33% Off

Apocalypse, Act 2: The Seven Trumpets

Psychology of Discounts

Which is a better deal:

Getting 50% more of a product at a given price

Getting a product for 33% less

Answer: they are the same

A product that is 20% discounted, BUT if I buy now, I save an additional 25%

A product that is discounted 40%

Answer: they are the same

Get $25 off the retail price

Emphasizing the gain

Save $25 off of the retail price

Emphasizing avoiding a loss

33% Off

Today we look at the first four trumpets

Where we see a recurring theme of 1/3

Or…33%

Revelation 8:7-13

Revelation 8:7–13 NKJV

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!”

Timeline

What is fascinating in this series of judgments

33%

Bad news

Worse news

First, the Bad News:

First Trumpet

Destruction of Vegetation

V.7

Form of

Hail

Fire

Mixed with blood

Damage assessment

33% of

Trees

Green grass

Second Trumpet

Destruction of ocean life

Vv.8-9

Form of

Great mountain burning with fire thrown into sea

Damage assessment

Turned 33% of oceans to blood

Result

Destruction of 33% of ocean life

Destruction of 33% of ocean’s ships

462 ports on oceans, seas, bays, gulfs, straits of world

154 ports rendered ineffective

11 of the 20 largest ports in the world are located in China

Just take China out of play and what would happen to the world’s economy?

Third Trumpet

Destruction of fresh water supply

Vv.10-11

Fiery star falls from heaven into rivers and springs of water

Star called Wormwood

Damage Assessment

33% of world’s fresh water supply became bitter to drink

Result in death of many men

33% of world’s fresh water supply

7 million square miles of ice cap

Arctic ice cap/glaciers

900,000 square miles

Antarctic

6 million square miles

Lakes

330,000 square miles

30,000 cubic miles

Underground

2,000,000 cubic miles

677,000 cubic miles water poisoned

Fourth Trumpet

Darkening of the world

V.12

Striking of

Sun

Moon

Stars

Damage Assessment

Darkened by 33%

Meaning daytime was shortened or dimmed by one-third

What does darkness do?

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Florida estimate

1.4 percent

New Hampshire/Fairbanks, AK

9.7 percent

Now What?

The Worse News?

V.13

Eagle (CSB, NIV, NLT, NASB)

Angel (KJV, NKJV, MEV)

“Woe, woe, woe to earth’s residents”

οὐαί οὐαί οὐαί

“Horror! Horror! Horror!”

Three times

Indicating its certainty

Indicating its intensity

Reason

Three more trumpets that have yet to blow

Referring to remaining three judgments in this series

In other words,

It’s going to get even worse than this

Recap for perspective

Loss of 2-4 billion people in first seven seals

Rise of antichrist to power

144,000 people commissioned with proclaiming good news of Jesus as the Messiah

Now add to this world

Loss of

Plant life

Impact on world’s food supply

Impact on “greenhouse gases”

Impact on polar ice caps

Ocean life and commerce

Impact on world’s food supply Impact on world’s commerce

Fresh water supply

Impact on world’s food supply

Impact on “rain forests”

Increased desert terrain

Either

Daylight is shortened by 33%

Or brightness of each day is dimmed by 33 %

Impact on world’s food supply

Impact on emotions of the world’s population

Take Note

God is not going to let evil get a pass

He will judge

It will be measured

It will be methodical

It will be thorough

It will be severe

But you also need to see something else that is included with this 33% off

God’s mercy

Withholding from 67% that which they deserve

And it will come

7 bowls

Believe in Jesus for everlasting life

Experience His mercy and His grace

With 33% Off as the backdrop

Our mission to Know Jesus and to Make Jesus Known to this world becomes urgent

My world

Your world

Our world

Take the next step

To be certain you have everlasting life

“Be Certain”

To unite with this church to work together towards the Mission

“First Step”

To connect and find some friends

“Connect”