Harold S. Paisley
Question: It is often preached that "the destroying angel" passed through the land of Egypt to judge the firstborn in houses without the blood. Is this the case?
Answer: It is always safe to use the words of Scripture when preaching God’s word. The use of the expression "the destroying angel" is based upon a careless reading of Exodus 12. The plague is mentioned in verse 12, and in verse 23 "the destroyer." Never is mention made of an angel. We do read "thus saith the Lord, about midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt" (Ex. 11:4). "I will pass through the land of Egypt, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt" (Ex. 12:12-23). Great truth is indicated in these verses. God is seen at once as the Avenger and the Redeemer. Neither of these works could ever be true of an angel. We are sure it was the Lord Himself who passed through Egypt to execute His holy judgment against sin, but also to show mercy whenever He saw the blood of the lamb applied to the house (v. 13).
The two words for passing through and passing over are quite different. The word passing over has the idea of the Lord’s preservation of His own, as a bird would shelter with its wings (Isa. 3 1:5).
Question: Three trumpets are indicated in connection with things to come, the last trump, the seventh trump and the great trump (1 Cor. 15:52; Rev. 10:7; Matt. 24:31). Are they the same?
Answer: It seems obvious from the context of the various Scriptures quoted in the question that each trumpet is different in time and purpose. It is also important in rightly dividing the Word of God to have an understanding of what these trumpets herald. Consider each of these:
1. The Last Trump (1 Cor. 15:52) - The sounding of this trumpet will announce untold blessing for saints of this present age. Paul is writing to God’s people of heavenly origin and hopes, the church, the body of Christ. "Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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." The blowing of this trumpet may take place at any moment. The anointed ear of living saints should be listening intently, although sleeping believers in the graves of sea and land will respond first. Are we living in service and looking in spirit for the joyful sound?
2. The Seventh Trump (Rev. 10:7) This heralding trump is not to be confused with the "last trump." It is last in a series of trumpet judgments and in sharp contrast to the last trump which is one of blessing. This "seventh" trumpet will announce untold wrath upon the earth dwellers as the Great Tribulation draws to a close. It is the third woe trumpet but never titled the last trump.
3. The Great Trump (Matt. 24:3 1) - This trumpet is found in the prophecy of Isa. 27:13 to which the Lord Jesus referred in Matt. 24:31. "And it shall come to pass in that day that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come that are ready to perish in the land of Assyria and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mountain at Jerusalem."
"And He shall send His angels with a great trumpet and they shall gather His elect from one end of heaven to the other" (Matt 24:3 1, RV). This trumpet will summon God’s earthly people to the Mount of Olives. It will sound subsequent to the seventh, at the end of the Great Tribulation and will bring all Israel home to repent of their sin in rejecting Christ, and to be saved by grace and reign with Him in the millennium age.
It could be stated that three great events are announced by these three trumpets: 1) The trumpet of Rapture; 2) The trumpet of Retribution; 3) The trumpet of Restoration.
Question: Sometimes our blessed Lord is spoken of as the High Priest of His people and other times as the Advocate. What is the difference?
Answer: As High Priest in heaven, our Lord Jesus intercedes for and sympathizes with His own who are on earth. His sympathy is the result of His pathway on earth and the experiences in His humanity. His intercession is founded on His passion on the cross and the experiences of His death.
The basic difference in His priestly ministry and His advocacy could be simply stated that in the first, the believer’s weaknesses are in view. In the second their wanderings are in view. His priesthood is based on His likeness in humanity with His people but His advocacy with His unlikeness in His absolute sinlessness. As Priest, He cannot sympathize with the sins of His people, but as Advocate, he brings about restoration when His people sin. His priesthood is related to God, but His advocacy with the Father (Heb. 4:14-16; 1 John 2:1-2).