Monday: The Meaning of the Trumpets
In portraying God’s interventions on behalf of His people, Revelation uses the imagery of trumpets in the Old Testament. Trumpets were an important part of the daily life of ancient Israel (see Num. 10:8-10 and 2 Chron. 13:14-15). Their sound reminded people of the worship in the temple; trumpets were also blown in battle, at harvesttime, and during festivals.
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Blowing trumpets went hand in hand with prayer. During worship in the temple or during the festivals, the trumpets “reminded” God of His covenant with His people. They also reminded people to be ready for the “day of the LORD” (Joel 2:1). During battle, the trumpet sound gave key instruction and warnings and called upon God to save His people. This concept is the backdrop for the trumpets in Revelation.
Read Revelation 8:13 and Revelation 9:4, Revelation 9:20-21. Who are the objects of the judgments of the seven trumpets?
The events triggered by the trumpets in Revelation denote God’s intervention in history in response to the prayers of His people. While the seals concern primarily those who profess to be God’s people, the trumpets herald judgments against the inhabitants of the earth (Rev. 8:13). At the same time, they are warnings for those who dwell on the earth to bring them to repentance before it is too late.
The seven trumpets cover the course of events from John’s time until the conclusion of this earth’s history (Rev. 11:15-18). They are blown while intercession goes on in heaven (Rev. 8:3-6) and the gospel is being preached on earth (Rev. 10:8-11:14). The judgments of the trumpets are partial; they affect only one third of creation. The seventh trumpet announces that the time has arrived for God to assume His rightful rule. The seven trumpets apply approximately to the same periods covered by the seven churches and the seven seals:
- The first two trumpets herald judgments upon the nations that crucified Christ and persecuted the early church: rebellious Jerusalem and the Roman Empire.
- The third and fourth trumpets portray heaven’s judgment against the apostasy of the Christian church in the medieval period.
- The fifth and sixth trumpets describe the warring factions in the religious world during the late medieval and post-Reformation periods. These periods are characterized by characterized by increasing demonic activity that ultimately draws the world into the battle of Armageddon.
| No question, history is bloody and full of pain and sorrow. How should this sad reality help us realize just how wonderful what we have been promised through Jesus really is? |
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My only contact with the conflict of war has been reading about it in history books and listening to others who were returned soldiers from the two world wars. However, I have read enough history books to recognize the enormous environmental destruction, the death and suffering, and the immense psychological effects that conflict brings. I have family members who were involved in World War 2 and who even today, in their 90s, are deeply affected by their war experience. History is bloody with war, and a fair bit of it has been fought for and against religion.
While we sometimes try to pinpoint the messages of the Seven Trumpets to particular historical events, perhaps they also serve as a reminder that the whole of earth's conflict history is essentially a reflection of the cosmic battle between good and evil. Sin is essentially destructive and unfair. Now we can probably see the need for the intercessory prayer indicated in yesterday's lesson study.
I am having trouble seeing the judgement against the apostasy in 3rd and 4th trumpets can someone clarify? What I do see is how the apostasy affects the people. Is the judgement - God sending a strong delusion because they did not receive the love of the truth? 2Thess 2:10-12
I don't see this as a judgment against apostasy; it's more a warning that apostasy will come.
The third trumpet affects the water, and water has always been associated with life. In the spiritual sense, water represents the health of our spiritual life. One interpretation of the message of this trumpet is that many will seek the water of life only to find that it is bitter and poisonous. I see an application for today for all those who have expected "the Church" to look after the weak and vulnerable, only to find they have been exploited and abused.
The fourth trumpet affects the light from the sun, moon, and stars. Again, the sun, in particular, is the source of energy for all life on earth. Their dimming would affect life as we know it. Once again, I see a spiritual application. Many of us have come to depend on leader personalities for our spiritual life. If spiritual leaders go off the rails then many of their followers do likewise. While I recognize the importance of spiritual leadership, it is important for us to see beyond them to Jesus as the true source of light. Leadership that is self-centered is ultimately a failing light.
I appreciate that there are other interpretations of these messages, but perhaps that is one of the strengths of the Revelation message; we can find in them, applications that strengthen our our spiritual well-being.
First thing to remember about the trumpets is they are sounded by angels in heaven - under God's control.
We can see the Trumpets as - judgments - interventions - warnings - all aimed at the "inhabitants of the earth".
Could we look at these trumpets as God saying - see what happens when you reject/ignore my Principles of Life?
Could they also be God telling us I know what is going to happen?
What I do notice is that the effects of these trumpets are limited - is this God's doing? "holding back the winds"?
I see the 3rd trumpet as apostasy, perverting the truth
and the 4th trumpet as obscuring the light of the truth - could this be secularism?
THE FIRST TRUMPET
Rev 8:7. The conquest that ruined the Roman Empire.
-first invasion was by Goths,led by Alaric in AD 395.
- " hail" means wild invaders from cold north.
-" fire" means what befell the cities and farms.
-" blood" means the slaughter of the inhabitants.
-"trees " mean prominent men and leaders.
THE SECOND TRUMPET
Rev 8:8,9. The invasion of the Roman Empire from the sea by the vandals from Africa led by Genseric AD428-468.
THE THIRD TRUMPET
Rev 8:10,11. The invasion of the Roman Empire by the Huns led by Attila. They came down from the mountains, the source of central Europe's rivers and like a flashing star that comes and disappears, the Huns almost disappeared from the history after the death of Attila.
THE FORTH TRUMPET
Rev 8:12,13. "darkness"
- The accession of the Roman church to power marked the beginning of the Dark Ages.
THE FIFTH TRUMPET
Rev 9:1-4. A new religion "A Star fallen from the sky.
-it mixes good teaching with some evil ones like " smoke from the bottomless pit "
- Islam began by condemning the evil of idolatry as practiced by the Roman church, but their teachings brought further smoke to the world.
-"bottomless pit" mean any desolate wilderness = Arabia.
THE SIXTH TRUMPET
Rev 9:12-15. AD 1449, the sixth angel looses the restrain which had prevented Muslims from conquering Eastern Empire.
- sultan waged successful war against Europe and Constantinople fell to the Turkish armies in AD1453.
-11 August 1840 Turkish sultan meekly and voluntarily surrenders to the European rulers.
What is common among these sounding of trumpets across these various situations? The blowing of a trumpet is an alert, a call to attention if you will. In a more modern context we might see trumpets replaced with sirens/alarms or even sms alerts of recent. The aim of the trumpet blast is to call your attention from wherever else your attention might be at the time because something potentially important/dangerous is about to happen.
A common interpretation of the trumpets is that they are the delivery of the 'judgment/s' of God. I would propose an alternative conceptualisation. The trumpets are to alert people to what is going to happen - much like a tsunami siren, or a tornado warning siren, etc alerts people that danger is imminent and that they may need to change what they are doing in order to escape danger.
As I see it, this conceptualisation blends with the idea of God's judgment/s being a process of revelation rather than determination/instigation/execution - that God is letting us know what is about to occur (or unleash as per Rev 7:1) in the 'natural' course of events under sin.
The person in the weather bureau, with their wisdom and experience, is monitoring weather events and understands and can 'predict' what is about to happen. And so they issue the call to "sound" the tornado warning. This person has not caused the tornado - they are only letting you know a tornado is about to occur because they understand and can see what is about to happen.
Somewhat like adverse weather, sin is a reality that has a power of its own (the power of death and destruction) and it will run its course wreaking havoc and destruction to eventual total annihilation. This will happen once everyone has had opportunity to make their choice for or against the principle of the Kingdom of God (whether they know it in those terms or not) and there will be no more reason to restrain the wind's of strife in order to offer a chance for salvation.
This is nothing new - it already happened once before on earth. That is why the Bible says as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be again at the second coming (Matt 24:37-39). There is a lot more insight reflected in the events of the days of Noah than we tend to realise.
While we need to study and compare the Bible prophecies with history events, we need to look inside our own hearts and recognize Jesus as the only one Who can truly restore purity. Man has destroyed the Earth because the connection with its Creator has been lost. It all starts with the heart. Let us get prepared.
I believe that the 3rd and 4th trumpets are two fold, it is God warning the inhabitants of the earth that Satan would inspire some people to pervert the Everlasting Covenant and the truth about the character of God. We saw it then and we see it now, some people who seem to be sharing the Gospel but slip in subtle twists like Jesus is subordinate to God the Father, or that God is too loving to execute judgement, he just lets sin & Satan take their natural course.
The second aspect I believe is that Satan is obscuring the light of the Gospel so that people deny the existence and intervention of God in history and believe in things like evolution or rationalism.
The interesting point is that in both these trumpets - God is not just letting things take their course, he is limiting the amount of damage even if its on the 'inhabitants of the earth'. However when we get to the bowl plagues God will not limit the effects.
I need to clarify my comments, I do believe that perversion of the truth came into the church l am not qualified to make pronouncements on what others believe and thus withdraw the examples I gave and apologize to any I may have offended.
What are the main points of the fifth trumpet? The star that had fallen in the 3rd trumpet is *given* a key which *allows* locusts to obscure all light. They are *given* power. They are *commanded* to only harm those who are not sealed. They are *not given* authority to kill but are *given* authority to torment them for a limited time. This torment was like the sting from the tail of a scorpion, it was so bad they tried everything to escape the pain but nothing they tried helped. Isaiah 66:3-4 explains: just as they have chosen their own ways and their soul delights in their abominations, so I, God, will choose their delusions and bring their fears on them - because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke they did not hear, but they did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight.
Who are affected by the 6th Trumpet? "The inhabitants of the earth" those who are worshipping demons and/or false gods Rev 9:20. The army of whom they worship is released and their true character is revealed that of destruction and they are allowed to kill a third of their followers but the rest of their followers carry on worshipping demons and/or false gods.
Has anyone else noticed that there are only two passages in the Bible that mention "seven trumpets"? Besides Revelation 8, we see that combination of words only in Joshua 6, relating the destruction of Jericho. One parallel -- as the armies of Israel were not to speak until the seventh time around on the seventh day of marching, so also the host of heaven don't sound the cry of victory until after the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15. We wait for, long for, the victory cry to be sounded. May God give us patience and faithfulness to keep marching according to His orders.
Did anyone notice that the blowing of the trumpets was a few days before the day of atonement? It then would have to be fulfilled a few years before 1844, 9 to be exact. The message that the judgement was about to happen rose to a loud cry in 1835. In that year W. Miller received endorsement from some protestant denominations and also some books were published in different countries about the 2300 day/year prophecy. In economy of Israel, the feast of trumpets was the alarm to get ready for the day of atonement.