Trumpet Call Relief

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,  with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel  and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ  will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are  left will be caught up together with them in the clouds  to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the  Lord forever. ”  (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17)  KJV

The Symbolism:

The Trumpet Call is a profoundly symbolic  vision of the “rapture.” The upper portion of  the relief shows Jesus’ loving face looking  down with open arms upon His beloved  bride rising into the clouds. His nail-pierced  hands are a reminder of His love for us.  They remind us of the horrific price He paid --  beaten and nailed to a cross. He paid in full  the price of sin for all who receive Him as  Lord and Savior, for all who surrender their  life to Him and follow Him.     

In the center are two powerful, winged angels  giving the trumpet call. The “cloud of people”  emerging through the billowing clouds depict  a cross-section of ages and ethnicity. The  figures in the upper portion of the clouds have  their eyes closed; they represent the “dead in Christ” who will rise first.     

Those who will still be “alive in Christ” when  the trumpet sounds are represented by the  figures with their eyes open in the lower portion  of the clouds. These are the overcomers lifting  holy hands, reaching to touch their Maker. They are all dressed in the wedding garments described in Isaiah 61:10: “fine white linen and the  robe of righteousness.”