When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth.
Revelation 8:1-5
Key Points of the Seventh Seal:
- The seventh seal introduces the seven trumpets series
- The angel at the altar intercedes on behalf of the saints
- This and the silence when the seventh seal is opened...
- Is an ominous sign of the trouble that is to come
- Confirmed by the fire-filled censer being cast to earth
There is no need to interpret the meaning of the symbolism presented by the sounding of the first four trumpets. To understand the message one only needs to make note of the object being affected. That will be revealed in the next four sections below. Suffice it to say that the angels sounding their trumpets are heralds of impending ecological and environmental disasters to befall planet earth.
The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. Revelation 8:7
Here is described a strange weather event; a storm of hail, fire and blood. It is directed at the land areas of earth and results in the partial destruction by fire of living vegetation. There is currently a science-based concern that the earth is experiencing a drastic climate change - a human-caused global warming due to increased emissions of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels.
The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. Revelation 8:8,9
The event foreseen here is directed at the oceans of the world. It has a triple effect: 1) The water in some areas turn a toxic color, 2) It causes the death of many marine species, both plant and animal, and 3) It causes the destruction even of sea-going vessels. How can that be? If global warming is real would it not increase the frequency and intensity of oceanic storms that could wreck ships and cause the loss of human life?
The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water - the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. Revelation 8:10,11
The second trumpet affected the worlds oceans but when the third angel sounds it is directed at the fresh water lakes, rivers and springs turning some of them toxic. We know this has been happening for quite some time due to industrial polution of these bodies of water that are so necessary to all life on earth. Water pollution is blamed for the increased frequency of some cancers among human beings.
The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" Revelation 8:12,13
Thus far the sounding of the trumpets have affected the land, the vast oceans and the fresh water regions of the earth. It is not surprising, then, that the blowing of the fourth trumpet is directed at the earths atmosphere causing a reduction of the light coming from stellar objects due to air pollution.
The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth. Revelation 9:1-3
For detailed information on the locusts read Revelation 9:4-11. Some scholars suggest that this 'fallen star' is Satan but the evidence suggests it is not. The locusts are told to torment only those who do not bear the seal of God. Why would Satan release the locusts for this purpose? The being presented here suggests some other agent that God has appointed to execute this specific judgment.
The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. Revelation 9:13-16
The four angels mentioned here, like the four angels of Revelation chapter 7, were not those who would kill a third of mankind. Their work was to hold back the winds of war until the time prophecied. When the sixth trumpet sounded they were released of their duty which set in motion the evil that comes. The number of troops = (10,000 * 10,000) * 2 = two hundred million.
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever." Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.
Revelation 11:15, 19
The language here is obvious. The sounding of the seventh trumpet ushers in the last days which culminates in the second advent of Jesus Christ. The ark of his covenant represents the relationship between God and humanity. In the Bible, God establishes covenants with people to reveal himself and bring about reconciliation.
