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Scripture Reading: Rev. 8:1-13; 9:1-21; 10:7; 11:15-18; John 5:28-29; Dan. 12:2; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; Rev. 14:14-16; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 19:7-9, 19:11-21; 16:13-20; 17:14; 18:1—19:4; 20:1—22:5
In this series of messages we want to see the prophecy of the four “sevens” in the Bible. In the first chapter we saw the prophecy of the first “seven”—the last week of the seventy weeks recorded in Daniel 9. In the second chapter we saw the prophecy of the second “seven”—of the seven seals. In this chapter we want to see the prophecy of the third “seven”—of the seven trumpets.
The seven trumpets are the entire contents of the seventh seal (Rev. 8:1-2). In other words, the seven trumpets equal the seventh seal.
The seven trumpets are the answer to the prayer of the martyred saints in the fifth seal (6:9-11). In the fifth seal, the martyred saints under the altar are crying, “How long, O Master, holy and true, will You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (v. 10). Immediately after their prayer is the sixth seal, which is the shaking of the earth and heaven (vv. 12-17). The supernatural calamity of the sixth seal will affect the earth and the heaven—the sun, the moon, and the stars. God’s shaking of the earth and the heaven will be a warning to men to consider their ways. They have to repent and come back to God.
Immediately following the sixth seal are the seven trumpets, the contents of the seventh seal, which are the answer to the prayer of the martyred saints. Their prayer in Revelation 6:10 is also referred to in two portions of the New Testament—Luke 18:7-8 and Revelation 8:3-5. These saints are crying to God for the avenging of their blood, which they shed for God’s purpose and for God’s testimony. After their prayer God begins to judge the earth in the sixth seal to make it an unsuitable place in which to live. Then He answers their prayer with the seven trumpets of the seventh seal. Now we need to consider the scene in heaven after the opening of the seventh seal in Revelation 8:3-5.
The prayers of the saints in Revelation 8:4 must be for the judgment of the earth, which opposes God’s economy, and the answer to the saints’ prayers is the execution of God’s judgment upon the earth by the seven trumpets that follow.
In Revelation 8:3 another Angel refers to Christ, and incense signifies Christ with all His merits, which Christ adds to the prayers of the saints so that the saints’ prayers may be acceptable to God. This prayer is recorded as an insertion. By the end of Revelation 6, the first six seals have been opened. Chapter 7 is an insertion between the sixth and seventh seals. Then at the beginning of chapter 8 is the opening of the seventh seal. Immediately following the opening of the seventh seal is another insertion in Revelation 8:3-5. In this insertion Christ as “another Angel” is offering the saints’ prayers to God. In the book of Revelation, Christ is mentioned four times as “another Angel” (7:2; 8:3; 10:1; 18:1). In chapters 7, 8, 10, and 18 of Revelation, Christ comes in as God’s Angel to serve and to take care of God’s chosen people.
Revelation 8:5 tells us that Christ as the Angel “took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar and cast it to the earth; and there were thunders and voices and lightnings and an earthquake.” To cast the fire to the earth is to execute God’s judgment upon the earth; hence, the thunders, voices, lightnings, and an earthquake came as signs of God’s judgment, and the seven angels, who had the seven trumpets, prepared themselves to trumpet (v. 6).
As we have pointed out, the sixth seal is the initiation of supernatural calamities executed on the earth and on the heavenly bodies. The first four trumpets of the seventh seal are the intensified supernatural calamities (vv. 7-12).
The first trumpet is the judgment on the earth. Hail and fire mingled with blood were cast to the earth. Furthermore, the third part of the earth, the third part of the trees, and all green grass were burned up (v. 7). In Revelation all the verbs are used in the past tense because in the eyes of God all the things prophesied in this book have already taken place.
After judging the earth, God will judge the sea. The second trumpet is God’s judgment on the sea. A great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea, the third part of the sea became blood, the third part of the creatures in the sea died, and the third part of the ships were destroyed (vv. 8-9).
The third trumpet is the judgment on the rivers. A great star called Wormwood, burning like a torch, fell out of heaven upon the third part of the rivers and upon the springs of waters; and the third part of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters that were made bitter (vv. 10-11).
The fourth trumpet is the judgment on the sun, moon, and stars. The third part of the sun, the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars were smitten, so that the third part of them would be darkened and the third part of the day and the night would not appear (v. 12).
The last three trumpets are the three woes. Revelation 8:13 says, “I saw, 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 trumpet sounds of the three angels who are about to trumpet!” The three woes will be the greatest, severest, and most intensified plagues. In the first four trumpets, man is not yet touched directly. God’s judgment only touches the earth, the sea, the rivers, and the sun, moon, and stars, the heavenly bodies. But beginning with the fifth trumpet, God’s judgment touches man directly.
The fifth trumpet is the first woe as judgment on men—Satan and Antichrist collaborating to torment men (9:1). A star out of heaven fell to the earth. The star refers to Satan, who will be cast down from heaven to earth. Revelation 9:1 and 12:9 show that Satan will be cast down to the earth from the heavens as a star. To him was given the key of the pit of the abyss. The abyss is a bottomless pit. It is the dwelling place of the demons (Luke 8:31). Satan opened the pit of the abyss, and after opening the pit, 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. Out of the smoke came forth locusts to the earth, and to them power was given, as the scorpions of the earth have power, to torment men (they were not to harm the grass, any green thing, any tree, and men who have the seal of God on their foreheads) for five months but not to kill them. Revelation 9:6 says that “in those days men will seek death and shall by no means find it; and they will long to die, and death flees from them.”
The locusts were like horses prepared for war; crowns like gold were on their heads, their faces were like faces of men, their hair was like the hair of women, their teeth were like the teeth of lions, their breastplates were like breastplates of iron, the sound of their wings was like that of the chariots of many horses rushing into war, and they have stinging tails like scorpions, in which is their power to harm men five months. This was already prophesied in Joel 2:4-5, 25 and 1:6. The locusts have a king over them, the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon (Rev. 9:1-11). The angel of the abyss is the beast, Antichrist, who will come out of the pit of the abyss (11:7; 17:8). Abaddon means “destruction,” and Apollyon means “destroyer.” Antichrist is a destroyer who brings in nothing but destruction.
In the fifth trumpet Satan as a star falls to the earth, and Antichrist as the king over the army of locusts torments people for five months. This is a collaborating work. Satan and Antichrist are working together to torment men by these locusts. The locusts here are not like the locusts in Exodus 10:12-15, because they have tails like scorpions, and stings, and they harm men (Rev. 9:10). They must be demon-possessed ones, because they come out of the smoke that issues from the dwelling place of the demons (vv. 2-3).
The sixth trumpet is the second woe as further judgment on men—two hundred million horsemen killing the third part of men (vv. 13-16). Revelation 16:12 indicates that these armies come from the rising of the sun, from the east. In the sixth trumpet the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates were released. They had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they might kill the third part of men by the two hundred million horsemen. For the hour and day and month and year means that the four angels had been prepared unto the hour, plus the day, plus the month, and plus the year—altogether thirteen months, one day, and one hour for the killing of men. The killing will last first one hour, then one day, then one month, and finally one year. The riders of the horses had breastplates of fire, hyacinth, and brimstone. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and brimstone as three plagues to kill the third part of men. The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails, which were like serpents and had heads, and with them they harm men. The rest of men did not repent of their idolatry, murders, sorceries, fornication, and thefts (9:13-21). This indicates that the intention of God’s judgment is that men may repent, but Revelation tells us that even after these severe judgments, men will still not repent.
God’s judgment in the sixth trumpet as the second woe is seen in Revelation 9. All the items in Revelation 10—14, except the rapture of the man-child and of the one hundred forty-four thousand firstfruits, will take place during the last three and a half years, the time of the great tribulation. Chapter 10 tells us that during the three and a half years of the great tribulation Christ will come to the air to take possession of the earth (vv. 1-7). Chapter 11 says that Jerusalem will be given to Antichrist and his people and will be devastated for forty-two months (v. 2). In the meantime, God sends His two witnesses, Moses and Elijah, to prophesy during the time of the great tribulation when Antichrist is blaspheming God and persecuting His people. These two witnesses will testify against him. Then they will be killed, resurrected, and raptured to Christ’s parousia (presence) in the air (vv. 3-12).
Chapter 12 points out that right before the beginning of the great tribulation, the man-child, the dead overcomers, will be raptured (v. 5). The rest of the saints, which are the majority of the church, will be kept in a place to be nourished by God for twelve hundred sixty days, which is forty-two months or three and a half years, the time of the great tribulation (v. 6). Chapter 13 tells us that when Antichrist comes up out of the sea and the abyss, he will act according to his own will against God, persecute God’s people, and kill the saints (vv. 1-10). The false prophet will set up an image of Antichrist and force people to worship it (vv. 11-15).
Chapter 14 speaks of the Lord’s reaping of the believers. The firstfruits of the believers will be raptured to the third heaven to be with Christ before the great tribulation (vv. 1-5). Then Antichrist will destroy all religions when he breaks the covenant with Israel in the middle of the last week (Dan. 9:27; 11:31). The destruction of religious Babylon, the apostate Roman Catholic Church (Rev. 17:16), will take place at the beginning of the great tribulation (14:8). Furthermore, during the great tribulation, an angel will preach the eternal gospel, telling people that they should fear and worship God and not be deceived to follow Antichrist (vv. 6-7). This gospel will be received by a number of people who will obey this word and who will do much to help the persecuted Christians and Jews during the great tribulation. When the Lord returns, sits on His throne of glory, and judges the nations, He will consider these righteous ones as the sheep, who will enter into the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. They will be the people, the citizens, in the millennial kingdom on earth for one thousand years. Those of the nations who do not obey the eternal gospel during the great tribulation, who mistreat the Christians and the Jews, will be condemned by Christ at His throne of glory. They will be considered as goats and will be cast directly into the lake of fire, where they will suffer eternal punishment (Matt. 25:32-46).
In addition to speaking of the eternal gospel in the great tribulation, Revelation 14 also speaks of the harvest of the majority of the believers and of the war of Armageddon, which is called “the great winepress of the fury of God” (v. 19). The evil persons are likened to grapes who will be gathered together at Armageddon. Christ will come down to tread on them as one treading a great winepress. Now we come to the seventh trumpet.
The seventh trumpet is the conclusion of the eternal economy of the processed Triune God.
The seventh trumpet is the finishing of the mystery of God. Revelation 10:7 says, “In the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he is about to trumpet, then the mystery of God is finished, as He has announced the good news to His own slaves the prophets.”
The seventh trumpet closes the present age of mystery. Daniel 9:24 speaks of the seventy weeks, which were apportioned to “seal up vision and prophet.” To seal up vision and prophet is to close the age of mystery.
The seventh trumpet will bring in the coming age of the kingdom and the eternal age of the new heaven and new earth. It comprises all the things from the end of the great tribulation to eternity future.
The seventh trumpet includes the coming of the eternal kingdom of God and of Christ, in which He will reign forever and ever (Rev. 11:15-17).
Christ will reign first in the millennium, the one thousand years in the kingdom age.
After that, Christ will reign forever in the new heaven and new earth with the New Jerusalem as its center.
The seventh trumpet will include the judgment of the dead (v. 18b) to decide who among the dead should participate in the resurrection of life before the millennium and who should be left to participate in the resurrection of judgment after the millennium (John 5:28-29; Dan. 12:2).
The seventh trumpet comprises the resurrection of the dead saints and their being raptured with the majority of the living saints into Christ’s parousia (presence) in the air (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; Rev. 14:14-16).
Included in the seventh trumpet is the giving of the reward to the prophets, to the saints, and to the God-fearing people at the judgment seat of Christ (11:18c; 2 Cor. 5:10).
The seventh trumpet includes the marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9). After the judgment seat of Christ the overcomers become the bride of Christ, and they marry Him as the Lamb.
Then there is the coming of God’s wrath because the nations became angry (11:18a). This wrath of God is the third woe, comprising the seven bowls, as the most severe judgment on men (chs. 15—16). The seven bowls will be the final judgment executed upon men in the great tribulation.
At the time of the sixth bowl, the war of Armageddon will take place. This will be the last war on earth before the thousand-year kingdom. This war is recorded as an insertion between the sixth and seventh bowls in Revelation 16:13-16. Christ and His newly wed wife, the overcomers, will defeat Antichrist, the false prophet, the kings, and their armies and will throw Antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire (17:14; 19:11-21).
At the time of the seventh bowl, there will be the greatest earthquake ever on the earth, and the physical Babylon, the city of Rome, will be destroyed (16:17-20; 18:1—19:4). The religious Babylon, the Roman Catholic Church, will be destroyed close to the beginning of the great tribulation (14:8), and the physical Babylon, the city of Rome, will be destroyed at the end of the great tribulation (18:2).
After the destruction of Antichrist, the false prophet, and those who follow them, the devil, Satan, the dragon, the ancient serpent, will be bound and imprisoned in the abyss by an angel for one thousand years (20:1-3).
Then there will be the kingdom of one thousand years (vv. 4-6).
In the millennial kingdom the overcomers will reign with Christ (v. 4).
Furthermore, the overcomers will be priests to contact God and co-kings with Christ to reign over the nations in the millennium (v. 6).
When the thousand years of the kingdom are completed, there will be the last rebellion of mankind (vv. 7-10).
Satan, released out of his prison, will deceive the nations, Gog and Magog, to war against the camp of the saints and the beloved city; and fire will come down out of heaven and devour them (vv. 7-9). Satan’s deceiving of the nations which are in the four corners of the earth is his deceiving of “Gog and Magog.” This may indicate that in the last rebellion of mankind, instigated by Satan, Gog and Magog will take the lead, and the nations will follow. Gog and Magog, according to Ezekiel 38:2-3 and 39:1-2, must be Russia. Ezekiel 38:2 indicates that Gog and Magog are of Rosh, Meschech, and Tubal, answering to Russia, Moscow, and Tobolsk. Ezekiel 39:2 refers to these places as “the remotest parts of the north.” At the end of the millennium Satan will instigate rebellious mankind from the remotest parts of the north to attack God’s people. But fire will come down out of heaven and devour these rebellious ones.
The devil, the deceiver, was cast into the lake of fire, where also Antichrist and the false prophet were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev. 20:10). Antichrist and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire a thousand years earlier than the devil (19:20). After the thousand years the devil will be thrown into it.
The judgment at the great white throne, after the earth and heaven fled away, is to judge the unbelieving dead with the demons (20:11-15). The Bible has a complete conclusion. God executes His judgment to deal with the living ones. At the great white throne, He will judge all the dead ones.
Death and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire (v. 14). The lake of fire is the “trash can” for the entire universe, into which all negative things, including death and Hades, will be cast. Death will be the last enemy destroyed by the Lord (1 Cor. 15:26).
The unbelievers and the demons will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15). The lake of fire is prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41). Since the unbelievers have followed the devil, they share the devil’s judgment (John 16:11) and will become joint partakers of the devil’s eternal torment. The demons, having also followed the devil, will share the same destiny.
The seventh trumpet concludes with the coming of the new heaven and new earth to be God’s kingdom forever (Rev. 21:1—22:5).
The first heaven and first earth will pass away, and the sea will be no more (21:1).
The New Jerusalem, the holy city, will come down to the new earth as God’s tabernacle and as the bride, the wife of the Lamb. It will be the ultimate composition of all the redeemed people of God, and in it the saints will reign as kings with God and be supplied by the Triune God as the river of water of life and the tree of life (21:2—22:5). As the New Jerusalem, we will enjoy the Triune God, drinking Him and eating Him forever. We will be His royal, kingly family, the co-kings with Christ reigning forever and ever (v. 5). This is the destiny that God has assigned to us.
The restored nations will be the people around the New Jerusalem and will be sustained by the leaves of the tree of life (21:24-27; 22:2b). The New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth with the restored nations is the end of the seven trumpets, which is also the end of the seventh seal and the end of the book of Revelation.
Because of the world situation today, I believe that our present study of the prophecy of the four “sevens” in the Bible is timely. Romans 9:27-28 says that the Lord will cut His word short in order to have a quick fulfillment of His prophecy concerning the nation of Israel. The present situation in the Middle East is the Lord cutting His word short so that the prophecies concerning Israel can be fulfilled quickly. As we have seen in the previous chapters, the nation of Israel as the fig tree has become tender and put forth its leaves. Now the summer is near (Matt. 24:32). We are not teaching the biblical prophecies to satisfy people’s curiosity. We desire to be enlightened by the Word, especially the prophetic word in the Bible. We need to give heed to this prophetic word as to a lamp shining in a dark place (2 Pet. 1:19). Then we will know where we are. The prophetic word will guide us to pass through the dark night until the day of the Lord’s appearing dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts.
