A WORLDWIDE SOUND

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Recently the above scripture which I have read numerous times took on an additional meaning for me. I realized just before the rapture takes place; there is going to be a worldwide sound. Most sounds that we hear are localized, but there is going to be a sound coming forth that will be heard all over the world at the same time.

On the day of the rapture, which only our Father God knows, Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout. I can just imagine it will be a shout of victory and jubilation for finally He will be reunited with His church for eternity.

Accompanied with His shout will be the voice of the archangel. The Bible informs us of one mighty warring archangel named Michael, who is seen as a guardian of Israel. Since the scriptures do not say, I can only speculate that Michael is announcing, “It is time” as he and a host of angels accompany Jesus through the heavens to our atmosphere.

Also accompanying Jesus is the trump of God. The Bible first mentions this trump in the book of Exodus; when Israel is told at the sounding of the trump to gather at the foot of Mount Sinai where they will hear God speak to Moses. The trump sounded so long and loud; the people became fearful.  The scripture states this as follows:

EXODUS 19: 13b – 19 When the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.  And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.  And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.  And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.  And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.

In Numbers 10, Moses is instructed to make two trumpets for Israel. The purpose of the trumpets, as cited in that chapter, is for the calling of the assembly and the journeying of the camp.  Again, I can only imagine when this trump of God that is with Jesus sounds it is a signal to believers. It is calling us to assemble as we get ready for our journey.

I can not tell whether unbelievers will hear the worldwide shout, the voice, or the sound. If they do, they will probably become fearful as Israel did at Mount Sinai. I, however, am getting excited just thinking about it, and I end with this question for you. Will you be ready to meet the Lord in the air when the worldwide sound occurs?