The Shofar, the Covenant, and the Call to Step Forward in Faith
Shalom in the Name of the Messiah. We live in a moment of great shaking, both in Israel and among the nations. Yet amid the wars, the pressures, and the confusion of world politics, Elohim still speaks through His Word. One of the most enduring symbols of His voice and His covenant faithfulness is the shofar. From Abraham to Sinai, from Jericho to the prophets, from the Kehilah in Acts to the final trumpet of Revelation, the shofar announces Elohim’s purposes.
Today, as nations debate the future of Israel, as Mahmoud Abbas calls for reparations, as countries like Monaco, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and France recognize a Palestinian state, we return to Scripture to anchor ourselves. The shofar calls us back to covenant, back to Messiah, and forward into obedience.
- The Shofar in the Torah
Genesis 22:13 (Akedah):
“And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns.”
Vayisa Avraham et-einav, vayar vehineh ayil achar ne’echaz basevakh b’karnav.
Here, the ram becomes a substitutionary offering for Isaac. The ram’s horn becomes the prototype for the shofar, symbolizing Elohim’s mercy and provision. Later generations connect this to Rosh HaShanah, when the shofar is blown to remember that Elohim provides a substitute—fulfilled perfectly in Messiah Yeshua, the Lamb who was slain (John 1:29).
Exodus 19:16–19 (Sinai):
“And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings… and the voice of the shofar exceedingly loud.”
Vayehi vayom hashlishi… v’kol shofar chazak me’od.
Here the shofar is not human but heavenly. It is Elohim’s own voice that causes the people to tremble. The shofar reveals divine majesty and the fear of Elohim.
Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1 (Yom Teruah):
“On the first day of the seventh month, you shall have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of shofars, a holy convocation.”
Bachodesh hashvi’i be’echad lachodesh, shabbaton zichron teruah mikra-kodesh.
This is the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Teruah. The Torah gives no reason, only the command. Tradition has filled in repentance themes, but the mystery points forward to Messiah’s coming with the shofar blast.
- The Shofar in Israel’s History
Joshua 6:4–20 (Jericho):
Seven priests, seven shofars, seven days. On the final circuit, the walls fall. The shofar here is a weapon of divine warfare.
Judges 7:15–22 (Gideon):
Three hundred men blow shofars and break jars. Elohim throws the enemy into confusion. The shofar is both psychological weapon and spiritual signal.
1 Samuel 13:3; 2 Samuel 20:1:
Saul and Sheba use the shofar as a call to arms. Its sound rallies the people.
1 Kings 1:39–40:
At Solomon’s coronation, the shofar announces kingship: “And they blew the shofar; and all the people said, Long live King Solomon!”
So too will Messiah’s kingship be declared at the last trumpet.
- The Shofar in Worship and Prophecy
Psalm 98:6:
“With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.”
Bachatzotzrot v’kol shofar hari’u lifnei hamelech YHWH.
Psalm 150:3:
“Praise Him with the blast of the shofar.”
Hallelu-hu b’teka shofar.
The shofar is an instrument of worship, not just war.
Isaiah 27:13 (Great Shofar):
“In that day the great shofar shall be blown, and they shall come who were lost in Assyria… and shall worship YHWH in Jerusalem.”
V’hayah bayom hahu yitaka b’shofar gadol.
This is a prophecy of the final ingathering, tied in later writings to the resurrection.
Joel 2:1:
“Blow the shofar in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of YHWH comes.”
Tiku shofar b’Tziyon, hari’u b’har kodshi.
The shofar announces both judgment and hope.
- The New Covenant Fulfillment
Zechariah 9:14:
“The Sovereign LORD will sound the shofar, and He shall march in the storms of the south.”
Matthew 24:31:
“He will send out His angels with a great sound of a shofar, and they will gather His elect from the four winds.”
1 Corinthians 15:52:
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last shofar: for the shofar shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16:
“For the Master Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the shofar of Elohim: and the dead in Messiah shall rise first.”
The apostles reveal that Yom Teruah finds its true fulfillment in the return of Messiah Yeshua.
- Israel’s Temporary Hardness and Future Salvation
Paul wrestled with Israel’s status:
Romans 11:28–29:
“As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of Elohim are without repentance.”
Here we see the paradox: enemies now, yet beloved forever.
1 John 2:23:
“Whoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father: but he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
1 John 5:12:
“He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of Elohim has not life.”
Without Yeshua, there is no salvific relationship with the Father. Yet Israel’s rejection is partial and temporary:
Romans 11:25–26:
“Blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”
Jeremiah 31:31–34 and Ezekiel 36:26–27 promise a New Covenant and a new heart. The Spirit will one day be poured out in fullness.
- Rejection and Mercy
There are levels of rejection:
Active denial (John 8:44)
Passive refusal (Luke 14:16–24)
Ignorance (Acts 17:30)
Temporary stumbling (Romans 11:11)
Final rejection (Hebrews 10:26)
But Paul insists: “Elohim is able to graft them in again” (Romans 11:23). Their fall has meant riches for the nations; their fullness will mean resurrection life.
- Being Uncomfortable: Stephen’s Example
In Acts 6–7, Stephen, a man full of faith and the Ruach HaKodesh, boldly testified before the Sanhedrin. He was stoned, yet he saw heaven opened:
Acts 7:56:
“Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of Elohim.”
His example reminds us that faith often requires discomfort, even suffering. As Paul wrote:
2 Corinthians 4:17:
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
- The Call to Build Elohim’s House
The prophet Haggai challenged the people:
Haggai 1:4, 9:
“Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? … Because of my house that lies waste, while each of you runs to his own house.”
Today, we face the same choice: build our own comfort or prioritize Elohim’s dwelling. For us, this means strengthening the Kehilah, raising intercession, and expanding houses of prayer in the Galilee and Jerusalem.
- Many Waters Cannot Quench Love
Song of Songs 8:7:
“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.”
Mayim rabim lo yukhlu lekhavot et-ha’ahavah, un’harot lo yishtefuha.
This covenant love between Elohim and Israel, fulfilled in Messiah and His bride, cannot be quenched by war, exile, or rejection.
- Application: Stepping Forward in Faith
In light of the wars, Abbas’s demands, nations recognizing Palestine, and Israel’s contested sovereignty over Jerusalem, the call is clear. We must not retreat. Instead, we must expand in faith:
Expand the House of Prayer in the Galilee, creating space for international intercessors.
Prepare to receive buses of disciples, youth, and prayer warriors once the war ends.
Stand as watchmen (Ezekiel 33:6), sounding the shofar of warning and hope.
Invest in the next generation (Gen Z and beyond), equipping them as bold witnesses of Messiah.
As Isaiah declared:
Isaiah 62:1:
“For Zion’s sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest.”
Conclusion and Call
Beloved brothers and sisters, Elohim has set before us both opportunity and responsibility. His covenants with Israel remain. His call to the nations to repent remains. His promise of Messiah’s return with the last shofar remains.
The question is: where do we stand? Will we hide in paneled houses, or will we build His house? Will we remain silent, or will we sound the shofar of witness? Will we retreat, or will we step forward in faith?
May we answer with courage: Hineni — Here I
