The Sound of the Trumpet

By Harry Ambacher

Trumpets regulated the daily lives of the Israelites. References to trumpets are found in the Bible over 118 times, mostly in four categories:

1. The Trumpet Announced Assembly

Numbers 1:45, 46 tells us that 600,000 men 20 years and older left Egypt; possibly two million Israelites marched through the wilderness. Without amplification, the trumpet, ram's horn, or shophar called God's people together. We find in Exodus 19:16,17 that the trumpet notified the people that God was in their midst.

Sometimes the assembly was a call for battle. We read in Judges 6 that the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon. He blew the trumpet and the Abiezrites gathered behind him. When the men rebuilt the wall in Jerusalem Nehemiah told them, "Whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us" (Nehemiah 4:20).

The trumpet was still used when Jesus lived on earth. How do we know? Archeologists found a stone block in the Temple Mount area of Jerusalem inscribed with these words, "To the place of trumpeting." In his book, The Jewish Wars , Josephus explains that at the beginning of the Sabbath the start of the holy day was announced by the priest blowing a trumpet.

In our own era we have seen another assembling of people. At midnight on June 30, 1997 the six million Chinese people of Hong Kong were handed over to Communist China. Hong Kong had been a British colony since 1841. After civil war in China ended in 1949 millions of Chinese said, "We are not willing to live under this Communist dictatorship." They fled to Hong Kong, making it the most densely populated city in the world-over 10,000 people per acre in some places.

During this century Britain freed 67 colonies. Since World War II every other colony in the world was allowed to achieve independence. Why didn't Britain set Hong Kong free? The International Court of Justice in The Hague had already ruled that the people of a territory have the right to determine their own future. Why wasn't that allowed?

• In March 1972, three months after China was admitted to the UN, the Chinese ambassador asked the UN to delete Hong Kong from its list of colonial territories, implying that Hong Kong belonged to China. Britain conspicuously failed to protest. Why? From the time Britain recognized Communist China in 1950, Britain had never been allowed to send an ambassador to Peking. But the decision to exchange ambassadors was announced just one week after Britain refused to use its veto power and stand up for Hong Kong.
• In September 1982, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher flew from England to Peking to begin negotiations with the Chinese. She wanted to discuss extending the lease on the New Territories for another 50 years. But the Chinese refused to negotiate at all. Instead, they insisted that they would recover all of Hong Kong in 1997 and warned that they would use force, if necessary. Without consulting the people of Hong Kong, Mrs. Thatcher signed the treaty in December 1984, agreeing to turn all of Hong Kong over to China at midnight on June 30, 1997.

2. The trumpet announced freedom for the people of God.

In Leviticus 25:9,10 we read that if a person fell on hard times and became a slave, in the 50th year-the year of Jubilee-he was to be freed. The majestic words ring out, "Then thou shalt cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound...proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all the inhabitants thereof."

Some people expressed optimism over the future of Hong Kong, pointing out that the 1984 treaty guarantees 50 years of unchanged lifestyle including religion, a high degree of autonomy, and rights and freedoms protected by law.

Those who are familiar with the recent history of China are more skeptical. China has already broken key clauses of the treaty. The treaty promised that the governor of Hong Kong would be elected by the people of Hong Kong. Instead, he was chosen by the mainland. China promised that it would not interfere with elections. But when it didn't like the legislature elected in Hong Kong, Beijing appointed a separate legislature. And even though the constitution of China since 1949 has guaranteed freedom of religion, the communist government continues to persecute house churches in many places.

In 1990 in Guangzhou (formerly Canton), 50 Communist police raided one of the largest Christian churches. Entering the parsonage of Pastor Samuel Lum they took away 10,000 Bibles stored there. They stole the organ and $2,000, and interrogated Pastor Lum for 21 hours. The officials threatened, "If you do not register your church in the government system, we can do many things to you."

Pastor Lum replied, "I have already tasted 22 years of your jails, and there is nothing else you can do to me."

Much of Hong Kong's optimism died in June 1989 when students in Beijing-including Christians-marched and staged hunger strikes for democracy in China. China's response was to send the People's Army into Tiananmen Square. Ironically, Tiananmen means "The Gate of Heavenly Peace." Those living in Hong Kong watched on television as the army marched through the gate. The prime minister himself gave the order, "Open fire." Soldiers with guns and tanks slaughtered close to 3,000 people.

3. The trumpet announced celebration.

According to 2 Samuel chapter 6, King David took the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Abinadab to Jerusalem. "David and all the house of Israel; brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet." The trumpet announced rejoicing when the ark was brought to the city.

When Solomon's temple was finished, the ark was moved again. We read in 2 Chronicles 5:11-13 that when the ark was brought into the temple, the people lifted up their voice and praised the Lord with the trumpet and cymbals and instruments of music.

Years later Hezekiah restored temple worship. In 2 Chronicles 29:27 we read, "And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel. So all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded."

When Britain and China signed their treaty in 1984, ABWE Hong Kong missionaries knew we had 12 years until the handover. As chairman of the Field Council, I asked the missionaries and our Chinese church leaders what goals we should set. At that time ABWE had 15 churches in Hong Kong, only six of them independent. We stated that by 1997 we hoped to have 26 independent churches and a nationalized Bible college.

Those goals not only were reached; they were surpassed. By 1997 ABWE had 29 independent churches, each with a Chinese pastor. The China Baptist Theological College (CBTC) was nationalized in 1993, and Dr. Teddy Cheng inaugurated as its first Chinese president in 1996. The Hong Kong churches are vibrant and growing, filled with young people and older Christians who have a burning determination to evangelize Hong Kong and China. Those Christians are not fearful or pessimistic. They look forward to the new opportunities that God will give in a different context.

ABWE churches in Hong Kong sent their first missionary couple overseas in 1994. Jeremiah and Loretta Chung graduated from CBTC. This couple grew up in the concrete jungles of Hong Kong and went to the island of Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides) in the Pacific. They live in a house with no electricity, no running water. They've already had malaria several times. But they report, "It's great to serve the Lord."

4. The trumpet announced coronation, the anointing of the king.

In 1 Kings 1:39 we read, "Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save King Solomon."

The prophets made it clear that when Messiah, the great and future king comes, HE will be welcomed with trumpets. "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come from Assyria and Egypt... and they shall worship the Lord in the holy mount of Jerusalem" (Isaiah 27:13).

Zechariah 9:9 describes what we call Palm Sunday. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee." At His first advent, Jesus did not come as a great king. But Zechariah continues, "The Lord shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord shall blow the trumpet." (9:14). One day the trumpet will announce the crowning of the King for the people of God.

When I was in Hong Kong in June 1997, I found American businessmen optimistic about the future of Hong Kong. They know that U.S. administrations have consistently refused to press Communist China to stop persecuting Christians. The only time the U.S. protested Chinese policy was over violation of copyright laws. One newspaper said, "The administration will go to bat for Windows 95, but they remain silent when it comes to faithful Chinese Christians."

China continues to persecute Christians. During the first three months of 1997 more than 100 house church leaders were arrested and jailed. Thousands of believers are known to be imprisoned. In May 1997 the Voice of America reported that a 36-year-old woman, a house church leader, was dragged out of her home and beaten to death by the police.

But one day soon all will change. The trumpet will sound, and the Lord Jesus Christ will break into the history of this planet again. The archangel will split the skies shouting,

• "Assemble! All God's people assemble and meet Him."
• "Freedom! All God's people are free from the taint and the power of sin."
• "Celebrate! Rejoice, all God's people, for we see Him as He is."
• "Crown Him! All God's people bow before the Lord Jesus Christ, our Messiah and crown Him Lord of Lords and King of Kings."

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