Trumpet Warnings Series #3 - Part 113 of Riddles, Enigmas & Esoteric Imagery of Revelation

In the last blog I defined the many uses for a trumpet in the Jewish culture - earthly realm - during the time John received his visions.  I left you with the question, "What scripture reveals a very important blast - a coronation - from a trumpet blown my an angel in the spiritual realm?

 

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in Heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory...and He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other...Matt. 24:30-31.

 

This text reveals how a great sound of a trumpet will be blasted by God's angels, heard at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, when they will gather together His saints (elect) to take them off the earth, before it burns. The word great in the Greek language is megas.  The English word mega is derived from it - meaning:  megaphone - amplified a million times.  This definition insinuates this trumpet blast will be heard by everyone, everywhere, because of its great sound.

 

In the parable of the Wheat and the Tares this event is described as the harvest of the earth by His reapers.  First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn...Matt. 13:30.  The tares symbolize followers of Satan, and wheat symbolizes followers of Jesus Christ. 

 

This trumpet blast musters God's invisible spiritual troops - Endtime Reapers - to gather together His saints from the whole earth - from the four winds - for their coronation.  This is the return of Jesus Christ and the end of the world, as the Apostle Peter prophesied.  Where is Peter's prophecy?

 

We find Peter's prophecy regarding the coming of the Lord in II Peter 3:10-12.  But the day of the Lord will come as thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up...therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

 

The great noise in Peter's prophecy of the end of the world is the trumpet blast from God's end-time reapers, whom He sends to the earth to gather His saints to take them to Heaven - their promised destination.  Then...both the earth and the works that in it will be burned up.

 

The first six trumpets impart dire warnings to the nations of the earth that judgment is coming upon them for their paganism - spiritual degeneration and depravity - resulting, in part, in natural catastrophes, calamities, and cataclysmic events with severe carnage, throughout the Christian era. Even nature is groaning because of the corruption of mankind...Rom. 8:21.  The trumpets proclaim God's judgment upon sin - paganism & immorality. But God desires that mankind would repent of their self-indulgence, corruption and depravity, and seek His forgiveness and protection from His judgment.

 

Before we can define the symbolism of the first six trumpets, we must understand the symbolism of the golden altar before the throne of God.  Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar.  He was given incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne...and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand...Rev. 8:3-4.

There is a lot of symbolism in these two verses.  When we define the symbolism the message will be revealed.  Stay tuned...

God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~

 

 



Trumpet Warnings Series #2 - Part 112 of Riddles, Enigmas & Esoteric Imagery of Revelation

In the first blog of this new series I described 'prophecy of scripture' as a thumbnail sketch of events, meant for one reason only - what is that reason?  Jesus explains the reason very clearly.

Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He...John 13:19.  When Jesus explained to His apostles the gory details of His future crucifixion and being raised from the dead in order to fulfill prophecy of scripture, they didn't comprehend - believe.  But after prophecy of scripture was fulfilled - they did believe.

And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe...John 14:29.  Jesus was comforting His apostles just before His death...let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid...v. 27.  Jesus was assuring them that He was only telling them in advance so that when prophecy of scripture is fulfilled they will believe.  He knew they didn't understand His prophecy - He simply wanted them to believe after the prophecy is fulfilled.

But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them...and these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you...John 16:4.  Jesus had been sharing with His apostles the persecution that will come upon them after He is risen from the grave - they must bear witness that He is the Messiah because they were with Him from the beginning of His earthly ministry.  They will only understand His prophecy regarding their persecution when it is fulfilled - then they will remember what He prophesied.

After John was shown how six of the seals revealed the wrath of the lamb (Rev. 6:16-17) upon Israel for rejecting Jesus as their Messiah, the 7th seal revealed something different.  When He opens the seventh seal, there was silence in Heaven for about half and hour...Rev. 8:1.  What does this symbolism mean?

The number 7 means complete - perfection.  Vengeance upon Israel is complete.  Israel is longer a nation, the people are scattered into many nations - they are no longer a blip on the radar. God is not rejoicing over this judgment of His chosen people - there is deep sorrowful contemplation - expressed by silence in Heaven.

Under the 7th seal John saw seven angels with seven trumpets.  They are announcing the judgment that is coming upon the whole world.  As we study the symbolism of the judgments of the seven trumpet warnings, we will find God's judgment upon the sins of immorality and paganism practiced by His Church throughout the Christian era.

Any Jewish believer, like John, living at the time these visions were imparted, would easily understand the significance of trumpets in their culture.  The Feast of the Trumpets was celebrated at the beginning of a New Year - Rosh Hashana...Lev. 23:23-25.  From morning to evening trumpets were blown.  This was immediately followed by the Day of Atonement, where godly sorrow for sins was expressed, seeking God's mercy.  They wanted to stay spiritually prepared for any judgment that may come, so this was a time to make their hearts right with God.

The blast of the shofar - ram's horn - was used for many different reasons. It may be used to blast the following pronouncements:

1.    to announce the beginning of the festivals
2.    to muster the troops
3.    to warn of danger in the city
4.    to assemble the people in the midst of battle
5.    for a coronation - crowning of a leader
6.    to celebrate joy in the Lord
7.    to announce victory over their enemy   

We can see that in the Jewish culture, the use of a trumpet or shofar was a very important exercise in the earthly realm.  But the trumpet is also a very important exercise in the spiritual realm.  What scripture reveals a very important victory blast - a coronation - from a trumpet blown by an angel in the spiritual realm?  Stay tuned...

God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~



Trumpet Warnings Series #1 - Part 111 of Riddles, Enigmas & Esoteric Imagery of Revelation

In this new series about the Trumpet Warnings - Revelation chapter 8 - we will find this chapter rife with symbolism and riddles.  In order to understand the message we must define the symbolism.  After Jesus opened the seven seals revealing His judgment upon Israel - Four Horsemen - for rejecting Him as their Messiah, John was shown...seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound...Rev. 8:6.

What is the timeline for the judgments within the trumpet warnings to transpire, and who will experience these judgments?  After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. the people of Israel were scattered across the planet, initiating the Times of the Gentiles era. Now Jesus turned His judgment upon the sins of all the inhabitants of the earth, until the times of the gentiles era has been completed.

When Jesus Christ rose from the grave, He conquered sin and destroyed the works of the devil. What works of the devil?  Satan brought death to human beings when they sinned against God, so they feared death more than anything else. Jesus destroyed men's fear of death - conquered the law of sin & death...Rom. 7:6. It is at this time that Satan was thrown out of Heaven, where he had been allowed to come and go freely, even after he had sinned against God...Job 1:6. 

Because Satan is still God of this world, but now confined to the earth and the atmosphere around the earth, he will terrorize God's kids with greater vengeance, because he knows his time to prevail upon the earth is short....therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time...Rev. 12:12.

What Satan doesn't know - God is actually using him to judge the idolatry and immorality of every human being, through trials and tribulations, which will be revealed in the trumpet judgments. Satan can only do what God allows him to do.  We will find that the trumpet warnings reveal some pretty horrific judgments - devastation & death - that will come upon the earth, beginning right after Israel lost its nation status in the war of 70 A.D. 

The woes - grief - perpetrated by Satan and his demonic hordes, will be accomplished by stealth in the guise of prophets of God, who are actually false, propagating doctrines of demons...for such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ...and no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light...therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works...II Cor. 11:13-15.

What is the viewpoint of present-day scholars of the modern end-time doctrine on Revelation chapter 8?  Since these scholars don't believe that anything in Revelation has been fulfilled beyond chapter 4, the trumpet blast revelations are still in the future to them.  They must attempt to interpret prophecy of scripture - future to them - ignoring the admonition of the Apostle Peter...no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation...for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit...II Peter 1:20-21.

What did James, the brother of Jesus, say about the future?  Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit;"...whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow...for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes...James 4:13-14. 

While this reference is not about prophecy of scripture, it does reveal that we really know nothing about the future.  We are dependent upon God to show us each day how He wants us to proceed, trusting that He knows the way to fulfill His plans and purposes for each of us.

Prophecy of scripture is a thumbnail sketch of future events meant for one reason only - what is that reason?  Stay tuned...

God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~



Throne Room of Heaven Series #8 - Part 110 of Riddles, Enigmas & Esoteric Imagery of Revelation

As we proceed on our tour of the Throne Room of Heaven, we must keep in mind the timeline.  Jesus Christ has just risen from the grave and there is much rejoicing in Heaven.  Revelation chapter 5 reveals...what must take place after this. 

John explained the next thing that he saw...I saw in the right hand of Him who sits on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back sealed with seven seals...Rev. 5:1. What does this symbolism mean?

The right hand of God symbolizes power and authority.  What is written on the scroll has been authorized by Him. #7 symbolizes - perfect and complete. Writing on both sides of this scroll symbolizes that the message is a double-edged sword of judgment against His religious leaders, whom He left in charge of the spiritual development of His people - they failed miserably. 

Written on this scroll we will find God's prophecy regarding the vengeance that will be exacted against Israel for rejecting Jesus Christ as their Messiah.  Have scrolls been used in visions in the past to convey a message to His people through His prophets?  Yes.

The Prophet Ezekiel received a vision of a scroll with writing on the inside and the outside.  Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it...then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe...Ez. 2:9-10.

The Prophet Zechariah saw a flying scroll with a message on two sides...this is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth...every thief shall be expelled, according to this side of the scroll; and every perjurer shall be expelled, according to that side of it...Zec. 5:2-3.

What was the message these prophets conveyed to the religious leaders of their day?  There will be lamentations, mourning, and woe because they are charged as perjurers and thieves.  Instead of tending to the spiritual development of God's people, these religious leaders robbed them from the truth about God's love and forgiveness, and by doing so they perjured themselves. They had made a covenant with God to lead His people faithfully - instead they willfully lied under oath, and lead His people into paganism and immorality - requiring His judgment. 

The scroll that John saw has the same message that previous scrolls revealed - but this scroll includes one additional charge - indictment - against the religious leaders of Israel.  What is the additional indictment?

The religious scholars of Jesus' day rejected Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah.  While Jesus walked the earth, He warned them that they would experience vengeance - retribution - for denying that He was their Messiah. 

This prophecy of Jesus - vengeance - could not be fulfilled until He rose from the grave and returned to Heaven.  John became privy to the next assignment that was given to Jesus Christ, after His victory over sin. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?...Rev. 5:2.

John took a quick surveillance of his surroundings, as if he could spot the one for whom they were looking, who could open the seals.  And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it...so I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it...Rev. 5:3-4.

Then John saw the glorified Christ take the scroll from God's hand...You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood.  Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation...and have made us kings and priests to our God...and we shall reign on the earth...Rev. 5:9-10. Mission accomplished! This was the beginning of men reigning with God on the earth.

This timeline reveals Jesus returning to Heaven - the seals on the scroll reveal His next assignment.  The seals reveal the judgment - vengeance - that comes upon Israel for rejecting Jesus as their Messiah.  I described this in depth in Part 69-76 of Riddles, Enigmas & Esoteric Imagery - of Revelation - Four Horsemen Symbolism Series.

Our tour of the Throne Room of Heaven has come to an end. What's next?  Stay tuned...

God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~