The Last Trump
The Last Trump, Pretribulation Rapture, The Mystery, Christ the Firstfruits, Last Enemy. What About These Things?
First things first. About the pretribulation rapture. The Saviour Jesus Christ on the cross suffered the judgment of God. The Lord Jesus can not again suffer judgment. This also means that the 'body of Christ' can not suffer the judgment of the tribulation. The judgment he suffered on the cross was not for himself, it was in their stead. The New Testament church is the body of Christ. He is the head of the body [Colossians 1:18]. The body and head are one. They, the body, are "the fulness of him" [Ephesians 1:22-23; cf. Psalms 139:16]. The body of Christ suffering the judgment of God in the tribulation would necessarily mean the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the body, suffering judgment for the second time. This could never be. Additionally, Revelation 6:16-17 speaks of the "wrath of the Lamb". In the context it refers to the entire time from the beginning of the tribulation, the opening of the first seal. Could the Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, the very Lamb of God [John 1:29], inflict wrath upon his own body [Ephesians 5:23]? God forbid. The tribulation from the opening of the first seal to the final battle at Armageddon is the judgment of God on the Christ rejecting world. The New Testament church, the very body of Christ, having anything at all to do with that judgment, is a thing impossible. It would be to say that the finished work of the cross was ineffectual. Pretribulation rapture is the only possible correct interpretation of scripture.
Nevertheless, opposition to the doctrine of the pretribulational rapture of the New Testament church - the body of Christ - is widespread and unceasing.
Most eschatological interpretations concede the concept of a "rapture". The scriptures describing a rapture at some point in time are very clear and really not possible to explain away. The dispute on the subject is not about 'if' the doctrine of the rapture is the correct interpretation of scripture, but is entirely about the timing of it. Not 'if', but 'when', is the point of the endless contention that surrounds the topic.
Each of the various views have their own specific interpretations to 'prove' that it is the correct one. The purpose of this study though is not to sort through all the differences of the various interpretations, but just to address one of the most important topics with regard to determining the correct timing of the rapture. That topic is the "last trump" of 1st Corinthians 15:52. Opponents of the pretribulation rapture commonly use this verse citing the "last trump" as proof that the 'pretrib' interpretation is false.
What exactly then is the 'last trump'? What is to be understood by the term? What bearing does the 1st Corinthians 15:52 'last trump' have on either proving or disproving the pretribulation position? Or, is the actual significance of the "Last Trump" something else altogether?
The purpose of this study is to answer these questions.
I. The Rapture, The Mystery, The Last Trump
There are two primary passages of scripture where specific details of the rapture are given: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Both passages describe the sound of a trumpet:
That 1st Corinthians 15:52 describes the rapture is generally undisputed, and as the verse states, the rapture happens "at the last trump". This is the only verse in the bible where it is mentioned. Before this verse can be used to either prove or disprove anything about the timing of the rapture though, it must first be shown that other passages said to be related have been interpreted correctly.
In order to eliminate incorrect interpretations of the 'last trump' it is necessary to consider also the second of the two primary rapture passages, 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17, as the two passages refer to the same event, giving different details. That they must describe the same event is also not generally disputed. Again, the dispute is not a question of the doctrine, but the timing.
The second primary rapture passage is 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17:
The two passages must describe the same event.
1st Corinthians 15:51-52 enlarges upon 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17. 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 announces the fact of the event, 1st Corinthians 15:51-52 enlarges upon what had been written previously, providing specific information with regard to what happens to those involved. Written later than 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17, the stated purpose of this passage in 1st Corinthians 15 is to now 'shew the mystery' of what will actually take place physically at that moment in time, when, as we are told in 1st Thessalonians 4:16, "the dead in Christ..rise first", and then, the believers which are alive on earth at that point in history, "are..caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air". 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 only reveals the fact that it happens. 1st Corinthians 15:51-52 reveals what those involved will experience at this wondrous event.
II. Is The Last Trump Last?
Again, that 1st Corinthians 15:52 describes the rapture and that it happens at the "last trump" is not a matter of dispute. According to the pretribulation rapture opponents the verse is actually proof positive that the pretribulation rapture is false because there are two other trumpets still to come, both after the tribulation has begun: Matthew 24:31 and Revelation 11:15. Therefore, as this one in 1st Corinthians 15:52 is the "last", it certainly cannot come before the tribulation begins. Case closed, say they, pretrib is false, told you so, told you so.
This then raises the issue, with regard to the different rapture interpretations, of what exactly is meant by the phrase "last trump", and when exactly is it to occur? Is it the absolute last trumpet ever to be heard, chronologically, to the end of bible revelation, as say pretribulation opponents, or is there a specific application which makes it not actually the last, but that applies only to the NT church, which is the common pretribulation view.
These are questions that must be answered to settle the time-of-rapture issue. It is a very important subject because each of the different rapture-views have to somehow fit the "last trump" into their overall interpretive scheme, and although those schemes can and do vary greatly, the fact is when it comes to the "last trump", they all, except pretribulation, are basically limited to the two options mentioned above where a trumpet is heard.
To arrive at a correct interpretation for any doctrine it is important to be precise scripturally. These two verses then must be carefully examined to see if either one could in fact be the 'last trump'. Which in this case means comparing Matthew 24:31 and Revelation 11:15, with 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 and 1st Corinthians 15:51-52.
III. Matthew 24:31 and Revelation 11:15
As mentioned just above, opponents of the pretribulation Rapture cite two trumpets mentioned in scripture that definitely occur after the tribulation has begun. These are found in Matthew 24:31 and Revelation 11:15.
Depending on the specific interpretation, which are quite different, one or the other of these two trumpet events is said to be the actual occasion of the 1st Corinthians 15:52 'last trump':
Those familiar with the book of Revelation know that it describes a series of three types of judgments, seven of each: seals, trumpets, vials, in that order. All the judgments are carried out by angels. Revelation 11:15 describes the last of the seven trumpet judgments. The verse in Matthew 24 [Matthew 24:29-31] describes the moment the Lord Jesus Christ returns to the earth at the end of the tribulation with the sound of a trumpet.
Both are trumpet events. Neither one can possibly be the 'last trump' of 1st Corinthians 15:52 though.
IV. What The Last Trump Is Not
1. It is not the last of the seven trumpet judgments mentioned in Revelation 11:15
A. The seven trumpets of Revelation are sounded by angels [Revelation 8:2].
B. It is not the last of the seven trumpet judgments in the Revelation. The last trumpet sounded is Revelation 11:15 - with "great voices in heaven".
The great voices in heaven are proclaiming the kingdoms of the world as having become "the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ". But this event is not the end. It is just the "great voices" announcing it as already accomplished. Despite many reports to the contrary the book of Revelation is chronological. To make this event the end, and it's trumpet be the 'last trump', the chronology of the book of Revelation must be disregarded. A highly arbitrary and very messy cut and paste job is in every case the result. It cannot be done. The chronology must be observed. Seven more angels must still come after all the trumpets have sounded and pour out seven vials of the "wrath of God" [Rev. 16:1]; a number of other events are to occur as well, all which lead up to Armageddon, which only then brings the end of the tribulation.
C. The moment of the rapture 1st Thessalonians 4:16 it is not an angel sounding the trumpet, it is "the trump of God".
2. It Is Not The Trumpet Mentioned in Matthew 24:31
A. This trumpet is at the end of the tribulation. It is heard "immediately after the tribulation" - at the actual physical return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth [Matthew 24:29-30].
B. The time of this trumpet sounding, however, can not be the trump referred to in 1st Thessalonians 4:16. There is here no "meeting in the air". At the sound of this trumpet angels will be sent forth throughout the world to gather the elect of God - those who will have lived through the tribulation. This gathering takes place on the earth.
C. The trumpet on this occasion is not said to be "the trump of God", as 1st Thessalonians 4:16. There is no voice of the archangel, no shout from the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ himself, as at the time of the rapture.
D. The trumpet in Matthew 24:31 cannot be the "last trump" spoken of in 1st Corinthians 15:52 because the incredible things that happen at the sound of the "Last Trump" occur in "a moment, in the "twinkling of an eye". In Matthew 24:31 we do not read anything about the gathering of the elect after the tribulation being done "in a moment", or "in the twinkling of an eye". On this occasion it is said angels will go throughout the world to do the gathering with no reference to length of time to accomplish the task. The trumpet is not said to be "the trump of God".
E. The gathering described in 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 is not an earthly gathering but is to take place in "the air". No angels are sent to do this gathering. The scripture says on this occasion “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven..”.
A close look at both of these trumpet events makes plain that neither Matthew 24:31 or Revelation 11:15 can be the same event described in 1st Corinthians 15:52. Neither trumpet can be the 'last trump' of 1st Corinthians 15:52. Nor can either verse can be used to prove that the pretribulation rapture is a false doctrine.
While on the subject it should be noted that other alternate interpretations make the 'last trump' to be an otherwise unmentioned signal of a 'last day' resurrection and final judgment of all, living and dead. This also can not be correct. Both passages, 1st Corinthians 15:51-54 and 1st Thessalonians 4:14-17, are addressed to the body of Christ alone. It is "we" all the way through both, used at least eight times in the two passages. There is no mention whatsoever of the tribulation, millennial kingdom, the wicked dead, etc., or anything else about a 'last-day resurrection and judgment'. The Last Trump is a stand-alone event.
V. What The "Last Trump" Is Not [continued]
Adding to the last trump dispute is the reality that pretribulationists have never come up with any interpretation ascribing the proper worth to an event that must surely be considered monumental. The Word of God declares this trump is to be the "Last Trump". This speaks of finality. Something in the Word of God declared final must be of great importance. Certainly it cannot be incidental.
Search the commentaries. Search every available one old and new. No answer can be found. What is found are numerous suggestions of possible meanings, all different. Nothing that is substantial. All very weak.
Pretribulation "last trump" interpretations most commonly are: (1) the term was borrowed from the practice of the Roman army of the day calling soldiers to readiness with what would have been a 'first trump', followed by the call to depart and begin their forward march at the sound of a 'last trump', with the use of the term in this verse having then the same meaning, announcing the 'removal' of the church; or (2) having to do with God's overall plan of salvation, starting with the 'first trump' at the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai [Exodus 20:18], with the 'last trump' then coming at the pretribulation rapture of the New Testament church; or some, (3) it is made to be a reference to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, reasoning that there would be an unmentioned 'first trump' for the "dead in Christ", with the 'alive and remaining' group getting then the second, or, the 'last trump'. Not one of these interpretations is adequate or satisfactory though. They are hollow, they are vague, they add no value. God's word though is always Revelation, and can never be hollow or of no profit, adding nothing.
There has to be something much more significant about the 1st Corinthians 15:52 "Last Trump" that has been missed. And there is.
And it has been right there all along. In the very same chapter, 1st Corinthians 15. The resurrection chapter.
VI. What The Last Trump Is
The "last trump". What then can be meant by this statement. If the rapture is pretribulational how is it possible to explain this 'last trump' when other trumpets are heard later than this?
The answer is as beautiful as it is simple. And that answer is found throughout this chapter, 1st Corinthians 15, which deals with the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, and the key to this doctrine, the Lord Jesus Christ being the first to rise from the dead:
The very important thing to emphasize on Christ Jesus being the first to rise from the dead was it meant defeating the "last enemy"
- as 1st Corinthians 15:26 says:
The Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, at the very moment he rose from the dead (vs. 20), destroyed that last enemy.
1. Last Enemy Defeated But Not Yet Time To Celebrate
Note in that 20th verse the word 'firstfruits'. It is plural. This can only be a reference to Christ the head and his 'body' together. In the same way that the judgment he suffered on the cross included his 'body', the church, as stated previously, when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, his 'body', the church, was again included. This is what is meant by the use of the word "firstfruits". *To be very specific the phrase 'them that slept' would apply to all the 'dead in Christ' up to the moment of the rapture. Those who are "alive and remain" at that incredible moment will never experience death and will need no resurrection. This all belongs to the doctrine of the pretribulation rapture.
On that subject, note next the 23rd verse the revelation that the resurrection of the dead does not happen all at the same time, but there is to be an order. Here again the word 'firstfruits' is used to describe Christ:
There is a very important distinction made here as to the different times of resurrection: "Christ the firstfruits", then, "afterward they that are Christ's at his coming". "At his coming" does not refer to the rapture, it is referring to the "2nd coming", his physical return to earth at the end of the tribulation [Matthew 24:30]. There will be a resurrection of "they that are Christ's" at his glorious return [Revelation 20:4-6]. This is not the church. It will be the Old Testament saints and all who will have come to salvation during the tribulation but died in that unparalleled time of trouble [Matthew 24:21]. "Christ the firstfuits", first in the order of resurrection, will be a completely separate, earlier occasion. The phrase speaks of the pretribulation rapture.
On the word firstfruits, think the first time getting some fruit to eat off a tree planted from a seed.
2. Christ The Firstfruits - The Dead In Christ And The Raptured First To Partake In Christ's Victory
To "shew a mystery", in biblical language, means making known something that has not been previously revealed. The passage of scripture, 1st Corinthians 15:51-54, provides the never before heard revelation about what is to occur at the very moment the body of Christ is 'raptured'. What is written in this passage of scripture makes these things known for the first time. It 'shews the mystery'. The last trump is a big part of that mystery.
The revelation of this mystery, now given in this passage, is astounding. What the scripture reveals is that something that has never happened in human history is to take place at that exact moment:
1st Corinthians 15:52-53 explains "..the dead shall be raised incorruptible" ..and those living at that moment "..shall be changed" ..and what that change will be is that "..corruption will put on incorruption, and mortality will put on immortality'
Incorruption and immortality put on. That is what will happen. And it will happen for the very first time in the history of mankind at the "meeting in the air" - as described in 1st Thessalonians 4-16-17, and then explained in 1st Corinthians 15:51-52. The 'dead in Christ', and the living saints, will be the first ones to experience this. These are all those who make up the true body of Christ. The first-fruits of the earth from among men. This is the teaching of scripture. Who can truly comprehend these things [Ephesians 3:17-19]?
3. Last Enemy Fully Destroyed Only At The Rapture 1 Corinthians 15:54
The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the New Testament church. The New Testament church is his body. Death has been defeated but the head and body have not been joined. Not until both the head and the body have been resurrected, and joined together as one for the first time, will the victory of Lord Jesus Christ over death be fully complete. Verse 23 says 'the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death'. This is that moment. It is only at this very moment that all that the Lord Jesus had accomplished shall finally be "brought to pass":
The incredible revelation of this 54th verse completes the shewing of the mystery. At the moment of the rapture, the Last Enemy swallowed up. The victory will be then total. Let that sink in.
And all of this will happen "in a moment..in the twinkling of an eye..at the last trump".
VII. Victory Complete Let The Last Trump Sound
So here now is the answer: The "last trump" is to sound the note of total victory over the "last enemy".
We read this plainly in the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians: '..the trumpet shall sound..the dead shall be raised incorruptible.. and we (living saints) shall be changed' (vs. 52). In that very instant, the last enemy, death (v.23), "swallowed up in victory" (v.54).
The "last trump" for the "last enemy". Very simple. Very straightforward. Very profound.
"Christ the firstfruits", the first ones from the human race to "put on immortality", now stand in that victory. He, the 'head', risen already, now his body, the dead risen and the living changed, together they are the 'firstfruits' of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. They at this exact moment in time have put on immortality. With that, the last trump shall be sounded. Death is "swallowed up in victory".
All this "in a moment', at the meeting in the air. Let the Last Trump, the highest and greatest, the final statement on the matter, sound it to all creation.
VIII. The Last Word Is The Last and Greatest Trump
The trump of God sounds the victory. It is the called the 'Last Trump' because it signals the victory over the last enemy, death. The last enemy destroyed signifies the battle is over. While at that point in time there is still work to be done before the fullness of God's eternal plan is completely realized, the Word of God is here making a profound statement on the matter. Declaring as fact the "last enemy" defeated means also that the outcome of everything still to come has already been decided. Similar to an eviction notice given to illegal occupants of a property. The 'last order' on the matter has been handed down, everything after that is just the process of carrying it out. The last enemy, death, has been utterly destroyed, completely swallowed up, whom or what can stop God's eternal plan now? Death being the last enemy, every other enemy has already been defeated is what this plainly reveals to the believer. The prince of this world [John 12:31; 16:11], all the other devils, the principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, the children of disobedience [Eph. 2:2; Col. 3:6], etc., all judged already and the sentence handed down even though they are still on the scene, which means that the only thing left to do is to physically 'evict' them all [Proverbs 2:22]. The Book of Revelation describes this process.
There will be other trumpets heard at later times, after the 'meeting in the air", but none of these are 'the last', the last word, as it were, they will be merely procedural [e.g. Rev. 11:15; Matt. 24:31, cf. Isaiah 27:13; Joel 2:1,15]. None will ever surpass this trump for importance or meaning throughout eternity. The last enemy, Death, has been swallowed up in victory. Sound the Last Trump. There will never be a greater. Mark the moment for time and eternity.
The Last Trump, Pretribulation Rapture, The Mystery, Christ the Firstfruits, Last Enemy. What About These Things?
First things first. About the pretribulation rapture. The Saviour Jesus Christ on the cross suffered the judgment of God. The Lord Jesus can not again suffer judgment. This also means that the 'body of Christ' can not suffer the judgment of the tribulation. The judgment he suffered on the cross was not for himself, it was in their stead. The New Testament church is the body of Christ. He is the head of the body [Colossians 1:18]. The body and head are one. They, the body, are "the fulness of him" [Ephesians 1:22-23; cf. Psalms 139:16]. The body of Christ suffering the judgment of God in the tribulation would necessarily mean the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the body, suffering judgment for the second time. This could never be. Additionally, Revelation 6:16-17 speaks of the "wrath of the Lamb". In the context it refers to the entire time from the beginning of the tribulation, the opening of the first seal. Could the Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, the very Lamb of God [John 1:29], inflict wrath upon his own body [Ephesians 5:23]? God forbid. The tribulation from the opening of the first seal to the final battle at Armageddon is the judgment of God on the Christ rejecting world. The New Testament church, the very body of Christ, having anything at all to do with that judgment, is a thing impossible. It would be to say that the finished work of the cross was ineffectual. Pretribulation rapture is the only possible correct interpretation of scripture.
Nevertheless, opposition to the doctrine of the pretribulational rapture of the New Testament church - the body of Christ - is widespread and unceasing.
Most eschatological interpretations concede the concept of a "rapture". The scriptures describing a rapture at some point in time are very clear and really not possible to explain away. The dispute on the subject is not about 'if' the doctrine of the rapture is the correct interpretation of scripture, but is entirely about the timing of it. Not 'if', but 'when', is the point of the endless contention that surrounds the topic.
Each of the various views have their own specific interpretations to 'prove' that it is the correct one. The purpose of this study though is not to sort through all the differences of the various interpretations, but just to address one of the most important topics with regard to determining the correct timing of the rapture. That topic is the "last trump" of 1st Corinthians 15:52. Opponents of the pretribulation rapture commonly use this verse citing the "last trump" as proof that the 'pretrib' interpretation is false.
What exactly then is the 'last trump'? What is to be understood by the term? What bearing does the 1st Corinthians 15:52 'last trump' have on either proving or disproving the pretribulation position? Or, is the actual significance of the "Last Trump" something else altogether?
The purpose of this study is to answer these questions.
I. The Rapture, The Mystery, The Last Trump
There are two primary passages of scripture where specific details of the rapture are given: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Both passages describe the sound of a trumpet:
'Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed' (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
That 1st Corinthians 15:52 describes the rapture is generally undisputed, and as the verse states, the rapture happens "at the last trump". This is the only verse in the bible where it is mentioned. Before this verse can be used to either prove or disprove anything about the timing of the rapture though, it must first be shown that other passages said to be related have been interpreted correctly.
In order to eliminate incorrect interpretations of the 'last trump' it is necessary to consider also the second of the two primary rapture passages, 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17, as the two passages refer to the same event, giving different details. That they must describe the same event is also not generally disputed. Again, the dispute is not a question of the doctrine, but the timing.
The second primary rapture passage is 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17:
'For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
The two passages must describe the same event.
1st Corinthians 15:51-52 enlarges upon 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17. 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 announces the fact of the event, 1st Corinthians 15:51-52 enlarges upon what had been written previously, providing specific information with regard to what happens to those involved. Written later than 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17, the stated purpose of this passage in 1st Corinthians 15 is to now 'shew the mystery' of what will actually take place physically at that moment in time, when, as we are told in 1st Thessalonians 4:16, "the dead in Christ..rise first", and then, the believers which are alive on earth at that point in history, "are..caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air". 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 only reveals the fact that it happens. 1st Corinthians 15:51-52 reveals what those involved will experience at this wondrous event.
II. Is The Last Trump Last?
Again, that 1st Corinthians 15:52 describes the rapture and that it happens at the "last trump" is not a matter of dispute. According to the pretribulation rapture opponents the verse is actually proof positive that the pretribulation rapture is false because there are two other trumpets still to come, both after the tribulation has begun: Matthew 24:31 and Revelation 11:15. Therefore, as this one in 1st Corinthians 15:52 is the "last", it certainly cannot come before the tribulation begins. Case closed, say they, pretrib is false, told you so, told you so.
This then raises the issue, with regard to the different rapture interpretations, of what exactly is meant by the phrase "last trump", and when exactly is it to occur? Is it the absolute last trumpet ever to be heard, chronologically, to the end of bible revelation, as say pretribulation opponents, or is there a specific application which makes it not actually the last, but that applies only to the NT church, which is the common pretribulation view.
These are questions that must be answered to settle the time-of-rapture issue. It is a very important subject because each of the different rapture-views have to somehow fit the "last trump" into their overall interpretive scheme, and although those schemes can and do vary greatly, the fact is when it comes to the "last trump", they all, except pretribulation, are basically limited to the two options mentioned above where a trumpet is heard.
To arrive at a correct interpretation for any doctrine it is important to be precise scripturally. These two verses then must be carefully examined to see if either one could in fact be the 'last trump'. Which in this case means comparing Matthew 24:31 and Revelation 11:15, with 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 and 1st Corinthians 15:51-52.
III. Matthew 24:31 and Revelation 11:15
As mentioned just above, opponents of the pretribulation Rapture cite two trumpets mentioned in scripture that definitely occur after the tribulation has begun. These are found in Matthew 24:31 and Revelation 11:15.
Depending on the specific interpretation, which are quite different, one or the other of these two trumpet events is said to be the actual occasion of the 1st Corinthians 15:52 'last trump':
Revelation 11:15 'And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever'
Matthew 24:31 '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'
Those familiar with the book of Revelation know that it describes a series of three types of judgments, seven of each: seals, trumpets, vials, in that order. All the judgments are carried out by angels. Revelation 11:15 describes the last of the seven trumpet judgments. The verse in Matthew 24 [Matthew 24:29-31] describes the moment the Lord Jesus Christ returns to the earth at the end of the tribulation with the sound of a trumpet.
Both are trumpet events. Neither one can possibly be the 'last trump' of 1st Corinthians 15:52 though.
IV. What The Last Trump Is Not
1. It is not the last of the seven trumpet judgments mentioned in Revelation 11:15
A. The seven trumpets of Revelation are sounded by angels [Revelation 8:2].
B. It is not the last of the seven trumpet judgments in the Revelation. The last trumpet sounded is Revelation 11:15 - with "great voices in heaven".
The great voices in heaven are proclaiming the kingdoms of the world as having become "the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ". But this event is not the end. It is just the "great voices" announcing it as already accomplished. Despite many reports to the contrary the book of Revelation is chronological. To make this event the end, and it's trumpet be the 'last trump', the chronology of the book of Revelation must be disregarded. A highly arbitrary and very messy cut and paste job is in every case the result. It cannot be done. The chronology must be observed. Seven more angels must still come after all the trumpets have sounded and pour out seven vials of the "wrath of God" [Rev. 16:1]; a number of other events are to occur as well, all which lead up to Armageddon, which only then brings the end of the tribulation.
C. The moment of the rapture 1st Thessalonians 4:16 it is not an angel sounding the trumpet, it is "the trump of God".
2. It Is Not The Trumpet Mentioned in Matthew 24:31
A. This trumpet is at the end of the tribulation. It is heard "immediately after the tribulation" - at the actual physical return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth [Matthew 24:29-30].
B. The time of this trumpet sounding, however, can not be the trump referred to in 1st Thessalonians 4:16. There is here no "meeting in the air". At the sound of this trumpet angels will be sent forth throughout the world to gather the elect of God - those who will have lived through the tribulation. This gathering takes place on the earth.
C. The trumpet on this occasion is not said to be "the trump of God", as 1st Thessalonians 4:16. There is no voice of the archangel, no shout from the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ himself, as at the time of the rapture.
D. The trumpet in Matthew 24:31 cannot be the "last trump" spoken of in 1st Corinthians 15:52 because the incredible things that happen at the sound of the "Last Trump" occur in "a moment, in the "twinkling of an eye". In Matthew 24:31 we do not read anything about the gathering of the elect after the tribulation being done "in a moment", or "in the twinkling of an eye". On this occasion it is said angels will go throughout the world to do the gathering with no reference to length of time to accomplish the task. The trumpet is not said to be "the trump of God".
E. The gathering described in 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 is not an earthly gathering but is to take place in "the air". No angels are sent to do this gathering. The scripture says on this occasion “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven..”.
A close look at both of these trumpet events makes plain that neither Matthew 24:31 or Revelation 11:15 can be the same event described in 1st Corinthians 15:52. Neither trumpet can be the 'last trump' of 1st Corinthians 15:52. Nor can either verse can be used to prove that the pretribulation rapture is a false doctrine.
While on the subject it should be noted that other alternate interpretations make the 'last trump' to be an otherwise unmentioned signal of a 'last day' resurrection and final judgment of all, living and dead. This also can not be correct. Both passages, 1st Corinthians 15:51-54 and 1st Thessalonians 4:14-17, are addressed to the body of Christ alone. It is "we" all the way through both, used at least eight times in the two passages. There is no mention whatsoever of the tribulation, millennial kingdom, the wicked dead, etc., or anything else about a 'last-day resurrection and judgment'. The Last Trump is a stand-alone event.
V. What The "Last Trump" Is Not [continued]
Adding to the last trump dispute is the reality that pretribulationists have never come up with any interpretation ascribing the proper worth to an event that must surely be considered monumental. The Word of God declares this trump is to be the "Last Trump". This speaks of finality. Something in the Word of God declared final must be of great importance. Certainly it cannot be incidental.
Search the commentaries. Search every available one old and new. No answer can be found. What is found are numerous suggestions of possible meanings, all different. Nothing that is substantial. All very weak.
Pretribulation "last trump" interpretations most commonly are: (1) the term was borrowed from the practice of the Roman army of the day calling soldiers to readiness with what would have been a 'first trump', followed by the call to depart and begin their forward march at the sound of a 'last trump', with the use of the term in this verse having then the same meaning, announcing the 'removal' of the church; or (2) having to do with God's overall plan of salvation, starting with the 'first trump' at the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai [Exodus 20:18], with the 'last trump' then coming at the pretribulation rapture of the New Testament church; or some, (3) it is made to be a reference to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, reasoning that there would be an unmentioned 'first trump' for the "dead in Christ", with the 'alive and remaining' group getting then the second, or, the 'last trump'. Not one of these interpretations is adequate or satisfactory though. They are hollow, they are vague, they add no value. God's word though is always Revelation, and can never be hollow or of no profit, adding nothing.
There has to be something much more significant about the 1st Corinthians 15:52 "Last Trump" that has been missed. And there is.
And it has been right there all along. In the very same chapter, 1st Corinthians 15. The resurrection chapter.
VI. What The Last Trump Is
The "last trump". What then can be meant by this statement. If the rapture is pretribulational how is it possible to explain this 'last trump' when other trumpets are heard later than this?
The answer is as beautiful as it is simple. And that answer is found throughout this chapter, 1st Corinthians 15, which deals with the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, and the key to this doctrine, the Lord Jesus Christ being the first to rise from the dead:
1st Corinthians 15:20 'But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept'
The very important thing to emphasize on Christ Jesus being the first to rise from the dead was it meant defeating the "last enemy"
- as 1st Corinthians 15:26 says:
'The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death' (1 Cor. 15:26)
The Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, at the very moment he rose from the dead (vs. 20), destroyed that last enemy.
1. Last Enemy Defeated But Not Yet Time To Celebrate
Note in that 20th verse the word 'firstfruits'. It is plural. This can only be a reference to Christ the head and his 'body' together. In the same way that the judgment he suffered on the cross included his 'body', the church, as stated previously, when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, his 'body', the church, was again included. This is what is meant by the use of the word "firstfruits". *To be very specific the phrase 'them that slept' would apply to all the 'dead in Christ' up to the moment of the rapture. Those who are "alive and remain" at that incredible moment will never experience death and will need no resurrection. This all belongs to the doctrine of the pretribulation rapture.
On that subject, note next the 23rd verse the revelation that the resurrection of the dead does not happen all at the same time, but there is to be an order. Here again the word 'firstfruits' is used to describe Christ:
1st Corinthians 15:23 'But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming"
There is a very important distinction made here as to the different times of resurrection: "Christ the firstfruits", then, "afterward they that are Christ's at his coming". "At his coming" does not refer to the rapture, it is referring to the "2nd coming", his physical return to earth at the end of the tribulation [Matthew 24:30]. There will be a resurrection of "they that are Christ's" at his glorious return [Revelation 20:4-6]. This is not the church. It will be the Old Testament saints and all who will have come to salvation during the tribulation but died in that unparalleled time of trouble [Matthew 24:21]. "Christ the firstfuits", first in the order of resurrection, will be a completely separate, earlier occasion. The phrase speaks of the pretribulation rapture.
On the word firstfruits, think the first time getting some fruit to eat off a tree planted from a seed.
2. Christ The Firstfruits - The Dead In Christ And The Raptured First To Partake In Christ's Victory
'Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed' - 1st Corinthians 15:51
To "shew a mystery", in biblical language, means making known something that has not been previously revealed. The passage of scripture, 1st Corinthians 15:51-54, provides the never before heard revelation about what is to occur at the very moment the body of Christ is 'raptured'. What is written in this passage of scripture makes these things known for the first time. It 'shews the mystery'. The last trump is a big part of that mystery.
The revelation of this mystery, now given in this passage, is astounding. What the scripture reveals is that something that has never happened in human history is to take place at that exact moment:
1st Corinthians 15:52-53 explains "..the dead shall be raised incorruptible" ..and those living at that moment "..shall be changed" ..and what that change will be is that "..corruption will put on incorruption, and mortality will put on immortality'
Incorruption and immortality put on. That is what will happen. And it will happen for the very first time in the history of mankind at the "meeting in the air" - as described in 1st Thessalonians 4-16-17, and then explained in 1st Corinthians 15:51-52. The 'dead in Christ', and the living saints, will be the first ones to experience this. These are all those who make up the true body of Christ. The first-fruits of the earth from among men. This is the teaching of scripture. Who can truly comprehend these things [Ephesians 3:17-19]?
3. Last Enemy Fully Destroyed Only At The Rapture 1 Corinthians 15:54
The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the New Testament church. The New Testament church is his body. Death has been defeated but the head and body have not been joined. Not until both the head and the body have been resurrected, and joined together as one for the first time, will the victory of Lord Jesus Christ over death be fully complete. Verse 23 says 'the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death'. This is that moment. It is only at this very moment that all that the Lord Jesus had accomplished shall finally be "brought to pass":
1 Corinthians 15:54 "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory"
The incredible revelation of this 54th verse completes the shewing of the mystery. At the moment of the rapture, the Last Enemy swallowed up. The victory will be then total. Let that sink in.
And all of this will happen "in a moment..in the twinkling of an eye..at the last trump".
VII. Victory Complete Let The Last Trump Sound
So here now is the answer: The "last trump" is to sound the note of total victory over the "last enemy".
We read this plainly in the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians: '..the trumpet shall sound..the dead shall be raised incorruptible.. and we (living saints) shall be changed' (vs. 52). In that very instant, the last enemy, death (v.23), "swallowed up in victory" (v.54).
The "last trump" for the "last enemy". Very simple. Very straightforward. Very profound.
"Christ the firstfruits", the first ones from the human race to "put on immortality", now stand in that victory. He, the 'head', risen already, now his body, the dead risen and the living changed, together they are the 'firstfruits' of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. They at this exact moment in time have put on immortality. With that, the last trump shall be sounded. Death is "swallowed up in victory".
All this "in a moment', at the meeting in the air. Let the Last Trump, the highest and greatest, the final statement on the matter, sound it to all creation.
VIII. The Last Word Is The Last and Greatest Trump
The trump of God sounds the victory. It is the called the 'Last Trump' because it signals the victory over the last enemy, death. The last enemy destroyed signifies the battle is over. While at that point in time there is still work to be done before the fullness of God's eternal plan is completely realized, the Word of God is here making a profound statement on the matter. Declaring as fact the "last enemy" defeated means also that the outcome of everything still to come has already been decided. Similar to an eviction notice given to illegal occupants of a property. The 'last order' on the matter has been handed down, everything after that is just the process of carrying it out. The last enemy, death, has been utterly destroyed, completely swallowed up, whom or what can stop God's eternal plan now? Death being the last enemy, every other enemy has already been defeated is what this plainly reveals to the believer. The prince of this world [John 12:31; 16:11], all the other devils, the principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, the children of disobedience [Eph. 2:2; Col. 3:6], etc., all judged already and the sentence handed down even though they are still on the scene, which means that the only thing left to do is to physically 'evict' them all [Proverbs 2:22]. The Book of Revelation describes this process.
There will be other trumpets heard at later times, after the 'meeting in the air", but none of these are 'the last', the last word, as it were, they will be merely procedural [e.g. Rev. 11:15; Matt. 24:31, cf. Isaiah 27:13; Joel 2:1,15]. None will ever surpass this trump for importance or meaning throughout eternity. The last enemy, Death, has been swallowed up in victory. Sound the Last Trump. There will never be a greater. Mark the moment for time and eternity.
