It Is High Time To Awaken Out of Sleep

Well, the observance of the Day of Trump is, of course, the fall of Holy Day season, especially begins. And, you know, you look at the world today that we live in, in this Day of Trump is 2017. I wonder, where will we be as a nation, as a world, one year from now, when we observe the Day of Trump is in 2018? Things are happening. A lot of things are happening. It's a dangerous rule we live in. We see all kinds of things happening. You have to wonder, where are we going to be a year from now? Last year, the Day of Trump was filled on October 3rd, which was about one month before our presidential election, between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. And I think a lot of people were a little bit surprised at the outcome. Even the day before the election, it looked like Hillary Clinton had about a two and a half, three point lead, by some polls even more than that. And very few pundits were giving Donald Trump any chance of winning. And it turned out to be a little bit of a surprise.

That's interesting. I'm just pointing this out. I'm trying to make any political statements here. But it's interesting that on this Day of Trumpets, we have a president whose name is Trump.

Now, seriously, I did some research. I looked at that just to see what the derivation of his name is. And in Middle English, the word Trump, T-R-U-M-P-E, was a substitute occupational name for a trumpet or a trumpeter.

So our current president's last name is associated with the word trumpet. Interesting.

I wonder what was... the way things turned out is, it got anything to do with this? I don't know. That's a guess. We don't know that. But I do know this. I do know what it says in Daniel 5, verse 21. It says, "...at the most high God rules in the kingdom of men, and he appoints over it whomever he chooses." So God can choose leaders at times to carry out what his will might be at that particular time.

And as we'll soon see, the trumpet was used in the Old Testament to warn of ancient Israel. Is God using President Trump to warn America? I don't know. He's trying to make America great again, but it's not likely he's going to go do that.

He has a lot of opposition. But I have to wonder, I'm just looking at myself and asking the question, could this be America's last chance to turn things around or try to? Because we're going in the wrong direction, as we all know. But again, where would be one from one year from now, on the day of trumpets in 2018? I don't know. But I do know one single event can turn the world upside down very quickly. We've seen that. And it could happen potentially on any given day, something could happen, and it could change our world. Could that event come from North Korea, who exploded a hydrogen bomb at an underground testing site on Sunday, October 3rd? At least they think they did. They know it was a very strong nuclear device. They do know that for sure.

Something like 150 megatons or something. About 10 times more than the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

And I know now that North Korea does have ICBMs, top-file range they have. They don't know for sure. But they know they can probably reach Guam, which is an American country occupied by America. In other words, an American protectorate. Or possibly even past the west coast of the United States, possibly. They don't know. We don't know that for sure. But they also recently...

Kim Jong-un is really trying to provoke the United States. I don't know what they're doing. The guy's kind of nuts. But he's fired a couple of missiles over Japan. Just almost defying President Trump to do something. Because President Trump said he would. So we'll see.

Retired General James Mattis, now the U.S. Secretary of Defense under President Trump, warned North Korea of a massive military response to any further threats from North Korea against the United States or any of its allies.

And then, of course, I know all these sanctions against North Korea now they're putting out there. But you know, of course, who's supplying a lot of the money? China. But also Iran. Iran has all kinds of money. Iran is supplying them, too. And when will Iran get a nuclear weapon? I don't know. I mean, there's a lot of dangers in the world. You have to wonder, could we all even be on the brink of war? Well, I hope not. But, you know, a lot of things are very uncertain right now. It's a very dangerous world we're living in. Is a warning trumpet now going out? Or I might even say, is President Trump living up to his name and trying to warn about what dangers in the world that we live in? He's certainly aware of them as president. He has information that we don't have. But here's the question I want to pose for all of us. What does all this mean as far as we are concerned? What does it mean for us as we're concerned? Or at least, what should it mean as far as we're concerned? That is what I want to look at today on this day of trumpets in 2017, or coming up here. We look forward to it here just next week, next Thursday.

How are trumpets used in the Old Testament? What do they signify in the New Testament? And what does all this mean as far as God's people are concerned at this time?

Well, the answer to the last question, I'm going to give you the answer to the last question, what it means for all of God's people. I'm going to give the answer to that. It's going to be the title of my sermon. I'm going to go to it a little bit more later on, but the answer to that is taken from the book of Romans and is also the title of my sermon, which is, it is high time to awaken out of sleep. And that's a quote we'll see later from the book of Romans. It is high time to awaken out of sleep.

First, I want to begin by looking at how trumpets were used in the Old Testament. I'll look at four ways they were used in the Old Testament. All four were or could be used as a warning to God's people. Sometimes they're used in other ways, but all could be used as a warning to God's people. First, I'm going to say the first of these four types of trumpets used in the Old Testament.

The first one is called the silver trumpet. Let's go to Numbers chapter 10 to read just a little bit about the silver trumpet. Numbers 10 beginning in verse 1. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Make two silver trumpets for yourself. And then it says, You shall make them of hammered work, and you shall use them for calling the congregation.

That would be one way they could be used. And for directing the movement of the camps. But the interesting thing is, make them of hammered work. Now, that's kind of... it's kind of like a piece of silver to some extent. I'm not sure exactly how that worked, but it would take an extremely skilled craftsman to do that. But the Hebrew word for trumpet here is the long word that I wouldn't know how to pronounce. Kot-so-tzer-ha, something like that. C-h-a-t-s-o-t-s-r-a-h. I'm just pointing that out because it's a different word that we'll see a little bit later.

But that's the word used for this silver trumpet here. But this verse then gives two ways in which it could be used. One, to call the congregation divisional together, them together to... they've got them to give to the door of the tabernacle for some kind of announcement or something like that. And also, they were used to direct the movement of the camp of the Israelites. Now, here's another thing that says here some of the details later on, which I'm not going to read in the next few verses. But if both trumpets were blown, the entire congregation was called. If just one trumpet was blown, the whole congregation was called.

If just one trumpet was blown, then just the leaders or heads of the various divisions were called. Again, that's spelled out in verses 3-7, which gives more of the details. Another thing here, it gives us here, only the priests could blow the silver trumpets. Verse 8, "...the sons of Aaron, the priest, shall blow the trumpets, and this shall be to you as an ordinance throughout your generations." The next verse gives us another way by which these silver trumpets were used. Verse 9, "...when you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets." For these silver trumpets.

"...and you will be remembered before Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies." Very interesting verse. They could be used to sound an alarm and to warn of an approaching enemy during a time of war. But interesting what it describes, this alarm was. This alarm was for God. It says, it was for God to remember them so God could then save them from their enemies. It was a signal, God, we need you. We're about to be destroyed by an enemy. We need you to intervene for us. It was a signal to God. So this alarm was primarily, primarily, not primarily, effective, I should say, those who were looking to God during any time of warfare. So, primarily for those who were looking to God.

Then verse 10 gives us another usage. Verse 10, "...also in the day of your gladness in your appointed feasts in the beginning of your months you shall blow the trumpets, the silver trumpets, over your burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings. And they should be a memorial for you before your God, I am the Lord your God." So they were blown during God's appointed feasts and at the beginning of your months as a memorial, to remind them that God was their God. It was essentially that I am the Lord your God. In other words, to continually remind them that they were God's chosen people and that only God could deliver them from their enemies. They would have to turn to God to be delivered from their enemies. But the main point I want to emphasize here is from verse 9 where they were used to sound and alarm. Now let's look at a second type of trumpet that was used in the Old Testament. That was the sofar, S-O-P-H-A-R, the shofar, or ram's horn, because that's what it was, it was ram's horn. Let's go to Jeremiah, chapter 4, to just read a little bit about that particular type of trumpet. Jeremiah 4, verse 19.

Jeremiah says, "'O my soul, my soul, I am pained in my very heart. My heart makes a noise in me, I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, you have heard a sound, you have heard the sound of a trumpet, an alarm of war. Destruction upon destruction is cried, for the whole land is plundered. Suddenly my tents are plundered and my curtains in a moment. How long will I see the standard of the banner and hear the sound of the trumpet?'" What kind of a trumpet is this referring to? It's not referring to the silver trumpet. A different Hebrew word is used here for trumpet. The Hebrew word translated trumpet here in both verses 19 and 21 is sofar, S-O-P-H-A-R, or shofar, is pronounced. The shofar trumpet was made from a ram's horn. You can read that in Joshua 6, verse 4.

When you blew the ram's horn, it just made one sound. It only produced a very piercing blast, which could be heard over a great distance and which struck fear in everyone's heart when they heard it. Why? Because it was an alarm of war. It was an alarm to say, hey, an enemy is approaching and wants to destroy us. Oh, my soul, my soul, I am pained in my very heart because you have heard, oh, my soul, the sound of the ram's horn, the alarm of war. An alarm that an enemy was about to try to destroy them, and they better be alert. Was it so far a ram's horn used to announce the Feast of Trumpets? Yeah, let's go to Psalm 81. Psalm 81. Signal out to God our strength, make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob, raise a song and strike the temple, the pleasant heart with the loot. Verse 3. Blow the trumpet at the time of the new moon, at the full moon on our solemn feast day. Now, this actually is a mistranslation in the New King James Version, which I just read. The new moon, solemn feast day, of course, is a feast of trumpets or the day of trumpets. It's the only annual holiday that occurs on a new moon.

Of course, the Feast of Tabernacles, as we know, begins on a full moon.

In verse 3, there is no Hebrew word for full. We've got the word full in there, New King James, but there's no Hebrew word for full in the original. The Hebrew word for moon is kodesh, C-H-O-D-E-S-H, which means a new moon, and it's only used once in this verse. It's only used once. The Old King James gives the correct rendering of verse 3. Here's what I'm going to read as it's written in the Old King James, which is the correct rendering. Blow up the trumpet, the shofar, blow up the trumpet in the new moon in the time appointed on our solemn feast day, which is, of course, the day of trumpets. Thus, the shofar, ramsong, was also used in conjunction with announcing the day of trumpets. So we could say, then, the day of trumpets was announced with the warning of war or the warning of impending danger, at least, as that was the primary usage of the ram's horn, to one that any is approaching. Now, there's a third type of trumpet used in the Old Testament, in addition to the silver trumpet and the ram's horn, and it was by far, I think, the most alarming trumpet of all. That third type of trumpet was the voice of God.

Let's go to Exodus 19.

Exodus 19, beginning in verse 10.

Then the Lord said to Moses, Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, as they assembled at Mount Sinai, to receive the Ten Commandments.

And let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people, and you shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, Take heed to yourselves, and you do not go up to the mountain nor touch the face. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.

Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow, whether man or beast, he shall not live. And then in the latter part of verse 13, when a trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain. Now the Hebrew word translated trumpet here is yobel, y-o-b-e-l, or yobel, something pronounced, which simply means this. It simply means to bring forth a sound like the blast of a horn. That's what it means. Just talking about a blast of a sound like that of a horn. This sound here was used to call the congregation visual to come near the mountain, it says. Exodus 19 verse 14, So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, Be ready for the third day, and do not come near your wives. Then it came to pass on the third day in the morning that there were thunderings and lightnings and a thick cloud of the mountain, and the sound of a trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Now the Hebrew word translated trumpet here is shofar, or the same one used it for a ram's horn. But this shofar, was it a ram's horn, or was it something else? Exodus 19 verse 17, And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon fire, and the smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked. Verse 19, And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long, and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.

Now here the Hebrew word translated trumpet is shofar, as used for a ram's horn, but was this shofar a ram's horn, or was it something else? Verse 17, And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain, on fire. And then when they heard the blast of the trumpet sounded long, and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. See, a ram's horn was a loud blast, but it didn't get louder and louder. It was a single blast. So this trumpet was not a ram's horn, because it got louder and louder. A ram's horn just didn't get louder and louder. It was just a one-song blast. This trumpet sound was being generated by the voice of God, or by an angel of God. It says, And God answered him by voice.

This trumpet was the voice of God. Exes chapter 20 verse 1, And then God spoke all these words, God speaking to them. This is the trumpet sounds of God speaking. Verse 18, All the people witnessed the thunderings, and lightnings, and flashes, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. And when the people saw it, they trembled and stood far off. They heard the sound of the trumpet. They heard the sound of the voice of God is what they heard. That's just 20 verse 18. They witnessed the thunderings of the lightning, and then they said to Moses, verse 19, You speak with us, and we will hear, But let not God speak to us, lest we die. So this was the voice of God. This trumpet was the voice of God. So this third type of trumpet wasn't the most frightening of all. It was the voice of God. And it was very frightening. I said, Moses, we don't want to hear God speaking to us. We don't want to hear that trumpet sound. We don't want to hear you speak to us. We're going to die if God speaks to us. Let's now take the voice of God to an even deeper level. As a warning, is there yet a fourth type of trumpet used in the Old Testament? It should be a very sobering trumpet sound, but to all too many it is not. They don't want to listen to it. They don't want to hear it.

What sound of a trumpet is that? The fourth type of trumpet that was used in the Old Testament is the trumpet warning of Ezekiel 33. Let's turn there to Ezekiel 33 and analyze it. It's very interesting. Ezekiel 33, beginning in verse 1, again the word of the Lord came to me saying, Son of man, speak the children of your people and say to them, when I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman. And when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood should be on his own head. But if he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood should be upon himself. And he who takes the warning will save his life, but if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes upon any person from among them, he is taken in his iniquity, but his blood I require at the watchman's hand.

So the evil word for trumpet here in verses 3, 4, 5, and 6 is shofar, but is this referring to the watchman blowing a ram's horn, or is it referring to something else that is far more serious?

And just something that at the same time is far too easy to ignore.

What is this fourth type of trumpet warning we're referring to here? Let's read it for ourselves in verse 7. So you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Therefore you shall hear a word from my mouth and warn them for me.

This trumpet warning is not the blowing of an instrument. This watchman was a son of man, as it says right here, so you, son of man, I have made you a watchman.

Again, the Lord came to me saying, Son of man, speak to children of your people and say to them, when I bring the sword upon the land, the people of the land take a man of their territory, make him their watchman. Son of man. He's the watchman. In this case, the son of man, who was he in this case? In this case, the son of man that God is referring to is Ezekiel. Ezekiel. Ezekiel was warning God's people with words from my mouth, from God's mouth. Verse 7. Ezekiel was warning God's people for me. He was warning God's people for God and on behalf of God.

And he was warning them from words from the mouth of God. He says here, now today, what words of warning do we have from the mouth of God?

Am I here? God's Word. Bible. Today, the Bible contains prophetic warnings from the mouth of God. Thus, a fourth type of trumpet warning is words from the mouth of God is given to us in the Bible and is also delivered to God's people through his watchman. In the Old Testament, those watchmen were the prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the minor prophets. In the New Testament, they are from God's two shepherds. So there are thus four types of trumpets in the Old Testament that were used to give a warning message. There were the silver trumpets, the shofar, a ram's horn. It was the voice of God. And there were the words of God's, the words of the Bible, as delivered by human watchmen on God's behalf. Now, before looking at how trumpets were used in the New Testament, let's first look at this. As the people of God today, what warnings is God giving us? What warnings is God giving us today? Now, here I'm referring to world events, as we look at world events. I want to concentrate on that for a while. What warnings is God giving us when it comes to world events and when it comes to where we are right now, prophetically speaking? Are we now at least nearing the return of Christ when all these things might be fulfilled? Are we getting closer? We've been saying that for many, many years. But what about today? What's happening today that might give a little bit stronger indication?

What events were prophesied to take place prior to Christ's return? I mean, you can spend an entire sermon tomorrow on that, but I just want to clear it down to five events. First one, number one, is what would have to be in place before Christ's return. Mankind would have to have the means to destroy all life from the face of the earth. Matthew 24, let's go with Matthew 24, verse 3. Now, as he said, the amount of all is, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? Verse 21, then there should be great tribulations, which has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, nor ever shall be again. In verse 22, Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. Meaning, unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved alive. What happened in 1945? 1945, on August 6th and on August 9th, Hiroshima and then Nagasaki were destroyed by atom bombs, and we entered the nuclear age, giving mankind the means to destroy all life from the face of the earth for the first time. Nine nations are now known to possess nuclear weapons. They are the United States, Great Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and guess what? North Korea. What's been the primary deterrent for the last 67 years? It's called MAD, M-A-D, which stands for Mutually Assured Destruction.

But now there's one big problem. North Korea has now claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb and claims to have the ability to place it on an ICBM, on an intercontinental ballistic missile. The big problem is North Korea's dictator, Kim Jong-un, who may be literally mad, and he may not care about Mutually Assured Destruction. I don't know.

But he may be mad enough to actually launch a nuclear weapon in spite of Mutually Assured Destruction. Then there's Iran. Well, they have nuclear weapons. It's a dangerous world, isn't it?

The bottom line is that Matthew 24, 22 is now in place. Man has that potential capability to destroy all life from out the face of the earth. And it says here, unless those days were short and no flesh would be saved, but for the elect's sake, for those following God and looking to God, those days will be short. And it's not going to happen. It's not going to happen. But it's in place. It could. That prophecy is now in place. Number two, there would have to be the re-establishment of a Jewish state having control over the city of Jerusalem. Revelation 11, verse 1. Revelation 11, verse 1. Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod, and the angel stood, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months. In other words, Gentiles, or those who are not of Jewish descent, will tread the holy city of Jerusalem under foot for forty-two months, or three and a half years. After 70 AD, Jerusalem was under the control of Gentiles for nearly two thousand years, with the exception of one very brief period, back about a few thousand years ago or so.

The 1947 war changed that, and then in 1967, the Jews got control of the old city of Jerusalem. How does all that tie into Revelation 11 verse 2? In order for Gentiles to have been given control over the holy city of Jerusalem, so they could then tread it under foot for forty-two months, or three and a half years, they would first have to have lost it, lost control of it to the Jews. And there's now been the re-establishment of a Jewish state having control over the city of old Jerusalem. They don't control the settlement, but they control the old city of Jerusalem. Meaning that conditions are now in place for the fulfillment of Revelation 11.2. That condition has been met. That's in place. Number three, and I find this very interesting, number three, technology would have to be advanced to where the entire world could witness any singular event as it took place. You'd have to have advanced technology to where something could have it any place in the world, and the whole world could see it as it happened. Revelation 11. Going here in verse three. Verses 3 through 9. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two lampstands standing before me, the God of the earth. If anyone wants to harm them, fire, proceeds from the mouth of God and devours their enemies. If anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. And these two witnesses have power to shut heaven so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy. And they have power over the waters to turn them to blood and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. And when they finish their testimony, the beast that sends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them and overcome them and kill them. Verse 8. Notice verse 8. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. There was a city of Jerusalem. And verse 9. And those from the peoples... notice verse 9. Those from the people, the tribes, the tongues, and the nations... now there's everybody in the whole world will see their dead bodies for three and a half days and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graze. So, there was a whole world that's going to witness their death. You'd have to have advanced technology for that.

How will they react to that when they see that happen? Verse 10. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. This is all who dwell on the earth. They're going to rejoice over them. The whole earth! So, the whole earth is going to witness it! They're going to see that. They're going to see them die, and they're going to see their dead bodies sit there, lie on the streets of Jerusalem for three and a half days. So, it means that technology would have to be advanced to where the entire world could witness this event as it happened.

That is now in place. Then they're going to all see him resurrected. Verse 11. And after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven, saying to them, Come up here, and they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. So, monumental events are going to occur prior to the return of Christ, which will be witnessed by the entire world as they take place. We now have the technology in place for that to be fulfilled. I want to mention something else. I just saw this just last night. I want it included. This is going to turn just a minute to go forward. I'm going to go here, but just talk about the second piece. Revelation 13. It's going to read 2 verses of Revelation 13 verses 16 and 17. This is amazing as well. Revelation 13 verse 16. Let's talk about the second beast. He causes all both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on the right hand and on their foreheads, that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. I just saw this article. In fact, I got it here. I can't read it because it's too small a print. I haven't been sent so large. I just came out yesterday.

Growing acceptance of microchip implants. Do you know how many people right now in the world have chips implanted in their arms or their head? 20,000.

And if that chip implanted in them, they can then enter a building without having to have a key. They can buy food at the grocery store without having to have any money. Sweden right now is trying to do away with their currency. They're trying to put chips in people to have that replaced currency. And they're trying to make it so all children now will have that implanted at a very young age. It's happening in other places as well. Like I said, there's already 20,000.

So the fulfillment of Revelation 13 verses 16 and 17, that is now in place. At least the start of it has started. That's the direction the world is going. We have the technology in place for that to be fulfilled as well. Number four, fourth thing, there would be an unprecedented increase in the persecution of Christians. And I'm talking here of all who proclaim to be followers of Christ regardless of whether or not they have perfect understanding. Again, let's look at Matthew 24 verse 9.

And they shall deliver you, anybody who is a follower of Christ, up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. You'll be hated for calling yourself a Christian, even though you may not understand things perfectly. For calling yourself a follower of Christ and for using his name. Now, this is one of the most unreported events taking place in the world. Underreported. It's one of the most unreported events taking place in the world today.

I'd like to quote a portion of a report given to Fox News back on February 2nd of this year. FoxNews.com February 2nd, 2017. An article by Perry Charamonti, C-H-A-R-A-M-O-N-T-E. The title of the article was called, Christian Persecution Seen in More Locations Across the Globe. I want to quote a portion of it. In this past year, the persecution of Christians has not only increased, but it has spread to more corners of the globe with incidents occurring on every continent. We are at the worst level of persecutions in modern times. Christians are the most persecuted group in the world for the second year in a row. Nearly 90,000... Can you get this? Nearly 90,000 Christians were killed for their faith in 2016, and as many as 600 million were prevented from practicing their faith through intimidation, forced conversions, bodily harm, or even to death. There are many places on earth where being a Christian is the most dangerous thing you can be.

Some 215 million Christians around the globe are facing some form of persecution.

The report then added, our report is conservative because it only calculates incidents of that... incidents... excuse me... incidents that are reported and can be validated. It is likely there are thousands of incidents that are never reported, and nobody knows because Christians are often fearful to tell anyone, even their own families in some parts of the world. Some parts of the world, there are Christians in a family. They don't want the family to even know they're Christian, because they know they could... it's their life. But even here in the United States are America. Christians are being scoffed at and ridiculed, and their numbers are increasing... excuse me... their numbers are decreasing. They're decreasing because we have thousands of immigrants from other cultures and religions populating our country. So Christians are now a minority, and the others, non-Christians, are increasing by least in bounds because of immigration.

So Matthew 24.9 is being fulfilled before our very eyes.

And this prophecy is also now in place. Number five.

It says, at the time before Christ's eternal, be as the days of Noah.

Again, Matthew 24 verse 32.

Now, I learned this parable from the fig tree when his branches already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. Verse 36, But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, my father only, but as the days of Noah were, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man, or also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as the days before the flood they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving a marriage, till the day that Noah entered the ark. And they did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. What was it like in the days of Noah? I'll just turn there and read two verses. Read a couple verses. Go back to Genesis 6 real quick. Genesis 6 verse 5, Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he'd made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. I have to wonder, as God looks down on the earth today and he sees everything that's happening all around the world, things that we can't see that he knows, he sees, you think he's grieved in his heart today?

I would dare say he is. Genesis 6 verse 7, The Lord said, I will destroy man from whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creep me thing in birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them. Verse 8, But Noah found grace, he found favor in the eyes of the eternal.

Today is the elect who will find grace in the sight of the Lord. For the elects' sake, those days will be shortened. God's elects will define grace and favor for God today. Again, what was it like in the days of Noah? Verse 11, The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

What do we see today? What do you see in the news?

Not around the world. We don't get a lot of things from around the world, but around the world, things are filled with violence. They've got a huge overthrow, was it, down in Argentina?

You don't want to go there, it's filled with violence. What about the United States? Any violent demonstrations taking place in the United States? Is the United States becoming filled with violence? See, every week violent protests and demonstrations take place. More and more, the world we live in, as it was in the days of Noah, is becoming filled with violence. It's like it was in the days of Noah, which means what? It means it's high time to awaken out of sleep. So there are then five world events that were prophesied to take place prior to Christ's return, and therefore the people of God can be taken as warnings of where we are today in the unfolding of biblical prophecy. I want to add one more thing. In addition to that, we also have another major event, which is even now kind of in possibly in the very early stages of development. Because we know before Christ returns, there will be a formation of the King of the South and the King of the North, as prophesied for the time of the end in Daniel 11.40, which will lead to the formation of a 10-nation beast power in Europe, Revelation 17 verse 12, probably with Germany as its head. And those 10 nations will then become of one mind and will give their power and authority to the beast, or to a powerful political leader, to whom those 10 nations will give their sovereignty. Revelation 17 verse 13. And that 10-nation political entity will then form an alliance with a powerful religious entity, which in Revelation 13 is referred to as being the image of the beast.

In other words, this will become an all-powerful church-state alliance with both having the same hierarchical form of governance. It will become the tenth and final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. As I said, this is even now as early stages of development. It's high time to awaken out of sleep.

I want you to, what you can do in this one here, read the lead article in the current September-October issue of Beyond Today. Which is titled, the lead article written by Peter Ellington, is after 500 years, is the Protestant Reformation being undone?

Probably, maybe I don't remember this, but I remember it, Evelyn remembers it.

Many years ago, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, he asked this, he said, what two things stand in the way of the fulfillment of Revelation 13 and Revelation 17? The formation of the beast power and all of that in the United States of Europe and all of that in the kingdom of the north, king of the south. What's holding that up? That formation had up.

What two things will have to be removed before the beast and the image of the beast can be formed?

Before the church-state alliance can come about? He said, the two things that stand in the way, listen to this, this is many years ago, hasn't happened up until now. He said, the two things that stand in the way are democracy and Protestantism. Wow! What's happening to democracy in America?

Where are we becoming socialists? I never thought we'd live to see it. And the only thing that's keeping it that way a little bit is President Trump right now, but it's very much going in a socialist direction.

I think Donald Trump might be our last chance to hold on to a little bit of democracy.

We're losing our democracy. And what about Protestantism? After 500 years, is the Protestant Reformation being undone? We're losing, the Protestants are becoming more and more less influential if they're going downhill. They go in this article, chose about how Protestantism is on the way out. We're pulling more and more towards a one-world government or a church-state alliance. It's all happening before our very eyes.

It's a high time to awaken out of sleep.

Let's move on to what Trumpets signify in the New Testament.

In the New Testament, the sound of a trumpet is associated with the return of Christ, and there's four New Testament scriptures that clearly point that out. And these four scriptures also indicate that the New Testament church observed the day of trumpets and understood its meaning. You can't read these scriptures without realizing they must observe the day of trumpets, and they must have understood its meaning because of the fact they observed it. Let's look at these four scriptures. Let's just read them. They all speak for themselves. First one is in Matthew 24. The four scriptures that talk about trumpets in the New Testament, Matthew 24 verses 30 and 31. Then the sign that the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Verse 31, and He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together as He left from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. Heaven here being the earth's atmosphere where those in the first resurrection will meet Christ in the air before descending with Him to the earth, as we'll read in a moment. Second scripture is in 1 Corinthians 15 beginning in verse 50. 1 Corinthians 15 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. But behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment in the tumbling 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. 1 The third one is in 1 Thessalonians 4.

1 Thessalonians 4 beginning in verse 13.

Paul wrote, I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, because there are any those who have fallen asleep. Let you sorrow as others who have no hope. We often read these at a funeral service. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring within those who sleep in Jesus. 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, and with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead, and Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Well, then descend with him back down to earth to rule with him on the earth for a thousand years. And finally we have Revelation 11. Verse 15. Then the seventh angel sounded, seventh trumpet sound, and they were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. So in the New Testament, the sound of a trumpet clearly signals and signifies the return of Christ and the first resurrection. Let's go back to our final question.

I'm going back to this Massas again. What does this all mean as far as the people of God are concerned?

Well, it means many things, but just to narrow it down to what Paul wrote to the Church at Rome, and you just some scriptures from the book of Romans. What this means for all of us, God's people today, all these things that are happening. Romans 12, verse 1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And then verse 2, it says, what does this mean for people of God today? I'm just the key right here, verse 2. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. That's brought out in the sermonette.

So what does this mean for the people of God? It means do not be conformed to this world.

What should we be conformed to instead? I'll just quote it. Just back here a few chapters. Romans 8-29 gives us the answer to what we should be conformed to instead. It says, be conformed to the image of his Son. He can form the image of Jesus Christ. Romans 8-29. How about this? Should we owe anyone anything? Yeah, we should. What should we owe someone? Romans 13, verse 8.

Romans 13, verse 8. Oh, no one anything except to love one another.

For he loves another, has fulfilled the law. Verse 10. Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Now, why should we owe no one anything except to love one another? Because, verse 11, do this knowing the time that now it is high time to awaken out of sleep. Hence my title. For now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent. The day is at hand. Verse 12. And when we look at all the world events that are now taking place or have taken place, we can say the day is at hand. Look at where we are. Look at how everything is in place. All these prophecies are all in place.

So, as we conclude this day of Trumpets, as the point is over here in 2017, next Thursday, with Donald Trump as the President of the United States, is this America's last chance to try to preserve the greatness of America and her democracy? Major world events indicate this, indeed, could be America's last chance. I don't know. But as we conclude, remember these things. Be not conformed to this world, but instead be conformed to the image of his son. And know no one anything but to love one another, because the night is far spent and the day is at hand, and it is now high time to awaken out of sleep.