Revelation 8: 6 – 9: 12

in Revelation 8, we are seeing a change that is happening in heaven. We have seen the breaking of the first seven seals. These basically consist of Jesus stepping back and showing mankind what happens when he is not in the picture. These first seven seals take about 3 1/2 years to happen. Now Jesus is going to step back in and bring his wrath upon sin and destroy it c!ompletely along with all the results of sin.

  1. The awe of this happening is so huge that silence comes upon the all of heaven.
  2. The seven angels come forward and receive their trumpets (shofars)
  3. One angel comes forward and takes coals from the altar and mixes them with our prayers.
  4. These are poured out on the earth and bring the wrath of God against sin.
    1. These prayers are a culmination of our asking “Your Kingdom Come, You Will Be done”
    2. God will answer our prayers and bring his kingdom on the earth.
    3. Before this can happen, sin must be destroyed and that is what we are about to seehappen on the earth.

The Trumpets are not the final call. We will see the term 1/3 used a lot here. This is to show that destruction will not be complete. There are still 3 1/2 years left of tribulation. These are judgement, but they are also giving mankind a chance to repent. (See Ezekiel 33 where a w!atchman is on the wall sounding the alarm.)

  1. The First Trumpet Vs 6, 7
    1. I would have to assume that these are literal things happening.
    2. If we try to symbolize them, then we open up and endless sea of guesswork about whatis happening.
      1. Exodus 9: 24 this happened during the plagues of Egypt
      2. Joel 2: 30 and I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth–blood and fireand columns of smoke.
    3. This could be a natural storm bringing devastation
      1. Blood could be the color produced by the storm
      2. The storm will fling itself at the earth.
    4. This could be nuclear with radiation fallout
    5. We do know for sure that 1/3 of all vegetation will be destroyed.
    6. WE MUST NOT LOSE THE FACT THAT GOD IS BRINGING WRATH IN WHATEVERFORM HE IS USING. THIS IS NOT JUST NATURAL DISASTERS.
  2. The Second Trumpet Vs 8, 9
    1. John uses the term something like a mountain was cast into the sea
    2. The sea could very well be the Mediterranean Sea, which is what John would knowabout, rather than all the oceans.
    3. Something like a mountain could very well be a meteor that falls to the earth and hits.!
  3. The Third Trumpet Vs 10, 11
    1. From the sky or from heaven indicates that God is participating in these events. Theyare not just natural disasters that are occurring.
    2. It is water contamination.
    3. Wormwood means bitter

1. Deuteronomy 29: 18 says that idolatry will cause a bitter root to take hold of the land.

4. The Fourth Trumpet Vs 12

        1. This is not saying that the light will be 1/3 less, but that for 1/3 of the time there will be darkness on the earth.
1. Matthew 24: 29 “As Jesus said, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.”

2. Darkness is a symbol of judgment throughout the Old Testament

1.   Amos 5: 18 the day of The Lord is darkness

2.   Joel 2: 2 A day of darkness and gloominess

3.   Exodus 10: 21ff the plague of darkness in Egypt.

5. We have the rider on the black horse bringing famine on the earth. Now we have 1/3 of the vegetation, fish, ships gone, water gone. The Normal rhythm of life is being disrupted so people will turn to God. God is doing this slowly, not to stretch it out, but to give people time to repent as they see there is no other hope but eternity.

  1. People will die the way they live.
  2. Focused on eternity, they will cry out to God
  3. Focused on earth, they will be complaining that their lives are ruined.

1. Need to live 1Peter 4: 7 – 11

  • Earnest and disciplined in your prayers
  • Continue to show deep love
  • Share your home
  • Use your spiritual gifts to serve others.
  • Everything we do will bring glory to God.

6. The Crying Eagle Vs 13

  1. Eagle is a symbol of vengeance
    1. Deuteronomy 28: 49
    2. Hosea 8: 1
  2. There is a warning about the final three trumpets.
    1. They are going to be worse than anything that has happened so far.
    2. Just like the seals, the first four were four horsemen followed by a focus on heaven,the cry of the martyrs, and cosmic disturbances.
    3. The first four trumpets deal with ecological destruction, now they will turn to demonic

attacks.
Fifth Trumpet Revelation 9: 1 – 12

1. A star has fallen to earth from the sky.

  1. This is not a literal star as it is given the name “him”
  2. Past tense is used so the star has already fallen.

1. Most likely satan based on Luke 10: 18!

3. Given key to bottomless pit

1. abyssos is a prison for certain demons

1. Luke 8: 31, 2 Peter 2: 4, Jude 6

2. God will imprison him in this pit someday. (Revelation 20: 2, 3)

  1. Smoke ascends with a cloud of demonic locusts.
    1. Limits placed on this demonic hoard.
      1. Can’t touch the grass plants or trees. Vs 4
      2. Only those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads Vs 4
      3. They are not able to kill anyone but just torture them for 5 months Vs 5
    2. Result is people will seek death but not find it.
  2. Description of the Locusts!

1. Not literal locusts, but demonic in nature.!

              1. Common in the bible to use the locusts as judgement (See Exodus 10: 4 – 14, Deuteronomy 28: 38, 1 Kings 8: 37, 2 Chronicles 7: 13, Joel 1: 4 Amos 4: 9)

              2. Are they helicopters? Are they modern weapons? Some descriptions of a helicopter fit some of the descriptions, but not all.
3. We know that it is demonic

2. Leader of the Locusts is Abaddon or Apollyon. This is the Hebrew word with the Greek equivalent.
1. Whatever, the word it means Destroyer, this is satan

3. Why release satan on the earth?

  1. Some worship him (See Oklahoma with their statue on the state capital)
  2. Some don’t want God and God is allowing them to see the alternative.
  3. He doesn’t just hate christians, he is attacking those who are rejecting God andunable to touch the believers.
  4. Still with these incredible attacks, there is hope for us.

1. 2 Peter 2: 4 – 9 Examples of God’s ability to deliver!

  • Noah and the eight people saved!
  • Lot and his family saved!
  • God knows how to rescue the godly people from their trials while keepingthe wicked under their punishment.