The Seven Trumpets

After the rapture starts the wrath of God -- a way in which the earth is totally cleansed of any human or demonic opposition to the government of God.  This wrath is initiated when the 7th seal is opened and the seven trumpets of revelation are sounded.  The Hebrew word for trumpet is usually "shofar" -- a sonorous wind instrument crafted from a ram's horn.  Although trumpets could be made of metal Numbers 10:2,  most of the time they were made out of an animal's horn (shofar).  Therefore, what the apostle John probably saw were angels sounding the shofar. 

Notice that these angels are important spirit beings that are constantly in the presence of God following His commands.

Revelation 8:2
And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

The seven trumpets of revelation initiate the WRATH OF GOD!

Revelation 8:6
And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.

The first four trumpet sounds bring destruction upon the inhabited earth.

The last three are called woes. 

This is similar to the time of Noah's flood.  People were marrying, building, and planting, thinking they had a future, but instead they have no future.  Earth is destroyed by the 7 trumpet blasts.

 

The First Trumpet  First Trumpet - Fire and hail

Revelation  8:7 The 1st sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

We must notice that the destruction is widespread (1/3 of the earth), and that it starts with small size particles -- hailstones.  The size of the particles increases as well as the damage.

1st Trumpet - a third of the earth is burned up.

The Second Trumpet  Second Trumpet - Great mountain buring with fire hurled into the sea

Revelation  8:8 The 2nd 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 creatures which were in the sea and had souls, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.

This mountain falls in the ocean.  My guess is that the Cumbre Vieja volcano in the Canary Islands is a good candidate. The result is a giant tsunami that destroys ships. Mighty plagues continue to increase in severity with each trumpet blast.

The Third Trumpet  Third Trumpet - Star falls on fountains of water and turns them bitter.

Revelation  8:9 The 3rd 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 waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

The size now is like a star -- bigger than a mountain.  This one falls on land.

3rd Trumpet - A third of the freshwater becomes poisonous.

The Fourth Trumpet  Fourth Trumpet - Sun, moon and stars affected.

4th Trumpet - A third of the light is extinguished.

Revelation  8:10 The 4th angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.

The whole planet is now covered with dust that darkens the sky.  Not only is the earth affected by this trumpet blast, but the sun and the moon are also affected.

The next 3 trumpet sounds are called "woes"

Revelation  8:13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"

The last 3 trumpets continue to bring destruction upon the earth.

The cry of an eagle is heard.

The Fifth Trumpet  Fifth Trumpet - Locusts from the bottomless pit with scorpion sting.

Revelation  9:1 Then the 5th angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.

5th Trumpet - The bottomless pit is opened. Locusts come out.

Revelation  9:2-4 He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

This is evidence that at the time of the fifth trumpet there are some Christians with the seal of God still living on earth. 
 


Revelation  9:5 And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.

Revelation  9:6 And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.

Revelation  9:7 The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men.

Revelation  9:8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions.

Locusts look like horses prepared for battle.

Locusts have tails like scorpions.

Revelation  9:9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.

Revelation  9:10 They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months.

Revelation  9:11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.

Revelation  9:12 The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

The Sixth Trumpet  Sixth Trumpet - Army of 200 million crosses River Euphrates.

Revelation  9:13 Then the 6th angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

6th Trumpet - River Euphrates dries up.

River Euphrates

Revelation  9:14 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."

Notice the 4 angels bound at the River Euphrates.  These are not angels that proceed from the throne of God, these are angels that have been bound for some time and when they are released they  kill 1/3 of mankind by influencing people to war against each other.

We have to contrast these bound angels -- probably demonic angels, to the angels that are free and go into the presence of God.

Revelation  9:15 And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.

Revelation  9:16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.

Revelation 9:17
And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone.
200 million man army.

 

A third of mankind killed.

Revelation  9:18 A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths.


Revelation  9:19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.

Revelation  9:20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;

They did not repent of their drugs (pharmakon).

Revelation  9:21 and they did not repent of their murders, nor of their drugs, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

By this time there will be very few Christians alive on Earth.  Only human scum will remain  -- hardened individuals who will not repent and turn to God no matter how difficult the situation might become.  During this time God will use his two witnesses to prophesy on this earth; but no people will repent, instead  they will rejoice with the death of the witnesses.

Revelation  11:3 
And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Revelation  11:4 
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

See Two Witnesses.

The Seventh Trumpet  Seventh Trumpet - The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."

Revelation  11:15 Then the 7th  angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."

At this time in history, the governments of the earth have very little time to continue their opposition to the government of God.

Revelation  11:16 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,

Revelation  11:17 saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.

Revelation  11:18 "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

After the seven trumpets of revelation, there are 7 bowls of wrath which are the consummation of the Wrath of God.  God curses the unrepentant people with more plagues.  Notice that after the 6th trumpet there is NO mention of repentance of the people, no matter how bad things get on earth.

When the 7th bowl of wrath is poured, Satan influences the world leaders and their armies to gather at Megiddo for the Battle of Armageddon to fight Christ and his saints Revelation  19:19.  Of course, the devil is no match for Christ and his armies.  The "Leopard Beast" and his "False Prophet" are thrown in "the lake of fire" Revelation  19:20, Satan is chained for a thousand years, the first resurrection occurs Revelation  20:5, and the millennium begins.

There is a series of stories interjected among the scope of the book of Revelation in order to give more information to the reader. Some of these stories are in reference to:

  1. The message to the angels of the 7 Churches Revelation  2:1
  2. The 144,000 sealed from the tribes of Israel Revelation  7:4
  3. The big company in front of God's throne, the Rapture Revelation  7:9
  4. The Two Witnesses Revelation  11:3
  5. The nation of Israel and Christ's followers through time, Woman with 12 Stars Revelation 12:1
  6. The kingdom [nation] referred to as the Scarlet Beast Revelation  17:3
  7. The city referred to as a woman Babylon the Great sitting upon the Scarlet Beast  Revelation  14:8
  8. The government that implants everybody with the Mark of the Beast Revelation  13:1.
  9. The man (Leopard Beast) who is the leader of the Battle of  Armageddon.

If you want to know at what point we are in history, see  Timeline

 

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