Trumpets

Hello All,

(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).

 

This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “The Seven Trumpets”. As stated in a previous lesson, theologians have long recognized the parallel messages to the 7-churches, the 7-seals, and the 7-trumpets. The quarterly reinforces this in Monday’s lesson. And I quote:

“The seven trumpets apply approximately to the same periods covered by the seven churches and the seven seals:

  1. The first two trumpets herald judgements upon the nations that crucified Christ and persecuted the early church: rebellious Jerusalem and the Roman Empire.
  2. The third and fourth trumpets portray heaven’s judgement against the apostasy of the Christian church in the medieval period.
  3. The fifth and sixth trumpets describe the warring factions in the religious world during the late medieval and post-Reformation periods. These periods are characterized by increasing demonic activity that ultimately draws the world into the battle of Armageddon.

As you read these trumpets, think of the time frames for each and some of the questions you may have will make more sense. Always remember, these are symbolic events. We may want to interpret them entirely literal. But Revelation is Christ’s great parable to us. To evoke us to dig and dig to understand. For example (with thanks to Robert J. Wieland for his insights):

  1. Trumpet one. The Christian era opens with the Roman Empire as a beautiful prosperous, and secure world. A republic where Judaism is recognized and allowed. The first trumpet shows the beginning of the long series of devastations and conquests which degraded and ruined that once beautiful empire. “Hail” may imply that the wild invaders came from the cold north… the Goths; “fire” may describe the fate that befell cities and farms; “blood” may describe the slaughter of the inhabitants. “Trees” is a common Bible term for prominent men and leaders.
  2. Trumpet two. Immediately our attention is drawn to the sea, as contrasted with the earth. Was there a time when Rome was assaulted from the sea (Mediterranean Sea) after the invasion from the Goths? Yes. The Vandals repeatedly invaded the Roman Empire from the sea from their stronghold on the African coast, setting fire to ships and land.
  3. Trumpet three. The work of destruction of the Roman world was not yet complete. Something worse was yet to come; “springs of water” of future generations were to be made bitter. Hordes from present-day Hungary led by Attila the Hun appeared on the stage of history like a brilliant meteor flashing in the sky. They came down from the mountains, the source of Central Europe’s rivers, devastating Europe.
  4. Trumpet four. The natural result of such calamities was darkness. The approximate thousand years which followed the fall of Rome were the “Dark Ages”. Not only darkness in the political world, but darkness in the professed church of Christ. But more woes are to come.
  5. Trumpet five. Here, a new religion is brought to view, which held some good teachings… it is a star “fallen from heaven” but it is mixed with “smoke” out of the “bottomless pit”. Islam began by condemning the evil of idolatry as wrongly practiced by the apostate Christian church; and so far, it was right. But the teachings of Islam which were a scourge to an apostate church brought more “smoke” into the world. The “bottomless pit” in the Greek means any desolate wilderness, fitly describing the desert of Arabia whence came the Muslim invaders. Like locusts they swarmed in all directions and no village missed their notice. But they respected the religious convictions of people who observed the law of God faithfully. Although the hordes of Muslims were let loose on the apostate Christian world, people refused to learn the lesson of repentance. God permits “woes” to come upon the world to bring sinners to their senses and to lead them to the gospel… yet sinners still love their sin, love themselves.
  6. Trumpet six. “… there should be delay no longer, but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to the prophets” (Revelation 10:7). What “delay” as “declared to the prophets”?  “For two thousand three hundred days then the sanctuary shall be cleansed” (Daniel 8:14). There is no prophetic time after 1844. From then on, the end is always imminent. Ephesians 1: 9-10 tells us that God’s purpose to gather together all things in Christ is the “mystery of His will”. In Galatians 3: 3, 6 Paul adds that this “mystery” includes the gathering of the Gentiles as “fellow heirs… and partakers of the promise of Christ through the gospel”. The mystery of God is therefore God’s great work of gathering out of a sinful world His true people, in preparation for the second coming of Christ. Paul explains the “mystery” even more clearly in Colossians 1: 27-28: “The riches of the glory of this mystery (is) Christ in you, the hope of glory… that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus”. A result of the cleansing of the Heavenly sanctuary, spoken of by the angel to Daniel.

God warns us and disciplines us and allows things to happen to bring us to our senses and to see the truth of things. The trumpets along with the seals and the messages to the churches tell us of His great love for all mankind. Love that will not let us go… without exhausting all avenues to reach us. Amazing love!

With brotherly love,

Jim