Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Teachings Online

The Shofar and Mashiach (Video)

Perhaps one of Judaism’s most familiar symbols is the shofar, or ram’s horn. The Bible mentions two different types of trumpets; the silver trumpet, and the shofar. The shofar can be made from five species of animals; the sheep, goat, mountain goat, antelope, and gazelle. According to the Encyclopedia Judaica, Rabbi Judah states, "the shofar for Rosh HaShanah (Yom Teruah) must be of the horn of a ram, to indicate submission." This idea comes from the story of Abraham being tested to sacrifice his only son, the one he loved, Isaac. We can read the entire story in Genesis / Bereshit 22, for sake of space I just want to hit some highlights. Verse 4 has some interesting nuggets: "On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance." On the surface, the verse speaks of the place that he would go to [...]