THE BLOWING OF TRUMPETS
AN INTRODUCTION TO TABERNACLES
by George H. Warnock (written in 1951)
The Day of Trumpets was really an introduction to Israel's
third Feast, the Feast of Tabernacles or of Ingathering. Like the
Feast of the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles is of a threefold
nature. The Passover included (1) the Passover itself, (2) the
Un-leavened Bread, (3) the waving of the Sheaf. Then Pentecost
stands alone, between the Passover and Tabernacles. And finally
Tabernacles is observed, likewise in a series of three
ordinances, (1) Trumpets, (2) Atonement, (3) Tabernacles.
It might be interesting to consider the three Feasts of the
Lord in the light of the creative work in Genesis. When God
commanded "Let there be light," - light sprang forth out of
darkness, and we had the beginning of the old creation, the first
day. And so it was said concerning Israel at the time of the
Passover, "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months:
it shall be the first month of the year to you." (Ex. 12:2). Then
on the third day, God commanded the earth to bring forth her
produce, "the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose
seed is in itself." (Gen. 1:11.) Hence Pentecost occurred in the
third month, the time of harvest and fruitfulness, when the
precious fruit of the earth was to be gathered in. And finally we
come to the seventh day, when God "rested from all his work."
(Gen. 2:2.) So it was that the Feast of Tabernacles was observed
in the seventh month. Furthermore it was not only observed in the
seventh month, but it was the seventh event in Israel's series of
Feasts and their accompanying ordinances:
1. Passover.
2. Unleavened Bread.
3. Sheaf of Firstfruits.
4. Pentecost.
5. Trumpets.
6. Atonement.
7. Tabernacles.
In other words, it is the feast of rest for the Church--the
consummation of God's glorious purposes in His people so far as
this dispensation is concerned. We have much more to say
regarding this rest which "remaineth for the people of God," but
we will deal with it later when we consider the various
characteristics of the Feast of Tabernacles.
A NEW HARVEST
From the earliest days in Israel, time was reckoned not only
from the month of the Passover, but there existed what was called
a Civil or Agricultural year, which began in the seventh month. It
is evident from Ex. 23:16 and 34:22 that the seventh month was
the end of the old and the beginning of this new year. Also, from
Lev. 25:9 we discover that the year of jubilee began in the
seventh month. All this helps us to understand more clearly
Joel's prophecy: "He will cause to come down for you the rain,
the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month." (Joel
2:23.) The "first month" mentioned here is not the Passover
month, but the beginning of this Agricultural or Civil year. A
good translation is, "At the beginning of the season . . ." It
was the end of the year, when the corn, the wine and the oil were
gathered in, but it was also the beginning of a new Agricultural
Year, when the rains could be expected.
All this is beautifully significant so far as the Church of
Jesus Christ is concerned--for she has now come to the end of her
long--and in many ways, discouraging career, and is about to
enter a New Day in the Spirit. We thank God for her beginning at
the Cross--the fountain and source of every spiritual blessing
that we have ever enjoyed in the Church, or shall ever enjoy in
eternity. We thank God also for the great harvest which began at
Pentecost and has continued in considerable measure ever since.
But the real harvest is just ahead! A harvest not only of
souls, but of the fruit of the Spirit in the midst of the saints.
Pentecost was a harvest of Firstfruits. This Feast of the seventh
month constitutes the real ingathering of God's great harvest
field: "The feast of harvest, the Firstfruits of thy labours,
which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering,
which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy
labours out of the field." (Ex. 23:16.)
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TRUMPETS
"Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou
make them ..." (Num. 10:2.) In the verses which follow it is
clear what the blowing of the Trumpets signified to Israel:
1. Calling the assembly. (vs. 2.)
2. Journeying of the Camps. (vs. 3-6.)
3. Preparation for war. (vs. 9.)
4. Celebration of the Feasts. (vs. 10.)
We will deal with each of these later; but first, what about
the significance of the "silver," and the fact there were "two"
trumpets? It is evident that "silver" in the Scriptures speaks of
redemption.
Whenever Israel was numbered, every man was required to give
by way of ransom a half-shekel, and the money thus collected was
used in the service of the sanctuary. (See Ex. 30:12-16; Lev.
25.48). The number "two," as we have discovered, speaks of Christ
in union with His people, the "one new man",.. the Church of
Jesus Christ Hence the significance of the blowing of the two
silver trumpets on the first day of the seventh month. "Speak
unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the
first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of
blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation." (Lev. 23:24.) It is the
day and hour of the fulness of redemption's story, proclaimed in
the power of the Holy Spirit by God's people. Yes, the trumpets
were blown for all the Feasts as their seasons came around; but
there was a day and an hour when the blowing of the Trumpets took
on what you might call a seasonal significance, hence a
dispensational significance. And that hour is upon us. From the
historical standpoint the Church has enjoyed her Passover and her
Pentecost--and the age of Pentecost is now about to reach her
glorious climax, giving way to the Feast of Ingathering. We stand
now in fields "white unto harvest," when the corn and wine and
oil must be gathered in, and God is beginning to send forth his
ministers as never before--for this is the Day of the blowing of
Trumpets. As one age or dispensation draws to a close, and
another follows, there is always that overlapping and merging of
the one into the other. Thus the Law merged into Grace through
the ministry of John the Baptist and that of Christ. And so it
is, we believe, with the Feasts. Even as Pentecost draws to its
climax, the Day of Trumpets is being ushered in. And even as the
full glory of Pentecost is about to break upon us--so also the
Trumpets are beginning to blow, heralding the coming of a still
more glorious Feast. The Trumpet ministry, as we have mentioned,
is fourfold:
1. CALLING THE ASSEMBLY (Num. 10:2)
Once again is the Lord raising up a John the Baptist
ministry to declare the Day of the Lord, and the approaching
Kingdom. Again there is the "voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord." Again the cry goes
forth from God's anointed ministries everywhere for the saints to
assemble themselves together in the unity of the Spirit, to cast
aside their carnal sectarian ways, and to hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches. John on Patmos was caught away in the
Spirit and heard the words of One like unto the Son of Man
calling the seven churches, and the voice "was a great voice, as
of a Trumpet" (Rev. 1:10). With clarion call is the Lord now
speaking unto His people through the various ministries which He
hath established in the Body of Christ, calling the assembly to
gether that they might hear "what the Spirit saith unto the
churches." Not only does this refer to the seven churches of
Asia, nor yet to the seven historical church periods from
Pentecost until now--but it refers to the seven-fold church of
this present day and hour. That is to say, He is addressing the
complete Church of this day and hour in which we live, "seven"
being the number of completion. With trumpet voice the Spirit
calleth to His people everywhere: to patience, to love, to
repentance, to endurance, to faith in Christ in the midst of
Satanic opposition, to holiness of life. In this great Day of
Trumpets we should all study carefully the first three chapters
of Revelation, and pay heed to their trumpet-like appeal to the
people of God. They constitute the burden of the Spirit to God's
people everywhere, wooing them to repentance, and promising them
great and mighty things if they will "overcome" the world, the
flesh, and the Devil. "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice
like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the
house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to
know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness . . ." (Isa.
58:1,2.) This is no time for pretty sermons and soothing words to
a backslidden and corrupt Church; this is the Day of Trumpets.
2. THE JOURNEYING OF THE CAMPS (Num. 10:3-6)
The Church has camped around this mountain long enough. Said
God to Joshua, "Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go
over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which
I do give to them." (Josh. 1:2.) God is calling His people to go
forward, as never before in the history of the Church. Only men
who have ears to hear have been able to hear the call of the
Spirit, but the Trumpet is blowing nevertheless, and many have
heard the call. Thank God for the manna which has sustained us
throughout our pilgrimage journey, even unto now. Thank God for
the water out of the rock, to quench our thirst. Thank God for
the Holy Spirit, the cloud that has gone ahead of us, and
directed us all through this great and terrible wilderness. But
there are better things ahead! We must leave the manna, and the
water out of the rock, and enter into a new realm, a new
experience. Instead of manna there is the old corn of Canaan.
Instead of water out of the rock, there are ceaseless,
perpetually flowing waters from springs and rivers and lakes of
the land of rest. Instead of drought there is the dew of heaven
every morning, and rain in due season. Instead of barrenness and
heat there is fertility and life and blessing in the realm of the
Spirit, in the heritage of Beulah. Let us go forward as we see
the Ark of the Covenant crossing Jordan, with the priests the
Levites bearing it.
3. PREPARATION OF THE PEOPLE FOR WAR (Num: 10:9)
"Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy
mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the
day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; a day of darkness
and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the
morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong;
there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more
after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth
before them, and behind them a flame burneth. . ." (Joel 2:1-3.)
Joel's prophecy is the sound of a Trumpet from beginning to
end. In this passage he is sounding the alarm for war: calling
God's people together to prepare for battle, for the great Day of
the Lord is at hand. It shall be a Day of darkness and gloominess
to the unrighteous and disobedient, but "as the morning spread
upon the mountains" to the people who know their God, and are
therefore "great and strong."
THE CHURCH'S FALSE HOPE
The Church of Christ is literally filled with carnal,
earthlyminded Christians who sit back in ease and self-complaceny
and await a rapture that will translate them out of the midst of
earth's Great Tribulation at the beginning of the Day of the
Lord. To this generation of world-conformers God speaks in no
uncertain terms: "Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord!
to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and
not light." (Amos 5:18.) In the vast majority of evangelical
circles we are taught that any moment all God's people shall be
caught up, raptured, to be with the Lord in the air--to escape
the Great Tribulation which soon shall visit the earth. It is not
true. The saints shall be "caught up" all right; but "every man
in his own order." (1 Cor. 15:23). What that order is does not
concern us right now; but the fact remains, we are nowhere taught
that the saints are going to escape the hour of Great Tribulation
by way of rapture.
WHY WERE THE THESSALONIANS TROUBLED?
If it is true, as we are generally taught, that the
Thessalonian Christians thought they had missed the rapture
because of the supposed letter they had received from the apostle
Paul, then how is it that the apostle Paul must have missed it
too? Apparently they had received a letter bearing Paul's
signature, stating that the Day of the Lord had started or was
about to start. (2 Thess. 2:2.) And the common explanation is
that they were "troubled," because they expected they would have
been raptured when this Day began. Now if the Thessalonians
actually thought that Paul wrote that deceptive letter--and it is
clear that they did,--then why should they be "troubled," for if
they missed the rapture, then Paul must have missed it too!
But no, Paul had never taught them that they should be taken
away from the earth when the Great Tribulation started. What he
did tell them was that they should not be "moved" by afflictions
or tribulations of any kind, "for yourselves know that we are
appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told
you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to
pass, and ye know." (1 Thess. 3:3,4.) Knowing, therefore, that
they were to go through the Tribulation, they were particularly
"troubled" about this deceptive letter they received, because
according to this letter the Day of the Lord, or the Great
Tribulation, was just about to start. Paul therefore would
comfort them again by informing them that this great and terrible
Day of the Lord "shall not come, except there come a falling away
first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." (2
Thess. 2:3.) The Day of the Lord, Paul would tell them, was not
imminent, because the man of sin had to be revealed before that
great Day. It is not our purpose to prove, or to disprove, that
"the man of sin" has been revealed. The fact remains that a
"rapture" is not held out to the saints as their hope in the hour
of the Great Tribulation; nor are we taught that the saints who
are walking in the light are going to be caught unawares when the
Day of the Lord begins. On the contrary we are told, "But ye,
brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you
as a thief" (1 Thess. 5:4).
AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH
As for the hour of the Great Tribulation, Jesus said it
would be as in the days of Noah. What happened, then, at the time
of the Flood? Those who were spared the wrath of God were left
right in the very midst of the wrath of God, but protected by the
ark. So shall it be in the Day of the Lord. "The one shall be
taken, and the other left." (Matt: 24:40). Now who were taken at
the time of the flood? We read, "The flood came, and took them
all away,"--all except those who were in the ark. (Matt. 24:39).
In the very same way, Jesus said, would men be taken as in a
"snare" at the time of the Day of the Lord. (Lk. 21:35). The
powers of darkness and the wrath of God shall be poured out with
such sudden fury over all the earth, that men shall be caught
unawares, as if in a trap, and shall not escape. "For when they
shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon
them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not
escape." (1 Thess. 5:3).
Just in what manner this sudden destruction shall come upon
men, perhaps we do not understand; but it shall be as in the days
of Noah. Sudden cataclysmic judgments shall fall upon the earth,
the ungodly shall be "taken" suddenly as in a "snare," but the
righteous shall be "left" in a place of safety. They shall be "in
Christ," hidden away in "the secret place of the Most High." With
their eyes they shall see and behold the reward of iniquity, for
they shall be right on the earth; but they shall be in safety.
What very few people understand is this: that this great event
which shall constitute a snare and a trap to earth-dwellers or
earthly-minded Christians, shall become a glory and a power and a
means of victory to the one who is walking with God. Jesus
promised "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also
will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon
all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Rev.
3:10). And if God's people will but study the Scriptures
carefully, they will discover in what manner the Lord keeps His
own from temptation and from trial. One thing is sure: it is not
by carrying them aloft in celestial chariots of ease to some
Elysian fields--but by becoming their shelter and protection in
the very midst of trouble and distress. Behold the children of
Israel in the very midst of Egypt's desolation, but protected by
the glory of God and the rod of Moses. They had flies throughout
all Egypt, but there were none in the homes of Israel. Frogs
everywhere, but not in the humble cottages of the Israelites.
Hail and pestilence on the fields of the Egyptians, but not on
the fields of Israel. Darkness and gloominess throughout all
Egypt for three days--a darkness so dense that it could be felt-
-but light in the homes of Israel. The death angel passes through
all the land of Egypt, even over the homes of the Israelites, but
passing or "fluttering" over the blood-sprinkled door posts of
the covenant people of God. See Daniel in the lion's den, but it
is no torment to him; the very beasts became his best friends.
Behold the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, but they
are not consumed. Yea, the very fire which was intended for their
destruction became their light and their life--it consumed the
cords which bound their arms and legs, and to the form of one
like unto the Son of Man was seen walking side by side with them
in the midst of the flames.
Thank God for this great and mighty truth: the day of the
Lord to the wicked is "not light . . . but darkness." But to the
righteous, and those who have appropriated the fulness of the
Spirit and are walking with God, the Day of gloom and Great
Tribulation is not darkness, but a light and a glory. To the
disobedient, "A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of
clouds and of thick darkness." But to the great and mighty army
of the Lord it shall be "as the morning spread upon the
mountains: a great people and a strong" (Joel 2:2).
THE DAY OF GOD'S POWER
The Church and the world are both going to be greatly
surprised when they discover that the Great Tribulation,
unleashed in all its fury, is nothing more nor less than the
greatest display of Divine power and glory that this world has
ever witnessed. (We should, perhaps, call this day the Day of the
Lord, instead of the Great Tribulation; for it is only Great
Tribulation to those who have not discovered "the secret place of
the Most High"). The unveiling of the might and power and glory
of God in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation is
going to produce on the one hand the Great Tribulation, and on
the other hand the power and glory of the saints.
"Yet once more." saith God, "I shake not the earth only, but also
the heaven" (Heb. 12:26). And this shaking is going to cast Satan
and his principalities from their heavenly throne, while the Sons
of God ascend into "the heavenlies"--first of all in the
Spirit--to take upon themselves the authority which belongeth to
those who are overcomers. And entering into this place of power
and authority, the Sons of God shall be able to administer
protection, and comfort, and help, and deliverance, and blessing
to such as are in need. All this is confirmed by the prophecy of
Joel the Trumpeter, concerning the Day of the Lord.
"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of
the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon
shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from
Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the
Lord will be the hope (shelter) of his people, and the strength
(refuge) of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am
the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall
Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her
any more. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the
mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with
milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a
fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall
water the valley of Shittim" (Joel 3:14-18).
What can be more clear than this: darkness, the shaking of
heaven and earth, judgment,--but in God there is shelter and
refuge and new wine and milk, and refreshing waters from the
house of the Lord!
And why is this? Because the shaking of the heavens is in
reality, not merely the shaking of the natural sun and moon and
stars, but the shaking from their celestial thrones of the powers
of darkness and the hosts of wickedness, and the rising up of the
Sons of God in the power of the Spirit, to take the Kingdom which
Satan has usurped and occupied for so long.
That Satan's kingdom is situated in "the heavenlies" is
Paul's teaching to the Ephesians (Eph. 6:12). From there he rules
and reigns over the world and the false Church, as "prince of the
power of the air" and "god of this world." But "the heavenlies"
is also the heritage of the children of God; for God "hath raised
us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places (in
the heavenlies) in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). The child of God is
therefore called upon to war against these evil hosts of
wickedness who have usurped the authority of Christ and His
Church. Says Paul, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of
the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places (the heavenlies)" (Eph. 6:12).
(As I've shown in other studies on this Website, the Great
Tribulation is NOT the "day of the Lord" - we have when Scripture
is put with Scripture, the Great Tribulation, the Heavenly Signs,
and the Day of the Lord - in that order. From the start of the
great Tribulation to the end of the Day of the Lord and the
coming again of Jesus Christ to this earth, is about 42 months,
1260 days, a time and times and half a time, as declared by the
book of Revelation, hence about 3 and a 1/2 years; Daniel 12 last
verses adds more days to the basic 1260 days of Revelation. But
in round numbers we have 3 and 1/2 years at the end of this age
where as Jesus said in Luke 24, all that is written will be
fulfilled. Nearly all endtime prophecy in the Bible concerns the
last 42 months of this age and the coming of the Messiah Christ
in power and glory to establish the Kingdom of God on earth -
Keith Hunt)
THE CHURCH--DEFEATED
Can you see, child of God, what a tremendous heritage is
ours, and how Satan has completely usurped the authority of the
Sons of God? Paul says, "We wrestle . . ." True, Paul did so to a
certain extent, along with some of the saints through the
ages---but as a whole the Church of Christ has suffered defeat
from the powers of darkness for century upon century. Deceived on
every hand; afflicted with all manner of sickness and disease;
demon-oppressed and demonpossessed; filled with carnality, sin,
bitterness, bewilderment, sorrow, fear, and torment. The surging
masses of humanity, including many of the real saints of God,
have been taken captive by the "god of this world," and instead
of a glorious Church one needs only to visit a great healing
meeting to behold a veritable Museum of the Devil displaying his
exhibits: children of God twisted into the most gruesome forms;
hobbling on crutches; dragging themselves; crawling on the
ground; men with tortured minds; oppressed by demons; and cast
into Satan's mould of deception, fear, torment and filth. Thank
God for the measure of deliverance we can see beginning to come
to pass, and for the mighty healing power of God that is being
delivered unto mankind through His anointed servants--but Oh, how
little we have seen yet in comparison with the tremendous need
that presents itself! And yet the saints really think they are
telling the truth when they stand religiously on a Sunday
morning, and sing to the charming peal of the organ:
"Like a mighty army, moves the Church of God, Brothers, we are
treading, where the saints have trod. We are not divided, all one
body we, One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. Onward,
Christian soldiers! Marching as to war! With the Cross of Jesus,
Going on before."
The exact opposite is just about the truth of the situation:
a defeated band of slaves, divided into a thousand sects, all
having different hopes and different doctrines, and knowing
nothing of charity. "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an
alarm in my holy mountain . . ." Arise, Church of God, from the
dust of defeat and desolation. Put on your beautiful garments,
and the whole armour of God! The Trumpet call goes forth in this
great hour, calling for a Gideon's band who shall be "more than
conquerors" through Christ that loved us. And the band is being
prepared, for which we are thankful; an army whose power is not
in themselves, but in the Sword of the Lord.
WAR IN HEAVEN
The Book of Revelation is in reality, not the Revelation of
John, but as John himself stated: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ
. . ." The word "Revelation" is "Apokalupsis," the very same word
that is translated "The manifestation (apokalupsis) of the Sons
of God . . ." (Rom. 8:19). Literally, it is the Unveiling of
Jesus Christ that John was told to write about there on the isle
of Patmos. It is lamentable that the Church should have become so
deceived as to refuse to believe the Book is for them; so many
are teaching that just the first three chapters are for the
Church. However, it is enough for us that John should have said,
"The Unveiling of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show
unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass....
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this
prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for
the time is at hand" (Rev. 1: 1,3).
If you want to be blessed, then, read this wonderful book
and believe it is for you. God is speaking by the Spirit to as
many as have "ears to hear." If you can hear its message, then it
is for you.
And so we are told in the Book of Revelation what happens
when the powers of heaven are shaken: "And there was war in
heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the
dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was
their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was
cast out, that old (ancient) serpent, called the Devil, and
Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the
earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Rev. 12:7-9). The
powers of heaven shaken! Yes, and that means Great Tribulation
for the earth-dwellers, but glory and honour and salvation for
the saints! "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is
come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the
power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast
down, which accused them before our God day and night. . . .
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil
is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth
that he hath but a short time" (Rev. 12:10-12).
And then what happens? "And when the dragon saw that he was
cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth
the man child" (vs. 13). By this time this man-child company,
this group of overcomers brought forth by the travail of the
Church, is in a place of power and authority in the "heavenlies";
and the Church that brought forth the man child through much pain
and spiritual travail, is left in the earth. For a time she is
persecuted by the Dragon who lost his heavenly throne, but soon a
place is prepared for the "woman" in the wilderness, where she is
nourished and protected.
(This is the start of the Great Tribulation - when Satan and his
band are cast back to the earth after the war in heaven. Satan
will come with anger and madness in his mind and will use his
century long weapon of a woman Babylon church ruling a mighty
secular Europe power - a last resurrection of the Holy Roman
Empire - to fight many nations of the world and including the
very saints of the Most High God. Some of the saints must die for
the faith once delivered to the saints [as Jude said it], but the
other saints will be protected from the wrath of Satan; they will
find a place of safety in the wilderness [not heaven by a secret
rapture], as it was in the dark middle ages - Keith Hunt)
THE MAN--CHILD
This whole picture is a wonderful description of the Church
of this hour. We cannot deal at length with the subject here, but
a few Scriptures will help us to see the picture more clearly. As
we mentioned before, Satan rules and reigns over the earth from
his exalted position in "the heavenlies." That is his fortress;
but it is likewise the heritage of the saints. There it is that
God hath blessed the Church with all spiritual blessings, even in
"the heavenlies" (Eph. 1:3), and there it is that we are called
upon to wrestle with Satan, as we become clothed upon with the
"whole armour of God" (Eph. 6:12,13). Now when the saints of God
begin to really press into their heritage in Christ Jesus, Satan
is going to object--and there will be "war in heaven." Hence the
great "wrestling" that Paul speaks about. Michael the Archangel
himself is going to enter the fray on behalf of God's people in
this great Day of the Lord, and he is going to take up their
cause in this heavenly warfare. God has promised he would. "And
at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which
standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a
time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even
to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be
delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book"
(Dan. 12:1). The angelic hosts are ministering spirits sent forth
to wait in service upon the elect; and Michael is one of their
chief princes. Consequently the hosts of Satan are cast down; the
overcomer takes his place of authority in the place left vacant
by these evil hosts of wickedness; and hence the triumphant
shout, "Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them
. . ." But the Dragon, having lost his kingdom, roams through the
earth in great wrath, tormenting men, and attempting to persecute
the Church which was responsible for bringing forth the
overcoming man child. But God in mercy has a place prepared for
her "in the wilderness"--some secret, spiritual hiding-place, and
there she is protected and nourished. God, therefore, promised
Daniel: "Thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be
found written in the book." As we shall discover later, when we
deal with the priesthood of this overcoming group, they shall be
in a place of power and authority with God, and shall be able to
administer the help and protection and sustenance that the Church
needs.
4. THE CELEBRATION OF THE FEASTS
This brings us to the fourth purpose for which the silver
trumpets were made. They were also used to call the people
together to observe the solemn Feasts of the Lord. Joel's
prophecy is the sound of a Trumpet from beginning to end-and in
addition to calling God's people to repentance, and to prepare
themselves for war, he likewise calls the saints to the Feasts of
the Lord.
"Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn
assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble
the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts:
let the bridegroom forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her
closet ... Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people,
Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be
satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among
the heathen . . . Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the
Lord will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field:
for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree
beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their
strength. Be glad then, ye children, and rejoice in the Lord your
God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he
will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and
the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full
of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil . . ."
(Joel 2:15-24).
The whole passage speaks loudly of the Feast of Tabernacles,
and the coming glory of the Lord when the corn and the wine and
the oil are to be gathered in; and at the same time, the hour of
the rain from Heaven--the former and the latter rain combined.
LAMENTATIONS OF THE PROPHETS
God's people everywhere should pay heed to the solemn
exhortations and lamentations of the prophets. Jeremiah, who
lamented over the desolation of the earthly Jerusalem, cried in
the anguish of his spirit: "How doth the city sit solitary, that
was full of people! How is she become as a widow! She that was
great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is
she become tributary! She weepeth sore in the night, and her
tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to
comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her,
they are become her enemies" (Lam. 1:1,2). And again, "Remember,
O Lord, what is come upon us; consider, and behold our reproach.
Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. We
are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows . . ."
(Lam. 5:1-3).
If we could but take time to examine in detail these and
similar Scriptures, how clearly we would see the true condition
of the Church! Once married to Christ in the days of the early
apostles, now a widow. Once a great and mighty spiritual power,
now a tributary to the nations--and to the denominations. Once
possessors of a rich heritage in the Spirit, now Satan holds
authority in the "heavenlies" where the Church should reign. Once
nourished by spiritual fathers with apostolic meekness, love, and
authority; now the Church is full of orphans, having very few who
really cherish her children, and the children themselves being
loathe to recognize God-appointed leaders and fathers. No wonder
Joel blows the Trumpet, and calls for repentance and lamentation:
"The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted:
the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. Be ye ashamed, O
ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the
barley; because the harvest of the field is perished. The vine is
dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the
palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the
field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons
of men. Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl ye
ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye
ministers of my God (Joel 1:10-13). In other words, Pentecost has
lost its meaning--because the harvest has failed. There is no
Feast of Tabernacles--because there is no early or latter rain,
and the vineyards and the olive trees have perished. The fruits
and graces of the Spirit are woefully lacking; and the flesh
practically reigns in the Church.
(Indeed the Christian church today is weak and powerless as to
true REPENTANCE and truly teaching people to live by every word
of God. The popular Christian church is full of sin and false
teachings and does not accept the Feasts of the Lord. Even within
the true saints of God there has arisen a falling away, many
false prophets and deceivers who have turned the saints to
following physical men and organizations. Far too many using the
name of Christ today, are not seeking the faith once delivered to
the saints - Keith Hunt)
THE DAY OF TRUMPETS IS UPON THE CHURCH
In view of what we have seen regarding the meaning of the
Trumpet, and its significance in calling the people to
repentance, there is no doubt that we are beginning to see the
Blowing of Trumpets fulfilled before our very eyes. Perhaps we
have not witnessed much yet by way of causing an alarm: only
those with ears to hear and eyes to see have been able to discern
the voice of Him that speaketh with the sound of a Trumpet in the
midst of the seven golden candlesticks. But His voice is
beginning to be heard, nevertheless, and the saints are mustering
for battle.
Psalm 81 is very significant of this day and hour in which
we live, for it refers directly to the Day of Trumpets. Indeed,
it is thought by some to have been composed especially for the
Day of Trumpets.
A careful examination of this Psalm will reveal just why the
Trumpetcall of the saints thus far has failed to produce any
notable results. "Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful
noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm, and bring hither the
timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow up the trumpet
in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out
through the land of Egypt: Where I heard a language that I
understood not . . ." (Ps. 81:1-5).
That seems to have been the trouble with those who have been
blowing the trumpets of present-day revivals: the language has
been a foreign language, and consequently there has been no
genuine preparation for battle. Our language has been one that
men have not understood.
THE UNCERTAIN SOUND
Says Paul, "For if the Trumpet give an uncertain sound, who
shall prepare himself to the battle? (1 Cor. 14:8). From this
verse, and the verses that follow, we find that Paul is exhorting
the saints to minister in the Body of Christ in such a way that
the saints shall be edified. Such a ministry is the only
Trumpet-call that will work a real work of preparedness in the
hearts of the saints. We must have a genuine ministration of the
gifts of the Spirit if the call of God is to go forth with power.
For many years now the Church has enjoyed a foretaste of
Pentecost. But it has been a language that we "Understood Not."
And that in itself would not be so bad, were it not for the fact
that no one else has understood our language either. God's plan
for the saints is that they should become the veritable "epistle
of Christ ... written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the
living God" (2 Cor. 3:3). On the contrary, the Church has done
everything but reveal Christ from the pages of the heart and
soul. Rather do men look upon us and read a story of carnality,
sin, wickedness, division, disunity, bitterness and strife. They
know the Church is supposed to be God's Bible, and therefore they
read it intently, but they understand not the language which they
read. It is absolutely contrary to their conception as to what
Christianity should really be. And consequently, they turn away
in disgust.
The Trumpets are sounding--but to most people the sound has
been one of "a blaring trumpet or a clanging cymbal" (1 Cor.
13:1, Weymouth). The Trumpet has been giving forth an uncertain
sound from all the various branches of the Church, who profess to
have the baptism of the Spirit, and the gifts and ministries of
the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit--but no one prepares
himself "to the battle" because of the uncertainty of the sound.
(Much has been the disunity and party-spirit of the Church of God
in the last few hundred years. There have been breaks and splits,
men arising to draw followers after themselves. Some teachers and
preachers started right but went astray in time through vanity
and ego. Some turned their eyes off the Master Jesus by the
physical riches they obtained from those who followed them. Some
became despots and tyrants with authority and power, turning
their organization into a cult. Yet for those who could still see
and hear, for the new ones who had not been deceived by the
slight and craftiness of the Devil, the TRUMPET of the truth of
the Word of God has been there to find, to prove all things and
to hold fast to that which is good and correct - Keith Hunt)
THE CERTAIN TRUMPET CALL OF THE MINISTRIES
This uncertainty of the Trumpet is going to cease, and in
the near future. God's pattern has not been observed, and
therefore we could not expect much more than confusion. But the
pattern is being revealed, and God is raising up His own
ministers who shall sound the Trumpet with such clarity, that men
will know the voice of God and the meaning of the voice, and they
will prepare for battle. God said, "The sons of Aaron, the
priests, shall blow with the trumpets" (Num. 10:8). Ministries of
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are being
established in the Church, established moreover by God Himself,
and their Trumpet-call shall not go unheeded. Their word shall be
with authority, and not as the Scribes. And their authority shall
not be by self-appointment, nor by human-appointment, but rather
by the appointment of the Holy Spirit, and the ordination of
Christ. Soon there will be a "language" uttered in the
congregation of the saints which men shall understand; for it
shall be the Trumpetcall of power and authority, even as the very
oracles of God.
Therefore, as we contemplate the coming glory of the Feast
of Ingathering, how we rejoice in what God is now doing in the
Blowing of the Trumpets. For there can be no latter rain, no
vintage, no ingathering of the oil and corn and wine--without the
blowing up of "the trumpet in the new moon, in the time
appointed, on our solemn feast day." It is the Feast of the New
Moon! The new moon! Yes, it is the same old moon that God
established in the heavens from the foundation of the world, but
now it doth enter a new phase! The very same Church that was
established upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone . . . but the
Church doth now enter a new phase of her existence. A new day is
about to dawn! A new life is to be our portion! A new heritage in
the Spirit looms before us! "Blow up the trumpet" therefore, ye
ministers of God, sound an alarm in God's holy mountain of Zion,
shew God's people their transgression, and call them to mourning
and to repentance because of the desolation of God's heritage. It
will not be long ere the Day of Trumpets shall have served its
purpose, and the Church of Christ shall enter into her rest.
......
Note:
The author of the above wrote it in 1951. How much truth it
contained has now been clearly shown in the Church of God in the
last 60 years (as I enter this in 2010). The falling away of
some, the corruptions by some, the false teachings of some, the
ego power of some, the vanity and lies of some, have all taken
place in the Church of Christ over the last 6 decades, but in it
all God has always had His true servants blowing the trumpet of
repentance and truth and restoration. So it will be even to the
end of this age.
Keith Hunt
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