In response to His disciples’ request for a sign of His coming and the end of the age, Jesus has spoken of tribulation, both to His disciples for not warring after the world along with its false messiahs, and to the world itself for following after its false messiahs who cannot really save in spite of their many false promises. Such tribulation and the upheavals that would result from rejecting the light of the truth would lead to a time of spiritual darkness as the luminaries God gave to separate light from darkness would cease to shine forth with the light of life (Mat 24:30).  In the midst of that darkness the sign of the Son of Man would become visible and they would see Him coming on the clouds of heaven as the truth of His words came upon them like a mighty tempest (Mat 24:31).  As all the tribes of Israel mourned Christ’s coming in 70 A.D., so will all the tribes of earth mourn as the worldly kingdoms they also seek give way to the kingdom of God (cf. Dan 2:34-35,44, Rev 18:9ff).

At the same time that the fierce storm of God’s Word was destroying the unbelieving Jewish nation and bringing to an end that age of the Jews (which is a type of an even greater fulfillment in which all the kingdoms of the world will be destroyed at the end of our own evil age) the rain from those clouds of heaven was also watering the seeds of the gospel Christ had sown on the earth, causing them to bud and flourish, in order that there might be a harvest of choice fruit into His barn.  To gather in that precious produce from one end of heaven to the other, Jesus said He would send forth His angels.  We understand these to be not only those ministering spirits who render service to those who will inherit salvation (Heb 1:14), but also those ministers whom they aid in the spirit and who are sent forth as messengers to proclaim the gospel.  We also understand that those Jews who were scattered to the four winds for their sin but who were choice in the sight of God because they turned their hearts to Him—those chosen Jews who were gathered into Christ’s kingdom according to God’s promise from the farthest end of the earth (Mar 13:27, cf. Deut 30:3-4) are also a type of the even greater harvest from among the Gentiles that continues even today until the end of this present age.

With what did Jesus say He would send forth His angels to gather His elect from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven?  See Mat 24:31.  For what several purposes was a trumpet sounded?  See Num 10:1-10.  In what way is the word of God like a trumpet in accomplishing those same purposes in a spiritual sense?  I.e., in what way does the word of God summon God’s congregation, set His people forth on where He would lead them, sound the alarm against an adversary to save us from our enemies, and sanctify His people’s sacrifices of praise in the days of their gladness?  Cf. 2Ch 13:12-17, Isa 18:3, 58:1, Jer 4:5-6 , 6:17, Eze 33:2-7, Hos 8:1, Joel 2:1, Rev 1:10, 4:1.  What does 1Co 14:8 in this context remind us about the importance of sound doctrine to rightly divide the word of truth in order that the trumpet of God’s word may sound distinctly and be clearly heard and understood?  In what ways have people throughout our Church age been gathered from the ends of the earth into God’s kingdom with the trumpet call of His word?

What effect did a trumpet sounded as an alarm in time of war have upon those facing destruction?  See Jer 4:19-21, Amos 3:6, Zep 1:15-16; cf. the air raid sirens of WWII.  What effect did the trumpet call of God have even upon those He was calling to Himself?  See Exo 19:16, Heb 12:18-21.  What does this teach us will be the effect upon people and especially the wicked when a trumpet is sounded in the day of the Lord and He comes in judgment upon His enemies?  Cf. Rev 8:2,6,13, 9:1,13-14.  Although they too will tremble in that day, what is the significance to His people of the trumpet call of God?  See Jos 6:20, Isa 27:13, Zec 9:14,16.  Shall we necessarily assume that because the trumpet of God’s word has been sounding throughout history gathering choice servants into His kingdom from the remotest parts of the earth that it will always continue to do so, and that there will not be a final consummation to all of God’s promises and a last trumpet signifying the completion of His harvest?  See 1Co 15:51-52, 1Th 4:16, Rev 11:15.  Rather than an alarm of war, with what will the trumpet of God’s word sound then?  Cf. 2Sa 6:15, 1C1h 16:6, 2Ch 5:12-13, Psa 81:3, Deut 16:13-14, Psa 98:6.