The First and Last Trumpet Call of God :: By Randy Nettles
The Old Testament members of God’s Hall of Faith are discussed in Hebrews 11. The last two verses in chapter 11 say, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:39-40 – ESV).
What was this promise the Old Testament saints did not receive? The main promise they didn’t receive was that of a redeemer who would come to save them from their sins. “The promise was of the Messiah, that is, the Messiah promised: for they had the promise, but not the thing; who is called “the Promise,” emphatically, because he is the first and grand promise; and because in him all the promises center, and are yea, and amen: him the Old Testament saints received not; they, greatly desired to see him in the flesh; they saw him by faith; they believed in him, and rejoiced in the expectation of his coming; but he was not exhibited to them incarnate.” {1}
The something better God provided for us is the Church and the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is something the Old Testament saints are not part of, even though it was through them that the promise was first disclosed. Ephesians 2:7 says that in the ages yet to come, the Church will stand alone as the example of the incomparable riches of God’s grace. The O.T. Saints’ perfection awaits ours because their resurrection will not happen until the Lord returns (Daniel 12:1-2), which means after the Church is raptured/resurrected and made perfect. The O.T. saints’ (and the Tribulation saints’) perfection will not occur until at least seven years after the Church’s perfection at the Rapture.
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 1:2-3).
“Jesus Christ was the same in the yesterday of the Old Testament, as he is in the present day of the Gospel dispensation; he was slain from the foundation of the world; and the saints then were saved as now, by his grace and righteousness: only with this difference between them and us; they had Christ in the promise, we have him himself that was promised; they had him in type and shadow, we have him in reality and truth; they believed in, and were saved by Christ, who was to come; we believe in him, and are saved by him, as being come.
Hence, our case is, with respect to these circumstances, better than theirs; we have a better covenant or a better administration of the covenant of grace; we have a better priesthood and a better sacrifice; the Gospel is dispensed in a better manner, more dearly and fully: our condition is better than theirs; they were as children under tutors and governors, and were under a spirit of bondage; but we are redeemed from under the law, and are clear of its burdensome rites, as well as of its curse and condemnation; and have the spirit of liberty and adoption.” {2}
The Promise is revealed in the verse following Hebrews 11:40, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
The promise is Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. His kingdom is an everlasting one. “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32-33).
THE CONTRAST OF MOUNT SINAI WITH MOUNT ZION
Hebrews 12:18-24 contrasts the “assembly” of the children of Israel unto the LORD at Mount Sinai (after the exodus from Egypt) to the assembly of the Church saints unto the LORD at Mount Zion (the heavenly Jerusalem) after the Rapture. Because of their lack of faith, the children of Israel had to continue their journey in the wilderness for 40 years before they reached the Promised Land. Because of their faith, the Church of Jesus Christ (both living and dead believers) will go directly to the Promised Land of Heaven and the New (heavenly) Jerusalem after their translation and/or resurrection at the Rapture.
The Mt. Sinai experience with the LORD was terrifying. It was the revelation of the sheer majesty of God, the absolute inapproachability of God, the sheer terror of the presence of the LORD God apart from the blood of sprinkling of the Cross of Calvary. Sinai symbolizes law, and Zion symbolizes grace. The heavenly Mt. Zion experience will be joyful beyond description. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
The Nelson Study Bible nicely summarizes this section, noting that “In these verses, the author of Hebrews contrasts the Mosaic covenant with the New Covenant by contrasting two mountains: Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. At Mount Sinai, the Israelites received the Law from God with fear and trembling, for God displayed at that time His awesome power (see Ex 19:10-20:26). In contrast, Christian believers have come to a heavenly Jerusalem on Mount Zion through Jesus’ blood. This mountain is a celebration of the Holy One, attended by angels, believers, and righteous people. The author makes the contrast between the two covenants vivid and then once again exhorts his readers not to reject Christ’s offer of salvation.”
THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD’S PEOPLE IN HEBREWS 12:18-24
The Assembly at Mount Sinai: “For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, ‘If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.’ Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I tremble with fear’ (Hebrews 12:18-21 – ESV translation).
Hebrews 12:18 is taken from Exodus 19. “On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up” (Exodus 19:16-20 – ESV). Soon after this first encounter, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the Law.
The Assembly at Mount Zion: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24 – ESV).
The assembly of the firstborn is the Church of Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:15 says Christ is the firstborn of all creation as He has preeminence over all creation. Verse 18 says, “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” Jesus Christ was the “firstfruits” of the dead to be raised to eternal life with a translated body made for eternity. At the Rapture, the Church (both living and dead in Christ) will be the next “fruits” to be raised and translated in a similar manner.
Enoch was the firstfruits of the living to be translated. “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5 – KJV). The English word “translated” is “metatithēmi” (Strongs: G3346) in Greek. It is used six times in the New Testament and can mean translate, remove, or change. Some translations of this verse use the words “taken up” instead of translated. The Hebrew Tanakh has this to say about Enoch’s translation, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24).
In Hebrews 12:23, the spirits of the righteous made perfect (in justification) are the Old Testament saints who have not yet received their translated heavenly bodies. According to Daniel 12:1-2 (and Isaiah 26:19-21), the Old Testament saints will be resurrected and translated after Jacob’s Trouble (the Tribulation), at the beginning of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, perhaps on the 1,335th day mentioned in Daniel 12:12. (12 is the biblical number that represents Israel.)
The writer of Hebrews 12:22 uses the perfect tense for “you have come,” which views this heavenly possession of Mt Zion as already attained by those who have believed the new covenant and emphasizes that it is their possession forever. But, for Christians, when do we actually first come to Mount Zion, the heavenly New Jerusalem? I’m not referring to heaven, for that is where all Christians go upon their death. Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, will not be occupied until after the Rapture when the Church of Jesus Christ moves into their new homes.
THE RAPTURE SCRIPTURES
The heavenly Jerusalem is first mentioned by Jesus in John 14:1-3. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3).
Many Bible scholars believe Isaiah 26:20 refers to the New Jerusalem after the Rapture. “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by” (ESV translation). The “fury” would be a word for the Tribulation. A “little while” would be for at least seven years (pre-tribulation rapture).
Most modern-day Bereans of the Bible believe the verses of John 14:1-3 relate to the Rapture, at which time Jesus returns (“I will come again”) for his Church and takes them to his Father’s house, where there are many dwelling places/mansions (in the New Jerusalem that Jesus has been preparing for us). Hebrews 11:9-10 tells us that Abraham, after living in tents his whole life, looked forward to living in a city with foundations that were made by God. “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Although Jesus referred to the Rapture in John’s gospel, he didn’t expound upon it or teach his disciples fully about it. The Rapture was a mystery unknown until the Lord Jesus (after his ascension to heaven) finally revealed it to Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12, “It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 12:1). Paul was also “caught up” (the Greek word is harpazo, aka raptured) to the third heaven, according to 2 Corinthians 12:2-5. Perhaps this is when the Lord Jesus revealed the mystery of the Rapture to Paul.
The two main mentions of the Rapture by Paul are 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4. “Behold! I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
A “mystery” is something that was unknown in the Old Testament. It means Paul was sharing information that had never been written or spoken about before. The resurrection of the saints was a concept that was well known in the Tanakh, such as in Daniel 12:1-2 and Isaiah 26:19-21. However, the mystery or secret that Paul revealed was that a generation of believers would suddenly be changed from mortal to immortal without passing through death first. The word “sleep” in these verses refers to death (as in “we shall not all die”).
“For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17-ESV translation).
“Caught up” is the English translation for the Greek word (transliteration) “harpazó,” which means to seize, snatch, or take away by force. The Latin translation of harpazo is “rapturo,” which is where we get the word “rapture.”
THE FIRST AND LAST TRUMPET CALL OF GOD
In the two Rapture scriptures mentioned, Paul lists three last things – the last enemy to be defeated (death), the last Adam (Jesus), and the last trump (trumpet call). The ancient Israelites used trumpets to call the people to gather at the door of the Tabernacle of Meeting or to set the camps in motion to move out. The first trumpet call of God, as recorded in Exodus 19, was for the purpose of assembling God’s people to establish His Law, which Paul called a ministry of death (2 Corinthians 3:7-9). Later, God would instruct Moses to make trumpets for the purpose of assembly and journeying. “Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly and for the journeying of the camps” (Numbers 10:2).
The last trumpet call of God, as described by 1 Corinthians 15:52, is for the purpose of calling Jesus’ people to Himself through resurrection and translation and/or for journeying to heaven. This last trumpet call of God is a ministry of life. At the last trumpet of God, we (Christians) will gather in the air and then “move out” to our promised land in heaven, the New Jerusalem.
The children of Israel came to Mount Sinai on the first day of the third month (Sivan 1), according to Exodus 19:1. “On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai” (Exodus 19:1 – ESV translation). In Exodus 19:9, the LORD told Moses He would come down Mount Sinai in a thick cloud, and the people could hear Him speak with Moses.
The LORD told Moses this would occur on the third day (inclusive reckoning). “And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:10-11).
So, the day the LORD came down Mount Sinai was Sivan 3 on the Hebrew calendar, which is the 3rd day of the 3rd month (aka 33). Sivan 3, in this case, is reckoned from the third day (inclusive reckoning) from the new moon conjunction of the third spring month. The pre-incarnate Jesus Christ (33) came down Mt. Sinai (See The Trinity, Theophanies, and Visions of God) on 3/3/2355 AM on the Hebrew calendar. The date was May 26, 1446 BC, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
33 is the number that represents Jesus (IMO), as I have written about many times. For example, Jesus was crucified in AD 33. The word “firstfruits” is mentioned 33 times in the Bible (NKJV). Christ is the firstfruits of the dead. “But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Jesus will one day return to set up His millennial kingdom, for He is King of kings and Lord of lords. The “kingdom of heaven” is mentioned 33 times in the Book of Matthew. The “kingdom of God” is mentioned 33 times in the Book of Luke (NKJV). Exodus 33 is when Moses saw the LORD’s (the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ) glory, albeit only his back (“His face was not seen”).
The words “will be caught up” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is the English translation for the Greek word “ἁρπαγησόμεθα” and its transliteration “harpagēsometha.” This word is derived from the Greek word “harpazó,” which means to seize, snatch, or take away by force. The Latin translation of harpazo is “rapturo,” which is where we get the word “rapture.” Strong’s G726 “harpazo” is used 13 times in the New Testament in 11 different forms (verb forms refer to the different ways in which a verb can be used to represent tense, number, gender, voice, and mood). The 11 forms of this word have different Greek numeric values (isopsephy).
Harpagesometha (ἁρπαγησόμεθα) is the future indicative passive, in the 1st Person plural form of harpazo. The 12 letters of Ἁρπαγησόμεθα have an isopsephy numeric value of 518. Ironically (or not), Sivan 3 occurs on May 18 (5/18) in 2026 (and also 19 years later in 2045) on the Gregorian calendar. According to my reckoning, Pentecost (Shavuot to the Jews) will occur six days later on Sivan 9, which is Sunday, May 24 (5/24), 2026, on the Gregorian calendar. Another numeric irony is the translation of Enoch is mentioned in the Old Testament in Genesis 5:24. “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”
Irony of ironies, the date on the proleptic Julian calendar for Sivan 3, in 1406 BC (the year the children of Israel entered the Promised Land), was May 18 (5/18). Of course, 1406-1405 BC is 3,430 years (7 x 7 x 7 x 10) from 2025-2026 AD.
A KINGDOM THAT CANNOT BE SHAKEN
“See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens’” (Hebrews 12:25-26). The writer of Hebrews is speaking of the Israelite’s encounter with God on Mount Sinai, as His voice shook the earth. In a future encounter, God will not only shake the earth but also the heavens.
The last part of verse 26 refers to Haggai 2:6, “For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.” Haggai expounds upon this in verses 21-22. ” I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.” Haggai, encouraging the Jews to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, then says, “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:9). What gave it the greater glory was the personal presence of the Messiah in it.
“The Jews in Haggai’s times hesitated about going forward with the work, through dread of the world power, Medo-Persia, influenced by the craft of Samaria. The prophet assures them this and all other world powers are to fall before Messiah, who is to be associated with this temple; therefore, they need fear naught. So Heb 12:26, which quotes this passage, compares the heavier punishment that awaits the disobedient under the New Testament with that which met such under the Old Testament. At the establishment of the Sinaitic covenant, only the earth was shaken to introduce it, but now heaven and earth and all things are to be shaken, that is, along with prodigies in the world of nature, all kingdoms that stand in the way of Messiah’s kingdom, “which cannot be shaken,” are to be upturned (Da 2:35, 44; Mt 21:44).” {3}
Hebrews 12:27 says, “This phrase, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.” The kingdoms of men will be shaken and removed, as we have seen throughout history (Persia, Greece, Rome, etc.) This includes the Antichrist’s kingdom as well. His reign will only last for 3.5 years. The end of the Great Tribulation is described in Isaiah 24.
“And it shall come to pass, that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously” (Isaiah 24:18-23). This is the Jerusalem on earth where Jesus Christ will rule His earthly kingdom during the Millennium. “And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35).
The kingdom of God will never be shaken or overthrown. “Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).
“The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people” (Daniel 2:44).
THE NEW JERUSALEM
“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:2-4).
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Randy Nettles
Endnotes:
{1} Benson Commentary on Hebrews 11:39-40 – Biblehub.com
{2} I.B.I.D.
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