A Voice in the Wilderness

I am choosing to refrain from book studies, like the one I finished recently on Revelation. It was a blessing, but a bit tedious, and I needed a break. On the other hand, the small groups I have sat with, and even a few pastors, have given me fodder for Biblical conversations demonstrating how far we are from scripture and embedded in religious traditions. This is such a topic as we will try to answer the question,

Is this the “last trumpet” we see in 1 Corinthians 15, and is it associated with Armageddon?

I recently did a study on Armageddon because of a question such as this. I can tell you that this word only appears once in the King James version of the Bible. Try to find Armageddon in the NASB, and it does not show up.

“And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”
Revelation 16:16

One witness (and there are supposed to be, at minimum, two [Read Deuteronomy 19:15]), and we are making a big deal out of this word, Armageddon.

Armageddon is a variation on the Meggido valley. It is also known as the Plain of Jezreel. Galilee sits in the center of the valley, as well as Nazareth. Mount Carmel, where Elijah killed the prophets of Baal, stands as the Southern boundary. And a fun fact is that this valley has been the location of every significant battle we see in the Bible.

I see three wars that will affect Israel in the time of wrath and one final battle also fought in the Meggido valley.

First, if you are new to Biblical things, our focus is on Israel. So the next war that will impact Israel will be Ezekiel 38 and 39, where God draws Gog, the ruler of Magog, along with a few other Northern nations and several North African nations; their commonality is their religion, even if changes names in the African nations to Boko Haran. 

When this takes place will either be in the moments before the catching away of the church or right after. I point this out because we know that the antichrist will show up and immediately go about trying to make peace. Many will tell you that he is making peace with Israel, but the Bible says nothing to back that assertion up; what it does say is that he will make a covenant with many, which might equate to a ceasefire. The details of this attack can be found in Ezekiel 38:1-23, and there you will find that Gog, the big, powerful leader of the Northern confederation, is killed on the hillsides of Israel. I do not think that he will be included in the “peace” talks.

The second attack upon Israel happens at the mid-point of the seven years. (Read Matthew 24:15-25.) Daniel saw this attack in a prophetic vision and explains it in chapter 8, verse 13 

“Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, “How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?” (Daniel 8:13 NASB)

The only motives I see for this second attack are driven by the entrance and activity of the false prophet. Most big-name Eschatology teachers will tell you that this is a leader from the revived Roman empire. I cannot accept that assertion because it tries to direct me to ignore history and a clear understanding of what Islam believes, which happens to coincide in many ways with Bible prophecy. Sadly, many will tell you that we cannot look at or consider extra-biblical information. If you only realized how much extra stuff you hold as a tradition. For example: Does God take children to heaven if they have not reached the age of accountability? Try to find that in your Bible; you can’t because it is based on extra-biblical traditions, which you claim we have to ignore. The question itself is beyond difficult, especially when an eight-year-old child can intentionally take a gun to school and shoot another child because of some interaction. At what point do we declare a child to be accountable? It’s a rhetorical question that does not require an answer.

Daniel 9 is another place where Daniel received an explanation of one of his visions.

“Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.”(Daniel 9:26 NASB)

The sixty-two weeks is 62, seven-year periods – equaling 490 years, and they have already come. We know this because Jesus, the Messiah, was killed. The problem for most is that they can’t figure out that the rest of this paragraph is still to come. The prince to come is the antichrist, and the sanctuary is the temple yet to be built. Because God gave us an example in the Roman ruler Titus, we assume that the people who are to come will also be Romans. The problem is that the troops under the Roman flag were in the majority conscripted Assyrian troops and had a burning hatred for the Jews. These are the people that destroyed the temple in 70AD, in disregard of Titus’ orders to cease and desist. Disobedience to Roman orders usually meant death, but Josephus tells us that they did not seem to care what Titus said.

If you have doubts whether Daniel 9 speaks about war or not, note the end of the paragraph, where it says, “and the host to be trampled.” Host, in Hebrew, is indicative of a mass of people. The host is also indicative of God’s people – Israel. Trampled is to tread down as in warfare or violence. 

The third instance of war and the only passage that uses Armageddon is Revelation 16:16.

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”) And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. (Revelation 16:12-16 NASB)

This is when Jesus comes back as the warring Messiah. Israel should be ecstatic as this is who they have been waiting for.

Revelation 19 tells us all about this war at the end of the wrath.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.” (Revelation 19:11-14 NASB)

Do your homework, and you will find He only kills those who came to fight; this in no way means that the others who stayed back and continued to wallow in their hatred will be indiscriminately killed, as they are allowed to live and maintain their free will.

Revelation 20 describes the last war (if you can call it that) – the fourth war since the wrath, to be fought in the Jezreel valley.

“When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:7-10 NASB)

Once they rallied around the Holy City, God simply burns them up, and no one on God’s team breaks a sweat.

In case you wondered how such a large quantity of people, who have seen God’s love and grace in action, could put their brains in park and try to kill God and His people, they are deceived by demons. Allow me to point something out; there are only two people in hell at this point in time, the antichrist and the false prophet. They were thrown into the lake of fire at the end of the seven years.

Paul tells us of the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15.

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will 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 imperishable, and we will be changed.”
(1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NASB)

I have looked at as much information about Rosh Hashana as I can handle, and although I perceive that it is two days of shofar blowing, there does not seem to be a designated “last” trumpet of the day. Did you even think about the ramifications of that? As the earth rotates every few seconds, someone new gains the right to blow the “last” trumpet blast.

So, while I cannot say there is NO last trumpet, there is nothing like the Revelation to spell out how many nor how we would know. I will, however, point out that more than many others, Paul knew about Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets, even if it does not answer our question about how we might know when to look for this “last trumpet.”

Note that this particular trumpet is associated with: the twinkling of an eye, the dead being raised imperishable, and the fact that we will be changed.

Paul, so to speak, went after those disparaging some who were trying to maintain their Jewish heritage. Paul writes.

“So don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh-Hodesh or Shabbat. These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah.”
(Colossians 2:16-17 CJB)

If you can grasp what these days mean to the Jews, you will understand that there are many reasons to hope for Jesus to catch the church away on this Feast of Trumpets. Therefore, while it will be the last trumpet for those that follow Jesus Christ, it is certainly NOT the last trumpet as far as God is concerned.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 refers to us as being changed.

Changed is the Greek word allassō and means to be made different.

But different in what way?

I have for years felt led to try and educate the Christian community. Therefore, I feel comfortable saying, as though you would understand when I say it, knowing the scriptures, we understand that this means we will be sin free, be like Him, and finally immortal. The other aspect of this change is that we change locations to our next home, which is in heaven with Him.

“He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.” (Philippians 3:21 NLT)

Let’s consider the word trumpet for a moment.

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NASB)

We seem to have exhaustive discussions about a pre-tribulation rapture based upon Revelation 4:1.

“After these things, I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”
(Revelation 4:1 NASB)

Notice that it says, after these things, what things is “He” talking about? The end of the church age, which we just witnessed in Revelation 1-3. Considering that we are caught up to be with Jesus with a trump, it is no coincidence that John is drawn up into heaven by the voice of a trumpet, where he gets to witness the wrath of God that is to come.

Now, if you were referring to the seventh trumpet, then you have to consider that this seventh event continues to bring on God’s judgment and wrath.

“The trumpets in Scripture are of great significance in eschatology in determining when the rapture of the church takes place (1Th_4:13-18). This involves the question of whether the mention of the “last trumpet” in 1Co_15:52, simply referred to as “the trumpet” in 1Th_4:16, is the same as the seventh trumpet in Rev_11:11-15. Some assume that these trumpets are identical and thus presume that the rapture of the church will take place at the time of the occurrence of the seventh trumpet of Rev_11:15. This seventh trumpet is in the middle or toward the latter part of the seven-year tribulation period, i.e., Daniel’s prophetic seventieth week.” (Dan_9:25-27). Finis Dake

This last paragraph says it all, the seventh trumpet is only associated with the midpoint or the end of the seven years.

Pay attention to the words in Revelation 11:15.

Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15 NASB)

This is the last of seven. The last of the current set of woe (all of which are a part of God’s wrath.)

We have to go back to Revelation chapter 8 to find the seven trumpets.

“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.” (Revelation 8:2 NASB)

What do we see in Revelation 8?

Tremendous destruction of the earth and the heavens. Revelation 8:13 gives an ominous warning.

“Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
(Revelation 8:13 NASB)

The fifth trumpet.

“Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them. The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.”
(Revelation 9:1-12 NASB)

Do not think for a second that these are ordinary locusts; they are not, simply because there is NOTHING on earth like this. Look at the description that I highlighted.

The sixth trumpet.

“Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.”
(Revelation 9:13-21 NASB)

Here, the four angels bound under the Euphrates have been released. The entirety of their purpose is to kill one-third of the population of those still on the earth.

Why make that statement?

Because the slaughter of humanity has been an ongoing process since the opening of the first seal and the rider on the white horse.

With the seventh angel, with the seventh trumpet, Revelation 10:7 tells us, “the mystery of God is finished.”

What do we see?

“Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. “Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.”
(Revelation 11:1-2 NASB)

What does this mean?

The new temple to be built will be given to the Gentiles.

Look at these passages.

“…, For aliens have entered The holy places of the LORD’S house.”
(Jeremiah 51:51 NASB)

Aliens are the Hebrew word zur and also means foreigners, illegitimate persons, and laymen. Do not consider these laymen Jews, as we are most likely talking about Muslims.

“Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.”
(Hosea 8:8 KJV)

Hosea’s words have taken on new meaning as of September 2022, as the interim Prime Minister of Israel, Yair Lapid, addressed the UN and said Israel is willing to solve the Palestinian problem by splitting Jerusalem. I do not think he speaks for the majority of Israel; I do, however, think he speaks to and for our “American President” Joe Biden and his handlers, who I am pretty sure have exposed a crack in the Jewish governmental infrastructure and pressured Lapid into suggesting such a horrid thing, especially since it goes against God’s law.

If you don’t know what a Gentile is, let me help you. Since the overwhelming majority of scripture is centered around Jerusalem and the Jewish people, then a Gentile is ANYONE outside of the Jewish religion. So, consider who might be trying to create an abomination in what will be the newest Jewish temple – in Jerusalem? It doesn’t take long to envision Hamas and the Palestinians. Guess what? The “Gentiles” among the Israelites want it all to themselves. It would not bother them if Israel were to be swallowed up.

Finally, the trumpet is sounded.

Revelation 11:15 MKJV  “And the seventh angel sounded. And there were great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ. And He will reign forever and ever.”

Here the narrator uses a mix of present and future tense:

1. Present -“The kingdoms of this world have become,”

2. A future tense when He says, ” And He will reign forever and ever.”

So what is my understanding of this?

God is not concerned about the timing of these events, as they are all one package about to be opened. But, I might also note that He is the God with no beginning and no end, which may significantly impact how He handles the timing of these events.

The end result will leave no loose strings.

Some will not see this as there are passages that indicate people, with their option of free will still intact, are worshiping Satan and self.

Revelation 21:8,27 (MKJV)  “But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their part in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. b.)And there shall in no way enter into it anything that defiles, or any making an abomination or a lie; but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

And there is that bit about one last battle before the judgment seat of Christ,

And when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be loosed out of his prison. And he will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle. The number of them is as the sand of the sea. And they went up over the breadth of the earth and circled around the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them. And the Devil who deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet were. And he will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:7-10 MKJV)