The Trumpets Proclaim

Thank you for that special music. Well, good afternoon, everyone!

Happy day of trumpets!

Well, if you haven't recognized already, we are here on a holy day, an annual holy day, a great time to be together as assembled by our loving God. And throughout the pages of the Bible, God has been making Himself heard.

There are a few verses that speak to this fact, of course. There's one in Hebrews that talks about, at various times, in various ways, God has spoken to us. It goes through some of those various ways.

In the garden, go all the way to the beginning of mankind's beginning. In the garden, the Lord God walked with Adam and spoke to him. Can you imagine what that was like? Can you imagine that first Sabbath service? Man was made. The next day, God rested, and He said, let me show you, and let me teach you a little bit about something.

For a select few of individuals throughout humankind's history, the Lord God walked with them as well. We could think of the events that are recorded like Abraham meeting God in the flesh in a different way, sharing a meal with Him, entertaining angels, entertaining the spokesman of God at different times. We see God speaking to the nation of Israel through a spokesman, sometimes through a prophet. Hebrews makes that clear. Different ways that God has spoken, but it's clear that God is speaking all throughout the Bible. You and I, our primary way that we hear the words of the Lord now are by the recorded words. The opening line of that music that was given, the Spirit and the bride testify, reminds me of an aspect of God's Spirit bearing witness with our spirit. Or 1 Corinthians 2, that we know the things of God by the Spirit of God. We hear the words of God. As you continue through the history of mankind coming to Israel as a nation, there was this time when they came to a mountain and they had a very loud and thundering display of God's words. So loud and terrifying that the people trembled. I can't even imagine. In New England, we don't have too many large thunderstorms. So moving back to Ohio, I was looking forward to some strong thunderstorms. Growing up in North Dakota, we had tornadoes, we had thunderstorms, and there's just something amazing with the thunder that can shake the house. So we get here, we get all of our things, and then we drive back to New England for a wedding, and then we drive back to New England for a wedding, and what happens on the day we drive away? A great thunderstorm rolls through Ohio, and we miss it.

These are but small comparisons to what we can read in these sections of the Bible that talk about God's words. As we know, at different times, in different ways, God has spoken to us. On the day of trumpets, we find the usage of horns and trumpets proclaiming different events to come. Let's turn over to Leviticus 23 as we begin today.

I've appreciated the the instruments that have joined us this morning and afternoon, especially the trumpets that sounded in the middle of Mr. Eliot's sermon there. I was caught off guard, but I did notice them for a while there standing in the corner.

Leviticus 23. We see trumpets and horns associated with this day. We see trumpets and horns associated with calling and proclaiming different events. Leviticus 23 and verse 23. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. A very short passage, maybe second only to the Sabbath festival, listed first in this chapter, but a very short passage. We're commanded to call the assemblies. We know that God calls us together, but as a church, we organize. Mr. Elliott made those comments for the feast, setting up the sites, preparing for services. It's a day of Sabbath rest. We put aside our customary work. In verse 24, we find this phrase, which is rendered as a memorial of blowing of trumpets. That first word there, reminder, a memorial, a token. It's to bring to mind something.

Now to the hearer, every time you would hear a trumpet, maybe something else comes to mind. I can't help but think of an alarm waking up in the morning. Anybody ever have that old-style alarm clock there?

To this day, I can't even hear that sound. It brings anxiety in my chest. It always feels like I'm running late to something. We see a little bit of a memorial here, bringing to mind something else.

We see several memorials in Scripture connected with holy days, connected with events. This same word is used to describe Passover as a memorial. The days in love and bread as a memorial. Even books can be a memorial. If you remember in Esther, chapter 6, there's the book that is brought out and brings reminders to the king about the service that Mordecai had done for him all those years ago. And so we see a memorial, and then another word. Here in New King James, it's rendered a blowing of trumpets, means an alarm, or a sounding of a trumpet, a signal, a shout. In fact, some people call this day the day of shouting. Maybe I shouldn't shout so much, though. I already project enough as it is. I feel like we don't even need a microphone for me.

That was an awkward time to take a drink. Thank you for making me feel more comfortable.

It's a day of shouting, alarms. And over time, this word had come to be connected with what we refer as trumpets. But it often was connected with what we saw Mr. Oppy blow right before services. That animal's horn. I failed to ask him before services what animal that was made from. That they really stink if you ever smelled them.

They would blow these things often referred to as shofars. But they also got associated with what we call the modern-day trumpet. Leviticus 25 and verse 9 also brings this word into play within the day of atonement and the blowing of the jubilee trumpet. In fact, it says the shopar or shofar teruah, the trumpet of shouting, on the day of atonement, of jubilee. Well, for the sermon time today, in this afternoon period, I'd like for us to consider the meaning of this day in Scripture, understanding that one aspect of this holy day is that it is a memorial day, picturing events associated with special proclamations.

Special proclamations. Because indeed, the trumpets do proclaim. One thing that they proclaim is we see the proclamation of the coming kingdom of God. I'd like to look at maybe a preview to this in Joshua chapter 6. Now, what we'll read in Joshua chapter 6 happens at a different time of the year. But we find an interesting connection to this day, at least in order of what is happening in Joshua's time.

Joshua chapter 6, remember where this is at right after Joshua meets with the commander of the Lord's army. The Israel's then coming into the land. They're taking it by force. In verse 1 of chapter 6 of Joshua, we see, now that Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel. None went out and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, I have given Jericho into your hand. It's king and the mighty men of Valor. What an assuring line from your commander.

Here we see Jericho, a giant castle fortified. The only thing I can remember, I haven't traveled abroad. I haven't seen the ruins of different ancient lands. But I think of Veggie Tales. Has anybody seen the Veggie Tales episode? Okay. And you have the French peas. They're very French in the Jericho city. And they're on the walls making fun of the Israelites, throwing slushies at them.

That's the only thing I can think of when it comes to the walls of Jericho. But you see this giant fortified city. No doubt that would have been very scary for Joshua. No doubt. But the Lord gave him assurances of the destruction of this city. Verse 3, we have the plan of attack. Or maybe the lack of an attack, almost. Verse 3, you shall march around the city, all the men of war. Can you put yourself in the place of these soldiers?

They're waiting, they're talking to their commandments. No doubt they had commissions of men structured and organized. And he said, all right, captain, corporal, whatever they would have called each other in that day. What's our plan of attack? Well, you see, we're gonna march, and we're gonna walk around this building. Well, that would have been very shocking. How's that a plan of attack? You're gonna march around the city, all the men of war, and you should go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark.

But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priest shall blow the trumpets. So we have this plan of attack to walk around the city, and the layout would be armed men, seven priests, with trumpets. You have the ark, and then followed by a rear guard, another armed rear guard marching around the city. Verse five, it shall come to pass when they make a long blast with a ram's horn, and when they hear the sound of a trumpet, that all the people should shout with great shout.

Then the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him. The plan was to walk around, and on that last day, at that last time, this great shout, the great blowing of the horns and the walls would come down. I remember I was keeping the Feast of Tabernacles in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

I was waiting for the next Bible study, or one night. I turned on the TV, I was changing my clothes, and there was the history channel. Now, I like history, and so I thought, what are they talking about? And they're talking about the walls of Jericho, and how likely there was some type of alien technology.

I was like, off, never watching that again. To this day, history channels were like, where'd all the history go? Because it just doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make any sense to blow some trumpets in the walls to come down. Verse 12 through 4, the people, they do as they're instructed. They march around the city once per day, trumpets blowing each day, but the people remain silent.

Pick it up in verse 15. But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and they marched around the city seven times in that same manner. On that day only, they marched around the city seven times, and the seventh time that happened, when the priest blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to people, Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction. And it was all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in her house, because she had hid the messengers that were sent. So we have the culmination here, not the end of the story. They march around the city the seventh time, they shout, they blow the horns, and then Joshua yells to the people, the Lord has given you the city, for he has doomed the city to destruction. No doubt bringing back references, if you want, to go study on your own time. Deuteronomy 13 gives the prescription to the cities that give themselves over to sorceries and idolatry and adultery. Kind of that list that we read in Mr. Eliot's sermon this morning, that they are doomed to destruction. That those will not profit, those cities will not continue forever. And the trumpets proclaimed at this time the presence of the Lord in Israel, symbolized, of course, by the ark. It also proclaimed the coming of a kingdom led by God. When we refer to the kingdom of God, we often think of that time in the future. And there is coming a literal kingdom, isn't there? Here we see a type of kingdom of God. God said, I would be your king, I would be your guide, I would lead you, I would fight for you if you obey me, if you listen to me. The trumpets were proclaiming his presence and the kingdom that was coming. These events recorded in Joshua, of course, they happen during the days of 11 bread. And there's meaning for that within those days. But we see both the occurrence of the seven trumpets, the seven days, the seven and the sevens. We see a future fulfillment of that in this day in the future. Let's turn to Revelation chapter 11. For all those that can't see, there are six bottles of water up here, and I'm the only one to open one.

I'm a heavy drinker of water. You'll find that.

Revelation 11, are you there? Verse 15, I'm not there. Give me a second. I'm an axe. Revelation 11 verse 15, Then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have begun, the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. The trumpets proclaiming the coming kingdom of God, in a start, in a type, with Christ ruling on this earth with his firstfruits. Stepping forward through a few chapters here, right? We're not going to go through all the seven bowls of the seven trumpets, or the seventh trumpet, excuse me, but if we pick it up in Revelation 19 in verse 11, focusing back on Christ coming, Revelation 19 in verse 11, Paul, excuse me, John now sees in vision heaven opening, and behold, this is 19 verse 11, behold, a white horse, and he who sat on him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. Christ being seen as the true return, returning king. Faithful and true, making righteous judgment, swift, war will be on his side. Verse 12, his eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns, and he had his name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the word of God.

Verse 14, and the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Here we see an armies of heaven following as the return of Christ is happening. Similar to that armed guard that we read all the way back in Joshua 6. You can partner this with Obadiah 24, for the Savior shall come to the mountain. We see Christ returning to intervene as we heard in Mr. Rangel's sermonette, to intervene and to stop all the hatred and violence. This will be good. Everything God does will be good. We see the armies following Christ, they're in contrast, they're in white robes, not dipped in blood. Verse 15, Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations, and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. And he himself treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God, and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

And so we see this coming time, but the trumpets being blasted proclaiming that the kingdoms of this world are no longer, that the kingdom of God is being set up. Verse 17 and 18, we see a swift and decisive victory, destructive, but very needed and very cleansing. You see, because wickedness cannot prevail. Just like we saw in Jericho with it doomed to destruction, there will come a time when the armies will be gathered together at the valley of decision-making. Everybody that's gathering to fight against Christ, they will be making their decision plain. So Christ will respond. Verse 19, and I saw the beasts and the kings of the earth and their armies gather together to make war against him, who sat on the horse and against his army. I can't even imagine. Here we have the Messiah, the one who came, as Paul wrote, he came sin for us, gave his life for us, and now the world's are saying, the armies are saying, no, we don't want your way. We don't want your way of life. And so they gather to fight against him. Verse 20, then the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worship his image. These two were cast alive in the lake of fire, burning with brimstone, and the rest were killed with a sword which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse and all the birds were filled with their flesh. Not a pretty depiction, but a time of destruction, a time heralding in the setup of a righteous nation, a king who will rule in righteousness and judge with fairness and proper standards.

Trumpets proclaim the starting of the kingdom of God in a way. God stepping in, directly dealing with mankind's ruling. And in time, God will open their eyes and open their minds and teach them of his ways. And people just like Mr. Rangel and just like myself, as a hot-headed teen, now I wasn't in as many fights as Mr. Rangel. Mine was a lot of psychological warfare and a lot of running. But I took my fair share of beating.

And we'll be there to help those individuals because the kingdom of God will be set up to deal with mankind's failures and say, there was a lot of time for you to get this right if you could. It's not an option. You can't get it right. You can't go your own ways. You can't reject God and be prosperous. It doesn't work that way. God will be setting up a kingdom, Christ ruling that kingdom from his throne, being enthroned on this earth, reigning. His saints will be reigning with him. And so there's this swift war and a decisive battle brought in by the blowing of trumpets, proclaiming the start of this kingdom of God.

Trumpets also proclaim a time when the saints will be glorified. We hear the trumpets calling a proclamation to the glorified saints. Let's turn over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 13. 1 Thessalonians chapter 14. Verse 13. Paul writes, I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as those who have no hope. Paul, as any good—maybe we'd call him a regional pastor, I'm not sure what we'd call him—he's traveling around, of course, the apostle of God. As any good elder, teacher, faithful minister of Jesus Christ, he wants to bring the truth to the people concerning the really hard-hitting, emotional things in this life. Death. Death is hard. And so the church is starting to die. People are getting sick. Uncertainty and fear is coming into the church. And Paul, like any good minister, he's saying, I don't want you to be ignorant about this. Don't be mourning. Don't mourn like those who have no hope. Because we have hope. The hope of the resurrection. Verse 14, For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. See, the hope of the resurrection is tied firmly to faith. I can't help but think of the time when Lazarus died. Lazarus was well loved by Christ. Family comes to him. And he's kind of talking to like Lazarus is just kind of sleeping. He gets to the tomb. And I can't remember which sister meets him and says, I know that you will raise him up on the last day.

What a beautiful hope. Faith in the assurance of the resurrection. Understanding that God will raise us from the dead brings us hope so that we can mourn for this coming time of glorified saints. Verse 15, 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 proceed those who are asleep. And see how he anchors this back to the word of the Lord. Paul was not just giving his own opinion about death, about the spiritual world, kind of taking his own assumptions. He was saying, by the word of the Lord. He clearly saw taught by Jesus Christ, but clearly saw the references in the Old Testament. Ezekiel 37, the Valley of Dry Bones. Daniel chapter 12, if you remember, he kind of gets the message from the messenger and he says, you will sleep. Well, that can be assuring.

You will sleep, but you will rise again. Many are asleep and they're waiting. Unknowingly, unknown of the passage of time, there is an order of things as we understand. Those who are dead in Christ will rise first.

Verse 16, 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. At that seventh trumpet, during that appointed time, that God will rise, will raise from the dead all those who are asleep in Christ. Verse 17, 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. Therefore, Paul says, comfort one another with these words. As we lose our loved ones, as individuals die in our families, this is the hope that we share with one another. We will see him again. We will see her again.

Trumpets proclaims the glorified saints, the resurrected saints, those who are dead in Christ. We go back to Matthew 24 for a moment. We're going to pick up a little bit where Mr. Rangel left off. Matthew 24 in verse 27.

Matthew 24 in verse 27.

Some of the context has been set for us already with Mr. Rangel, known by many the Olivet prophecy, the times that were coming, the signs before his coming.

Verse 27.

For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

The return of Jesus Christ will not be a silent event. It will be like lightning flashing from one side to the other. Now, lightning, of course, is light. But you hear the thunder, the clapping of that lightning. It will be something that will be visible and clear. Verse 29.

We can't even imagine. Well, maybe you can. I don't have the greatest imagination. Imagining some of these prophecies, the skies rolling up as a scroll, the heavens being shaken, the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven. And then the tribes of the earth will mourn. Here we have one of the most joyful victories coming, the reigning of righteousness, truth, goodness. And here the tribes of men will mourn. Because they're so caught up in the wicked ways of Babylon, it says that they will mourn for Babylon's destruction. Because Babylon has made them wealthy and engaging in all the desires of pleasure that they can think of.

If we continue in verse 31.

We see with the proclamation of a trumpet God gathering together his saint, the glorified members of the body of Christ. We'll stay here. We'll connect this with a point later, but let's turn to 1 Corinthians 15. We'll be moving fast. We'll be moving fast. We'll be moving fast. We'll be moving fast. We'll be moving fast. We'll be moving fast. We'll be moving fast. But let's turn to 1 Corinthians 15 for a moment. Because trumpets does proclaim the time when the saints will be resurrected.

We can think through these prayer requests that we've been getting as of late with the update with Mr. Teague.

The updates that I wrote in the email last night and those that have shared their prayer requests for one another just among yourselves. I received a call just this week about an update and I made a reference to this. We're about to celebrate trumpets. We're looking forward to those times when we receive new bodies. Are we looking forward to those new bodies? I'm not even old by any stretch of the imagination of that word. But in morning service, after the sermon was done, no critique against Mr. Elliot. But I stood up and I was like, oh, I'm all crickety there for a minute. And I'm not even old. But it's always a perspective thing, right? Because to the kids, I'm very old. We look forward to those new bodies, those glorified bodies. I'm talking too much without turning. Excuse me. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 15. I'll catch up. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 50, often read around the times of funerals. And when you think about death, but in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 50, Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. We recognize that God is building a family, and within families you have inheritance. That you and I and those who God brings into the family will inherit all things. But this cannot be done with flesh and blood. There has to be a process of death of which then resurrection comes. Verse 51, Behold, I tell you all a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed. So even those that won't have the normal death and time that elapses must be changed as well. To put off that flesh and blood and to be glorified in the family of God. Verse 52, 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 the corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality, no longer being subject to death or decay. We are looking forward to that time when death is swallowed in victory. Verse 54, at the end of that he says, For death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? And, O Hades, where is your victory? Some lines in the special music were echoing these same sentiments. Death destroyed, victory, life forevermore. And this only happens with new bodies. Verse 35, we go back to verse 35, Paul starts making a body's argument.

Paul writes, For someone will say, How are the dead raised up? And with which body do they come?

No doubt, thinking like a man, you can even think of when Jesus was teaching, and they came to him saying, Okay, if a man has one wife, and she dies, and then he marries another wife, which one will be his wife in the resurrection? That's such a man's way of thinking of things. Flesh and blood. Same similar argument here. What body will they be raised up with?

Then he goes through comparing different states. He brings in the glories of the heaven, the glories of the earth. And then in verse 42, So also is the resurrection of the dead, that the body is sown in corruption, and it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, and it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, and it is raised in power. It is sown in the natural body, and it is raised in the spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

That's just remarkable to think about. For trumpets in this day that we are observing and celebrating, it's a time that proclaims when the saints will be resurrected, glorified members in the family of God, given new bodies, no longer subject to decay and corruption and aches and illness. There's one final thing that I'd like to focus on today. Trumpets, as an agent of proclamation, it proclaims a special meeting. It proclaims a special meeting. For this, I'd like to turn back to Exodus 19 and set the stage, if you will. Again, looking at an event that doesn't happen during this time of the year, but we see the first example of this same word for this animal horn that is blown. It's all the way back in Exodus chapter 19. It's a proclamation or the calling out, the ordering of a special meeting. Exodus 19, you remember, Israel has come to the mountain, happening at a different time of the year, not during trumpets, around the time of Pentecost.

They're camping, they have to get washed, they have to be set apart. All different lessons, maybe for another day. But in verse 16 of Exodus 19, then it came to pass on the third day in the morning that they were thunderings and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a trumpet was very loud, so that all the people in the camp trembled. So these sounds were so alarming. Maybe I shouldn't mention his name too much, but I appreciate it. Mr. Appy, thank you for blowing that. Right before services, that was a good, he made good connection on that horn. Enough to startle you, but enough to get your attention and be like, all right, there's a special meeting occurring. My wife turned to my son and said, what does it mean? It's an alarm. Time for services.

The sound of a trumpet, a blasting sound so loud, so terrifying that many trembled. And this was preceding a prescribed meeting, a very special assembly, a special meeting with God. Verse 17, and Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. You see, this was a very special meeting with their Lord, their Savior, the individual who brought them out of bondage, out of Egypt. And so the eternal then descended in smoke upon the mountain. This is the first usage we see of that blowing of the trumpet. And it's from God, proclaiming a special meeting to occur, a special meeting with the people of Israel, a very face-to-face, if you will, in a different way, if you get what I'm saying. Right? Because he was in the cloud, the smoke descended on the mountain. But then later we read in the affirming of the covenant, the elders, and Moses go and they have a meal, a special meeting with the Lord. Let's connect this with another reference in Numbers chapter 10.

I couldn't help but look at the trumpets in the corner of the room, because more connected with this next reference we're going to, it kind of looks very similar to what I would imagine of these next trumpets, long and silver. Numbers chapter 10. We see a reference here to the blowing of two silver trumpets, always being referenced in the plural. These two trumpets being blown, or at least at the same time, or at least being used in conjunction. Sometimes they blew only one. I was trying to think that that came out really confusing how I said it. Just ignore all the comments of always being two. Numbers chapter 10 in verse 1, and the Lord spoke to Moses saying, make two silver trumpets for yourself. You shall make them of hammered work. You shall use them for the calling of the congregation and for the directing of the movement of the camps.

Primary use was for calling the meetings or directing the camp.

They had different signals, different calls. When the leaders would come, the heads of the different areas and divisions would gather together, no doubt to disseminate information to move instructions throughout the camp, or they would, the whole assembly would come together for a special meeting. So if you're running where I'm going with the logic of this this point, the trumpets then are proclaiming a very special meeting. We're going to partner this with where we just read, but we're going to think of it a little bit differently. First Thessalonians chapter four. So before we were talking about glorified saints, now we're talking about this special meeting. This time, well, we will meet the Lord. First Thessalonians chapter four.

Back to First Thessalonians chapter four, reading from a little bit different angle on this point. Verse 16.

Verse 16, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of an archangel and 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.

We do all of this because God is assembling his people. We do this to meet the Lord. Perhaps a common expression in their culture of that day. A dignitary, somebody important, a king coming to a city. You wouldn't let the king just walk into the city.

Perhaps you do this even to your day, maybe a carryover in our culture. When we have people over to the house for a meal, we have the kids wait for them and watch for them. When they come, we open the door. Sometimes we go out to the car to greet them, to join them, to meet with them. And then what do we do? Well, we bring all of our food out to the car and we lay it all out there in the parking lot. Now we bring them back into the house. And then we show them all of our cool stuff. My boys have lined up all their toys, ready to show everybody new. And we show them around the house and we enjoy the fellowship and the time together. We go to meet the Lord in the air. We gather together, God gathering us together with his Son, to meet the Lord in the air, and to come back with him to this earth. The trumpet's then calling us from the ground. Not literally, right? God raising us by his power, bringing us to meet one another in the air, and then come back with Christ for those who are dead, those who are alive in Christ at his Second Coming. We will have this opportunity, this wonderful opportunity, to meet the Lord in a very special and different way. I can't help but think a little bit of my Southern upbringing. I grew up in North Dakota, which is not the South by any stretch of the imagination, but I traveled to Arkansas all the time. And it's not like Georgia or Alabama. But around in the South, you'll hear the comments, do you know the Lord? Have you met the Lord, honey? They would bring out this question. And often in my mind, I would think, well, not yet in that way.

We have a different relationship with our Savior now, and I know we all recognize that through faith. But we will meet him in a very literal way, in new bodies, meeting him in the clouds, at that final trumpet, ready for this time to meet him and to return with him.

I can't wait for that time of victory. We go back to 1 Corinthians 15 for a moment.

We went here before about this time of immortality. Putting on the clothes of immortality, no longer subject to death and decay. All of the work that we're doing here today, not being in vain. Verse 58, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Always having that opportunity to remember that all of our work is so that we can meet the Lord in the air. We recognize that we are waiting for those trumpet calls so that we can be assembled together for that special meeting in the air. We have this wonderful truth that has been revealed to us through God's holy days. The day of trumpets has many facets and aspects. You can talk a lot about the coming war and times of destruction that must take place, which we sometimes think of in the negative sense. We think of war and destruction as always bad, but we know that God does bring war and swift destruction, and God doesn't do anything that's bad. It will be for a cleansing fire, a time where the enemies of God, those who are rejecting God's intervention, will be quickly destroyed. But we also see on the other side of this the return of Jesus Christ, the setting up of His kingdom, the blowing of those trumpet sounds, proclaiming the coming kingdom of God, the blowing of these shofars used for proclamations. It's a memorial that points us forward to remembering this coming time. We get to rehearse this every year to always remember what we're seeking first. Mr. Elliott mentioned it briefly in his sermon this morning. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. This day is a memorial, a time that should remind us of that coming, setting up of the kingdom of God in form, in type. The time when Jesus Christ is enthroned, placed on His throne on earth, and the saints will be reigning with Him for a thousand years.

The day of trumpets, there are memorials pointing forward to that coming time. The establishment of the kingdom of God. Trumpets are also a memorial of the coming glorification of the saints. When our bodies will be changed and our illnesses will be healed, our scars will be gone, both the physical and the spiritual wounds that need to be healed. Because we have that promise of healing today, that time when we look forward to when God will fully wipe away all the decay and the scars that we've established our whole life. A time of glorification, new bodies. And we're all looking forward to that. It's also a memorial, a time that is pointing to this future time where the saints will meet the Lord at His return and will be there to greet Him as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. To be there to listen to His instruction, to take orders as a husband, as the bride will submit to her husband and serve as His perfect helpmate in the world tomorrow. As this day comes to an end, we have 353. I can't even remember when His sunset around here. Around 8 o'clock. 7-something. We have a few hours left and as this day comes to an end, we must always remember that this day is a shadow. It pictures something. It's a memorial. Always keeping alive that trumpets our proclamations. Always keeping alive the vision of what God is doing in these days. You and I, we are all in this together. I will have the great opportunity to be keeping three more holy days.

For a moment, I thought I counted that wrong. We get to an opportunity to rehearse a bit of God's plan, the steps of His plan, and where He is bringing salvation to all those we'll have that opportunity to hear. So as we started now into the fall holy day season, I'll be praying for you as we all go to different places. Of course, we have atonement next, but we need to keep alive the vision of God's plan in our mind as we're going into these next and final holy days of God's annual cycles. Because indeed, on the day of trumpets, the trumpets do proclaim. Happy day of trumpets.