Start Date of the 7th Trumpet

The specific start date of 1840 for the sounding of the 7th Trumpet is determined based on the following clues:

1. It corresponds to the time frame of the 7th Church, 7th Seal and 7th Head:

The 7 periods of Revelation are parallel, just like Daniel's prophecies were parallel. The 7th Church operates during the last time period of history to spread the gospel to the entire world. This takes a significant period of time prior to the close of probation, just like the 7th Seal takes time to open the understanding of prophecy and preach a present truth message.

Each Trumpet, since its judgment is linked to a ruling entity (head on the beast), ends with the crown being given to someone else (a future study provides more information on "Linking the 7 Trumpets and 7 Heads of Revelation"). In like manner, the descriptions of the 7th Trumpet refer to many events that must be accomplished before the power of the 7th Head is overthrown and the crowning of the next and final, eternal King takes place. Remember that God always sends warnings and gives people plenty of time to learn, choose and escape before totally giving a nation or entity over to destruction. Each Trumpet time period has emphasized this point. When a Trumpet warning begins sounding, calamities can be occurring, but it sounds long before the full force of destruction is unleashed.

The time period of the 7th Head, as we see in other sections, began in 1840 and ends at the second coming of Christ. The 7th Trumpet would then also correspond to that same time frame, as all the other Trumpets and Heads have shown.

2. The 6th Trumpet ended in 1840 and the 7th Trumpet proceeds without delay:

The 6th Trumpet included a specific time period of 391 years plus 15 days, which started in 1449 and ended in 1840. Thus, in following the pattern of each Trumpet following one right after another, the 7th Trumpet would immediately begin in 1840.

There is evidence of this seamless transition in the words used to announce the 7th Trumpet: "The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded..." (Rev. 11:14-15).

The Greek word translated to "quickly" is "tachu" and indicates a prompt action, one that is done suddenly, shortly or without delay. The same word is used when Mary heard that Jesus had arrived after the death of Lazarus (John 11:29). As soon as she heard Jesus was asking for her, she arose quickly (tachu) and went to Him. As soon as the 6th Trumpet is over, the 7th Trumpet sounds. There is no gap between time periods.

3. Jesus receives the kingdom:

The judgment that takes place during the heavenly Day of Atonement, results in the verdict in favor of the saints and the proclaimation that Jesus has been given the kingdom. This was revealed in Daniel 7:10-14, as the court scene results in the beast's dominion being taken away and the Son of man being given dominion and an eternal kingdom (though the verdict is issued, Christ's kingdom is not actually put into place until a short time later). This judgment, in which Jesus receives the kingdom (also referred to as the marriage of the Bridegroom), is inseparably linked to the events that occur within the Most Holy Place, which began in 1844 when the bridegroom went in to the wedding. Since the declaration that Jesus receives the kingdom is made during the 7th Trumpet (Rev. 11:15), the start date for the 7th Trumpet would need to start at least prior to the close of probation when the verdict is announced that Jesus receives the kingdom, or is "married", but more likely by 1844 when the deliberations began, or when the bridegroom went in to the wedding to receive the kingdom.

4. The 7th Trumpet warning parallels the Three Angels' Messages warning:

When reading of trumpet soundings that are related to judgments/calamities in the Old Testament, there is an inclusion of warning messages to the righteous to escape the calamity and pending destruction (Jeremiah 6:1, 4:5-6, 6:16-17). In the same way, the 7 Trumpets each encompass a warning message, along with the persistent rejection of the message and the accompanying calamities. The last warning message in the Bible is the three angels' messages (Rev. 14, 18), which includes the warning to escape calamity (come out of her my people that you do not receive her plagues). The sounding of the 7th Trumpet, encompassing the last warning message to God's people, would have to begin prior to 1842-1844 or in 1840 when the 3 Angels' Messages began to be preached.

The Three Angels' Messages of Revelation 14 detail the final warning message to be given to the world before Christ returns a second time. Just like Old Testament examples, the warning includes information on how to escape the pending judgment (Jeremiah 6:1, 4:5-6, 6:16-17) and what will happen if the warning is ignored. The 7th, or last, Trumpet also includes the last warning message to the world. These two symbols are linked together, representing the same final warning message. Since the 7th Trumpet parallels the time period for the giving of the Three Angels' Messages, which began in the 1840s and continue until the close of probation, the 7th Trumpet would encompass the same time period.

It is interesting that the angel of the Little Book (Rev. 10) reminds us that His authority is from the creator ("who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein" - Rev. 10:6), in conjunction with the announcement of the end of prophetic time (no more time prophecies after 1844) and no more delay in finishing the mystery of God. Similar wording ("worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters") is used during the 1st Angel's Message (Rev. 14:7) in conjunction with the proclaimation that "judgment is come" also beginning in 1844.

5. Interlude descriptions revolve around events occurring between 1789 and 1844:

These two interlude prophecies introduce the prominent players (the 7th church and the 7th Head) that operate during the 7th Period, which are:

• (A) God's end-time church, identified as those who "prophesy again" after experiencing the sweet book turned bitter (see Revelation 10), and
• (B) Satan's end-time political power, identified as the power behind the French Revolution (Revelation 11).

6. The days of the voice of the seventh angel are tied to events surrounding 1844

"And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets" (Revelation 10:6-7).

The angel of the Little Book prophecy was speaking during the days of the opening of the book (Rev. 10:2) (see previous explaination of the Little Book prophecy), which sets the time frame for this vision and when the angel is speaking, as sometime after 1798 and prior to the finishing of the eating of the book in 1844. The angel makes several announcements from that perspective in time, which reveal a specific time frame for the start of the seventh Trumpet.

Time no longer:

One of the announcements is that there would be "time no longer". The time that was to end was not referring to the end of probationary time or earth's history, but the end of prophetic time, or prophetic time periods. The longest time prophecy, the one that reached the farthest into the future, the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14, would end in 1844 AD when the cleansing of the sanctuary would begin. The angel ties the events surrounding 1844 to the "days of the voice of the seventh angel".

When he shall begin to sound:

The ending of prophetic time in 1844, and the finishing of the mystery of God, are both tied to the days of the sounding of 7th Trumpet (Rev. 10:6-7). These things were yet future to the time when the angel is speaking, which was after the book was opened in 1798 AD. Thus, the angel refers to "the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound" as a future event.

In some Bible versions, Revelation 10:7 can be confusing. It can seem to contradict itself by referring to the days during the sounding of the trumpet in the first phrase, but the time prior to the sounding of the trumpet in the second phrase. This can make a person question if the mystery of God is finished during the sounding of the trumpet or before the trumpet sounds. But, look at how the King James Version translates the verse. The first part is rendered as "in the days of the voice of the seventh angel", and the second part as "when he shall begin to sound" (Rev. 10:7). These are the same time periods. Let's look at the second phrase in more detail.

The phrase "when he shall begin to sound" is translated in various ways in different Bible versions. The word translated to "shall begin" is "mello", and gives the idea of expectation. In other places in the Bible, this same word is usually translated as shall or should. It means when he is expected, or intends, to sound. Thus, the phase could simply be translated as "when he shall sound". A similar meaning is given in many other bible translations, which can be read for further clarification (see the NRSV, NLT, CEB, HCSB, DRA, ESV, PHILLIPS, JUB, TLB, MSG, NLV, RSV, VOICE, WE and WYC Bibles). The second phrase is simply clarifying the first phrase. It is saying that during the days of the seventh trumpet, when he will sound, the mystery of God will be finished. Another way to say it is that "in the days of the trumpet sound, to be blown by the seventh angel, the mystery of God should be accomplished".

The mystery of God is finished during the sounding of the 7th Trumpet. This isn't just referring to just the last minute or millisecond of time when the mystery is finished, it is referring to the completion of the last phase of the mystery. The last phase is the cleansing of the sanctuary. The angel who holds the open Little Book in 1798 is saying that the seventh angel is about to blow the trumpet!

7. The finishing of the mystery of God occurs during the heavenly Day of Atonement:

In John's vision of the Little Book, the angel told John that the mystery of God would be finished during the sounding of the 7th Trumpet (Rev. 10:7). "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets" (Revelation 10:7).

Understanding the meaning of the "mystery of God" helps to identify the timeframe of the 7th Trumpet. It is an event that corresponds closley to the work completed during the Pre-Advent Judgement, which began in 1844 and continues until the close of probation. Study about The Mystery of God.

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