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COGwriter
The Feast of Trumpets runs until sunset October 3rd in 2024.
The book of Revelation outlines God’s future use of trumpets. This message is for the entire world, and concerns events before and including the return of Jesus Christ, who will soon return to rule this earth with God’s government (see also the free online booklet: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God).
We in the Continuing Church of God are working to perform as that modern-day watchman today (watch also Go, Set a Watchman). We boldly tell of sins of society and how world events are aligning with properly understood prophecy–which we also explain (see the free online booklet Where is the True Christian Church Today? and/or the article The Laodicean Church Era).
Revelation shows book that has seven seals:
1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?’ (Revelation 5:1-2)
The first four seals involve the ride of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (see Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse).
The opening of the fifth seal is the start of the Great Tribulation:
9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. (Revelation 6:9-11)
The Bible shows that the saints that are not protected during the great tribulation (cf. Revelation 12:14-17), will be persecuted for 3 1/2 years:
4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. (Revelation 13:4-7)
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:25)
This 42 months of persecution includes time associated with the sixth seal:
12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17)
So, the opening of the sixth seal ushers in the time of the Day of the Lord. Here are some mentions of this in the Hebrew scriptures:
8 For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance,
The year of recompense for the cause of Zion. (Isaiah 34:8)
12 For the day of the Lord of hosts
Shall come upon everything proud and lofty,
Upon everything lifted up —
And it shall be brought low —
13 Upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up,
And upon all the oaks of Bashan;
14 Upon all the high mountains,
And upon all the hills that are lifted up;
15 Upon every high tower,
And upon every fortified wall;
16 Upon all the ships of Tarshish,
And upon all the beautiful sloops.
17 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down,
And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low;
The Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
18 But the idols He shall utterly abolish.
19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks,
And into the caves of the earth,
From the terror of the Lord
And the glory of His majesty,
When He arises to shake the earth mightily.
20 In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver
And his idols of gold,
Which they made, each for himself to worship,
To the moles and bats,
21 To go into the clefts of the rocks,
And into the crags of the rugged rocks,
From the terror of the Lord
And the glory of His majesty,
When He arises to shake the earth mightily. (Isaiah 2:12-21)
Notice also:
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. (Isaiah 61:1-3)
While Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 61:1-2a (Luke 4:17-21), it may be that He will have His two witnesses fulfill verses verses 1-3.
Anyway, we see the term one year associated with the Day of the Lord.
There is also a gap of time between the opening of the sixth seal and the blowing of trumpets in Revelation 8–which starts after the opening of the seventh seal.
Presuming that the first of the seven trumpets begins on the Feast of Trumpets, this would mean that the last one would be less than a year later. For this reason, while we in the Continuing Church of God teach that Jesus returns at the last trumpet, we do not specifically teach that will be on the Feast of Trumpets.
Consider also the following from Jesus:
22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:22)
20 And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. (Mark 13:20)
Now, this calls for some speculation. IF humans were created on or near the Feast of Trumpets (which is the position that many Jews hold) and God is working out a 6,000/7,000 year plan (see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?), we know that somehow the time will be shortened. Presuming the first trumpet is blown on the Feast of Trumpets and the seventh trumpet is blown prior to the following Feast of Trumpets, then the DAYS WILL HAVE BEEN SHORTENED–which Jesus said would be necessary for humanity to survive. Otherwise, the 6,000 years would have ended on the Feast of Trumpets (or technically, the day before).
Anyway, this message about God’s end-time use of trumpets begins with the opening, in heaven, of Revelation’s seventh seal. Seven angels are given seven trumpets to blow. The blowing of these trumpets represents God’s intervention in world affairs just after the world has endured Satan’s wrath and the heavenly signs. Seven angels will sound seven trumpets, representing seven consecutive colossal world events. These are to be physical punishments from God as warnings to the nations not to go further into national and personal sins.
As far as the specific trumpets of Revelation go, here is information on the first six trumpets (italics shown below are not in the Bible, but were added by commentators/editors):
8:1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck
7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck
8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck
10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.
Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck
12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. 13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
Fifth Trumpet: The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit
9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. 7 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. 12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.
Sixth Trumpet: The Angels from the Euphrates
13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed — by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm. (Revelation 8:1-13, 9:1-19)
So, a lot of trumpets are blown in the Book of Revelation, and a lot were to be blown on the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24)–hopefully many can see the connection.
Notice what happens when the first four trumpets are blown:
- At the sound of the first trumpet supernatural fire will burn the grass and one third of the earth’s trees.
- At the sound of the second trumpet God will kill a third of all sea life. People will no longer freely sail the oceans. Dead, bloated, stinking carcasses of sea creatures will abound.
- After this, a third trumpet is blown and a third of the earth’s fresh water will turn bitter. The result? The death of many humans.
- Finally a fourth trumpet is blown, and one third of the light from the sun, moon and stars will be eliminated (verses 7-12).
These terrible plagues are released on the earth by a righteous God, who, essentially will be forced to shake carnal, rebellious humanity to its senses!
We come now to the final three trumpet plagues or “woes” (Revelation 8:13).
When the fifth trumpet is blown, the bottomless pit is opened (Revelation 9:1-11). What emerges is the beast power described in Revelation 17:8-14, the final resurrection of the ‘Holy Roman Empire.’ This beast will have ensnared the world in its satanically inspired, Babylonian religious and political system. And with the sixth trumpet, angels that are to kill a third of humankind are released.
And yet, as unbelievable as it may seem, despite the trumpet plagues, humankind still will not repent:
20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21)
The third “woe” — God’s final trumpet plague — is yet to occur.
While people may wonder why most of the world will not repent, the reality is that most Christians will not properly repent to be saved from the coming hour of trial (see also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?).
The Seventh Trumpet is Also a Warning
Now the most important trumpet, in a sense, could be considered to be the last, the seventh one. Here is what Revelation 11 teaches (again, italics not in the Bible, but added by commentators/editors):
The Witnesses Killed
7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
The Witnesses Resurrected
11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly. (Revelation 11:7-14)
Notice that a third woe is coming. Revelation 11 continues with:
Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed
15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. (Revelation 11:15-19)
The coming Kingdom of God is some of what Jesus wants His servants to proclaim now and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).
While this is good news for Christians, many in the world will not think so. That is part of why this the seventh trumpet is the third woe!
Jesus Christ will return in power and resplendent glory to seize control of this world (Revelation 19:11-21) and the saints will be resurrected to eternal life to rule with Christ (I Corinthians 15:51-52, Revelation 5:10).
These are those whose name is written in the Book of Life. The Apostle Paul wrote:
3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3).
According to current Jewish tradition:
After Rosh Hashanah services, as the congregants leave the synagogue they say to each other … “May you be inscribed in the Book of Life“” (The Jewish Holiday of Rosh Hashanah. High Holy Days on the Net. http://www.holidays.net/highholydays/rosh.htm accessed 9/21/16).
So, on the Feast of Trumpets, Jews tie this in with the Book of Life, which presumably they also tie in with a coming resurrection of God’s people.
And that is associated with the final trumpet in the New Testament when Christians rise as the firstfruits, the firstborn of this age.
Notice also:
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect (Hebrews 12:22-23).
John recorded:
5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels (Revelation 3:5).
Thus, it is the saints are the ones who are written in the Book of Life. And these saints are those that are resurrected at the last trumpet.
But the last trumpet is also a major warning.
The Seven Last Plagues
Despite the resurrection of God’s people, it will take the seven last plagues, which are part of the result of the seventh trumpet, to complete the job of bringing mankind under the control of God.
These final plagues are described in Revelation 16:
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.”
2 So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.
3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying:
“You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.”
7 And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
Let it be mentioned that most of the trumpet plagues had an ante-type (were proceeded by something similar historically) with the plagues of Egypt (see Reasons, Proofs, and Ramifications of the Ten Plagues of Exodus). Despite the plagues of Egypt, relatively few Egyptians actually repented.
First, painful sores will appear on those still subservient to the beast (Revelation 16:2). The second and third plagues turn the seas, rivers and springs of water into blood (verses 3-7).
The fourth plague turns the normally life-giving sun into a life-destroying power as the sun heats the earth to incredible temperatures. This fourth plague will still not bring mankind to repentance (verses 8-9). The fifth plague plunges the beast’s realm into darkness (verses 10-11.)
With these nightmarish plagues completed, mankind will be united to fight Christ at His return. Satan the devil, working through the beast (the end-time military leader) and the false prophet (religious leader) will gather the “kings of the east” to join the armies that remain from the devastated beast power. The gathering location will be Armageddon (verses 12-16), the site of ancient Megiddo, in the valley of Jezreel about 20 miles south of the modern port of Haifa. Many wars have been fought at this site. I once visited it (see the video Armageddon).
The sixth angel sounds and an army from east of the Euphrates River — an army of 200 million men! — emerges, wielding more frightening weapons.
But the combined efforts of these Satan-inspired powers will be to no avail. The seventh and last plague will seal their fate. The mightiest earthquake in history will occur. Dormant volcanoes will erupt. Hailstones weighing 100 pounds (the modern equivalent of a “talent”) will fall from the skies:.
17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great. (Revelation 16:17-21)
Christ’s climactic battle with these armies will occur at Jerusalem:
1 Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south. (Zechariah 14:1-4).
Notice something in Isaiah that seems to be related:
4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, Like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The Lord of hosts musters the army for battle. 5 They come from a far country, From the end of heaven — The Lord and His weapons of indignation, To destroy the whole land.
6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man’s heart will melt, 8 And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames.
9 Behold, the day of the Lord comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. (Isaiah 13:4-10)
The world’s armies that will dare to fight against the returning Jesus will be defeated. God’s government will be established. Those of us who qualify to be born into the Family of God will start the process of reconstructing the world — the right way, this time — through the remaining human beings.
The Elect
Will those who turn to God be protected from these trumpet plagues?
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)
2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” (Revelation 7:2-3)
6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. …
14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. (Revelation 12:6, 14)
Is it for the sake of these “elect” that Christ will intervene in world affairs to cut short the time of great age-end trouble and rescue mankind from nuclear annihilation?
22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:22)
The “elect” of God include the firstfruits of His great master plan. They are the ones God has called out of this world to be among the firstfruits harvest of the divine Family He is creating.
Jesus promised to send His angels to gather His elect at the blast of a great trumpet:
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:30-31)
Notice that the sounding of this trumpet is the time of the resurrection of the dead in Christ:
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
The Apostle Paul also wrote:
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:50-54)
The LAST TRUMPET, the seventh one, is WHEN Jesus returns.
The idea that Jesus will return at the last trumpet, during the time known as the Day of the Lord, and that the dead will be raised then, seems to have been understood by early second century leaders such as Polycarp and Polycrates who, respectively, wrote:
Wherefore, girding up your loins,” “serve the Lord in fear” and truth, as those who have forsaken the vain, empty talk and error of the multitude, and “believed in Him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and gave Him glory,” and a throne at His right hand. To Him all things” in heaven and on earth are subject. Him every spirit serves. He comes as the Judge of the living and the dead. His blood will God require of those who do not believe in Him. But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise up us also, if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved (Polycarp. Letter to the Philippians, chapter II. Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1 as edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885.)
For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the day of the Lord’s coming, when he shall come with glory from heaven, and shall seek out all the saints. (Polycrates Letter to Victor as reported by Eusebius. Church History. Book V, Chapter 24).
Is this trumpet the seventh and final one of the seven introduced in Revelation 8? Yes. Notice something else about those in the first resurrection then do:
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)
Many Protestants might be surprised that Martin Luther did NOT endorse the millennium but taught against it. It is also officially taught against by the Eastern Orthodox, and seemingly more forcibly against by the Church of Rome. But it will happen (see also Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?).
Furthermore, notice:
13 So it shall be in that day:
The great trumpet will be blown;
They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria,
And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt,
And shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. (Isaiah 27:13)
Jesus comes with the great sound of a trumpet (Matthew 24:31).
The Bible shows that God’s people will be pleased, but others will not when Jesus returns:
1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”
19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:1-21)
The seventh trumpet is a warning, but many will not heed it.
Why will people fight against the returning Jesus?
Well, they would have already not repented after the other trumpet plagues.
Because Satan has a plan (see Satan’s Plan), and part of that plan seems to be recorded in Greco-Roman prophecies that will result in many in the world believing that the Beast and False Prophet are good (see Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies?) and that Jesus is actually Antichrist (see Do Certain Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?). One of the reasons that they will claim that Jesus is the Antichrist is that Jesus will keep the biblical holy days. The old Radio Church of God once understood and taught this (see Christ or Antichrist? and Will You Be Deceived by Antichrist?), but many who claim to be in the Church of God no longer seem to understand how Satan has used non-biblical prophecies as part of his plan (see also Satan’s Plan).
If you keep the biblical Holy Days you are much less likely to be deceived as the world will be (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).
If you wonder if God is calling you, we have a free online book (Is God Calling You?), sermon (Could God be Calling You?), and animation (Is God Calling You?) to assist.
Here is an offertory sermonette:
Does the Bible command Holy Day Offerings? Should an offering be taken up on the Feast of Trumpets? If the Church of God is to teach all that Jesus commanded, what about crying out on topics that result in getting “shadow banned”? If the “trend is your friend,” do media like radio make sense in this internet age? What about travels and literature? Are you robbing God by not giving tithes and offerings? Does God promise to bless the giver? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and also blows a chatsoserah and two shofars. On the first day of the seventh month of the biblical calendar, it is a day of blowing the trumpets. Also a special offering was taken up then. Dr. Thiel goes over many scriptures and more in this offertory for the Feast of Trumpets. Offerings can be mailed to the Continuing Church of God, 1036 W. Grand Avenue, Grover Beach, CA 93433. Offerings can also be given online via PayPal–check out: https://www.ccog.org/donations/
