INDEX TO ALL SIX SECTIONS PART I... THE 'DAY OF THE LORD This devastating period of time, described as coming suddenly, was foretold by the prophets of old and is described in several different terms in both Old and New Testaments PART II... THE FIRST SIX SEALS. If one compares what Jesus said in Matthew 24 with the Seals of Revelation 6, it becomes quite clear that the Seals represent the persecution of Christians. YOU ARE HERE  PART III... THE SEVENTH SEAL AND THE FIRST SIX TRUMPETS. In the Old Testament, trumpets often announced a coming disaster. And it will be no different at the end of the age, when the the seventh and last seal introduces the Seven Trumpets that herald the plagues of 'Biblical proportions' that God will send on the earth. PART IV... THE SEVENTH TRUMPET. In a sense this last and final Trumpet is the most eventful of them all, literally ushering the old age out and the new one in. It a) Brings and end to the mystery of God, when the doors to the Kingdom close forever b) Marks the point when believers meet the Lord in the air (the rapture) - physically moved off the earth for a very specific reason. c) Introduces the Seven Bowls that end all things. PART V... THE RAPTURE. The reasons we cannot and should not trust in the Rapture taking place before the tribulation. PART VI... THE SEVEN BOWLS. Zephaniah 1:18 says it all... "Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the Lord's wrath; And all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, for He will make a complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth"
ON THIS PAGE
The Seventh Seal
The First Six "Trumpets"
The Significance of Trumpets in The Old Testament The Trumpets and The Woes They Bring The First Four Trumpets
The Fifth Trumpet
The Sixth Trumpet /The Second Woe The Interlude Between The Sixth and Seventh Trumpet The Third Woe... The Era Ending Seventh Trumpet
One often hears of the media describing one of nature's calamities as being "of biblical proportions". This extreme language makes one wonder how they would describe the plagues that God will send on the earth, which will indeed be "of biblical proportions".
The Seventh Seal
The eighth chapter of the book of Revelation tells us what will occur at the breaking of the Seventh Seal...
(1) When the Lamb broke 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 seven trumpets were given to them. (3) Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. (4) And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. (5) Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. (6) And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them. (Revelation 8:1-6 NASB)
Immediately after the seven angels are given the seven trumpets, an eighth angel will be given incense which he will add to the prayers of the saints on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense and the prayers of the saints go up before God, which tells us that the countless prayers of God's people for deliverance, justice, vengeance and vindication made over the centuries have not gone unnoticed or unheeded. Many of the Psalms implored the Lord to give ear to the psalmist's cries for help in times of distress and as he said in Psalm 141:2, he prayed that his prayers be counted as incense before God. May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. (Psalms 141:2 NASB)
The eighth angel will then fill the censer with fire from the altar and throw it down to earth causing thunder, lightning, and an earthquake. After which the trumpet carrying angels prepare to sound. The sounding of the Seven Trumpets will not only signify that those who were slain for the word of God during the tribulation of the church are about to be avenged... You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve. (Revelation 16:5-7)
... but also signify that God's wrath is about to be visited on "evil men and impostors" who are as Paul said, lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:1-4 NASB).
The First Six Trumpets (Revelation 8:6-11:15)
The Significance of Trumpets in The Old Testament
The blowing of the Shofars (trumpets made of a ram's horn) was quite common in the Old Testament. They were sounded at Mount Sinai when the law was given (Exodus 19:16). One trumpet was a call to the leaders and the heads of the divisions of Israel to assemble - two trumpets were blown to summon the entire congregation to the doorway of the tent of meeting (Numbers 10: 5-6). The Shofar were blown over the nation's burnt offerings and peace offerings (Numbers 10:10) and on Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement. Trumpets heralded the return of the ark of the Lord to the city of David (2 Samuel 6:15), and played a big part in the fall of Jericho (Joshua 6:4-5). They were also blown as an alarm to be remembered before the Lord and be saved from their enemies. (Numbers 10:9) However, most relevant to this study is the fact that trumpets often announced a coming disaster Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, 'If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. (Ezekiel 33:2-4 NASB) If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it? (Amos 3:6 NASB) Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the Lord is coming; Surely it is near, (Joel 2:1 NASB)
Note: The trumpets were also blown on Rosh HaShanah or the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24). This has a great deal of significance and bearing on end time events. The first day of every month was begun with the blowing of trumpets. However, there was deeper significance attached to the blowing of trumpets on Rosh HaShanah or the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24). Rosh HaShanah that fell on the first day of the seventh month heralded the beginning of the period known as the 'Ten Days of Awe' that immediately preceded Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement (when the trumpets were also blown. See Leviticus 25:9). The Seven Feasts of Israel not only celebrated a historical event in Israel's past, but were also prophecy of future events. The first four feasts have already been fulfilled (the first two by Jesus Christ) on the actual feast days according to the Hebrew calendar. Thus it is reasonable to surmise that as the fulfillment of the first four feasts occurred on the actual feast day, the remaining three will as well. Considering that the feasts were a pattern for events that were yet in the distant future, it is entirely likely that the ten Days of Awe were symbolic of the final days of the age when repentance will yet be possible. Mankind (and the church) will be given their last opportunity to repent before Yom Kippur. After which the doors to the kingdom will be forever closed. As the Lord decreed that "If there is any person who will not humble himself" on Yom Kippur, he shall be cut off from his people. (Leviticus 23:29)
See The Feasts of Israel That Includes A Pertinent Story In 1 Samuel That Could Well Be A 'type' Of The Ten Days of Awe See Typology - The Study Of Types Or Prefigurative Symbols In Scripture
The Trumpets and The Woes They Bring (Revelation 8:6-11:15)
A "woe" is something that causes intense grief or misery. The first Five Trumpets are collectively known as "the first woe", the events of the Sixth Trumpet are called the "second woe", after which we are told that "the third woe is coming quickly" (Revelation 11:14)
The first three trumpet judgments will be against the land, the sea, and the rivers. The fourth smites the heavens (the visible sky and what we call outer space, not the third, far less tangible place, where God Himself dwells). Note: In our English Old Testaments, there is a distinction made between "sky" and "heaven" (or heavens). However, it was the translators who decided which English word to use, since no such distinction exists in the original Hebrew. In all cases the Hebrew word used is shâmayim, which was used in three different ways.. See The Word "Heaven" in The Bible HERE
The final three trumpets fall on man himself.
The First Four Trumpets
The First Angel Sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. (Revelation 8:7 NASB)
Notes on The First Trumpet:
This judgment in Revelation results in the fiery destruction of one-third of the earth. Losing one third of the trees will severely affect the oxygen levels of the planet. This will not be the first time. If we go back in time, the seventh plague God sent on the Egyptians was hail mingled with fire that pretty much destroyed all their vegetation (What little was left was eaten by locusts -Exodus 10:12 ). Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very severe, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. (Exodus 9:23-24 NASB)
On more than one occasion God also used hail as part of His judgment. As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword. (Joshua 10:11 NASB) I smote you and every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,' declares the Lord. (Haggai 2:17 NASB)
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, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Revelation 8:8-9 NASB)
Notes on The Second Trumpet:
Note that the verse does not say that a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea, but "something like a great mountain was cast into the sea". This may very well be a meteorite that reaches Earth without completely burning up. The vast majority of meteorites are pieces of asteroids, the small rocky bodies that orbit the Sun. On February 15, 2013, an asteroid slammed into Earth's atmosphere at nearly 70,000 kilometers per hour...The shock wave from this explosion traveled away from the blast, taking about a minute and a half to reach downtown Chelyabinsk, roughly 40 kilometers to the north. [01]. "a space rock larger between 25 meters and just over half a mile wide (1 kilometer) would cause local damage if it hits Earth, while an asteroid between around half a mile and a mile (1 and 2 kilometers) could have global ramifications. [02]
Any meteoroid or portion of an asteroid larger than a mile or two in diameter could have a negative worldwide effect. If it fell into the sea it could very well cause a mega-tsunami which will devastate coastal communities and could very well destroy a third part of sea creatures to say nothing of many ships. Horrifying as this may be, it is only a precursor to the second bowl judgment in Revelation 16:3-6, that will result in the death of every living thing in the sea (Compare Zephaniah 1:3).
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 waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter. (Revelation 8:10-11 NASB)
Notes on The Third Trumpet:
In the Old Testament, wormwood was considered poisonous... associated with idolatry, adultery, and the perversion of judgment. 1. so that there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood. (Deuteronomy 29:18 NASB) 2. For the lips of an adulteress drip honey and smoother than oil is her speech; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. (Proverbs 5:3-4 NASB) 3. For those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness down to the earth." (Amos 5:7 NASB)
In other words, in retribution for the very same sins listed above, this 'great star' brings tremendous calamities on man as the prophet, Jeremiah once said The Lord said, "Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it, but have walked after the stubbornness of their heart and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them," therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink. (Jeremiah 9:13-15 NASB)
The Fourth Angel Sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way. (Revelation 8:12 NASB)
Notes on The Fourth Trumpet:
The prophets of old repeatedly warned humanity of the terrors of the 'Day of The Lord' including the darkening of the sun, moon and stars. Amos 5:18 warned that the Lord's day of judgment would bring darkness, Isaiah 13:10 once prophesied that the stars and their constellations would no longer give light, the sun would be darkened as soon as it rises, and the moon would not shine". Joel 2:2 said it would be a "day of clouds and thick darkness". Amos: Alas, you who are longing for the day of the Lord, For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you? It will be darkness and not light; (Amos 5:18 NASB) Isaiah: For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light. (Isaiah 13:10 NASB) Joel: A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations. (Joel 2:2 NASB)
This seems to be a temporary situation because Revelation 16:8-9 talks of a period when the sun will be so intense that the earth will be scorched. However the impact of even a short term reduction in the sun's heat and light is incalculable. Because plants depend on light for photosynthesis as temperatures drop dramatically a large portion of the world food supplies will be ruined.
The Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Trumpets
The next three trumpets directly aimed at man himself will be introduced by the eagle that cries 'Woe to those that dwell on the earth'.
Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in mid heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!" (Revelation 8:13 NASB)
It is no exaggeration to say that as described by Revelation 9 this is the point when Hell arrives on earth. The Fifth Trumpet (1) Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. (2) He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. (3) Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (4) They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. (5) And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. (6) And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them. (7) The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. (8) They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. (9) They had breast plates like breast plates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. (10) They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. (11) They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. (Revelation 9:1-11 NASB)
Notes On The Fifth Trumpet:
The Star that falls to the earth in verse 1 is referred to as 'him'. The only being that fell to earth (that we know of) is Satan. And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. (Luke 10:18 NASB)
Not only does Apollyon means "destroyer" but 'the abyss' is Satan's domain (V. 11). The beast that kills God's two witnesses "comes up out of the abyss" (Revelation 11:7) (See The Two Witnesses) . In Revelation 20:1-3 Satan is bound and cast into the abyss for a thousand years. The abyss is also mentioned in Luke 8:31 in which verse the demons called 'Legion' implored Jesus not to "command them to go out into the abyss". The description of the locusts also has to be particularly noted since John repeatedly uses the words "as" and "like". For example he does not say these locusts were horses nor men riding on horses, but that they were like horses. Neither did he say that the locusts had the hair of women and literal gold crowns, but that "they had hair as the hair of women" and crowns that had the appearance of gold. All of which shows that John had no idea what they were and was simply trying to describe what he was seeing. However, it has to be noted that John did not say they had something like tails, but that they had tails like scorpions. There are those that believe that John's descriptions of the locusts closely resembles history's description of the Muslim armies of Mohammed's day. They bring up the facts that the Muslims wore turbans (crowns like unto gold), wore their hair long (they had hair as the hair of women), wore armor (they had breast plates) and were expert horsemen. However considering that John lived around the Romans and had to know what amour was, why in the world would he not recognize long haired men wearing armor and riding horses. He also had to realize the difference between a turban (essentially a long cloth wrapped around the head) and something that resembled a crown of gold. In any case, John said "their faces were as men's faces" i.e not human faces. Because of their appearance and the fact that they are ruled by Apollyon (the angel of the abyss) some believe that these locusts are demonic figures. However, this is far from certain. Revelation is steeped in imagery and uses a bewildering and even bizarre array of symbols (beasts emerging from the sea, waters turning to blood, a bottomless pit, dragons with seven heads, a woman sitting on a scarlet beast etc.) to ensure that the message was neither mistaken, underestimated, nor forgotten. An Invading Army?
However, in chapter two of his book Joel gives us a clearer picture of what John was referring to. In verse 2:1-11 he described "a great and mighty people" (Joel 2:2) who leave a "desolate wilderness behind them" (Vs. 3) then went on to say Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like war horses, so they run. (Joel 2:4 NASB)
The Old Testament often compared the sheer numbers of an invading army with locusts. For example, Judges 6:3-5 says that the armies of the Midianites and the Amalekites were "like locusts for number" and, when they came against Israel, they would completely destroy the produce of the earth. The armies of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon were described as being "more numerous than locusts" (Jeremiah 46:23). In a prophecy against the Assyrian capital of Nineveh, Nahum said although their guardsmen were like the swarming locust the city would be taken down with sword and fire. (Nahum 3:15-17). In other words, John could very well have been describing an extremely large and terrifying invading army. Although one does not see much correlation between what John tried to describe and the weapons of modern warfare in the above verses, the fire, smoke and brimstone that emanates from the mouths of the 'horses' killinganother third of humanity (below) could very well be something like armored tanks. However, make no mistake... God is very much in control of the situation - in Joel 2:11 He calls this army "His army". Other passages make it clear that this army can only do what God permits. The restrictions placed on these "locusts" is that they cannot hurt any green thing (trees and grass etc.), nor those that have the seal of God on their foreheads. Additionally they cannot kill those that do not have this mark but are only allowed to torment them for five months which, if you think about it, is a very, very long time. As verse 6 says... "in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them."
One would imagine that by this time people would be crying out for mercy, especially considering they already seem to know that the havoc being wrought on the earth are not "natural disasters" but unmistakable evidence of God's wrath. In fact, they will have ample opportunity to repent and save themselves until just before the Seventh Trumpet at the sounding of which the doors to the kingdom will close forever. However, amazingly enough, for the most part this will not happen. Revelation 9:20 prophesies... The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; (Revelation 9:20 NASB) See Idol Worship... The Spirits Behind The Idols
The first Woe is past: behold, there come yet two Woes hereafter. (Revelation 9:12)
The Sixth Trumpet /The Second Woe
(13) Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, (14) one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." (15) And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. (16) The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. (17) And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breast plates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. (18) A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. (19) For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm. (20) The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; (21) and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. (Revelation 9:13-21 NASB)
Notes on the Sixth Trumpet:
Revelation 7:1 mentions four angels standing at the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the earth. The angels here are represented as "holding" the winds - that is, preventing evil them from sweeping over the earth and causing massive desolation. Two chapters later we are told that four great fallen angels are "bound" at the river Euphrates - a river that has great significance in the Bible (The word translated "bound" has been used both literally and figuratively in the New Testament. See Matthew 27:2 and Matthew 16). The chapter goes on to say when these mighty beings are let loose on the world they proceed to kill a third of mankind. (Revelation 9:14 - 15) It is very possible that "angels" are symbolic of four world powers. If you take Israel as the center, you have Russia to the north, China to the east, the Islamic Middle East and Africa to the south, and Europe to the West. In other word, this line up of nations - Gog-Magog, the Kings of the East, the Kings of the South and the Antichrist's revived Roman Empire in the West could be the key players in a horrible end-times war that will engulf the whole earth. Armageddon Note: One fourth of the population had already died during the time of the fourth seal. If one third of the remaining 75% are now killed, the earth's population will be reduced to about half its pre-tribulation number.
In verse 17, John describes both horses and their riders, particularly mentioning that the rider's breast plates were the colour of fire and of hyacinth and brimstone (red, blue, and yellow?) What is particularly noteworthy is that it doesn't seem to be the horsemen that cause death, but the horses themselves that are said to emit fire, smoke and brimstone out of their mouths and have power in their serpent like tails with which they kill. The number of the armies of the horsemen (two hundred million) is a staggering number. Although only China is capable of hosting an army of that size, nothing says that this army belongs to solely one country
The Interlude Between The Sixth and Seventh Trumpet
Beginning with chapter 10:1, there is an interlude between judgments during which John sees and hears several different things. Chapter 10 talks about The Strong Angel, the Seven Thunders and the Little Book which John is commanded to eat (some thoughts in Footnote I below). The first two verses of Chapter 11 refer to the measuring of the temple, while verses 11:3 through 11:12 talks about the Two Witnesses.
Verse 13 describes the earthquake that takes place when the Two Witnesses are brought to life by the breath of God, then taken up into heaven in a cloud (Vs. 11-12)... And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven Revelation 11:13 NASB.
Verse 14 then tells us that "The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly". (Revelation 11:14 NASB) | 
