s people to remember their Creator and King.
On the other hand, trumpet blasts call upon God to remember his people and act on their behalf. We see this in Numbers 10:9-10, where Israel’s priests are instructed to blow silver trumpets before the nation goes into battle so that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.
Based on these ideas, Jewish tradition views the shofar blast on Yom Teruah as an annual call to self-examination and repentance. As in Daniel 7:9-10, heavenly books are opened, books recording each person’s deeds. All are judged, and the verdict is finalized ten days later, on the Day of Atonement.
The Day of Trumpets was not the only time when the shofar was blown in Israel. Shofars were sounded on the first day of each month, the time of the new moon (Ps 81:3). The trumpet sounds on the new moons of the first six months can be seen as advance reminders of the evaluation to begin on Yom Teruah, and the sixth month is traditionally a time of preparation for that evaluation. The existence of so many reminders of coming judgment reflects God’s desire that each person repent of sins and be judged favorably.
These Jewish traditions predate the time of Jesus.
We see hints of them in the Book of Jubilees, a Jewish work from the second century BC. Jubilees 5:13-18 states that all people face divine judgment, and for Israel “it is written and ordained that He will show mercy to all who turn from all their guilt once each year.” Jubilees 31:1-3 says that when Jacob and his family prepared to appear before God at Bethel by removing all their idols (see Ge 35:1-4), they traveled to Bethel on the new moon of the seventh month. Beginning on Yom Teruah they made a concerted effort to put their lives in order, as their descendants would come to do each year.
The Day of Trumpets is not mentioned explicitly in the New Testament, but its images and themes are evident there. We see these images and themes, especially in Revelation 8-11, where seven angels announce a series of divine judgments with seven trumpet blasts.(1)
The trumpets of Revelation are blown in response to the prayers of the saints (Rev 8:1-5), which include prayers of martyrs for vindication (6:9-11). As in Numbers 10:9-10, we see that trumpets are associated with God remembering wrongs that have been done to his people and intervening to set things right.
Divine judgment includes vindication as well as punishment.
These seven trumpet blasts can be viewed as analogous to the trumpets blown on the new moons of the first seven months of the Hebrew calendar. The first six are preliminary and are intended as calls to repentance (see 9:20-21, which mentions that many do not repent). The punishments they announce are limited to a third of the possible recipients (8:7, 9, 11-12) and have a limited duration (five months in 9:5). The seventh, corresponding to the blast on the Day of Trumpets, announces Christ’s universal rule and judgment (11:15-18).
Elsewhere in the New Testament a final trumpet blast, called the last trumpet (1 Co 15:52), announces the Second Coming of the Messiah and the resurrection of the saints. This trumpet may coincide with the seventh trumpet of Revelation. At the sound of this trumpet, Jesus will return. He will be joined in the air by resurrected and glorified saints, who then will accompany him to judge and rule the earth (Mt 24:29-31; 1 Co 15:51-57; 1 Th 4:13-18).
The trumpets and traditions of Yom Teruah remind us that we all face God’s judgment (Heb 9:27; Ro 2:3; 14:10; 2 Co 5:10). God is a God of justice, who punishes the wicked and vindicates the righteous; and a God of mercy, who desires that all come to repentance and receive a favorable judgment (2 Pe 3:9). Knowing these things, we may have confidence in the day of judgment (1 Jn 4:17) as we anticipate the last trumpet and the return of Jesus the Messiah.
(1) See Samuele Bacchiocchi, God's Festivals in Scripture and History, Part 2: The Fall Festivals, Biblical Perspectives, Berrien Springs, Michigan, 1996, chapter 3.
Series Title: Going Up with the Psalms of Ascent (Chapter 1: 03)
These edited transcripts are taken from Dwight's most loved audio series, Highways in Their Hearts. Click here to see the downloadable audio version in our online store.
The Psalms of Ascent (120-134) are about an external journey in space and time. But they also mirror an internal journey in the Spirit. They provide valuable insights into the problems and principles of overcoming our resistance and coming more fully into the divine presence. I pray we will grow up in Christ as we go with the pilgrims of biblical days up to the dwelling place of the Lord Most High.
I hope that, in whatever way is appropriate, you and I will come out of our Babylons, out of our confusion brought about by getting caught up in the things of this world. I want to, together, seek the things of God and let his words of life change us. Will you set your heart on pilgrimage with me?
If yes, let us turn our attention to Psalm 84. I want to show you a text that can become a guiding image for us. It is an exquisite classic relating to a longing for the things of God and the presence of God. It sets the proper mental framework for leading a productive journey up to the house of God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise!
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion. (84:4-5)
Our study's theme and guiding image is having a highway in your heart.
The heart of the natural man has many diverse and destructive pathways, but the heart touched by grace has but a single one. True, it is a narrow road. Yet it is the King's highway, leading up into his presence. I am asking you to take on the challenge of pilgrimage, set your heart on Zion, and walk up to Jerusalem in the Spirit.
Turn with me to Psalm 84, a song that reflects the kind of heartfelt, deep emotions and expressions characteristic of the Psalms of Ascent. They reflect a love and longing for the things of God but more than for a place, for a person—the Holy One who inhabits the place. The psalmist begins where you and I must begin.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. (Ps 84:1-2)
My friends, pilgrimage's prerequisite is a deep desire for God. If you don't have it, cry out for it.
The language of longing is used to describe hungry infants. Picture how, when hungry, they literally cry with their whole body. They need nourishment. We need to cry out—with our entire being—for the living God. We need to be disaffected with convenience and comfort and the things of this world. We need an intense yearning for the very presence of the holy God.
I don't know if you're like me, but I get so engaged with my occupation and preoccupations that the idea of pilgrimage slips into the background. We read books about those who had encounters with God and feel inspired, maybe even a bit envious. But we don't make the effort. Know this: the journey begins with a decision and with a step born out of desire.
Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God (vs. 3). The psalm writer is jealous that even these small, insignificant birds find a home to nest in the Temple precincts. Why? He knows how Blessed are those who dwell in your house.
The Hebrew word blessed (ashrei) was precious to Jesus. He begins his memorable message in Matthew 5-7 with nine statements, each beginning with the word ashrei. From a translation standpoint, blessed is good but is overused in popular culture and doesn't quite capture the power of the biblical concept. It is more like, How very fortunate are those who are poor in spirit, How very fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, etc.
Jesus gets this blessing language from the Psalms!
The poet says, How very fortunate are those who dwell in your house, my King and my God. They are those who are forever singing your praises. And they continue, Blessed are those whose strength is in you (vs. 5).
One of the most powerful lessons you have to learn on pilgrimage is this: the strength for the journey is not your own; it is by the power of God's Spirit. Paul reflects on suffering in his life and observes, For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor 12:9-10). How very fortunate, how blessed are the humble, for they know the strength of God is their salvation. It is humility alone that recognizes God as the deliverer who brings them into his presence.
Notice what happens next. Setting your heart on pilgrimage does not mean you will avoid going through difficult times. As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion (vv. 6-7).
The Valley of Bacha is an arid, dry, and desolate place. Some call this the valley of tears. One scholar believes it is a narrow, gloomy ravine on the approach to Jerusalem near the Jordan, in which there is a black stream of water that flows from rocks and in which graves are dug. Another psalm powerfully alludes to a valley of the shadow of death (23:4).
But please don't miss this: when your heart is set on pilgrimage, the black, brackish waters of this arid valley become springs of living water! When our faithful Father sees your faithfulness in seeking his face, in making your way up to him, he gives you the rains that come from his throne, which create pools of fresh, life-giving water. Behind the word translated pools is another Hebrew word for blessing (berakah), which means a gift, a bestowment from God.
God honors faithfulness.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion. (Ps 84:5)
In our quest, we are seeking the blessing of learning to follow the highway in our hearts into the very presence of God. I am not speaking here of that city beyond the veil, that holy Jerusalem in the by and by. My friends, the promised land in biblical type does not refer to heaven. When you cross over the Jordan, you are not simply on the "other side." There are enemies that you must battle with when you cross into the Promised Land. Are you going to be doing battle in heaven? No.
The Holy Land represents the place of the Holy One; it is where you are in God's kingdom—in this life. Oh yes, there are battles, there are narrow valleys that are dark and lifeless, but if you set your heart on pilgrimage, it is a place of springs that bubble up. God sees your faithful determination to make your way up to him. When you follow the highway in your heart, you will discern the rains he sends to give you strength.
God is the source of all blessing.
We can say it this way. In pilgrimage—with your heart set on knowing Him—the Valley of Bacha becomes the Valley of Berakah. The desolate places can become places of blessing.
O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob!
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed!
For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O LORD of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in you!
- Psalm 84:8-12
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Get the most recent study in your inbox every Sabbath. Click here.
Want to go deeper? Click here to explore audio seminars by Dwight A. Pryor.
Interested in taking one of our dynamic online courses? Click here.
This study is from a professionally produced transcription of the audio recording. It was edited for readability by the team at JC Studies.
Dwight A. Pryor (1945-2011) was a gifted Bible teacher of exceptional clarity and depth who earned the friendship and admiration of both Christian and Jewish scholars—in the United States and Israel—as well as the respect and appreciation of followers of Jesus around the world. His expertise in the language, literature, and culture of Israel during the life and time of Jesus and the early church yield insights that nourish every area of faith and practice.
Dwight founded JC Studies in 1984 to edify the people of God. Click here to explore over fifty of his audio and video seminars.
Post Title: Going Up with the Psalms of Ascent (Chapter 1: 02)
These edited transcripts are taken from Dwight's most loved audio series, Highways in Their Hearts. Click here to see the downloadable audio version in our online store.
Each Psalm is composed in a style that features free and flexible rhythms, which makes lasting impressions on the minds and hearts of those who sang, read, and recited them.
The chief way of creating this rhythmic character in Hebrew is not by concentrating on syllables, words, rhymes, or some artificial metric system. Instead, whole sentences balance against one another—a technique called parallelism in English. Once you begin to see this, it adds layers of depth, meaning, and personal application.
In this Hebraic way of thinking, ideas and sentences are in a parallel relationship to each other. It will start making more sense as we examine the three different types or categories of parallelism.
Synonymous Parallelism: Using similar language, two or more lines repeat the same idea. Here is an example from Psalm 103:1
Line 1: Bless the LORD, O my soul,
Line 2: and all that is within me, bless his holy name
Synthetic Parallelism: The idea is restated in a way that supplements and builds on the meaning. Let's keep reading in Ps 103:2.
Line 1: Bless the LORD, O my soul,
Line 2: and forget not all his benefits
Antithetical Parallelism: The thought is not so much repeated or supplemented; instead, one line stands in opposition to the other. As a result, the main idea is strengthened by way of contrast. Consider verses 15 and 17 of Psalm 103.
Lines 1-2: As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
Lines 3-4: But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
These psalmic rhythms are creative, imaginative, and evocative.
Once you learn to identify the pattern of parallelisms, you will begin to experience the wondrous power of this style in all of the Hebrew Scriptures.
The images used in Hebrew poetry are concrete, earthy, and real to our experience of life with God under the Sun (as Ecclesiastes puts it). These images and parallelisms correspond to and reflect Jewish biblical life and priorities. The authors expect a rudimentary knowledge of things like Temple sacrifices, morning and evening prayers, Sabbaths, and Holy Days. What was so characteristic of our faith forbearers is alien to you and me today.
Typically, moderns have little life rhythm shared by a community. It is true of our church traditions as well. I'm not talking about liturgy as much as the rhythms of walking with God. We are slaves to the tyranny of the urgent. When we are preoccupied with the urgent, we tend to overlook the important. The Book of Psalms offers us an alternative.
Turn with me to Psalm 120, where you'll see in most translations, above verse 1, the words A Song of Ascents. No one is entirely certain what the Hebrew ascription of this grouping is referring to. There is an interesting connection with a passage in Ezra 7:9 describing Ezra's journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. When it says he began to go up from Babylonia, it is the same language for ascending used in the ascription. These are psalms for going up; they accompany us on life's spiritual journey.
Scholars propose at least three contexts in which the Psalms of Ascent were used. Each is significant for our study.
1) These were the psalms sung by faithful Jews in exile, particularly in Babylon. Those who longed to return to the Promised Land sang as they made their way from foreign soil up to Israel, up to Jerusalem. While in Babylon, their instruments were silent and their eyes were filled with tears.
They longed to lift up their eyes to the hills, to Mount Zion, to the Temple of their Holy God. And so they were glad when their exile was over and could say to one another, Come, let us go up to the house of Yahweh.
2) These are psalms sung by pilgrims—from inside and outside of Israel—who would make their ascent up to the City of David three times a year for the pilgrim festivals. There were only a few ways to get there, and those roads were traveled by great caravans of people, both for security and convenience. As these large groups traveled, making their way up to Jerusalem, they would sing these inspirational psalms.
They eagerly looked forward to the moment they would walk into the city and the temple precincts. When they finally entered Jerusalem, the pilgrims and the priests would sing these psalms as they made their way up to the holy mount through the streets of Jerusalem. What a sight that must have been!
3) These psalms would continue to be sung as the processions made their way into the Temple. I can only imagine the anticipation as they walked up the stairways from the outer court into the inner court, up into the Temple itself. These were the psalms of going up, songs of degrees—step by step, one step at a time.
Ezekiel had a vision (recorded in chapter 40) describing the Temple. He says the outer court had seven steps and the inner court had eight steps. Israel's ancient sages taught these fifteen steps correspond to the fifteen Psalms of Ascent (120-134). The picture is that of an adoring heart making its way ever closer to the object of its affection, the dwelling place and presence of the Most High God.
Why this study? I want to travel alongside you on a sacred journey.
I want to look at these psalms both in their historical context and as spiritual archetypes providing principles and insight into what it means to grow up as we go up to the Lord.
If you have no interest in drawing closer to God right now, these psalms and their implicit challenge to hunger and thirst for God's presence won't appeal to you. These psalms won't matter much if you are only interested in history, archeology, and textual studies. What they offer is the sacred fire of single-minded devotion.
I invite you to join me on a journey divinely designed to move our hearts from complacency to freedom. To walk again, in earnest, on an ancient pathway up to the Lord our God. In the words of C.S. Lewis, to go farther up and farther in. Will you come?
Get the most recent study in your inbox every Sabbath. Click here.
Want to go deeper? Click here to explore audio seminars by Dwight A. Pryor.
Interested in taking one of our dynamic online courses? Click here.
This study is from a professionally produced transcription of the audio recording. It was edited for readability by the team at JC Studies.
Dwight A. Pryor (1945-2011) was a gifted Bible teacher of exceptional clarity and depth who earned the friendship and admiration of both Christian and Jewish scholars—in the United States and Israel—as well as the respect and appreciation of followers of Jesus around the world. His expertise in the language, literature, and culture of Israel during the life and time of Jesus and the early church yield insights that nourish every area of faith and practice.
Dwight founded JC Studies in 1984 to edify the people of God. Click here to explore over fifty of his audio and video seminars.