Watch: Parasha Yom Teruah Here!
Leviticus 23:23-25, Numbers 10:8-10, 29:1-6; Nehemiah 8:2-3; Matthew 24 (all)
The new moon of the seventh Hebrew month for 2022, that is what starts all the feasts of the seventh month, it is expected to be seen on the evening of the 28th of August as the end of the first day of the week (or Sunday night).
Now, according to the ancient Hebrew wedding model, that means it is time for all of Yeshua’s bride to make those last moment preparations to get ready for the bridegroom’s arrival. It is time to prepare for our wedding day. Our bridegroom is coming for us tonight, are we ready? Are we really ready?
Mattityahu (Matthew) 25:1
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Yom Teruah Sameach (Happy Day of Trumpets)! If you would like to know more about Yom Teruah (the Day of Trumpets), please visit the Nazarene Israel website. We have years’ worth of study materials there, all for free. You can find Yom Teruah in the video series and transcripts for The Feasts of The Seventh Month. You can also find a written version in the Torah Calendar study. And we would advise downloading and keeping all the material that we have published due to the times we are entering into (if you know what we are saying).
But in the ancient Hebrew wedding model there are three phases. We saw the first phase is the match, which is the Pesach (or Passover). Next, comes the public announcement of that betrothal which is at Shavuot (or Pentecost) and that is when the marriage becomes lawfully binding in Yahweh’s sight (once it is announced). Now, once the wedding is announced, both the bride and the groom begin to prepare for the wedding. The bride now converses with the groom’s best friend over the summer to learn what kinds of things he likes.
Yochanan (John) 14:26
26 But the Helper, the Set-apart Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
And in our case our Husband’s best friend is His Spirit. So, we are always supposed to be abiding in Yeshua’s Spirit. Meaning, we are supposed to be abiding in the Vine, because apart from Him, we can do nothing.
Galatim (Galatians) 5:25
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
He wants us to be in constant contact and communication with His Spirit and then listening, and walking, and talking, constantly with Yeshua and His Spirit, each day; constantly in contact with Him through His Spirit. And this brings us back into contact with the Father. Us in Yeshua and Yeshua in us, Him in the Father and the Father with Him. Yeshua is our primary point of contact.
Yochanan (John) 17:21
21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Now, the bride also works on her wedding dress because the bride does not want to do it on the day of her wedding. Does she not want her husband just to be so glad that he chose her?
Hitgalut (Revelation) 19:8
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
And she lays aside extra wicks and oil so that, in case her bridegroom is delayed in his coming (for whatever reason), she will still have enough wicks and oil. In other words, the point is, she takes the wedding seriously.
Kepha Bet (2 Peter) 3:9
9 Yahweh is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
For His part, our Husband is going to go back to His Father’s house, where He is going to prepare a room for His bride to live with Him.
Yochanan (John) 14:2-3
2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
And at the end of the summer harvest and that happy abundance that arrives around that time, now the Bridegroom is ready to come for His bride.
So, with His Father’s review and full approval, He sends a messenger ahead, announcing His coming with a shofar; announcing that the Bridegroom will be coming to take His bride back to His Father’s house, sometime that night (usually around midnight when things are the darkest), unless He is delayed.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 25:6
6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
And we want that to be us, right? Like any bride, we should be preparing diligently for our wedding day, right?
I mean, our wedding day is one of the most important days of any bride’s life. What bride, who loves her husband and who is looking forward to being together with him does not eagerly prepare for her wedding day so she can be pleasing to him on that day?
Timotheus Bet (2 Timothy) 2:4
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
Well, in the ancient Hebrew wedding model, our wedding day is symbolized by Yom Kippur, which takes place only 10 days following Yom Teruah (that is not a lot of time to prepare).
Can we picture what a literal bride would be doing at this point in time?
She hears the sound of the shofar announcing the bridegroom will be coming for her tonight, around midnight (she does not know). What is she going to do?
Is she not going to be immersing herself, and then she is going to be getting her hair done, fixing her nails (if she does that)? Would she not be praying while she is getting her nails done?
Would she not be putting on her wedding dress and making sure everything is just exactly right while she is trying to remember what her husband and his father like?
Would she not be making sure that everything is just perfect, and then just before the wedding she is going to take one last look in the mirror just to make sure everything is in place?
This should be us at Yom Teruah. That is the kind of introspection we need on the day of Yom Teruah.
Why does she go through all the fuss? Because she wants to be the most pleasing thing her groom has ever seen. She wants to see that joy in his eye and to see the smile on his face when he sees that she is all prepared. She has on her perfect, spotless, blemish-less dress. She is wearing her spiritual ornaments. She wants to be the most pleasing thing he has ever laid his eyes upon.
Mishle (Proverbs) 31:10-11
10 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain.
Well, now can we see ourselves as that bride? We have been eagerly waiting for our bridegroom to come for us, for about two thousand years now. And are we rehearsing for that special day when Yeshua is going to come for us?
Because He is coming soon. We can see the signs and the times. We know the days of Matthew 24 are upon us. And after Matthew 24, He talks about the qualifications for the bride in Matthew 25; three different parables (we talked about that last week).
Mattityahu (Matthew) 24:21
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Are we preparing ourselves in every way possible, to be everything Yeshua hopes we will be upon His return?
He says, when the Son of Man returns, not will He find ‘faith’ on the earth, but will He find the faith on the earth? Check our study on “The Case of The Missing “The””.
Luqa (Luke) 18:8 NKJV Corrected
8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Adam comes, will He really find the faith on the earth?”
So, as His hopeful and expectant bride, are we checking all the details and making sure we got everything just correctly the way He wants it? Our dress is pure white, there is no wrinkles, no stains?
Ephesim (Ephesians) 5:27
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Okay, good. Now, let us all take the bath, let us take the ritual immersion, let us take the spiritual bath and die to ourselves in our old way of life in our old father’s house in the world.
Ma’asei (Acts) 2:38
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Yeshua Messiah for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit.
Maybe we dwell with Babylon (every person is different), but now let us wipe ourselves clean, wash ourselves clean, inside and out, and get ready for a new life with our Husband. Just like ritual immersion, let us make ourselves a blank slate and die to our old life, and now we can become a blank slate and we can hear and obey His voice and we can learn the new habits and the new traits that He and His Father want us to have.
Yochanan Aleph (1 John) 3:3
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Once we are clean, now let us deck ourselves with all our spiritual ornaments: Chastity (purity), faith; these things are pleasing to Him.
Galatim (Galatians) 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no Torah.
Well, as we put on our spiritual ornaments, now we are going to take that final look in the mirror before our groom sees us. And now we are asking our friends and our bridesmaids please to tell us in fellowship and in love if there is anything out of order, anything we need to fix. That is what fellowship is all about.
Ivrim (Hebrews) 3:13
13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Galatim (Galatians) 6:2
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the Torah of Messiah.
And that is what Yom Teruah is all about; it is the bride’s warning to get ready, that the bridegroom is coming tonight, let us make sure that we have got plenty of oil and spare wicks in case our bridegroom gets delayed for any reason.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 25:13
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Adam is coming.
So, Yom Teruah means the bridegroom is on His way to come for us. And when He arrives, will He see that we were truly the wise virgins He wanted, who used our time wisely to prepare for our wedding day?
Hitgalut (Revelation) 22:12, 14
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Is everything done? Is everything all arranged exactly the way He wanted? Or are we perhaps the foolish brides who are not prepared for the wedding?
Hitgalut (Revelation) 22:15
15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
The King is under no obligation to take a queen if she is not right. That is a big misunderstanding in the John 3:16 community; if we are not completely 100 percent right and keeping the full bridal Ketubah, the King’s Son is under no obligation to take us as His queen. Not if we deserve the death penalty for insubordination to His Father.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 7:23
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice Torah-lessness!’
All right, what? Oh! He is going to come and marry a disobedient bride so He will then turn around and have to kill her for disobeying His Father’s commandments?
No. Much, better to put her away quietly, so as not to make her a public example. I have heard that somewhere before, I am not sure…
Mattityahu (Matthew) 1:19
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
So, this year on Yom Teruah, as the day of our wedding on Yom Kippur approaches, let us take that one last final look in the mirror to see if we have got everything exactly in keeping with His instructions.
Tehillim (Psalms) 119:44-45
44 So shall I keep Your law continually, forever and ever.
45 And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts.
Brothers, sisters, if we are honest with ourselves and if we are humble and we see something that really is not just exactly right according to what Yeshua wants in a queen, now is the time for us to take it to heart and fix it.
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 1:18
18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says Yahweh, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Qorintim Bet (2 Corinthians) 6:2
2 For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Because when the wise Bridegroom, our King comes, then according to kingly standards, He is only going to accept those wise virgins who valued their marriage to the King, and took the time, and took the pains to become completely ready for Him according to the Torah; shining His light, in His testimony as darkness covers the earth.
Hitgalut (Revelation) 14:12
12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of Elohim and the faith of Yeshua.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 5:16
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Marana-tha (come quickly, Master) Yeshua.
Amein.