A Shofar, or trumpet made of ram’s horn
What is the Christian understanding of the Feast of Trumpets? What is it with these “trumpets” anyhow?
In the Book of Revelation, there are seven angels, each with a trumpet (Rev 8:2). As each one blows the trumpet, certain plagues fall upon the inhabitants of the earth. This is God’s punishment upon the earth for all unrepentant sin and for causing the great suffering of people all over the world. Note that this is not the same as the Great Tribulation, for it has already started before these events occur.
These trumpets hail the return of the King. They announce the return of Jesus Christ to rule the world for a thousand years. He will stop all the wars and the greed and selfish pride that start them. He will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The trumpets and their plagues are:
- Hail mixed with fire and blood.
- A third of the sea turns to blood and the creatures in that part die.
- A third of all other waters become poisonous.
- A third part of the moon and stars are darkened. I read this as part of the sky becomes dark so that one third of the light does not shine through, but that’s debatable.
- Smoke arises out of the bottomless pit, which pollutes the air and sky and further reduces light. Some “locusts” with certain attributes of “scorpions” come out of the smoke to war and punish men. This is probably some type of futuristic weapon, perhaps similar to a helicopter.
- The Euphrates River is dried up, and an army of 200,000,000 march across. More devastation follows.
- The seventh trumpet sounds (Rev 11:15).
This last trumpet is different. Afterwards, there isn’t an immediate plague, but rather the 24 elders fall down and worship God Almighty. Then, the Ark of the Covenant is seen in Heaven.
[You know, the Ark that contained the Ten Commandments within and had the rest of the Law tucked into the side. If you really think the Law was done away, then why this little detail in Revelation?]
Several insets occur in the next couple of chapters of Revelation. Then in chapter 14, we read:
1And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
2And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. (Revelation 14:1-3, King James Version)
These 144,000 sing with the Lamb on Mt Zion. Obviously, this is after the resurrection. They are before the throne.
That’s because we are told of another event that occurs at the “last trump”, which would be the seventh trumpet:
52In 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. (1 Corinthians 15:52, King James Version)
Time and time again, Christ told His disciples about His return. In various ways, and especially in parables, He outlined the rewards that would be bestowed upon the faithful. When Jesus returns, His will raise up the faithful who had died, and then the ones still alive will also be changed into immortal beings and rule with Christ for 1,000 years (Rev 20:4-6).
But then, I am getting ahead of the story, as there are subsequent holy days to commemorate that…