Hello dear readers!
As you already know, I am on a blogging sabbatical. However, there are several posts in the Revelation series that I already had written and ready to go, so you will see those here in the coming weeks.
In case you are new around here, let me bring you up to speed. We have been studying our way through The Revelation. We began in January and have studied from Revelation 1:1 to Revelation 8, where we currently find ourselves. If you would like to read any or all of the previous posts, please CLICK HERE to go to the Revelation page on my website where each post is linked individually and sequentially.
Now, on to today’s lesson. Our friend, John the Apostle is giving us a glimpse into the next series of Judgments (we have already studied the Seal Judgments) decreed on the earth by God in the end times. Today we begin the Trumpet Judgments.
Revelation 8: 6-7 (ESV)
6 Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
While Holy Scripture does not give us the names of these seven angels who are preparing to sound the trumpets of destruction, there is ancient apocryphal literature that offers possible names. They are: Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Sarakiel, Gabiel, and Phanuel. Whether this is accurate or not, we will have to find out in heaven. What we do know is that there were seven angels, given seven trumpets and told to sound them. At the sound of these trumpets, God’s judgment on earth continues.
The sounding of the trumpet would have been highly significant to the apostle John. He was Jewish, and according to Numbers 10 there three reasons for a trumpet to be blown: to summon the congregation (10:1-8), to declare war (10:9), and to announce a special time, such as a feast or sacrifice (10:10).
Let’s examine what happens with the sounding of the first trumpet.
- Hail and fire, mixed with blood are thrown to the earth which results in:
- 1/3 of the earth burned up
- 1/3 of the trees burned up
- All of the green grass burned up
Try to picture this in your mind, friends. It is a scene straight out of a Hollywood horror movie, but it will be very, very real. In fact, what takes place as a result of this trumpet is reminiscent of the seventh plague of hail that God sent on the nation of Egypt when Pharaoh would not let the Israelites leave.
Could it be that the earthquake of Revelation 8:5 results in volcanic eruptions all over the earth and those volcanic eruptions caused hail and fire to rain down on the earth? It is plausible, but it also could very well be hail and fire and blood coming straight from the heavens. We shall see.
When this happens creation is effected in devastating ways. One third of the earth is burned up. Consider the impact. Crops are destroyed. Every blade of green grass on the earth is burned up. Millions of acres of forestland stands burned and bare. Shade trees no long give shade. There is smoke everywhere which causes breathing difficulties. The balance of nature, as well as the food supply would be greatly impacted. Earth is a charred wasteland.
I would like to close with a quote from John MacArthur (MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Revelation 1-11, p. 247.)
The effects of such catastrophic fires would be widespread and devastating, including destruction of crops, death of animals on a massive scale, loss of wood for construction, and the destruction of watersheds. That is a fitting judgment for those who ‘exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator’ (Romans 1:25). Fallen mankind has failed to recognize and honor God as Creator, choosing instead to made a god out of the earth. But the environmental, evolutionary pantheism that devalues man, elevates animals and plants, and ignores the Creator will be severely judged. “Earth Day” that year will be a gloomy and dismal affair; in a scorched and ravaged world there will be little of the environment left to celebrate. And worse judgments are still to fall.
Keep the faith, folks. Keep your eyes on Jesus. He is still on the Throne! See you soon!
