The lesson focuses on the sound of the last, seventh trumpet in Revelation. This trumpet announces salvation and God’s victory over death, fulfilling the “mystery of God” which is eternal life where the mortal is clothed with immortality and death is swallowed up in victory (1 Cor 15:51-54). When the seventh trumpet sounds, the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of God (Rev 11:15).

There are three groups involved in the first resurrection (Rev 20:4-6) – the martyrs/disciples who died for their faith, those alive who don’t worship the beast/receive its mark, and the “rest of the dead” who must wait until after the 1000 years.

The lesson outlines the three mysteries of Revelation – the mystery of betrayal (the 7 stars/churches), the mystery of destruction (the beast/Babylon), and the mystery of salvation (announced by the 7th trumpet).

When the trumpet sounds, it goes out as a call to gather God’s people (Isaiah 18:3). This gathering represents the harvest, rapture, and wedding banquet.

The lesson warns that like snakes targeting hatchlings, Satan targets new/inexperienced believers through attacks on thoughts, relationships, and actions not aligned with God’s will. Aligning one’s heart and actions with God strengthens against such attacks as the time of gathering draws near.

 

Study Guide SCJ Bible Study

I’m always glad and grateful to gather with all of you. There are many things we could be doing during this time, yet every week you decide to set aside two hours, three times a week, to study with us.

We’re very grateful for your efforts and sacrifices. We also know that God is grateful because He has many plans for those of us who will inherit the kingdom of heaven when it comes down. What type of believers will be put on the right? Sheep-like believers.

That’s who we want to be – those who are put on the right and not the left. We don’t want to be put on the left, as it doesn’t end well for those placed there. So let’s strive to be those put on the right side of God and Jesus.

We’re going to jump into today’s content because we have a lot to cover. I’m excited for us to come to an even greater realization about the time we are living in and things we should be looking forward to.

The Sound of the Last, Seventh Trumpet

1 Cor 15:51-54 (Rev 10:7, Rev 11:15)

Our hope is to hear the sound of the last seventh trumpet and gather on the mountain.
Do we need to gather on a literal mountain? No. That wouldn’t make much sense. In the past, some people have made such claims.

These people went to specific locations at designated times. They waited and waited until the time passed.
Afterwards, they made excuses to explain why nothing happened. However, that’s not what we’re discussing here.

When we hear the trumpet call, we are all meant to gather. But the mountain where we gather is not a physical one; it’s a spiritual mountain.

Introduction

Let’s delve into today’s content, which is closely related to the point I just made about the trumpets. We’ll now go through this lesson.

Our main reference verse will be in Matthew 24, but before we get to that, there are a few important introductions we need to understand.

The trumpet, particularly the seventh trumpet, announces two significant things:

1. God’s victory and the resurrection
2. Eternal life

So, the seventh trumpet declares these two crucial aspects.

Firstly, it announces God’s victory and the resurrection. But which resurrection does this trumpet proclaim? It’s the first resurrection, where the spiritual world and the physical world become one. When this occurs, death will be swallowed up in victory, and eternal life will begin.

May this come quickly.

Now that we have some context about what the trumpet call will bring, let’s turn to Matthew 24. We’ll examine how Jesus described it in the mini-revelation.

Some very deep things have been discussed here, but hopefully you were able to get a pretty compelling image of what we had just read. I’m only showing here exactly as it is described in the picture or in the verse. We’re going to see this exact same image again later on, but it will look a little different.

In this passage, we observe the darkening and falling of the sun, moon, and stars. These heavenly bodies, typically associated with the spiritual realm, abdicate their positions of authority by going dark and falling. This is not to be taken literally, but figuratively.

Genesis 37:9-11 introduces the symbolic meaning of the sun, moon, and stars, representing Jacob, his mother, and his 11 brothers – the chosen people. Throughout the Bible, especially in prophetic books like Joel chapter 2, the darkening of these celestial bodies or the moon turning blood red signifies a loss of their usual light-giving function.

If these events were to occur literally, there would be no elect to gather, as we would all perish. Some stars in our universe are hundreds of times larger than our sun, and their proximity to Earth would result in complete destruction. Similarly, if the moon left its orbit and impacted Earth, it would cause worldwide tsunamis and devastation.

Thankfully, this is figurative, representing a chosen people losing their position of authority at the time of the second coming. At this point, Jesus returns to gather the elect from all directions – north, south, east, and west – to take their places in the kingdom of God.

The gathering of the elect is described in various ways throughout scripture:

1: Harvest
2: Fleeing to the mountains
3: Coming out of Babylon
4: Being purchased
5: Being caught in the net and placed in the basket

All these descriptions refer to the same event, just portrayed differently.

The trumpet call mentioned is another way to describe this gathering. It represents the fulfilment of prophecy and serves as a parable for the word of God calling His people. As we see these signs, we must be prepared to flee from what is false and embrace what is true. This gives us hope, like a seed planted in our hearts.

The lesson here is that we are living in a crucial time or era. What was once sealed is now open, and we must be ready to respond to God’s call.

1.- Trumpet

Let’s delve deeper into understanding this trumpet. We need to know if it’s already sounding, how we can be sure we’re hearing it, and where we should gather.
Does anyone recall what a trumpet represents? It represents a person.
How do we know this? You seem quite confident about it. Let’s assume I’m not familiar with the open word.
Can you explain it to me? Alright, it’s a parable. How do we know this? Because we learned about it in parables.
But suppose I haven’t studied parables. So, what does a trumpet signify?
Why do you say it represents a person? The answer lies in Isaiah 58:1.

The prophet Isaiah is instructed to shout aloud and raise his voice like a trumpet. He is told to declare two things to God’s people: their rebellion and their sins. This is necessary because people cannot repent for something they are unaware of doing wrong. They cannot apologize if they don’t know what they did.

In relationships, sometimes one spouse is angry, and the other is unsure what they did wrong. They don’t know what to apologize for, wondering, “What did I do this time?” They need to be told what they did before they can repent.

God has always appointed a trumpet to announce to the people what they’ve done wrong so they can change course. The trumpet sound, which represents the word that declares, serves two purposes:

1. It declares rebellion.
2. It declares sins.

This allows people to repent.

An excellent example of this is found in the book of Jonah. Although Jonah isn’t directly compared to a trumpet, the logic is similar. Jonah was asked to speak to the people of Nineveh, a Gentile people whose sins were well documented in other prophetic books.

Like Sodom and Gomorrah, God heard about the wrongs they had committed and decided a change was necessary. However, people need to know what they’ve done wrong. So Jonah was sent to them, but he initially abdicated his responsibility and fled.

God couldn’t allow the people to remain unaware of their wrongdoings, so He punished Jonah. God told Jonah, “I gave you a job to do. Go back and do what I told you to do.”

Jonah relented and accepted his punishment: three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish. The fish then dropped him off right where he needed to start speaking again. Finally, Jonah fulfilled his duty, and surprisingly, the people repented. It was refreshing to see a people repent for the things they had done wrong.

God needed a trumpet, someone to open their mouth and speak. This is still true today.

Jesus is now in spirit form, as are His angels. Spirits work through flesh, through people like Evangelist Mary, Jon, David, George, Mike, or Instructor Alex. These are just random names, but they represent those who have received the open word and are already on Mount Zion. Our job is to guide as many people there as we can.

The words we speak are not our own. They don’t come from years of studying theology. I was in your position not long ago, so I can’t claim ownership of these words. What a responsibility that would be! My job, like the Evangelists’, is simply to open my mouth and speak.

When Evangelist Ana calls, answer. She has a desperate heart to help you hear and understand these words. When Evangelist David reads from scripture, see it as the word of God entering you. Try to look beyond the person to the spirit behind them. You may not see the spirit directly or tell by someone’s appearance, but you can hear it. When you do, you should be able to say, “Amen” or “No thanks.”

These days, you should be able to recognize a true trumpet call and run towards it.

The word declares or reveals fulfilled events. Sin and rebellion are actions that have occurred, and people need to know about them to repent. Let’s now examine the trumpet sound in the book of Revelation more closely to understand when and where things are happening or may have already happened.

2.- Trumpet Sound at the Time of the Second Coming

Rev 8-9

Revelation chapter 8 begins with the opening of the seventh seal. When this seal is opened, what is revealed? The book of Revelation itself. This event did not occur 2,000 years ago.

In fact, it happened quite recently. The reason for this is that someone needed to witness and testify about the events they saw, which means this person must be alive in our time. The testimony had to be based on firsthand observation.

If you examine Revelation, you’ll notice that every chapter is written in the first person, from the perspective of a witness. In verse 2, it states:

“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.”
Seven angels receive seven trumpets. When each of these angels sounds their trumpet, specific events unfold. Things happen as a result of these trumpet blasts.

The Last Trumpet Sound of Revelation

Let’s now understand the seven angels and the seven trumpets in more detail.

The sound of the last seven trumpets of Revelation does something very special. We’ll get to that in a moment. We have seven angels who receive seven trumpets.

Of the trumpeter and the trumpet, which ones are the angels? The angels are the trumpeter. The person is the trumpet.
A person sounds the words received from the spirit. The words they are told to speak to God’s people. They must ensure the people hear the sound they need to hear so they can repent for the things they are doing and come out.

When we read Revelation 8, 9, and 11, we should think of the voice of seven people. If we think logically about it, we may have believed in the past that it was a literal trumpet sound heard by everyone in the world at the same time.

A sound that loud would eviscerate everything in its vicinity. If the whole world heard it, there would be nothing left. It would be as powerful as many multiple nuclear explosions all at once. It would end everything. That’s how we used to think.

We didn’t really think of it as seven trumpet sounds. Maybe some of us did, but not all. Some thought it was one sound, and then heaven would crack open, and we would see Jesus coming from the clouds.

People waiting for that are going to be waiting a long time. How long? They’re going to be waiting forever, just like those still waiting for the Messiah to come for the first time. They will wait forever because he already came and is about to come again.

This is why it’s so important to understand the parables and how Revelation has been fulfilled, not how people think it will be fulfilled. People’s thoughts will lead them to waiting a long time. Let’s not wait a long time. Let’s be at the place where it actually happens.

It won’t happen literally. It’ll happen figuratively. But it will happen.

The seven trumpets are divided into two categories.

Category One

Let’s first examine when the trumpets sound, and then we’ll understand the category of their sounding.

The trumpets sound in three chapters of Revelation: Rev 8:1-4, Rev 9:5-6, and Rev 11:15. Actually, it’s four chapters, but they sound in three. This divides the groups of trumpets.

In Revelation chapter 8, four trumpets sound. This means four people sound trumpets in Revelation chapter 8.

In chapter 9, two trumpets sound.

So, we have a total of six trumpets. Four in chapter 8 and two in chapter 9.

These trumpets announce the sin, rebellion, and sacrifice of the chosen people. They announce the destruction or sacrifice of the chosen people by the destroyers.

This was allowed to happen because of their sin and rebellion and their lack of repentance. These six people are saying, “This is what has happened to you. You are in sin. You are in rebellion. Repent. The people standing in your midst are destroying you. Stop listening to their words.”

People’s hearts were trembling. They were thinking, “What? What are they saying? Are they right?”

There were many earthquakes. These are the first six trumpets. However, the seventh trumpet is different.

Category 2

The seventh trumpet announces something awesome. This last trumpet, the seventh trumpet, sounds in Revelation 11:15.

The trumpet is introduced in Revelation 10:7 but is actually sounded in Revelation 11:15. It is called the last seventh trumpet. It’s referred to as “last” because it is the seventh in a series of seven trumpets, making it the final one.

However, it’s worth noting that we didn’t always know how many trumpets there would be in total. I’ll explain why I mentioned this in a moment.

This trumpet announces salvation through God’s victory.

While the first six trumpets announce the sin, rebellion, sacrifice, and destruction of the chosen people by the destroyers, the seventh trumpet proclaims salvation through God’s victory.

3.- Sound of the 7th Trumpet

Let us understand the difference between the first 6 trumpets and the 7th trumpet. 

Mystery of God (Salvation) → Accomplished

Here’s a revised version of the text, preserving the key vocabulary and ideas while improving readability:

As we study Revelation chapter 10, you should be recalling the significant events that occur in this chapter. Let’s consider some of the major occurrences:

1. John eats the scroll.
2. The angel gives John the scroll.

Keep these events in mind as we examine the content. The passage states, “But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished.” This refers to the mystery of God, which represents the mystery of salvation, being fulfilled.

Amen. May this fulfilment come quickly.

God Resigns

Now, let’s see the rest of the sound of this trumpet.

When this trumpet sounds, the kingdom that belongs to the world will become the kingdom that belongs to God. At this point, God finally rests, which is referred to as “reign” in this verse. For God, reigning and resting are the same thing.

God finally reigns because ever since Adam’s fall, the world has been the kingdom of the world, the kingdom of Satan, and the kingdom of darkness. This realm was filled with death, mourning, crying, and pain and suffering of all kinds – the worst things we can imagine. However, God intends to end this, and it happens at the sound of the seventh trumpet.

The sound of the seventh trumpet announces salvation. In contrast, the first six trumpets announce the destruction of the chosen people. These trumpets show how the chosen people were being destroyed and sacrificed by the destroyers. They also reveal the sins and rebellion that led to this destruction.

While the first six trumpets focus on destruction, the seventh trumpet announces salvation. This helps us understand more about the mystery of God.

There are many amazing things to understand in this passage. Starting from verse 35 of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul discusses the difference between physical (earthly) bodies and spiritual bodies. He explains how bodies differ in splendor, comparing the sun, moon, and stars.

Paul describes how what is sown in disgrace is raised in victory. He uses the parable of a seed that must die for something greater to rise. This deep point illustrates God’s mystery, which can be summarized as the mystery of eternal life.

God’s mystery is connected to the 7th trumpet sound, which represents the swallowing of death. In verse 53, Paul mentions that the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When this happens, death is swallowed up in victory.

Death is swallowed by life, meaning eternal life not just for the spirit, but for the flesh as well. This implies that when this occurs, people who are alive and gathered at the mountain will no longer see death. They will live forever.

This concept sounds incredible and unbelievable. Death has been the way of things for 6,000 years. It’s all we know. We have fashioned our entire lives around the fact that people only live 70 to 80 years, leaving no time for anything.

Everyone rushes to accomplish everything in their short lifespan. This contributes to why people fight in wars over resources and why some abuse others to squeeze every drop out of life before they die. It leads to much corruption.

However, for people who are no longer worried about death, these concerns would evaporate. The question becomes, “Why am I rushing? I have time.”

Let’s focus on God. Try to imagine those people. We struggle to envision individuals who live forever, don’t we?

In movies depicting eternal life, the characters are often miserable because they’re living eternally in a corrupted world with corrupted bodies. Take vampires, for instance. They can’t even enjoy sunlight.

Or consider films where someone is irradiated and becomes immortal. These characters are usually the most miserable, longing for death but unable to receive it. However, this isn’t the eternal life Paul is referring to. It’s not the type God intends to bring.

Eternal life with God will be far superior. There will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. This is what God wants to restore – the original intention for the Garden of Eden. So, what are the results of the sound of the seventh trumpet?

God’s kingdom is fulfilled. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” What is God’s will? No more death. God is done with death. He actually hates it. The resurrection of the martyrs and those who are alive. Eternal life.

These are the consequences of the seventh trumpet’s sound. Death will be swallowed up in victory. Now, here’s something to consider closely:

If you were to ask a religious leader from your past about God’s mystery or the sound of the seventh trumpet, and they respond with “I don’t know” or “I think it’s this” or “It’s a literal sound that will crack open the sky,” we need to reflect on our position.

We should question what else this person has been teaching that might not be correct. If they don’t know what the sound is, we really need to contemplate that.

I want to be in a place that can explain these things clearly from the scriptures and from what has been fulfilled. Keep this in mind. We’ll explore further who are the ones clothed in victory, clothed with the immortal.

4.- Who Changes

Let’s examine what’s occurring in Revelation 20:4-6, as it describes three distinct groups. To comprehend these groups, we need to consider the Bible’s timeline.
I’ll quickly sketch this timeline, starting from Jesus and extending to the end of the thousand-year period. We are approximately here, in the present.

From Jesus to our current time spans about 2,000 years. From us to the conclusion of the 1,000-year period is another 1,000 years. So, we have two thousand years from Jesus to now, followed by an additional thousand years.

 

            2,000 years                              1,000 years

         | ———————————– | ——————————|

Jesus  (Rev is sealed)                                 Us

Group 1: 12 Disciples and Martyrs

 

Revelation begins to be fulfilled in our time. The start of Revelation’s fulfillment has now been opened. Revelation was sealed when it was given around 95 AD.
Revelation was recorded at that time. The oldest transcript you can find is approximately from 95 AD. This is most likely when Revelation was recorded.
It remained sealed for two thousand years but is now open in our era. Let’s look at the different groups described in Revelation chapter 20:4-6.

The first group of people:

In verse 4, we see “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.” Who are these people? They are the twelve disciples.
This fulfills a prophecy. What promise was this a fulfillment of? It’s found in Matthew 19.
Jesus promised the disciples that they would sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel at the renewal of all things.
So the first group consists of the twelve disciples, but not just them.
The rest of verse 4 states: “And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God.” Who are these people?
They are the twelve disciples and the souls of the martyrs.
These are people who died during the time of the first Christians. This is the first group being discussed. These people are in heaven with God, Jesus, and the angels.
Because of their early sacrifice, they are being rewarded. They are the ones who will come back in our time. They are the ones Paul was talking about, starting from verse 35.
People might ask, “How will they come back? Their bodies no longer exist. At most, only their skeletons remain.”
Paul had to correct this misunderstanding. He had to explain that they will receive new bodies, spiritual bodies.
And they will return in our time.

The second group of people:

The passages discuss two groups of people. The second group consists of those who are currently alive. Why? Verse 4 explains that they had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received the mark on their foreheads or hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This second group represents people living in our time who do not worship the beast, his image, or the number of his name, nor receive the mark of the beast.

The first resurrection includes two categories: those who died early on with Jesus, martyred for their faith, and those alive today. These participants in the first resurrection are mentioned alongside the concept of the second death.

What is the second death? It essentially refers to judgment. Revelation 20:14 states, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.” The first death is the death of the body, which occurs when someone dies. The second death is the death of the spirit in hell. We definitely want to avoid the second death.

Those who participate in the first resurrection need not worry about the second death because they will be alive.

There’s also a third group that doesn’t participate in the first resurrection. They must wait. Who are they? The rest of the dead return at the end of the thousand years. This includes everyone who died between the time of the first Christians (martyrs) and us (our time), as well as during the 1000-year period. They all come back after everything is completed. These are the ones to whom the gospel is preached, as mentioned in 1 Peter 3:18-20 and 1 Peter 4:6, which we’ve discussed previously.

Naturally, we want to be among those who welcome the returning spirits.

To better understand this concept, let’s look at 1 Corinthians 15. It speaks of the immortal and imperishable (the martyrs).

Who are the mortal and perishable? They are us, the people here. What needs to happen? They need to become one.

This is what 1 Corinthians 15 discusses. It’s also the subject of Revelation 20 and what Jesus was talking about in John 11:25-26 when speaking with Martha after her brother Lazarus died.

Martha said, “Lord, if only you had been here, Lazarus might not have died.” Jesus replied, “Lazarus had to die so that the glory of God may be revealed. I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even though they die. But he who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

I do. Amen. I believe it.

May that be me. I want to see the first resurrection. The sound of the last seventh trumpet announces the coming of the wedding and the resurrection where the spirits of heaven and the flesh who are on the Zion will become one.

This is the wedding banquet of the lamb in Revelation 19 and the first resurrection in Revelation 20. Let’s hope to see these events take place.

Is everyone clear on what these are talking about?

If anyone is lost, please raise your hand. Are we okay?

We’re still a bit lost, so I’ll explain one more time to ensure we understand well. In the past, we thought eternal life was only after we died, living with God forever.

This is partially true. Living with God forever is eternal life. We couldn’t fathom that eternal life would happen to us because our standard was that this body gets old and dies.

Death has been the standard since before Adam. It’s so ingrained in us that we can’t imagine anything else. Even when Jesus speaks of a world without death, it sounds unbelievable. That’s why God had to emphasize in Revelation 21:5-6, after stating there will be no more death, mourning, crying, and pain, “I am making everything new. Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. It is done.”

God reminds us that although it may sound incredible, His promise will be fulfilled. Don’t doubt. These words are trustworthy. Whether you believe it will happen here or not, it will still occur.

God’s fulfillment is like a train, steadily moving forward, unaffected by anything. People who don’t believe in God’s promises are like dogs yapping at the side of the train. The train continues regardless of the yapping. Don’t be a yapping dog; be on the train.

These promises will come to pass. The world won’t know what to make of these people who never seem to age. They’ll ask, “What’s your secret? What’s your regimen?”

Revelation provides hope in a world that often lacks it. So run, be on the train that isn’t stopped by yapping dogs.

In the last part of the lesson, we learn that the people who are alive will be united with the spirits of heaven. When this happens, there will be no more death. For the next thousand years, their job will be to heal all nations, to reign with Christ and God, and to preach to many people. Despite 2,000 years of spreading the word, many still don’t believe in Jesus. There’s much work to be done until the end of the thousand years.

5.- Three Mysteries of Revelation and Order of Emergence

Let’s now discuss the mysteries of Revelation. We’ve already talked about one mystery, but there are actually three in total.

We’ll explore these three mysteries of Revelation before concluding. This content should feel familiar as it is. These mysteries are connected to 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 introduces three events of Revelation Prophecy that must take place. First, there must be a rebellion. Second, the man of lawlessness is revealed; he is the man doomed to destruction. Third, the day of the Lord, which represents salvation, will come.

This order reflects the flow of events in Revelation, and it also applies to many other prophetic events in the Bible, not just the second coming. This pattern is familiar, as we have encountered it before in Scripture.
This is the Revelation and how it is fulfilled. So let’s go over the three mysteries now and how they fit into rebellion, destruction, and salvation.

Let’s turn to the first mystery: 

ONE – Mystery of Betrayal (Rebellion)

What did Jesus call the seven stars and the seven golden lampstands? The mystery.

The mystery of the seven stars and seven golden lampstands is the mystery of betrayal, also known as the mystery of rebellion.

Why is it called a mystery? Here’s the reason:

According to Revelation, the people who are the reality of these events didn’t fully know who they were. Though they may have known a little bit, there were still things they did not realize. This lack of understanding led them to actions that ultimately resulted in their destruction.

These people, who are the seven stars, didn’t even fully know their own identity. They were in this tabernacle and had a job to do. Their task was to shine a little bit of light in a time of darkness. However, something happened to them, and they betrayed the word they had received.

When they betrayed, it opened the door for something to happen.

TWO – Mystery of Destruction

The second mystery is the mystery of the beast and the prostitute who rides upon it. This mystery appeared and was revealed.

We encounter another mystery here: the mystery of Babylon, the prostitute, and the beast she rides – the beast with seven heads and ten horns.

This beast was introduced in Revelation chapter 13. The beast and the prostitute represent the mystery of destruction, not betrayal or rebellion. This is the second mystery of Revelation.

What does this beast do? It invades the holy place.

Matthew 24:15-16 speaks of the abomination that causes desolation entering the holy place. The most holy place is actually Mount Zion. This is the connection.

The beast, the dragon, and the prostitute invade the holy place. The beast has an important task: to destroy those who have betrayed. And it does so.

But what is the reality of this beast? It’s not a literal monster with seven heads and ten horns emerging from the sea, resembling a lion, leopard, and bear. Instead, it represents seven pastors and their ten authority figures. They are the ones who invade and crush these people.

We’ll see how they crush them in future lessons. I’m speaking in past tense because these events have already taken place and been fulfilled.

They are no longer a mystery, though they were before. They are called a mystery for the same reason the betrayers are: because they, too, don’t know who they are.

They believe they’re doing what is right. They don’t realize until they hear something. What do they need to hear to understand what they’ve done wrong?

The trumpet. Or more accurately, trumpets.

Seven trumpets need to sound. When they do, they reveal, “Hey, you guys are the betrayers. And you guys are the destroyers. This is what you are doing.”

They didn’t know before. And interestingly, even the seventh trumpet didn’t know who he was either.

THREE – Mystery of Salvation

Here’s a revised version of the text, preserving the key vocabulary and ideas while improving readability:

In the days when the seventh angel was about to sound his trumpet (not yet sounded), the mystery of salvation is revealed. This mystery is connected to the seventh trumpet. Who became the seventh trumpet, and how did this happen?

It was John who became the seventh trumpet by eating the scroll when he prophesied what he saw and heard. This event occurred in verses 8 through 11. The one who ate the open scroll became the seventh trumpet and had a specific job to do.

Now, I understand what I need to do and what I need to speak.

The task is to announce to the people their sin and rebellion, revealing their actions. It’s important to note that the other seven trumpets are working alongside the seventh trumpet as a team.

They are announcing events in the tabernacle temple, the holy place. As they announce, destruction is taking place. When reading Revelation 8 and 9, one should consider that these people are being destroyed while still hearing about what’s happening to them, yet the destruction continues.

Here is a revised version of the text, preserving the key vocabulary and ideas while improving readability:

People are still refusing to repent, which is very sad. As Matthew 24:15-16 states, when the abomination enters the holy place, those in Judea should flee to the mountain.

We’ve discussed before that fleeing to the mountain is figurative. It represents the harvest, the wedding banquet, being caught in the net or basket, and being brought into the barn. This is the reality of what people today call the rapture.

The rapture will not occur as previously taught. If that’s what you’re waiting for, you’ll be waiting forever, because it won’t happen that way.

Prophecy is figurative, so discard all preconceived ideas about the rapture. We thought the harvest was the rapture. What Jesus described in various parables and prophecies is the true reality – the real harvest, the barn.

God gave this book to Jesus, who opened it and gave it to the angel. The angel then gave it to John, who testifies about what he has seen and heard.

To recap, the three mysteries are: 

ONE, the mystery of betrayal (the seven stars); TWO, the mystery of destruction (the prostitute, the beast with seven heads and ten horns, and Babylon); and THREE, the mystery of salvation (the mystery of the seventh trumpet and the sound announcing what will take place).

Is the seventh trumpet sound happening now? Yes. In fact, you’re hearing that trumpet sound at this very moment. This sound is the testimony of fulfilment. You’re hearing about what has taken place now.

By God’s grace, the first people to hear the testimony of fulfilment were those who were part of the fulfilment. They heard it first, as prophesied.

After these events took place and they were judged, everyone now needs to hear about what has been fulfilled according to prophecy. This is so they can respond appropriately. 

When the banner is raised and the trumpet sounds, you will see and hear it. At that moment, you will be called to gather.

This gathering represents the harvest. It is the wedding banquet, the basket, and the net. It is also known as the rapture. Jesus and the angels are currently harvesting people.

This is not a future event, so we don’t have the luxury of time. Today, we must act. Let’s run.

The time is now.

Memorization

Let’s Us Discern