| Also See The Seven Seals and Matthew 24 What is really interesting here is that the Seven Seals (Revelation 6-7) exactly parallel the Olivet Discourse. In summary, both the Olivet Discourse and the Seals include, in the same sequence, both the events leading up to, and the actual tribulation of the church, followed by the wrath and judgment of God, or the Great Tribulation such as the world has never seen.. That Earth Shaking Seventh Trumpet: The Seventh Trumpet is, in a sense, the most consequential of all the judgments, since at this call significant and apparently rapid changes take place. This last Trumpet brings an end to the mystery of God... Jesus appears before the Face of God for us and the atonement complete, He reaps the earth (what we call the Rapture) and the doors to the Kingdom are closed forever. The End of The Age.. The Seven Bowls: God publicly reclaims His rightful rule over the earth as He makes an end of all things in the Seven Bowls and Jesus returns to earth to establish His kingdom. 
"I will completely remove all things from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. "I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the ruins along with the wicked; and I will cut off man from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. "So I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, nd the names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests. "And those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven, and those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom, and those who have turned back from following the LORD, and those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him." [Zephaniah 1:2-6]
ON THIS PAGE
One often hears of the media describing one of nature’s calamities as being “of biblical proportions”. This extreme language makes one wonder how they would describe the true plagues that God will send on the earth, which will indeed be “of biblical proportions”. Peace and Safety “But the wicked are like the churning sea. It isn't quiet, and its water throws up mud and slime. There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." [Isaiah 57:20-21] Both Jesus and Paul imply that world conditions would not necessarily allow people to suspect the approach of Armageddon. The “day of the Lord” is described as coming suddenly, catching the non believer unawares … "For as they were in those days, eating and drinking before the flood, marrying and being given in marriage, up until the day Noah entered the ark, while they knew not what was coming until the flood came and took everyone, so will it also be when the Son of Man appears" (Matthew 24:38, 39). “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape. [1 Thessalonians 5: 2-3]
Although there are signs which will wake up the wise to the approaching day, these events will probably be viewed by the unbelievers as passing storms. No one in their right mind would utter "peace and safety" in a the midst of an economic meltdown, a global melee and/or recession, atomic war, or any other horrendous situation. Apparently for most of the unbelieving world it is business as usual. Actually business seems like it is thriving.. The account of the end of Babylon in Revelation 18 portrays a picture of a very impressive economic state just prior to her destruction. Verse 7 describes the pre-plague conditions of “the great city”, when she said in her heart “I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning.” After the devastation “the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning” [V. 9], and the merchants who had become rich by her (V. 19) wept and mourned over her, for no man buys their merchandise any more. The list of merchandise includes many and varied treasures like gold, and silver, precious stone, pearls, fine linen, silk, marble; cinnamon, incense, and ointment, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, and wheat, cattle, sheep etc, but at the very end of the list, Revelation 18:13 adds “and souls of men”. [See Two Babylons]
So the account suggests that business is thriving and people are getting rich, but in one day “her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire;” [Verse 8]. Why? Because as verse 18:24 says “And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth”.
Luke 21:34-35 in a strong warning to all Christians who live at the end of the age... that they not be so concerned with the cares and/or pleasures of this life that events catch them as much by surprise as they will a non believing world. Jesus said.. “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth”.
Even the persecution of the church may not substantially affect the social and economic machinery of the world. On the contrary fundamentalist Christians are seen as a threat to this imagined world peace, and getting many of them out of the way could very well fool people into thinking that they have truly established peace and security.
The Trumpet Judgments.
[Rev 8:6-11:15]
And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. [Rev 8:6] Please Note: The destruction of various kingdoms and nations in the Old Testament are often represented by similar images in Scripture. For example Isaiah 34:4 speaks of the destruction of Idumea, saying that “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all their host shall fade away, as the leaf fadeth from off the vine, and as a fading leaf from the fig-tree.” Ezekiel 32:7-8, which is a prophecy respecting the destruction of Pharaoh says “I will cover the heavens, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light”. Since we are reasonably sure that none of these verses described literal or physical displacement or darkening of the sun, moon and stars, perhaps the same logic has to be assigned to Revelation.. We can not insist that the sun etc. will be literally smitten, although that is certainly possible. Of note is the fact that of the first four trumpet judgments that fall on creation, the first three trumpet judgments will be against the land, sea, rivers, and fountains of water, while the fourth trumpet is aimed at the heavens (God created the sun, the moon, and the stars on the fourth day and he smites them at the fourth trumpet). The final three trumpets fall on man himself.
And the first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of the earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. [Revelation 8:7] Hail has more than once been an element of God’s judgment. The seventh plague God sent on the Egyptians was hail mingled with fire that pretty much destroyed all their vegetation (what was left was eaten by locusts). Also See Haggai 2:17 and Joshua 10:11. This judgment in Revelation results in the fiery destruction of one-third of the earth. The ramifications of losing one third of the trees is fearful since it will, among other things, severely affect the oxygen levels of the planet.
And the second angel sounded, 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 there died the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, even they that had life; and the third part of the ships was destroyed. [Revelation 8:8-9] Note that the verse does not say that a great mountain, burning with fire, was cast into the sea, but “Something like a great mountain was cast into the sea”, which may or may not be a description of an asteroid. Asteroids vary greatly in size. The largest and first known asteroid, Ceres discovered in 1801 is 580 miles in diameter, while one of the smallest, discovered in 1991 is only about 20 feet across. [1] A large asteroid could cause tidal waves or tsunami devastating coastal communities and destroying third part of sea creatures and “a third part of the ships”. Many scientist believe that given enough time an asteroid/earth collision is inevitable. Horrifying as this may be, it is only a precursor to the second bowl judgment [16:3-6], that will result in the death of every living thing in the sea (Compare Zephaniah 1:3).
And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of the waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. [Revelation 8:10-11] A number of theories have been advanced regarding this star called Wormwood, including symbolic references to past events in human history like the meltdown of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986… since the name for a specific type of wormwood is translated "Chernobyl" in Ukrainian. While, we can not be sure, the burning star is reminiscent of a meteor that strikes the earth and causes environmental calamities, striking at the fresh-water supply of rivers and springs, as in the first Egyptian plague.
And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; that the third part of them should be darkened, and the day should not shine for the third part of it, and the night in like manner. [Revelation 8:12] There is some similarity between this and the 9th plague upon Egypt (Exodus 10:21-23), which brought darkness to the Egyptians for three days. Amos 5:18 warns that the Lord’s day of judgment will bring darkness, Isaiah 13:10 states “the stars in the sky and their constellations no longer give out their light; the sun is darkened as soon as it rises, and the moon does not shine”, while Joel 2:2 says “It will be a day of dreadful darkness, a day of foreboding storm clouds, like blackness spread over the mountains”. This seems to be a temporary situation since Revelation 16:8-9 talks of a period when the sun will be so intense that the earth will be scorched. However the impact of even a short term reduction in the sun’s heat and light is incalculable, as temperatures will drop dramatically and a large portion of the world food supplies will be ruined since plants depend on light for photosynthesis [The energy from sunlight is used to produce sugar, then ATP, the "fuel" used by all living things. The process also releases oxygen]
The next three trumpets directly aimed at man himself are introduced by the eagle that cries ‘Woe to those that dwell on the earth’. And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who are yet to sound. [Revelation 8:13]
It is not exaggeration to say that, as described by Revelation 9, this is the point when Hell arrives on earth. [The Underline added in the following verses are points that have been touched on below] And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven fallen unto the earth: and there was given to him the key of the pit of the abyss. [1] And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. [2] And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. [3] And it was said unto them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only such men as have not the seal of God on their foreheads. [4] And it was given them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when it striketh a man. [5] And in those days men shall seek death, and shall in no wise find it; and they shall desire to die, and death fleeth from them. [6] And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared for war; and upon their heads as it were crowns like unto gold, and their faces were as men's faces. [7] And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as teeth of lions. [8]And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to war. [9] And they have tails like unto scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men five months. [10] They have over them as king the angel of the abyss: his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek tongue he hath the name Apollyon. [11] [Revelation 9:1-11]. [Note: Apollyon means “Destroyer] The star that falls to the earth is also referred to as ‘him’, and can not be anything but an angel given the keys by Jesus, who alone has the keys to death and Hades [Revelation 1:18]. The abyss is Satan’s kingdom [See V. 11]. The beast that kills God’s two witnesses "comes up out of the abyss" [Revelation 11:7]. The abyss is also mentioned in Luke 8:31, where the demon call Legion kept imploring Jesus not to “command them to go out into the abyss”. In Rev. 20:1-3 Satan is bound and cast into the abyss for a thousand years. [See The Two Witnesses] The “locusts” that come out of the smoke from the abyss are subjects of Apollyon, the angel of the abyss [Revelation 9:11] and are unlikely to be literal locusts, since they are instructed not to touch any grass, tree or other green thing, which is a locust’s natural food, and are also under instruction to not hurt any with the mark of God on their foreheads, nor kill those without. The description of the locusts also has to be particularly noted since John repeatedly uses the words “as” and “like”. For example he does not say these locusts were horses, nor men riding on horses, but says they were like horses. Neither did he say that the locusts had the hair of women and literal gold crowns, but that “they had hair as the hair of women”, and crowns that had the appearance of gold. All of which shows that John had no idea what this thing was. It is completely alien to him and he is trying his best to describe what he was seeing, using terms he is familiar with.. What is clear however is that these creatures, whatever they might be, have wings and a tail. (John does not say they have something like wings etc) Many believe that these locusts are demonic figures largely because of their appearance and the fact that they are ruled by Apollyon. However Revelation 9:20 makes this highly unlikely, or at least indicates the locusts are not obviously demonic… "And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons….". It seems beyond the bounds of possibility, that people would continue to worship demons that were the cause of so much torment for five months. But, on the other hand, it is entirely possible that people still refuse to see that the idols they worship are actually demons. There are those that believe that John’s descriptions of the locusts’ closely resembles history’s description of the Muslim armies of Mohammed’s day. They bring up the points that the Muslims wore turbans (crowns like unto gold), wore their hair long (they had hair as the hair of women), wore armor (they had breastplates) and were expert horsemen. However this seems a classic case of forcing the script into a preconceived notion… in this case historicism. Why in the world would John not recognize longhaired men wearing armor and riding horses (He lived around the Romans and had to know what amour was). He also had to realize the difference between a turban, which is essentially a long cloth wrapped around the head, and something that resembled a crown of gold. John’s words were “their faces were as men's faces”... anyone who has seen a turban of any kind is aware that there is a man with a man’s face under it. However one part of this version rings true.. John could very well have been describing an army, since locusts are often referred to in Scripture as a striking symbol of an all-devouring army. For example Judges 6:3-6, in speaking of the Midianites and the Amalekites, says that they “came in as locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were without number: and they came into the land to destroy it”. Also see Jeremiah 46:23 and Nahum 3:15-17. Note too the description in Joel 2:2-10, where the prophet describes the end time army with the “appearance of horses” as “a great people and a strong” which had never been seen before nor ever would be again.
 |
The first Woe is past: behold, there come yet two Woes hereafter. [Revelation 9:12]
The Sixth Trumpet /The Second Woe And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God, [13] one saying to the sixth angel that had one trumpet, Loose the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates. [14] And the four angels were loosed, that had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men. [15] And the number of the armies of the horsemen was twice ten thousand times ten thousand: I heard the number of them. [16] And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates as of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone: and the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceedeth fire and smoke and brimstone. [17] By these three plagues was the third part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths. [18] For the power of the horses is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails are like unto serpents, and have heads; and with them they hurt. [19] And the rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not 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: [20] and they repented not of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. [21] [Revelation 9:13-21] Just who the angels are and what significance there is to the number four is not certain (four angels were mentioned in Revelation 7:1 as standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth). The word translated “bound” has been used both literally and figuratively in the New Testament (See Matthew 27:2 and Matthew 16) What we do know is that there was something which held them, and possibly the forces under them, in check, until they were thus commanded to go forth. Mighty powers in the vicinity of the river Euphrates which had been held back were now to be let loose upon the world to accomplish the purpose of desolation mentioned in the subsequent verses. Note that one fourth (25%) of the population already died during the time of the fourth seal. If one third of the remaining 75% are now killed, the earth’s population is reduced to half it’s pre-tribulation number.
The number of the armies of the horsemen (two hundred million) is a staggering number, and it has often been thought that only China is capable of hosting an army of 200 million, but nothing says that this army belongs to solely one country or is, necessarily, even human. This time John mentions horses and their riders, who are, once again, described in language that is difficult to decipher. What is noteworthy is that although the horses have riders, it seems to be the horses themselves that cause death, not the riders (For the power of the horses is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails are like unto serpents). The riders wear breastplates as of fire and of hyacinth and brimstone (red, blue, and yellow?), while the fire, smoke and brimstone that comes out of the mouths of the armies of the horsemen are called three plagues.
The Interlude Beginning with chapter 10:1 and certainly extending through 11:2 (if not further), there is an interlude between judgments in which John sees and hears several different things. Chapter 10 talks about The Strong Angel, the Seven Thunders and the Little Book which John is commanded to eat. The beginning verses of Chapter 11 refer to the measuring of the temple, while the rest of the chapter talks about the Two Witnesses. There is some information on The Strong Angel, the Seven Thunders and The Little Book as an End Note below, while the article on The Two Witnesses is on a separate page. However we are given significant information about the seventh trumpet right in the middle of this interlude in verses 10:5-7. Verse 6 says there will be delay no longer, and Verse 7 says The mystery of God is finished as the seventh angel is about to sound... Continued in That Earth Shaking Seventh Trumpet.. The Third Woe End Note II The Strong Angel and The Seven Thunders [Revelation 10:1-4] In the first half of the chapter John describes “another strong angel coming down out of heaven”. This angel is describes as being “arrayed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire”. He has an open “little book” in his hand and sets his right foot on the sea and his left on the earth. He cries with a “great voice” and when he does so “the seven thunders uttered their voices”. John is about to write but a voice from Heaven tells him to “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not”. While we do not understand exactly what the seven thunders are, and can not even begin to speculate what they said, there are several references to God’s voice likened to thunder in the Old Testament. [All Emphasis Added] At thy rebuke they fled; At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away (The mountains rose, the valleys sank down) Unto the place which thou hadst founded for them. [Psalm 104:7-8] The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lightened the world: The earth trembled and shook. [Psalm 77:18] Or hast thou an arm like God? And canst thou thunder with a voice like him? [Job 40:9] Lo, these are but the outskirts of his ways: And how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand? [Job 26:14]
The Angel and the Little Book [Revelation 10: 8-11] This account where John is told to take the open book from the angel, eat it and prophesy over many nations and tongues bears a strong resemblance to the account in Ezekiel 2:9-10; and 3:1-3. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that which I give thee. And when I looked, behold, a hand was put forth unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; [Ezekiel 2:8-9] And he said unto me, Son of man, eat that which thou findest; eat this roll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat the roll. And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. [Ezekiel 3:1-4]
Ezekiel was shown a roll which he was commanded to eat. This is not a literal eating of a physical piece of parchment but a receiving and assimilating (digesting) of knowledge. Although both John and Ezekiel found the roll sweet, John adds that it made “the belly bitter”. No doubt the bitterness was the reality of what was to come…God’s judgment on sin. The additional command to John that he must “… prophesy again over many peoples and nations and tongues and kings” is also reminiscent of Ezekiel, who was directed to go to the house of Israel and deliver a divine message, which makes it likely that the rolls themselves, in both cases, contained revelations from God. Compare Jeremiah’s words... Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by thy name, O Jehovah, God of hosts. [Jeremiah 15:16] When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; [Luke 13:25]
|
Index to Articles on 
