[HammerStone]

The Last Trump Bible Study

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I Corinthians 15:51-52Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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.

This verse, for some odd reason, is often used as the basis of argument for a Pre-Tribulational Rapture of the Church. For we will all be changed! Seems to be the rallying cry – this goes right along with the popular bumper stickers a few years ago – In case of rapture, this car will be unmanned! The question is, is that really where you want to be?The above verses from I Corinthians contain a few, key statements. The Apostle Paul, the undoubted human author of the good letters to the Corinthians, lets us in on a little mystery. The Greek word here for mystery is mystērion. Our English word mystery is obviously drawn from this word. If you take this to the Strong’s, number G3466, you’ll find that this word means a very specific type of mystery that is” hidden thing, secret, mystery” which specifically are “religious secrets, confided only to the initiated and not to ordinary mortals,” “a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding,” or “a hidden purpose or counsel.” Note that it is a very specific thing not obvious to those who don’t understand.This clause sets off the remainder of the single thought that comprises these two verses.

Paul first tells us that we will not sleep – and it is rendered such in the King James Version and others as well. However, the Greek can also mean the act of being asleep, still, or potentially even dead. Thus the reason for the next clause repeated twice “we shall all be changed.” This repetition is there for emphasis, beloved, so you will not neglect that statement. We are changed in an instant, but when is this instant? Rapture believers would have you believe that instant to be some time before the coming of the fake Christ. They like to then cite other verses or even try to explain away the timeline given in this very verse.“…For the trumpet shall sound…” What is this trumpet?

Firstly, would you not argue that God so chooses to place every Word in His Word for a reason? Secondly, would you, as a Christian, not assert that God (and His Son) uses the very Word to explain what will happen (as Christ validated with his numerous documentations in the Gospels and Paul in his letters)? So why is this here?For a timeline of events that, just like the aforementioned mystery, are only open to those who have the eyes to see and the ears to hear! The Greek word for trumpet is salpigx, if you look it up in Strong’s (G4536), you will see that there is nothing special about this word, it simply means a trumpet blast. Where else does this mysterious term come into play?

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I Thessalonians 4:16For 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: 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.

If I Corinthians 15 is the rallying cry of rapture believers, this would be the battle cry. This is the single verse I’ve heard numerous times to validate the Rapture. See how similar these two verses are? In the interest of this lesson not spanning for too long, I will merely stick with the topic at hand, the trumpet.Our Greek word for trumpet, salpigx, is used again. So, to recap, we have two verses where we have very similar events – the raising of the dead and a change on the living – culminate with the Lord descending as I Thessalonians 4 is now telling us. I think it is quite evident that these events are one in the same. However, we still have yet to answer our question about the trump. What is this trump that clearly accompanies the return of Yeshua (Jesus) the Christ?Let’s now jump to that book that so many are afraid of and will tell you it’s too difficult for understanding or that you are not supposed to understand.

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Revelation 8:2And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

Revelation 8:6And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

There is our warning again with the use of repetition. I urge you to read about the seven trumps, but I want to jump to where the rubber meets the road. Who are these trumpeters? Angels. What does the word Angel mean? It means messenger, with use of the term in the sense of a herald. Do you see yet where this is going? These seven angels of God are given trumpets to herald our Lord. What custom does this remind you of, practiced even unto this day with the President of the United States of America amongst other world leaders? Trumpets are played when the leader arrives in one form or another. The leader is to be recognized. What say you about that Christian, or Christ-man(gender neutral)? Who is your leader?We should be in agreement at this point that Revelation clearly says there will be seven trumpets. Let us now jump ahead to the seventh, and final trumpet.

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Revelation 10:5And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: 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.

Do not let the voice word lead you astray here – check up after me and read the Word (as always!) but take a look at the description of the seventh and final trump. Why would God slow down the progression of events here to focus so heavily on the seventh trump? The seventh trump is about to sound that there should be time no longer! For, as the verse declares, the mystery of God declared to his servants the prophets should be fulfilled. This was already given to the prophets long before Revelation was written.The seventh angel, out of seven, finally sounds the final trump!

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Revelation 11:15And 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.

Here is a verse that looks a lot like I Corinthians and I Thessalonians in that it is focused on the kingdoms of this world are now the kingdoms of the Lord. I Thessalonians 4:16 even informs us who sounds the blast. These events are clearly all the same! Here is the timeline contained in the authority that any Christian who is worth his salt should look to. This is not the Word of man, as either you believe in the divine inspiration of the Bible, or you don’t. However, the repetition is there to tell us that Christ returns one time (singular) at the sounding of the final trumpet. Revelation 10 and 11 confirm that this trumpet blast is the culmination of seven trumpet blasts. The seventh is the trump of God, because that is when all shall see Christ coming.

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Romans 14:11For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

They might not believe in Him and follow Him, but they will know and recognize.Stay in His Word!