A Voice as of A Trumpet

The apostle John, in the book of Revelation, heard a great voice as of a trumpet. It was the voice of the Lord but described as the sound of a trumpet. What is the significance of the description of this voice?

In the old Testament, the trumpet was used to sound an alarm in preparation for battle and to announce festive occasions, such as the celebration of feasts. Like so many things in the old covenant, it finds it’s fulfillment in the new. For the church, or spiritual Israel, the trumpet is the voice of God, through His anointed ministry, warning of false doctrine and heralding the announcement of the fulfillment of the feasts and how they apply to us.

In Isaiah, chapter 58, we are told to cry aloud, spare not, lift up our voice like a trumpet and show God’s people their transgressions. The apostle Paul, in the book of Ephesians, chapter six warns the people to put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. These are new and old testament examples of a voice as a trumpet sounding an alarm against the enemy. This war is not literal but spiritual. It is a battle for the preservation of the truth of the gospel. Even in the early days of the church, the enemy had entered in and the children where tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.

We can also find examples of the heralding, of the celebration of the fulfillment of the feasts of God. In 1 Corinthians, chapter 5, Paul’s voice, as a trumpet announces the fact that Christ our Passover, is sacrificed for us. At the same time he sounds a warning to purge out the old leaven, that we may be a new lump, because we are unleavened. Two feasts are made reference to here as being fulfilled by Christ. One is the feast he refers to is the Feast of Passover and the other is the feast of unleavened bread. In the book of the acts of the apostles, we find Luke with the voice of a trumpet announcing the fulfillment of the feast of Pentecost. Verse one of chapter two states, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Those gathered in the upper room, were a kind of first fruits unto God fulfilling the feast of Pentecost. They went forth unto the nations heralding the gospel of grace and at the same time sounding an alarm, against those who might hinder or pollute the gospel of the truth of God.

The apostle Paul sounds an alarm against those who crept in unawares, to seek out the liberty they had in Christ. We are warned also to, “beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision, for we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh”. Paul sounds an alarm in the book of Galatians to warn of Peter’s temptation to go back under law, when those that came from James caused him to separate himself unto them. Paul warns against rebuilding again, that which Christ in us, came to destroy, which was justification by law. An alarm that must be sounded in the Church of today as well!

To reiterate, the trumpet being spoken of, is the voice of the trumpet. And Paul warned, “if a trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle”. There are many sounds in the church today that are uncertain, and the people are not preparing themselves, nor do they know what or where the battle is. These voices have caused much confusion, and as a result, many are asleep in Zion. It is time to blow the trumpet in Zion and sound it on God’s holy mountain. As in Joel chapter two, much must be tore down and the enemy dispersed from the land in the day of the lord, to make way for a great harvest, for God will give the former and the latter rain. And the floors will be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. And God will restore the years the locust has eaten, and the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm. And you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God.

Joel is speaking of the one feast yet to be fulfilled, which is the feast of Tabernacles, also called the feast of in gathering. This is the last great feast of God given as a type and shadow unto natural Israel. But what is the true meaning of this feast to Spiritual Israel, or the Israel of God? This great feast, has several significant aspects to it and we need to look at each aspect carefully to find out how they relate to the Church of God today.

The feast of Tabernacles begins with the blowing of trumpets even as the prophesy given to Joel begins with blowing a trumpet as an alarm. This feast is preceded with a holy convocation an offering made by fire, which leads up to the day of atonement, during which the works of man must be totally eradicated. The blowing of trumpets and the Day of Atonement coincides with the day of the Lord, spoken of in Joel’s, prophesy.

The Day of the Lord, as it relates to the Feast of Tabernacles is also spoken of in Matthew chapter 13 in which the Lord gives several parables as to what the Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto. In each instance, there is the sending forth of His angels, at the end of the age, to separate out the tares from the wheat. An example is in verse 41, where He says, “ The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth”. These are the angels spoken of in Matthew chapter 24 verse 31, “And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other”.

The sounding of trumpets, to announce the last great feast is for the separating out of God’s Kingdom, all that has been planted by the enemy. All the traditions of man, that have made the word of God of none effect. All the works of the hands, by which man tries to build a tower that it might reach heaven. Man must be striped bare and stand naked before his God, clothed only in the righteousness the Father has provided in the Son. He must cease from his labors that His works may follow. It is the Day of Atonement and this is the true affliction of the soul, an offering made by fire. Then shall it be a true Sabbath of Rest unending to the people of God. This must precede the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, that Great Feast.

After the afflicting of our souls we shall dwell in booths, made of goodly boughs which speaks of dwelling in the secret place of the most high and under the shadow of the almighty. He shall cover us with His feathers, and under His wings shall we trust. His truth shall be our shield and buckler.

This shall all occur at the sound of a great voice, as a trumpet. There shall be a great voice in the land, it will be the Voice of our Lord, the trump of God, or the voice of the Archangel if you will. “There shall be 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” Rev. 21:3.

In Revelation chapter 14 we read of those who have had the Feast of tabernacles fulfilled In them, the 144,000 on mount Zion, having the Fathers name written in their foreheads. They speak with a voice as of many waters, and with a voice of a great thunder and as of a voice of harpers harping with their harps. These dwell in Heaven but as angels flying in the midst of Heaven, they with a great voice have the everlasting gospel to preach to those dwelling in the earth. They having celebrated that Great Feast, with a great voice, call others to the Feast of Tabernacles. First, however they must sound the trumpets that herald the alarm, leading all nations who dwell in the earth to the Day of Atonement, that they might come up hither and know God as all in all.

John heard a Great voice as a trumpet behind him. And he turned to see the voice that spoke with him and he saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks, he saw one like unto the Son of Man. It is time for that great voice as a trumpet to be heard, in the church, that we might repent and give all glory to God.

Art Groesbeck