Revelation: Christ and the Churches

The Trumpet Calls

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2022-01-17

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver expounds Numbers 10:1-9, focusing on the four assumptions in verse 9: war is a reality, war may come to our land, oppression often comes from those in power, and God's deliverance is tied to blowing the trumpet. He connects the Old Testament trumpets to the New Testament priesthood of believers, teaching that our voices are our trumpets. We must cry out to God with specific prayers for deliverance, repentance, and the establishment of righteousness, trusting not in our own strength but in God's power. The sermon calls Christians to awaken from spiritual slumber, sound a clear alarm, and persistently pray for God's intervention against tyranny and wickedness.

[John Weaver] We're going to read the first two verses and then we'll come back and catch some more of it. The title of the message is The Trumpet Call. The Trumpet Call. Look in verse 1 of Numbers chapter 10. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, the fourth book in the Bible. I told you that before I was preaching in Vidalia, Georgia, and I asked them to turn to the book of Numbers. And the guy on the front row, he was just trying to find the book of Numbers. And I said, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. It's the fourth book in the Old Testament. And he kept looking and finally, I said, it's the fourth book in the Old Testament.

[John Weaver] He shook his head, no. I said, yes, it is. I jumped from the pulpit. I said, let me see your Bible. I'll find it for you. He handed me his Bible. And the book of Numbers was gone. It was a Sears and Roebuck Bible. They'd left out the whole book of Numbers. So, but normally it's the fourth book. Okay. Numbers chapter 10, verse one. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, make thee two trumpets of silver of a whole piece shalt thou make them. that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly and for the journeying of the camps. Trumpets were used for a multitude of purposes in the Old Testament, and they certainly played a prominent role in the lives of the Israelites. We shall also see before I end today, Lord willing, that trumpets are also relative to the New Testament and play a very important and an integral part as well.

[John Weaver] But trumpets were to be blown on special occasions and especially special feast days. In Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 24, the Bible says this, speaking to the children of Israel saying, in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall you have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. And of course, trumpets were also used in the worship of God as well. For instance, in Psalm 98 in verse 6, with trumpets and the sound of a cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord the King. And then in 2 Chronicles chapter 20 in verse 2, and they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord. So what I want you to see today, trumpets were also used not only for the calling of the assembly, that is the whole congregation, trumpets were used for calling the princes or the rulers. Trumpets were used for sending out the camps by order. In other words, once a trumpet was blown a certain way, the camps on the east moved, and then another way, the camps on the west moved.

[John Weaver] Look at it. Let's go to Numbers chapter 10 again, beginning there with verse 1. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver of a whole piece, shalt thou make them, that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly and for the journeying of the camps. 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 the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. When you blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east part shall go forward, When you 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, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets, and they shall be unto you an ordinance forever throughout your generations."

[John Weaver] So very clearly then the trumpets were used on a regular basis in Israel And they were used for the calling of the assembly, or the princes, or the setting forth of the camps. However, it is verse 9 I want to call your attention to today, and if you will look at this passage. He said, And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets, and you shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. I was reading through the book of Numbers and I came to this passage and I was really fascinated with verse 9 because actually there are four assumptions that are very clearly seen in verse 9. First of all, he said, if you go to war. So actually war is assumed in the Bible. Now whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not, whether we want it or not, it is an assumed fact.

[John Weaver] and it is a reality of life. You must remember that war is not sinful or evil in and of itself. It is true that usually our wars are sinful and evil because we are sinful, wicked, and depraved individuals. And usually wars are begun over wicked and wrong reasons as well. But to demonstrate the fact that war is not inherently evil in and of itself, you have to remember that in Exodus chapter 15 and verse 3, The Bible says the Lord is a man of war. The Lord is his name. Now, if war was inherently evil, then God certainly would not be a man of war. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 42 and verse 13, the Bible says the Lord shall go forth as a mighty man. He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war.

[John Weaver] He shall cry, yea, roar. He shall prevail against his enemies. And then when you get to the book of Revelation chapter 19 and verse 11, here is one who sits on a white horse whose name is Faithful and True, and in righteousness doth he judge and make war. So obviously war is not inherently sinful in and of itself. In fact, I might point out again that in Numbers chapter 21 and verse 14, there is even a book of the wars of the Lord That verse says, wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the Lord what he did at the Red Sea and in the brooks of Arnon. Now, I pointed out in verse 9 that war is an assumed fact. If you would hold Numbers 10, but look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 20, Deuteronomy chapter 20 and verse 1. Here is why it is an assumed fact. Notice, if you would, this passage, Deuteronomy 20 and verse 1.

[John Weaver] The Word of God says, When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them. For the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Now, notice, if you would, in verse 1, it is said, When thou goest forth. to war. It is no longer an assumption.

[John Weaver] It is now a reality. It is a real fact. So when you look back in Numbers chapter 10 and verse 9, then he said, and if you go to war, that is the first assumption that you have in that verse, that yes, war is a reality, war is a fact. Now, here's the second assumption in verse 9, and that is that war may be necessary in our land. He said, and if you go to war in your land, you know, when we think of war, we normally think of foreign wars, fighting on foreign shores. Outside of the war for independence, the war of 1812 and the war of northern aggression from 1861 to 1865, there's really not been any wars on our land. But however, we need to adjust our thinking because the scripture is saying, and if you go to war in your land, sometimes it may be absolutely necessary not only to fight in our nation, in our state, in our county, but also in our community as well. So we need to adjust our thinking to understand that war is not something that happens to someone else somewhere else and not believe that it cannot happen locally as well.

[John Weaver] So that means we need to prepare ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, martially, and even spiritually for such. In other words, we should never be unprepared. We have to understand that not only is war an assumed fact, but sometimes that war comes to our home as well.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look at verse 9 again because here's a third assumption. He said, And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you. So, here is an enemy that oppresses us.

[John Weaver] Now, interestingly, if you will take the time to look up the Hebrew word, oppress, you will find that it means to bind up To shut up. In other words, to lock down, to harass, to vex, to cause suffering and distress. So here is an enemy that oppresses, but here is the clincher. Look at it in verse 9. He said, and if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, in other words, the enemy is already in the land.

[John Weaver] It is not an open invasion that you can see and say, hey, there comes a bunch of troops. They're coming off a ship. They're coming out of a plane. No, no, no, no. They're already in the land.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to think about this for a moment and ask yourself these questions. How could there be an oppression for someone from someone that is already in our land? Think about this question. Who has the power to oppress? And who has the position to oppress? Here's another one. From whence does oppression arise? In other words, what is the original and general source of oppression? There's an interesting question that is asked in I Peter chapter 3 and verse 13.

[John Weaver] And I remember reading that passage and laughing out loud when the answer really hit me. Here's the question. And who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good? And I thought about that. And who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good? Then I began to think, and well, in the Scripture, let's see, the apostles are preaching, and it was the rulers who wanted to arrest them and make them cease preaching.

[John Weaver] And the next thing you know, When you read through the Bible, usually the oppression always comes from the government. Now, if you don't believe that, well, let me just show you a couple of passages. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Ezekiel, chapter 45. And notice, if you would, verse 8. Ezekiel 45, verse 8. Then we'll go to the book of James. Look in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 45 and verse 8. Look what the scripture says. Ezekiel 45 verse 8. When we're talking about the prince, he says in verse 8, in the land shall be his, that is the prince's, possession in Israel. And then he says this, and my princes shall no more oppress my people, and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according their tribes. Notice that in my princes, shall no more oppress my people." In other words, oppression normally comes from those who have the power and the position of power. Then if you look at the book of James 2 and verse 6.

[John Weaver] James 2 and verse 6. Here's another question, and you can put these two things together. James 2 and verse 6. He says, but you have despised the poor. And here's the question. Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seats. Isn't that interesting? Have you ever thought about what George Soros is attempting to do? How about Bill Gates? How about the Clinton Foundation? I'm just simply pointing out, usually oppression comes from the powers that be or from the rich and the powerful. Usually it is the rich and the powerful, it's your congress critters, it's the judges, it's the executive branch somehow that are oppressing the people. We are not necessarily oppressing each other.

[John Weaver] If we did, that too would be sin, that too would be wickedness. But once you begin to look around and you read the scripture and you observe what is going on, you're going to discover that the division and the strife and the oppression usually stems from anti-God, anti-Christ, anti-Scripture, anti-freedom, and anti-liberty rulers and rich who are trying to consolidate power to themselves in order that they may control every avenue of our lives. And in seeking to control, they're actually destroying our nation.

[John Weaver] Here's a quote from James Madison. You will find this in the Federalist Papers. But James Madison is known as the father of the Constitution because he was secretary at the Constitutional Convention. Listen to what he said. The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced as the very definition of tyranny." He said once you have an individual, once you have a group of individuals, once you have a party that controls the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive branch, he says that is indeed the very essence and the very definition of tyranny.

[John Weaver] So you have in Numbers chapter 10 so far these three assumptions. Number one, war is a fact and reality. Sometimes war is in our land. And thirdly, that war oftentimes stems from those who are in power and positions of power. Here's the fourth one. The fourth assumption is found in verse 9 as well. He said, And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets and you shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies." Now, everyone wishes to be saved from their enemies. It doesn't matter whether a person is saved or unsaved. Everybody wishes to be saved from their perceived enemies.

[John Weaver] But let me make this statement, and I'll show you why I'm making it. Christians should in reality Be very aggressive in wanting to be saved from our enemies. Why? Well, if you'll hold Numbers 10, but turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 2. 1 Timothy 2. And I will show you what the Apostle says. 1 Timothy 2. Note if you would, verses 1 and 2. The Apostle Paul says this, I exhort, therefore, that first of all supplications, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks be made for all men."

[John Weaver] We may pray for all kinds of people, all classes of people. But look in verse 2. He now becomes very specific. He says, and for kings, for all of those that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. I've asked people before, why should we pray for our rulers? And someone would answer, inevitably, we need to pray for them that they should be saved, or they might be saved. And my response is, the truth of the matter is, according to Deuteronomy 17, 2 Samuel chapter 23, and numerous other passages, if they're not already saved, they should not be rulers, because the Bible forbids an alien and a foreigner from ruling over God's people. But here's why the Apostle Paul is requesting prayer for our rulers and those who are in authority.

[John Weaver] It is not for their benefit, but it is for our benefit. So look in verse 2. He says,"...for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." Note, if you would, he says we should pray for them in order that we may be left alone, that we may live our lives, that we may be able to worship our God and serve Him unmolested and unoppressed." So our prayers for them are not for their benefit, but for our benefit of well.

[John Weaver] Now, we're talking about the blowing of the trumpets. May I point out that in the blowing of the trumpets, those trumpets had implications both Godward and manward. As far as manward is concerned, whoever heard the trumpet, whether it was a calling of the assembly or calling of princes or setting forth of the camps or whatever the sound was, then ever who heard it should prepare himself for it. In fact, there were alarms for war, and that meant if you heard that, you must prepare yourself for war as well. But then there was also an implication Godward, because he said, when God hears those trumpets, then you will be remembered before the Lord and you will be saved from your enemies. Now, let me point out the fact that the blowing of the trumpets had the significance of the fact that we are now openly saying that our trust and our confidence is in God. The blowing of the trumpets was an appeal to heaven. The blowing of the trumpet signified that the battle is the Lord's, that He is the one who must help us.

[John Weaver] And we need and desire His divine help. And we recognize that He is the only one who can give us victory. So let me give you two illustrations. The first one is found in Numbers chapter 31. We're not going to read all of this, but you can read this chapter and see the mighty victory that God gave, Numbers chapter 31, beginning there with verse 1. We'll read through verse 6. Numbers 31 and verse 1, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites.

[John Weaver] Afterwards thou shalt be gathered unto thy people. And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian. Of every tribe a thousand throughout all the tribes of Israel shall you send to the war. So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and, then he is, the son of Eliezer the priest, to the war, are you looking?

[John Weaver] with the holy instruments and with the trumpets to blow in his hand. So when they went to war, they blew those trumpets because they wanted to be remembered before the Lord and they wanted the victory. And if you read number chapter 31, you will find not only the victory that God gave them, but also all of the goods and the booty that was gathered from the Midianites as well.

[John Weaver] The second illustration is found in 2 Chronicles 13. So if you'll turn there, 2 Chronicles 13. Look at this passage. Let's begin reading there with verse 3. There is about to be a war between Judah and Israel. And of course, Abijah is king over Judah. of course Jeroboam is king over Israel and so let's begin reading with verse 3 and Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war even 400,000 chosen men so I want you to think about this Judah has 400,000 men of war now watch Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with 800,000 chosen men being mighty men of valor So now Judah's outnumbered 2 to 1. Verse 4, And Abijah stood up upon Mount Zamariam, which is Mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel. Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon, the son of David, is risen up and hath rebelled against his Lord.

[John Weaver] And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them. And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, and you be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made for you gods." Not made you for gods. Have you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands, so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods?

[John Weaver] Now look how he lays this out. But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him, and the priests which minister unto the Lord or the sons of Aaron, the Levites, and the Levites weighed upon their businesses. In other words, we've got everything the way God ordained it. And they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense. The showbread also set they in order upon the pure table, and the candlesticks of gold with the lamps thereof to burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him. And behold, God himself is with us for our captain and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. Oh, children of Israel, fight not you against the Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper.

[John Weaver] You can read the rest of the chapter. Jeroboam tried to set a trap and put his men behind Abijah. But God delivered Israel into the hands of Abijah and Judah. But what he's saying, we're doing this according to God's law and we're blowing the trumpets and we're blowing them against you.

[John Weaver] Now, before I really explain this, let me mention to you that oftentimes Christians went into battle singing psalms, and making all kind of shouts of praise unto the Lord. John Trapp, one of the old Puritans, wrote this. So at the siege of Montenbaum, the people of God, using daily humiliation as their service would permit, did sing a psalm after it, immediately before sallying forth, that is, before going out to face the enemy. With this practice, the enemy became acquainted. ever upon the singing of the psalm, after which they expected a sally, they would so quake and tremble, saying, They come, they come, as though the wrath of God had been breaking out upon them. Did you know that Oliver Cromwell led his army into battle singing psalms?" Hmm.

[John Weaver] And, of course, I think that everyone should be familiar with the rebel yell that the rebels used during the War of Northern Aggression. And even the Indians oftentimes would give a loud whooping noise as they went into battle. There are really psychological reasons as well as martial reasons for doing so. But now, I can hear the wheels turning in your mind, and I know what you're thinking, and it may be coming forth from your mouth shortly. And the objection that you're going to have to what I've just told you is this, but I don't see how the blowing of the trumpets could be relative to us. That is in the Old Testament and we no longer have priests and we no longer have trumpets.

[John Weaver] And my response would be, ah, but you are wrong. Very wrong. if you would turn in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Revelation chapter 1. Revelation chapter 1, and look, if you would, please, at verses 5 and 6. Revelation 1, verses 5 and 6. Notice what the Scripture says. Revelation 1, verse 5, And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.

[John Weaver] Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto our God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever. Amen." What has he done? He's made us kings and priests. If you look in Revelation chapter 5, And verse 10, you'll see it again. And has made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on earth. So the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the great high priest, has made his people kings and priests.

[John Weaver] There is in the Bible, and we teach, the priesthood of every believer. And if you'll look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15, as a priest, you are to offer a daily sacrifice. What is that sacrifice? Well, here it is. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15, the Scripture says, by Him, that would be by the Lord Jesus Christ, by Him, by the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." So we are required to give a daily sacrifice. That daily sacrifice is the sacrifice of praise. It's the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.

[John Weaver] So you say, all right, pastor, we're priests. I understand that. But what about the trumpets? I can't even play the radio. I surely can't blow a trumpet. Well, you can. If you look in your Bibles to the book of Isaiah chapter 58, and notice verse 1. Isaiah 58 verse 1. I'll show you another passage before we close today. But look what God says. So here's our trumpet. Isaiah 58 and verse 1. Cry aloud, spare not Lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet." Our voice is our trumpet, and we are to use our voices to cry to our sovereign and holy God.

[John Weaver] Now, just like trumpets gave a certain specific sound we must also give a certain specific sound. You remember, there was one sound for the calling of the assembly, another sound for the calling of the princes, another sound for the setting forth of the camps, another sound for an alarm for war. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14, verse 8, for if the trumpet give forth an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for battle? So if our voices are on trumpets then, then we must give a specific sound if we want to be delivered in the time of war, in the time of danger, in the time of oppression.

[John Weaver] So what are we to cry? He said, lift up your voice like a trumpet and cry. Well, what are we to cry? I want you to go back in your Bibles to Psalm 7. Let's start there. I'll show you several passages very quickly that we should be using on a daily basis. Look in Psalm 7, and notice if you would please verse 6. Psalm 7 and verse 6.

[John Weaver] The Word of God says, Arise, O Lord, in thine anger. Lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies, and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. Note, if you would, Arise, O Lord, in thine anger Lift up thyself. In other words, it's like David is asking God to stand up, get up and do something. I've told you in time past, I don't know if you remember it or not, but.

[John Weaver] As a boy, I only saw my father angry, upset, mad, ready to fight two times. Two times in my whole life, one time There was a great controversy. I have no idea what it was, because I was only eight or nine years old. A great controversy among the farmers. And all the farmers met at the courthouse in auditorium seats, like seats in a theater. And the county agent was down front behind a lectern speaking.

[John Weaver] We were all sitting there. And I remember that county agent referred to my father and called him a liar. My dad never said a word. He just stood up, got out of the seat and started walking straight for that county agent. When he got about three feet in front of the county agent, the county agent said, no, no, let me correct this. Mr. Weaver did not lie. I'm the liar. I lied. Dad just turned around, came right back to his seat, sat down.

[John Weaver] Now, the point I'm trying to make is this is what David is saying. Arise, O Lord, in thine anger. In other words, get up and do something. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 7 and verse 9. Here's one that we should be able to cry every day. Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just. For the righteous God tried the hearts and the reins." That's a wonderful cry. You can blow the trumpet all day long on let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just. Look in Psalm 35 and verse 23. Psalm 35, verse 23. Here it is. Stir up thyself and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord. Stir up thyself. Think about this. Get upset with those who are opposing me. Awake to my judgment. Look in Psalm 59 and verse 5.

[John Weaver] There's a multitude of these. These are just as smattering. But look in Psalm 59 and verse 5. Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen. Be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Awake to visit the heathen don't be merciful to them take care of them He's actually asking them to wipe them off the face of the earth That's what it amounts to And he does that a multitude of times if you will look in your Bibles to Psalm 68 in verse 1 Which is one of my favorite passages But look what the Bible says let God arise Let his enemies be scattered Let them also that hate him flee before him Now stop and think about this. I want you to look at the next four verses Or the next three or four verses in light of this watch let God arise. Let his enemies be scattered Let them also that hate him flee before him as smoke is driven away. So drive them away as Wax melted before the fire.

[John Weaver] So let the wicked perish at the presence of God, but let the righteous be glad let them rejoice before God, yea, let them exceeding rejoice, sing unto God, sing praises to his name, extol him that writeth upon the heavens by the name Yah, and rejoice before him." Wow. Yeah, that's a good cry to lift up your voice as a trumpet. Then if you will look in Isaiah 51 and verse 9, Isaiah 51 and verse 9, Notice, if you would please, what the scripture says, Isaiah 51, verse 9.

[John Weaver] Awake, awake, put on strength, O armor of the Lord, awake as in ancient days. In the generation of old, art thou not it that had cut Rahab and wounded the dragon? So here Isaiah is asking God to awaken, to put on strength. And just like He delivered His people from Egypt and wounded them and destroyed them, do it again.

[John Weaver] Now here's an interesting thing. When God says, lift up thy voice like a trumpet and show my people their sins and their transgressions and cry unto me. And if you cry, He said, you will be remembered before the Lord. The interesting thing is Scripture places the responsibility of crying upon us. You know, I find it absolutely astounding that as you think about what happened to Israel in the Old Testament, especially if you read the book of Judges, those people waited to the very last moment to cry out to God. I mean, when they were in deep straits and deep trouble, then they would cry. You know, to me, the wise thing to do would be start crying before you ever get in that state. But then that's the way people are. That's the way sinners are. And everybody asks me, well, why are not God's people in this country crying out right now? Here's my answer.

[John Weaver] Because we don't have our backs up against the wall quite yet. We're not hungry enough just yet. We're not sick of tyranny just yet. No, no. We still want the benefits of socialism and fascism. But at the same time, we don't repent of our sins either. But so when we get in the position that Israel got in, yeah, we might end up crying as well. But here's the general principle. The general principle is if we do not cry, God is not going to deliver.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Here is a parable that our Lord gave concerning prayer. And then he makes a tremendous application to this parable. Note in Luke 18, beginning there in verse 1, And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint, saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, and saying, Avenge me and mine adversaries.

[John Weaver] And he would not for a while. But afterwards he said to himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this wit of troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

[John Weaver] Now let me just stop right there. Here's the point that he's making. Here is an unjust judge who could care less about righteousness, justice, holiness. Didn't bother him. He did not fear God. He had no regard for man. And the only reason he wanted to give this woman justice was because she kept irritating him. And finally he said, if I don't do something, she'll wear me down. I'm going to give her what she wants just to get her out of my hair.

[John Weaver] Now look at the application, verse 6. And the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge said. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth, or shall he find that kind of faith?" What kind of faith? The faith that cries day and night, asking God to intervene. asking God to deliver, asking God to save, asking God to do something that will destroy the wicked and establish the righteous. So if our voices are trumpets, how serious is our cry? What are we going to say to the Lord?

[John Weaver] I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Joel. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. And look, if you would, first of all, at Joel chapter 1. Of course, there's a lot about blowing trumpets in here. But notice, if you would, please, beginning with verse 13 of Joel chapter 1, the Word of God says, Gird yourselves and lament, you priests. Howl, you ministers of the altar. Come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God, for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. Sanctify you a fast. Call a solemn assembly. How would you call a solemn assembly in those days? With a trumpet. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God cry unto the Lord now look in chapter 2 verse 1 Blow you the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in my holy mountain Now skip down if you would please to verse 12 Therefore now

[John Weaver] also saith the Lord turn you even unto me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and Rind your heart and not your garments and turning the Lord your God For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly."

[John Weaver] Note, if you would, please. He goes on to say in verse 17, watch. Well, let's read verse 16. He says,"...gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and those that suck the breast. Let the bridegroom go forth out of his chamber and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord weep between the porch and the altar. Watch," here's the cry,"...and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. Wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then will the Lord be jealous for His land, and pity His people. Call a solemn assembly, blow the trumpet, weep before the porch and the altar, and say, Spare thy people, O God, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them." You know something? We are priests, and we do have a trumpet, and our trumpet is our voices.

[John Weaver] It is our word, and we need to use those voices for God's honor and God's glory and the establishment of His kingdom. The trumpets were blown always in a time of danger, in a time of trouble, in a time of war. I would tend to think that we are in a time of danger and a time of trouble and a time of war, and the average Christian is just as fast asleep as he can possibly be. So we need to use our voices and cry with I Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 34, awake to righteousness and sin not. We need to cry with Ephesians 5 and verse 14. Wherefore saith he, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. Awake thou that sleepest. If we do not awaken, if we do not learn to blow our trumpets and cry to God, we are going to be in such serious trouble in this country that you and I cannot even possibly envision.

[John Weaver] Now let me try to make some applications and tie this together, because I can assure you there are indeed times for the trumpet as well. I want you to understand, first of all, number one, in times of conflict, our being remembered and saved is not by reason of our own fighting. It depends upon, not upon our ability, but upon the power and the blessing of the Lord.

[John Weaver] You remember I told you the sounding of the trumpets was a sign and symbol of dependence upon God. In other words, we're not delivered by our own hand. We're not delivered by our own power. We're not delivered by our own strength. We are delivered by His grace, His mercy. You remember that passage in the book of Zechariah, where he said, not by might nor power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.

[John Weaver] Here's what Matthew Henry said. God will take notice of the sound of the trumpet and be engaged to fight their battles. Let all the people take notice of it and be encouraged to fight His battles, as David, when he heard a sound of a going upon the tops of the mulberry trees." Not that God needs to be awakened by a sound of a trumpet any more than Christ needed to be awakened by His disciples in the storm. Listen carefully. But where He, God, intends mercy, It is His will that we should solicit it. Ministers must stir up the good soldiers of Jesus Christ to fight manfully against sin, the world, and the devil by assuring them that Christ is the captain of their salvation and will tread Satan under their feet." It's interesting that he said, whenever God intends to bestow mercy, He always stirs up His people to solicit, to ask for, and to beg for that mercy.

[John Weaver] I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 44. Psalm 44. Watch carefully. I love this Psalm. And we're talking about, we're not delivered by our own strength, our own power, our own ability, our own weapons, but we're delivered by God. He said in Psalm 44 and verse 1, We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days and times of old. Lord, we've heard how God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt. We heard how they crossed the Red Sea. We heard what He did to Jericho and the inhabitants thereof and the inhabitants of Ai.

[John Weaver] We know what He did to Og and Sihon. You know, that's why they said, we've heard all of these wonderful things. Now watch verse 2. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantest them, that is, his people. How thou didst afflict the people, that is, the heathen, and cast them out. For they, that is, Israel, got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arms save them, but thy right hand, and thine arm in the light of thy countenance, because all has to favor unto them.

[John Weaver] And then he says this. Thou art my king, O God, command deliverance is for Jacob. In other words, Lord, we've heard what you've done in time past. You're still the same king. Do it again, Lord. Do it again. Verse four is a cry for divine intervention. We are not delivered by our own strength. We're delivered by the grace and mercy and power of God. Here's the third application.

[John Weaver] Men are responsible to hear the sound of the trumpet, the call to war, the call to fight, the call to pray, the call to worship, and the call to proclaim the truth. There's an interesting passage in Jeremiah chapter 6 and verse 14 where the Word of God says this. Also I set watchmen over you saying, hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, we will not hearken." Hmm. When you refuse to hear the sound of the trumpet, you are indeed assuring your own destruction. Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Ezekiel chapter 33. Ezekiel chapter 33, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Ezekiel 33, verse 1.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to watch this carefully. Again, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, so God is sending war. When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coast, 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 he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 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 any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand."

[John Weaver] Now I want you to note, all of this time he's been talking about a watchman and blowing the trumpet. Now watch the application in verse 7. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman over the house of Israel. Therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth and warn them from me." What was Ezekiel's trumpet? It was his voice. He was crying out. The Lord set forth the principle of the blowing of the trumpet.

[John Weaver] in verses one through six. And then he said, Ezekiel, you are my trumpet, your voice. You should lift up to God and cry for deliverance.

[John Weaver] Now, if you think that trumpets have no place in the New Testament, I need to remind you of two passages. I'll just quote them. There are other passages, but these two verses shall be sufficient. First Corinthians 15 and verse 52. In a moment. And the twinkling of an eye. Listen at the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. And we shall be saved. And then in First Thessalonians chapter four and verse 16, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of the archangel and with the trump or the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. The last trumpet to sound. Is going to be the trumpet of Jesus Christ. When he raises his own from the dead and he returns in power and glory. Until that last trumpet sounds, we must keep playing our own trumpets. We must keep lift up our own voices. We must not play with an uncertain sound or a confused sound or off key.

[John Weaver] We must keep crying out of truth and righteousness and holiness. And when you stop and think about this, When we die, or when our Lord returns, our trumpets are ceased. We can't warn anymore. We can't cry anymore. We can't plead anymore. We can't pray anymore. It's over for us. You follow that? So God has promised, if we had blowed the trumpet, that we would be remembered before Him, and we would be saved from our enemies.

[John Weaver] Would it not be absolutely wonderful once again to have a Christian republic? Hmm? For liberty and freedom are given to us under the authority and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is King of kings, Lord of lords, God of gods. The trumpet call right now is ours. But when he returns, the trumpet call will be his, and it will be the full and final trumpet call. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before thee.

[John Weaver] We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We thank you, Father, for the responsibilities, duties and obligations that you've given us. Help us, Father, to indeed lift up our voice like a trumpet. And show our people their sins and their transgressions and call upon them to repent and turn in faith. to thee, the one true and the living God who's revealed himself and Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] And may we be delivered from our enemies. And may we learn to pray, oh, that the wickedness of the wicked would come to an end, but establish thou the just. For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins. Turn us, oh God, and we shall be turned. Quicken us, and we shall call upon thy name. We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] you

The Trumpet Call

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	xwn4sMofFto
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Christ and the Churches
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-01-17
Dictation Name
Book	Book 139: Revelation: Christ and the Churches — Chapter 21
Source Timed Segments	72

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Trumpet Call in Numbers 10

Reading Numbers 10:1-2, introducing the use of trumpets for calling the assembly and journeying, and noting their broader Old Testament significance.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:1-2

We're going to read the first two verses and then we'll come back and catch some more of it. The title of the message is "The Trumpet Call." The Trumpet Call. Look in verse 1 of Numbers chapter 10. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, the fourth book in the Bible. I told you that before I was preaching in Vidalia, Georgia, and I asked them to turn to the book of Numbers. And the guy on the front row, he was just trying to find the book of Numbers. And I said, "Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. It's the fourth book in the Old Testament." And he kept looking and finally, I said, "It's the fourth book in the Old Testament."

He shook his head, no. I said, "Yes, it is." I jumped from the pulpit. I said, "Let me see your Bible. I'll find it for you." He handed me his Bible. And the book of Numbers was gone. It was a Sears and Roebuck Bible. They'd left out the whole book of Numbers. So, but normally it's the fourth book. Okay. Numbers chapter 10, verse one: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps." Trumpets were used for a multitude of purposes in the Old Testament, and they certainly played a prominent role in the lives of the Israelites. We shall also see before I end today, Lord willing, that trumpets are also relative to the New Testament and play a very important and an integral part as well.

Old Testament Uses of Trumpets

Trumpets were used for feasts, worship, calling rulers, and directing camp movements, as detailed in Numbers 10:1-8.

But trumpets were to be blown on special occasions and especially special feast days. In Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 24, the Bible says this, speaking to the children of Israel, saying,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 23:24

"In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall you have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation."

And of course, trumpets were also used in the worship of God as well. For instance, in Psalm 98 in verse 6, "With trumpets and the sound of a cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD the King." And then in 2 Chronicles chapter 20 in verse 2, "And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD." So what I want you to see today, trumpets were also used not only for the calling of the assembly, that is the whole congregation, trumpets were used for calling the princes or the rulers. Trumpets were used for sending out the camps by order. In other words, once a trumpet was blown a certain way, the camps on the east moved, and then another way, the camps on the west moved.

Look at it. Let's go to Numbers chapter 10 again, beginning there with verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:1-8

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. 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 the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. When you blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east part shall go forward. When you 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, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be unto you an ordinance forever throughout your generations."

So very clearly then the trumpets were used on a regular basis in Israel. And they were used for the calling of the assembly, or the princes, or the setting forth of the camps. However, it is verse 9 I want to call your attention to today, and if you will look at this passage. He said,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:1-8

"And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies."

I was reading through the book of Numbers and I came to this passage and I was really fascinated with verse 9 because actually there are four assumptions that are very clearly seen in verse 9. First of all, he said, "if you go to war." So actually war is assumed in the Bible. Now whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not, whether we want it or not, it is an assumed fact.

Four Assumptions in Numbers 10:9

Verse 9 assumes war is a reality, war may be in our land, oppression comes from an enemy already present, and deliverance follows the trumpet alarm.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:1-8

"And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies."

and it is a reality of life. You must remember that war is not sinful or evil in and of itself. It is true that usually our wars are sinful and evil because we are sinful, wicked, and depraved individuals. And usually wars are begun over wicked and wrong reasons as well. But to demonstrate the fact that war is not inherently evil in and of itself, you have to remember that in Exodus chapter 15 and verse 3, the Bible says, "The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name." Now, if war was inherently evil, then God certainly would not be a man of war. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 42 and verse 13, the Bible says, "The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war."

"He shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies." And then when you get to the book of Revelation chapter 19 and verse 11, here is one who sits on a white horse whose name is Faithful and True, and in righteousness doth he judge and make war. So obviously war is not inherently sinful in and of itself. In fact, I might point out again that in Numbers chapter 21 and verse 14, there is even a book of the wars of the LORD. That verse says, "Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did at the Red sea and in the brooks of Arnon." Now, I pointed out in verse 9 that war is an assumed fact. If you would hold Numbers 10, but look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 20, Deuteronomy chapter 20 and verse 1. Here is why it is an assumed fact. Notice, if you would, this passage, Deuteronomy 20 and verse 1. The Word of God says, "When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." Now, notice, if you would, in verse 1, it is said, "When thou goest forth to war." It is no longer an assumption. It is now a reality. It is a real fact. So when you look back in Numbers chapter 10 and verse 9, then he said, "and if you go to war," that is the first assumption that you have in that verse, that yes, war is a reality, war is a fact. Now, here's the second assumption in verse 9, and that is that war may be necessary in our land. He said,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:9

"and if you go to war in your land."

You know, when we think of war, we normally think of foreign wars, fighting on foreign shores. Outside of the war for independence, the war of 1812 and the war of northern aggression from 1861 to 1865, there's really not been any wars on our land. But however, we need to adjust our thinking because the scripture is saying,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:9

"and if you go to war in your land,"

sometimes it may be absolutely necessary not only to fight in our nation, in our state, in our county, but also in our community as well. So we need to adjust our thinking to understand that war is not something that happens to someone else somewhere else and not believe that it cannot happen locally as well.

So that means we need to prepare ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, martially, and even spiritually for such. In other words, we should never be unprepared. We have to understand that not only is war an assumed fact, but sometimes that war comes to our home as well. Now, I want you to look at verse 9 again because here's a third assumption. He said, "And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you." So, here is an enemy that oppresses us.

Now, interestingly, if you will take the time to look up the Hebrew word, oppress, you will find that it means to bind up, to shut up. In other words, to lock down, to harass, to vex, to cause suffering and distress. So here is an enemy that oppresses, but here is the clincher. Look at it in verse 9. He said, "and if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you," in other words, the enemy is already in the land. It is not an open invasion that you can see and say, "Hey, there comes a bunch of troops. They're coming off a ship. They're coming out of a plane." No, no, no, no. They're already in the land.

Now, I want you to think about this for a moment and ask yourself these questions. How could there be an oppression for someone from someone that is already in our land? Think about this question. Who has the power to oppress? And who has the position to oppress? Here's another one. From whence does oppression arise? In other words, what is the original and general source of oppression? There's an interesting question that is asked in I Peter chapter 3 and verse 13.

And I remember reading that passage and laughing out loud when the answer really hit me. Here's the question. "And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" And I thought about that. "And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" Then I began to think, and well, in the Scripture, let's see, the apostles are preaching, and it was the rulers who wanted to arrest them and make them cease preaching. And the next thing you know, when you read through the Bible, usually the oppression always comes from the government. Now, if you don't believe that, well, let me just show you a couple of passages. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Ezekiel, chapter 45. And notice, if you would, verse 8. Ezekiel 45, verse 8. Then we'll go to the book of James. Look in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 45 and verse 8. Look what the scripture says. Ezekiel 45 verse 8. When we're talking about the prince, he says in verse 8, "In the land shall be his," that is the prince's, "possession in Israel." And then he says this, "and my princes shall no more oppress my people, and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according their tribes." Notice that "my princes shall no more oppress my people." In other words, oppression normally comes from those who have the power and the position of power. Then if you look at the book of James 2 and verse 6.

James 2 and verse 6. Here's another question, and you can put these two things together. James 2 and verse 6. He says, "But ye have despised the poor." And here's the question. "Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?" Isn't that interesting? Have you ever thought about what George Soros is attempting to do? How about Bill Gates? How about the Clinton Foundation? I'm just simply pointing out, usually oppression comes from the powers that be or from the rich and the powerful. Usually it is the rich and the powerful, it's your congress critters, it's the judges, it's the executive branch somehow that are oppressing the people. We are not necessarily oppressing each other.

If we did, that too would be sin, that too would be wickedness. But once you begin to look around and you read the scripture and you observe what is going on, you're going to discover that the division and the strife and the oppression usually stems from anti-God, anti-Christ, anti-Scripture, anti-freedom, and anti-liberty rulers and rich who are trying to consolidate power to themselves in order that they may control every avenue of our lives. And in seeking to control, they're actually destroying our nation. Here's a quote from James Madison. You will find this in the Federalist Papers. But James Madison is known as the father of the Constitution because he was secretary at the Constitutional Convention. Listen to what he said. "The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced as the very definition of tyranny." He said once you have an individual, once you have a group of individuals, once you have a party that controls the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive branch, he says that is indeed the very essence and the very definition of tyranny.

So you have in Numbers chapter 10 so far these three assumptions. Number one, war is a fact and reality. Sometimes war is in our land. And thirdly, that war oftentimes stems from those who are in power and positions of power. Here's the fourth one. The fourth assumption is found in verse 9 as well. He said,

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:9

"And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies."

Now, everyone wishes to be saved from their enemies. It doesn't matter whether a person is saved or unsaved. Everybody wishes to be saved from their perceived enemies.

The Source of Oppression

Oppression typically arises from rulers and the rich who consolidate power, as seen in Ezekiel 45:8, James 2:6, and James Madison's warning against tyranny.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:9

"And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies."

Now, everyone wishes to be saved from their enemies. It doesn't matter whether a person is saved or unsaved. Everybody wishes to be saved from their perceived enemies.

The Trumpet as an Appeal to Heaven

Blowing the trumpet signified dependence on God, as illustrated in Numbers 31 and 2 Chronicles 13, where God gave victory when His people sounded the alarm.

And we need and desire His divine help. And we recognize that He is the only one who can give us victory. So let me give you two illustrations. The first one is found in Numbers chapter 31. We're not going to read all of this, but you can read this chapter and see the mighty victory that God gave, Numbers chapter 31, beginning there with verse 1. We'll read through verse 6. Numbers 31 and verse 1, "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites."

"Afterward thou shalt be gathered unto thy people. And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian. Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war. So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and with the trumpets to blow in his hand."

So when they went to war, they blew those trumpets because they wanted to be remembered before the LORD and they wanted the victory. And if you read Numbers chapter 31, you will find not only the victory that God gave them, but also all of the goods and the booty that was gathered from the Midianites as well. The second illustration is found in 2 Chronicles 13. So if you'll turn there, 2 Chronicles 13. Look at this passage. Let's begin reading there with verse 3. There is about to be a war between Judah and Israel. And of course, Abijah is king over Judah, and of course Jeroboam is king over Israel. And so let's begin reading with verse 3:

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 13:3-16

"And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men."

So I want you to think about this. Judah has 400,000 men of war. Now watch:

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 13:3-16

"Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valor."

So now Judah's outnumbered 2 to 1. Verse 4,

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 13:3-16

"And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel; Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord."

"And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them. And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods?" Now look how he lays this out. "But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business: And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him. And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper."

You can read the rest of the chapter. Jeroboam tried to set a trap and put his men behind Abijah. But God delivered Israel into the hands of Abijah and Judah. But what he's saying, we're doing this according to God's law and we're blowing the trumpets and we're blowing them against you.

New Testament Priesthood and Our Trumpet

Believers are made kings and priests (Revelation 1:5-6), and our voice is our trumpet (Isaiah 58:1), to be used for crying out to God with specific prayers.

And my response would be, "Ah, but you are wrong. Very wrong." If you would turn in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Revelation chapter 1. Revelation chapter 1, and look, if you would, please, at verses 5 and 6. Revelation 1, verses 5 and 6. Notice what the Scripture says. Revelation 1, verse 5,

Scripture Reading — Revelation 1:5-6

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth." "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

What has he done? He's made us kings and priests. If you look in Revelation chapter 5, and verse 10, you'll see it again. "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." So the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the great high priest, has made his people kings and priests.

There is in the Bible, and we teach, the priesthood of every believer. And if you'll look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15, as a priest, you are to offer a daily sacrifice. What is that sacrifice? Well, here it is. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15, the Scripture says, "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." So we are required to give a daily sacrifice. That daily sacrifice is the sacrifice of praise. It's the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

So you say, "All right, pastor, we're priests. I understand that. But what about the trumpets? I can't even play the radio. I surely can't blow a trumpet." Well, you can. If you look in your Bibles to the book of Isaiah chapter 58, and notice verse 1. Isaiah 58 verse 1. I'll show you another passage before we close today. But look what God says. So here's our trumpet. Isaiah 58 and verse 1: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet. Our voice is our trumpet, and we are to use our voices to cry to our sovereign and holy God.

Now, just like trumpets gave a certain specific sound, we must also give a certain specific sound. You remember, there was one sound for the calling of the assembly, another sound for the calling of the princes, another sound for the setting forth of the camps, another sound for an alarm for war. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14, verse 8, "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?" So if our voices are our trumpets then, then we must give a specific sound if we want to be delivered in the time of war, in the time of danger, in the time of oppression. So what are we to cry? He said, "lift up your voice like a trumpet and cry." Well, what are we to cry? I want you to go back in your Bibles to Psalm 7. Let's start there. I'll show you several passages very quickly that we should be using on a daily basis. Look in Psalm 7, and notice if you would please verse 6. Psalm 7 and verse 6.

Specific Cries for Deliverance

Scripture provides examples of prayers to cry aloud: Psalm 7:6, 7:9, 35:23, 59:5, 68:1-4, and Isaiah 51:9, calling on God to arise and scatter enemies.

So what are we to cry? He said, "lift up your voice like a trumpet and cry." Well, what are we to cry? I want you to go back in your Bibles to Psalm 7. Let's start there. I'll show you several passages very quickly that we should be using on a daily basis. Look in Psalm 7, and notice if you would please verse 6. Psalm 7 and verse 6.

The Word of God says, "Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded." Note, if you would, "Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself." In other words, it's like David is asking God to stand up, get up and do something. I've told you in time past, I don't know if you remember it or not, but. As a boy, I only saw my father angry, upset, mad, ready to fight two times. Two times in my whole life. One time there was a great controversy. I have no idea what it was, because I was only eight or nine years old. A great controversy among the farmers. And all the farmers met at the courthouse in auditorium seats, like seats in a theater. And the county agent was down front behind a lectern speaking.

We were all sitting there. And I remember that county agent referred to my father and called him a liar. My dad never said a word. He just stood up, got out of the seat and started walking straight for that county agent. When he got about three feet in front of the county agent, the county agent said, "No, no, let me correct this. Mr. Weaver did not lie. I'm the liar. I lied." Dad just turned around, came right back to his seat, sat down.

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this is what David is saying. "Arise, O LORD, in thine anger." In other words, get up and do something. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 7 and verse 9. Here's one that we should be able to cry every day. "Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." That's a wonderful cry. You can blow the trumpet all day long on "let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just." Look in Psalm 35 and verse 23. Psalm 35, verse 23. Here it is. "Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord." Stir up thyself. Think about this. Get upset with those who are opposing me. Awake to my judgment. Look in Psalm 59 and verse 5.

There's a multitude of these. These are just a smattering. But look in Psalm 59 and verse 5. "Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors." Awake to visit the heathen, don't be merciful to them, take care of them. He's actually asking them to wipe them off the face of the earth. That's what it amounts to. And he does that a multitude of times. If you will look in your Bibles to Psalm 68 in verse 1, which is one of my favorite passages. But look what the Bible says: "Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him." Now stop and think about this. I want you to look at the next four verses, or the next three or four verses, in light of this. Watch: "Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire."

"So let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him." Wow. Yeah, that's a good cry to lift up your voice as a trumpet. Then if you will look in Isaiah 51 and verse 9, Isaiah 51 and verse 9. Notice, if you would please, what the scripture says, Isaiah 51, verse 9. "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?" So here Isaiah is asking God to awaken, to put on strength. And just like He delivered His people from Egypt and wounded them and destroyed them, do it again.

Now here's an interesting thing. When God says, "lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew my people their sins and their transgressions" and cry unto me. And if you cry, He said, you will be remembered before the LORD. The interesting thing is Scripture places the responsibility of crying upon us. You know, I find it absolutely astounding that as you think about what happened to Israel in the Old Testament, especially if you read the book of Judges, those people waited to the very last moment to cry out to God. I mean, when they were in deep straits and deep trouble, then they would cry. You know, to me, the wise thing to do would be start crying before you ever get in that state. But then that's the way people are. That's the way sinners are. And everybody asks me, "Well, why are not God's people in this country crying out right now?" Here's my answer.

The Urgency of Persistent Prayer

Using the parable of the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8) and Joel's call to blow the trumpet, Weaver urges continual, desperate prayer for God's intervention.

Look in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Here is a parable that our Lord gave concerning prayer. And then he makes a tremendous application to this parable. Note in Luke 18, beginning there in verse 1, "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary." "And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."

Now let me just stop right there. Here's the point that he's making. Here is an unjust judge who could care less about righteousness, justice, holiness. Didn't bother him. He did not fear God. He had no regard for man. And the only reason he wanted to give this woman justice was because she kept irritating him. And finally he said, "If I don't do something, she'll wear me down. I'm going to give her what she wants just to get her out of my hair."

Now look at the application, verse 6. "And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Or shall he find that kind of faith? What kind of faith? The faith that cries day and night, asking God to intervene, asking God to deliver, asking God to save, asking God to do something that will destroy the wicked and establish the righteous. So if our voices are trumpets, how serious is our cry? What are we going to say to the Lord?

I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Joel. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. And look, if you would, first of all, at Joel chapter 1. Of course, there's a lot about blowing trumpets in here. But notice, if you would, please, beginning with verse 13 of Joel chapter 1, the Word of God says, "Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly." How would you call a solemn assembly in those days? With a trumpet. "Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD." Now look in chapter 2 verse 1: "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain." Now skip down, if you would please, to verse 12: "Therefore now also saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly."

Note, if you would, please. He goes on to say in verse 17, watch. Well, let's read verse 16. He says, "...gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar." Watch, here's the cry: "...and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people." Call a solemn assembly, blow the trumpet, weep before the porch and the altar, and say, "Spare thy people, O God, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them." You know something? We are priests, and we do have a trumpet, and our trumpet is our voices.

It is our word, and we need to use those voices for God's honor and God's glory and the establishment of His kingdom. The trumpets were blown always in a time of danger, in a time of trouble, in a time of war. I would tend to think that we are in a time of danger and a time of trouble and a time of war, and the average Christian is just as fast asleep as he can possibly be. So we need to use our voices and cry with I Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 34, "Awake to righteousness, and sin not." We need to cry with Ephesians 5 and verse 14, "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." Awake thou that sleepest. If we do not awaken, if we do not learn to blow our trumpets and cry to God, we are going to be in such serious trouble in this country that you and I cannot even possibly envision.

Applications: Dependence, Responsibility, and Awakening

Deliverance is by God's power, not ours; we must hear and sound the trumpet; and we must awaken from spiritual sleep to cry out for righteousness.

Now let me try to make some applications and tie this together, because I can assure you there are indeed times for the trumpet as well. I want you to understand, first of all, number one, in times of conflict, our being remembered and saved is not by reason of our own fighting. It depends not upon our ability, but upon the power and the blessing of the Lord. You remember I told you the sounding of the trumpets was a sign and symbol of dependence upon God. In other words, we're not delivered by our own hand. We're not delivered by our own power. We're not delivered by our own strength. We are delivered by His grace, His mercy. You remember that passage in the book of Zechariah, where he said, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD."

Here's what Matthew Henry said. "God will take notice of the sound of the trumpet and be engaged to fight their battles. Let all the people take notice of it and be encouraged to fight His battles, as David, when he heard a sound of a going upon the tops of the mulberry trees." Not that God needs to be awakened by a sound of a trumpet any more than Christ needed to be awakened by His disciples in the storm. Listen carefully. "But where He, God, intends mercy, it is His will that we should solicit it. Ministers must stir up the good soldiers of Jesus Christ to fight manfully against sin, the world, and the devil by assuring them that Christ is the captain of their salvation and will tread Satan under their feet." It's interesting that he said, whenever God intends to bestow mercy, He always stirs up His people to solicit, to ask for, and to beg for that mercy.

I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 44. Psalm 44. Watch carefully. I love this Psalm. And we're talking about, we're not delivered by our own strength, our own power, our own ability, our own weapons, but we're delivered by God. He said in Psalm 44 and verse 1, "We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old." Lord, we've heard how God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt. We heard how they crossed the Red Sea. We heard what He did to Jericho and the inhabitants thereof and the inhabitants of Ai.

We know what He did to Og and Sihon. You know, that's why they said, we've heard all of these wonderful things. Now watch verse 2. "How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them;" that is, his people. "How thou didst afflict the people," that is, the heathen, "and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them." And then he says this. "Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob." In other words, Lord, we've heard what you've done in time past. You're still the same king. Do it again, Lord. Do it again. Verse four is a cry for divine intervention. We are not delivered by our own strength. We're delivered by the grace and mercy and power of God. Here's the third application.

Men are responsible to hear the sound of the trumpet, the call to war, the call to fight, the call to pray, the call to worship, and the call to proclaim the truth. There's an interesting passage in Jeremiah chapter 6 and verse 14 where the Word of God says this. "Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken." Hmm. When you refuse to hear the sound of the trumpet, you are indeed assuring your own destruction. Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Ezekiel chapter 33. Ezekiel chapter 33, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Ezekiel 33, verse 1.

Now, I want you to watch this carefully. "Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land," so God is sending war. "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 he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 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 any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand."

Now I want you to note, all of this time he's been talking about a watchman and blowing the trumpet. Now watch the application in verse 7. "So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me." What was Ezekiel's trumpet? It was his voice. He was crying out. The Lord set forth the principle of the blowing of the trumpet in verses one through six. And then he said, "Ezekiel, you are my trumpet, your voice. You should lift up to God and cry for deliverance."

Now, if you think that trumpets have no place in the New Testament, I need to remind you of two passages. I'll just quote them. There are other passages, but these two verses shall be sufficient. First Corinthians 15 and verse 52: "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." And then in First Thessalonians chapter four and verse 16: "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." The last trumpet to sound is going to be the trumpet of Jesus Christ, when he raises his own from the dead and he returns in power and glory. Until that last trumpet sounds, we must keep playing our own trumpets. We must keep lifting up our own voices. We must not play with an uncertain sound or a confused sound or off key.

Conclusion: The Final Trumpet

Until Christ returns with the last trumpet, we must keep sounding our trumpets through prayer and proclamation, trusting God to remember and save us.

We must keep crying out of truth and righteousness and holiness. And when you stop and think about this, when we die, or when our Lord returns, our trumpets are ceased. We can't warn anymore. We can't cry anymore. We can't plead anymore. We can't pray anymore. It's over for us. You follow that? So God has promised, if we have blown the trumpet, that we would be remembered before Him, and we would be saved from our enemies.

Would it not be absolutely wonderful once again to have a Christian republic? Hmm? For liberty and freedom are given to us under the authority and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is King of kings, Lord of lords, God of gods. The trumpet call right now is ours. But when he returns, the trumpet call will be his, and it will be the full and final trumpet call. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before thee.

We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We thank you, Father, for the responsibilities, duties and obligations that you've given us. Help us, Father, to indeed lift up our voice like a trumpet, and show our people their sins and their transgressions, and call upon them to repent and turn in faith to thee, the one true and the living God who's revealed himself in Jesus Christ. And may we be delivered from our enemies. And may we learn to pray, "Oh, that the wickedness of the wicked would come to an end; but establish thou the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." Turn us, O God, and we shall be turned. Quicken us, and we shall call upon thy name. We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

War as a Biblical Reality

Summary: War is assumed in Scripture and is not inherently sinful; God Himself is described as a man of war, and there is a book of the wars of the Lord.

Evidence: Numbers 10:9 says 'if you go to war,' and Exodus 15:3 calls the LORD a man of war. Isaiah 42:13 and Revelation 19:11 also depict God as a warrior.

Oppression from Rulers and the Powerful

Summary: Oppression typically comes from those in authority or the rich, as seen in Ezekiel 45:8 and James 2:6, and is a form of tyranny when power is consolidated.

Evidence: Ezekiel 45:8 says 'my princes shall no more oppress my people,' and James 2:6 asks, 'Do not rich men oppress you?' James Madison defined tyranny as accumulation of all powers.

The Trumpet as Dependence on God

Summary: Blowing the trumpet was an appeal to heaven, signifying that the battle is the Lord's and victory comes from Him, not human strength.

Evidence: Numbers 10:9 promises remembrance and salvation when the trumpet is blown. Numbers 31 and 2 Chronicles 13 show victory when trumpets were used.

Believers as Priests with a Trumpet

Summary: In the New Testament, believers are kings and priests, and their voice is their trumpet, to be lifted up in prayer and proclamation.

Evidence: Revelation 1:5-6 says Christ made us kings and priests. Isaiah 58:1 commands to lift up the voice like a trumpet. Hebrews 13:15 speaks of the sacrifice of praise.

Urgent, Persistent Prayer for Deliverance

Summary: God's people must cry day and night for justice and deliverance, as taught in Luke 18 and Joel 1-2, before it is too late.

Evidence: Luke 18:1-8 shows the widow's persistence. Joel 1:13-14 and 2:1, 12-17 call for blowing the trumpet and crying out to spare God's people.

Spiritual Awakening and Responsibility

Summary: Christians must awaken from spiritual sleep, hear the trumpet call, and sound a clear alarm, or face destruction.

Evidence: Ephesians 5:14 says 'Awake thou that sleepest.' Ezekiel 33:1-7 warns that those who hear the trumpet and do not heed it are responsible for their own blood.

Key Arguments

War is an assumed fact in Scripture and life

Summary: Numbers 10:9 begins with 'if you go to war,' indicating war is a reality. God is called a man of war, so war itself is not inherently evil.

Evidence: Exodus 15:3, Isaiah 42:13, Revelation 19:11, and Numbers 21:14 all reference God's involvement in war.

War may be necessary in our own land

Summary: The phrase 'in your land' suggests that conflict is not always foreign; we must be prepared mentally, physically, and spiritually for local threats.

Evidence: Numbers 10:9 says 'if you go to war in your land.' Historical examples include the War of Independence and the Civil War.

Oppression comes from those already in power

Summary: The enemy that oppresses is already in the land, often rulers or the rich who consolidate power, as seen in Ezekiel 45:8 and James 2:6.

Evidence: Ezekiel 45:8 says princes shall no more oppress. James 2:6 asks if rich men oppress. James Madison warned against accumulation of powers.

The trumpet is an appeal to God for deliverance

Summary: Blowing the trumpet signifies trust in God, not human strength. God promises to remember and save His people when they sound the alarm.

Evidence: Numbers 10:9 promises remembrance and salvation. Numbers 31 and 2 Chronicles 13 illustrate victory through trumpet-blowing.

Believers' voices are their trumpets

Summary: Since believers are priests and Isaiah 58:1 commands lifting the voice like a trumpet, our prayers and proclamations are the New Testament trumpet.

Evidence: Revelation 1:5-6, 5:10; Hebrews 13:15; Isaiah 58:1; 1 Corinthians 14:8.

Specific prayers must be cried aloud

Summary: Scripture provides examples of what to cry: 'Arise, O LORD,' 'Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,' 'Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered.'

Evidence: Psalm 7:6, 7:9, 35:23, 59:5, 68:1-4; Isaiah 51:9.

Persistent prayer is required for deliverance

Summary: The parable of the unjust judge teaches that God will avenge His elect who cry day and night. Joel calls for blowing the trumpet and weeping before the altar.

Evidence: Luke 18:1-8; Joel 1:13-14, 2:1, 12-17.

Christians must awaken and sound the alarm

Summary: If we do not hear the trumpet and warn others, we are responsible for the consequences. We must awaken to righteousness and cry out.

Evidence: Ezekiel 33:1-7; 1 Corinthians 15:34; Ephesians 5:14.

Scripture References

Numbers 10:1-2

Context: Introduction of the two silver trumpets for calling the assembly and journeying.

Leviticus 23:24

Context: Trumpets blown on the first day of the seventh month as a memorial.

Psalm 98:6

Context: Trumpets used in worship to make a joyful noise before the Lord.

2 Chronicles 20:2

Context: Trumpets used in worship at the house of the Lord.

Numbers 10:1-8

Context: Detailed instructions for blowing trumpets for assembly, princes, and camp movements.

Numbers 10:9

Context: The key verse: blowing the trumpet in war for remembrance and salvation.

Exodus 15:3

Context: The LORD is a man of war, showing war is not inherently evil.

Isaiah 42:13

Context: The LORD goes forth as a mighty man of war.

Revelation 19:11

Context: Christ judges and makes war in righteousness.

Numbers 21:14

Context: Reference to the book of the wars of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 20:1

Context: When you go to battle, do not be afraid, for the LORD is with you.

Ezekiel 45:8

Context: Princes shall no more oppress God's people.

James 2:6

Context: Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before judgment seats?

1 Timothy 2:1-2

Context: Pray for kings and authorities that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life.

Numbers 31:1-6

Context: Moses sends Phinehas with trumpets to war against Midian, and God gives victory.

2 Chronicles 13:3-16

Context: Abijah's army blows trumpets against Jeroboam, and God delivers them.

Revelation 1:5-6

Context: Christ has made us kings and priests unto God.

Revelation 5:10

Context: We are made kings and priests and shall reign on the earth.

Hebrews 13:15

Context: Offer the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips, as priests.

Isaiah 58:1

Context: Lift up your voice like a trumpet and show my people their sins.

Historical References

James Madison, Federalist Papers

Context: Quoted on the definition of tyranny as the accumulation of all powers in the same hands.

John Trapp, Puritan writer

Context: Described Christians at the siege of Montauban singing psalms before sallying forth, causing the enemy to quake.

Oliver Cromwell

Context: Led his army into battle singing psalms.

Rebel yell during the War of Northern Aggression (Civil War)

Context: Mentioned as an example of a battle cry, along with Indian war whoops.

Matthew Henry

Context: Quoted on God taking notice of the trumpet sound and stirring up His people to solicit mercy.

Important Quotes

The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced as the very definition of tyranny.

Significance: Weaver uses Madison's definition to argue that oppression comes from consolidated government power, aligning with the biblical warning against tyrannical rulers.

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

Significance: This is the central Old Testament command that equates the prophetic voice with a trumpet, forming the basis for the application that believers' voices are their trumpets.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.

Significance: Jesus' promise in Luke 18 is used to urge persistent, urgent prayer for God's intervention against oppression.

Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

Significance: This is presented as a model prayer for believers to cry out with their trumpet voices, calling on God to act against His enemies.

If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

Significance: Applied to the need for clear, specific prayer and proclamation, not vague or uncertain cries.

Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

Significance: From Joel 2:17, this is given as the specific cry that priests (believers) should make when blowing the trumpet in times of national danger.

Discussion Questions

What are the four assumptions Weaver identifies in Numbers 10:9, and how do they apply to our current cultural or political situation?

Context: Weaver outlines that war is a reality, may be in our land, oppression comes from within, and deliverance requires the trumpet call.

How does the biblical teaching that believers are kings and priests change our understanding of spiritual warfare and prayer?

Context: Revelation 1:5-6 and Hebrews 13:15 are used to show that all believers have a priestly role and a trumpet (voice) to use.

In what ways might Christians today be giving an 'uncertain sound' with their voices, and how can we ensure our prayers and proclamations are clear and biblical?

Context: 1 Corinthians 14:8 is applied to the need for specific, scriptural cries rather than vague prayers.

Why does Weaver emphasize that deliverance comes not by our own fighting but by God's power, and how should that shape our activism and prayer life?

Context: Psalm 44:1-4 and Zechariah 4:6 are cited to show that victory is by God's Spirit, not human strength.

What is the significance of the watchman analogy in Ezekiel 33, and what responsibility do believers have to warn others?

Context: Ezekiel 33:1-7 teaches that those who hear the trumpet and do not warn are accountable, and the watchman must blow the trumpet.

How does the parable of the unjust judge (Luke 18) encourage persistent prayer, and what does it teach about God's character in responding to His elect?

Context: Weaver uses the parable to argue that God will avenge His people who cry day and night, even if He bears long.

What are some of the specific biblical prayers Weaver suggests we cry out, and how can we incorporate them into our daily intercession?

Context: Psalms 7, 35, 59, 68, and Isaiah 51 are given as models for crying out against wickedness and for God's intervention.

Weaver says, 'If we do not cry, God is not going to deliver.' Do you agree with this conditional understanding of divine intervention, and how does it align with Scripture?

Context: This statement is made in the context of Israel's pattern in Judges and the general principle of soliciting God's mercy.

Applications

Recognize the reality of spiritual and cultural war

Summary: Accept that war is a biblical reality and that we are in a time of danger, trouble, and war, requiring vigilance and preparation.

Evidence: Numbers 10:9 assumes war; Weaver states, 'I would tend to think that we are in a time of danger and a time of trouble and a time of war.'

Use your voice as a trumpet in prayer

Summary: Lift up your voice like a trumpet by crying out to God with specific, scriptural prayers for deliverance, justice, and the establishment of righteousness.

Evidence: Isaiah 58:1 commands to lift up the voice like a trumpet; Psalms 7, 35, 59, 68 provide examples of what to cry.

Depend on God, not human strength

Summary: Trust that deliverance comes by God's power and Spirit, not by our own fighting, weapons, or political maneuvering.

Evidence: Psalm 44:3 says they got not the land by their own sword; Zechariah 4:6 says 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit.'

Persist in prayer day and night

Summary: Follow the example of the widow in Luke 18 by continually crying out to God for justice and deliverance, not giving up.

Evidence: Luke 18:1-8 teaches that men ought always to pray and not faint; God will avenge His elect who cry day and night.

Sound a clear and certain alarm

Summary: Ensure your prayers and proclamations are specific and biblical, not vague or uncertain, so that others may prepare for spiritual battle.

Evidence: 1 Corinthians 14:8 warns against an uncertain trumpet sound; Ezekiel 33:1-7 shows the watchman must blow a clear warning.

Awaken from spiritual slumber

Summary: Respond to the call to awake to righteousness, arise from spiritual deadness, and actively engage in the battle through prayer and proclamation.

Evidence: Ephesians 5:14 says 'Awake thou that sleepest'; 1 Corinthians 15:34 says 'Awake to righteousness, and sin not.'

Pray for rulers to leave us in peace

Summary: Intercede for kings and authorities not primarily for their salvation, but that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in godliness and honesty.

Evidence: 1 Timothy 2:1-2 instructs prayer for rulers for the purpose of our own peaceful and godly living.

Call for repentance and national turning

Summary: Use your trumpet voice to show people their sins and call them to repent and turn to God, as Joel and Isaiah commanded.

Evidence: Isaiah 58:1 says to show my people their transgression; Joel 2:12-17 calls for turning to the Lord with fasting and weeping.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T19:41:22Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T12:32:28Z

Clean Transcript

The Trumpet Call

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

We're going to read the first two verses and then we'll come back and catch some more of it. The title of the message is "The Trumpet Call." The Trumpet Call. Look in verse 1 of Numbers chapter 10. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, the fourth book in the Bible. I told you that before I was preaching in Vidalia, Georgia, and I asked them to turn to the book of Numbers. And the guy on the front row, he was just trying to find the book of Numbers. And I said, "Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. It's the fourth book in the Old Testament." And he kept looking and finally, I said, "It's the fourth book in the Old Testament."
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He shook his head, no. I said, "Yes, it is." I jumped from the pulpit. I said, "Let me see your Bible. I'll find it for you." He handed me his Bible. And the book of Numbers was gone. It was a Sears and Roebuck Bible. They'd left out the whole book of Numbers. So, but normally it's the fourth book. Okay. Numbers chapter 10, verse one: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps." Trumpets were used for a multitude of purposes in the Old Testament, and they certainly played a prominent role in the lives of the Israelites. We shall also see before I end today, Lord willing, that trumpets are also relative to the New Testament and play a very important and an integral part as well.
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But trumpets were to be blown on special occasions and especially special feast days. In Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 24, the Bible says this, speaking to the children of Israel, saying, "In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall you have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation." And of course, trumpets were also used in the worship of God as well. For instance, in Psalm 98 in verse 6, "With trumpets and the sound of a cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD the King." And then in 2 Chronicles chapter 20 in verse 2, "And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD." So what I want you to see today, trumpets were also used not only for the calling of the assembly, that is the whole congregation, trumpets were used for calling the princes or the rulers. Trumpets were used for sending out the camps by order. In other words, once a trumpet was blown a certain way, the camps on the east moved, and then another way, the camps on the west moved.
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Look at it. Let's go to Numbers chapter 10 again, beginning there with verse 1. "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. 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 the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. When you blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east part shall go forward. When you 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, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be unto you an ordinance forever throughout your generations."
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So very clearly then the trumpets were used on a regular basis in Israel. And they were used for the calling of the assembly, or the princes, or the setting forth of the camps. However, it is verse 9 I want to call your attention to today, and if you will look at this passage. He said, "And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies." I was reading through the book of Numbers and I came to this passage and I was really fascinated with verse 9 because actually there are four assumptions that are very clearly seen in verse 9. First of all, he said, "if you go to war." So actually war is assumed in the Bible. Now whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not, whether we want it or not, it is an assumed fact.
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and it is a reality of life. You must remember that war is not sinful or evil in and of itself. It is true that usually our wars are sinful and evil because we are sinful, wicked, and depraved individuals. And usually wars are begun over wicked and wrong reasons as well. But to demonstrate the fact that war is not inherently evil in and of itself, you have to remember that in Exodus chapter 15 and verse 3, the Bible says, "The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name." Now, if war was inherently evil, then God certainly would not be a man of war. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 42 and verse 13, the Bible says, "The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war."
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"He shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies." And then when you get to the book of Revelation chapter 19 and verse 11, here is one who sits on a white horse whose name is Faithful and True, and in righteousness doth he judge and make war. So obviously war is not inherently sinful in and of itself. In fact, I might point out again that in Numbers chapter 21 and verse 14, there is even a book of the wars of the LORD. That verse says, "Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did at the Red sea and in the brooks of Arnon." Now, I pointed out in verse 9 that war is an assumed fact. If you would hold Numbers 10, but look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 20, Deuteronomy chapter 20 and verse 1. Here is why it is an assumed fact. Notice, if you would, this passage, Deuteronomy 20 and verse 1.
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The Word of God says, "When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." Now, notice, if you would, in verse 1, it is said, "When thou goest forth to war." It is no longer an assumption.
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It is now a reality. It is a real fact. So when you look back in Numbers chapter 10 and verse 9, then he said, "and if you go to war," that is the first assumption that you have in that verse, that yes, war is a reality, war is a fact. Now, here's the second assumption in verse 9, and that is that war may be necessary in our land. He said, "and if you go to war in your land." You know, when we think of war, we normally think of foreign wars, fighting on foreign shores. Outside of the war for independence, the war of 1812 and the war of northern aggression from 1861 to 1865, there's really not been any wars on our land. But however, we need to adjust our thinking because the scripture is saying, "and if you go to war in your land," sometimes it may be absolutely necessary not only to fight in our nation, in our state, in our county, but also in our community as well. So we need to adjust our thinking to understand that war is not something that happens to someone else somewhere else and not believe that it cannot happen locally as well.
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So that means we need to prepare ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, martially, and even spiritually for such. In other words, we should never be unprepared. We have to understand that not only is war an assumed fact, but sometimes that war comes to our home as well.
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Now, I want you to look at verse 9 again because here's a third assumption. He said, "And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you." So, here is an enemy that oppresses us.
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Now, interestingly, if you will take the time to look up the Hebrew word, oppress, you will find that it means to bind up, to shut up. In other words, to lock down, to harass, to vex, to cause suffering and distress. So here is an enemy that oppresses, but here is the clincher. Look at it in verse 9. He said, "and if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you," in other words, the enemy is already in the land.
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It is not an open invasion that you can see and say, "Hey, there comes a bunch of troops. They're coming off a ship. They're coming out of a plane." No, no, no, no. They're already in the land.
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Now, I want you to think about this for a moment and ask yourself these questions. How could there be an oppression for someone from someone that is already in our land? Think about this question. Who has the power to oppress? And who has the position to oppress? Here's another one. From whence does oppression arise? In other words, what is the original and general source of oppression? There's an interesting question that is asked in I Peter chapter 3 and verse 13.
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And I remember reading that passage and laughing out loud when the answer really hit me. Here's the question. "And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" And I thought about that. "And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" Then I began to think, and well, in the Scripture, let's see, the apostles are preaching, and it was the rulers who wanted to arrest them and make them cease preaching.
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And the next thing you know, when you read through the Bible, usually the oppression always comes from the government. Now, if you don't believe that, well, let me just show you a couple of passages. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Ezekiel, chapter 45. And notice, if you would, verse 8. Ezekiel 45, verse 8. Then we'll go to the book of James. Look in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 45 and verse 8. Look what the scripture says. Ezekiel 45 verse 8. When we're talking about the prince, he says in verse 8, "In the land shall be his," that is the prince's, "possession in Israel." And then he says this, "and my princes shall no more oppress my people, and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according their tribes." Notice that "my princes shall no more oppress my people." In other words, oppression normally comes from those who have the power and the position of power. Then if you look at the book of James 2 and verse 6.
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James 2 and verse 6. Here's another question, and you can put these two things together. James 2 and verse 6. He says, "But ye have despised the poor." And here's the question. "Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?" Isn't that interesting? Have you ever thought about what George Soros is attempting to do? How about Bill Gates? How about the Clinton Foundation? I'm just simply pointing out, usually oppression comes from the powers that be or from the rich and the powerful. Usually it is the rich and the powerful, it's your congress critters, it's the judges, it's the executive branch somehow that are oppressing the people. We are not necessarily oppressing each other.
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If we did, that too would be sin, that too would be wickedness. But once you begin to look around and you read the scripture and you observe what is going on, you're going to discover that the division and the strife and the oppression usually stems from anti-God, anti-Christ, anti-Scripture, anti-freedom, and anti-liberty rulers and rich who are trying to consolidate power to themselves in order that they may control every avenue of our lives. And in seeking to control, they're actually destroying our nation.
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Here's a quote from James Madison. You will find this in the Federalist Papers. But James Madison is known as the father of the Constitution because he was secretary at the Constitutional Convention. Listen to what he said. "The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced as the very definition of tyranny." He said once you have an individual, once you have a group of individuals, once you have a party that controls the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive branch, he says that is indeed the very essence and the very definition of tyranny.
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So you have in Numbers chapter 10 so far these three assumptions. Number one, war is a fact and reality. Sometimes war is in our land. And thirdly, that war oftentimes stems from those who are in power and positions of power. Here's the fourth one. The fourth assumption is found in verse 9 as well. He said, "And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies." Now, everyone wishes to be saved from their enemies. It doesn't matter whether a person is saved or unsaved. Everybody wishes to be saved from their perceived enemies.
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But let me make this statement, and I'll show you why I'm making it. Christians should in reality be very aggressive in wanting to be saved from our enemies. Why? Well, if you'll hold Numbers 10, but turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 2. 1 Timothy 2. And I will show you what the Apostle says. 1 Timothy 2. Note if you would, verses 1 and 2. The Apostle Paul says this, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men."
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We may pray for all kinds of people, all classes of people. But look in verse 2. He now becomes very specific. He says, "for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." I've asked people before, why should we pray for our rulers? And someone would answer, inevitably, we need to pray for them that they should be saved, or they might be saved. And my response is, the truth of the matter is, according to Deuteronomy 17, 2 Samuel chapter 23, and numerous other passages, if they're not already saved, they should not be rulers, because the Bible forbids an alien and a foreigner from ruling over God's people. But here's why the Apostle Paul is requesting prayer for our rulers and those who are in authority.
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It is not for their benefit, but it is for our benefit. So look in verse 2. He says, "...for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." Note, if you would, he says we should pray for them in order that we may be left alone, that we may live our lives, that we may be able to worship our God and serve Him unmolested and unoppressed. So our prayers for them are not for their benefit, but for our benefit as well.
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Now, we're talking about the blowing of the trumpets. May I point out that in the blowing of the trumpets, those trumpets had implications both Godward and manward. As far as manward is concerned, whoever heard the trumpet, whether it was a calling of the assembly or calling of princes or setting forth of the camps or whatever the sound was, then ever who heard it should prepare himself for it. In fact, there were alarms for war, and that meant if you heard that, you must prepare yourself for war as well. But then there was also an implication Godward, because he said, when God hears those trumpets, then you will be remembered before the LORD and you will be saved from your enemies. Now, let me point out the fact that the blowing of the trumpets had the significance of the fact that we are now openly saying that our trust and our confidence is in God. The blowing of the trumpets was an appeal to heaven. The blowing of the trumpet signified that the battle is the LORD's, that He is the one who must help us.
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And we need and desire His divine help. And we recognize that He is the only one who can give us victory. So let me give you two illustrations. The first one is found in Numbers chapter 31. We're not going to read all of this, but you can read this chapter and see the mighty victory that God gave, Numbers chapter 31, beginning there with verse 1. We'll read through verse 6. Numbers 31 and verse 1, "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites."
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"Afterward thou shalt be gathered unto thy people. And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian. Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war. So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and with the trumpets to blow in his hand."
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So when they went to war, they blew those trumpets because they wanted to be remembered before the LORD and they wanted the victory. And if you read Numbers chapter 31, you will find not only the victory that God gave them, but also all of the goods and the booty that was gathered from the Midianites as well.
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The second illustration is found in 2 Chronicles 13. So if you'll turn there, 2 Chronicles 13. Look at this passage. Let's begin reading there with verse 3. There is about to be a war between Judah and Israel. And of course, Abijah is king over Judah, and of course Jeroboam is king over Israel. And so let's begin reading with verse 3: "And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men." So I want you to think about this. Judah has 400,000 men of war. Now watch: "Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valor." So now Judah's outnumbered 2 to 1. Verse 4, "And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel; Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord."
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"And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them. And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods?"
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Now look how he lays this out. "But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business: And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him. And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper."
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You can read the rest of the chapter. Jeroboam tried to set a trap and put his men behind Abijah. But God delivered Israel into the hands of Abijah and Judah. But what he's saying, we're doing this according to God's law and we're blowing the trumpets and we're blowing them against you.
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Now, before I really explain this, let me mention to you that oftentimes Christians went into battle singing psalms, and making all kind of shouts of praise unto the Lord. John Trapp, one of the old Puritans, wrote this: "So at the siege of Montauban, the people of God, using daily humiliation as their service would permit, did sing a psalm after it, immediately before sallying forth," that is, before going out to face the enemy. "With this practice, the enemy became acquainted. And ever upon the singing of the psalm, after which they expected a sally, they would so quake and tremble, saying, 'They come, they come,' as though the wrath of God had been breaking out upon them." Did you know that Oliver Cromwell led his army into battle singing psalms? Hmm.
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And, of course, I think that everyone should be familiar with the rebel yell that the rebels used during the War of Northern Aggression. And even the Indians oftentimes would give a loud whooping noise as they went into battle. There are really psychological reasons as well as martial reasons for doing so. But now, I can hear the wheels turning in your mind, and I know what you're thinking, and it may be coming forth from your mouth shortly. And the objection that you're going to have to what I've just told you is this, "But I don't see how the blowing of the trumpets could be relative to us. That is in the Old Testament and we no longer have priests and we no longer have trumpets."
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And my response would be, "Ah, but you are wrong. Very wrong." If you would turn in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Revelation chapter 1. Revelation chapter 1, and look, if you would, please, at verses 5 and 6. Revelation 1, verses 5 and 6. Notice what the Scripture says. Revelation 1, verse 5, "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth."
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"Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." What has he done? He's made us kings and priests. If you look in Revelation chapter 5, and verse 10, you'll see it again. "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." So the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the great high priest, has made his people kings and priests.
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There is in the Bible, and we teach, the priesthood of every believer. And if you'll look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15, as a priest, you are to offer a daily sacrifice. What is that sacrifice? Well, here it is. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15, the Scripture says, "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." So we are required to give a daily sacrifice. That daily sacrifice is the sacrifice of praise. It's the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
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So you say, "All right, pastor, we're priests. I understand that. But what about the trumpets? I can't even play the radio. I surely can't blow a trumpet." Well, you can. If you look in your Bibles to the book of Isaiah chapter 58, and notice verse 1. Isaiah 58 verse 1. I'll show you another passage before we close today. But look what God says. So here's our trumpet. Isaiah 58 and verse 1: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet. Our voice is our trumpet, and we are to use our voices to cry to our sovereign and holy God.
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Now, just like trumpets gave a certain specific sound, we must also give a certain specific sound. You remember, there was one sound for the calling of the assembly, another sound for the calling of the princes, another sound for the setting forth of the camps, another sound for an alarm for war. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14, verse 8, "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?" So if our voices are our trumpets then, then we must give a specific sound if we want to be delivered in the time of war, in the time of danger, in the time of oppression.
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So what are we to cry? He said, "lift up your voice like a trumpet and cry." Well, what are we to cry? I want you to go back in your Bibles to Psalm 7. Let's start there. I'll show you several passages very quickly that we should be using on a daily basis. Look in Psalm 7, and notice if you would please verse 6. Psalm 7 and verse 6.
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The Word of God says, "Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded." Note, if you would, "Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself." In other words, it's like David is asking God to stand up, get up and do something. I've told you in time past, I don't know if you remember it or not, but.
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As a boy, I only saw my father angry, upset, mad, ready to fight two times. Two times in my whole life. One time there was a great controversy. I have no idea what it was, because I was only eight or nine years old. A great controversy among the farmers. And all the farmers met at the courthouse in auditorium seats, like seats in a theater. And the county agent was down front behind a lectern speaking.
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We were all sitting there. And I remember that county agent referred to my father and called him a liar. My dad never said a word. He just stood up, got out of the seat and started walking straight for that county agent. When he got about three feet in front of the county agent, the county agent said, "No, no, let me correct this. Mr. Weaver did not lie. I'm the liar. I lied." Dad just turned around, came right back to his seat, sat down.
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Now, the point I'm trying to make is this is what David is saying. "Arise, O LORD, in thine anger." In other words, get up and do something. Look in your Bibles to Psalm 7 and verse 9. Here's one that we should be able to cry every day. "Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." That's a wonderful cry. You can blow the trumpet all day long on "let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just." Look in Psalm 35 and verse 23. Psalm 35, verse 23. Here it is. "Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord." Stir up thyself. Think about this. Get upset with those who are opposing me. Awake to my judgment. Look in Psalm 59 and verse 5.
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There's a multitude of these. These are just a smattering. But look in Psalm 59 and verse 5. "Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors." Awake to visit the heathen, don't be merciful to them, take care of them. He's actually asking them to wipe them off the face of the earth. That's what it amounts to. And he does that a multitude of times. If you will look in your Bibles to Psalm 68 in verse 1, which is one of my favorite passages. But look what the Bible says: "Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him." Now stop and think about this. I want you to look at the next four verses, or the next three or four verses, in light of this. Watch: "Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire."
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"So let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him." Wow. Yeah, that's a good cry to lift up your voice as a trumpet. Then if you will look in Isaiah 51 and verse 9, Isaiah 51 and verse 9. Notice, if you would please, what the scripture says, Isaiah 51, verse 9.
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"Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?" So here Isaiah is asking God to awaken, to put on strength. And just like He delivered His people from Egypt and wounded them and destroyed them, do it again.
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Now here's an interesting thing. When God says, "lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew my people their sins and their transgressions" and cry unto me. And if you cry, He said, you will be remembered before the LORD. The interesting thing is Scripture places the responsibility of crying upon us. You know, I find it absolutely astounding that as you think about what happened to Israel in the Old Testament, especially if you read the book of Judges, those people waited to the very last moment to cry out to God. I mean, when they were in deep straits and deep trouble, then they would cry. You know, to me, the wise thing to do would be start crying before you ever get in that state. But then that's the way people are. That's the way sinners are. And everybody asks me, "Well, why are not God's people in this country crying out right now?" Here's my answer.
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Because we don't have our backs up against the wall quite yet. We're not hungry enough just yet. We're not sick of tyranny just yet. No, no. We still want the benefits of socialism and fascism. But at the same time, we don't repent of our sins either. But so when we get in the position that Israel got in, yeah, we might end up crying as well. But here's the general principle. The general principle is if we do not cry, God is not going to deliver.
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Look in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 18. Luke chapter 18, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Here is a parable that our Lord gave concerning prayer. And then he makes a tremendous application to this parable. Note in Luke 18, beginning there in verse 1, "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary."
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"And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."
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Now let me just stop right there. Here's the point that he's making. Here is an unjust judge who could care less about righteousness, justice, holiness. Didn't bother him. He did not fear God. He had no regard for man. And the only reason he wanted to give this woman justice was because she kept irritating him. And finally he said, "If I don't do something, she'll wear me down. I'm going to give her what she wants just to get her out of my hair."
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Now look at the application, verse 6. "And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Or shall he find that kind of faith? What kind of faith? The faith that cries day and night, asking God to intervene, asking God to deliver, asking God to save, asking God to do something that will destroy the wicked and establish the righteous. So if our voices are trumpets, how serious is our cry? What are we going to say to the Lord?
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I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Joel. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. And look, if you would, first of all, at Joel chapter 1. Of course, there's a lot about blowing trumpets in here. But notice, if you would, please, beginning with verse 13 of Joel chapter 1, the Word of God says, "Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly." How would you call a solemn assembly in those days? With a trumpet. "Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD." Now look in chapter 2 verse 1: "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain." Now skip down, if you would please, to verse 12: "Therefore now also saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly."
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Note, if you would, please. He goes on to say in verse 17, watch. Well, let's read verse 16. He says, "...gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar." Watch, here's the cry: "...and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people." Call a solemn assembly, blow the trumpet, weep before the porch and the altar, and say, "Spare thy people, O God, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them." You know something? We are priests, and we do have a trumpet, and our trumpet is our voices.
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It is our word, and we need to use those voices for God's honor and God's glory and the establishment of His kingdom. The trumpets were blown always in a time of danger, in a time of trouble, in a time of war. I would tend to think that we are in a time of danger and a time of trouble and a time of war, and the average Christian is just as fast asleep as he can possibly be. So we need to use our voices and cry with I Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 34, "Awake to righteousness, and sin not." We need to cry with Ephesians 5 and verse 14, "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." Awake thou that sleepest. If we do not awaken, if we do not learn to blow our trumpets and cry to God, we are going to be in such serious trouble in this country that you and I cannot even possibly envision.
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Now let me try to make some applications and tie this together, because I can assure you there are indeed times for the trumpet as well. I want you to understand, first of all, number one, in times of conflict, our being remembered and saved is not by reason of our own fighting. It depends not upon our ability, but upon the power and the blessing of the Lord.
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You remember I told you the sounding of the trumpets was a sign and symbol of dependence upon God. In other words, we're not delivered by our own hand. We're not delivered by our own power. We're not delivered by our own strength. We are delivered by His grace, His mercy. You remember that passage in the book of Zechariah, where he said, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD."
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Here's what Matthew Henry said. "God will take notice of the sound of the trumpet and be engaged to fight their battles. Let all the people take notice of it and be encouraged to fight His battles, as David, when he heard a sound of a going upon the tops of the mulberry trees." Not that God needs to be awakened by a sound of a trumpet any more than Christ needed to be awakened by His disciples in the storm. Listen carefully. "But where He, God, intends mercy, it is His will that we should solicit it. Ministers must stir up the good soldiers of Jesus Christ to fight manfully against sin, the world, and the devil by assuring them that Christ is the captain of their salvation and will tread Satan under their feet." It's interesting that he said, whenever God intends to bestow mercy, He always stirs up His people to solicit, to ask for, and to beg for that mercy.
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I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 44. Psalm 44. Watch carefully. I love this Psalm. And we're talking about, we're not delivered by our own strength, our own power, our own ability, our own weapons, but we're delivered by God. He said in Psalm 44 and verse 1, "We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old." Lord, we've heard how God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt. We heard how they crossed the Red Sea. We heard what He did to Jericho and the inhabitants thereof and the inhabitants of Ai.
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We know what He did to Og and Sihon. You know, that's why they said, we've heard all of these wonderful things. Now watch verse 2. "How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them;" that is, his people. "How thou didst afflict the people," that is, the heathen, "and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them."
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And then he says this. "Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob." In other words, Lord, we've heard what you've done in time past. You're still the same king. Do it again, Lord. Do it again. Verse four is a cry for divine intervention. We are not delivered by our own strength. We're delivered by the grace and mercy and power of God. Here's the third application.
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Men are responsible to hear the sound of the trumpet, the call to war, the call to fight, the call to pray, the call to worship, and the call to proclaim the truth. There's an interesting passage in Jeremiah chapter 6 and verse 14 where the Word of God says this. "Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken." Hmm. When you refuse to hear the sound of the trumpet, you are indeed assuring your own destruction. Let me show you. Turn in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Ezekiel chapter 33. Ezekiel chapter 33, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. Ezekiel 33, verse 1.
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Now, I want you to watch this carefully. "Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land," so God is sending war. "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 he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 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 any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand."
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Now I want you to note, all of this time he's been talking about a watchman and blowing the trumpet. Now watch the application in verse 7. "So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me." What was Ezekiel's trumpet? It was his voice. He was crying out. The Lord set forth the principle of the blowing of the trumpet in verses one through six. And then he said, "Ezekiel, you are my trumpet, your voice. You should lift up to God and cry for deliverance."
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Now, if you think that trumpets have no place in the New Testament, I need to remind you of two passages. I'll just quote them. There are other passages, but these two verses shall be sufficient. First Corinthians 15 and verse 52: "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." And then in First Thessalonians chapter four and verse 16: "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." The last trumpet to sound is going to be the trumpet of Jesus Christ, when he raises his own from the dead and he returns in power and glory. Until that last trumpet sounds, we must keep playing our own trumpets. We must keep lifting up our own voices. We must not play with an uncertain sound or a confused sound or off key.
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We must keep crying out of truth and righteousness and holiness. And when you stop and think about this, when we die, or when our Lord returns, our trumpets are ceased. We can't warn anymore. We can't cry anymore. We can't plead anymore. We can't pray anymore. It's over for us. You follow that? So God has promised, if we have blown the trumpet, that we would be remembered before Him, and we would be saved from our enemies.
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Would it not be absolutely wonderful once again to have a Christian republic? Hmm? For liberty and freedom are given to us under the authority and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is King of kings, Lord of lords, God of gods. The trumpet call right now is ours. But when he returns, the trumpet call will be his, and it will be the full and final trumpet call. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before thee.
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We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We thank you, Father, for the responsibilities, duties and obligations that you've given us. Help us, Father, to indeed lift up our voice like a trumpet, and show our people their sins and their transgressions, and call upon them to repent and turn in faith to thee, the one true and the living God who's revealed himself in Jesus Christ.
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And may we be delivered from our enemies. And may we learn to pray, "Oh, that the wickedness of the wicked would come to an end; but establish thou the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." Turn us, O God, and we shall be turned. Quicken us, and we shall call upon thy name. We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We thank you, Father, for the responsibilities, duties and obligations that you've given us. Help us, Father, to indeed lift up our voice like a trumpet, and show our people their sins and their transgressions, and call upon them to repent and turn in faith to thee, the one true and the living God who's revealed himself in Jesus Christ.
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And may we be delivered from our enemies. And may we learn to pray, "Oh, that the wickedness of the wicked would come to an end; but establish thou the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." Turn us, O God, and we shall be turned. Quicken us, and we shall call upon thy name. We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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you
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T19:41:22Z

The Trumpet Call

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver expounds Numbers 10:1-9, focusing on the four assumptions in verse 9: war is a reality, war may come to our land, oppression often comes from those in power, and God's deliverance is tied to blowing the trumpet. He connects the Old Testament trumpets to the New Testament priesthood of believers, teaching that our voices are our trumpets. We must cry out to God with specific prayers for deliverance, repentance, and the establishment of righteousness, trusting not in our own strength but in God's power. The sermon calls Christians to awaken from spiritual slumber, sound a clear alarm, and persistently pray for God's intervention against tyranny and wickedness.

Introduction: The Trumpet Call in Numbers 10

Reading Numbers 10:1-2, introducing the use of trumpets for calling the assembly and journeying, and noting their broader Old Testament significance.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:1-2

We're going to read the first two verses and then we'll come back and catch some more of it. The title of the message is "The Trumpet Call." The Trumpet Call. Look in verse 1 of Numbers chapter 10. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, the fourth book in the Bible. I told you that before I was preaching in Vidalia, Georgia, and I asked them to turn to the book of Numbers. And the guy on the front row, he was just trying to find the book of Numbers. And I said, "Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. It's the fourth book in the Old Testament." And he kept looking and finally, I said, "It's the fourth book in the Old Testament."

Old Testament Uses of Trumpets

Trumpets were used for feasts, worship, calling rulers, and directing camp movements, as detailed in Numbers 10:1-8.

But trumpets were to be blown on special occasions and especially special feast days. In Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 24, the Bible says this, speaking to the children of Israel, saying,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 23:24

"In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall you have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation."

Look at it. Let's go to Numbers chapter 10 again, beginning there with verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:1-8

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. 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 the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. When you blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east part shall go forward. When you 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, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm. And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be unto you an ordinance forever throughout your generations."

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:1-8

"And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies."

Four Assumptions in Numbers 10:9

Verse 9 assumes war is a reality, war may be in our land, oppression comes from an enemy already present, and deliverance follows the trumpet alarm.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:1-8

"And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies."

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:9

"and if you go to war in your land."

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:9

"and if you go to war in your land,"

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:9

"And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies."

Now, everyone wishes to be saved from their enemies. It doesn't matter whether a person is saved or unsaved. Everybody wishes to be saved from their perceived enemies.

The Source of Oppression

Oppression typically arises from rulers and the rich who consolidate power, as seen in Ezekiel 45:8, James 2:6, and James Madison's warning against tyranny.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 10:9

"And if you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and you shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies."

Now, everyone wishes to be saved from their enemies. It doesn't matter whether a person is saved or unsaved. Everybody wishes to be saved from their perceived enemies.

The Trumpet as an Appeal to Heaven

Blowing the trumpet signified dependence on God, as illustrated in Numbers 31 and 2 Chronicles 13, where God gave victory when His people sounded the alarm.

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 13:3-16

"And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men."

So I want you to think about this. Judah has 400,000 men of war. Now watch:

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 13:3-16

"Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valor."

So now Judah's outnumbered 2 to 1. Verse 4,

Scripture Reading — 2 Chronicles 13:3-16

"And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel; Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord."

New Testament Priesthood and Our Trumpet

Believers are made kings and priests (Revelation 1:5-6), and our voice is our trumpet (Isaiah 58:1), to be used for crying out to God with specific prayers.

Scripture Reading — Revelation 1:5-6

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth." "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

Specific Cries for Deliverance

Scripture provides examples of prayers to cry aloud: Psalm 7:6, 7:9, 35:23, 59:5, 68:1-4, and Isaiah 51:9, calling on God to arise and scatter enemies.

The Urgency of Persistent Prayer

Using the parable of the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8) and Joel's call to blow the trumpet, Weaver urges continual, desperate prayer for God's intervention.

Applications: Dependence, Responsibility, and Awakening

Deliverance is by God's power, not ours; we must hear and sound the trumpet; and we must awaken from spiritual sleep to cry out for righteousness.

Conclusion: The Final Trumpet

Until Christ returns with the last trumpet, we must keep sounding our trumpets through prayer and proclamation, trusting God to remember and save us.

The Trumpet Call

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	xwn4sMofFto
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Christ and the Churches
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-01-17
Dictation Name
Book	Book 139: Revelation: Christ and the Churches — Chapter 21
Source Timed Segments	72

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Trumpet Call in Numbers 10: Reading Numbers 10:1-2, introducing the use of trumpets for calling the assembly and journeying, and noting their broader Old Testament significance.
Old Testament Uses of Trumpets: Trumpets were used for feasts, worship, calling rulers, and directing camp movements, as detailed in Numbers 10:1-8.
Four Assumptions in Numbers 10:9: Verse 9 assumes war is a reality, war may be in our land, oppression comes from an enemy already present, and deliverance follows the trumpet alarm.
The Source of Oppression: Oppression typically arises from rulers and the rich who consolidate power, as seen in Ezekiel 45:8, James 2:6, and James Madison's warning against tyranny.
The Trumpet as an Appeal to Heaven: Blowing the trumpet signified dependence on God, as illustrated in Numbers 31 and 2 Chronicles 13, where God gave victory when His people sounded the alarm.
New Testament Priesthood and Our Trumpet: Believers are made kings and priests (Revelation 1:5-6), and our voice is our trumpet (Isaiah 58:1), to be used for crying out to God with specific prayers.
Specific Cries for Deliverance: Scripture provides examples of prayers to cry aloud: Psalm 7:6, 7:9, 35:23, 59:5, 68:1-4, and Isaiah 51:9, calling on God to arise and scatter enemies.
The Urgency of Persistent Prayer: Using the parable of the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8) and Joel's call to blow the trumpet, Weaver urges continual, desperate prayer for God's intervention.
Applications: Dependence, Responsibility, and Awakening: Deliverance is by God's power, not ours; we must hear and sound the trumpet; and we must awaken from spiritual sleep to cry out for righteousness.
Conclusion: The Final Trumpet: Until Christ returns with the last trumpet, we must keep sounding our trumpets through prayer and proclamation, trusting God to remember and save us.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

War is an assumed fact in Scripture and life

Numbers 10:9 begins with 'if you go to war,' indicating war is a reality. God is called a man of war, so war itself is not inherently evil.

Exodus 15:3, Isaiah 42:13, Revelation 19:11, and Numbers 21:14 all reference God's involvement in war.

War may be necessary in our own land

The phrase 'in your land' suggests that conflict is not always foreign; we must be prepared mentally, physically, and spiritually for local threats.

Numbers 10:9 says 'if you go to war in your land.' Historical examples include the War of Independence and the Civil War.

Oppression comes from those already in power

The enemy that oppresses is already in the land, often rulers or the rich who consolidate power, as seen in Ezekiel 45:8 and James 2:6.

Ezekiel 45:8 says princes shall no more oppress. James 2:6 asks if rich men oppress. James Madison warned against accumulation of powers.

The trumpet is an appeal to God for deliverance

Blowing the trumpet signifies trust in God, not human strength. God promises to remember and save His people when they sound the alarm.

Numbers 10:9 promises remembrance and salvation. Numbers 31 and 2 Chronicles 13 illustrate victory through trumpet-blowing.

Believers' voices are their trumpets

Since believers are priests and Isaiah 58:1 commands lifting the voice like a trumpet, our prayers and proclamations are the New Testament trumpet.

Revelation 1:5-6, 5:10; Hebrews 13:15; Isaiah 58:1; 1 Corinthians 14:8.

Specific prayers must be cried aloud

Scripture provides examples of what to cry: 'Arise, O LORD,' 'Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,' 'Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered.'

Psalm 7:6, 7:9, 35:23, 59:5, 68:1-4; Isaiah 51:9.

Persistent prayer is required for deliverance

The parable of the unjust judge teaches that God will avenge His elect who cry day and night. Joel calls for blowing the trumpet and weeping before the altar.

Luke 18:1-8; Joel 1:13-14, 2:1, 12-17.

Christians must awaken and sound the alarm

If we do not hear the trumpet and warn others, we are responsible for the consequences. We must awaken to righteousness and cry out.

Ezekiel 33:1-7; 1 Corinthians 15:34; Ephesians 5:14.

Scripture References

Numbers 10:1-2: Introduction of the two silver trumpets for calling the assembly and journeying.
Leviticus 23:24: Trumpets blown on the first day of the seventh month as a memorial.
Psalm 98:6: Trumpets used in worship to make a joyful noise before the Lord.
2 Chronicles 20:2: Trumpets used in worship at the house of the Lord.
Numbers 10:1-8: Detailed instructions for blowing trumpets for assembly, princes, and camp movements.
Numbers 10:9: The key verse: blowing the trumpet in war for remembrance and salvation.
Exodus 15:3: The LORD is a man of war, showing war is not inherently evil.
Isaiah 42:13: The LORD goes forth as a mighty man of war.
Revelation 19:11: Christ judges and makes war in righteousness.
Numbers 21:14: Reference to the book of the wars of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 20:1: When you go to battle, do not be afraid, for the LORD is with you.
Ezekiel 45:8: Princes shall no more oppress God's people.
James 2:6: Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before judgment seats?
1 Timothy 2:1-2: Pray for kings and authorities that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life.
Numbers 31:1-6: Moses sends Phinehas with trumpets to war against Midian, and God gives victory.
2 Chronicles 13:3-16: Abijah's army blows trumpets against Jeroboam, and God delivers them.
Revelation 1:5-6: Christ has made us kings and priests unto God.
Revelation 5:10: We are made kings and priests and shall reign on the earth.
Hebrews 13:15: Offer the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips, as priests.
Isaiah 58:1: Lift up your voice like a trumpet and show my people their sins.

Historical References

James Madison, Federalist Papers: Quoted on the definition of tyranny as the accumulation of all powers in the same hands.
John Trapp, Puritan writer: Described Christians at the siege of Montauban singing psalms before sallying forth, causing the enemy to quake.
Oliver Cromwell: Led his army into battle singing psalms.
Rebel yell during the War of Northern Aggression (Civil War): Mentioned as an example of a battle cry, along with Indian war whoops.
Matthew Henry: Quoted on God taking notice of the trumpet sound and stirring up His people to solicit mercy.

Important Quotes

The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced as the very definition of tyranny.

Weaver uses Madison's definition to argue that oppression comes from consolidated government power, aligning with the biblical warning against tyrannical rulers.

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

This is the central Old Testament command that equates the prophetic voice with a trumpet, forming the basis for the application that believers' voices are their trumpets.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.

Jesus' promise in Luke 18 is used to urge persistent, urgent prayer for God's intervention against oppression.

Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

This is presented as a model prayer for believers to cry out with their trumpet voices, calling on God to act against His enemies.

If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

Applied to the need for clear, specific prayer and proclamation, not vague or uncertain cries.

Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

From Joel 2:17, this is given as the specific cry that priests (believers) should make when blowing the trumpet in times of national danger.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What are the four assumptions Weaver identifies in Numbers 10:9, and how do they apply to our current cultural or political situation?

[Context]

Weaver outlines that war is a reality, may be in our land, oppression comes from within, and deliverance requires the trumpet call.

[Question]

How does the biblical teaching that believers are kings and priests change our understanding of spiritual warfare and prayer?

[Context]

Revelation 1:5-6 and Hebrews 13:15 are used to show that all believers have a priestly role and a trumpet (voice) to use.

[Question]

In what ways might Christians today be giving an 'uncertain sound' with their voices, and how can we ensure our prayers and proclamations are clear and biblical?

[Context]

1 Corinthians 14:8 is applied to the need for specific, scriptural cries rather than vague prayers.

[Question]

Why does Weaver emphasize that deliverance comes not by our own fighting but by God's power, and how should that shape our activism and prayer life?

[Context]

Psalm 44:1-4 and Zechariah 4:6 are cited to show that victory is by God's Spirit, not human strength.

[Question]

What is the significance of the watchman analogy in Ezekiel 33, and what responsibility do believers have to warn others?

[Context]

Ezekiel 33:1-7 teaches that those who hear the trumpet and do not warn are accountable, and the watchman must blow the trumpet.

[Question]

How does the parable of the unjust judge (Luke 18) encourage persistent prayer, and what does it teach about God's character in responding to His elect?

[Context]

Weaver uses the parable to argue that God will avenge His people who cry day and night, even if He bears long.

[Question]

What are some of the specific biblical prayers Weaver suggests we cry out, and how can we incorporate them into our daily intercession?

[Context]

Psalms 7, 35, 59, 68, and Isaiah 51 are given as models for crying out against wickedness and for God's intervention.

[Question]

Weaver says, 'If we do not cry, God is not going to deliver.' Do you agree with this conditional understanding of divine intervention, and how does it align with Scripture?

[Context]

This statement is made in the context of Israel's pattern in Judges and the general principle of soliciting God's mercy.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T12:32:28Z