Understanding the Shofar

by Joy Gilbert

Shofar is the Hebrew word that comes from a root meaning beauty. Through tradition, the word shofar came to mean almost solely “ram's horn.” Literally, shofar is translated as a “sense of incising.” Incising means to cut or burn into.

Obviously the sound of the shofar was more than a mere horn blast to the ancient Hebrews for it to earn a name that signified a cutting or burning into the heart and soul of the people. Still today, most would agree that when you hear the sounds of the shofar, it deeply penetrates both spirit and soul.

When you see the word trumpet in the Bible, it is usually referring to the shofar, the trumpet of God. By studying the Scriptures, we see that it is very important to God. Along with the harp, the shofar is the most spoken of instrument in the Bible. While the harp is used to calm and soothe the spirit and soul, the shofar is constantly used to grab hold of the spirit of the people. The harp is a consoler while the shofar is a preparer. It's no wonder that more and more churches are blowing the shofar as we prepare ourselves for the return of our Lord and Savior.

It frequently was made from a ram's horn; however, any kosher animal horn was used except the cow or ox. Hebrew law prohibits the use of the cow or ox because they were used as the image of Baal. The shofar continues to be made by the same method utilized for over 5000 years and is an object of great spiritual significance.

The shofar is a symbol of power. The horn is an animal's source of power, its physical strength, what it gores with in order to cause as much damage as possible to its “enemy.” The horn equals strength and power. It also represents the ram caught in the thicket when Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac.

Today, it represents God's humble substitutional sacrifice for us, Jesus. It is not considered a musical instrument but rather a ceremonial instrument. According to Jewish law, it is acceptable for both men and women to blow it.

The most popular shofar in the church is the Yemenite triple twist horn from a West African antelope called a Kudu. Animal horns are made of cartilage (fleshy bone), blood, and keratinous material (like fingernails). Removing the cartilage, drilling a hole in the tip for the breath to flow through and smoothing the rough outer edges makes the instrument. It is also heated and pressed to bend its shape for the best use in the hands of a master.

In this it is also symbolic of man. We, too, must remove the flesh from our lives, be pierced by the Holy Spirit (the breath of God), be heated, pressured and bent into obedience, and rid of our rough edges in order to be an effective instrument of God, the ultimate Master.

When you first buy a Shofar, it has a terrible odor because of a residue of flesh remaining within it and must be cleaned out in order to get rid of the rotting smell (Click here for instructions on cleaning).

Again, you can see the relevance to man. When we are reborn, there is still that flesh nature in us which must be removed before we can become a sweet fragrance to one another. Placing small rocks mixed with rock salt into the horn and then shaking it until the dregs of flesh are removed cleans the shofar. This must be repeated from time to time until the odor no longer returns.

We, too, are periodically shaken to remove our lingering vestiges of flesh. Like the rocks, the hardness of trials and tribulations purifies us. As for the salt, we are told in Mark 9:49 that "every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt." It brings to mind the sacrifice of our flesh referred to in Gal. 5:24.

In the Jewish tradition, there are different notes or types of noise sounded with the shofar. The first is the "teki'ah." This sound is one continuous burst, consisting of one or two tones. It's the sound of triumph, joy, and happiness. It was often used to announce the coming of the king. The second noise is the "shevarim." It consists of three shorter blasts of two tones each. This represents a broken, moaning, and crying sound, signifying that we are broken before the Lord. The third sound is the "teruah." It's a set of nine or more shorter bursts of sound and can be of one or two tones. This is the uttering of short piercing cries, a plea for mercy.

The latter two sounds speak powerfully to the intercessor. Many times the sounds of happiness and moaning are combined. Why are there both sounds of joy and of sorrow blown from the shofar? There's a story about a man who had a ring made that was engraved with, "this too, shall pass." If he was troubled and in pain, he would look at his ring and remember that the suffering would eventually end. During times of happiness and comfort, he would gaze at his ring and realize that his wealth and good fortune could change for the worse in an instant. This ring reminded the man that all in his life had to be put into perspective, and that one should live his life neither complacent nor despondent.

When listening to the shofar, we should remember that we cannot forget God during times of contentment, and we cannot let our egos swell from our achievements. Only with God's help do we prosper, and only with God's help will we continue to do so. Further, when we hear the sorrowful sound, we shouldn't think that God has forsaken us, but remember that He hears our cries and can be relied upon for strength and mercy.

There is a fourth traditional sound which is called "teki'ah gedolah." It is one long blast of one or two tones, held as long as possible. It is used to call upon God. It was sounded at Mt. Sinai before God's descent and, as stated in 1 Thess 4:16, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God."

It is riveting to note here that in the past couple of years there has been a 70% increase in the sales of shofars in the church. Christ will return to the sound of the Shofar and they are being blown more and more throughout the land. It's something to which serious thought should be given.

Besides these traditional sounds, there is a different sound coming to the shofar. Unlike the traditional “notes” of the Synagogue, God is playing a new song. While I was learning to produce the different soundings of the shofar, either no sound or some very strange sounds came from it many times. With help from His Spirit, I am beginning to understand these different sounds.

These distinct tones and patterns of rhythm have great meaning in the spirit realm. As you blow the sounds given by His Spirit, it is similar to praying in the spirit; we don't always understand just what we're saying but it has great effect. Of course, when blowing the shofar it is always important to be led by His Spirit just as when praying in tongues. Simply making noise with it accomplishes nothing and may even be repulsive to God.

Also, just as our prayer language, it develops gradually with use. When I began, I could only sound one or two tones. The Lord has increased my shofar “language” to seven tones now, which allows for use that is even more fervent and effective. Instead of sounding the traditional notes, many times I'm led to play long singular tones of particular frequencies. Other times, it may be a pattern of tones that resemble the song of a musical instrument.

It is important for the shofar blower not to get caught up in learning the “proper” notes to play but rather to stay in communion with the Lord and simply allow His Spirit to provide the song. Many times, these patterns of tones are prophetic in nature and can be understood by those gifted in interpretation. It is a new song, a new way in which God is speaking to His people. And yet it is not totally new. It is very similar to the system He instructed Moses to employ as the Israelites moved through the wilderness (Numbers 10). He called for distinct soundings to be blown as a means of maintaining order while the multitude of His people followed The Glory Cloud.

I am convinced that the prophesied Judgments are imminent and God is again using the sounds of the shofar as one of many means to direct the movements of His Church. In the Bible, the Shofar is blown for a variety of reasons. The Biblical references are at the end of this article and are listed by type of events in which it was blown. It was most frequently blown to call for fasting and prayer, repentance, praise and worship, to rally troops, for God's intercession when going to battle the enemy, and for sounding a memorial to God.

Many people in the Bible used the shofar, from priest to shepherds of the field and the watchman on the walls. It was not just used in religious ceremony. The words watchman, sentinel and shepherd are linked together in meaning by the vigil that they take upon themselves. Vigil means an act of praying and standing watch for someone or something, guarding that person or thing, waiting for however long as necessary for the safety of the one watched over. These three, the watchman, sentinel and shepherd will stand the vigil and sound the alarm, attack the enemy, or cry out to God for mercy when necessary.

I have no doubt that the greatest call for the shofar today is its use in the hands of the mighty prayer warrior, the intercessor. Evangelist Dick Reuben (of Dick Reuben Evangelistic Ministries) has produced a videotape, "Sound of the Shofar," in which he teaches on the biblical patterns and relevancy of the Shofar. Also shown is how it is being used in the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Florida. They are having great success with deliverance, healing, and intercessory prayer through its sounds.

Reuben shares that one of the reasons the shofar is so effective is that the sound pierces the air, thereby penetrating the realm of the enemy (the prince of the air). This causes the enemy confusion just as it did for the troops of Gideon. At Gideon's command, 300 men went into battle blowing their shofars, and the enemy, confused, destroyed itself. By this penetration of the air, our praise, prayer, and worship are sent directly to the third heaven unimpeded. This video is rich in spiritual teaching and is a valuable source for further study.

The overall use of the Shofar as an effective tool for breaking down spiritual walls, snapping the chains of bondage, facilitating worship, and empowering intercessory prayer can be best understood when one realizes the significance of its penetrating tones in the spirit realm. As previously noted, our Jesus will return to its sound. His return signifies the end of Satan and his principalities.

It is easy to understand the fear and confusion it causes the enemy when it's played. When he hears the sounds, he doesn't know if the time has come for his end or if it is just a reminder of his ultimate finish. Either way, he surely must hate it.

The sounding of the shofar can also call the spirit of sinners to repentance for the same reason though they may not actually understand why they seem to be troubled by its sound. It is useful for opening the spirit of man to the conviction and drawing of the Holy Spirit. However, the spirit of the right standing believer is calmed and made glad at its sound because we welcome the return of our Lord and Savior while, at the same time, the sound brings us into a place of reverence at the awesome-ness of Almighty God.

One very simple analogy is to imagine being robbed and beaten. You are in fear of your very life! Suddenly you hear a siren. When the robber hears the sound, he knows the authorities are on the way; he is immediately struck with fear and flees. For you, the siren brings a great feeling of relief and gratefulness because you realize you have finally been rescued yet at the same time you have an increased understanding and awe of just how vulnerable and dependent you are on this lifesaving authority.