The Last Trump

The Last Trump (part 1)

by Pastor Stephen Benton

Let’s face it, there is no way anyone can seriously address the issue of the rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ and ignore the issue of the last trump?  Now before we go into a scriptural exegesis on the subject let’s start with the obvious.  Seeing as how there is a "last trump" as stated in I Corinthians 15, there then of necessity must be a first trump.  With that in mind, it would be reasonable to say that the last trump is the last of a series, whether that series consists of two trump soundings or as many as 50.  Those examples may have sounded like a hypothetical situation but in reality, that is exactly what the last trump is: a sounding of a first trump followed by the sounding of the last trump.  In those two cases, the first trump will sound to signal the rising of the dead and their change from corruptible to incorruption while the last trump will sound to announce the change from mortal to immortality and catching away of those who are alive and remain on the earth.

If you have your thinking cap on it will probably move you to ask the question, why didn’t Paul say that in his writings to the Corinthians and Thessalonians?  The answer will surprise you, but maybe not.  The reason Paul didn’t write what I just wrote to you is because Paul didn’t know.  Now, before you yell "anathema" at me, just finish the article and let The Holy Spirit bring glad tidings of great joy your way.

(Because various components are necessary for a thorough and complete exposition of the The Last Trump, I will complete the balance of this article using sub-topics such as the following: Holy Men of God Speak as They are Moved by the Holy Ghost.)

Holy Men of God Speak as They are Moved by the Holy Ghost

Although I changed the tense of a couple of words in the above topic you should still be able to recognize their scriptural source.  They were written by the Apostle Peter and are found in II Peter 1:21.  He begins that context by writing about the fact that they, the apostles, were eyewitnesses of the majesty of Jesus (v16).  The eye witness is the highest order of witness as a testimony in a court of law.  Along with being eyewitnesses of the glory of Jesus, they were also ear witnesses.  In verses 17 and 18 Peter relates two significant events in the life of Jesus during which they were present.  The first is the baptism of Jesus by John in Jordan.  At that event the voice of God the Father from the excellent glory of heaven saying “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  The second time Peter heard this voice was when he was with Jesus, along with James and John in the mount of Transfiguration.  During that event they had the very unexpected surprise of seeing and hearing Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah concerning his approaching death.  Peter’s fear moved him to suggest making three tabernacles, one for each person but at that moment a cloud pulled up, that is what frightened Peter! Moses and Elijah stepped into the cloud and as the cloud pulled away a voice spoke out of the cloud with similar words that were spoken at the baptism: “This is my beloved Son: hear ye him.”  The voice of Moses (the Law,) was being phased out and the voice of Elijah, the future restoration was yet, well… the future. 

Jesus is the current messenger from God.  Then Peter takes this issue to another level with these words:

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy: whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.”

Peter is declaring that the prophetical word took precedence over and above what they had seen and heard as eyewitnesses.  That’s what you could very well call the game changer.  I believe that my faith would have been flawless had I been around in the time of Jesus and witnessed the wonderful miracles done by the Master but Peter says we living in this time have something more sure than the signs and wonders, we have the prophetical word, spoken by the Spirit of Jesus himself, the Holy Ghost.  Now let’s take the next step in Peter’s writing.

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”

How often do you hear the statement “it's a matter of interpretation” or “that’s your interpretation”.  It’s a convenient excuse for dismissing doctrines with which we do not agree.  But understand, Peter is not talking about the reader of the word, but the writers themselves.  Their writings were not the work of their own, private surmisings,

“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Now let’s go backward in the writings of Peter to his first epistle, chapter one.

“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

Those verses explain why the scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, written by over 40 different writers, many who never met one another and in many cases had no access to the writings of the others, comes across as a document written as the voice of One.  A case in point is the writings of the prophet Daniel.  Daniel wrote an advanced history of four successive kingdoms who would exert rule over Israel.  After he finished writing about the days of the Anti-christ (12:7) notice the words of his question:

“And I heard, but I understood not:  (no scripture of private interpretation) then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?”

God’s response:  “And he said, go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”

Now here comes the real kicker!  Peter was writing about the Old Testament prophets writing about things that were not revealed to them but rather revealed to the Apostles and those who would preach the gospel about which they unknowingly wrote.  Peter had no idea that he too, as well as the rest of the apostles, would write under the movement or inspiration of the Holy Ghost, things they themselves did not fully understand that would later be revealed to prophets in the time of the end of the Church age.  From the Apostolic writings the prophets would lay foundational truths about topics such as the full meaning of things like the last trump and the set times of the Lord first written about by Moses, and the interval of time between the resurrection of the dead and the rapture of  those who are alive and remain, and identify exactly what the strong delusion will be and what will be the lie to follow.  God said “And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.”  Isa. 45:3   Jesus added to those words by saying, “...for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed and hid, that shall not be known.”  Matt. 10:26  I might also add how in
 I Peter 1:11 the prophets searched diligently, searching what or what manner of time the Holy Ghost signified.  Call it whatever you choose, they were looking for a time or date as well as how God would pull off the wonders they wrote about.  Solomon said “It is glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” 

Consider this truth also, the Word of God is not the product of a single utterance but the law of witness declared that truth must be established out of the mouth of two or three witnesses.  With that in mind, consider that the Apostle Paul was the only writer to write about the last trump and the dead rising first.  If he is the only witness to such an event, his witness in invalid.  God, to be true to his own law of witnesses, must raise up prophets in these final days to corroborate what was written by Paul.  Also consider this, Paul showed a mystery in I Corinthians 15, a mystery that he did not elaborate on at all.  If the change he speaks of takes place at the last trump, then when is that? When will it blow?  It is a secret that God must reveal to his prophets in these last days.  No man knoweth (relating to the Rapture?)  Bah! Humbug!  The Holy Ghost was given to show us things to come.  If God took the time to show his friend Abraham what he was about to do to Sodom and the cities of the plain, how much moreso will he show us, his friends, the day of the last trump. 

One final note on this segment, there are those who demand to hear what saith the Lord and not the spoutings of a man.  I don’t mind bursting your bubble with the fact that your scriptures were written by men moved by the Spirit.  Every writing and utterance to which we have access came via the pen or mouth of a Spirit-inspired man.  What is needed are men who have their ears tuned to the mouth of God; men who have the courage to go against the grain by declaring that the day can and will be known; men bold and obedient enough to declare upon the rooftops what has been spoken in their ear.  There were only twelve apostles appointed by Jesus.  The chance of running into one during their days was slim and none.  There are just a few prophets in this time, among seven billion people in this world and the chance of running into one is even less likely, especially in a world where the enemy has caused God’s people to think prophets don’t even exist.  I have good news for those who have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying: they do exist.  I know because I am one.  And just as Jesus endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, thinking they knew more about His Father than he knew, I have no problem enduring the contradiction of "know it alls" who know little or nothing about the Living, Speaking God.

(this is continued in God's Final Secret, chapter 4.