Elul the Time of Preparation for the Bride
The Month of Elul is the month of preparation that leads up to the fall feasts. The prophetic fulfillment of the fall feast is yet to be realized. These feasts paint a picture of the rapture, the wedding of the Messiah, the salvation of the nation of Israel, and the second coming of the Messiah. These events when they are fulfilled will be the quintessential events of God’s love story. History as we know it will climax with the return of the Messiah with His Bride to judge the nations and to set up His millennium Kingdom. Then for a thousand years the King and His Queen will rule and reign in this world with righteousness and love.
Beginning on Rosh Chodesh, which is the beginning of a new noon signifying the start of the month of Elul, and continuing until the day before Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Feast of Trumpets and the Wedding of the Messiah, it is customary to blow the shofar (ram's horn) every day (except for Shabbat). This practice is said to be adopted because it was in the month of Elul when Moses returning for the third time to Mt. Sinai blew the shofar as a reminder to the people to remain faithful and not to fall into sin again, as they did with the golden calf.
The blowing of the shofar every day is intended to awaken us in preparation for the Lord’s feast days that take place year after year. More importantly though, the blowing of the shofar, is to awaken the Bride Church in preparation for Yeshua’s imminent appearing. The fall feasts are rehearsed prophetically until the final curtain is raised and the Eastern sky parts at His appearing.
The custom is to first blow what is known as tekiah (תְּקִיעָה), a long single blast known as the sound of the King's coronation. This is followed by shevarim (שְׁבָרִים), which is three short, wail-like blasts to signify a call to repentance. The blasts that follow are called teruah (תְּרוּעָה), these blasts are several short blasts of alarm to awaken the bride. The closing shofar is called tekiah hagadol (תְּקִיעָה הַגָּדוֹל), it’s a long, final blast.
The blasts of the shofar speak prophetically about the purpose of the month of Elul.
1. Announces the approaching coronation of the King
2. Signifies a call to repentance
3. Sounds the alarm for the Bride to awaken or arise.
4. Concludes with the Great Trump which is the signal to announce Yom Kippur, the day of atonement,, the day that Israel will be saved in one day.
The letters E-L-U-L is thought to be an acronym for the Hebrew,
\"Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li\" \"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine”, found in the Song of Solomon.
Song of Solomon 6:3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
It is no accident that this sixth month on the biblical calendar, 12th on the civil calendar, paints a picture of love and desire of the Bride and the Bridegroom for one another. There is an order to the biblical calendar. The calendar begins with the spring feasts that painted a picture of Messiah’s first coming as a servant, followed by the counting of the Omar which leads to Pentecost and the outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh, that is the Holy Spirit. Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled the spring festivals by becoming our sacrificial lamb on Pesach (Passover), the believer’s bread on The Feast of Unleavened Bread, the first fruits among many, on The Festival of First Fruits, (Resurrection day). This festival was the day of his resurrection, three days after Passover began. Then on the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot, better known to us as Pentecost. He poured out his Holy Spirit, upon the believers in the upper room.
Yeshua fulfilled every spring feast on the exact day that the Lord had instructed for the rehearsals to take place annually. Therefore, we can hope that likewise he will do the same on His second coming during the fall feast days. We cannot know the year, but scripture does tell us that we can know the season, that is, the appointed time. A thorough study of the spring feasts can be found at:
The remaining feasts in the fall paint pictures of a Bridegroom and King coming for His Bride and Queen and provides for us glimpses of a Kingdom ruled by Love. As we move into the celebration of the fall feasts the biblical calendar provides 40 days of preparation. The month of Elul is set aside as a time to return to your first love. Elul is said to mean search. Therefore, the Jews consider it a time to search our hearts to see if there be any sin that would separate us from our Beloved.
This period of time for repentance is called Teshuva in Hebrew. Teshuva has a slightly different connotation in Hebrew than repentance does in English. Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines repentance this way: Repentance is a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God. Repentance is the relinquishment of any practice, from conviction that it has offended God. Teshuva on the other hand has a sense of restoration because one returns to God. Teshuva has a higher goal of returning face to face with God, rather than just turning ones back on sin. This is the season that represents the Bridegroom calling for His beloved to return to Him and His covenant promises.
It is interesting to note that the month of Elul is the month that Jews consider to be the month that our God and King draws closes to us. It is said of the month that, “The King is standing in the field.” What that means is that the King has left His palace and has such a desire to be with his people that he has left all of his pomp and circumstance behind to come near to where they are that he loves. He has removed his royal robes to become as one of them. He bids them come, come my beloved let us commune together face to face.
The Jews who have not yet accepted Yeshua as their Jewish Messiah are looking for their King and Messiah in the field at this time of the year. We who know Yeshua recognize that 2,000 years ago, He left his heavenly palace, and left all his heavenly pomp and circumstance of His divinity behind to come to the field of earth to be near those he created and loves. He came to the field of our lives to commune face to face. For 2000 years our King has been plowing the fields of our lives preparing His bride for the wedding of the Messiah and the 1000 year reign.
I’d like to return to the Song of Solomon chapter 6 and dropping down to verse 13, we find here Solomon is crying out for the Shulimite. The book of the Song of Solomon is a prophetic look at Messiah and His Bride. Solomon who is crying out for the Shulimite is a picture of Yeshua crying out for His Bride Church.
Songs of Solomon 6:13 Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.
Throughout the Hebrew scripture when ever a word is repeated, like it is here with the word return, it is meant to emphasize its importance. The fact that the word return is repeated 4 times in this passage should be a signal for us to pay close attention.
Let’s take a look at this as it pictures Messiah and His Bride. Solomon is crying out to the Shulamite to return. Solomon’s name means prince of peace. Messiah is the Price of Shalom. The Shulamite represents the Bride of the Messiah and Shulamite means daughter of peace. So, the picture is that of Messiah who is the Prince of Shalom is crying out to His Bride, who is the Daughter of Shalom. Based on the meaning of the Hebrew and the prophetic picture that is painted in the Song of Solomon of Messiah and His Bride, a deeper understanding could be interpreted like this:
Face me, come back to me, face me, come back to me, My Bride, O Daughter of Shalom, face me, come back to me, face me, come back to me, that we, i.e. Elohim, Abba, Yeshua, and the Ruach HaKodesh along with the angels may look upon thee. What will you see in Your Bride, the Daughter of Shalom? As it were, our gaze is upon a company of dancers, warriors, from Israel and warriors from the Gentiles nations dancing in unity as one man, My Bride, My Daughter of Shalom.
This biblical season of repentance is for 40 days. The first 30 days takes us to the first fall feast of “Trumpets”, or the Wedding of the Messiah, better known as the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. One of the important messages of these 30 days is that everyone should repent before Rosh HaShanah, because there will be a moment in time when it will be too late to repent. Teshuva continues for 10 more days, these days are known as “The Days of Awe”, and they lead us to “The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.” A thorough study of these feasts can found at
Yeshua has promised that He would have for Himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle. Repentance and forgiveness is the spot and wrinkle remover applied to her contrite heart. Elul is a time of refreshing. His Bride will be set apart and sanctified. His blood cleanses us and His word washes us. We are able to be in a continual shower of forgiveness when we embrace teshuva and as the Daughter of Shalom return to our Prince of Shalom and gaze into His beautiful face, as He gazes into Ours. Yeshua has provided everything needed for the Bride to prepare for Her wedding day including the season of Teshuva.
Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Ephesians 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
I have written an article entitled “His Wife Has Made Herself Ready.” It can be viewed on my website for further study on the subject. His Wife Has Made Herself Ready
Word Study
Father is Calling
Although the message of teshuva is about our return to God, its message, however, is much more about the One who forgives the repentant sinner.
It is about the love story and plan of the Father and His Son Yeshua who is willing to accept anyone into the household of God no matter how evil they have been. Just as long as they have had a change of heart, and want to put their dark days behind them by accepting the gift of salvation that is so freely offered to them.
It is about the blood of Jesus cleansing us from every sin. It is a message for all people to leave their dark days behind them and to walk in God’s glorious light. Never to look back, but to enjoy the freedom of the Lord’s forgiveness moving forward. It is a message of a loving Father calling all to be comforted in His love and forgiveness and experiencing the joy of the Lord.
For a more in-depth study on the festival season of Teshuvah, visit https://sweetmanna.org/fall-1
End Time Prophecy
The message of Elul rings loud and clear in the stars and in the WORD. Therefore, a turning back to God for all believers is paramount. For all my readers who have not yet given their lives to the Lord, NOW is the time to make that commitment!
The day is approaching fast for us when the following prophecy spoken by the Lord to Zechariah will be fulfilled.
“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
On that day the wailing in Jerusalem will be as great as the wailing of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
The land will mourn, each clan on its own: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the remaining clans and their wives.\"\"
The above scriptures are a view of how those in Israel will cry out, mourn, and grieve when Jesus returns to Jerusalem and they realize that Jesus came the first time as the sacrificial lamb, the one they pierced, and they missed the time of their visitation.
This time He will return as the conquering King and judge, the Messiah of Israel.
Elul speaks of a period of matchless grace, as the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, is calling for all to come to Him and be reconciled to the Father, while there is still time to repent of your sin. Don’t miss your opportunity at this time in history as the Jews did two thousand years ago.
Don’t be left behind to go through the Great Seven Year Tribulation of God’s wrath that is just around the corner. Soon, this scripture in Thessalonians will be fulfilled as well. What if the rapture were to take place this fall? Are you ready?
1Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Make a decision today to return to the Lord. Pray with me.
Father God, I have not taken your gift of salvation through your son Jesus seriously.
Today I repent of that, and I ask you to forgive me for the life I have lived without you. Jesus, come into my life and take over, forgive me of all unrighteousness and help me to overcome the sin that I am so easily temped to do.
I need you to change me, I cannot do it myself. Come and fill me with your Holy Spirit, lead me into all truth and teach me how to live a life that is pleasing in your sight. This I ask in the Name of Jesus, who died for me, shed His blood in my place, so that I can be free from eternal damnation and live with you Jesus throughout eternity. Amen.