Jesus Comes Back at the 7th Trumpet

There are so many opinions in the world today, and so many teachings that are not in the Bible. We must examine scripture and not take any teachings into our hearts that aren't in scripture. It is extremely important not to be presumptuous. Before we start looking at what scripture says about when Jesus is coming back, we need to understand the importance of believing scripture over believing what teachers or theologians say.

Scripture tells us in the last days people will accumulate for themselves teachers that will tickle their ears (2 Timothy 4:3). There will be someone out there willing to tickle your ears. The way to stay safe is to go to the Word of God to see what God says. We see how important it is to hold fast to the Word of God in 1 Samuel 15:23.

“For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He has also rejected you from being king.”
1 Samuel 15:23 NASB® 1995

In this section of scripture, King Saul has sinned against God by being rebellious and insubordinate.

Strong’s Lexicon: The Hebrew word for “insubordination” is pāṣar 6484; it means to press, push, be insolent, and display pushing (arrogance, presumption).

If you go back and read this whole chapter, you will see that God gave King Saul directions, but he chose not to follow them instead, he was presumptuous. He did what he thought would be good. He believed in a lie, so he and his men sinned against God.

The Oxford Languages Dictionary definition for presumption is an idea that is taken to be true and often used as the basis for other ideas, although it is not known for certain, behavior perceived as arrogant, disrespectful, and transgressing the limits of what is permitted or appropriate.

King Saul presumed something to be true, but it was not true, so he disregarded the Word of God and believed a lie. We see from this scripture that because Saul rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord rejected Saul from being king. This shows us how dangerous it is to believe something other than what scripture says.

Now let's look at what scripture says about when Jesus is coming back. The whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 talks about the resurrection; verses 50–52 tell us when it will happen.

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:50-52 NASB® 1995

It says at the last trumpet, we will all be changed. 1 Thessalonians 4 gives us more on this.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 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 not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NASB® 1995

We see that Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. This will happen at the last trumpet. Now we will go to the book of Revelation and see when the last trumpet sounds.

Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.
Revelation 11:15-17 NASB® 1995

This is the last trumpet. What we need to know is that 7 trumpets have to sound, and before these trumpets sound, 7 seals have to open. In the 7th seal, there are 7 trumpets. Jesus returns when the 7th trumpet is blown. We know from scripture that no one will know the time or the hour, but what we do know is that Jesus tells us to pay attention to the events in the world. He says in Matthew 24 to look at the fig tree and see when the branches are tender and put forth their leaves; then we will know the time is near. This means paying attention and being wise.

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
Matthew 24:32-36 NASB® 1995

Jesus lists events in Matthew 24 that must happen before He comes back. The 7 seals in Revelation chapters 6-11 also reveal the events leading up to the blowing of the 7th trumpet.

Now that we see in scripture that Jesus is coming back at the last trumpet, which is the 7th trumpet, I want to speak on a topic that I hear about often concerning end-time events. I often hear people say they believe in either a pre-tribulation rapture, mid-tribulation rapture, or post-tribulation rapture. If you have never heard these statements, that is wonderful, but for everyone who has, I want to point out what tribulation is. If you are one of the people who have heard, I want to challenge you to dig deep into what you believe and what you may be saying to others. The first thing to point out is that the word rapture is not in the scriptures. The word rapture was used in the 1600s. It is derived from the Latin word raptor, which is related to the Greek word harpazo but is not the same and brings different doctrines with it. Rapture is believed to be based on 1 Thessalonians 4:17, when Paul uses the Greek word harpazō, which means to seize, catch up, snatch away, or carry off by force. In the early 19th century, it started getting popularized in the church, and doctrines started being built around it. It has grown into more and more presumptuous teachings ever since. It means different things to different people. As disciples of Jesus, we are to learn what is in scripture. The scripture tells us that there is a "first resurrection." This first resurrection contains a lot of events, but you can see the statement in Revelation 20:5, which states, "This is the first resurrection." The first resurrection is what happens when Jesus comes, and saints who are asleep are raised from the dead and meet Jesus in the air at the last trumpet.

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
Revelation 20:5 NASB® 1995

Jesus says this.

Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
John 5:28-29 NASB® 1995

There is a first resurrection, it is the resurrection of life; then the second resurrection, the resurrection of judgment, will happen a thousand years later. You can find the resurrection of judgment in Revelation 20:11-15

Now let's look at the word “tribulation”.

From Strong’s Lexicon: “Tribulation” is thlipsis (2347) in Greek, it means - pressure, tribulation, affliction, distress,
From HELPS Word-studies: 2347 thlipsis properly, pressure (what constricts or rubs together), used of a narrow place that "hems someone in"; tribulation, especially internal pressure that causes someone to feel confined (restricted, "without options”). 2347 /thlípsis ("compression, tribulation") carries the challenge of coping with the internal pressure of a tribulation, especially when feeling there is "no way of escape" ("hemmed in")
[By contrast, 4730 (stenoxōría) focuses on the external pressure exerted by circumstances.]

It is used six times in Revelation and 43 times in the New Testament. I find that people who don't want to suffer don't want to believe they will have to go through tribulations, which most believe are hard times that are to come. The problem with believing this is that these people will not be prepared when tribulations do come because they don't understand that they must come. I was one of these. I grew up in a false gospel that taught me that God didn't want me to suffer. When suffering came upon me, I had no idea what was going on or why God would let something happen to me. I was in confusion and desperate for answers. When this happened to me, it drove me to dig deep into the Word of God to find answers, but I have seen many walk away from God because they do not understand what is happening. My heart is to expose these lies so that people will be aware that tribulations must come, so they will not fall away when they come. Jesus tells us this in John 16.

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NASB® 1995

In Matthew 24, Jesus says this.

And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:4-14 NASB® 1995

Here are more scriptures telling us what to do in tribulation and how we are to think of it.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:35-37 NASB® 1995

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
Romans 12:10-16 NASB® 1995

Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.
Ephesians 3:13 NASB® 1995

I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Revelation 1:9 NASB® 1995

We see over and over that the people who went before us were not fearful of tribulation; they knew it had to come, and they knew they had to persevere through it. Please, ponder these scriptures and dig into them deeper for yourself.

There is a timeline of events listed at https://www.1heart1mind.com/resurrection-of-the-dead-eternal-judgment-timeline

References:

Strong’s Lexicon: BibleHub.com

1 Heart 1 MindMay 12, 2025