Events of the First Half of the Tribulation (Part Three): Trumpets One thru Four

Prelude to the Trumpet Judgments

Rev 8:1-6 When he opened 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 to them were given seven trumpets.

3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. NIV

• When incense is used symbolically in scripture, what does it represent?
  • The prayers of the saints

• What do you think is the point of verses 3 through 5?
  • The prayers are about to be answered with the trumpet judgments

• One of God's first commands to mankind was to take care of the earth. We have failed that in two ways. On one extreme, we have polluted it and on the other extreme, people worship the earth above God. The first three judgments are against the earth. The earth is not above God

The First Trumpet

Rev 8:7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. NIV

• The judgment is that one-third of the physical dry earth is burned up

The Second Trumpet

Rev 8:8-9 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. NIV

• This judgment is that one-third of the salt water is ruined. One-third of the creatures die, and one-third of the ships are destroyed
• It could be the result of a meteorite, or possibly an undersea volcano of huge proportions
• While there may be physical reasons for the event, the turning to blood is clearly a supernatural event

The Third Trumpet

Rev 8:10-11 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky 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 turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. NIV

• This judgment concerns drinking water. One-third of the drinking water, rivers and springs, are turned bitter. Many people die from this bitter water (water that is supposed to refresh, but instead kills)
• The cause is either a meteor, named wormwood, or an angel named Wormwood. It is difficult to see how this might be interpreted symbolically (possibly the impact on spring water). When star is used symbolically, it usually refers to an angel

The Fourth Trumpet

Rev 8:12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, 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 turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. NIV

• There are a number of ways to view this verse, the most reasonable approach is to assume that one-third of the light source night and day is gone. The easiest approach is the darkening of the skies such that one-third of outside light can not make it to the earth. Another possibility is some serious meteorite explosion above the earth atmosphere which encircles the earth, and directly blocks light, potentially so thick in some areas that one-third of the light is blocked as it circles the earth