We come in this message to Rev. 8:1-12. In this chapter we have the opening of the seventh seal (vv. 1-2), the scene in heaven after the opening of the seventh seal (vv. 3-5), and the sounding of the first four trumpets (vv. 6-12).
The seventh seal, which will begin before the great tribulation, consists of the seven trumpets, for the seven trumpets are the content of the seventh seal. If we would understand the prophecy of this book, we must realize that the secret of God’s economy is sealed with seven seals. As we have pointed out, the scroll in chapter five is the new testament enacted by Christ with His precious blood. This new testament is the scroll of God’s economy sealed with seven seals which are the contents of the scroll. We have seen that the first four seals are not consecutive but simultaneous and that the fifth and sixth seals are consecutive. The seventh seal includes everything from after the sixth seal to eternity future. Thus, the seventh seal, consisting of the seven trumpets, is all-inclusive. As we shall see, the seven bowls are a part of the seventh trumpet. The seventh seal consists of the seven trumpets, and the seventh trumpet consists, in part, of the seven bowls. Both the seventh seal and the seven trumpets run to eternity. The seventh trumpet will close this age and usher in the kingdom, the new heaven, and the new earth.
Some may have the concept that the seven trumpets follow the seven seals and that the seven bowls succeed the seven trumpets. This concept is natural. In understanding the Word, we should have no trust in our natural concepts. Rather, we must forsake them and come to the Lord, saying, “Lord, show us Your way.” Since 1933, I have been helped by Brother Nee’s study on the book of Revelation. Due to the natural concept which was deeply embedded in my thinking, I believed that the seven trumpets were the continuation of the seven seals and that the seven bowls followed the seven trumpets. This concept constantly troubled me. I studied and studied until one day the light came and I saw that the seventh seal contains the seven trumpets. The seven trumpets are the equivalent of the seventh seal. They actually are the seventh seal. The content of the first four seals is the four horses, the content of the fifth seal is the cry of the martyred saints, the content of the sixth seal is God’s answer to the cry of the martyred saints, and a warning to the dwellers on the earth, and the content of the seventh seal is the seven trumpets.
Like the first four seals, the first four trumpets, which are not yet the direct judgment on men, form one group. The first trumpet consists of a judgment on the earth with the trees and all the grass, as occurred in Egypt (Exo. 9:18-25); the second, a judgment on the sea with the living creatures and ships; the third, a judgment on the rivers and springs of waters, as occurred in Egypt (Exo. 7:17-21); the fourth, a judgment on the sun, the moon, and the stars, to darken them, as also occurred in Egypt (Exo. 10:21-23). By the judgments of these four trumpets, the third part of the earth, the sea, the rivers, and the hosts in the heavens are damaged, thus causing them to be no longer good for man’s living. Before the seven trumpets, there will already have been a judgment on the earth and on the hosts of the heavens at the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12-14). The extent of the damage of that judgment will not be as definite as the damage of the first four trumpets. At the fifth trumpet Satan and Antichrist will collaborate to torment men; at the sixth trumpet there will be a further judgment on men as the two hundred million cavalry kill the third part of men; and at the seventh trumpet there will be many things — the eternal kingdom of Christ, the third woe comprising the seven bowls, the judgment of the dead, the giving of reward to the prophets, to the saints, and to the Godfearing people, and the destruction of the destroyers of the earth. At the seventh trumpet, there will be further judgments on the earth, the sea, the rivers, and the sun through the seven bowls (Rev. 16:1-21). These will be the most severe judgments of God upon the earth and heaven.
We must forsake the concept that the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls are consecutive. No, to repeat, the seven trumpets are the content of the seventh seal, and the seven bowls are a part of the seventh trumpet. This is the key to understanding the prophecy of this book. Only God could have written the book of Revelation because only He has the wisdom to compose it in such a marvelous way. Who else has the wisdom to write a book with such signs and symbols as that of the four horses which fully cover the history of the past twenty centuries? That the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls are not consecutive reveals God’s wisdom in writing this book. If we do not have the light to see this arrangement, although we may read Revelation again and again, we shall still be confused.
In 8:1-2 we see the seven trumpets brought in as the answer to the saints’ prayer in the fifth seal. The seals are opened secretly, whereas the trumpets are sounded openly.
When the Lamb “opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about half an hour” (v. 1). This silence indicates solemnity. At the opening of the seventh seal, all heaven becomes silent because the age is about to be changed. The period before the opening of the seventh seal was the age of God’s toleration. For the sake of His purpose of preaching the gospel to produce the churches to fulfill His eternal plan, God has been tolerating the sinful situation on earth. But with the opening of the seventh seal, the age of toleration is terminated and another age is brought in. This is the age of God’s wrath. God is now coming in to intervene in the rebellious and sinful situation on earth. Because this occasion is so solemn, heaven becomes silent, an indication that something serious is about to take place.
In the midst of this solemn scene, another Angel appears (v. 3). This angel is Christ. When Christ was revealed as walking in the midst of the churches, He was revealed as the Son of Man, and when He spoke to the churches, He declared all His qualifications. But in the administration of God’s judgment upon the earth, Christ is the Angel standing on the position of One who has been sent by God. In a very positive sense, Christ is everything; He is whatever the economy of God needs. Revelation specifically describes Christ as “another Angel,” indicating that He is not a regular or common angel but a special Angel. As we pointed out in message twenty-one, in the Old Testament Christ was called the “Angel of the Lord,” who was God Himself (Gen. 22:11-12; Exo. 3:2-6; Judg. 6:11-24; Zech. 1:11-12; 2:8-11; 3:1-7). In Genesis 22 the Angel of the Lord spoke to Abraham, and in Exodus 3 the Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses. Christ is another Angel; He is the unique, special Angel.
Verse 3 says, “And another Angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and much incense was given to Him that He should add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” The first altar in this verse refers to the altar of burnt offering (cf. Exo. 27:1-8), and the golden altar before the throne refers to the incense altar (cf. Exo. 30:1-9). The golden censer signifies the prayer of the saints, which is brought to God by Christ as the other Angel. The incense signifies Christ with all His merit to be added to the prayers of the saints that the saints’ prayers might be acceptable to God upon the golden altar. At the opening of the seventh seal there will still be “saints” praying on the earth.
In this scene in heaven after the opening of the seventh seal, Christ appears as another Angel to execute God’s administration over the earth in the way of ministering to God as the High Priest with the prayers of His saints. As He offers the prayers of His saints to God, He adds His incense to them. Verse 4 says that “the smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of the saints out of the hand of the Angel before God.” The “smoke of the incense” indicates that the incense is burnt to God with the prayers of the saints. This implies that by the incense which is added to them the prayers of the saints become effective and acceptable to God.
Verse 5 says, “And 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.” This implies the answer to the prayers of the saints, especially the prayer in the fifth seal mentioned in Rev. 6:9-11 and the prayer mentioned in Luke 18:7-8. The prayer of the saints in this chapter must be for the judgment of the earth which opposes God’s economy. The answer to the saints’ prayers is the execution of God’s judgment upon the earth by the following seven trumpets. To cast fire to the earth is to execute God’s judgment upon the earth. Therefore, the thunders, voices, lightnings, and the earthquake come as signs of God’s judgment.
God’s judgment upon the earth is the answer to the prayers of the saints with Christ as the incense. Although the sixth seal has been opened and the seven trumpets are ready to be sounded, nothing happens until Christ comes to offer the saints’ prayers to God with Himself as the incense. At that time, there are thunders, voices, lightnings, and an earthquake. This indicates that while God has the intention of executing His judgment upon the earth, there is still the need of the saints to cooperate with Him with their prayers. God needs His saints to pray that He might execute His judgment. If you read Luke 18, you will see that the Lord Jesus says that at a certain time the saints on earth will cry to God to come in to deal with the situation and to vindicate Himself. At the end of this age, people will be so rebellious against God that they will even declare to the whole universe that they are God. While God has been tolerating this, some of the faithful saints will no longer bear it and will pray, “O sovereign Lord, how long will You bear with this? Will You tolerate this rebellion forever? How long will it be before You come in to vindicate Yourself and avenge us? How long will it be until all the earth will know that You are the Lord?” Eventually, there will be a need for this kind of prayer. I believe the time is coming when we shall all be pressed to pray like this. I cannot charge you to pray this way today because you are not under this kind of pressure. But one day the pressure will be upon us and we shall be burdened to pray in this way. This will indicate that the end is at hand because our spirit will not tolerate the situation any longer. Then we shall pray to the Lord to vindicate Himself and to let all the rebellious ones know that He is God. When we pray like this, the Angel sent by God will minister to God with our prayer, adding to it Himself as the incense. God will certainly answer this prayer, and there will be thunders, voices, lightnings, and an earthquake. That will simply be the beginning of God’s judgment upon this rebellious earth. This will take place at the opening of the seventh seal when Christ, the other Angel, will minister as our High Priest to bring to God our prayers mingled with His incense, and will be the One sent to execute God’s judgment on earth.
Verse 6 says, “And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to trumpet.” The seven trumpets were given to the seven angels (v. 2). But it is after the prayers of the saints in verses 3 through 5 have been answered that the seven angels are prepared to trumpet. God’s will in heaven requires the saints’ prayer to carry it out on earth. The offering of the saints’ prayers to God by Christ brings in the seven trumpets.
Verse 7 says, “And the first trumpeted: and there was hail and fire mingled with blood, and it was cast to the earth; and the third part of the earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.” When the angels begin to trumpet, everything in the universe will be turned upside down. The first trumpet will damage “the third part of the earth.” Note that this verse does not say “a third,” but “the third part.” This means that a certain part of the earth, “the third part,” will be damaged. While the whole earth is sinful, some parts of the earth are particularly hellish, devilish, satanic, demonic, and evil. I do not believe that the third part of the earth will include the United States. The United States is sinful, but, unlike other parts of the earth, it is not devilishly sinful. Those regions of the earth that are so sinful will be “the third part.” Many people need to hear this word and be warned by it not to be so evil against God that their region becomes “the third part” of the earth, the region that will be fully damaged by God’s judgment. According to Revelation 9, God’s judgment of “the third part” will still be used to warn the rebellious world to repent.
In verses 8 and 9 we see the second trumpet: “And the second angel trumpeted: and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood, and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea and which had life died, and the third part of the ships were destroyed.” Here we see that the second trumpet will damage “the third part of the sea.” Some powerful nations are developing their navies in order to expand their ocean territory. Their aim in doing so is to commit evil against God. In the same principle as the judgment upon the earth in the first trumpet, God will judge the third part of the sea. Verse 9 especially mentions the destruction of the third part of the ships. That part of the sea which is defiled by evil against God will be damaged by God’s judgment.
Verses 10 and 11 describe the third trumpet: “And the third angel trumpeted: and a great star fell out of heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and the third part of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters because they were made bitter.” Again we see that the third part of the rivers and springs of waters will be damaged. Water is crucial to human life. The opposers of God and those who practice evil against Him still enjoy God’s creation. Although they partake of the water of God’s creation, they continue to oppose God. One day, God will seem to say, “Now I shall cause wormwood to fall out of heaven into your water and it will become bitter.” God’s judgment here still has a limitation, for it is limited to the third part of the rivers and springs.
In verse 12 we read of the fourth trumpet, the judgment on the heavenly hosts: “And the fourth angel trumpeted: and the third part of the sun and the third part of the moon and the third part of the stars were smitten, so that the third part of them might be darkened and the day should not appear for the third part of it, and the night likewise.” After the judgment of the earth, the sea, and the rivers, God’s judgment will smite the third part of the heavenly hosts, damaging the third part of the sun, the moon, and the stars. The part of the sun to be damaged will be that part which shines upon the evil nations. God knows this part, and it will be darkened.
