The Trumpet Blast Leading to the Great Awakening
We need to understand the Great Outpouring of the Spirit and the Great Awakening of the last days in the context of Joel 2 and Revelation 8:3-7. Joel 2 describes “A Day” or a season of great darkness and gloom, followed by the rendering of the heart and repentance of God’s people, followed by the greatest fasting and prayer movement there has ever been, followed by the restoration of the church, followed by the outpouring of the Spirit over all flesh and ulimately culminating in the salvation of Israel. God has an order. And that order must be respected. And as the church in America cries out for the Great awakening we need to take into account that there will be a process that needs to take place first.
As Joel 2 speaks of the sound of the trumpet, gloom and darkness, fire and smoke and God’s people gathering to repent and pray; we see that Revelation 8:1-7 also speaks of similar events.
Revelation 8:1-7 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake 6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. 7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth.
Therefore we can see that judgement, repentance, seeking the Lord through prayer and fasting, restoration and revival are all inter-connected and will occur simultaneously as the trumpets of judgement are sounding all over the earth.
1- The sound of the trumpets and the Tribulation
In the same manner that Joel 2 begins with the sound of a trumpet that seems to trigger the beginning of dramatic events, so Revelation 8 begins with the sound of the first trumpet that gives opening to the Tribulation. The sound of the first trumpet and the beginning of the three and a half years of tribulation is mentioned clearly in Revelation 8:1-7. According to the book of Revelation the trumpets are used as a wake up call to the sinners on Earth and a call to repentance. Each trumpet blast brings with it a plague of a more disastrous nature than the one before it.
Joel 2:1-2 Blow the TRUMPET in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand-2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come.
Revelation 8:6-7 Then the seven angels who had the seven TRUMPETS prepared to sound them. 7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth.
2. The rendering of the heart symbolizing repentance, and a call for fasting and prayer that brings unity among God’s people
Joel 2:12-13 Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”13 Rend your heart and not your garments.
Joel 2:15-17 Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. 16 Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. 17 Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, Spare your people, Lord.
Revelation 8:3-5 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
3. The Lord’s response and the restoration of the church
Furthermore in Joel 2:18-27 we see that the Lord responds as his people repent and cry out to Him for mercy. The vine and the fig tree yield riches. These two trees are symbols of Israel and the church. Here we can see that they both experience an awakening. The showers of God’s Spirit are sent to Jews and Gentiles, and they bear much fruit as the Lord restores the years the locusts have eaten. At that time the church is fully restored to her splendor and displays the fulness of Christ as she yields the fulness of the fruits of the Spirit.
Joel 2:18-19 Then the Lord was jealous for his land and took pity on his people. 19 The Lord replied to them: “I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.
Joel 2:22-27 The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches. 23 Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. 24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten- the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm- my great army that I sent among you. 26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. 27 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.
4. The outpouring of the Spirit.
Once all of this has occurred God pours his Spirit on all people and our sons and daughters prophesy, our old men dream dreams and our young men see visions.
Joel 2:28-31“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
So we can see here that the great outpouring of the Spirit comes as a result of the prayers and the repentance of God’s people. These prayers and rendering of the heart cause a turning back to the Lord causing the Lord to restore the church and to pour his Spirit over all flesh.
5. The Salvation of Israel
Finally the last event in chapter 2 of the book of Joel is the restoration and salvation of Israel that comes as a result of the fullness of the Gentiles. Note that salvation and deliverance come to MOUNT ZION and that mount is in the Land of Israel. At that time Lord will call the remnant of Israel who survived the tribulation to full physical and spiritual salvation.
Joel 2:32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.