The Trumpet Of The Lord Shall Sound

It was one of our favorite songs. "When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more." Back in the days when I first heard and sang that great hymn of the faith, I had never seen the Biblical status of the trumpet, the Hebrew shofar. A quick study reveals this dynamic instrument, the horn of a ram, in battles, in praise to God, as an instrument of warning. But for us in this later generation, perhaps its most compelling usage is as the signal of the end.

Sounding much like the Spirit's words to the prophet Daniel, the New Testament's Seer, John, is shown a mighty angel (Revelation 10) with a mighty announcement. He plants feet on land and sea and cries out like a lion, lifting his holy hand to Heaven, and swears that time shall be no more. Just like the song said.

He goes on to tell the exact moment of that ending. It will be signaled by the sounding of the last of a series of seven trumpet blasts. Mere poetry? In the next chapter that very trumpet, the seventh, sounds off. Immediately the kingdoms of this world fall to Christ Jesus! His wrath falls on the planet. There are judgments and resurrections. Time as we know it has ended.

Knowing that the seventh trumpet is the last trumpet before the very end helps clear up a mystery that modern pop theologians have introduced in these modern days about the timing of the second coming. For John is not the only one who mentions a trumpet at the end. Jesus and Paul do too.

Jesus says (Matthew 24) that after the tribulation period, nature will give out, Jesus will appear, and at the sound of a trumpet, He'll gather His own to Himself. We call this gathering the rapture today. That word has scared a lot of people away, but all it means is that we go from where we are to where He is.

Paul, in I Corinthians 15 says that one day we will all be changed from these vile bodies. It will happen in an instant. And that instant, he says, is the last trumpet. "For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible. And we shall be changed."

The message is clear and consistent. World chaos. World war. World dictator. Then suddenly in the air Jesus appears. The angel sounds the shofar, and off we go forever to be with the Lord. Great words of comfort. Great words of hope.

I cannot end such talk without another plea for my brothers and sisters suffering in North Korea and other prison lands where the Gospel cannot be preached freely. Let us continue to ask God that this wonderfully good news of an eternally righteous government where there is no poverty or death or suffering will be allowed to be spread up and down Korea's mountains and valleys. Ask God to add souls to His eternal Kingdom, to teach them His Word, to prepare them for that last trumpet sounding "when the dead in Christ shall rise and the glory of His resurrection share."

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.