Revelation 8.2-5-The Seventh Seal Judgment (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday June 12, 2024

The Day of the Lord Series: Revelation 8:2-5-The Seventh Seal Judgement

Lesson # 27

Revelation chapter seven is parenthetic and does not carry the chronological sequence forward but adds some important details regarding the saved of the Tribulation, many of whom are martyred.

Revelation 8:2-5 records the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ breaking the seventh seal, which results in silence in heaven for about half an hour and the introduction of the seven trumpets judgments.

Revelation 8:1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. 6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. (NIV84)

Trumpets play a major role in God's dealings with His people (cf. Exod. 19:16; 20:18; Isa. 27:13; Jer. 4:5; Joel 2:1; Zeph. 1:16; Matt. 24:31; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:16).

The blowing of the trumpet was significant in Israel because they were part of her ceremonial processions (e.g., Josh. 6:4, 13-16; 1 Kings 1:34, 39; 1 Chron. 15:24) and were used to assemble the Israelites for war, journeys, and special feasts (e.g., Num. 10:9-10).

They also warned of the coming day of the Lord (e.g., Joel 2:1), and they announced the new year in Israel (e.g., Num. 29:1) and they announce divine judgment in the day of the Lord (cf. Zech. 1:14-16).

The seven trumpets mentioned in Revelation chapter 8 are all related to the nation of Israel during Daniel’s Seventieth Week because trumpets are never used in Scripture in relation to the church but rather Israel.

The trumpet mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is used to sound the alarm to Israel that the worst period of her history, the Great Tribulation period is about to begin.

The apostle Paul indicates that at the rapture of the church, the trumpet will blow marking the beginning of God’s dealing once again with the nation of Israel and in particular giving to Daniel’s Seventieth Week.

“The last trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52 corresponds or is the same trumpet mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 since both trumpets are used in relation to the resurrection of the church and the rapture.

These seven trumpet judgments are administered by seven elect-angels.

The breaking of the seventh seal results in the introduction of the seven trumpet judgments, which will take place during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, which are recorded in Revelation 8:2-9:21, 11:15-19.

With the breaking of the seven seals, we have the first portion of God’s judgment program with the sounding of the seven trumpet judgments we have the second portion of this program.

In Revelation 8:2, the trumpets are used to announce divine judgment, which signify the judgments of the day of the Lord and precede the Second Advent of Christ and the establishment of His millennial reign (cf. Zech. 1:14-16).

Revelation 8:1-5 indicates quite clearly that the seven trumpet judgments proceed out of the seventh seal judgment.

In Revelation 8 and 9 and 11:15-19, the seven trumpets blown by elect angels symbolize the announcement of judgment and the number seven signifies the completeness or perfect accomplishment of these judgments.

In Revelation 8, an elect angel is an instrument used by the God to execute judgments (Rev. 7:1; 8:2).

The seven trumpets mentioned in Revelation chapters 8 and 9 and 11:15-19 are all related to the nation of Israel during Daniel’s Seventieth Week and have no connection whatsoever to the church.

Some expositors have tried to associate the “trumpet of God” in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and the “last trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52 with the last or seventh trumpet of the Tribulation and with the trumpet of Matthew 24:31.

By doing this, they attempt to put the rapture either in the Tribulation or at its end, when the Lord returns to earth.

In both of these passages, this trumpet is followed by the resurrection of the church, i.e. the rapture.

There are obvious differences that exist between the “trumpet of God” in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and the “last trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and the last or seventh trumpet of the Tribulation in Revelation 8:7f. and with the “great trumpet” of Matthew 24:31.

The trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:22 should not be equated with Joel 2:1 or with Revelation 8:7f since there are many differences between them.

In 1 Corinthians 15:22 the trumpeter is not stated whereas the trumpeter in Matthew 24:31 and the trumpets of Revelation 8 are blown by angels.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:16 the trumpeter is an archangel of God whereas the trumpeter in Joel is a human being, an Israelite.

The purpose of the “great trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 is to have the elect angels gather the living elect on the earth whereas the purpose of 1 Corinthians 15:52 is to gather the living church age believers.

With the blowing of the trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Christ Himself and not the elect angels gather living church age believers to Himself whereas in Revelation the purpose of the blowing of the trumpet by angels is to execute judgment during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.

The purpose of the trumpet in Joel 2:1 to assemble Israel and warn them against danger.

The trumpet in Joel is an alarm to the nation of Israel that signals that the day of the Lord has begun.

In Joel 2, the armies of Israel and her people are being warned of an impending attack.

The result of the blowing of the “great trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 results in entrance into the kingdom or millennial kingdom of Christ whereas the result of the blowing of the trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is the resurrection of church age believers.

The result of the blowing of the trumpet of God in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is also the resurrection of church age believers whereas the result of the blowing of the trumpets by elect angels in Revelation 8 is the execution of judgments during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.

The result of the blowing of the trumpet in Joel 2 is war and an invasion from an enemy.

Therefore, because of these obvious differences between these trumpets, the trumpets of Revelation 8 and the “great trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 and the trumpet of Joel 2:1 do not take place at the same time as the trumpets mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

The “last trumpet” of 1 Corinthians 15:52 is thought by some expositors of the Bible to be associated with the trumpet judgments that appear in Revelation 8.

Consequently, they place the rapture at the end of the Tribulation period, i.e. Daniel’s Seventieth Week.

However, a comparison of the differences between the various trumpets mentioned in Revelation 8, Joel 2:1, Matthew 24:31, 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16, indicates quite clearly that the “last trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52 are used in calling out the church in resurrection.

The “last trumpet” of 1 Corinthians 15:52 and the “trumpet of God” in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 both result in the resurrection of the church and the purpose of both are to gather the church to Christ.

Whereas, the trumpet judgments of Revelation 8 and the “great trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 result in the execution of judgments during the Tribulation whereas the result of the latter is entrance into Christ’s millennial kingdom.

Dr. Thomas L. Constable commenting on the seven trumpet judgments, writes, “These are the judgments that the angel ascending from the rising of the sun held back until the bond-servants of God were sealed on their foreheads (7:3). Therefore, they are more severe than the first six seal judgments. Their object is to lead hostile unbelievers to repentance, but few will repent (9:20-21).”

The first four trumpet judgments are separated from the last three in that the latter are specifically called “woe” judgments.