When the political world is in turmoil, often there are signs also the natural world. In Revelation political upheaval is called an earthquake, the most notable being the dramatic world-changing earthquake of the French Revolution which followed years of signs and strange weather from a massive volcanic eruption in Iceland in 1783-4. The political earthquake occurring now, however, is dispersed, in diverse places. There are a string of earthquakes in divers places.
Due to the political actions and upheavals in dealing with a virus, to say that the people of the world are uncertain of their future is an understatement. None knows when there will be an end of the virus, or the end of any required actions. Many lives are suddenly shunted in completely different directions, as there is no sign that the job they had before could return in months, or years, or whether it would ever return. There has been huge dislocations of labour and supply and demand in most industries No nation has cleaved to another. Most have shut their borders with quarantines, and many have closed even state borders. Many nations have directed vitriolic comments to others not least those in relationship to China, where there has been talk of trade war and even of war. Some have attacked the World Health Organisation.
Whereas normally earthquakes would rank highly on the news, the 5.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked Utah on Wednesday March 18, centred at Magna (meaning 'great'), taking the trumpet from the hand of the gold Angel, barely rated a mention. (the temple was undergoing earthquake upgrades). deseret.com
The whole statue did not fall as would be expected, breaking at the weak point of the feet, but the quake took the trumpet from the hand! The angel Moroni's trumpet has a meaning:
According to templesquare.com, the Angel Moroni trumpet symbolizes “the spreading of the gospel and the Second Coming of the Savior.” The angel also typically faces the east, as it states in scripture that Christ will come from the east during the Second Coming. ldsliving.com
Due to Covid-19 there would be very little chance for any face to face LDS preaching, in this way the trumpet is taken.
But for others, let us consider that it speaks of the announcement of the second coming of Messiah: If it is taken as a sign, it perhaps serves as a take notice. America, led by a man named “Trump” recently has released a 'peace plan' concerning the mountains of Israel. On the day of the earthquake, Pompeo on the eve of departing on a five-day trip to Beirut, Jerusalem and Kuwait, spoke only to faith-based media.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended his department’s decision to drop the word “occupation” from its description of the Golan Heights and Palestinian territories and said people of all faiths will have “something to say” about the Israeli-Palestinian peace plan the White House is expected to announce after Israel’s elections in two weeks. charismanews.com
In this context let us consider the trumpet being taken away in an earthquake:
All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. (Isaiah 18:3)
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; (Joel 2:1)
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matt. 24:30-31)
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. (1 Cor. 15:52)
When the 7th Trumpet sounds in Revelation it is with culmination of the opening of the 7th seal and 7th vial where:
For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (Revelation 16:14-15)
In context of the
removal of the trumpet from the angel, we might also consider that
the image is specifically related to the Angel of Revelation
14:6, "having the everlasting gospel to preach unto
them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and
tongue, and people." Wikipedia.
When the mission
of proclaiming the gospel is completed, it brings the day of the
Lord. Of that Day Christ said:
Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:10-11)
Considering the global turmoil, minor quakes are not noted:
As The World Is Distracted By COVID-19, A Series Of Large Earthquakes Is Rocking “The Ring Of Fire” endoftheamericandream.com
You may not have heard about it yet, but a magnitude 4.5 earthquake rocked San Diego on Sunday afternoon…CalTech says that there have been 1,227 earthquakes in California and Nevada over the last 7 days…
Subsequently, the portion of the Ring of Fire that runs along the coast of Japan was hit by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake very late on Sunday..quickly followed by a magnitude 5.6 earthquake in Indonesia...There has been so much shaking in Indonesia recently, but most Americans never hear about it. Just a few days ago, Indonesia was hit by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that was so powerful that it was actually felt in Australia…
So when two unusual earthquakes hit southern Tennessee on Sunday morning, it definitely got my attention..
Two earthquakes were reported back to back in southern Tennessee early Sunday morning, officials say.
We live in very strange times, and I have a feeling that they will soon get a whole lot stranger…
Whether the quakes are really of note or not, they add to the atmosphere of groaning and travail of the struggles in expectation of sounding of the Last Trump,
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. (Romans 8:22)
