Let’s read 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMPET. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when the corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’” (NKJV). Now let’s read 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a SHOUT, with the VOICE of an archangel, and WITH THE TRUMPET OF GOD. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

In comparing these two passages it seems obvious they are speaking of the same event: the coming of the Lord to summon His heavenly people, the church, to glory. Jesus had spoken of this same event in John 14:2-3, “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and RECEIVE YOU TO MYSELF; THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YOU MAY BE ALSO.” In 1 Corinthians we read of “the last trumpet” which will be used to summon His redeemed people to heaven. In 1 Thessalonians we read also of the Lord SHOUTING, the VOICE of the archangel, and the TRUMPET of God, with all three being used to summon those who had died believing in Christ and believers who were still alive on earth to eternal glory.

Some teach that “the last trump” must refer to the seventh trumpet of the seventh angel in Revelation 11:15-19 but this cannot be for a few reasons: 1) it is an ANGEL who sounds that trumpet instead of God; 2) that trumpet results in judgments falling on earth instead of believers being caught up to heaven; 3) that trumpet results in Christ’s coming to reign over the earth instead of Christ coming to take believers to His Father’s house in heaven. The fact is, the church has to be caught up to heaven before the Tribulation Period with its series of judgments (seven seals, trumpets and bowls).  The Lord spoke of this in Revelation 3:10-11, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the HOUR OF TRIAL (tribulation) which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly!”

Why is it called “last trump?” In Numbers 10:1-2 we read, “The LORD spoke further to Moses, saying, ‘Make yourself TWO TRUMPETS of silvers…you shall USE THEM FOR SUMMONING THE CONGREGATION AND FOR HAVING THE CAMPS SET OUT” (NASB). God had Israel use trumpets to summon His earthly people on their way to the Promised Land and when the last trump sounded, THEY MOVED OUT!  When Paul used those words, he was very familiar with its use in his day. It was a “military term” used by the Roman army. H. A. Ironside says this, “When a Roman camp was about to be broken up, whether in the middle of the night or in the day, a trumpet was sounded. The first blast meant, ‘Strike tents and prepare to depart.’ The second meant, ‘Fall into line,’ and when what was called the ‘last trump sounded it meant, ‘March away.’” Perhaps today the church of God will hear the “last trump” and we (believers in Christ) will DEPART THIS EARTH and be caught up to heaven!  (DO)  (640.3)