The word shofar שופר shares root letters ש.פ.ר with:
לשפר
leshaper
to improve
True improvement is spiritual and eternal. Our best selves are like shofars of flesh blown by the breath of God to proclaim sounds flowing from Source.
אֲדֹנָי
שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח
וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶךָ
תהילים נא:יז
"O Lord,
open my lips,
and my mouth will declare Your praise."
Psalms 51:17
A shofar שופר is made from a ram's horn. (A trumpet חצוצרה is made from metal.)
In the Akeda/Binding of Isaac, the ram that God provides in place of Isaac is caught by his horns:
וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו
וַיַּרְא֙
וְהִנֵּה־אַ֔יִל
אַחַ֕ר נֶאֱחַ֥ז בַּסְּבַ֖ךְ
בְּקַרְנָ֑יו
וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אַבְרָהָם֙
וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־הָאַ֔יִל
וַיַּעֲלֵ֥הוּ לְעֹלָ֖ה
תַּ֥חַת בְּנֽוֹ
בראשית כב:יג
"And Abraham lifted up his eyes,
and looked,
and behold a ram,
behind him caught in the thicket
by his horns;
and Abraham went
and took the ram
and offered him up for a burnt offering
in place of his son."
Genesis 22:13
After Israel's deliverance from Egypt, heavenly shofar sounds over Mount Sinai with Voice of God:
וַיְהִי֙ ק֣וֹל הַשּׁוֹפָ֔ר
הוֹלֵ֖ךְ וְחָזֵ֣ק מְאֹ֑ד
מֹשֶׁ֣ה יְדַבֵּ֔ר
וְהָאֱלֹהִ֖ים יַעֲנֶ֥נּוּ בְקֽוֹל
שמות יט:יט
"And the Voice of the shofar sounded,
and became louder and louder,
Moses speaking
and God answering him with Voice."
Exodus 19:19
Approximately 3 million people somehow see Voice of shofar as God speaks the Ten Commandments:
וְכָל-הָעָם רֹאִים
אֶת-הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת-הַלַּפִּידִם
וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר
וְאֶת-הָהָר עָשֵׁן
וַיַּרְא הָעָם
וַיָּנֻעוּ
וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק
שמות כ:טו
"And all the people seeing
the voices and the lightning flashes
and the Voice of the shofar
and the mountain smoking;
and the people saw,
and they were shaken
and stood at a distance."
Exodus 20:15
Shofar from spiritual realm sounding at Mount Sinai is commemorated each year at Rosh Hashanah זכרון תרועה Memory of Shofar Shouts:
דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י
בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֗דֶשׁ
יִהְיֶ֤ה לָכֶם֙ שַׁבָּת֔וֹן
זִכְר֥וֹן תְּרוּעָ֖ה
מִקְרָא־קֹֽדֶשׁ
ויקרא כג:כד
"Speak to the Children of Israel:
'In the seventh month,
on the first day of the month,
it will be for you a sabbatical,
a memory of shofar shouts,
a holy convocation.'"
Leviticus 23:24
7 Kohanim blow 7 shofars in the conquest of Jericho:
וְשִׁבְעָ֣ה כֹהֲנִ֡ים יִשְׂאוּ֩ שִׁבְעָ֨ה שׁוֹפְר֤וֹת הַיּֽוֹבְלִים֙
לִפְנֵ֣י הָאָר֔וֹן
וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י תָּסֹ֥בּוּ אֶת־הָעִ֖יר שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים
וְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים יִתְקְע֖וּ בַּשּׁוֹפָרֽוֹת
יהושע ו:ד
“And seven priests will carry seven shofars of ram horns
before the ark;
and on the seventh day you will go around the city seven times,
and the priests will blow with the shofars."
Joshua 6:4
Isaiah prophesies shofar sounding to gather the scattered people of God:
וְהָיָ֣ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא
יִתָּקַע֮ בְּשׁוֹפָ֣ר גָּדוֹל֒
וּבָ֗אוּ הָאֹֽבְדִים֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אַשּׁ֔וּר
וְהַנִּדָּחִ֖ים בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם
וְהִשְׁתַּחֲו֧וּ לַֽיהֹוָ֛ה
בְּהַ֥ר הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם
ישעיהו כז:יג
"And in that day,
a great shofar will be sounded,
and the lost in the land of Assyria,
and the expelled in the land of Egypt will come;
and will worship HaShem
on the holy mountain in Jerusalem."
Isaiah 27:13
7 angels hold 7 shofars at the time of Revelation:
וְשִׁבְעַת הַמַּלְאָכִים
שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם שִׁבְעָה שׁוֹפָרוֹת
הֵכִינוּ עַצְמָם לְהָרִיעַ
התגלות ח:ו
"And the seven angels
who have the seven shofars
prepared themselves to sound them."
Revelation 8:6
7th angel sounds to usher in the Messianic age, awaited by both Jews and Christians, when the Word/Messiah overcomes darkness with light and all recognize the God of Israel:
וְהַמַּלְאָךְ הַשְּׁבִיעִי הֵרִיעַ
וְהָיוּ קוֹלוֹת גְּדוֹלִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם
אוֹמְרִים:
הָיְתָה מַלְכוּת הָעוֹלָם
לַאֲדוֹנֵינוּ וְלִמְשִׁיחוֹ
וְיִמְלֹךְ לְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים
התגלות ח:ו
"And the seventh angel sounded;
and there were loud voices in heaven,
saying: 'The kingdom of the world has become
for our God and for His Messiah;
and He will reign forever and ever.'"
Revelation 11:15
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