According to “The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles”, trumpet is a “musical wind instrument of bright, powerful, and penetrating tone, used from ancient times….” Figuratively, it is a means or agent (real or imaginary) which proclaims, celebrates or gives warning of something.
In the Holy Bible, the trumpet was extensively used in the days of Moses and the children of Israel during and after their historic journey to Canaan. When the children of Israel were to meet with God at Mount Sinai, the trumpet was sounded long as a signal for them to come together there. (Exodus 19:13-19; 20:18-21). The trumpet became a veritable tool that served various purposes among the Jews. It featured in the year of Jubilee and those made of ram’s horn sounded by priests brought about the fall of the walls of Jericho in the days of Joshua. (Lev. 25:8,9; Josh. 6:2-5,15-20) And King David as well as King Solomon and King Hezekiah, made the trumpet an instrument of dancing in thanksgiving during divine worship and on the occasion of the return of the Ark of the LORD and the dedication of the temple. – 2 Sam. 6:12-15; I Chron. 13:8; 15:27,28; 2 Chron 5:12-14; 29:26-28; Psalm 98:6.
At the time they were travelling from Egypt to the Land of Canaan precisely at the wilderness of Sinai, God Almighty caused Moses to make two trumpets of silver which were used for calling the assembly of the Israelites, and for the journeying of the camps (Numbers 10:2). As to how the trumpets should be blown, the LORD commanded Moses thus: “And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel shall gather themselves unto thee. When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall to go forward. When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey; they shall blow an alarm for their journeys. But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm. And the sons of Aaron the priests, shall blow with the trumpets, and they shall be to you ordinance for ever throughout your generations.” – Num. 10:3-8.
Moses was further instructed by God that if the children of Israel went to war when in the land of Canaan against the enemy that oppresseth them, then an alarm with trumpets should be blown and they would be remembered by God and shall be delivered from their enemies (Verse 9). “Also in the days of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, that they may be to you for a memorial before your God. I am the LORD your God.” – Verse 10: see also Ps. 81:1-4.
The use of the trumpet by the people of God in ancient times was not at random. It’s sound, the number of times it sounded and how it sounded indicated what was required of the people and the nature of the occasion. It was for this reason, St. Paul criticising those who speak in an intelligible tongue stated; “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” – 1 Cor 14:8.
The importance of paying heed to the sound of the trumpet cannot be over-stressed. Thus God spoke to the prophet Ezekiel, to wit: “Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, when I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts and set him for their watchman: if when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take away any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” – Ezek. 33:2-6.
Earlier, God had given a clear picture of the functions of His servants when He told Ezekiel: “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.” – Ezek. 3:17-19; see also 33:7-9.
In the New Testament, the word “trumpet” or trump” used in few places has figurative or symbolic bearings. There were prophecies pointing to these last days that have relevance to the dispensation the people must obey for their own good. In Isaiah 18:3, it is written: “All ye inhabitants of the world dwellers on the earth, see ye, when He (God) lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he in bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.” And Joel 2:1, has this to say, “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand.” Jesus Christ is the ensign God has set upon Mount Zion, the capital of His universal Kingdom symbolically called mountains or holy mountain. Obedience to the gospel of Christ provides an ample opportunity for men to stand on the vantage ground of the truth for deliverance in the forthcoming great day of the LORD which is described as a day of wrath and trouble, and of darkness and gloominess. -Joel 2:2; Zeph. 1:14,15. The functions of the watchman assigned to Ezekiel the prophet, was a pointer to the significant role of the Anointed Servants of Jesus Christ in the Christian Era, especially in this age of the end of the world. His commission to them with far-reaching effects was plain. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and took of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world Amen.” (Matt. 28:19,20) Mark in his Gospel put it thus: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” – Mark 16:15,16.
Today, such ones, the remnant of the Anointed Christians or apostles of Christ, and their companions, are seriously engaged in preaching the TRUTH of the gospel of the Kingdom of God otherwise known as “the everlasting gospel” or “gospel of peace” in obedience to our Lord’s command. As it is written: “And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end , come.” (Matt. 24:14; see also Mark 13:10; Romans 10:15; Eph. 6:15; Rev. 14:6,7) Therefore the purpose of preaching the gospel in this age is, in the first place, to win souls to Christ in his kingdom now set up on earth as the only place of refuge and safety and, secondly, to warn the people of the danger of disobeying the gospel in that the impending” great of the gospel symbolized by trumpet’s sound which tribulation” and “battle of the great day of God Almighty” are for Jesus Christ to wreak vengeance upon the wicked and destroy evil from the earth. occasion which was described as the first of its kind Matt. 24:21; Rom. 2:8,9; 2 Thess. 1: 7-9; Rev.16:13,14; etc.
THE TRUMPET as a periodical has a mission that is all-embracing in the propagation of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ for the spiritual enlightenment of the children of God and their emancipation from the bondage of sin. It has a duty to shed light on doctrines of vital importance so that the people might not be misled into errors inimical to their spiritual well-being; to reprove and rebuke sin in all its ramifications; and to exhort to love, faith and all other qualities in righteousness.