THE TRIBULATION TRUMPETS
After the rapture, the Wrath of God starts,...which results in
the earth being totally cleansed of any human or demonic opposition to the
government of God. This wrath is initiated when the 7th
seal is opened and the seven trumpets are sounded. The Hebrew word for
trumpet is usually "shofar" -- a sonorous wind instrument crafted from a ram's
horn. Although trumpets could be made of metal Numbers 10:2, most of the time
they were made out of an animal's horn (shofar). Therefore, what the apostle
John probably saw were angels sounding the shofar.
Notice that these angels are important spirit beings that are constantly in the
presence of God following His commands.
Revelation 8:2
And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given
to them.
Revelation 8:6
And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound
them.
The first four trumpet sounds bring destruction upon the
inhabited earth.
The last three are called woes.
This is similar to the time of Noah's flood. People were marrying, building, and
planting, thinking they had a future, but instead they have no future. Earth is
destroyed by the 7 trumpet blasts.
The First Trumpet
Re 8:7 The 1st 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.
We must notice that the destruction is widespread (1/3 of the earth), and that
it starts with small size particles -- hailstones. The size of the particles
increases as well as the damage.
The Second Trumpet
Re 8:8 The 2nd 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 souls, died; and a third of the
ships were destroyed.
This incoming rock is the size of a mountain, and it falls in the ocean. The
size of the incoming meteors continues to increase. The plagues continue to
increase in severity with each trumpet blast.
The Third Trumpet
Re 8:9 The 3rd 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.
The size now is like a star -- bigger than a mountain. This one falls on land.
The Fourth Trumpet
Re 8:10 The 4th 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.
The whole planet is now covered with dust that darkens the sky. Not only is the
earth affected by this trumpet blast, but the sun and the moon are also
affected.
The next 3 trumpet sounds are called "woes"
Re 8:13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, 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!"
The last 3 trumpets continue to bring destruction upon the earth.
The Fifth Trumpet
Re 9:1 Then the 5th 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.
Re 9:2-4 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. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was
given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 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.
This is evidence that at the time of the fifth trumpet there are some Christians
with the seal of God still living on earth.
Re 9:5 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.
Re 9:6 And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will
long to die, and death flees from them.
Re 9:7 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.
Re 9:8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth
of lions.
Re 9:9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their
wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.
Re 9:10 They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their
power to hurt men for five months.
Re 9:11 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.
Re 9:12 The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these
things.
The Sixth Trumpet
Re 9:13 Then the 6th angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of
the golden altar which is before God.
River Euphrates
Re 9:14 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four
angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."
Notice the 4 angels bound at the River Euphrates. These are not angels that
proceed from the throne of God, these are angels that have been bound for some
time and when they are released they kill 1/3 of mankind by influencing people
to war against each other.
We have to contrast these bound angels -- probably demonic angels, to the angels
that are free and go into the presence of God.
Re 9:15 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.
Re 9:16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I
heard the number of them.
Revelation 9:17
And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the
riders had breastplates 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.
Re 9:18 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.
Re 9:19 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.
Re 9:20 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;
Re 9:21 and they did not repent of their murders, nor of their drugs, nor of
their immorality, nor of their thefts.
By this time there will be very few Christians alive on Earth. Only human scum
will remain -- hardened individuals who will not repent and turn to God no
matter how difficult the situation might become. During this time God will use
his two witnesses to prophesy on this earth; but no people will repent, instead
they will rejoice with the death of the witnesses.
Re 11:3
And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a
thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Re 11:4
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God
of the earth. (See Two Witnesses)
The Seventh Trumpet
Re 11:15 Then the 7th angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven,
saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His
Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."
Re 11:16 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell
on their faces and worshiped God,
Re 11:17 saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who
were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.
Re 11:18 "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came
for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the
prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great,
and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
After the 7th trumpet, there are 7 bowls
(or vials)
of wrath. The 7 bowls are the consummation of the Wrath of God. God curses the
unrepentant people with more plagues. Notice that after the 6th trumpet there is
no mention of repentance of the people, no matter how bad things get on earth.
When the 7th bowl of wrath is poured, Satan influences the one world government
leader and his armies, along with some minor government armies to gather at
Megiddo for the Battle of Armageddon to fight Christ and his saints Re 19:19. Of
course, the devil is no match for Christ and his armies. The one world
government leader and his "false prophet" are thrown in "the lake of fire" Re
19:20, Satan is chained for a thousand years, and the millennium begins.
There is a series of stories interjected among the scope of the book of
Revelation in order to give more information to the reader. Some of these
stories are in reference to:
The message to the angels of the 7 Churches Rev 2:1
The 144,000 sealed from the tribes of Israel Rev 7:4
The big company in front of God's throne, the Rapture Rev 7:9
The Two Witnesses Rev 11:3
The nation of Israel and Christ's followers through time, Woman with 12 Stars
Rev 12:1
The nation, or national leader referred to as the Scarlet Beast Rev 17:3
The city referred to as a woman Babylon the Great sitting upon the Scarlet Beast
Rev 14:8
The one world government who implants everybody with the Mark of the Beast Rev
13:1.
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