The trumpets in Revelation
The trumpets in the Revelation chapters 8, 9 and 11 reflect to many people some catastrophes in modern times, but it actually reflects the plagues in Egypt.
The trumpets are the second series of seven events reported in the book. Their beginning is intertwined with the end of the seals, and it is worth taking a closer look at them.
You may want to read before
The origin of the trumpets
“When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 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. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. 6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.”
The end of a sequence (seals, trumpets and bowls) and signaled by thunder, lightning, earthquakes, and the like in increasing order. So verse 5 is the beginning of the trumpets, but also the end of the seals.
In verse 2 the trumpets are given to the angels, but they do not use them yet. They are waiting for a signal, which is what happens in verses 3 through 5: the prayers offered to God. If you are wondering what the incense is: It is the prayer of the saints. So the prayers with the prayers are presented to God by a strong angel — it is not the strength of the prayers that is needed.
As the result of the prayer the trumpets are blown.
First of all: The prayer of us, the saints, who cause the trumpets, is as important for God’s kingdom to come as Jesus’ death on the cross and God’s wrath (passionate ambition)? This adds a whole new dimension to prayer.
But secondly: Do you really want your prayer to cause the drama caused by the trumpets?
The first four trumpets
The plagues in Egypt showed that Pharaoh and his gods cannot be trusted. They have no future and no one should put their trust in them.
The trumpets here take away all the securities that people have, as the letter to the Hebrews says. The people should testify by their lives that the kingdom of God is a better security than what they rely on.
The first trumpet destroys a significant part of the vegetation on earth, which will shorten the food supply and reflect this plague of hail.
The second trumpet destroys a significant portion of the fish in the sea (another food resource) and destroys all the ships which is a parallel to Babel which became rich through ships. The description of a mountain falling into the sea is also a reflection of Babel as a mountain in the Bible can also refer to kingdoms, such as the New Jerusalem or ancient Babel. This plague is related to the first plague in Egypt.
The third trumpet takes away a significant portion of the earth’s potable water resources, also related to the first plague in Egypt.
The fourth trumpet takes away a significant part of the light and orientation (for sailing) away. It relates to the ninth plague in Egypt which had a devastating effect and showed a difference between Israel and the Egyptians.
Why is only a third of all the trumpets affected? Well, the trumpets are sounded against God’s creation (including man in the sixth trumpet), but fell under the influence of sin. Just as one-third of the stars (angels) fell with Satan, one-third of the creation is destroyed.
The fifth and sixth trumpet
The next two trumpets are caused by demons and have a very different target: Man itself. Just as the means of life were taken away before, now his life itself is affected.
The fifth trumpet describes a fallen star (angel) that opens the bottomless pit. Since this is not a descending angel, but he is cast down, it is a demon or Satan himself, as in the Gospels or in Revelation cast down angels referring to demons or Satan and his demons.
This demon opens the abyss for the locusts that are now harming people and causing such a desperation that they would rather die. The locusts are clearly under God’s control as this was also the case of Job.
God’s people are protected, perhaps not from the suffering, but from the desperation to die.
This plague is the plague in Egypt that caused the Pharaoh to admit that he had sinned and that his officials were willing to submit under God.
The sixth trumpet goes on step further and attacks the lives of people. Four angels were released from the Euphrates (where Babel was located) for this specific time, which has strong parallels to the sixth bowl gathering everybody for Armageddon.
This is an army of 210.00010.000 (10.000 is the largest number that the Greek system can write), so like an unlimited number.
As a result of this plague an (or all the other plagues of the trumpets?) the people did not repent. So the purpose of the plagues was not only to bring judgment, but also to good reasons to go with God. But the people held on to their idols which (do not!) provide for them, which is in line with the fourth and fifth bowls of the people, who instead of repenting, curse God and thus join the dragon and the beasts.
The seventh trumpet comes after a longer interlude and brings forth the kingdom of God, parallel to the seventh bowl where the kingdom of the devil is destroyed. But what comes before is interesting:
Since the people do not change their hearts because of the tribulation, God calls out for our testimony based on our worship of God. As these witnesses are killed, God brings judgment on 10% of the people while the rest reveres His name.
Wait a minute: 90% revered his name after the witness? That is quite a success!This verse uses the word “terrified” is used (which I used as revered), which is rarely used in the Bible and is used in the meaning “overwhelming” when
- The women saw the empty tomb,
- Jesus first appeared to the disciples,
- Cornelius saw an angel who told him that his prayers had been heard,
- The Roman commander Felix heard the consequences of the gospel and asked Paul to stop speaking.
So the word “terrified” can better be translated as “overwhelmed”.