Of Trumpets and the Rapture

Of Trumpets and the Rapture

Written by J.R.Lawendowski

Recently in the Prophecy Bible Study class I teach I was covering the Rapture. Things were going along great when one of the guys in the class comes out with "The Rapture is mid-trib because the last trump is the 7th Trumpet judgment in Revelation 11:15". His statement was based on God not authoring confusion and 1 Cor 15:52 saying at the last trump etc. This totally caught me off guard. I stated the case against his belief in a non-confrontational manner, but he remained unconvinced. After the class when I got home it was still bugging me, something just didn't fit but I couldn't remember or wasn't sure what. So I began to study. First two of the main Rapture verses. First is Paul's discussion of the Rapture to the Corinthians which laid out the change one's body went through at the Rapture: 1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 1Co 15:52 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. 1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.  Second is Paul's discussion with the Thessalonians regarding the same event, but here he lays out the chronology of the event. 1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.  The parallels between the verses are unmistakeable....but each provides a clearer picture overall of the Rapture when combined. We see: 1. Christ coming in the clouds: a)descending with a shout b)with the voice of an archangel c)with the trump of God 2. A trumpet blast occur: a) first the dead in Christ is called b) then those who are alive in Christ (the Last Trump) 3. The dead in Christ rise in to the air 4. Those who are alive and remain rise to meet Christ and those who were dead. 5. The whole company of believers (the Church) return to Heaven with Christ. So by this quick overview we see the intended "last Trump" as being the last trumpet sounding the end of the Church age as the Church leaves to meet Christ prior to the Tribulation. That wasn't good enough...he still maintains the 7th Trumpet judgment is the last trump (as do all mid-tribbers)...so, let's look at Rev 11:15, what does it say? Rev 11:15 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. Rev 11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.   At first glance you may say well, wait a minute...it's talking about the kingdoms of this world are the Lord's. But there are three significant problems with making this trumpet the "last trump". First, who is blowing this trump? An angel, one of seven assigned to the task for that portion of the tribulation. Who is the center of the action in 1 Thess 4 and 1 Cor 15? Christ is. Also, is the trump the angel blew the "trump of God"? This is not clear, but there are examples of God blowing a trumpet himself in Scripture and to assume that the "trump of God" is the same as the trumps issued to the seven angels is not the best position to hold as it's not remotely supportable. Second, look at Rev 11:16...here are the 24 elders again. Note I said, again. We know that they are elders of the Church, NOT angels...they are redeemed men...we also know they are in heaven before the opening of the first seal. If the rapture doesn't occur until mid-trib, how do these 24 get judged and awarded their crowns 3 1/2 years before the rapture? Third, and this is so obvious that I at first missed it, is the trumpet of Rev 11:15 indeed the last trump of the Tribulation? The answer.....NO. If you look you will indeed find no other trumpet in the book of Revelation, HOWEVER, we do know that the Tribulation is talked about in parts throughout the New Testament. Hence: Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Mat 24:31 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.  That is the "last trump" of the Tribulation. At the second coming...when Christ sends forth His angels to gather the elect (the 144,000, but that's another topic). Here we have (when in conjunction with Rev 19:11), Christ returning WITH His saints at the second coming, sending forth His angels with the sound of a trumpet to gather the elect. Is this the same as 1 Thess 4 and 1 Cor 15. Nope. Christ already has His saints, the church, with him. Also, as a further note. Let's look at Revelation 4:1, Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.   Whoa! Did you catch that? The voice he heard was "as it were a TRUMPET talking to me saying COME UP HITHER". THE RAPTURE!! Again before the opening of the first seal. That is the "last Trump" of 1 Cor 15. There are many trumpets throughout the Bible. Some for gathering, some for warning, some for charging into battle. To take two verses referring to what may be the last trumpet and join them without looking at who is doing the action, who is the focus of the action, what is going on is a poor interpretational attempt. We now know that the 7th Trumpet Judgment is not the "last trump" as clearly shown. In sum we have 1 Cor 15, 1 Thess 4 and now Rev 4:1 all talking using the same language and object....a trumpet. All occuring before the first seal is opened. We've also seen that the 7th Trumpet and the final trumpet of the Tribulation (Matt 24:29-31) do not parallel the contextual content of the Rapture passages at all.