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Seven Trumpets
- 1st – Seventh Seal… vs. 1-2
- 1st – Silence in Heaven… vs. 1
- When He opened the seventh seal!
- Having SEALED the 144 thousand Jewish EVANGELISTS…
- With an INNUMERABLE multitude already SAVED and worshiping in HEAVEN…
- God still wanting to get the ATTENTION of the remining unbelievers on earth…
- Continues the JUDGEMENTS – and Jesus opens the SEVENTH and final SEAL!
- There was silence in heaven for about half an hour!
- In a strong TYPHOON – there will always be an EYE in the middle of the STORM…
- As the EYE gets closer – the winds increase doing maximum damage…
- Then suddenly there is SILENCE – the wind STOPS – there is an EERIE calm…
- But after a short time [half an hour] – the STORM pick back up at the PEAK level!
- This SILENCE in heaven takes place in the midst of the JUDGEMENT…
- It is an eerie calm – because we know the JUDGEMENT is NOT done…
- The LAST of the SEALS – marks the beginning of the SECOND set of JUDGMENTS!
- There is a BAD joke – that I feel compelled to share called the PARTIAL rapture theory…
- It states that MEN are raptured a just a little before the WOMEN…
- Because there is SILENCE in heaven for a HALF hour!
- When He opened the seventh seal!
- 2nd – Seven Trumpets… vs. 2
- I saw the seven angels who stand before God – and to them were given seven trumpets!
- In the midst of the SILENCE – John saw SEVEN angels who STOOD [perfect] before God…
- Like a somber ceremony – each was handed a TRUMPET – in preparation for what came next…
- TRUMPET – [σάλπιγξ] same as [שׁופָר] – first mentioned in the Bible at Mount Sinai!
- Exodus 19:13 – “When the TRUMPET [שׁופָר] sounds long – they shall come near the mountain.”
- The PURPOSE of the TRUMPET was to call people to come HEAR the LORD…
- Because God WANTS to speak to MEN – He desires for them to LISTEN…
- But SIN has made it hard for MEN to hear what God has to say…
- It hardens their HEARTS to the GOSPEL – keeps them from His GRACE…
- So God breaks out the TRUMPETS – very LOUD – to try and get their attention!
- 1st – Silence in Heaven… vs. 1
- 2nd – The Golden Censer… vs. 3-6
- 1st – The Altar… vs. 3
- Then another angel – having a golden censer – came and stood at the altar!
- With the SEVEN angels – now holding the SEVEN trumpets…
- Another angel came having a GOLDEN censer – and stood before the ALTAR…
- CENSER [λιβανωτός] – comes from the word FRANKINCENSE…
- It was a golden pot used to hold INCENSE that was burnt to give off a sweet aroma…
- The ALTAR – was the altar of INCENSE – like the one inside the TABERNACLE – Exodus 30:1-6
- 2nd – The Incense… vs. 3-4
- [The angel] was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints…
- Upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense…
- [which is] the prayers of the saints – ascended before God from the angels hand!
- The angel took a LOT of incense – and offered it with the PRAYERS of the SAINTS [ἅγιος]
- This is NOT talking about SPECIAL saints – this is the ALL believers on earth…
- Those who have gotten SAVED – and are praying to God in the TRIBULATION…
- Their prayers are HEARD – they come up BEFORE God…
- Believers who are in the TRIBULATION – can always call out to God…
- He is LISTENING to their prayers – and is there to HELP them in their time of TROUBLE!
- Pray to God…
- The ALTAR of INCENSE was inside the Tabernacle – next to the VEIL – Exodus 30:6
- The Lord told Moses that He would meet with him there at the ALTAR…
- Because even Moses could not go inside into the HOLIEST of ALL [throne room]
- But as the INCENSE was burned – it would carry through the veil – into presence of God!
- I Peter 3:12 – “Eyes of the LORD are on the righteous – His ears are open to their prayers.”
- We may not have to go through the GREAT tribulation – but we still have TRIALS…
- The question WHERE do we go when they come – WHO do we turn to…
- We are told we should [subjunctive] COME to the THRONE of GRACE – Hebrews 4:16
- God is AVAILABLE – He is ABLE to HELP – we just have to choose to PRAY to Him!
- [The angel] was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints…
- 3rd – The FIRE… vs. 5
- Then the angel took the censer – filled it with fire from the altar – and threw it to the earth.
- The CASTING of the CENSER to the earth seems like an act of ANGER…
- But it actually might be a picture of being CLEANSED from sin!
- This FIRE from the ALTAR – is perhaps the same as what Isaiah saw…
- When Isaiah had a VISION of heaven – he was terrified because he was UNCLEAN…
- But one of the CHERUBIM took FIRE from the ALTAR and cleansed him!
- Isaiah 6:6-7 – “One of the seraphim flew to me – having in his hand a live coal [fire] which he had taken with the tongs from the ALTAR. And he touched my mouth with it… Your iniquity is taken away and your sin purged.”
- 4th – Mount Sinai… vs. 5
- [The censer was cast down] and there were noises – thundering – lightning – an earthquake!
- This is an EXACT picture of what happened on Mount Sinai…
- When God came down to speak with Israel – to give them His WORD!
- Exodus 19:16-19 – “There was thundering and lightning – a thick cloud on the mountain – the sound of the trumpet was very loud… the mountain quaked greatly… and God [spoke].”
- The WORD that God gave to Moses and Israel – was the TEN commandments…
- Not so they could be GOOD – but so they could see they were BAD – and needed SALVATION!
- We come back to this SIMPLE truth – the MOTIVE behind the TRIBULATION…
- God SPEAKS to men – brings His WRATH to the earth…
- In an effort to show them they are NOT good – NO one is – Romans 3:23
- Because until we see the PROBLEM – we are sinners – we will not look for the SOLUTION…
- God is still trying to SPEAK to people – get them to see they NEED Jesus!
- 5th – Seven Angels… vs. 6
- And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound!
- The SEVENTH seal is done – the PRAYERS of the saints have been HEARD…
- The SEVEN angels – prepared their SEVEN trumpet to be blown…
- God is ready to SPEAK again – SEVEN more judgements – to get the attention of rebellious men!
- 1st – The Altar… vs. 3
Because He loves us too much – to give us an easy life – if it means we will miss eternal life!
3rd – Trumpet Judgements… vs. 7-13
1st – First Trumpet… vs. 7
The first angel sounded!
Hail and fire followed – mingled with blood – and they were thrown to the earth.
A third of the trees were burned up – and all green grass was burned up!
The FIRST trumpet brings devastation to the PLANTS on earth…
A HAILSTORM – accompanied by LIGHTENING [fire]
That HAIL is so devastating that it had the potential to KILL [blood]
FIRES that are the result of the STORM burn down a THIRD of the trees and ALL the grass!
The SEVENTH plague…
Exodus 9:24-25 – “There was fire mingled with the hail… and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field.”
This is NOT the first time we have HAIL and FIRE as a judgment of God…
The SEVENTH plague that God brough on EGYPT – was HAIL and FIRE!
God WARNED those in EGYPT – do NOT go outside during the STORM…
If they obeyed the WORD of the LORD – they would be safe…
But if they IGNORED what He said – then they would lose their life!
Deuteronomy 30:15 – “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death – between prosperity and disaster.” [NLT]
The book of REVELATION is a WARNING – we need to LISTEN to God…
If we reject His message of salvation – then there will be death…
God does not send ANYONE to hell – they CHOOSE to go there – by not listening to His Word!
2nd – Second Trumpet… vs. 8-9
Then the second angel sounded!
Something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea!
The SECOND trumpet brings devastation to the OCEANS…
Something LIKE a great [μέγας] mountain – that was on FIRE – was cast into the SEA…
Recall when Revelation uses KEY words – such as LIKE or AS…
John is trying to DEFINE something that is difficult for him to DESCRIBE…
This is most likely a METEOR [rock on fire] that comes crashing down into the SEA!
A third of the sea became blood – a third of the living creatures in the sea died…
And a third of the ships were destroyed!
There are over one MILLION METEORS in our solar system [most between Mars and Jupiter]
A SIXTY meter rock – would hit earth with an impact of a nuclear bomb [25 megaton]
This METEOR would be even larger – hitting the OCEAN – causing mass devastation…
So many animals will DIE [one third] – the SEA will become filled with BLOOD…
And the TSUNAMI that results from the impact will destroy one THIRD of all boats!
This is NOT the FIRST time God sent ROCKS from heaven onto earth….
When Joshua was fighting the FIVE kings of the SOUTH – Joshua 10:1-14
God sent ROCKS [hail] down onto his enemies killing many of them!
God does not fight fair – He has control over a whole UNIVERSE…
He has a MILLION rocks He can send at any moment crashing down on earth…
When we put it into that perspective – how foolish it is to think we can WIN against the Lord!
3rd – Third Trumpet… vs. 10-11
Then the third angel sounded. A great star fell from heaven – burning like a torch…
It fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water!
The THIRD trumpet brings devastation to the fresh [drinking] WATER supply…
A great [μέγας] STAR fell from heaven – that looked LIKE a burning torch [λαμπάς]
STARS are BIG – the SUN [star] is over a MILLION times larger than the Earth…
Therefore is seem unlikely the STAR here – is a literal STAR…
Instead something that is BRIGHT – with a trail of FIRE [torch] coming from it!
The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood…
Many men died from the water because it was made bitter!
This STAR has a NAME – it is called WORMWOOD…
WORMWOOD [ἀψίνθιον] – the name of a PLANT – Artemisia absinthium…
It is commonly found in north Africa and Eurasia – and has a very BITTER taste…
The RESULT of the water supplies being contaminated by WORMWOOD – many will DIE!
The word WORMWOOD in Ukrainian is Chernobyl [чорно́биль]
For those not familiar – Chernobyl was the site of a NUCLEAR disaster in 1986…
Although only FIFTY people officially died in the immediate aftermath…
One of the major consequences of the disaster – was a contaminated WATER supply…
Which raised the total death tole up to over FOUR thousand from radiation exposure…
This has led some to speculate the STAR that falls from heaven – might be NUCLEAR…
There is even a monument of an Angel with a Trumpet – set up in the ruins of the city today!
Thirsty World…
John is describing a future event – seen TWO thousand years ago…
We need to be CAUTIOUS reading too much of our world into his description…
While I do find the potential connection to Chernobyl interesting…
The arrogance of MEN – toying with POWER they cannot control – leading to DISASTER…
I would not say definitively – this is a reference to a NUCLEAR disaster!
The point is not HOW God will take away the FRESH water on the earth…
The point is THAT God will make men THIRSTY – show them this world is POISON…
Because the ONLY thing that can every truly satisfy us – is Jesus!
John 7:37 – “If anyone thirsts – let him come to Me and drink.”
4th – Fourth Trumpet… vs. 12
Then the fourth angel sounded!
And a third of the sun was struck – a third of the moon – and a third of the stars.
A third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine – and likewise the night!
The FOURTH trumpet brings devastation to the LIGHT…
One THIRD of the sun – moon – and stars goes DARK…
Both during the DAY and NIGHT – the LIGHT does not shine one THIRD of the time…
We are NOT told HOW – only that they are STRUCK – so they do not SHINE!
Ecclesiastes 1:14 – “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun – and indeed – all is vanity and grasping for the wind.”
Men believe the answers to life can come from something UNDER the SUN…
They look for LIGHT to come from something in this life…
But the LIGHT of this world is fading – it is passing away…
It is only when we look to Jesus – the true LIGHT – that we will find the answers!
John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness…”
One THIRD…
THIRD – appears ELEVEN times just in this chapter [half of all occurrences in the book]
Which brings up the obvious question – why only one THIRD!
If God wanted – He COULD wipe out the WHOLE world…
God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire in a day – Genesis 19:24-25
God killed 185 thousand Assyrian solders with ONE angel in a night – Isaiah 37:36
Yet in the devastation of the SEVEN trumpets – NOT all – never even HALF perish…
God does pour out His JUDGMENT and WRATH – but there is still HOPE!
5th – Three Woes… vs. 13
I looked – and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice…
Woe – woe – woe to the inhabitants of the earth…
Because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!
Then John SAW and HEARD another angel who was flying through HEAVEN…
Saying LOUDLY [μέγας] – WOE [οὐαί] THREE times – to those who DWELL [κατοικέω] on earth…
Because there are still THREE more TRUMPETS about to sound…
Whereas the first FOUR trumpets bring disaster to NATURE: Trees – Oceans – Water – Light…
The last TRUMPETS will unleash hell – the DESTROYER [Abaddon] on MEN!
When TRIBULATION comes – our first reaction is to think we can handle it…
And perhaps we can – but that does not mean that God is done…
He can turn up the HEAT – till our circumstances move beyond anything we can take…
NATURAL disasters not enough – OK – then how about the armies of hell…
God does not hold back – so we would learn not to trust in ourselves – but instead trust in Him…
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