Yom Truah 2026

 Chag Sameach Yom Truah

I found the following Youtube video enlightening and helpful while preparing for Yom Truah.

Rosh Hashanah 5787: The Torah Never Once Calls It That

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGx1UJaAtxI

According to the literal text of the Torah, the real focus of Yom Teruah is not a celebration, a party, or a calendar countdown—it is a collective, urgent cry to be remembered by YHVH.

While later rabbinic traditions transformed the day into Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), the Torah strips away all the festive fanfare and narrows the focus down to a single, powerful raw action: making a distinct acoustic signal before the Creator.

The Torah establishes this true focus through three main principles:

1. An Acoustic Awakening (Teruah)

The word Teruah (תְּרוּעָה) does not inherently mean a musical instrument; it means a shout, a loud alarm, or a crashing sound. The primary focus of the day is to shatter the silence. In the Torah's agricultural context, this day lands at the end of the dry summer when the harvest is completely finished, but the autumn rains have not yet arrived. The earth is dry, and the people are vulnerable. The teruah is a raw, corporate cry of human dependency directed toward the heavens.

2. Activating Divine Remembrance (Zikaron)

In Leviticus 23:24, the Torah explicitly calls the day Zichron Teruah (זִכְרוֹן תְּרוּעָה)—a "memorial" or "remembrance" of blowing.
The Torah defines exactly what this means in Numbers 10:9–10, where God explains the purpose of blowing alarms:

"...then you shall sound an alarm (teruah) with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the YHVH your Elohim, and you will be saved from your enemies."

Therefore, the ultimate focus of the day is not for us to remember something, but to cry out so that YHVH will "remember" us. In Hebrew thought, when YHVH "remembers," it means He moves into action to save, protect, and provide for His people.

3. A Sacred Threshold of Introspection

The Torah places Yom Teruah exactly on the first day of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:23). By making it the gateway to the seventh month, the Torah frames this day as a spiritual threshold. It initiates a ten-day countdown leading directly to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). The focus is to wake up, stop routine work, gather as a community, and stand exposed before YHVH in absolute vulnerability before the day of purging and judgment arrives.

Summary

The Torah teaches that Yom Teruah is a day to stop working, make a noise, and appeal to the memory of YHVH. It is the moment where human helplessness meets divine faithfulness through a collective cry.

From the strict standpoint of what the Torah actually commands, focusing heavily on the technical dynamics of the different shofar sounds—such as the tekiah, shevarim, and teruah—can easily become a distraction that completely obscures the true, raw spirit of the appointment.

The Torah introduces no complex musical formulas or performance standards for this day. When human traditions overly internalize and over-analyze the physical ritual, they risk missing the core spiritual mechanics of Yom Teruah in several ways:

1. Reversing the Direction of the Call

The most profound distraction of focusing on the intricacies of the shofar blasts is that it flips the biblical direction of the day. Modern traditions often treat the shofar as a call directed at the congregation—a wake-up alarm to shake human ears.

However, as established in Numbers 10:9, the Torah frames the teruah as a sound directed upward toward YHVH ("you shall sound an alarm... and you will be remembered before the YHVH"). When the focus shifts to whether the blower executes the notes perfectly, the ritual transforms into a human performance for a human audience, rather than a raw, vulnerable cry rising to the heavens.

2. Missing the "Silence" of the Shofar in the Text

An obsession with the shofar inherently misses a shocking reality in the text: the Torah never once uses the word "shofar" to describe this feast.

• Leviticus 23:24 simply calls it Zichron Teruah (a memorial of making a loud noise).
• The sound could just as easily be a corporate human shout, a crying out, or the silver trumpets.

By fixating strictly on the physical ram's horn and its precise rabbinic acoustics, it becomes easy to lose sight of the fact that the instrument is merely a vessel. The true "sound" YHVH is looking for is the brokenness and dependency of the human heart.

3. Turning an "In-Between" Space into a Distraction

As highlighted in historical context, Yom Teruah sits at a delicate agricultural threshold where the old harvest is completely done and the new rains have not yet come. It is an anxious, quiet space of complete vulnerability.

When a service or observation becomes heavily preoccupied with parsing out the difference between a broken sob (shevarim) and a rapid alarm (teruah), the cognitive analysis drowns out the heavy, spiritual weight of the silence. It replaces the deep, internal posture of a trembling soul waiting on YHVH with a checklist of traditional acoustic cues.

The Historic Paradigm: Hannah vs. The Horns

This is why the historical readings curated for this day contrast so beautifully. You can have the loudest, most flawless shofar blast ringing through a valley, but if it lacks the raw, authentic spirit of absolute dependency, it is just empty noise.

Meanwhile, as seen in 1 Samuel 1, Hannah stood in the Tabernacle making absolutely no audible sound at all—only her lips moved. Yet, because her heart was entirely poured out in its rawest form, the Torah's ultimate goal was realized: "and YHVH remembered her."

Let’s explore exactly how the biblical prophets and the New Testament address this deep tension between empty religious noise and the true spirit of YHVH's appointments. Both sections of scripture launch a fierce critique against letting physical rituals become a distraction from an authentic, heart-level connection with YHVH.

1. The Old Testament Prophets: YHVH Despises the "Noise"

Throughout the Old Testament, Israel frequently fell into the trap of executing feasts, sacrifices, and trumpet blasts flawlessly while their hearts were completely detached from YHVH's character. The prophets did not mince words when exposing this hypocrisy:

• Amos 5:21–24: YHVH issues a staggering, direct rejection of religious performance:

"I hate, I despise your feast days... Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream."
Amos explicitly calls their beautifully orchestrated worship "noise" because it was disconnected from structural justice and true repentance.

• Isaiah 1:13–14: Isaiah records YHVH expressing physical exhaustion over empty rituals:

"Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies... My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them."

• Joel 2:12–13: In a passage deeply tied to the trumpet-blowing themes of judgment, Joel clarifies what YHVH actually wants broken:

"'Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.' Rend your heart, and not your garments..."
Rending a garment or blowing a horn is an external, easily duplicated act; tearing open the heart requires true vulnerability.

2. The New Testament: The Spirit vs. The Letter

In the New Testament, Yahshua and the Apostles directly build upon this prophetic critique, translating it into a structural paradigm shift regarding how we approach YHVH's commands.

Yahshua on "Lips vs. Hearts"

In Matthew 15:7–8, Yahshua confronts the religious leaders who were hyper-focused on the exact traditional specifications of clean and unclean rituals. He quotes Isaiah back to them: "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honour Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me." Yahshua constantly re-anchors every law—whether it is the Sabbath, fasting, or tithing—back to its internal weight: mercy, faith, and the love of YHVH (Matthew 23:23).

Paul on the "Engraving of Death"

The Apostle Paul directly addresses the danger of focusing on mechanical, external execution over the life-giving intent of YHVH's word.

• 2 Corinthians 3:6: Paul writes that YHVH has made us ministers of a renewed covenant, "not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
• Colossians 2:16–17: Paul explicitly names the scriptural calendar cycles—festivals, new moons, and Sabbaths—and defines their true function: "These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Messiah"

If a person fixates entirely on the shadow (the frequency of the shofar notes, the precise physical calendar date, the mechanics of the ritual), they are staring at the ground and completely missing the actual "substance" that cast the shadow in the first place.

The Ultimate Convergence

When we synthesize the Torah, the Prophets, and the New Testament, a beautiful, singular truth emerges about Yom Teruah:

   [ Physical Ritual ]                      [ Spiritual Core ]

 Precise Shofar Formulas  ───────► VS ◄───────  A Cry of Total Helplessness

 External "Noise" of Feasts ─────► VS ◄───────  An Internal "Rending" of Heart

 Staring at the Shadow    ───────► VS ◄───────  Resting in the Divine Substance

If the physical blast of a shofar does not mirror a soul completely undone, weeping like Hannah, or crying out for mercy like the remnant in Nehemiah, then the ritual has ceased to be a set apart appointment—it has simply become a religious distraction.

No, it is not biblically wrong to blow the shofar on Yom Teruah, but there is a fascinating difference between what the Torah explicitly commands and how human traditions have evolved.

Therefore, blowing a shofar is completely permitted and highly appropriate, but it is technically a traditional application of the command rather than an explicitly stated rule in the text itself

In Rabbinic Judaism, if the holiday lands on the Sabbath, the shofar is completely silenced for that day. This restriction is not found in the Torah; it is a fence law (Gezeirah) created by the ancient rabbis. They feared that a person might accidentally carry their shofar through a public domain to get to the synagogue, which would technically violate the Sabbath prohibition against carrying objects outside.

If the shofar is blown as a genuine, gut-wrenching cry to heaven—acting as the physical amplifier for a heart that is completely dependent on YHVH—then it perfectly aligns with the raw spirit of the Torah's command.

No, there is no commandment in the Torah to blow the shofar on the weekly Sabbath. In fact, regular musical instruments or horns have no mandated role in the standard weekly Sabbath observations outlined in the Torah.

When it comes to the other sacred appointments (moadim), the word "shofar" (שׁוֹפָר) is explicitly commanded by the Torah for only one specific appointment: the Jubilee Year

The single time the Torah explicitly commands the sounding of a shofar for a holiday is in Leviticus 25:9:

"Then you shall sound the loud shofar on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) you shall sound the shofar throughout all your lands.

This blast occurred only once every 50 years. It was sounded on Yom Kippur to officially declare liberty across the nation and release all indentured servants

The use of the shofar on this day is an ancient, logical rabbinic inference (Gezera Shava). Because Leviticus 25 connects the word teruah directly to a shofar in the seventh month, the ancient sages concluded that the unstated instrument of the 1st day of the seventh month must also be a shofar

For all other standard appointments—such as the New Moons (Rosh Chodesh) and the annual pilgrim festivals (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot)—the Torah actually commands a completely different instrument: two hammered silver trumpets (chatzotzrot), not a shofar.

As stated in Numbers 10:10:

"Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings...

Neither the shofar blast at Mount Sinai nor the shofar blast at the return of the Messiah are blown by human lips or produced by human hands. They are entirely supernatural, divine signals originating directly from heaven.

Human Shofars: Blown to warn of an invading army, to signal a camp to pack up, or to desperately beg YHVH to remember them (Yom Teruah).

Psa 119:165  Great peace have those loving Your Torah, And for them there is no stumbling-block. 

Nehemiah 8 is widely considered the first in-depth, narrative account of how the first day of the seventh month (Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah) was practically celebrated by the community.

While the original instructions for the holiday are given earlier in Leviticus 23:23–25 and Numbers 29:1–6, those texts are strictly prescriptive commands—they outline what to do (rest, blow the trumpets, offer sacrifices) but provide no narrative on a community actually living it out

Nehemiah 8 provides the first look at the actual ethos, emotions, and communal layout of the day

How Nehemiah 8 Shapes the Practical Tradition of the Feast

The chapter details exactly how the post-exilic community under Ezra and Nehemiah marked the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei):

A Set Apatr Convocation Convocation: The entire community—men, women, and all children old enough to understand—gathered "as one man" at the Water Gate

Torah-Centric Focus: Ezra reads the Torah from daybreak until noon from a specially constructed wooden platform, demonstrating the central role scriptural instruction took on during this holy convocation – not intricate shofar blasts. These blasts are not wrong but should not replace YHVH’s intended purpose for this appointment – repentance turning back to YHVH’s commandments and the joy we express because YHVH has heard us and seen our hearts and promises to bless us and send the rain.

The Emotional Arc (Weeping to Joy): Hearing the Law caused the people to weep out of conviction. However, Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites corrected them, stating: "This day is set apart to the YHVH your Elohim; do not mourn or weep"

The Command to Feast: They were commanded to celebrate by eating choice foods, drinking sweet drinks, and sending portions to those who had nothing prepared. This dynamic established the historical precedent that Yom Teruah is fundamentally a day of rejoicing

Are there any earlier historical mentions?

Yes, but they lack detail. Ezra 3:1–6 notes that when the first wave of exiles returned under Zerubbabel, they built the altar and began offering daily burnt offerings specifically starting on the "first day of the seventh month." However, that passage focuses entirely on the restoration of the altar and the sacrificial system rather than a detailed description of the set apart day's assembly, teachings, or communal customs.

The Second Temple period—the very era initiated in Nehemiah 8—marked the critical turning point where the biblical Yom Teruah ("Day of Shouting/Blasting") evolved into what is widely known today as Rosh Hashanah ("Head of the Year").

So, my dear brothers and sisters let us not teach the traditions of men as the commandments of YHVH.

The tension between the "traditions of men" and the "commandments of YHVH" is one of the most critical and recurring themes in biblical history. It directly links the Second Temple era of Nehemiah and Ezra to the explosive theological debates found later in the New Testament.

When human customs are elevated to the same status as divine law, it fundamentally alters the faith.

Mar 7:6  And He answering, said to them, “Well did Yeshayahu prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as it has been written, ‘This people respect Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. 

Mar 7:7  And in vain do they worship Me, teaching as teachings the commands of men.’a Isa_29:13. Footnote: aAlso see 2Ki_17:19 and Mat_15:3-9.

 Yeshua wasn't condemning the customs of men; He was condemning the fact that human traditions had begun to nullify, override, or obscure the actual commandments of YHVH.

 Conclusion

 Culturally keeping a tradition is not inherently wrong—Yeshua Himself celebrated Hanukkah (John 10:22), a traditional, non-Torah feast. The danger occurs only when a human tradition is weaponized to replace, complicate, or violate a clear commandment of YHVH

 Matthew 15:1–9: Yahshua explicitly rebukes the scribes and Pharisees, telling them, "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you... You break the command of YHVH for the sake of your tradition." This ongoing defiance of their authority directly fueled their plots to arrest and execute Him.

Parashat 14 Portion 54 ‘’Va yerah’’ Ex 8:16 – 9:12 & 1 Sam 12:7-16

Blessed are You YHVH our Elohim - Creator of the universe, whose blessings have come to rest upon us through Moshiach Ben David, who is The Tree of Life and who establishes the everlasting root and fruit of Your Torah in our lives and in this age and in the age to come and through which all the families of the earth will be blessed forever and ever.

Please, YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our hearts and in the hearts of Your people, the family of Israel. May we and our offspring and the offspring of Your people, the house of Jacob – and all Jacob’s adopted family – know Your Name and study Your Torah, for the sake of the Torah- empowering us to sincerely love one another and to love You above all. Please uncover our eyes and open our hearts that we may carefully examine and understand the marvels and mysteries of Your Torah- Amein.

השׁכם בבקר – Ha shkem ba boker – ‘’rise early in the morning’’

Exo 8:20  And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Rise early in the morning (השׁכם בבקר) and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus said יהוה, “Let My people go, so that they serve Me. 

It is rather unusual that the scribe starts off this new portion in the septennial cycle not referring to an opening verse of the Torah portion. Why would he do this?

Because this verse (vs20) is the focus of this Torah portion.

Why?

Because Moses was making an urgent appeal during the fourth plague to fellow Israelites to make their way to the only safe place in all the land of Egypt – Goshen.

We find this pattern repeats itself in the last days –

Rev 12:6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by Elohim, to be nourished there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. 

Rev 12:17  And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to fight with the remnant of her seed, those guarding the commands of Elohim and possessing the witness of יהושע Messiah.

The woman about to give birth in Revelation 12 is a symbolic figure heavily debated by scholars and theologians, but she is most broadly understood as representing Jewish believers in Messiah living in Israel and non-Jewish believers living outside of Israel in the nations –

Eze 20:34  “And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. 

Eze 20:35  “And I shall bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and shall enter into judgment with you face to face there. 

Eze 20:36  “As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Mitsrayim, so I shall enter into judgment with you,” declares the Master יהוה. 

Eze 20:37  “And I shall make you pass under the rod, and shall bring you into the bond of the covenant, 

Eze 20:38  and purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me. From the land where they sojourn I bring them out, but they shall not come into the land of Yisra’ěl. And you shall know that I am יהוה. 

Both groups are defined as those guarding the commands of Elohim and possessing the witness of יהושע Messiah and not loving their lives unto death.

Daniel the prophet adds another interesting detail to this two group possibility:

Dan 11:32  “And by flatteries he shall profane those who do wrong against the covenant, but the people who know their Elohim shall be strong, and shall act. 

Dan 11:33  “And those of the people who have insight shall give understanding to many. And they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering, for days. 

Dan 11:34  “And when they stumble, they shall be helped, a little help, but many shall join them, by flatteries. 

Dan 11:35  “And some of those who have insight shall stumble, to refine them, and to cleanse them, and to make them white, until the time of the end, for it is still for an appointed time.

 Isa 48:10  “See, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.

The Third Plague: Gnats (lice)

Initially in the egg stage lice looks like dandruff in your hair they soon grow to small crawling insects about 2mm in size and cause itchiness and irritation.

 

Exo 8:16  And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Say to Aharon, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it becomes lice in all the land of Mitsrayim.’” 

Exo 8:17  And they did so, and Aharon stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice in all the land of Mitsrayim. 

Exo 8:18  And the magicians did similarly with their magic to bring forth lice, but they were unable. And there were lice on man and beast. 

Exo 8:19  The magicians then said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of Elohim!” But the heart of Pharaoh was strengthened, and he did not listen to them, as יהוה had said. 

 The third plague, Kinnim (כִּנִּים), translated as lice, gnats, or maggots, marks a massive structural shift in the Exodus narrative. As the third plague in the first cycle, it was delivered completely without warning, striking the Egyptians out of nowhere.

 The most famous moment of this plague occurs when Pharaoh’s sorcerers attempt to use their secret arts to replicate the lice, just as they had replicated the blood and the frogs. This time, they completely fail.

In Exodus 8:19, the magicians turn to Pharaoh and declare helplessly: "It is the finger of Elohim" (Etzba Elokim hi).

 By stating "It is the finger of Elohim, the magicians were forced to acknowledge they were no longer able to compete with YHVH.

The text notes that the lice were "upon man and upon beast" (Exodus 8:17). The sages note that this plague attacked the Egyptians' intense cultural obsession with physical purity and cleanliness.

Targeting the Priestly System: Egyptian priests were required to shave their entire bodies every few days and wash constantly in sacred pools to ensure no lice or pest ever touched them while they served their idols.

 Total Defilement: The third plague instantly defiled every priest, citizen, and sacred animal in the empire. It made it religiously impossible for them to perform their daily temple rituals. YHVH effectively shut down the entire spiritual and religious infrastructure of the Egyptian world system overnight, isolating Pharaoh from his gods.

 While the magicians recognized "the finger of Elohim," Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened (Exodus 8:19). Because he refused to allow these tiny little insects to humiliate him and his empire. YHVH now escalates the pressure by sending ‘’wild beasts (Arov)

 The Fourth Plague: Flies ‘’Arov’’ the root meaning of the word Arov is "mixture" or "swarm."

A massive, chaotic gathering of living creatures is essentially a "mixture" or "hybrid creatures" moving together.

 Perhaps one of the most repulsive issues YHVH has against His people found in the entire Torah is that of ‘’mixture’’

In the Torah, the concept of "mixture" or separation is central to Set Apartness, as the Hebrew word for holy (kadosh, קדוש) literally means to be set apart or distinct. When distinct categories are blurred, it directly violates the order of the universe established at Creation.

The primary Hebrew word associated with forbidden mixtures is kil'ayim (כִּלְאַיִם), and the Torah outlines several specific prohibitions against it.

 Shatnez (Fabric Mixture): Leviticus 19:19 and Deuteronomy 22:11 forbid wearing garments made of wool and linen woven together.

Agricultural Cross-Breeding: Farmers are commanded not to sow a field with two different kinds of seed or plant diverse seeds in a vineyard (Leviticus 19:19, Deuteronomy 22:9).

Yoking Different Animals: Deuteronomy 22:10 states, "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together."

Intermarriage and Spiritual Syncretism: Israel was strictly forbidden from mixing with neighbouring pagan nations through marriage or worship practices (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). This was to prevent the "mixture" of true worship with idolatry.

 While everyday Hebrews were strictly forbidden from wearing shatnez (wool and linen mixed together), the High Priest's garments were a deliberate exception to the rule.

 Because YHVH is the ultimate Creator, all things originate from Him. The mixture was permitted only in His presence to show that while humans must respect earthly boundaries, YHVH is the only One who transcends them and holds all of creation together.

 Exo 8:20  And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Rise early in the morning (השׁכם בבקר) and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus said יהוה, “Let My people go, so that they serve Me. (YHVH wants to separate His remnant from the masses)

Exo 8:21  “Or else, if you do not let My people go, see, I am sending swarms of flies (hybrids) on you and your servants, and on your people and into your houses. And the houses of the Mitsrites shall be filled with swarms of flies, (heavy hybrids) and also the ground on which they stand. 

Exo 8:22  “And in that day I shall separate the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, so that you know that I am יהוה in the midst of the land. 

Exo 8:23  “And I shall put a ransom between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.” 

 Exo 8:24  And יהוה did so, and thick swarms of flies (a heavy mixture – ‘’arov kabed’’) came into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Mitsrayim, and the land was ruined because of the swarms of flies. (מפני הערב – from the faces/presence of the mixture)

 ‘’The Hebrew Word Pedut: In verse 23, the text says, "I will put a division." The Hebrew word used for division here is פְּדֻת (pedut), which literally means "redemption" or "ransom." The sages note that YHVH didn't just separate them logistically; He redefined them. This was the exact moment the Hebrews stopped being treated as slaves under the Egyptian world system and began walking as a redeemed, protected priesthood. It was a physical manifestation of being in the world but completely untouched by its systemic rot.

In biblical theology, Goshen represents divine distinction and immunity. Because one of the traditional meanings of the root word is "drawing near," Goshen carries a deep covenantal meaning – YHVH calling and choosing to protect and engage with a remnant.’’

 Exo 8:25  Pharaoh then called for Mosheh and Aharon, and said, “Go, slaughter to your Elohim in the land.” (Pharoah may be getting a little nervous but not nervous enough)

 Exo 8:26  And Mosheh said, “It is not right to do so, for we would be slaughtering the abomination of the Mitsrites to יהוה our Elohim. See, if we slaughter the abomination of the Mitsrites before their eyes, would they not stone us? 

 Baal-Zebub: You might recognize this word from the biblical deity Ba'al Zvuv (בַּעַל זְבוּב), which literally translates to "Lord of the Flies"—a name later used in Western literature to represent a manifestation of the devil.

 Exo 8:27  “Let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, then we shall slaughter to יהוה our Elohim, as He commands us.”  (YHVH wanted some ‘’alone time’’ with His people)

Exo 8:28  And Pharaoh said, “I am letting you go, then you shall slaughter to יהוה your Elohim in the wilderness. Only, do not go very far away! Pray for me.” 

Exo 8:29  And Mosheh said, “See, when I leave you I shall pray to יהוה, and tomorrow the swarms of flies shall depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But do not let Pharaoh again deceive, not to let the people go to slaughter to יהוה.” 

Exo 8:30  And Mosheh went out from Pharaoh and prayed to יהוה. 

Exo 8:31  And יהוה did according to the word of Mosheh and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. 

Exo 8:32  But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time too and did not let the people go.

It is possible that this 4^th plague will take place during the trumpet judgments of the last days great tribulation.

 Rev 9:5  And it was given to them that they should not kill them, but to torture them for five months. And their torture was like the torture of a scorpion when it stings a man. 

Rev 9:6  And in those days men shall seek death and shall not find it. And they shall long to die, but death shall flee from them. 

Rev 9:7  And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, and on their heads were crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. (note the mixture)

Rev 9:8  And they had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 

Rev 9:9  And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses running into battle. 

Rev 9:10  And they have tails like scorpions, and stings. And in their tails is their authority to harm men five months. 

 Rom 9:17  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this same purpose I have raised you up, to show My power in you, (to eradicate mixture) and that My Name be declared in all the earth.”  (Exo 9:16  “And for this reason I have raised you up, in order to show you My power, and in order to declare My Name in all the earth.)

Rom 9:18  So, then, He favours whom He wishes, and He hardens whom He wishes. 

Rom 9:19  Then you shall say to me, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His counsel?” Rom 9:20  But who are you, O man, to talk back to Elohim? Shall that which is formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Isa_29:16, Isa_45:9. 

Rom 9:21  Does not the potter have authority over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for value and another not for value? 

Rom 9:22  And if Elohim, desiring to show wrath, and to make His power known, with much patience tolerated the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 

Rom 9:23  and that He might make known the riches of His esteem on vessels of compassion, which He had prepared beforehand for esteem, 

Rom 9:24  even whom He called, not only us of the Yehuḏim, but also of the nations? 

 Just as the "locusts" of Revelation 9 are not standard grasshoppers but rather a terrifying horde of demonic entities given physical form to torment the unrepentant, it is entirely possible that the Arov of Exodus was the exact same phenomenon.

 Plague 5: ‘’Dever’’ (Pestilence on Livestock — Exodus 9:1–7)

 YHVH tells Moses once again to go to Pharaoh with a warning. The pestilence hits the horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.

 Exo 9:1  And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Go in to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘Thus said יהוה Elohim of the Hebrews, “Let My people go, so that they serve Me. 

Exo 9:2  “For if you refuse to let them go, and are still holding them, 

Exo 9:3  see, the hand of יהוה is on your livestock in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the cattle, and on the sheep – a very grievous pestilence. 

Exo 9:4  “And יהוה shall separate between the livestock of Yisra’ěl and the livestock of Mitsrayim, and let no matter die of all that belongs to the children of Yisra’ěl.” ’ ” 

Exo 9:5  And יהוה set an appointed time, saying, “Tomorrow יהוה is going to do this word in the land.” 

Exo 9:6  And יהוה did this word on the next day, and all the livestock of Mitsrayim died, but of the livestock of the children of Yisra’ěl, not one died. 

Exo 9:7  Then Pharaoh sent, and see, not even one of the livestock of Yisra’ěl was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. 

 Targeting the World System's Economy: In the ancient Near East, livestock was the equivalent of Wall Street, military tanks, and logistics. Camels and donkeys were transportation; horses were military might; cattle were food and religious currency. YHVH completely wipes out the engine of the Egyptian world system.

 Pharaoh’s Denial and Investigation: Exodus 9:7 contains an interesting detail: "And Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead." The sages note that Pharaoh was so trapped in deep self-deception that he didn't believe Moses. He sent his own spies to Goshen to verify the miracle. Even when his spies returned and confirmed the absolute, unblemished protection of the Israelites, the text says, "But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go." He looked directly at indisputable truth and chose to remain in his delusion.

Plague 6: Shechin (Boils — Exodus 9:8–12)

This plague marks a massive escalation because it is the third in the cycle, meaning it comes with absolutely no warning.

 Exo 9:8  And יהוה said to Mosheh and Aharon, “Fill your hands with ashes from a furnace and let Mosheh scatter it toward the heavens before the eyes of Pharaoh. (perhaps volcanic dust)

Scholars, geologists, and epidemiologists who look for naturalistic explanations for the Plagues of Egypt frequently link the events to the Minoan eruption of Thera (the Aegean island now known as Santorini). This cataclysm occurred roughly between 1600–1540 BCE and was one of the largest volcanic events in human history – 4-5 times greater than Krakatoa.

 Exo 9:9  “And it shall become fine dust in all the land of Mitsrayim, and it shall cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast in all the land of Mitsrayim.” 

Exo 9:10  So they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Mosheh scattered them toward the heavens. And they caused boils, breaking out in sores on man and beast. 

Exo 9:11  And the magicians were unable to stand before Mosheh because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Mitsrites. 

Exo 9:12  But יהוה strengthened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as יהוה had said to Mosheh. 

 The Total Collapse of the Magicians: Exodus 9:11 notes: "And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were upon the magicians and upon all Egypt." Up until this point, the royal magicians were Pharaoh’s ideological buffer—they helped him rationalize away his powerlessness. Now, covered in weeping, agonizing sores, they cannot even stand upright in the courtroom. Their public humiliation shatters the entire Egyptian society.

 The proof that He has chosen us for His kingdom is that before the most intense affliction known to mankind comes, YHVH calls His chosen people to ‘’Goshen’’ – hence the title given by the sage for this Torah portion – ‘’ha shekem baboker’’ or ‘’rise early’’ prepare yourself to move out because the greatest destruction is yet to come.

"But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there..." (Exodus 8:22)

 Several scholars believe that this Pharoah of Egypt and the ant christ of the last days are completely convinced that they will overcome and destroy YHVH in the last days.

In fact, right at the beginning of the great tribulation, he (anti christ) will convince many believers and unbelievers that he is the risen Christ.

 Revelation 13:2 states that the Dragon (Satan) gives the Beast "his own power, his throne, and great authority." Operating with the full, unchecked supernatural power of Satan, the Antichrist likely feels invincible.

 The Illusion of His Own "Resurrection": The Antichrist survives a catastrophic "fatal head wound" [Revelation 13:3]. Having conquered what appeared to be death itself through demonic counterfeit, his ego is inflated to cosmic proportions. The world gasps, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"—and the anti christ and his followers are convinced that he is invincible and that YHVH’s worshippers are the actual demons that need to be destroyed.

 The False Prophet performs massive signs, even making fire come down from heaven [Revelation 13:13]. Much like Pharaoh's magicians who duplicated the early plagues, these global miracles convince the Antichrist's regime that their "magic" matches or exceeds the supernatural judgments being poured out from heaven.

 2Th 2:3  Let no one deceive you in any way, because the falling away is to come first, and the man of lawlessnessa is to be revealed, the son of destruction, Footnote: aSee Dan_11:36-39. 

2Th 2:4  who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called Elohim or that is worshipped, so that he sits as Elohim in the Dwelling Place of Elohim, showing himself that he is Elohim. 

 2Th 2:9  The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and wonders of falsehood, 

2Th 2:10  and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for them to be saved. 

2Th 2:11  And for this reason Elohim sends them a working of delusion, for them to believe the falsehood

 Paul speaking of those called out of Egypt:

 1Co 10:5  However, with most of them Elohim was not well pleased, for they were laid low in the wilderness. 

 In the Last Days, the more the bowls of YHVH's wrath are poured out, the more the Antichrist doubles down. Instead of repenting, his regime blasphemes the YHVH of heaven [Revelation 16:11] and prepares for a massive counter-attack - Armegeddon.

Rev 16:11  And they blasphemed the Elohim of the heaven for their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their works. 

 Revelation 16:13-14 reveals that the demonic spirits originating from the Antichrist go out to gather the kings of the earth to battle. But Micah 4:12 reveals the hidden reality: “But they do not know the thoughts of YHVH, nor do they understand His counsel; for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.”

The Antichrist will proudly march his armies to Armageddon thinking he is about to dethrone YHVH, completely unaware that he is merely walking into the ultimate execution of divine judgment.

 The Scriptural "Mirroring" of the Feasts

By structuring the plagues across the span of the Moedim, YHVH was teaching Israel—and the world—that His calendar dictating judgment and salvation is unshakeable. The same exact timeline used to bring down physical Egypt is the timeline used in Revelation to bring down spiritual Egypt, proving that YHVH acts strictly on His "Appointed Times."

The 42-month duration of the Great Tribulation represents a profound, divinely calculated period of time that directly unifies everything we have discussed—the plagues of Egypt, the refining furnace, and the divine calendar.

This specific timeframe appears repeatedly throughout the prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation, described interchangeably as 42 months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5), 1,260 days (Revelation 11:3, 12:6), or "a time, times, and half a time" (3.5 years; Daniel 7:25, Revelation 12:14).

The 42 Campings of the Wilderness

In Numbers 33, the Scripture painstakingly records the exact itinerary of Israel after they left Egypt and the plagues. The text lists exactly 42 stations or campings where Israel pitched their tents in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land.

Just as Israel had to navigate 42 physical stages of testing to be refined from the mindset of Egypt, the global body of believers will navigate a 42-month period of spiritual wilderness and tribulation before entering the Promised Land – the 1000 year Kingdom of Messiah.

This is why Revelation 12:6 explicitly uses Exodus language, stating that during this time, the woman (faithful Israel) flees into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by YHVH to be nourished for 1,260 days (42 months).

The 10 Virgins Connection: Classical theologians like Puritan Thomas Shepard and Jonathan Edwards explicitly used the imagery of Goshen's light to describe the spiritual state of the five wise virgins. They noted that when the world enters its final "midnight" period of spiritual darkness and judgment, the wise virgins have a "personal Goshen" because they possess the internal light of the Set Apart Spirit (the oil). Conversely, the foolish virgins find themselves left out in the darkness of "Egypt’’

Rom 9:16  So, then, it is not of him who is wishing, nor of him who is running, but of Elohim who shows favour.  (there are no bragging rights for escaping the kingdom of darkness)

1Co 1:31  that, as it has been written, “He who boasts, let him boast in יהוה.” Jer_9:23-24. 

This acts as the ultimate antidote to human pride, showing that the only thing a chosen vessel can legally boast in is the character and intervening power of YHVH.

Rev 14:12  Here is the endurance of the set-apart ones,c here are those guarding the commands of Elohim and the belief of יהושע.

Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Amein.

Additional Midrash:

Messianic Jewish Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, and his bestselling book is titled The Return of the Gods. ancient spirits are returning to "repossess" the culture

In the book, Cahn focuses on three specific Mesopotamian deities that he claims are actively transforming modern culture:

Baal (The Possessor): The god of fertility and materialism, whom Cahn links to the optimization of wealth, national apostasy, and the breakdown of traditional morality.

Ishtar (The Sorceress): The goddess of passion and gender alteration, whom he credits with shifting modern parameters of gender, sexuality, and relationships.

Molech (The Destroyer): The god associated with child sacrifice, whom Cahn connects directly to the legalization and normalization of abortion.

Cahn subsequently expanded on these concepts in his September 2025 book, The Avatar. This newer work builds on the "return of the ancient gods" thesis by alleging that these same spiritual entities are using modern political figures and world leaders as "instruments" or avatars to advance their agendas on the global stage. It focuses on how ancient pagan spirits are allegedly manifesting through modern political figures to control Western civilisation.

Cahn defines an "avatar" as the earthly manifestation or physical embodiment of a deity. He asserts that modern global leaders unknowingly act as physical vessels or "avatars" for ancient spirits

The book argues that these hidden, supernatural forces lie behind the rise, fall, and outcome of every recent American presidential election.

A significant portion of the book applies ancient templates of kings, queens, and priests to Donald Trump. Cahn claims to decode a "mystery" determining the exact years of Trump's presidency, the significance of his birthdate, and a spiritual purpose behind his survival of an assassination attempt.

The Cosmic Queen & Altar of Ishtar: Detailing how ancient female deities are influencing modern feminist movements, gender redefinition, and shifts in societal values

Demonic Backing: Deuteronomy 32:17 and Psalm 106:37 explicitly state that when the Israelites worshipped pagan idols, they were actually "sacrificing to demons."

End-Times Resurgence of Idolatry and Sorcery

The Book of Revelation explicitly predicts a massive, global revival of ancient pagan practices during the end times:

Global Demon Worship: Revelation 9:20 states that during the end-of-days tribulations, humanity "did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood."

The Babylon Template: In Revelation 17–18, the ultimate global system opposed to YHVH is called "Mystery Babylon." Babylon was the historical birthplace of the worship of Baal and Ishtar, leading prophetic scholars to argue that the end-times world system will be a literal revival of ancient Babylonian spirituality, sexual amorality, and occultism.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:7–8, Paul writes about a "restrainer" that holds back the full manifestation of lawlessness. Prophetic interpretations suggest that as the influence of the Set Apart Spirit and the Church wanes in the West, this restraint is lifted, allowing ancient spiritual lawlessness to flood back into the culture unchecked.

The vast majority of mainstream biblical scholars and academic theologians strongly differ with Jonathan Cahn's "Jehu template of Trump’’

While Jehu was used to judge Ahab's house, (and destroy Jezebel) the Bible explicitly states that he “was not careful to keep the Torah of the YHVH” and clung to the golden calves of Jeroboam (2 Kings 10:31). Furthermore, in the Book of Hosea, YHVH declares that He will punish the house of Jehu for the excessive, unchecked bloodshed he committed at Jezreel (Hosea 1:4). Scholars argue that turning an unfaithful, mass-killing king into a modern prophetic ideal ignores the Scripture's ultimate condemnation of his character.

2Ki 10:31  But Yěhu did not guard to walk in the Torah of יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ěl with all his heart. For he did not turn away from the sins of Yaroḇ‛am, who had made Yisra’ěl sin. 

Scholars emphasize that this type of teaching relies on a flawed theological premise: that the United States has a special, replacement covenant relationship with YHVH identical to ancient Israel.

Treating American elections as direct replays of ancient Israelite palace coups is viewed as a theological error born out of Christian Nationalism rather than sound scriptural truth.