According To The Scriptures:
THE BOOK OF REVELATION
REVELATION 8 2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne [notice: only the prayers of saints]. 4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. 5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound (Rev. 8:2-6). Can you imagine what it will be like to be on earth when the prayers of all saints of all ages are come up before God? For instance, the prayers of the sainted mother who offered up prayers to God for that young boy or girl who went off to war to defend their country from the world's tyrants, and yet the life of the young person was taken and it seemed that God had not heard those prayers. But those prayers were heard and God remembers every one of them and they will all be answered and the wicked inhabitants of the earth will suffer the consequences of those prayers that seemed to go unanswered. Those wicked tyrants that have already died, if they did not repent and trust Christ to save them, are now burning in hell. The wicked that are living will suffer the same consequences. I hope that every one who reads this Bible study will ask and answer this question for themselves: If I were to die today, do I know that I will go to heaven? THE TRUMPETS BEGIN TO SOUND
(Black: Scripture)
(Red: Jesus) (Blue: E. L. Johns)
SILENCE IN HEAVEN
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour (Rev. 8:1).This is a very important statement. Heaven is normally an active place.
8 And the four beasts [living beings] had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come (Rev. 4:8).
Something abnormal is about to happen on earth. It is so horrible that heaven's occupants become completely silent.
This verse reminds me of the day that we invaded Leyte in the Philippines during World War II. As our ship entered Leyte Gulf, we knew that the time had come for the invasion, and we didn't know what the outcome would be. The ship was loaded with soldiers (many who never came back), tanks, trucks, and many drums of high octane gas on deck. A Japanese "Betty" (bomber) passed overhead and, even though our guns were trained on it and we could easily have blown it out of the sky, the order to fire never came and the bomber did not attack us. Those soldiers and we sailors were not making any noise. Some were standing around silently reading Bibles. Until the battle began, there was complete silence!
Likewise, in these verses, heaven's occupants know that God is about to deliver Israel a second time, and they wait silently.
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea (Isa. 11:11).
The recovering of Israel this second time will be final. They will never be driven out of their land again! This promise was made to Israel many times in the Old Testament as far back as Genesis:
8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God (Gen. 17:8).
This promise was made to Abraham and his seed even before the Law was given or before Jacob (who became Israel) was born.
15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God (Amos 9:15).
To recover Israel this second time, God uses many of the same plagues that he used to recover Israel from Egyptian bondage the first time.
The seventh seal also covers the seven trumpets.
Later we will compare the seven trumpets of Revelation with the last trump of I Cor. 15:52. There is a world of difference.
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God (Psa. 9:17).
12 ...for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day (II Tim. 1:12).
Amen! Trust Jesus to save you!
THE SEVEN TRUMPETS (Rev. 8:2) -- THE LAST TRUMP (I Cor. 15:51-52)
2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets (Rev. 8:2).
...51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
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... (I Cor. 15:51-52).
There has been much confusion and much discussion over the past years about the last trump and the seven trumpets. A right division of God's word will clarify this problem by applying these five points:
(1) Who is speaking?
(2) To whom is he speaking?
(3) What is the subject?
(4) What time of Bible occurrences is he speaking about?
(5) What is the occasion for the speaking or writing?For instance, God told Noah to build an ark. It would be foolish for us to build an ark because the world will not be destroyed by water again.
God told Moses to go up into Mount Sinai and receive the ten commandments. But Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil..." (Matt. 5:17).
Now we will apply these five points to I Cor. 15:51-52.
(1) Who is speaking? The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write these words.
(2) To whom? To the church of God at Corinth:
...Paul...Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus,
called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,
both theirs and ours... (I Cor. 1:1-2).
(3) What is the subject? That all saints will be changed.
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed... (I Cor. 15:51).
(4) What is the time?
...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... (I Cor. 15:51-52).
(5) What is the occasion? The resurrection of the incorruptible ("first resurrection"):
...the dead shall be raised incorruptible... (I Cor. 15:52).
The unsaved are not in this group. The unbeliever is still called an unbeliever even in the lake of fire.
...But the fearful, and unbelieving...shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death... (Rev. 21:8).
Jesus taught that there will be two resurrections.
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:28-29).
"The" is a singular word, so there will be one resurrection of the good and one resurrection of the evil.
The Revelation reveals that the resurrection of the good will last 1,000 years:
4 ...they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection [1,000 years].
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years..." (Rev. 20:4-6).
Jesus taught that believers who have died will come forth in a resurrection -- and believers who are still alive shall never die.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:25-26).
Why is the "last trump" mentioned in I Cor. 15:52 and the same word (trump) mentioned in I Thess. 4:16? The last trump is to the church at its catching up. The seven trumpets are to the nations in the tribulation.
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:
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" (I Thess. 4:16-17).
What an honor for the Lord's churches! The last scene in the New Testament before the tribulation is the liberal church spued out (Rev. 3:16) and the true church (the overcomers) are with Jesus.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne (Rev. 3:21).
The trumpet sounds to announce the triumph (victory) of the Lord's churches as they go up and "meet the Lord in the air" (I Thess. 4:17).
The seven trumpets of Revelation are announcing judgments on the nations that remain on earth after the churches are caught up. Notice that the Lord deals with nations from Rev. 5:9 and even on the "new earth".
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it... (Rev. 21:24).
I am looking forward to that trump. Are you? The true churches (the "overcomers") are assured that they will be kept out of the tribulation.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth (Rev. 3:10).
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up (Rev. 8:7).Remember: Isaiah prophesied that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people which shall be left (Isa. 11:11).
As the seven trumpets are blown, we will see some of the same plagues or judgments that God used to recover Israel the first time, from Exo. Chapter 7 into Exo. Chapter 12. Also, we will see literal and spiritual things used. Some teach that the Revelation is only literal. Others teach that the Revelation is all spiritual or symbolic. I will show you why I believe some are literal and some are symbolic. The first trumpet's hail and fire, I believe, are literal. Compare Exo. 9:24-26:
24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation... 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.
Remember: At the beginning of the great tribulation the people of Judah are told to flee:
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains (Matt. 24:15-16).
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time [3 ½ years], from the face of the serpent (Rev. 12:14).
God has a place for Israel (or at least a remnant of Israel) to go to during the great tribulation where they will be protected. I believe that the first trumpet judgment will be with literal things.
What are the two wings of a great eagle? Remember that Israel's flight, when she flies into "her place" will be at the beginning of the last half (3 ½ years) of the seven years of tribulation. At this point, I believe the United States of America will still be in power, so I believe that the two wings of the eagle will be the U. S. Army Air Force and the U. S. Navy Air Force. The USA is symbolized as an eagle.
The second trumpet will be mainly symbolic.
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: [since God is dealing mainly with Israel, I believe the sea may be the sea of Galilee] and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed (Rev. 8:8-9).
Notice: "as it were a great mountain" -- not a literal mountain but something that resembles a mountain. What is in existence in the sky today, if it were to fall, would resemble a great burning mountain?
Remember that the "man of sin", the "Deceiver" (Dan. 11:23), a "raiser of taxes" (Dan. 11:20), has been in power deceitfully for 3 ½ years.
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God (II Thess. 2:4).
This man will have power over all of the world except "Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon" (Dan. 11:41). I believe that one of his first endeavors will be to enlarge Sky Lab to show that his power over the earth is great. Remember that in a short period of 3 ½ years, from the time Israel is told to flee, Jesus will return and fight the "Battle of Armageddon" (Rev. 16:16). Jesus will then take over:
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. 11:15).
Jesus will have no need of the Sky Lab so it must quit cluttering up the heavens. I believe that the thing described "as it were a great mountain" may be the Sky Lab which will fall (possibly into the sea of Galilee) so that the chemicals that are being used up there will poison the part of the sea into which it falls, and "the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed" (Rev. 8:9).
As we study the book of Revelation, it will be easily understood if we remember:
The law lasted until John (Luke 16:16). The Lord's churches were given the honor of preaching the gospel (I Cor. 15:1-4). The true churches (the overcomers) were invited to sup with the Lord and to "sit with me in my throne" (Rev. 3:20-21). The church is not mentioned again until Rev. 19:7 when referred to as the wife of the Lamb. Israel occupies the Revelation from Rev. 7 through Rev. 18. Please trust Jesus and study these thoughts. Undoubtedly, we are living in the last days of the last days!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20).
