Rapture At The Last Trumpet
Pastor Leslie Chua
“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 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.”
The rapture is an important event in the redemptive plan of God. It is shrouded in mystery. Many believers are curious about the coming of our Lord Jesus to ‘catch up’ or ‘snatch away’ faithful believers to the clouds and then take them to heaven. That is the meaning of rapture.
You cannot find the word, rapture, in the Bible. It comes from the Latin word, ‘rapio’ which is the Greek equivalent of ‘harpazo,’ meaning ‘catch up’ or ‘snatch away.” You find it in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV) -
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up (harpazo) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
The world will be caught by surprise when millions of faithful Christians suddenly vanish without a trace at the same time all over the world. However, Christians should not be surprised by the rapture. This is the blessed hope (Titus 2:13) that we are anticipating. The dead in Christ will be resurrected and believers who are alive will be clothed with a new and imperishable body and taken up to be with Jesus.
When Will The Rapture Occur?
When will the rapture occur?
Many believers are curious to know the timing of the rapture but Jesus said specifically – “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36).
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There is no contradiction to what Jesus and Paul said. Essentially, while we do not know the actual day and hour of the rapture, we ought to have a general sense of the time. We do not know the exact moment but we should know the season of its occurrence.
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However, the apostle Paul said something to the contrary – “Now concerning the times and seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night… But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, 4). In other words, Christians ought to have a sense of when the rapture will occur.
There is no contradiction to what Jesus and Paul said. Essentially, while we do not know the actual day and hour of the rapture, we ought to have a general sense of the time. We do not know the exact moment but we should know the season of its occurrence.
Knowing The Season
In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus reveals when the general season of the rapture will occur.
In the middle of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus talked about the rapture labelling it as ‘that day and hour no one knows’ (Matthew 24:36). Then, He went on to say – “Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:40-42).
Jesus was talking about the rapture. There is no doubt about it.
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Jesus’ statement about the fig tree putting out its leaves is a prophetic imagery of the regathering of the Jews to the Promised Land and the rebirth of the nation of Israel. According to Jesus, when these things happened, we would be in the season of His return.
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Just before saying all this, Jesus told His disciples to learn the lesson of the fig tree – “as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near” (Matthew 24:36).
This statement serves as the context for His teaching about the rapture and the events of the Tribulation which He taught earlier.
The fig tree is a symbol of the nation of Israel.
The fig tree had been dead since the Romans expelled the Jews from their national homeland in A.D. 135.
Jesus’ statement about the fig tree putting out its leaves is a prophetic imagery of the regathering of the Jews to the Promised Land and the rebirth of the nation of Israel. According to Jesus, when these things happened, we would be in the season of His return.
This prophecy had already been fulfilled. Israel became a sovereign nation on 14 May 1948. Jews from all over the world have been flocking back to the Promised Land from the turn of the twentieth century to the present time.
The precondition for the rapture to happen was met in 1948. Essentially, we are in the window of time when Jesus can return to rapture His church. It can happen anytime without any further signs or warnings.
The Last Trumpet
In the 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 passage, Paul said specifically that the rapture will take place ‘in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.’
“At the last trumpet” is an important clue to the timing of the rapture. Few people take notice. Even fewer people understand the meaning of this hugely significant phrase.
Most people are aware that God will unleash 3 series of judgements on the world during the 7-year tribulation. These are the seal judgments, trumpet judgements, and bowl judgements. Many prophecy scholars and expositors believe that the ‘last trumpet’ refers to the last or seventh trumpet in the second series of judgements.
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The argument that the ‘last trumpet’ is the seventh trumpet blast during the tribulation sounds logical but it is fundamentally flawed.
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Those who take this position will naturally conclude that the rapture will occur somewhere in the second half of the 7-year tribulation. That is because the opening of the fifth seal is the mid-point of the Tribulation. It follows that the judgements of the sixth seal onward to the trumpet and bowl series of judgements will take place during the second half of the tribulation.
The argument that the ‘last trumpet’ is the seventh trumpet blast during the tribulation sounds logical but it is fundamentally flawed. Jews living in the first century would not come to this conclusion. They knew exactly what Paul meant by the ‘last trumpet.’
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‘The last trumpet” is the last of the 100 trumpet blasts that are sounded during the celebration of the Feast of Trumpets.
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So, what is the ‘last trumpet’?
‘The last trumpet” is the last of the 100 trumpet blasts that are sounded during the celebration of the Feast of Trumpets.
Let me explain.
The Prophetic Significance of The 7 Biblical Feasts
In the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelites to celebrate 7 feasts annually. Each of these festivals has a rich historical significance attached to it. They reminded the Israelites of God’s faithfulness in delivering them from Egypt and during their 40-year wandering in the wilderness.
Besides having historical significance, these biblical feasts also carry prophetic significance concerning God’s redemptive plan.
4 of the 7 feasts are celebrated in the spring season while the remaining 3 feasts are celebrated in autumn.
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Besides having historical significance, these biblical feasts also carry prophetic significance concerning God’s redemptive plan.
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The Passover Feast is a prophetic imagery of Christ as the Passover Lamb. Jesus fulfilled the meaning of this feast by His crucifixion and death on the cross on the day of the Passover.
Jesus also fulfilled the prophetic significance of the second feast, the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, in His burial. Jesus had lived a sinless life and He was also buried sinless. Jesus was the unleavened bread.
3 days after His death and burial, Jesus rose from the dead fulfilling the Feast of the Firstfruits. In the words of the apostle Paul, Jesus is the firstfruits of resurrection. It means that believers will also be resurrected when Jesus returns (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).
The Feast of Pentecost was fulfilled 50 days after the Passover when God poured forth His Holy Spirit on the fledgling church.
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The prophetic significance of these 4 feasts was fulfilled by Jesus in His First Coming on their exact anniversary dates… In the same way that the spring feasts were fulfilled in Christ’s First Coming, the remaining 3 autumn feasts will also be fulfilled accordingly in Christ’s Second Coming.
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The prophetic significance of these 4 feasts was fulfilled by Jesus in His First Coming on their exact anniversary dates.
We should not be surprised because these biblical feasts are God’s appointed times. That is what the word, feast, means in the original Hebrew – appointed meeting and appointed time. These feasts are God’s appointed times for the fulfilment of significant God-ordained redemptive events.
In the same way that the spring feasts were fulfilled in Christ’s First Coming, the remaining 3 autumn feasts will also be fulfilled accordingly in Christ’s Second Coming.
What is the prophetic significance of each of the autumn feasts?
The Feast of Trumpets points to the rapture of the saints while the Day of Atonement points to the glorious appearing of Christ with His heavenly hosts to defeat Satan and the Antichrist. These are the 2 phases of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Finally, the Feast of Tabernacles is a prophetic imagery of God coming to tabernacle or dwell with His people. It marks the beginning of the millennial kingdom when Jesus will rule over the nations of the world.
The Feast of Trumpets – The Hidden Day
The Feast of Trumpets is known by many different names. The commonly known ones are Yom Teruah, which means a day of blowing trumpets, and Rosh Hashanah, the New Year.
There are several relatively obscure but important names which are pertinent to its prophetic significance.
One of these names is Yom HaKeseh or ‘The Hidden Day.’ Ancient Jews refer to this festival as the feast that ‘no one knows the day or hour.’
Does it sound familiar?
Jesus referred to it. We read it earlier – “But concerning the day and hour no one knows’ (Matthew 24:36).
When Jesus mentioned this idiom, the Jews in His time immediately understood that He was talking about the Feast of Trumpets. As we have observed earlier, Jesus linked this feast to the rapture - ‘Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming’ (Matthew 24:40-42).
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Though the rough timing of the feast is known, no one can be sure when exactly the Feast of Trumpets will be celebrated. It is the same with the rapture. We know the season but we cannot be certain of the exact day and hour.
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Why is the Feast of Trumpets known as ‘The Hidden Day’ and a feast that ‘no one knows the day or hour’?
That is because the feast is celebrated on the New Moon. This is the first day of the seventh month, Tishri. The feast cannot begin until the thin sliver of the new month is sighted.
Sometimes, the new moon might be hidden from view by the clouds or due to bad weather. So, the feast could not begin. Under such circumstances, the celebration would begin the following day when the new moon is sighted. After some time, the feast is celebrated over 2 days on the first and second day of Tishri.
Though the rough timing of the feast is known, no one can be sure when exactly the Feast of Trumpets will be celebrated. It is the same with the rapture. We know the season but we cannot be certain of the exact day and hour.
The Feast of Trumpets - The Day of The Awakening Blast
The Feast of Trumpets is also known as ‘The Day of The Awakening Blast.”
The awakening blast refers to the trumpet blast that awakens the dead. Ancient Jewish tradition held that the resurrection of the dead would take place on the day of the Feast of Trumpets. The blowing of the shofar or ram’s horn is to proclaim the resurrection of the dead.
During the Feast of Trumpets, there will be 4 different types of trumpet blasts.
The first type of blast is the ‘tekiah.’ It is one long blast. The purpose is to awaken the people.
The second type of blast is the ‘shevarim,’ which consists of 3 short blasts. It is a call for repentance.
The third type of blast is the ‘teruah.’ It consists of 9 quick staccato blasts. It is to sound the alarm.
These 3 types of blasts are combined together and sounded 3 times, making a total of 9 blasts. This series of 9 blasts is repeated 11 times during the day making it a total of 99 trumpet blasts.
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When the apostle Paul said that ‘the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed’ at the ‘last trumpet,’ he is referring to this one hundredth or final trumpet blast during the Feast of the Trumpets. In other words, the rapture of the saints will occur at the ‘last trumpet.’
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Then, comes the final trumpet blast. The one hundredth and final trumpet blast is known as the ‘tekiah gedolah.’ It lasts for as long as the person blowing the trumpet can hold his breath.
According to the ancient Jewish tradition, this one hundredth blast of the trumpet is known as the ‘last trumpet.’
When the apostle Paul said that ‘the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed’ at the ‘last trumpet,’ he is referring to this one hundredth or final trumpet blast during the Feast of the Trumpets. In other words, the rapture of the saints will occur at the ‘last trumpet.’
Does it mean that we will be raptured on the day of the Feast of Trumpets?
I believe so. If the first 4 spring feasts were fulfilled on their exact anniversary dates, there is no reason to doubt that the remaining 3 autumn feasts will also be fulfilled on their exact anniversary dates.
But you might argue that no one knows the day or hour. That is correct. However, while the rapture will happen on the Feast of Trumpets, we do not know the year, the exact day of the 2-day feast, and the hour.