1. The Rams’ Horns — Judgment
Turn to Joshua 6 and see those priests as they march after the armed men around the city of Jericho for seven days, and on the seventh day they compass the city seven times. Hear those loud, hoarse, awakening blasts they blow with those trumpets of rams’ horns. Wearied and tired with marching around the city, did they expect they were going to blow the strong walls of Jericho down with those puny blasts?
There were a few who had taken shelter in Rahab’s house, the only place of safety in that city, where the scarlet line hung at the window, but the city, as a whole, despised the warnings. At last the moment comes — the last note has sounded — the order has been given to raise the shout of victory; the mighty power of God overthrows the walls, while the sword of judgment does its deadly work on the inhabitants. So shall it be with this world.
Now look at another instance in the book of Jonah. Jonah is sent to that great city Nineveh to announce coming judgment because the wickedness of it had gone up to God. Hear the loud, alarming note which he sounds, “Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” Thank God, the note which Jonah sounded was an effectual one. The people heard, repented, and were saved from the judgment which he announced.
So it is in this great, godless, wicked world. Listen again to that long, loud, soul-startling blast the Apostle blows in Acts 17:30-31. “God commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom He hath ordained.” The ram’s horn has sounded its warning note. If you perish in the lake of fire, you will remember that you heard judgment announced, but did not heed, and then you are lost, eternally lost. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).
2. The Silver Trumpets — Grace
Now that we have heard the solemn blasts of judgment, let me turn your attention to the sweet notes of grace. First, read Numbers 10 with its two trumpets of silver. Silver is typical of grace in atonement. The people of Israel had to give a half shekel to make atonement for their souls (Ex. 30:11-16). These silver trumpets were for the calling of the assembly, as well as other uses, and only the priests could blow either these or the rams’ horns. Men consecrated to God must do God’s work. And is He not gathering His assembly just now? He is causing His servants to blow through the silver trumpets the sweet notes of grace and gather His loved ones — His blood-bought ones — together in this world, before the last trump sounds to summon them to another world. Thank God He is doing it.
Turn to Leviticus 25:9-10 — “Thou shalt cause the trumpet to sound ... in the Day of Atonement ... and proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants ... . and ye shall return every man to his possession — and to his family.” How precious this is; the silver trumpets sound their sweet note in the year of Jubilee, on the Day of Atonement. Everything is based on atonement. What a year of joy! How precious to the poor, wearied bondsman as he walks out from his servitude “a free man.” Ah, liberty is only valued when slavery has been felt. The liberty of the gospel is only the more appreciated when the drudgery and slavery of the devil has been experienced.
How blessed to hear the Lord Himself sounding that sweet note in the synagogue in Luke 4:18: “He hath sent me ... to proclaim deliverance to the captives ... to set at liberty them that are bruised.” Redemption is accomplished, and now He says to His servants, Go and sound the note of grace, and “turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me” (Acts 26:18). The gospel of the grace of God is sounding out far and wide, softly and sweetly through the silver trumpets.
3. The Last Trump — Glory
Now just a word about the last trump (1 Cor. 15:51-52). “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.” Through the Lord’s mercy, some of us were awakened by the loud, solemn, startling blasts of judgment; then we heard the sweet, blessed, silvery notes of grace and got peace in our souls. Now we are waiting for the sounding of the “last trump” to summon us to glory. How comforting to those who have trusted Christ to know we are to be up there with Christ forever. We wait the sounding of the last trump to call us away.
I suppose it is a Roman figure. The first trump was to strike their tents; the second trump was to get into marching order; the last trump was to march. How precious the thought that all is in readiness for the sounding of the last trump. We do not wait for death, nor do we look for signs. We wait for the Lord Himself; we listen for the last trump. Then the sorrows will cease, then the trials will end, then the wearied pilgrims will enter into the Father’s house and be forever with the Lord.
Oh, the joy of meeting Him! Who can express it? And the last trump is the announcement that the coming One has arrived, and we march to meet Him — or, as the Spirit puts it, “We are caught up to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:17). How precious the thought that it is Himself who is coming: “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven.” I am sure the longing in our souls must grow stronger for His coming again. Yet a little while longer, and the welcome note shall sound in the air. In a moment we shall be gone — caught up — changed — our bodies of humiliation, fashioned like His body of glory (Phil. 3:21), and we shall enter those courts above, to share glory forever. We shall be with Him who loved us and gave Himself for us, and to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
W. E.