Students of the Bible know and understand that, as believers and followers of Jesus, we are awaiting one special occasion: the last trumpet, signaling the moment when our Lord Jesus descends from heaven to “snatch us” from the grip of this earth to meet Him in the air!

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. 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.

~1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Bible students also know there are multiple trumpet sounds referenced in Scripture, so how do we know which one signals this special event? Well, let’s eliminate two options, often incorrectly associated with the rapture.

The most popular (and, I have to admit, was once my position regarding the rapture) is the trumpet that blows on Rosh HaShanah (Feast of Trumpets). Often, Bible students will attribute the Feast of Trumpets to the rapture of the church, based on knowing the seven major Jewish feasts serve as God’s calendar of Jesus’ first and second comings:

• Passover – Jesus is our Passover Lamb. He was sacrificed for our sin.
• Feast of Unleavened Bread – Just like a piece of matzos (unleavened bread), Jesus was bruised, pierced and striped for our transgressions.
• Feast of First Fruits – Jesus arose from the grave on the third day, making us “alive again” in Christ Jesus. He was first, and we follow!
• Pentecost – When Jesus left planet earth, He gave us the Holy Spirit. That great day was Pentecost.
• Feast of Trumpets – A future prophetic trumpet that will call Jews to a Sabbath rest and a holy convocation! Clearly, this is not the rapture of the church, but a Jewish event!
• Yom Kippur – A future prophetic event when Jews will repent in mourning for their rebellion against the One who came to redeem them. Their eyes will be opened and, according to Romans 11:26, all Israel (which remains at that time) will be saved.
• Feast of Tabernacles – A future prophetic event when Jews and Gentiles together will celebrate together and will worship Jesus as King of Kings!

Thus, unless the church has replaced Israel (which we have not!), then the Feast of Trumpets will remain what it has always been: a Jewish event…not the rapture.

Others believe the rapture will happen at the seventh trumpet in Revelation. Of course, this notion is absolutely ridiculous when one considers the timing. By the time the seventh trumpet in Revelation sounds, the Antichrist will have arisen (according to Revelation 6:2…prior to the seven trumpets) and billions of people on earth will have perished as a result of God’s wrath! That is obviously during the tribulation, and Jesus delivers us from that wrath! (1 Thessalonians 1:10) The rapture precedes the tribulation.

So, if neither of those two popular options are truly the trumpet signaling the rapture, which trumpet is it? It is often called the “last trumpet,” but again, timing is important. It will be the last trumpet of the church age, not the last trumpet referenced in Scripture! That trumpet will signal time for the church to go home and for the wrath of God to be poured out on earth.

Thus, if we are taken “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) at the rapture, will the sound of that trumpet even be heard on earth? I can’t answer that question, but I can say we need not be concerned about trumpets at the Feast of Trumpets or the seventh trumpet of Revelation!

Our trumpet could sound at any time. Are you ready?