Last Trumpet

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, during the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised up incorruptible, and we will be changed.” --1 Corinthians 15:52

“And he will send out his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds...”--Matthew 24:31

“...because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first. Then we the living who are surviving will...meet the Lord in the air.”--1 Thessalonians 4:16–17

The Last Trumpet —

From Hidden Presence to Revealed Glory

1. The Prophetic Context: Jesus’ Forecast of the Last Days

Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24 lays the foundation for understanding the final trumpet. He foretells the signs of his invisible presence and the progressive fulfillment leading to his visible appearance. This transition is not instantaneous but unfolds through stages—first to the discerning ones, and then, finally, to all.

“For just as the lightning comes out of the east and shines over to the west, so the presence of the Son of man will be.” — Matthew 24:27

This prophetic discourse aligns with Daniel’s vision (Daniel 12), the letters of Paul (1 Thessalonians 4; 2 Thessalonians 2), and John’s revelation, forming a unified thread that culminates in the last trumpet.

2. The Great Tribulation and the Culmination of Christ’s Appearance

The final phase begins with the great tribulation—a moment Jesus connects to the desecration of what is holy:

“When you catch sight of the disgusting thing... standing in a holy place... then let those in Judea flee to the mountains.” — Matthew 24:15-16

This "disgusting thing" echoes Paul’s warning of the man of lawlessness seated in God’s temple (2 Thessalonians 2), pretending divine authority. Whether this is literal or spiritual, global or personal, the command to flee to the mountains underscores the call for elevated perception—like Moses ascending Sinai or Isaiah’s vision of Jehovah’s mountain.

3. The Call to the Mountains: A Personal Exodus

Those “in the city” must flee to higher ground—not a geographic location, but a spiritual elevation. This act reflects the ancient prophetic pattern where true worshippers are drawn to a holy mountain:

Isaiah 2:2–3: “To the mountain of the house of Jehovah…”
Matthew 5:1–12: Jesus delivers his sermon on a mountain.
Revelation 14:1: “The Lamb standing on Mount Zion…”

This spiritual ascent prepares the remnant for the trumpet’s call.

4. The Gathering: From Extremities of Heaven and Earth

Jesus describes the gathering of the chosen ones:

“He will send out his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds…” — Matthew 24:31

This global collection unites those of heavenly calling and earthly hope, bonded not by location but by a shared perception of the Son of man in glory. It is at this time that the sheep are separated from the goats (Matthew 25), each responding—or resisting—the revealed Christ.

5. The Generation That Will Not Pass

Jesus promises that the generation witnessing these things will not pass away (Matthew 24:34). This shows Jehovah’s mercy—cutting short the tribulation for the sake of the chosen ones, sparing faithful flesh and preserving them as vessels of his new Kingdom arrangement (Matthew 24:22).

6. The Resurrection and the Transformation of the Living

In Revelation 20, those who died in union with Christ are resurrected. Paul explains in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 that the living will also be transformed:

“We will be caught away… and so we will always be with the Lord.”

This transformation does not require leaving the body, but becoming like angels—no longer sustained by blood (which cannot inherit the Kingdom), but by spirit, just as Jesus indicated in Matthew 22:30.

The result: those formerly dead and those surviving will together become inheritors of the Kingdom, not as abstract souls, but as restored and glorified beings—redeemed flesh.

7. 144,000 Firstborn: New Jerusalem as Flesh Transformed

Revelation identifies the 144,000 as firstborn and names them as New Jerusalem—a city that “comes down out of heaven.” These are not disembodied spirits but survivors of the tribulation, now made angel-like, elevated in nature.

Optional perception:

The 144,000 are the Great Crowd, not a separate group, but the same collective organized into full congregational maturity—each alive, awakened, sealed.
Revelation shows seven congregations addressed, each with a unique reward (name, pillar, white stone, etc.). These can be seen as types, with the full set of congregations—now alive in the time of the end—comprising the full Bride prepared for the Lamb.

8. Congregations as Pillars of Truth and Judgment

Paul calls the congregation:

“a pillar and support of the truth.” — 1 Timothy 3:15

He encourages Corinth to judge internal matters because they will “judge angels” (1 Corinthians 6:2–3). Jesus promises the 12 apostles they will sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes (Luke 22:30).

And Revelation reveals seven stars in Jesus’ hand—understood as elder bodies (governing councils) of the congregations (Rev. 1:20). The term “angels” of the congregations suggests these stars are spiritually active judging agents.

9. Transformed Flesh as Angelic Stars and Judges

It becomes reasonable, then, to view the 144,000 as:

Survivors of the great tribulation,
Transformed into angel-like flesh,
Serving as stars (judges) who can now receive resurrected ones,
Providing a living, ruling framework into which others join.

These stars—angels of the congregations—serve as the firstborn in the new world, judging with Christ.

10. Judgment Role of the Resurrected Ones

Resurrected ones who were sealed in life will serve either:

Within the 144,000 congregational framework, or
Outside it as judges, even over fallen angels.

This pattern mirrors Tamar’s righteous judgment of Judah (Genesis 38), and the prophetic promise that “the holy ones will judge the world” (Daniel 7:22; 1 Corinthians 6).

Several key points stood out to me in the main article I referenced above. To further support the explanation—particularly regarding the significance of the new moon and its connection to trumpet blasts—I am including a reference from the article “Moon” in the Insight on the Scriptures book, published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society:

Since the average lunation from new moon to new moon is about 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes in length, the ancient lunar months had either 29 or 30 days. This may originally have been determined by simple observation of the appearance of the new moon’s crescent; but in David’s time we find evidence of its being calculated beforehand. (1Sa 20:5, 18, 24-29) Nevertheless, in postexilic times the Mishnah (Rosh Ha-Shanah 1:3–2:7) states that the Jewish Sanhedrin met early in the morning on the 30th day of each of seven months in the year to determine the time of the new moon. Watchmen were posted on high vantage points around Jerusalem and carried immediate report to the Jewish court after sighting the new moon. Upon receiving sufficient testimony, the court announced, ‘It is consecrated,’ officially marking the start of a new month. If cloudy skies or fog caused poor visibility, then the preceding month was declared to have had 30 days, and the new month began on the day following the court assembly. It is also said that further announcement was made by a signal fire lit on the Mount of Olives, which was then repeated on other high points throughout the country. This method was evidently replaced later by the dispatching of messengers to carry the news.

In the fourth century of our Common Era a standardized or continuous calendar was established so that the Jewish months came to have a fixed number of days, with the exception of Heshvan and Chislev as well as the month Adar, which still vary between 29 and 30 days according to certain calculations.

New Moon Observance. Among the Jews each new moon marked the occasion for the blowing of trumpets and the offering up of sacrifices according to the Law covenant. (Nu 10:10; 2Ch 2:4; Ps 81:3; compare Isa 1:13, 14.) The offerings prescribed were, in fact, even greater than those normally offered on the regular Sabbath days. (Nu 28:9-15) While nothing is stated specifically as to the new moon’s marking a day of rest, the text at Amos 8:5 indicates a cessation of labor. It was apparently a time of feasting (1Sa 20:5) as well as an opportune time to gather for instruction in God’s law.—Eze 46:1-3; 2Ki 4:22, 23; Isa 66:23.

The seventh new moon of each year (corresponding to the first day of the month of Ethanim, or Tishri) was sabbatical, and the Law covenant decreed it to be a time of complete rest. (Le 23:24, 25; Nu 29:1-6) It was the “day of the trumpet blast,” but in a greater sense than that of the other new moons. It announced the approach of Atonement Day, held on the tenth day of the same month.—Le 23:27, 28; Nu 29:1, 7-11.

This sheds light on the ancient Israelite expression “the day and the hour no one knows,” which had a very specific and practical meaning. The start of a new month—marked by the sighting of the new moon—could be delayed by a day if clouds obscured visibility. As a result, the exact day of Yom Teruah (the Day of Trumpet Blasts) could not be predicted in advance with absolute certainty. It literally depended on observation and confirmation by witnesses. If the new moon was not seen on the expected day, the start of the month—and therefore the festival—would be postponed by one day.

When Jesus used this same phrase—“concerning that day and hour nobody knows” (Matthew 24:36)—his Jewish listeners would likely have recognized the allusion to this very concept. It wasn't just a general statement about unpredictability; it echoed a known ritual reality tied to Jehovah’s appointed times. But how much can one day really matter? Jesus’ own illustration gives the answer. In Luke 12:16–21, he describes a man who felt secure about his future—even planning for “many years”—yet lost his life that very night. The message is piercing: a single unexpected moment can mean everything. “Unreasonable one, this night they are demanding your soul from you.” (Luke 12:20)

This shows that divine timing is not theoretical—it's personal, precise, and irreversible once it comes. The difference of one day may seem small to humans, but in Jehovah’s eyes, it can mean the difference between life and loss, between being ready or caught unprepared.

How unreasonable, then, it would be to use the expression “no one knows the day or the hour” as an excuse for delay or spiritual passivity. When Jesus used that phrase, he wasn’t encouraging indifference—he was calling for heightened alertness.

As Jehovah’s Witnesses, we understand that this expression has roots in real-world uncertainty tied to the new moon observance. The fact that clouds could delay the visual confirmation by even one day did not lead to apathy among the ancient Israelites. Instead, it called for careful watching, readiness, and submission to Jehovah’s timing.

So when some use “no one knows” to justify complacency, it reflects a misunderstanding of both the cultural context and the urgency of Jesus’ message. We, on the other hand, strive to remain spiritually awake, listening attentively for every trumpet call—no matter how subtle—because we know Jehovah’s arrangements are always moving forward, even if the exact moment isn’t visible yet.

The point is not if it will come, but when. And since we don’t know the precise day or hour, our only faithful response is to stay ready at all times.

When the Last Trumpet Becomes Personal

In JW publications, we have a specific representation of the Last Trumpet, and I have moved that research into a separate chapter titled Last Trumpet in JW. I will keep this page focused on building a personal perception of the Last Trumpet for each individual, because I believe in the personal journey each person must take toward Jehovah. Every single individual on earth must hear Jehovah’s calling. For some, it could be the Last Trumpet that brings conversion; for others, it may be the final call that is ignored. I am willing to research these possibilities here.