Part 19 | The First Four Trumpets

Read Revelation 8:1-13;

Review:

Been Looking at “Last Days” = Time between Christ’s Resurrection and His Return

God’s justice coming to earth, preparing for the consummation of the Kingdom/New Creation

Some believe the Events in these Chapters:

Happened in the Past

Are Currently Happening

Or will Happen in the Future

It is most compelling to see them as repeated events throughout the Last Days.

Seven Seals

White Horse and Rider = Conquest

Red = Bloodshed

Black = Economic Woes (Famines, Poverty, Etc)

Pale = Death (from all the other seals)

Prayers of the Martyr’s in Heaven

How Long O Lord?

Awaiting The Day of the Lord

Answer to Prayer: The Day of the Lord

The World Will Experience the Wrath of God

Closing Question = “Who Can Stand?”

Interlude:

Who Can Stand: 144,000 (12 tribes of Israel x 12 Apostles)1000

Represents entire people of God (Christians from every tribe)

Those who bear the mark of God will be shielded from God’s Wrath

Seventh Seal Leads to the Seven Trumpets

Seven Trumpets

Not linear events (The world ended with the sixth seal)

Most likely these are a revisitation of God’s justice that is poured out on the earth, but from a different perspective

Revisit movies that retell a story several times from a different perspective

Examples: (Not condoning these movies)

First one that I could find = Rashomon (1950)

Recent Example: Vantage Point (2008)

10 Plagues of Egypt

The trumpets and the bowls have echos of the plagues that got sent upon Egypt in the book of Exodus (Show Slide)

Seven Trumpets Overview (Show Slide)

Four trumpets and then and interlude

Laid out like the seals: Four Horseman separated from the other three

First Trumpet: Judgment Impacts the Land

Revelation 8:7 (ESV)

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.

Hail and fire (mixed with blood, obviously symbolic)

Echoes the plague of hail (Exodus 9:23-24)

The Earth’s Land is impacted

Result?

Affects livestock, vegetation, atmosphere

Results in Famine

Second Trumpet: Judgement Impacts the Sea

Revelation 8:8–9 (ESV)

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.

Echoes the first plague of Egypt

The Nile likely literally turned to blood (narrative)

John picks up on that language and uses it apocalyptically to describe the effect that God’s judgement will have on the seas.

Main Point: God’s judgement will impact the oceans and seas

Food supply will be impacted

Natural Disasters? Tsunami would ensue

One third of the seas - probably not literal.

Connection to Jeremiah 51:25?

Jeremiah 51:25 (ESV)

“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain,

declares the Lord,

which destroys the whole earth;

I will stretch out my hand against you,

and roll you down from the crags,

and make you a burnt mountain.

Prophecy Concerning the Great Babylon, who refused to repent: Would be reduced to a burnt mountain.

This is what happened to Rome as well.

And it will happen to every nation that rejects God!

Third Trumpet: God’s Judgement Impacts Rivers and Springs

Revelation 8:10–11 (ESV)

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.

Imagery from Isaiah 14, again, signifying the fall of Babylon (and possibly Lucifer)

Isaiah 14:12 (ESV)

“How you are fallen from heaven,

O Day Star, son of Dawn!

How you are cut down to the ground,

you who laid the nations low!

Could their be a dual meaning here? Perhaps connections to nations who reject God?

A star called “Wormwood” falls from heaven and embitters the fresh water supply.

Again, apocalyptic language: Represents God’s judgement upon sin.

Rivers and Streams are supposed to be refreshing, but life on earth is polluted because of sin.

The land, the oceans and seas, and the fresh springs are all impacted by God’s judgement on sin.

Fourth Trumpet: God’s Judgement Impacts the Sky

Revelation 8:12 (ESV)

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.

This judgement recalls the plague of darkness upon Egypt

Keener: Pagans... feared darkness over the land, which represented a catastrophic judgment.

This judgement likely foreshadows the absence of the sun and moon in New Creation

Four Trumpets: God’s judgement on sin impacts the whole of creation: the land, the oceans and seas, fresh water supplies, and the skies.

All life in this present age is impacted by human sin. The judgements of God throughout history point to the final judgement.

Interlude

Revelation 8:13 (ESV)

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!”

This interlude highlights the fact that the last three judgements will be worse than the first four.

Those who Dwell on Earth = Unbelievers

Revelation 3:10 (ESV)

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.

Believers and unbelievers alike are impacted by natural disasters

We need not fear the last three judgements though:

They only impact unbelievers. Those who have God’s mark will stand!

Unbelievers should be filled with horror!

Application:

A) God Rules the World

The Deistic View of God is erroneous

His rule is manifested both in judgement and salvation (much like we see in the Exodus story). Egyptians were judged, Israel was saved.

B) God’s Judgements Impact Every Sphere Creation

Sin has impacted the entire creation

This ought to show us the seriousness of sin

C) Judgement Paves the Way for New Creation

The World is Broken

Judgement is one way in which God brings order to the chaos

Judgement is preparing the way for New Creation

D) The secularization and moral decay of America is inviting God’s judgement upon us.