July 5: HERALD OF DELIVERANCE

And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Revelation 8:2

With seven trumpets, a series of revelations is launched that covers the same span of history that is covered by the opening of the seals, beginning with the cross of Christ and ending with His return for His bride. The special significance of trumpet-blowing in Scripture is associated with a variety of occasions. In the case of an attack, it served as an alarm, a warning of approaching danger. There was a certain trumpet call that functioned as a summons to battle. Another call was for the coronation of a king, and another for a festival gathering. Trumpets were used in the context of the temple liturgy, and served as a reminder to God’s people that they were on “tour of duty” in the ongoing cosmic battle between good and evil: the Lord’s army, prepared and always ready to stand for righteousness. In all of these settings, the intervention of God in human history is signified. The sound of the trumpet was a message of good tidings because, in every situation that occasioned its use, it was a herald of God’s deliverance of His faithful people.

A key aspect of trumpet blowing may surprise you. We have seen that it serves as an alarm or a call, but in Numbers chapter 10 we learn that this alarm is directed toward God so that He will remember His people: … then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies. (Numbers 10:9) In Revelation, the trumpets sounded by holy angels announce to us that He indeed remembers all of the needs and predicaments of His faithful people. In truth, His knowledge of our needs and predicaments is far greater than we can know for ourselves.  

Take special note: there is only one other event in the Bible that makes a display of seven trumpets.

So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. Joshua 6:8

The walls of Jericho represented the erecting of a barrier to keep out the LORD. The ark of the covenant contained the Ten Commandments, borne as the Standard of judgment. The upholding of this standard, announced by the seven trumpets, brought the walls of Jericho down in a great crash. As we will soon see, the sounding of the seventh trumpet in Revelation will mark the worldwide crash of the Babylonian religio-political system. For a sneak preview, see Revelation 11:15.

Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. Revelation 11:19