Friday, May 15, 2009

5-15 The Last Trumpet

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Lasagna is one of my favorite foods! And Rich knows just how to make it. The secret recipe is: run to Safeway and pick up their premade stuff! Boy was that good! I won’t tell you how many servings I ate! More than is humanly acceptable. Rich also knows rock walls. Next to his house is a hill. Over the years, oh probably between 8 and 10 years, Rich has slowly collected rocks, one by one, from between the coast to Montana and carefully placed them on his 5’ high wall. Not just any ordinary rock… these are all flat rocks! I remember when there was no rock wall at all! Now it is 20 or 30 feet long! It is a thing of beauty, Like his house. I remember when it was all peeling paint… I’m guessing a sick color of yellow. Now it is beautifully painted and maintained. And Eric stopped in while we were there. He’s as skinny as ever, but now he has a very low manly voice. We had a great evening and a great time with one of God’s precious servants. Thanks Rich!

Today’s Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 21; Hosea 10; Mark 2

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Today’s thought comes from 1 Corinthians 15: 50 Now this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

When will the last trumpet sound? That is the question for today. If you like discussions of the theoretical type, this one is for you. There is only one place in the Bible where the words “last trumpet” are used… that’s right here in 1 Corinthians 15:51. So when is this “last trumpet” going to be blown? The Bible records the blowing of many trumpets for many different reasons. A trumpet was blown when the Law was given. (Ex 19) at Jubilee. (Lev 25) For assembling the group, breaking camp and alarms to battle. (Nu 10) When they defeated Jericho. (Josh 6) During the feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah Leviticus 23: 24) the Jews blow trumpets all day long from sun rising to sun setting. Jewish writers say that the trumpets were sounded 30 successive times during the day. During every Rosh Hashanah, at the end of the day there was a “last trumpet.” So the question must be asked, “Is the last trump of 1 Cor 15 the last trumpet blast ever? Will there be no more trumpet calls after it? Or is it the last of a series? Or the last of a time period?” In prophecy we know that there are 7 trumpet judgments in the book of Revelation. Is the last trump the 7th trumpet? I don’t think so. The 7th trumpet is specifically calling for God’s wrath to fall upon the earth in a colossal battle; this trumpet is specifically calling for resurrection and translation of the saints. We also know that at the second coming there is a LOUD trumpet call as Christ returns to earth which occurs AFTER the 7th trumpet of Revelation 11. Is this the LAST trumpet of 1 Cor 15. I don’t think so. The trumpet of Matthew 24 calls for angels to gather the elect and the non-elect together on earth for the sheep and goats judgment to see who will enter the Millennial Kingdom. The last trumpet is calling only believers to ascend to be with the Lord, to heaven not to the earth. The Last Trumpet occurs at the rapture of the church. Are there more before it? The answer? Yes. 1 Thess 4:16 records those trumpet blasts with a word that means “trumpet reverberation.” In other words there seem to be several blasts from the trumpet. If the first one didn’t get your attention, the last one surely will! So when do the previous trumpets blow? We don’t know. The “Last Trump” seems to be the signal that the church is finally on its way home. Listen for the trumpet call!

Dear Father. I am waiting for your homeward call. Perhaps tonight. Dear Lord Jesus, come quickly. We are waiting anxiously for your promised return. In the meantime keep us faithful, and keep us looking upward.

As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

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