Seven Trumpets, Revelation 8:6-11:19
CityPoint: Meta Tauta, Session 3 Notes: Seven Trumpets, Revelation 8:6-11:19
As always, be a Berean and challenge against Scripture what is written here, the words I say or anyone, for that matter, who speaks about the Bible. The church as a whole would not be so far off track if Christians who sit in church would know, study, and challenge all things against Scripture. This is incumbent on all of us. Remember, the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). This is why prophecy is pivotal to our walk with Jesus. He made a promise, and He will fulfill it! Praise HIM!!!
As always, we will just scratch the surface….
I. Trumpets 1-4, judgements against creation
A. Trumpet 1, Revelation 8:7: hail, fire with blood
i. Cast or thrown which denotes intensity
ii. 1/3 of trees burned up
iii. All green grass burned up
B. Trumpet 2, Revelation 8:8-9: something like a great mountain thrown into the sea
i. Allegorical language with like
ii. 1/3 of sea becomes blood
iii. 1/3 of sea life dies (disruption in food)
iv. 1/3 of ships destroyed (disruption in global distribution)
C. Trumpet 3, Revelation 8:10-11: great star falls from heaven
i. Burns like a lamp
ii. 1/3 of rivers and 1/3 of springs become bitter (disruption in basic need of water)
iii. Wormwood: Greek apsinthos which is how we get our English word absinthe. It is a poisonous herb and makes water undrinkable. See Deuteronomy 29:18, Exodus 15:23-17, Jeremiah 9:15, 23:15, Lamentations 3:15, 19, Amos 5:7.
D. Trumpet 4, Revelation 8:12: Darkness
i. 1/3 of sun, moon and stars struck
ii. Darkness prevails
The First Four Trumpet Judgements
We have now progressed from the seals being opened to the trumpet judgements. Things will intensify with the trumpet judgements and again when the bowls are poured out in Revelation 16. The first four trumpets involve nature. The fifth and sixth involve demonic forces (Revelation 9), and the seventh involves all nations (Revelation 11) which also then prepares for the Seven Signs. Similarities between the seals and trumpets were detailed in the previous notes. One thing to keep in mind as we progress forward is that we don’t need to try and find scientific or known laws of nature to what will transpire. Our Creator who is outside of time, space, and matter is actively manipulating His Creation. Therefore, all known rules go out the window.
The second trumpet has some allegorical language to it. This is how we know when to step back and understand how John is using language. We know this is actually occurring in his vision which we know then will literally occur at this time. We also know it isn’t, most likely, a mountain. He is describing something in human language that he can’t quite grasp, so he says describes it in terms that he knows. Nonetheless, it is devastating to ecology.
The third trumpet describe a star falling from heaving polluting the waters. This is obviously not the first time we have seen this. It can easily describe how a meteor enters our atmosphere, but this will be far more intense as it will impact all the fresh waters. How can it impact the fresh water? We know that meteors break up as they enter the atmosphere, so it could easily disperse. Again, we cannot apply what we have experienced or known scientific laws to this time. The Greek word used for the translated word Wormwood is apsinthos which is how we get our English word absinthe. It is a poisonous herb and makes water undrinkable. A couple other Biblical references to wormwood: Deuteronomy 29:18, Exodus 15:23-17, Jeremiah 9:15, 23:15, Lamentations 3:15, 19, Amos 5:7.
The fourth trumpet causes great darkness upon the earth both during the day and during the night. Again, we see language of direct interaction: “struck” in my Bible version. There is a direct action against the sun, moon, and stars to cease their light to shine, a third of it anyway. Darkness always creates intensity and is ominous especially during daylight hours. This will also disrupt solar energy production.
Now, we have an angel flying through the heavens declaring that the final three trumpets are “woes” to the inhabitants of the earth. Amir Tsarfati in Revealing Revelation describes what a woe means. It is translated from the Greek ouai which is an expression of pain and anger, a cry of distress. Everything is falling apart on earth. Consider I Thessalonians 5:3: “For when they say, ‘peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” The term here for “inhabitants of the earth” or “them that dwell on the earth” is used 12 times throughout Revelation (3:10, 6:10, 8:13, 11:10 [twice here], 12:12, 13:8, 12, 14, 14:6, 17:2, 8). Wiersbe notes that it means much more than people who live on earth as that would refer to all living people. The term denotes a kind of people who live on earth: those who live for the earth and the things of the earth. This is direct contrast to believers both of today’s age and the age of the 70th Week (Tribulation). We should be living for the Lord as our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:17-21).
There is a lot of symbolism in this chapter as in John’s description of what he says. We know when we encounter symbolism in Scripture as the language points us in that direction. It is not in what is described but in how it is described: as, like, something like, as if , in the likeness of, etc. This is a human describing something he has never seen before nor knows anything about, so he is describing in terms that he knows according to his knowledge and experiences.
II. Woe, Woe, Woe: Trumpets 5-7
A. 1st Woe, Trumpet 5, Revelation 9:1-12
i. Star fallen from heaven to unlock the bottomless pit
a. Star is same Greek word astēr used for Star of Bethlehem and angels
b. Fallen is Greek word piptō meaning to be thrust down or to fall under judgement
c. Some reference as Satan or same angel as in Revelation 20:1
ii. Sun and air darkened
iii. Lots of allegory to describes the locusts
a. Don’t harm anything but people
b. Don’t harm those marked by God
c. Torment for five months, normal life cycle of a locust
d. People will seek death and not find it
5th Trumpet
In verse 1, we have an angel fallen from heaven who has the key to the bottomless pit. Right here alone, we have a lot to unpack.
1. Who is the angel? The description as fallen seems to correlate to Satan himself. Isaiah 14 is a good reference here. Also, Jesus stated He saw Satan fall from heaven like lightening (Luke 10:18). We know Satan isn’t bound in the bottomless pit like the other demons who are about to be released, but he will be in Revelation 20. In Revelation 20:1, John sees an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless who then locks up Satan. This occurs at the end of the 70th Week (Tribulation). More on that when we get there. This could be the same angel which is not Satan.
2. What is the bottomless pit? This is a place somewhere inside Earth just like Hell is and Abraham’s Bosom (Paradise). It is a different compartment than Hell and Abraham’s Bosom. I suggest you do your own study here if this is of interest. I am not going to go into great detail. Nonetheless, we know from Jude and other Scripture that the fallen angels (demons) who had sexual relations with woman to produce a hybrid offspring were bound in the abyss or bottomless pit until their time is up. This is now their time. Genesis 6 describes the interaction between those fallen angels who had relations with woman. Only the ones who had relations with the woman were bound. This is how we get people who have alien encounters. They are simply contact with fallen angels. It should be no surprise that we have been and will be seeing and hearing of more of these alien encounters given how close we are to the events of Revelation unfolding. Also remember from Luke 8:30, Jesus casts out “Legion” from a man. The demons’ main concern was that Jesus would cast them into the abyss (ie bottomless pit). We know from he the text he did not, but this is a correlation to what we are talking about. Again, all Scripture must be considered when we are studying Scripture. The bottomless pit is also where Satan is bound during Jesus’ Millennial Reign: Revelation 20.
The point on locusts. We know they are not insect locusts as the descriptors are not of real locusts. There are some interesting correlations between the descriptor here and with the Gog and Magog War n Ezekiel 38-39. Here are a few points:
1. This is demonic force. How do we know? They were released from the bottomless pit.
2. They do not harm plants as real locusts do. They torment people. Who torments people? Demons…
3. Those who were sealed by God will not be harmed. Who is sealed by God? We know from Revelation 7 that, at minimum, the 144,000 Jews who will take the Gospel message to the ends of the Earth are sealed with God’s seal. The question remains do all who come to know Jesus during this time also receive that seal? Some commentators believe so. We don’t have that specific information in the text, but it is highly likely. Nonetheless, those with God’s seal will not be touched by these demons. Those who do not have God’s seal will try and commit suicide or die from some means, but it will not happen. God will supernaturally cease death from occurring during this period in order to be tormented by these demons. Again, God’s wrath is coming…
4. These demons will torment mankind for 5 months which is the typical life cycle of a locust.
5. Abaddon/Apollyon is their leader. Locusts in nature have no king or leader (Psalm 30:27). This high ranking demon is this force’s leader.
B. 2nd Woe, Trumpet 6, Revelation 9:13-9:21
i. Voice from golden altar which is where prayers of saints come from, Revelation 8:3-5
ii. Four demons released from Euphrates
iii. 200,000,000 horsemen, literally as to calvary and army except in Revelation 19
iv. 1/3 of the population killed
v. Three plagues: fire, smoke and brimstone
vi. Still no repentance
6th Trumpet
We have seen the golden altar before: Revelation 8:3-5. This is where prayers of the saints were coming from. Now, we have a voice commanding the release of four demons that have been bound at the Euphrates. We will see the Euphrates again later in Revelation. If the 5th and 6th Trumpets alone cannot open one’s eyes to what a spiritual world we live in, I am not sure what will. We can see throughout Scripture this battle. We see Jesus casting out demons. We see his disciples casting out demons. We know from Ephesians 6:12 that our battle is not with flesh and blood but against what?: principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Short and sweet, our battles is against Satan and his fallen angels. This is why we put on the armor of God: Ephesians 6:11. One of the best passages about overt spiritual warfare: Daniel 10.
These fallen angels, no different than the ones from the bottomless pit, have been bound until their appointed time. This is their time. Remember, God is still sovereign over all of this. None of this is happening outside of Him specifically commanding it. Everything works toward God’s purpose. We get to choose what side of that purpose we are on. These four demons then lead a vast army which seems most appropriate to view them as demons too. Specifically, John heard the number of them: 200,000,000. Now, this seems like a crazy large number, and it is. Remember, only a portion of the angelic beings fell with Satan, so if 200,000,0000 went with him, God still retained a far more vast force.
These beings again are released against mankind. This time not to torment but to kill. They will kill a third of mankind with their plagues. At the conclusion of their conquest, we will now see 1/2 of the global population being diminished (not including the Rapture of the church). In Revelation 6:8, a fourth of mankind or at least a portion within a 1/4 of the earth was killed when the pale horseman makes his conquest. We have a third now being killed by this force in Revelation 9. This one is fully understood as global. I find it interesting that the viewpoint of our current globalist elites and those deceived by their Satanic uttering feel our world is overpopulated and needs to be reduced. With the Rapture of the Church, pale horsemen, and the 6th Trumpet, they will be getting exactly what they asked for: population reduction. Often in God’s judgement, He provides exactly what our evil heart desires which is never good as man’s heart is corrupted thus we need a Savior!
At the close of this chapter, we see that mankind will still not repent. These people have seen so much, but their hearts are still so hard and desiring the wickedness that feeds their flesh. They will literally worship these demons. I find this interesting in how our society is drawn toward aliens, Greek and Roman gods, and the Marvel and DC craze. All of this is merely fallen angels and their offspring as presented in Genesis 6. Mankind now literally falls into idol worship of these demons. The word for sorcery here and sometimes seen as strong delusion in the New Testament is the word pharmakia which is where we get our word pharmacy or drugs. These people are in a drug-induced delusion. Sexual immorality is quite simply any thought or action outside the Biblical confines of marriage between a biological man and a woman. Stealing seems like it will be a thing so much that John has to specifically mention it. This period of time will be so far crazy that sin will be the norm.
C. 2nd Interlude, Revelation 10:1-11:14
i. Little Book, Revelation 10
a. Mighty angel, potentially Jesus or another angel
b. Still a part of the revelation that isn’t known
c. No more delay, remainder of Tribulation will be intense, crescendo, Time of Jacob’s Trouble
d. Sweet as in sustenance yet bitter as in it will be terrible going forward
ii. Two Witnesses, Revelation 11:1-14
a. Scene is Jerusalem: temple and where Jesus was crucified
b. Given to the Gentiles for 42 months
c. Two Witnesses will prophecy for 1260 days
d. Anti-Christ will make war against them at the end of their ministry
e. Everyone will see them be killed, lying in the street, then rejoice, technology statement
f. Will be raised after 3 1/2 days
g. They will be raised then raptured: “Come up here” same as Revelation 4:1
h. 2nd Woe has concluded
The Little Book
Revelation 10 starts another interlude or parenthesis and continues to 11:14 until the 7th Trumpet Sounds. Again, Revelation is in chronological order, but there are a couple times where John is shown something beginning to end that overlaps other passages.
A mighty angel: some believe this to be Jesus, others another angelic being. Again, this is not something to be dogmatic about. Here are some descriptors of this mighty angel that correlate to Jesus that are seen in other parts of Scripture even Revelation:
1. Clothed in a cloud
2. Rainbow above his head
3. Face like the sun
4. Feet like pillars of fire
This angel is mighty and does have dominion over the earth as it has its foot on both the land and sea signifying that dominion. The challenge to it not being Jesus is John notes when he sees something that he knows. He specifically describes Jesus in Revelation 1 as he knew Jesus. If this was Jesus, why didn’t he say it was Jesus instead of describing what he saw? Again, this is a portion of Scripture that isn’t worth arguing whether it is or isn’t or being dogmatic about.
Verse 4: Remember, Revelation comes from the word that is apocalypse meaning unveiling. Daniel was told in Daniel 12 to seal up his vision until the time of the end. John’s vision was unveiling that vision as we were in and entering the final age. Interestingly here, we have another sealing of something that will not be revealed until the time happens. Nothing else is sealed except this little portion that the seven thunders uttered. We know nothing else about this. I will say that I would bet this will be awesome when it happens.
Verses 6-7: “delay no longer” and “mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets:” We are now butting up to the midpoint of the 70th Week (Tribulation). This is a time in the Old Testament and by Jesus’ own words that will be a horrible time for the earth. All of God’s prophecies throughout Scripture that tell of a time when wickedness will be judged is about to unfold. The delay is over!
God’s Word as physical sustenance: Throughout Scripture, we find God’s Word shown to be like food or nutrients. This is definitely true. God’s Word sustains us and is like food to a hungry soul: Jeremiah 15:16. I invite you to read that passage along with Ezekiel 2-3:9 that also parallels this chapter of Revelation with the Little Book. Also, here are a couple references to food with Scripture:
1. Bread: Matthew 4:4
2. Milk: I Peter 2:2
3. Meat: I Corinthians 3:1-2
4. Honey: Psalm 119:103
The Two Witnesses
The parenthesis continues here until we get to the 7th Trumpet which is also the third woe. The scene is Jerusalem. We know this for a couple reasons:
1. The Greek word used in verse 1-2 for temple is naos which specifically means Holy of Holies. That was the innermost part of the temple and was specific only to God’s temple with the Jews in Jerusalem.
2. Verse 8 specifically identifies where our Lord was crucified. That was Jerusalem. The references to Sodom and Egypt are a reference to the spiritual state of Jerusalem at this time. Remember, we are just about to the mid-point if the 70th Week (Tribulation) here. At that point, the Jews will understand what is going on. You can read the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 for Jesus’ warning to the Jews at that point. Revelation 12 notes what will happen.
Verse 2 further discusses what will happen after this time: the Gentiles will trample the city for 42 months. This is a specific reference to Daniel 9:27. Again, 42 months is 3 1/2 years or time, times, and half a time or 1260 days. It is referenced this way throughout Scripture for the final period before Jesus comes back to earth, 2nd Coming. Prior to this point, these Two Witness will prophecy for 1260 days. Again, the 70th Week is clearly broken down into two sections: first half of the 70th Week and second half of the 70th Week. The second half is what Old Testament prophets and Jesus Himself described as the Time of Jacob’s Trouble or a time of trouble that has never been nor ever will be.
Who are these Two Witnesses? There are a couple thoughts around this:
1. They are Enoch and Elijah. Neither ever died on earth, so people reference the Scripture that we are appointed once to die then to face judgement. Enoch preceded the Abrahamic covenant, so he was a Gentile. Elijah was clearly a Jew, so both of these would be the witnesses to all the world: Jews and Gentiles.
2. They are Moses and Elijah. The miracles the Two Witnesses perform are similar to what Moses and Elijah performed. There is a reference to Malachi 4:4-6 that many use to say these will be them. The only problem with this is Jesus used that specific reference to describe John the Baptist. Now, there are double fulfillments of prophecy throughout Scripture, so we can’t discredit the Malachi reference being applicable here in Revelation just because Jesus did use the same reference for John the Baptist. It is also worthy to note that Moses and Elijah were the two witnessed present at the transfiguration of Jesus.
3. John the Baptist as one with either Moses or Elijah. This is interesting in light of parallels between Elijah and John the Baptist.
4. These are just two of the 144,000 that were sealed. Jesus sent out His disciples two by two to preach repentance. Most likely, this will be how the 144,000 will be sent out to the ends of the earth to preach the Gospel. On the other hand, these two are mentioned separately and distinctly which could discredit this as well.
I would say will all four of those, we really have no idea. This is a time where we shouldn’t be dogmatic of who they are. If he knew who they were, why wouldn’t he just identify them. Malachi is a very interesting reference even though Jesus did use it. Again, we don’t know for sure. Clearly, these two have great power from God. They have the same mission as Old Testament prophets, again why the church age is over. They are calling the world to repentance before God’s judgement comes.
Verse 10 is the only reference in Revelation where there is rejoicing on earth. We see rejoicing in heaven but not on earth. The earth dwellers are rejoicing over the fact that these Two Witnesses have died. They send themselves gifts. Who kills them? We identify this character in Revelation 13. After these Two Witnesses lay dead in the streets for 3 1/2 days, they will be resurrected then raptured into heaven. The reference to “come up here” in verse 12 is the same language as in Revelation 4:1. All of this being said, verse 13 says there will be a remnant in Jerusalem who “were afraid and gave glory to God in heaven.” God is always ready and willing to accept into His fold those whose hearts are humble before Him. The only caveat will be those who receive the mark, but that isn’t on the scene just quite yet.
D. 3rd Third Woe, 7th Trumpet, Revelation 11:15-17
i. Declaration of final program until Jesus comes again
ii. Worshipping in heaven
iii. Lord’s prayer is about to be fulfilled: They kingdom come
iv. First time we have seen the ark since II Chronicles 35:3
7th Trumpet
Here we have the final trumpet judgement and the 3rd and final woe. We have worshipping in heaven as the final, worldly age is about to come to a close. We have only 1260 days until Jesus sets His foot down upon the earth to establish His earthly kingdom for a 1000 years. The 24 elders (reference to the church) is seated before God. What an awesome worship they give the Lord. Again, “thy kingdom come” is nearly coming to fulfillment. In verse 19, this is the first time we have seen the ark of His covenant since II Chronicles 35:3.
MARANATHA!!!