Reviews and Views

Book of Revelation – Chapter 8

Seventh Seal

With the opening of the seventh seal comes seven angels. Their role is to blast a warning of each subsequent judgment. We have seen the release of the four-horse riders. Conditions on earth are worsening rapidly. But we are told that this is just the beginning of sorrows. Satan is cast out of heaven and thrown to earth during these trumpet judgments in this chapter.

“And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about half an hour.” This silence gives time to contemplate what was coming next in the trumpet blasts. Also, God uses this time to receive and weigh the prayers of His Tribulation saints. He waits while His tormented and terrified people on earth pray. 

Trumpets blown do not act as a siren of impending danger but to summon attention to what will happen next. These blasts call for the advancement of God’s judgment upon the earth’s inhabitants. Seven trumpets go to the seven angels. They prepare to blast their trumpets as another angel cast the “fire of the altar” to earth. Notice that the first four trumpets are war trumpets. The last three trumpets are woe trumpets. The angel standing at the altar is the Lord Jesus Christ himself because of His ministry to GOD and man (1 Timothy 2:5). He adds incense (effectiveness) to the prayers offered by the saints of GOD on earth. These prayers are for vengeance and answered judgment. The silence ends! “The prayers of God’s people have tipped the balance in favor of heaven’s immediate resumption of hostilities” John Phillips commentary, page 118.

First Trumpet – The Brewing Storm

Hail and fire mixed with blood fall upon the earth. One-third of all trees and 100% of all grass burned; an ecological disaster without parallel in history. Mass destruction like this can toss people in leadership out and lead to a mass depopulation of the globe.

Second Trumpet – The Boiling Sea

“As it were,” a great mountain burning with fire was in the sea, cast. Since “as it were” was used, we understand it as symbolic and not literal. Yet ships seem literal enough. One-third of the sea becomes blood, one-third of the sea creatures die, and one-third of the ships become sunk or damaged. If the description is symbolic, the sea is well-known as godless humanity. A mountain frequently symbolizes a great nation. “The mountain mentioned here in the Apocalypse is a volcano, a burning mountain” John Phillips commentary, page 120. Besides a volcano, the mountain crashing into the oceans could be a giant meteor—much damage results.

Third Trumpet – The Banished Star

Now a giant step forward in the judgment process is taken. A colossal star falls from heaven. It burned brightly like a lamp. “Wormwood” was its name because it causes the lakes, rivers, and water sources to become bitter, poisonous, and cause death. The effect will be to embitter the earth’s waters so that the water is undrinkable. It’s easy to see how chaos and terror will result. Humans can only survive a couple of days without water. Those people in the affected water areas will become so desperate they will drink the bitter waters and die by the thousands, if not millions. 

This star is Satan himself, cast out of heaven to earth in a symbolic sense. He is bitter since he knows that his time is short. Bitterness in men causes many people to die. Strong support for this view comes from Revelation chapter 13. The Beast will already be here in the world, as yet benign. But now Satan arrives. Satan’s plans for the planet are only a step or two away from maturity.

Fourth Trumpet – The Blackened Sky

The fourth trumpet brings significant changes everywhere. The sun darkens, giving off less light, and the moon, therefore, reflects much less sunlight at night. But even one-third of the stars darken and can not be seen. An angel loudly said, “Woe, woe, woe,” to earth’s inhabitants because of the other trumpets yet to sound. Now we see that the old natural order is breaking apart. Convulsions seem to break out everywhere with the true Church gone. With the gradual removal of restraints completed, Satan with his fallen angels are on earth, and all traditional guiding lights are gone. The worst is yet ahead! The first 3.5 years of the Tribulation are not nearly as severe as the final 3.5 years. Matthew 24:8 describes this first half as the beginning of sorrows, with the last half described as the Great Tribulation. As the Tribulation hour approaches its climax, the judgments become more severe and the loss of life more significant.

January 25, 2024 - Posted by Bill Wyler | Last Days | Bible, Future, GOD, Truth, vision