Hello Ellworth,
First of all, you are correct in that, I do have you on ignore, but not because I can't what I am claiming through scripture, but because you don't listen. Take the what you said above for example: I have always maintained that the book of Revelation should be read in the literal sense unless a symbolic interpretation is obvious or required. But you just hear and quote the first part and forget the "unless a symbolic interpretation is obvious or required."
Many times in Revelation we are given symbolism and told what the literal meaning is behind it. For example, John sees Jesus standing among seven lampstands and holding seven stars in his right hand. Then a few verses down he explains to John the literal meaning behind the lampstands as representing the seven churches and the stars representing the messengers of the seven churches. So here we have symbolism and the revealing of that symbolism. When I say that Revelation should be read in the literal sense, it does not mean to be so rigid that you ignore the obvious symbolism. You have to be able to discern between the two.
Another example of obvious symbolism is the woman and the dragon of Rev.12. The identity of the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under feet and wearing a crown of twelves stars is revealed to us in Genesis 37:9-10, for God uses the same symbols as found in Josephs dream, where the sun represents Jacob, the moon his wife/wives and the eleven stars represent his eleven of the twelve tribes of Israel with Joseph being number twelve. Therefore according to scripture, the woman represents the nation Israel as a whole, because she contains all of the characteristics that make up Israel.
The dragon is identified as being that ancient serpent, the devil and Satan. The characteristics of the dragon such as the seven heads, ten horns and seven crowns are also symbolic with literal meaning behind them which are also revealed right in Revelation.
Now to answer your questions:
First of all, it is important to not pigeonhole words in scripture, because it is the context that should considered in determining the meaning of things. That said, we are not told what "the last trump" is in scripture. It is obviously the last trumpet of a certain type of trumpet. As I said regarding pigeonholing, you can't just take the word "trumpet" and apply it to referring to the same event everywhere you read the word trumpet. As an example, people read "last trumpet" in 1 Cor.15:52 and then they apply that trumpet as referring to the 7th trumpet of the trumpet judgments, while ignoring the fact that there is nothing in the context that even hints about the church being gathered, nor the fact that the 7th trumpet is a judgment of wrath with no blessings associated with, much the gathering of the church. The "last trump" is a different trumpet from the 7th trumpet of the trumpet judgments.
Jesus described the great tribulation as covering the time from the setting up of the abomination, which according to Dan.9:27 takes place in the middle of that last seven years, until the time the Lord returns to the earth to end the age. Therefore, the great tribulation specifically covers the last 3 1/2 years of that seven year period.
The tribulation period or God's wrath, covers the entire seven with the last 3 1/2 being the great tribulation and that because that is when the antichrist/beast causes the sacrifices and offerings that Israel will have been performing to cease and when he stands in the temple proclaiming himself to be God. This is the time of Jacob's trouble. During this entire time God will also be pouring his wrath out in the form of the seals, trumpets and bowl judgments upon the entire world.
<----------- Tribulation -----> ABOMINATION <------ Great tribulation ---------> End of the age
<------- 1ST 3 1/2 YEARS ------------><------------- 2ND 3 1/2 YEARS -------->
< ----------- S E A L S ------- T R U M P E T S ----------- B O W L S ------------->
It is also important to understand the difference between the trials and tribulation that Jesus said that believers would have vs. the tribulation referred to after the church as been gathered, also referred to as the day of the Lord, the time of God's wrath. This is the time period that we as believers are not appointed to suffer. Christians have been suffering the trials and tribulations that Jesus said we would have from the on-set up the church to this very day. However, after the church has been gathered, then the day of the Lord, the time of God's wrath will begin.
The tribulation saints are people who will come to Christ after the church has been gathered. They are that group of white robed saints which no man can count from every tribe, nation, people and language who are introduced in Rev.7:9-17. The very fact that elder is asking John who they are and that John's doesn't know them, demonstrates that this group is not the church. In further support of this we never see the word "church" ever mentioned again after the end of chapter 3.
Furthermore, your claim that there is only one gathering is not correct. For example, the male child, which is a collective name representing the 144,000, will be caught up to God's throne in the middle of the seven years out of the dragons reach. Also, the church will be gathered prior to the time of God's wrath and the great tribulation saints will be resurrected after Christ returns to the earth to end the age as described in Rev.20:4-6
I sincerely hope that God will open your eyes to these truths