The book of Revelation is an extremely complex book to understand, full of symbols that may seem difficult to interpret. Yet it is a book that richly repays careful study and that can become fascinating and very absorbing. Take the seven trumpets for instance.
In Old Testament prophecy, trumpets warn of God’s judgments about to fall on nations that have rejected or that oppose Him. For example, Jeremiah 4:5 warns, “Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.”
Also in Joel 2:1:
“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand…” (see also Zeph 1:16).
Notably similar language is used of the fall of Babylon in Jeremiah 51:27: “Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her…”
As for Israel, if they would only repent, they might avert disaster from the sword of the enemy. But the warnings were generally unheeded:
“If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning… But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul” (Ezek 33:3-5).
The prophet’s pleadings did not usually bring about repentance in the nation of Israel:
“Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken” (Jer 6:17).
Trumpets were used by Israel during times of invasion and destruction of their enemies’ territory. When the nation of Israel entered the land of Canaan and the city of Jericho was about to be destroyed by the Lord, seven priests blowing seven trumpets (accompanied by the ark of the Lord) made a loud noise while circling the city. The people of Jericho must have wondered what the significance of this procession was. When they found out, it was too late for their deliverance.
Trumpets were also used in times of rejoicing. During the time of King David, when the ark of the covenant was brought to the city of David from the house of Obed-Edom, “priests did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God…” (1Ch 15:24). After the exiles had returned to Jerusalem and were celebrating the dedication of the wall, “the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres… as well as the priests… with their trumpets” (Neh 12:27,41).
In the Book of Psalms, trumpets were used as instruments to praise God for His sovereign majesty:
“Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn” (Psa 98:4-6).
With this background in the Old Testament, the Book of Revelation proclaims judgment on the enemies of God and ultimate deliverance of His people. This gives hope and encouragement to the followers of Jesus when they are suffering persecution at the hands of wicked and powerful men. The first six trumpets in Revelation introduce calamities falling on various regions of the earth or groups of people. The sounding of the seventh trumpet is followed by the proclamation of God’s Kingdom, and the worship of God as Sovereign.
Thus the “last trump” heralds the return of the Lord Jesus and the resurrection of the dead (exactly what is described in connection with the seventh trumpet in Revelation):
“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds… we shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised… For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God…” (Matt 24:31; 1Co 15:51,52; 1Th 4:16).
There is a rich and varied Scriptural background to the use of trumpets: they are used to warn of judgment, to summon to repentance, to escort the ark, to proclaim Divine sovereignty, and to give thanks to God. The promise of participating in God’s Kingdom and glory, and all that is implied in the events surrounding “the last trump”, is a very great source of strength for God’s people.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One