The Seventh Trumpet - the Rapture
The Seventh Trump is the Rapture. In Revelation we read, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, (the seventh angel with the seventh trumpet is the last trumpet), when he shall begin to sound, (Sound what? Sound the seventh trumpet), the mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to his servants the prophets.”[83]
This is the same Rapture event that Apostle Paul describes when he writes, “Behold, I show you a mystery, (like the mystery of God of Revelation); We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, (the seventh trumpet is the last trump): for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”[84]
In another place we read, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. (Do I hear the trumpet?) And the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive 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.”[85]
In Matthew 24 we read, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken.” [86]This seems very similar to the events we saw at the sixth seal and the seventh vial which we have talked about earlier. These events actually occur at the very end of the Wrath of God which is after the Rapture.
So it is easy to see how at times it is hard to distinguish the events one from another. The prophets themselves may have had difficulty, as I mentioned before, and like Daniel confessed, “And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”[87] In other words, “You don’t need to understand this, Daniel, but at the time of the end, I will open the understanding of my people that they may understand.”
Continuing again with Matthew and the Rapture at the end of the Tribulation period we read, “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. 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.”[88] Here we see that trumpet again with the angels as we saw in Corinthians and Thessalonians and Revelation! Is this a coincidence? It seems to me they are all talking about the same event, the Rapture.
According to Revelation the two main events that happen at the Seventh Trump are the Rapture and the beginning of the Wrath. We read, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world ere become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.”[89] If the seventh angel sounded, what was he sounding, the seventh trump? Earlier we have read, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finish, as he has declared to his servants the prophets.”[90]
We showed that the mystery of God was in fact the Rapture, because as Paul said, “Behold, I show you a mystery;…we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, the last trump is the seventh trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”[91]
At the time of the Rapture Christ has not taken control of the earth yet, but He will within a very short period. It’s like when you are watching football and the score is close, but then one team puts another goal and puts the game out of reach. And you say, “It’s over, it’s finished.” Here we see even though the Wrath has not occurred yet, the angels are already saying, “It’s over.” They say, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.”[92]
A little further on we read, “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou should give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth.”[93]The giving of reward could very well be at the Marriage Supper after the Rapture. So these verses seem to confirm again that the seventh trump is indeed the Rapture and the beginning of the Wrath.
The Marriage Supper and Wrath
After the Rapture the saints enjoy the Marriage Supper with the Lamb which we see in Revelation 19. “And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great…. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready….And he said unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”[94]
While the Marriage Supper is taking place, the Wrath is being poured out on the earth and finally during the Battle of Armageddon, we return with Christ to take over the world. How long the Wrath is we do not know for sure, though it seems to be from 30 day to 75 days. However, there is a special blessing for those who live through the wrath unto the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days according to Daniel. (To read more on the 2,300 days of Daniel 8 and the 1,335 days of Danile 12 go HERE.)
“Blessed is he that waits, and comes to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.”[95] Maybe the blessing is to those anti-antichrist people who fought the Antichrist and refused to accept the Mark of the Beast, though they were not believers in Christ. These will be the people we will reign over with Christ during the thousand year Millennium.
The seventh vial, the Battle of Armageddon, may very well happen at the 30th day after the Rapture which is the 1290th day mark. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.”[96] In other words, the abomination will be in place from the Breaking of the Covenant until the return of Christ at the Battle of Armageddon. Mopping up exercises could very well continue until the 75th day which is the 1335th day mark when the Millennium starts. They would be surely blessed to have survived and to have lived through the Tribulation and Wrath period.
Conclusion
The Bible is a very inspiring, and very interesting book. Trying to figure the order of the events is almost mathematical and you need a good understanding of Daniel to be able to properly understand Revelation. But once you have the events in order, it’s a lot easier to understand the whole thing. Someone once said the Bible was like waters to swim in, or in other words, it’s very refreshing. Although things look really bad right now and will get worse, there is a happy ending. So let’s keep our eye on the goal and fight the good fight of faith. I will go over the stations which the end-time train must pass on its journey to the end. If you get these stations in the right order, it’s not so confusing to understand.
The Fourteen Points of the End-time
1. The Last Days (2Tim. 3: 1, 1John 2:18)
2. The Signs of the Times (Mat. 24: 5-7, 12, 14; Dan. 12: 4)
3. Rise of the Antichrist to Power (Dan. 8:23-25, Dan. 11: 21)
4. The Confirming of the Covenant (Dan. 9:27a)
5. The Breaking of the Covenant (Dan. 9: 27b, Dan. 11:31, 2Thes. 2: 3-4)
6. The Great Tribulation (Mat. 24: 15, 21; Rev. 12:6 & 14; Rev. 13: 5, 7-8, 15-18)
7. The Rapture (1Thes. 4:16-17, Mat, 24: 29-31, 1 Cor. 15:51-52, Rev. 10:7)
8. The Marriage Supper & Judgment Seat of Christ (Rev. 19:7-9, 2Cor. 5;10)
9. The Wrath of God (Rev. 14: 9b-10, Rev. 16: 1-21)
10. The Battle of Armageddon (Rev. 19:11, 14, 19-21, Rev. 16:16)
11. The Millennium (Rev. 20:4, Isa.11:6 & 9)
12. The Battle of Gog & Magog (Rev. 20:7-9)
13. The Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-12)
14. The New Heaven & New Earth (Rev. 21:1-2, 24)
Have a happy Bible study. Get out your Bible and forget about the footnotes written therein. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide. Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into all truth.[97] Jesus said, “Seek and ye shall find.”[98] In Jeremiah we read, “And ye shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart.”[99]
I believe these things are not past finding out, however there have been many false prophets like Apostle Paul warned us of. “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”[100] The enemy has sent into our midst false prophets with their false doctrines and prophecy interpretations to confuse, discourage and divide God’s people.
Sad to say, many Christians are under the opinion that understanding of Bible prophecy is virtually impossible, so why bother. But Paul tells us that “Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”[101] Cry out to the Lord, fast and pray and ask God to open your eyes to His understanding of the scriptures. “Search the scriptures,” the Bible and not the Scofield concordance.
Jesus said, for “they, the scriptures, are they which testify of me.”[102] God bless you as you soak yourself in His word to see if these things be so! Like Luke noted, “The Bereans were more noble than those of Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”[103]
I am open to listen to any questions or clarifications. Please feel free to ask! Let us dig in together! “As iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”[104] You can write me at dennismedwards@gmail.com.
I thought it might be helpful to put a brief summary of Revelation as most people I have listened to really seemed to be confused, while others have said it is impossible to understand.
The book of Revelation was given to the Apostle John while he was living on the island of Patmos. The Romans had exiled him to this small island to constrain his influence on the population. If we read the first verse we see the Revelation was actually given by God to Jesus who in turn gave it to an angel to bring unto John. The third verse in the first chapter tells us, “Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”[105] So it sounds like it is pretty important stuff.
The original document was not written in chapter form but was divided later by Bible scholars for easier reading and understanding. If we break it up into four parts, it can help us in our understanding of the overall book. So let’s try here.
Chapters 1-6 Introduction and Setting the Scene
The first chapter is an introduction. The next two chapters are messages to believers in seven different cities during John’s day. In chapter four, John is taken up to the throne room in Heaven. In chapter five, John sees the scroll with seven seals. In chapter six, Jesus opens the first six of the seals. The seals that are opened take us through a panoramic view of history from the time of Christ to the end of the world with the Wrath of God.
Chapters 7-14 The Great Tribulation
These chapters cover the period of the Great Tribulation and end like chapter six with a vision of the Wrath of God. In chapter seven we see the sealing of the 144,000 saints just before the Great Tribulation starts. The seventh seal is opened in chapter eight and begins the sounding of the seven trumpets of Tribulation. In the rest of chapter eight and chapter nine, the first six trumpets sound bringing with them 1/3 destruction during various plagues upon the wicked. In chapter ten we see the announcement of the seventh trumpet by the seven thunders. The seventh trumpet is in fact the last trumpet and the Rapture event. In chapter eleven we see the two end-time witnesses prophesying during the Tribulation period. In chapter twelve, we see the same Tribulation period from the perspective of the end-time church and God’s provision for them during the Tribulation. Chapter thirteen again is the Tribulation period, but this time it shows more details about the Antichrist, his false prophet and the Mark of the Beast. Chapter fourteen we see Jesus coming in the clouds for the Rapture[106] like in Matthew 24[107] and then the beginning of the plagues of the Wrath of God just like we saw in the end of chapter six.
Chapter 15-20 The Wrath of God to the Millenium and More
In these chapters we are taken through the events of the Wrath of God to the end of this world’s current epic. In chapter fifteen and sixteen we see the Wrath of God. In chapter seventeen and eighteen we see the judgment of Babylon the Great Whore the capitalistic city-system of the world today and the false worship of materialism. In chapter nineteen we read about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb followed by the Battle of Armageddon. Chapter twenty covers the imprisonment of Satan, the Millennium period of Christ’s reign on earth, Satan being released for a little season, followed by the Battle of Gog and Magog. Finally there is the destruction of the surface of the planet and then the Great White Throne Judgment of the unsaved.
Chapter 21-22 The Happy Ending - New Heaven and Earth
Here’s the happy ending. In chapter twenty-one the planet is resurfaced and the Heavenly City - New Jerusalem descends from outer space. Chapter twenty-two finishes up the description of our heavenly city and a warning to “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book and seal them not, for the time is at hand.”[108]
Before finishing this document, I thought it might be helpful also to review the general outline of the books of Daniel dealing with the end-time events. So here we go again.
Daniel Review
Daniel 2. Daniel chapter two is a vision given to Nebuchadnezzar of the empires of the world from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to the end.
Daniel 7. Daniel chapter seven is the first in a series of visions given to Daniel about the future empires of the world to the very end. Here is where we find the amazing vision of the Son of man approaching the Ancient of Days which Jesus gave reference to in his discourses. He claimed to be the Son of man. Here we find the first prophecies about the Antichrist and the 3½ years of persecution before the Millennium.
Daniel 8. In Daniel chapter eight we see Daniel’s second vision about the end-time. We see more information about the little horn, or Antichrist. The 2300 days is explained.
Daniel 9. In Daniel chapter nine we have the famous section about the Seventy Weeks or 70 x 7’s or 490 years which includes the prophecy concerning the Messiah’s death. Here is where we find the first verses regarding the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Jesus in his discourse concerning the end-times. The idea of the last seven year period comes from here. We see the Antichrist stopping the sacrifice and placing the Abomination of Desolation at the half way mark which begins the 3½ years of Tribulation.
Daniel 11. In Daniel chapter eleven we are given a lot more information about the end-time events specifically the rise and activities of the Antichrist. Here again we see more about the Abomination of Desolation and the wars of the Antichrist. Ezekiel 38 and 39 are complementary chapters which when read with this chapter can help to further our understanding of the end-time events.
Daniel 12. In chapter twelve we find the famous prophecy that at the end-time “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”[109] We are reminded that the Tribulation will be for a times, times, and an half; or 3½ years. We are given more information about the length of time of the Abomination of Desolation, being 1290 days, which is used to form the idea that the Wrath period is at least thirty days long. Here also is the information of blessing to those who reach the 1335th day which seems to be the beginning of the Millennium. We can speculate that this could stretch the Wrath to include mopping exercises for 45 days or a total of 75 days from the time of the Rapture.
One Final Note
Bible prophecy is a fascinating subject. We did not have time to look at the Ezekiel 38 & 39 prophecies which complement both the Daniel 11 and Revelation 19 prophecies. There are more additional prophecies from Zechariah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other minor prophets. It would take a lifetime and the wisdom of God to get them all correctly organized. However, we have gone over Revelation, Daniel and the New Testament prophecies, especially Matthew 24. I see these as the structure or trunk of the tree of Bible prophecy. The other prophecies complement or supplement the structural prophecies we have looked at in our study of Revelation, Daniel and Matthew 24. If you get a good understanding of these three books and how they interlink, you will have a firm foundation on which to build the rest of the tree of prophecies with all its variety of branches.
Also, remember, even the prophets often did not understand what they were seeing. We do not have to try to understand everything. We may even get some things wrong. So be open-minded. I believe the structure I have explained from Revelation, Daniel and Matthew 24 is accurate. Mathematically it seems to fit. I do not use artificial supporting devices to maintain my point of view; instead I use confirming scriptures to back up my interpretation. But I could have some things wrong. I am human like all of you. I believe as we move closer into the end-time period, God’s spirit will be opening up our minds to His truths. Anything we have gotten wrong will become clearer as time goes by.
Let us remember what Paul admonished, “Study to show thy self approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”[110]Joshua reminds us, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate therein day and night, that thou may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shall make thy way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success.”[111] God bless you as you study His word!
I would like to acknowledge that I have been blessed to have read articles and listened to lectures from various End-Time eschatology students and writers such as Mark McMillion, Michael Roy, Scott MacGregor, and Joseph Candel, amongst others. Mark McMillion's classes can be found on YouTube here. To read more on Bible Prophecy you might go to the index of my book Where is America in Bible Prophecy?
Footnotes
[83] Revelation 10: 7
[84] 1Corinthians 15:51-52
[85] 1Thessalonians 4:16-17
[86] Matthew 24:29
[87] Daniel 12:8-9
[88] Matthew 24:30-31
[89] Revelation 11:15
[90] Revelation 10:7
[91] 1Corinthians 15:51-52
[92] Revelation 11:15
[93] Revelation 11:18
[94] Revelation 19:5-9
[95] Daniel 12:12
[96] Daniel 12:11
[97] John 14:17,26
[98] Matthew 7:7
[99] Jeremiah 29:13
[100] Acts 20:29-30
[101] 1Thessalonians 5:4
[102] John 5:39
[103] Acts 17:11
[104] Proverbs 27:17
[105] Revelation 1:3
[106] Revelation 14:14-16
[107] Matthew 24:30-31
[108] Revelation 22:7,10
[109] Daniel 12:4
[110] 2Timothy 2:15
[111] Joshua 1:8
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