REVELATION CHAPTER 8 – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS #1:
“When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.” (Revelation 8:1-2).
TRUMPETS in the Old Testament were:
• warnings of coming judgement and call for people to repent (Is. 58:1, Ezek. 33:3)
• blown to proclaim the rule of a new king (1 Kings 1:34,39)
“Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He 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, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.” (Revelation 8:3-5).
• This is similar to Exodus 19:16-18 where Moses met with God on Mount Sinai.
• Reminder –God is a God who answers prayers! Our prayers ascend before His throne.
• Note – the judgments about to be described in the seven trumpets are not to be feared by God’s faithful church – these are the threatenings promised to God’s enemies!
TRUMPET #1:
“So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
• Where did this imagery come from? The Old Testament book of Exodus:
• “And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt.” (Ex. 9:23).
TRUMPET #2:
Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
• “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt… that they may become blood.” (Exodus 7:19).
• What does the burning mountain represent? Possibly Israel (see. Ex. 15:17).
TRUMPET #3:
Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.
• What is this star falling to the Earth? It is likely not a literal star.
• Stars in Revelation 1 = angels. Could this fallen star be a fallen angel?
TRUMPET #4:
Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. And 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!” (Rev. 8:6-13). * unbelievers.
• “Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 10:21).
• What does it mean that the sun, moon and stars were struck? In the OT, this imagery was used for the fall of nations and national rulers. (see Isaiah 24:19-20).
QUOTE:
“References to the Egyptian plagues suggest that in Revelation we have the final exodus of God’s people from the bondage of a world controlled by hostile powers.” (NASB Study Bible).
REVELATION #9 – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS #2
TRUMPET #5:
“Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.” (Revelation 9:1).
• Who is this star? It is an angel (see Rev. 1:20), possibly a fallen angel
• Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” (Luke 10:19).
“And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth.” (Rev. 9:2-3a).
• See again the imagery from Exodus: “Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 10:12).
“Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months.” (Rev. 9:3-10).
• QUOTE: “Can you conceive of a more frightful and horrible and true picture of the operation of the powers of darkness in the souls of the wicked during this present age? Here are the demons, robbing men of all light, that is, of all true righteousness and holiness, joy and peace, wisdom and understanding.” (William Hendriksen).
WHAT ARE THE LOCUSTS?
• These locusts didn’t harm the grass or plants (like literal locusts would)
• These locusts came to harm “those men who do not have the seal of God.”
• God’s faithful servants would not be harmed by this coming demonic attack:
• Where did the imagery of these locusts come from? The OT prophet Joel.
“Blow 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 is coming… A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness… A people come, great and strong… A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run… Like a strong people set in battle array. Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color… The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness. The Lord gives voice before His army… For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?” (Joel 2:1-10).
“And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.” (Revelation 9:11-12).
• the demons had as king...the angel...Abaddon = Destroyer = Satan
TRUMPET #6:
“Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed--by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm. But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” (Revelation 9:13-21).
Why does God pour out His wrath in judgment upon mankind?
• First and foremost, His desire is that they would repent of their sins and turn to Him.
• What were the sins they did not repent of? Demon worship, idolatry, murder, sorceries (Greek pharmakeia) – drug use or witchcraft, sexual immorality, thefts
APPLICATION: How should we respond to the reading of these judgment trumpets?
1. If we are children of God, then let us thank Him that these judgments will not befall us.
2. If we are guilty of any of these sins, then let us be quick to repent and return to God.
3. This should motivate us to share the Good News of salvation with our unsaved loved ones so they can escape the wrath of God as well.
Beausejour Community Church Website: http://www.beausejourchurch.ca/
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
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