Sermon Tone Analysis

There is a really catchy song that was written by Craig Terndrup back in ‘83 that goes like this:

They rush on the city; they run on the wall.

Great is the army that carries out His Word.

They rush on the city; they run on the wall.

Great is the army that carries out His Word.

The Lord utters His voice before His army.

The Lord utters His voice before His army.

Blow the trumpet in Zion, Zion.

Sound the alarm on My holy mountain.

Blow the trumpet in Zion, Zion.

Sound the alarm.

But I wonder if those singing the song actually know what they are asking for?

Let’s start by reading the Scripture that it comes from: Joel 2:1-11

Call of War and Judgement

The prophet Joel saw a plague of locust destroying the land.

This plague blocked out the sun, destroyed all produce like a fire, marched through the land like an army, and was driven, as Joel says, by Adonai Himself.

The first thing to note is that the sounding of the Shofar is a call to war.

We have seen this several times in our study of Jeremiah.

Jer.

4:5

Other passages in Jeremiah include: Jer.

6:1 & 17.

We see this usage of the Shofar through out many of the prophets, including the passage from Joel that we just read.

In Joel 2:15 we see a slight different use of the Shofar.

Here the Shofar is used to assemble people together for repentance.

But we can not escape the reality that the call to repentance has come after the judgement that Adonai sent.

Later on in the passage, it seems that the people do repent, and then Adonai promises to Joel 2:25 ““restore to you the years that the locust, the swarming locust, the canker-worm and the caterpillar have eaten— My great army that I sent among you.””

Praising the Lord

When the Psalmists use the word “Shofar” they usually use it with the idea of praising Adonai.

One of the clearest examples is found in Ps. 150

Other examples in the Psalms of this would include Ps. 47:6, Ps. 98:6 & Ps.

81:4

Announcing the King

Most of us will have seen the news, of King Charles III being announced, and heard the fanfare of trumpets.

However this is not the first king to be announced by trumpets, and it won’t be the last.

We read in 1 Ki.

1:33-35

This tradition continued throughout Israel’s history as we see with Jehu in 2 Ki.

9:13

But every king from then until now has been a disappointment.

They have not lived up to the calling in Ps. 2:6-8

Which is why the Psalmist has to refer to Adonai when he writes in Ps. 98:5-6

Truly, Adonai is King.

In fact the first time that the word Shofar occurs is announcing the coming of Adonai on Mount Sinai.

Ex. 19:16

So in summary:

SHOPHAR: A curved musical instrument made of a ram’s horn (Heb.

šôp̱ār, “trumpet” or “horn”).

The shophar produces two tones, and is important for its signaling quality rather than its musicality.

Its sound carried a long way, and thus it was used to signal attack (Josh.

6:4; Judg.

3:27), sound the alarm of war (Jer.

4:19), prepare for war (51:27), suspend battle and recall troops (2 Sam.

2:28; 18:16), and declare victory (1 Sam.

13:3).

It was also used to praise God in worship (Ps.

98:6; 150:3), announce the accession of a king (2 Sam.

15:10; 1 Kgs.

1:34, 39; 2 Kgs.

9:13), summon the Israelites to Sinai (Exod.

19:13, 16, 19; 20:18; cf.

Heb.

12:19), proclaim the New Year Festival (Lev.

23:24; Num.

29:1), and herald the arrival of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (1 Chr.

15:28).

It warns of God’s judgment (Hos.

5:8; Amos 2:2), the day of the Lord (Joel 2:1; Zeph.

1:16), and eschatological revelation (Isa.

27:13; Zech.

9:14; Rev. 8:2, 6, 12; 9:1, 13).

Yeshua’s Statement

Well, Now I I want to look at how the New Covenant writers used the word Shofar.

Let’s look at the words of Yeshua recorded by Matt.

24:29-31

Yeshua is quoting from multiple prophets as He speaks to his Talmidim about the Day of the Lord.

The first verse is quoting from: Isa.

13:10, 34:4 (LXX); Ezek.

32:7; Joel 2:10; 3:4(2:31); Zeph.

1:15.

As far as we understand, the passage we read in Joel is the oldest of all these prophesies, and forms the foundations for the others.

Yeshua is speaking of the day of his return “on the clouds of heaven” a quote from Dan. 7:13.

Let’s look at Zeph. 1:14-18 for some more clarity.

And then as Yeshua comes we see that He is given glory, honor and dominion over all the earth.

Dan.

7:13-14

Every other time in Scripture, when we hear of someone coming with or in the clouds of heaven, it always refers to Adonai.

Every other passage, except this one.

Who is this man, who has the right, authority and power to come in the clouds, and to approach the Ancient of Days?

How is his dominion “an everlasting dominion” that never passes away?

This is Yeshua of Nazareth!

Sha’ul’s Explanation

Rav.

Sha’ul links the blowing of the shofar with the Day of the Lord and the Resurrection of the Righteous.

The first passage, is in his letter to the believers in Corinth. 1 Cor.

15:51-52

Sha’ul speaks of the last shofar.

This links the passage to Exodus 19:16 that we read, but also to the prophesy in Isa.

27:13

A call, on the day of Adonai, that will bring people from around the world to worship in Jerusalem.

This is what the prophet sees.

Sha’ul explains more to the believers in Thessalonica 1 Thes.

4:13-18

This passage provides us with some important details:

The Resurrection of the Righteous applies only to those who believe that Yeshua died and rose again

When Yeshua comes it will be loud and obvious, accompined by a shofar blast

The Resurrection of the Righteous occurs on the same day

The Rapture (being caught up) occurs with the Resurrection of the Righteous

Then, we will meet Yeshua in the air

So what happens then?

Well for that we have to go to the end of the book.

Rev. 20:4-6

Yeshua will then rule and reign from Jerusalem for 1000 years!