The Last Trump: Unveiling the Truth of the Seventh Trumpet

Scripture Reading:

• 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

1 Corinthians 15:51–52 KJV 1900

51 Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

• Revelation 11:15

Revelation 11:15 KJV 1900

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Introduction:

In our journey through biblical prophecy, one of the most discussed terms is the “last trump,” a phrase used by Paul in relation to the resurrection of the dead and the return of Christ. But what is the “last trump”?

To understand the Last Trump we need to understand the trumpet blasts that are connected to the context of our scripture text for today.

Trumpet Blasts Through Out The Bible

1. Mount Sinai Trumpet Blast – Exodus 19:16-19

• Exodus 19:16 (KJV): “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.”

• Context and Significance: This trumpet blast at Mount Sinai signaled the manifestation of God’s presence as He descended to establish His covenant with Israel. This event marked the formal giving of the Law and was accompanied by a supernatural trumpet sound that grew louder and louder, causing the people to tremble.

• Connection to the Last Trump: Like the last trump, the blast at Mount Sinai announced God’s arrival with authority, signaling His covenant with humanity. The parallels between this trumpet and the “last trump” are significant: both trumpet blasts announce God’s presence and establish a new covenant—at Sinai with Israel and at the last trump with all believers as they are gathered to Christ.

2. The Fall of Jericho – Joshua 6:4-5

• Joshua 6:5 (KJV): “And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.”

• Context and Significance: The trumpets blown at Jericho marked a divine intervention that led to victory for Israel. For six days, the people marched around Jericho, and on the seventh day, the long blast of the trumpet, along with a great shout, brought the walls of Jericho down.

• Connection to the Last Trump: The seventh-day trumpet blast at Jericho parallels the seventh trumpet in Revelation, which also marks a decisive moment in God’s judgment. Just as the trumpet at Jericho brought victory and entry into the Promised Land, the last trump will bring victory over death and entry into the eternal Kingdom of God for believers.

3. The Year of Jubilee – Leviticus 25:9

• Leviticus 25:9 (KJV): “Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.”

• Context and Significance: Every fifty years, the trumpet would sound on the Day of Atonement to announce the Year of Jubilee, a time when debts were forgiven, slaves were freed, and land was returned to its original owners. This trumpet blast symbolized freedom, redemption, and the restoration of inheritance.

• Connection to the Last Trump: The Jubilee trumpet symbolizes ultimate freedom and restoration, themes that resonate with the last trump. At the last trump, believers will experience ultimate redemption, freedom from sin and death, and the restoration of their eternal inheritance in Christ.

4. Prophetic Trumpet in Joel’s Call to Repentance – Joel 2:1, 15

• Joel 2:1 (KJV): “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand.”

• Context and Significance: The prophet Joel called for a trumpet blast as an alarm, signaling the coming Day of the Lord. This trumpet blast was a call to repentance, emphasizing urgency as the day of judgment approached.

• Connection to the Last Trump: This trumpet blast is significant because it foreshadows the “Day of the Lord,” which the last trump will initiate. Just as Joel’s trumpet warned of impending judgment, the last trump will signal the close of the age and the final judgment, calling people to be prepared for Christ’s return.

5. The Great Trumpet of Isaiah – Isaiah 27:13

• Isaiah 27:13 (KJV): “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.”

• Context and Significance: Isaiah prophesied of a “great trumpet” that would gather the exiles of Israel back to their homeland. This trumpet signifies a regathering and restoration for God’s people.

• Connection to the Last Trump: This prophecy of a great trumpet has clear parallels with the last trump described by Paul. Just as Isaiah’s great trumpet gathers the scattered people of Israel, the last trump will gather believers from across the earth, uniting them to meet the Lord in the air.

6. The Trumpet in Matthew 24 – Matthew 24:31

• Matthew 24:31 (KJV): “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

• Context and Significance: In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus describes the final gathering of His elect at the sound of a great trumpet. This trumpet occurs “immediately after the tribulation” (Matthew 24:29), when the Son of Man appears in the clouds.

• Connection to the Last Trump: Jesus’ description here is directly tied to Paul’s “last trump,” which also signals the gathering of believers. The trumpet blast described by Jesus appears at the end of the tribulation, aligning with the seventh trumpet in Revelation and signaling the final gathering of the faithful.

In this sermon, we will explore these two views, contrasting them based on the contextual weight of scripture. Finally, we will uphold the seventh trumpet as the accurate interpretation of the “last trump.”

Two views have emerged: one links it to the Feast of Trumpets in Jewish tradition, while the other connects it to the seventh trumpet in the Book of Revelation.

I. Understanding the Last Trump

A. Paul’s Revelation of the Last Trump

• In 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Paul teaches that at the sound of the “last trump,” the dead will rise, and living believers will be transformed.

• The “last trump” signifies a final, climactic event in God’s redemptive plan.

The question we seek to answer today is: What is this “last trump”? Does it refer to the Feast of Trumpets or the seventh trumpet in Revelation?

II. The Feast of Trumpets Interpretation

A. What is the Feast of Trumpets?

• The Feast of Trumpets (or Yom Teruah) is celebrated in the Jewish calendar as the start of the civil year and is described in Leviticus 23:23-25. It is a solemn assembly marked by the blowing of trumpets, calling people to repentance and signaling the coming of God’s judgment.

• According to Jewish tradition, there are typically 100 trumpet blasts associated with the Feast of Trumpets. The final, climactic blast is called the Tekiah Gedolah, a long and loud trumpet blast symbolizing the conclusion of the feast and a call to judgment.

B. Why Some Connect the Last Trump to the Feast of Trumpets

• Many see the Tekiah Gedolah, the 100th and final trumpet blast of the Feast of Trumpets, as the “last trump” Paul refers to. This view is based on the prophetic typology of the Jewish feasts, where each feast foreshadows a significant event in God’s redemptive plan.

• For example, just as Passover foreshadows Christ’s sacrifice and Pentecost marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, it is believed that the Feast of Trumpets foreshadows the rapture or resurrection of believers.

C. The Strength of the Feast of Trumpets Interpretation

• Typology: The Feast of Trumpets serves as a type that points toward the future gathering of God’s people. This interpretation resonates with those who view the Jewish feasts as prophetic events yet to be fulfilled in the end times.

• The final trumpet blast, the Tekiah Gedolah, could be seen as symbolizing the “last trump” in Paul’s writings.

III. The Seventh Trumpet Interpretation

A. What is the Seventh Trumpet?

• The seventh trumpet is part of a series of judgments described in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation 11:15, the seventh trumpet signals the completion of God’s wrath and the establishment of Christ’s Kingdom: “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

• This trumpet is the final one in a sequence of seven trumpets, marking the end of tribulation and the beginning of Christ’s direct reign on earth.

B. Why the Seventh Trumpet Fits the Context

1. Finality and Completion:

• The seventh trumpet is the last of the seven trumpets in Revelation, which aligns with the meaning of the “last trump” in Paul’s writings. In scripture, the number seven is often associated with completion (Genesis 2:2-3; Joshua 6:4; Revelation 1:4).

• The seventh trumpet marks the completion of God’s mystery, as described in Revelation 10:7: “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”

2. Resurrection and Transformation:

• At the sound of the seventh trumpet, the dead are raised and believers are transformed, as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 15:52. This corresponds with the culmination of events in Revelation, where Christ’s reign is established, and all things are made new.

3. Direct Prophetic Timeline:

• The seventh trumpet fits into the linear prophetic timeline in Revelation, where each trumpet leads to specific events. It is not based on symbolic typology but rather on explicit prophecy, making it a more reliable interpretation of the “last trump.”

IV. Contrasting the Two Views

A. Symbolism vs. Explicit Prophecy

• The Feast of Trumpets interpretation is primarily symbolic, relying on typology to make the connection between the “last trump” and the final trumpet blast of the feast. While typology is valuable in understanding God’s redemptive plan, it is less conclusive when weighed against the direct prophetic events of Revelation.

• The seventh trumpet in Revelation is not merely symbolic; it is a definitive event in the timeline of God’s judgment and the return of Christ.

B. Typology vs. Fulfillment

• The Feast of Trumpets typology reflects a call to repentance and judgment but does not directly describe the rapture or resurrection.

• The seventh trumpet, on the other hand, is explicitly tied to the fulfillment of God’s plan, including the resurrection of the dead, the transformation of believers, and the establishment of Christ’s Kingdom.

Conclusion:

When we examine the contextual weight of scripture, it becomes evident that the last trump Paul describes is best understood in light of the seventh trumpet in Revelation. The other trumpet blasts in scripture—from the blast at Mount Sinai to the Jubilee trumpet, to Jesus’ words in Matthew 24—provide a backdrop of divine gathering, victory, freedom, and judgment, all of which resonate with the seventh trumpet.

Ultimately, the last trump is the culmination of God’s redemptive plan, announcing the resurrection of believers, the final victory over sin and death, and the eternal reign of Christ. As we wait for that last trumpet to sound, let us remain vigilant, hopeful, and dedicated to the work of the Kingdom, knowing that our Savior will return in glory to gather us to Himself.

Closing Quote:

“The trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more; and the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair.” – Fanny J. Crosby