The Trumpets of Judgment: A Call to Repentance

Tonight, we see the opening of the seventh seal, which is the prelude to the trumpet judgments of God. As previously discussed, we see several sets of seven throughout Revelation (7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls). The seventh seal brings forth the seven trumpets; the seventh trumpet brings forth the seven bowls. But before we get to final act of each set, there is a divine pause. Between the sixth and seventh seals, we were given a glimpse of how God temporarily paused things so that the 144,000 could be marked with the seal of God. Now that this has taken place, we are ready for the seventh seal to be opened.

The Seventh Seal Is Broken

Revelation 8:1 NKJV

1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

Now some have argued that verse 1 serves as proof that there will be no women in heaven because there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Though comical, this silence actually serves a far greater purpose.

The Greek word for silence here is “sige (see-gay’)”. It is a voluntary silence. It means that in all of heaven, everyone naturally and intentionally paused to give reverence to the situation. It is the last and final seal, ushering in the worst of God’s wrath upon the sinfulness of the world. It will portray not only the seriousness of sin against God, but also the fullness of God’s glory and power. All sin will be dealt with, either through pardon or punishment. Nothing will be hid from the eyes of God.

At first glance, the focus tends to gravitate towards the death and destruction that will take place during this time. This emphasizes the importance of repentance and faithfulness towards God. Christians will be persecuted on an unprecedented level during this time, but it is better to suffer the wrath of man than to suffer the wrath of God.

Hebrews 10:31 NKJV

31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

As you sit and ponder the text, a new focus comes into view. It is that of God’s glory, power, and holiness. Only God can enact the things we are reading about. Who else has the power to control angelic forces? Who else has the power to control even the sun, moon, stars, meteors, and even the inanimate objects of earth?

Furthermore, who else is worthy to do so? If this were any other situation with any other person, we would automatically conclude these events to be pure evil and the author of them a tyrant, or worse a devil. The level of destruction and devastation caused by these events would be completely and irrevocably unprecedented if caused or carried out by anyone else.

But He alone is God! He is the creator of all that is being destroyed. He is the one who gave the life that is now being taken. He is the one who set the standards for what that life should look like, so He alone has the right to judge the lives of the individuals as sinful and worthy of His divine wrath. He alone is perfectly Holy and Righteous. He alone is eternal. He alone sits upon the throne of all existence. He alone is God!

It is this glory and majesty that gives way to silence for the space of half an hour. Then, the trumpets are passed out.

Revelation 8:2 NKJV

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

As with the seals, and also as will take place with each of the bowl judgments, angels participate in ushering in each sequence. This speaks to the exalted order of their being, as well as the glory and majesty they too possess.

With each angel in place, ready to take their part, John’s focus is drawn to another angel:

Revelation 8:3–5 NKJV

3 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. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 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.

Some have said that they believe this angel is Jesus Christ Himself, but the text seems to say differently. The word used here for another, literally means “another of the same kind”. So this angel is the same kind of angel as the other seven angels mentioned in verse 2. No doubt, this angel is a high ranking angel, but here this angel has a very specific purpose. His job is to burn incense and offer up the prayers of the saints as a sacrifice to God.

This too shows the fullness of God’s grace and judgment.

When an animal is placed upon the altar as a sacrifice, it takes on the judgment that was due the person who offered it up. It takes the place of the individual and becomes the atonement for their sin. When Jesus was offered up as a sacrifice upon the cross at Calvary, the fire of God’s judgment fell upon Him, instead of upon those who offered him up. All who believe in His atoning work are spared the righteous indignation of God.

But verse 5 shows us what happens to those who do not believe in the atoning work of Jesus. The fire is taken from the altar and thrown down upon the earth. The fire of God now falls upon them.

God’s wrath will be poured out upon all sin. The question is whether or not you are covered by the blood of Jesus. For those who are, the wrath due your sin has already been accounted for. For those who are not, that wrath is yet to come.

We also see that it was the prayers of the saints that was offered up before the Lord. Do not think for one second that your prayers are not heard. They might not be answered in the time you would have them to be, or in the way that you would have them to be, but they are heard by God. They are a sweet smelling savor in His nostrils and are constantly burned before Him on the altar.

It is from this altar, where the prayers are being offered up, that the angel draws the coals of fire from. Some have offered that this could mean the prayers offered up to God were the cries of His people seeking vengeance, which will be answered in the judgments to come.

The First Four Trumpet Judgments

Revelation 8:6–13 NKJV

6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7 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. 8 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. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 10 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. 11 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. 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, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. 13 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!”

The devastation caused by these first four trumpets is tremendous. The entirety of the world will feel their impact. The entirety of the world will be plunged into suffering. It will truly be a gruesome turn of events.

These devastations are horrible, but once the fourth trumpet has been blown, an angel flies through heaven proclaiming that the three following trumpets will be the “woe” trumpets. And the results of these last three trumpets will be horrible for the inhabitants of the earth. Remember that we looked previously how this phrase refers to the lost of the world. This angel is proclaiming the wrath of God upon all of those who have refused His grace.

The Fifth Trumpet Judgment

Revelation 9:1–2 NKJV

1 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. 2 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.

First, let us recognize that this “star” is not just a star, but rather an angel… a fallen angel.

The NASB reads “I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth.” It is past tense, meaning that the angel did not fall right now, but is rather a reference to an angel that had fallen in the past. It was already on the earth. I believe that this angel is none other than Satan himself:

Isaiah 14:12–15 NKJV

12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

Satan has been on this earth ever since he fell from heaven. When he fell from heaven, a third of the angels fell with him:

Revelation 12:3 NKJV

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.

Revelation 12:7–9 NKJV

7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Even though Satan was banished from dwelling with God, he was still allowed access to God. Ever since humans have been present on earth, Satan has been roaming about, seeking whom he may devour:

1 Peter 5:8 NKJV

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Job 1:6–7 NKJV

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

Satan has always been seeking those whom he might corrupt, but we also read in Job 1, that Satan is limited to only those whom God allows. Though he is given free travel upon the earth, his dealings with humans are restricted by God. He must get permission from God before moving upon a human, and even then, his attack is limited to only that which God allows.

This is what we see here in Rev 9. Satan is given the key to the bottomless pit, and is going to be allowed to loose certain demons and fallen angels upon the earth, bringing suffering upon each one of them who is not marked with the seal of God. This is God’s restriction upon the suffering he can bring.

Many of the fallen angels were placed in chains in the bottomless pit once they fell from heaven:

2 Peter 2:4 NKJV

4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;

These angels are no doubt the most wicked of them all. These angels will not be released from those chains until the time of judgment:

Revelation 20:13–14 NKJV

13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Jude also offers some context as to why these angels were imprisoned:

Jude 6–7 NKJV

6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

These angels followed Satan and were kicked out of heaven. These same angels did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode. Seeing that the next verse references the sexual immorality of Sodom and Gomorrah, it would seem as if Jude is referencing these angels to the Genesis 6 account of where “the sons of God” and “the daughters of men” came together, producing “mighty men of old, men of renown.”

Because of their actions, they will be forever in chains.

Revelation 9:3–10 NKJV

3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 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. 5 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. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. 7 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. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 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. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months.

These creatures will be large, vicious creatures designed to torment any and all who are not marked by God.

Once again we see the Almighty hand of God upon those who are His. But for those not under His protection, they will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

Revelation 9:11–12 NKJV

11 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. 12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

The angel that we are told will be released, is the angel of the bottomless pit. This angel will serve as the commander of this demonic force that is to be released. Both of his names, Abaddon and Apollyon, mean “destroyer”. Outside of this, we don’t know much else. Regardless, this seems to be a very high ranking angel within Satan’s forces and will be trusted to do his job well.

One woe is past, but two more woes are coming.

The Sixth Trumpet Judgment

Revelation 9:13–15 NKJV

13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 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.

This seems to be the same altar that John has previously spoken of, the altar of incense. He spoke of it in Chapter 6, when those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held cried out from under the altar.

He spoke of it again in Chapter 8, when the angel offered incense with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

We are not told who this voice belongs to, but we know it came from the area of the altar. The angel tells the sixth angel who had the trumpet to release the four angels who were bound at the great river Euphrates.

Are these angels of heaven or fallen angels?

Theories suggest both, but I can’t find anywhere in Scripture to where the angels of God are referred to as being “bound”. The only angels who are said to be bound are those who fell from Heaven. It seems to me as if these four angels are among those who fell with Satan. They have been bound in chains and prepared for the hour and day and month and year. Once released, their job will be to kill a third of mankind.

Revelation 9:16–19 NKJV

16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 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. 18 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. 19 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.

When John stated the number of this army, it is possible that he suspected people to think it an exaggeration, so he continues by saying, “I heard the number of them.” It was two hundred million. That is one big army.

If these angels are fallen angels indeed, it would be safe to assume that this army is not a human army, but rather a demon army. This army is said to wear breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow. These colors align perfectly with their means of destruction listed in vs. 18: fire and smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. I do not think it coincidental these colors and descriptions line up perfectly with the descriptions of hell that we get throughout Scripture:

Genesis 19:24 NKJV

24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.

Psalm 11:6 NKJV

6 Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup.

Revelation 9:2 NKJV

2 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.

Revelation 19:20 NKJV

20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Revelation 20:10 NKJV

10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Revelation 21:8 NKJV

8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

We see fire, smoke, and sulfur (brimstone) all associated with eternal judgment of God, and these riders will symbolize just that, the judgment of God being poured out upon the sinfulness of mankind.

Revelation 9:20–21 NKJV

20 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. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Though the mighty hand of God has fallen upon the whole earth, these sinful people still refuse to repent. This goes to show just how damaging sin can be.

When God calls upon a heart through holy conviction, it can not be stressed enough how important it is to answer that call in humble honesty. To refuse that conviction is to have your heart hardened, and a hardened heart is a dangerous thing.

The second woe has passed, but the third, final, and worst of all is still yet to come.