The Significance of the Shofar

The sounding of the shofar, or the ram’s horn, has spiritual significance throughout the Bible, and for us today.

And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. Exodus 19:17-19 (KJV)

The shofar was sounded at Mount Sinai heralding the Lord’s descent and giving of the law. As we blow the shofar, God makes His presence known.

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Joshua 6:20 (KJV)

The shofars were blown at Jericho and the walls fell flat. As we sound the shofar, walls come down and we are victorious.

Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. Leviticus 25:9-10 (KJV)

The shofar was sounded to announce the jubilee year. Jesus is our jubilee- all the time, not just every 50 years. We can blow the shofar to release the freedom Jesus purchased for us.

With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King. Psalm 98:6 (KJV)

The word coronet in Hebrew is actually referring to the shofar. We can use the shofar as a call to worship.

So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. II Samuel 6:15 (KJV)

Trumpet here is the shofar. They blew the shofar when the Ark of the Covenant was brought back to Jerusalem.They worshiped and danced with instruments. This speaks of New Testament worship with instruments, dancing, and the shofar.

Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Joel 2:15 (KJV)

The shofar was used to call a fast and a solemn assembly of the people to come together to call on God, asking Him to move and bring good things to pass. We can sound the shofar to announce times of prayer before God.

Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. Hosea 8:1 (KJV)

The trumpet (shofar) announced impending danger and was a signal for battle and judgment. We must warn people to wake up or face judgment for their sinful ways.

Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. Ezekiel 33:2-4 (KJV)

The watchman used a shofar to warn the city of danger. We are to warn the world of danger and encourage them to take action. We can tell the lost to repent, sounding the alarm like a trumpet. In so doing, we have no responsibility for those who do not heed the alarm, and for those who do, we have won a soul to Christ.

Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps. I Chronicles 15:28 (KJV)

Blowing the shofar helps us to celebrate our victory.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: I Thessalonians 4:16 (KJV)

The final point I want to make about the shofar is that it will sound at the rapture of the church. As we blow the shofar, we declare the soon return of Jesus the Messiah.

There is much spiritual significance in the sounding of the shofar. We have touched on a portion of it. I encourage you to do further study into its use and how it applies to us today. Blow the trumpet in Zion!