FOUR TERRIBLE TRUMPETS (Revelation Chapter 8)

Revelation 8:6-12, “Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.  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.  The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.  A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.  The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.  The name of the star is Wormwood.  A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.  The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.” 

A new Hollywood movie, Interstellar, tells the story in earth’s future when a global blight and dust bowl work to render the planet uninhabitable.  In the movie’s plot, a NASA physicist works on plans to save mankind by transporting the Earth’s population to a new home on a different planet.  Hollywood got one thing right—planet earth is headed for trouble—but they are wrong as to the source and the extent.  And they were wrong about one other thing—there will be no escape to another planet.

Inasmuch as the servants of God have now been sealed for protection, the seventh seal can be opened to unleash the seven trumpet judgments.  The first four angels sound their trumpets which work to bring great devastation to the ecosystems of the earth.  As terrible as these judgments are, they are less severe than the three that come afterwards.  Recall that it is the Lamb who opens each of the seals unleashing the judgments which come upon the earth and its citizens (Cf. Revelation 5:5).  Nothing happens outside of the sovereign control of God.  Each of the trumpet judgments takes place after one of the “seven angels” blows his trumpet (Cf. Revelation 8:6).  In each case the judgment brings devastation or destruction to a third of its specific target.

In the first trumpet judgment “hail and fire, mixed with blood” are thrown upon the earth” (Revelation 8:7).  Reminiscent to one of the plagues of Egypt, and what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, this judgment works to burn up a third of the earth and its trees and all the green grass (Cf. Revelation 7:7).  The destruction of all this foliage will have a devastating effect of life on the planet turning the globe it’s a virtual wasteland.  In the second trumpet judgment “something like a great mountain, burning with fire, (is) thrown into the sea” (Revelation 8:8).  In the first plague of Egypt the waters of the Nile were turned into blood (Cf. Exodus 7:14-25).  Similarly, this judgment works to turn “a third of the sea” into blood (Cf. Revelation 8:8).  As a result, “a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed” (Revelation 8:9).  In the pending third bowl judgment the remainder of the rivers and springs not affected by this judgment will also become blood (Cf. Revelation 16:4).  The destruction of the sea will work to devastate the food chain which supports life on this planet.  In the third trumpet judgment a great star named “Wormwood” falls from heaven, “blazing like a torch” (Revelation 8:10).  It falls on “a third of the rivers and on the springs of water” causing them to become “wormwood” (Revelation 8:11).  According to Vine’s the term refers to “a plant both bitter and deleterious (deleterious=”having an often obscure and unexpected harmful effect”; Webster’s), and growing in desolate places” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary).  “Many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter” (Revelation 8:11).  The fourth trumpet works to strike a third of the sun, moon, and stars, “so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night” (Revelation 8:12).  The “sun became black as sackcloth” under the sixth seal judgment (Cf. Revelation 6:12).  And during the plagues of Egypt there was complete darkness (Exodus 10:21-23).  Only a partial darkness is described here, but—as on other occasions—it will work to illicit great fear in the hearts of men.

As bad as these judgments sound, there is worse to come.  John hears an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, ‘Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow’” (Revelation 8:13).  In other words, If you think this is bad…you ain’t seen nothing yet.