THE TRUMPETS OF GOD

REV. 8

Lesson 11

As the seventh seal is opened, out come the seven trumpeters of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. When the seventh trumpet sounds forth, out of it will come the seven bowls of God’s wrath poured out upon the world? Let me once more clearly state that I believe in the literal truth or interpretation of God’s Word. I believe God means what He says and says what He means. This book is the revealing of the person of Christ in all His glory and the judgments of God, which must come before the glorious state of eternity can start.

As these end time events come closer,  I believe the Holy Spirit is giving a clearer picture to His servants. Satan is a clever foe and for too long has been permitted to muddy the waters of clear understanding with the silt of varying opinions.

As the seventh seal is opened and before the first trumpet is sounded there is silence in Heaven for half an hour.  This denotes something very solemn is about to happen, like the judge after a verdict has been reached and the foreman is about to read it.

         I.      The scene in Heaven (Vs 1-6)

a.       The seven angels are given seven trumpets. ( Vs 2)

1.       Trumpets have always occupied a place of importance in the national life of Israel.

a)  The calling of the people together for journeying in the wilderness, as an alarm or public notification

b)  Trumpets had a place in war. (Numbers 10:9)

b.       The other angel (Vs 3-5)

1.       Many different ideas have been given about the angel.

a)  Some think it is the Lord Jesus in His priestly ministry.

b)  I do believe that Revelation 1 reveals Christ in His role as judge and not as priest.

2.       We do have a beautiful picture of the prayers of saints as viewed from heaven.

a)  The alter

b)  Prayers of the saints

c)  That the sensor filled with burning coals clearly speaks of judgment poured out upon the earth

       II.      The four trumpets of judgment sounded by the angel (Vs 7-13)

a.       First of all, we believe these judgments are real and not shrouded in symbolism.

1.       I believe these are as real as those spoken by Moses.

2.       Why accept something God did in the past as fact and not believe what he says about the future?

3.       The eye of faith is involved

b.       The first trumpet (Vs 7)

1.       The judgments of Moses and these judgments have a familiar ring (Ex. 9:23-28)

2.       A rain of hail and fire mingled with blood

a)  This judgment is directed at vegetation.

1)       Third part of tree.

2)       All green grass

b)  Parallel is found in 10th plague of Egypt in Ex. 9:18-26.

3.       Remember the earth is the object of these judgments and man suffers “along with” (Vs 8-9)

4.       A mass as great as a mountain burning with fire is thrown into the sea.

a)  Aaron stretched out his rod, and all the waters in the Nile turned to blood.

b)  Whether blood or blood red, the effects were devastating as judgment destroys.

1)       A third of all that lives in the sea (Talk about a red tide)

2)       A third of all ships on and in the sea were destroyed. (Think of what super tanker ships will do to the environment.)

c.       The third trumpet (Vs 10-11)

1.       This judgment affects a third of the water supply.  

a)  Water is needed to sustain life. 

b)  Consequences of this judgment will soon impact mankind.

2.       A great blazing meteor is the tool God uses in this judgment and no doubt is left as to the source.

3.       Wormwood is a bitter, intoxicating and poisonous herb.  

a)  This bitterness effects all it touches.

1)       This happened in history on a small scale.   (March 21, 1823)

2)       A volcanic explosion in the Aleutian Islands occurred leaving the waters so bitter as to be unfit for use.

d.       The fourth trumpet (Vs 12-13)

1.       This judgment affects the heavenly bodies

a)  God’s handiwork of the heavens are given as a blessing to man.

b)  Sun, moon, and stars are essential to human life.

c)  These very tokens of God’s blessing to man are affected by the fourth trumpet.

2.       The Lord Jesus while on earth warned of these coming judgments. (Luke 21:25-26)

a)  Isaiah the prophet gave same warning 700 years before.

b)  Isaiah 13:9, 10

3.       The sun, moon and stars affected.

a)  This is just the start.

b)  An eagle or angel warns of judgment on an even greater scale. (Vs. 13)

1)       Woe, woe, woe to those living on earth

2)       The Lord Jesus and Old Testament prophets all warned against a time coming on earth that would be worse than anything man had ever experienced. 

Conclusion: This is only the beginning. ARE YOU READY FOR THE RETURN OF CHRIST?