THE ALLUSION IN "THE LAST TRUMP"

THE ALLUSION IN “THE LAST TRUMP”

1 Corinthians 15: 52 After all the grave and wise speculations on the last trump, I strongly suspect it is merely an allusion to military matters. Somewhere in Josephus’ War, and perhaps in other books, we have the order of the breaking up of a Roman camp. At the last trump they all break up and march forward. Now, I acknowledge that scripture interpretation is not to be borrowed from without; but I have seen only tortured linkings with other passages within. I am content to take the general idea of the last public call of God relating to the Church, and leave it there. But what suggested the image, I suspect, was what I say: just as kevleusma, in 1 Thessalonians 4, beyond controversy, is a similar military term used to a similar purpose. Matthew 24: 31 (”And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet”), I have not the smallest shadow of a doubt, applies to the assembling of the Jews (elect, as in Isaiah 65) after Christ is come.