Apocalyptic Hope

TRUMPETS, TRUMPETS, TRUMPETS


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Numbers Chapter 10 tells of three different occasions for sounding the trumpets:

1. a call to assembly

2. a call to break camp and move on

3. To sound an alarm, including to mobilize for war.

The sounding of a trumpet then can be for either a benign reason, or for an alarm-- a calling to war.

The first two reasons for sounding the trumpet have been explored by others and have been associated with the
Rapture, because of the word "trumpet" in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. We read in that passage that the Lord Himself will descend with the sound of a trumpet and will bring all those who trust in Him ---living and dead-- to be with Him.

Yet there is more to it than that. In the case of 1 Thess. 4, there is a double-event occurring simultaneously:
1. a Rapture -- with a trumpet blast for departure and assembly
2. and also the same trumpet blast for an alarm... alerting for war. ( as we see it )

The word "trumpet"then, as used in 1 Thessalonians 4, implies all of the three meanings given above, as we see it.

"TRUMPET" has a double-meaning for simultaneously different events

It is our belief that a war will occur at the same time as the Rapture.

It could be the limited nuclear Magog-War of Ezekiel 38 and 39 ... the Russian led Confederacy-Invasion of Israel. OR it could be an aftermath war, such as one of the 7 Thunder wars found in Rev. 10.

It is our belief that Rev. 8, 9, 10 and 11 occur in rapid succession, and that we are the "last trump"
( 1 Corinthians 15: 51 ) in the series of 7 Trumpets given in the Book of Revelation. It is our belief that we are raptured after some war has begun, yet immediately within that time frame of war. Some Christians will die in war
( just as they are dying right now in Iraq)
"and that those who remain" will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, in the days of the sounding of the seventh trumpet.

This seems to be confirmed in 2 Thessalonians 1: 7, 8 wherein it tells us that the Lord brings flaming fire at the time of the Rapture, and that there are those who will rest with Him.

CONFIRMATIONS
There are other references to trumpets within the Bible that also refer to simultaneously double-events.
The trumpet of alarm heralded the day of the Lord.

Joel 2:1 mentions a trumpet blast sounded for war, and then in Joel 2: 15 it mentions a trumpet sounded at the time of the Bridegroom coming forth....both in the same chapter.

Amos 3:6 "Shall a trumpet be blown in a city and the people be not afraid?"
( meaning an alarm sounded ) In today's world that would be the sound of an air-raid --rather than a trumpet--- warning of civil disaster, such as war.)

Amos 9:10 "All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, which say,
"The evil shall not overtake nor prevent ( come before) us".

Amos 5:18 , 20 :
"Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord ! to what end is it for you ?
The day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
( 20 ) "Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light ? even very dark, and no brightness in it "

Zephaniah 1:14-18 "The great day of the Lord is near, it is near and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

That day is a day of wrath [ Dies Irae ] , a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.
A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men." ...

Rev.6:15--17 "and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
and said to the mountains and rocks
"Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
For the great day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?"

" Seek ye the LORD all ye meek of the earth "
"it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger" Zephaniah 2:3

2 CAMPS

The Christians who believe in the Rapture are divided into two very different camps.
One camp believes that we will be raptured before any major events occur that would have a negative impact,
such as mega deaths and destructions etc .

IMMUNITY GROUP
We will refer to that group of Christians as the "immunity-Rapture" group.
They themselves have classified themselves.
The question ought to be asked : What about WW 1 and 2 ? Certainly the Rapture doctrine was around then.
Doesn't this group see the connection between today's 9-11, famines, pestilences, Iraqi war, droughts, plagues etc. that are shown nightly on the TV news ? Certainly major events are occurring even now and war is spoken of daily.

RESEARCH GROUP
Then there is a group of Christians who believe that we will see events come upon us which will have a great negative impact BEFORE the Rapture occurs and BEFORE the Great Tribulation occurs. We will refer to this group as the "research-Rapture" group. Researchers go back to the Source Book --the Bible-- over and over and over again until they get it chronologically accurate ( in agreement with Scripture) . They lay aside what they would like to see from the Scriptures, and instead let the Holy Spirit reveal to them what is actually written in the word of God, whether it is pleasant to read, or not.

REVELATION chapter 4
The immunity-group believes that they will be raptured in Revelation Chapter 4, thus removing them from any future harmful event. They will argue to the death that they will not see Revelation 8 and 9 ( the Magog war and biological terrorism ) , and they are adamant that they will not be here for the rise of antichrist ( called the "man of sin" on the eve of his historical platform.) Their mantra is:
" I'm not looking for antichrist ; I'm looking for Jesus Christ ".

Yet 2 Thessalonians 2: 3 ,4 clearly tells us that we will be here to see the man of sin sitting in the Temple as God BEFORE we are raptured.

REVELATION chapter 11
"Researchers" go back over the text and fine-comb the details. They find out that we actually WILL be here for the War BEFORE we go in the rapture. They find we will be here to see the "man of sin" make his appearance BEFORE we are raptured. Yes, we will witness many things we would prefer not to see occur . But we didn't write the Script. We merely put it under the microscope, and laid all wishful-thinking aside.

How do we know we WILL be here during a time of war ?
It is because we are not raptured until Revelation Chapter 11, and the Magog-War is in Chapter 8, BEFORE Chapter 11.
How do we know we will witness biological-chemical warfare BEFORE we leave in the Rapture ?
Because Revelation 9 comes BEFORE Revelation 11.
There are also 7 more wars , called "thunders" mentioned in Revelation Chapter 10, although their sequence is not given. All of these chapters precede Revelation Chapter 11 -- the time of our Rapture.

The immunity-group claims that the Rapture occurs in Revelation Chapter 4 in order to justify their claims. But anyone who puts Revelation 4:1 under the microscope realizes instantly that that is a huge stretch of the imagination with no firm textual proof of the Rapture that is mentioned in 1 Thess. 4: 13-18.

In Rev. 4:1, John is being called up to heaven to see the vision up there of the 24 elders, the Lamb, the scroll and the judgements that follow. Simple as that. No tie-in with the Rapture as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
No tie-in at all. Just the word"trumpet" being taken out of context.
In 1 Thessalonians 4, our Lord LEAVES heaven and meets us in the air.

On the other hand, Rev. 11: 15-19 is in perfect harmony with the concept of the Rapture....
"and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great"

The only ones in heaven are the 24 elsers ( same as in Revelation 4). The saints are not there, but in the air..
"thus shall we ever be with the Lord".

WHAT RELEVANCE DOES THIS HAVE ?
WHY IS THIS DISTINCTION IMPORTANT ??

The importance of getting the events in proper chronological order is VERY important, for our Lord gives us a severe warning to soberly consider in Ezekiel Chapter 33.

EZEKIEL 33

In Ezekiel 33: 1-7 , the Lord tells the people to set a watchman ( any person with a Bible qualifies) over the horizon.
"If when he seeth the sword ( war) come upon the land, he blow the trumpet , and WARN the people, then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword ( war) come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head."
"He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him.

"But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul."

"But if the watchman see the sword ( war ) come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned;
if the sword ( war) come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity;
but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand."

"So thou O son of man....shalt hear the word at My mouth, and warn them from Me." Ezekiel 33: 1-7

INTERPRETATION
It appears from the passage in Ezekiel 33, that if pastors, ministers, preachers and teachers do not relate the fact that we WILL be here for war, then the blood of those killed in the war will be upon their hands, for they failed to warn them.

War is a very SOBERING fact. It makes one put his house in order a lot more suredly than a pleasant invitation to a Rapture. So if people are lay-back, relying on a Rapture to whisk them away from all troubles, they are not living as soberly minded as they would if they felt they had to walk through the door of WW 3 BEFORE the Rapture takes place.

It appears that the Lord will have some of us good Christian folks actually die in that war ( just like honest to goodness upstanding Christians --very brave ones too--died in World Wars 1 and 2 and just as very good Christian soldiers are right now dying daily over in Iraq.).

Those who remain after ( or during ) the war , will then be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

Is this a meritorious contest ? I don't think so. I think it is all of God's unsearchable plan that will be revealed in eternity. But it does seem that from the context of Ezekiel, that those who fail to heed the warning of war, will be taken in that war.

So we come to see that it is very important to get our timing straight and to heed the warning that YES indeed, war comes first, and then the Rapture.

If one takes that to heart, they will live soberly and we will work out our salvation in fear and trembling,
Philippians 2:12
and not take the Rapture for granted, as an immunity-guarantee. It makes a big difference.

MIRACULOUS PROVISION
We've seen from Scripture that if we don't heed the warning, we are taken in war. Is there any thing said about those who DO heed the warning, and believe with all their heart that the war comes first and then the rapture? Yes, we believe so.

It says in Numbers 10:9
"And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppress you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets:
and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies."

Nahum 1:7 : The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble;
and He knoweth them that trust in Him".

LINKS

The Seventh Trumpet www.cybertime.net/~ajgood/trumpet.html

Salvation www.cybertime.net/~ajgood/sal.htm

Bible www.blueletterbible.org