The Trumpet call

Rev 21:9 "One of the angels who had the seven bowls FULL of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God."

How can we be sure that the WIFE is in this City? The Apostle Paul tells us: 2Cor 5:1 "Now we know that if the earthly TENT we live in is destroyed, we have a BUILDING from God, an ETERNAL HOUSE in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be CLOTHED with our HEAVENLY DWELLING, because when we are CLOTHED, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this TENT, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be CLOTHED with our HEAVENLY DWELLING, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

1Cor 15:51 "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the LAST TRUMPET. For the TRUMPET will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must CLOTHE itself with the IMPERISHABLE (the Holy City), and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory.""

Rev 21:3

"And I heard a loud voice from the THRONE saying, "Now the dwelling of GOD IS WITH MEN, and HE WILL LIVE WITH THEM. They will be HIS people, and GOD HIMSELF will be with them and be their GOD. HE will wipe every tear from their eyes. There WILL BE NO MORE DEATH or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." The only THRONE mentioned in the entire book of Revelation (apart from Satan's throne - Rev 2:13) is the THRONE OF GOD THE FATHER. This is the THRONE that the Lamb approaches to receive the sealed scroll (Rev 5:6-7). THE FATHER is the LIGHT of the NEW CITY and the LAMB is the LAMP: Rev 21:23 "The CITY does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of GOD gives it light, and the LAMB is its LAMP." If the FATHER is not in that CITY then there will be no LIGHT!

Returning to the theme: Paul said that at the LAST TRUMPET God's elect will be changed, and that they will be CLOTHED with the ETERNAL HOUSE in heaven. That much is very clear! Now we know that the LAST TRUMPET is blown BEFORE the seven last plagues. We should also be aware that Christ sets up His Kingdom at the time of the LAST TRUMPET! This is what the Bible says: Rev 11:15 "The seventh angel sounded his TRUMPET, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: The KINGDOM (singular) of the world has become the KINGDOM of our Lord AND of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever." This is the very time when the elect put on immortality, and are CLOTHED with the Heavenly City.

Rev 21:9 "One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls FULL OF THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES...." The bowls were FULL! They hadn't yet been poured out! Let's examine the time between the LAST TRUMPET and the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES:

Rev 15:1 "I saw in heaven another great and marvellous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues - last because with them God's wrath is completed. And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, THOSE who had been VICTORIOUS OVER THE BEAST and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps GIVEN THEM BY GOD and sang the song of MOSES, the servant of God and the song of the LAMB." So here we see that all those who have been victorious over the beast are in the company of God, playing harps given them by God and singing the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb.

Rev 16:1 "Then I heard a loud voice from the Temple saying to the seven angels, "Go POUR OUT the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth.""

Rev 11:1519

"The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the WORLD has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever." 16 And the twentyfour elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: "We give thanks to you, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY [The Father], the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power AND HAVE BEGUN TO REIGN. 18 The nations [of the world] were angry; and your wrath has come. THE TIME HAS COME FOR JUDGING THE DEAD, and for REWARDING YOUR SERVANTS THE PROPHETS and your SAINTS and those who reverence your Name, both small and great – and for destroying those who destroy the earth." 19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the Ark of His Covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm."

THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES which follow in the immediate aftermath of the Seven Trumpets and the beginning of the reign of God the Father.

At the beginning of the thousand years Satan is imprisoned, and this is when the Judgment begins

Dan 7:1926

"Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws – the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell – the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom." [The seven trumpet blown]

Matt 24:30

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with A LOUD TRUMPET CALL, [The last trumpet] and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." And this is the ‘last trumpet’ that Paul was referring to. This is the time when the Lord Christ begins to rule and begins to put down all dominion, authority and power before handing over the Kingdom to God the Father – which occurs at the time of the Seventh Trumpet of the Book of Revelation. THE LORD CHRIST MUST REIGN UNTIL THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED.

It’s clear that there are more than a few minutes difference between the dead arising, and the rising in the air of the living otherwise it would hardly be worth mentioning, and particularly with the emphasis that Paul put on it: ‘will certainly not precede’. So the translation ‘and the dead in Christ will rise first’ could have been better rendered ‘the dead in Christ will have already risen first’.

Paul also said that he believed that ‘God (The Father) will bring (or send) with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him’. This is certainly true. When the full compliment of martyrs is complete these will accompany Jesus at the time of the Trumpet blast as He descends. Those who are still alive and were left at the time of the resurrection of the martyrs will meet them in the air.

You’ll notice that the words are ‘fallen asleep in Him’; just ‘falling asleep’ or ‘dying’ doesn’t rate at all in this scenario. Those who died in Him are those who died because of the Word of God and the Testimony they maintained (Rev 6:9). And this is the big difference!

^{1Th 4:13} Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. ¹⁴ We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call [The last trumpet] of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage each other with these words

So what will bring this about? It’s just as we have been telling you – the Mighty Christ will go into action, and you’ll see mention again of His exploits in Teman (Arabia) and the devastation of Mount Paran. In view of all we’ve said, most of it is self explanatory:

Hab 3:36

"God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens and His praise filled the earth. 4 His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from His hand, where His power was hidden. 5 Plague went before Him; pestilence followed His steps. 6 He stood, and shook the earth; He looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal."

America is set to become the most dangerous place on earth to live and it will happen at frightening speed. Ironically they think the Department of Homeland Security will protect them! –Let’s see how WRONG THEY ARE!

As for the ‘heads and tails’ of the House of Israel, and more particularly Ephraim and Manasseh of the House of Joseph, their hope of good outcomes is rapidly diminishing. Such people will rue the day they ever believed God to be petty, and silly enough to be beguiled by their pathetic way of worshiping Him! And in the day that they have the gall to turn against Judah – the Israelis, there will be no delay in their death and destruction. They’ll have a long and agonizing wait for salvation, and even then they will be gathered one by one: Isa 27:12 "In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up ONE BY ONE. 13 And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the Holy Mountain (Moriah) in Jerusalem. So the Israelites are really going to be scattered throughout the nations, and will eventually be gathered one by one.

Matt 24, we learn what happens next: V29 "IMMEDIATELY AFTER the DISTRESS of those DAYS 'the SUN WILL BE DARKENED, and the MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT; the STARS WILL FALL FROM THE SKY, and the HEAVENLY BODIES WILL BE SHAKEN.' At that time the SIGN of the SON OF MAN WILL APPEAR IN THE SKY, and ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH WILL MOURN. They will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY, with POWER and GREAT GLORY. He will send HIS ANGELS with a LOUD TRUMPET CALL, and they will GATHER HIS ELECT from the FOUR WINDS, from ONE END OF THE HEAVENS TO THE OTHER."

John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust in me. In my Father’s House are many rooms (or dwelling places); if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”