ophecies The Last Trump Many Post-Trib advocates quote Paul’s explanation to the Corinthians as proof that Christ will not come for His Church until after the tribulation is over. Paul said, “Listen to this secret truth: we shall not all die, but when the last trumpet sounds, we shall all be changed in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of an eye. For when the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, never to die again, and we shall all be changed (1 Cor. 15:51 Good News Bible).” Christ also referred to this last trumpet, according to post-tribulation advocates, as He stated that a great trumpet would sound at His appearing (Matt. 24:29-31). As the angels are dispatched after the tribulation heralded by the blast of a great trumpet, and the resurrection of the dead also occurs after the last trumpet, then, according to Post-Trib advocates, these two events must be one and the same. But is Christ’s gathering in Matthew’s Olivet Discourse the same event as the resurrection described by Paul? The answer is no for several reasons. Rosh HaShana and the Last Trump Paul stated that the Jewish festivals, or feasts of the Lord (Lev. 23:4), were a shadow of things to come (Col. 2:16,17). Israel observed seven feasts that were divided into three festival periods. It is critical to eschatological doctrine that one understands how the Jewish Festivals relates to Christ, His Church, and Israel. The first period was the festival of Passover, which included the feast of Passover, the feast of Unleavened Bread, and the feast of feast of Firstfruits. These feasts occurred in the first month of the year, and were shadows of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The festival of Passover feasts relates to the Church in as much as that the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ redeemed His Church (cf. 1 Pet. 1:18, Acts 20:28). Also, Christ is the Firstfruits of the resurrection that will awaken them that are sleeping (1 Cor. 15:20). The second period of festivals is that of Pentecost, the feast that occurred in the third month of the year. Just as the feast of Pentecost marks the birthday of the nation of Israel as their relationship with God officially began, the day of Pentecost subsequent to Calvary marks the birthday of the Church (Acts 2:1-4). While three thousand men died at Sinai at the first Pentecost (Exod. 32:28), three thousand were added to the Church on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41). Pentecost affected Israel in as much that it separates the Jews that comprise the remnant and those that are cut off from the promises of God (Rom 11:7). The third period of festivals includes the Feast of Trumpets, The Feast of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These feasts occur in the seventh month of the year. These feasts are a shadow of Christ coming for His Bride (Feast of Trumpets), Christ judging the nations (Feast of Atonement), and Christ establishing His millennial reign (Feast of Tabernacles). In the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh HaShanah, trumpets would be sounded to call God’s people to the holy city of Jerusalem for celebration as the harvest was over and a new year was to begin. During the Feast of Trumpets a total of 100 notes are sounded each day. Ellen Kavanaugh wrote, “Traditionally, the Ba’al Tekiah (shofar blower) begins with one held blast called Tekiah; followed by three broken blasts called Shevarim; followed by nine even faster broken blasts called Teruah. The Tekiah, Shevarim, and Teruah each last the same length of time. These are repeated three times. Then the Ba’al Tekiah (shofar blower) concludes the activity by blowing and holding a final blast as long as he can (basically, until he runs out of breath). This final blast is called Tekiah Gedolah. (3.) It is this Tekiah Gedolah, or last trump, to which Paul refers as he describes the beginning of the resurrection of Christians (1 Cor. 15:52). One must also consider that in Judaism three trumpets carry great significance as they marked special events. These trumpets are called the First Trump, the Last Trump, and the Great Trump. The First Trump was blown on the first Pentecost at Sinai, which marked the birth of Israel as a nation. Moses wrote, “And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and became very strong, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice (Exod. 19:19 Modern King James Version).” The Last Trump occurs at the Feast of Trumpets as previously described, and the Great Trump will be blown at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. Isaiah wrote, “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 (Isa. 27:13 KJV).” The type and shadow of this final returning of Israel to the land of their ancestors is seen in the Jewish celebration of the year of Jubilee. Moses wrote,” And thou shalt number seven Sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and there shall be unto thee the days of seven Sabbaths of years, even forty and nine years. Then shalt thou send abroad the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month; in the Day of Atonement shall ye send abroad the trumpet throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family (Lev. 25:8-10 American Standard Version).” In the New Living Translation, it is stated that, “In the Year of Jubilee each of you [Israelites] may return to the land that belonged to your ancestors (Lev. 25:13 NLT).” Most Post-Trib advocates mistakenly assume that the Last Trump and the Great Trump are the one and the same. They are not. As one considers the relationship between the Jewish Feast days and the shadow of the things that were to come, one must conclude that the Last Trump signals Fullness of the Gentiles (Rom. 11:25) and the departure of the Church. It also marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, the Tribulation Week. These days mark the final opportunity for Israel to repent and wholeheartedly seek after God. After the end of the Days of Awe will be the Day of Judgment, when Christ comes to separate the nations (The Feast of Atonement), and establish His millennial reign (The Feast of Tabernacles). It is then that the purposes of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks are completed. Daniel said, “The Lord has commanded 490 years of further punishment upon Jerusalem and your people. Then at last they will learn to stay away from sin, and their guilt will be cleansed; then the kingdom of everlasting righteousness will begin, and the Most Holy Place (in the Temple) will be rededicated, as the prophets have declared (Dan. 9:24 The Living Bible).” It will be then that all of the apocalyptic prophecies regarding Israel will be fulfilled. Unto Christ who doeth all things well (Mark 7:37), Blessing, honor, glory and power (Rev. 5:13)! Amen!
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 17:12:01 +0000
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