Seven Trumpets Revelation 8.2- 11.18 Part 1

Recap:

Inaugural vision

7 Churches

Heavenly Throne room vision

7 seals (Rome as destroyer and victory for the martyrs)

Judgement cycles are “telescopic” and “recapitulatory”

Bible Project Video

Revelation 8 ESV

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing 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 people died from the water, because it had been made bitter. The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night. Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

About the 7 Trumpets

structurally repeat the Seals - recapitulation of the former judgment cycle

first 4 trumpets are a unit followed by the 5th and 6th

a 2-part interlude occurs and then the 7th trumpet

Seven Angels Rev. 8.2

Revelation 8:2 ESV

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

the seals where inaugurated by the four living creatures, here Archangels inaugurate the trumpets

arch or “chief” angels

Jewish tradition would have thought of 7 specific angels - Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqael, Gabriel, and Remiel.

This implies an idea of hierarchy

Throne Room Worship Rev. 8.3-5

Revelation 8:3–5 ESV

And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Another unknown angel appears at the altar

His incense are offered with the prayers of the saints

Here there is a unity of worship in heaven and earth

The prayers of the martyrs are received by God at the altar of incense.

The angel then casts holy altar fire on the earth symbolizing the answer of the prayer of the saints.

It seems that the idea is that the prayers of God’s people play a part in the coming judgment.

Remember the Rev. 6.9-10?

there is fourfold description of the affliction - thunder, rumbling, lightning, and an earthquake. This symbolizes that the judgments do affect the Earth.

Remember the four corners of the earth in Rev. 7.1?

this is a recapitulation with a great intensity.

Trumpets 1-4 Rev. 8.6-13

The angels blow their trumpets corresponding the breaking of the seals.

First Angel

Hail and Fire mixed with blood rained upon the earth

1/3 of the earth was burned up.

this is greater than the 1/4 from Rev. 6.8

Second Angel

a mountain burning with fire, thrown into the sea.

another 1/3 destroyed

Third Angel

star fell from heaven embittering the waters of the earth.

Wormwood is not itself deadly but is very bitter.

It seems that John has a bitter poisonous substance in mind.

another 1/3 is seen.

what might John have in mind as he writes?

Mt. Vesuvius’ Eruption in AD79

hail, fire, blood, a mountain ablaze and thrown into the sea, natural waters poisoned

sun, moon, and stars darkened

Sounds very similar to what happened to those living in Herculaneum and Pompeii

Pliny describes the event as a primary source.

He writes to Tacitus describing his uncle’s death (Pliny the Elder).

Pliny the Elder died attempting to save escapees.

Its possible that John is using a recent event to describe an apocalyptic judgement.

After my uncle had set out I employed the remainder of the time with my studies, for I had stayed behind for that very purpose. Afterwards I had a bath, dined, and then took a brief and restless sleep. For many days previous there had been slight shocks of earthquake, which were not particularly alarming, because they are common enough in Campania. But on that night the shocks were so intense that everything round us seemed not only to be disturbed, but to be tottering to its fall. My mother rushed into my bedchamber, just as I myself was getting up in order to arouse her if she was still sleeping. We sat down in the courtyard of the house, which was of smallish size and lay between the sea and the buildings. I don't know whether my behaviour should be called courageous or rash - for I was only in my eighteenth year - but I called for a volume of Titus Livius, and read it, as though I were perfectly at my ease, and went on making my usual extracts. Then a friend of my uncle's, who had but a little time before come to join him from Spain, on seeing my mother and myself sitting there and me reading, upbraided her for her patience and me for my indifference, but I paid no heed, and pored over my book.

It was now the first hour of the day, but the light was still faint and weak. The buildings all round us were beginning to totter, and, though we were in the open, the courtyard was so narrow that we were greatly afraid, and indeed sure of being overwhelmed by their fall. So that decided us to leave the town. We were followed by a distracted crowd, which, when in a panic, always prefers someone else's judgment to its own as the most prudent course to adopt, and when we set out these people came crowding in masses upon us, and pressed and urged us forward. We came to a halt when we had passed beyond the buildings, and underwent there many wonderful experiences and terrors. For although the ground was perfectly level, the vehicles which we had ordered to be brought with us began to sway to and fro, and though they were wedged with stones, we could not keep them still in their places. Moreover, we saw the sea drawn back upon itself, and, as it were, repelled by the quaking of the earth. The shore certainly was greatly widened, and many marine creatures were stranded on the dry sands. On the other side, the black, fearsome cloud of fiery vapour burst into long, twisting, zigzag flames and gaped asunder, the flames resembling lightning flashes, only they were of greater size. Then indeed my uncle's Spanish friend exclaimed sharply, and with an air of command, to my mother and me, "If your brother and your uncle is still alive, he will be anxious for you to save yourselves; if he is dead, I am sure he wished you to survive him. Come, why do you hesitate to quit this place?" We replied that we could not think of looking after our own safety while we were uncertain of his. He then waited no longer, but tore away as fast as he could and got clear of danger.

Soon afterwards the cloud descended upon the earth, and covered the whole bay ; it encircled Capri and hid it from sight, and we could no longer see the promontory of Misenum. Then my mother prayed, entreated, and commanded me to fly as best I could, saying that I was young and could escape, while she was old and infirm, and would not fear to die, if only she knew that she had not been the cause of my death. I replied that I would not save myself unless I could save her too, and so, after taking tight hold of her hand, I forced her to quicken her steps. She reluctantly obeyed, accusing herself for retarding my flight. Then the ashes began to fall, but not thickly: I looked back, and a dense blackness was rolling up behind us, which spread itself over the ground and followed like a torrent. "Let us turn aside," I said, "while we can still see, lest we be thrown down in the road and trampled on in the darkness by the thronging crowd." We were considering what to do, when the blackness of night overtook us, not that of a moonless or cloudy night, but the blackness of pent-up places which never see the light. You could hear the wailing of women, the screams of little children, and the shouts of men ; some were trying to find their parents, others their children, others their wives, by calling for them and recognising them by their voices alone. Some were commiserating their own lot, others that of their relatives, while some again prayed for death in sheer terror of dying. Many were lifting up their hands to the gods, but more were declaring that now there were no more gods, and that this night would last for ever, and the end of all the world. Nor were there wanting those who added to the real perils by inventing new and false terrors, for some said that part of Misenum was in ruins and the rest in flames, and though the tale was untrue, it found ready believers.

http://www.attalus.org/old/pliny6.html#16

Fourth Angel

Cosmic destruction

Another 1/3

parallel to Rev. 6.12-14

To be continued...