The first trumpet signals an an event marked by hail and fire mixed with blood. This is likely a comet that crashes on earth. The impact will be on land according to the prophecy. It will burn up all grass and third of trees. This is consistent with current scientific knowledge concerning the consequences of impacts of comets and asteroids.
|
Rev 8:7 KJV |
|||||||
|
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. |
The second trumpet signals an event marked by a “great mountain of fire” that crashes into the sea. This results in the destruction of a third of shipping and the death of a third of sea life.
|
Rev 8:8-9 KJV |
|||||||
|
And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;(9) And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. |
The third trumpet signals another collision of an asteroid or meteorite. This object, unlike the first two, does not crash into earth as one piece. Ir breaks up upon entry into the earth’s atmosphere. Numerous smaller pieces hit the earth in a distribution pattern that contaminates a third of the river systems. This object is likely made up of either a radioactive or perhaps another type of toxic substance. Many die from drinking the waters that are contaminated. It is noteworthy that ‘Wormwood’ in Russian is rendered ‘Chernobyl.’
|
Rev 8:10-11 |
|||||||
|
*And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. |
The fourth trumpetdoes not appear to signal a separate consequences of events of third trumpet, but that of a further explanation of the first three trumpets. The cumulative effects of the first three trumpets would effectively create the appearance that the sun and moon are darkened a third of the time.
|
Rev 8:12-13 |
|||||||
|
And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.(3) And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! |
The fifth trumpet signals yet another object falling to earth. This object is different from the previous in three ways. The previous objects deeply affected only a portion of the earth.
First, the effects of this impact of this object are global. The sun and moon are darkened over the entire earth “by reason of the smoke of the pit.” The text describes the opening up of a hole in the earth as producing smoke that darkens the whole earth. This closely resembles a description of an eruption of a super-volcano like the one that exists at Yellowstone.
The second difference is that the passage ascribes consciousness or sentience to this object. This object is given a key to the bottomless pit, from which comes some rather strange creatures. This object is called a ‘star.’ In the Old Testament, the word translated ‘star’ was a reference to angels in its figurative application. This could refer to both the obedient angels and the rebellious angels. The narrative suggests that a particular angel was given a key to unlock these creatures. As we shall see from further description, this angel is the one once known as Lucifer, but is now called Satan.
The third difference is that the effects of this are not merely physical as the previous ones were. The opening of the bottomless pit did more than put a hole in the earth. This passage should not be construed to mean that demons are literally trapped in the mantle of the earth, but that the opening up of this hole corresponded to opening up of a portal to a spiritual dimension where hordes of demons are now trapped. The book of Jude refers to the existence of demons so vile that they were locked up in a spiritual prison (Jude 1: 6; also 2 Peter 2:4).
|
Revelation 9:1-3 |
|||||||
|
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. |
In the midst of these judgments, God’s people are protected. They cannot be harmed by these attacks. It is granted for these creatures to torment people for five months. The torments do not kill, and in some mysterious way they prevent people from taking their own lives.
|
Revelation 9:4-6 |
|||||||
|
*And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. |
The description of these creatures matches that of devils. These creatures have king over them who is described as “the angel of the bottomless pit.” This angel is called by the names of Abaddon and Apollyon, which mean destroyer. This is the angel who fell from heaven and was then given a key to the bottomless pit. This is consistent with the description of the permanent eviction of Satan from access to Heaven which is described in Rev 12:7-11. Satan is evicted through joint action of opposition by obedient angels and followers of Jesus Christ acting in spiritual warfare.
|
Revelation 9:7-11 |
|||||||
|
*And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. |
The sixth trumpetis a second loosing of evil angels. This second loosing involves only four angels These four have a description very similar to the tormenting angels that were loosed out of the bottomless pit. These four kill a third of mankind.
|
Revelation 9:13-21 |
|||||||
|
And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone… |
|
Revelation 9:13-21 |
|||||||
|
…By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt… |
|
Revelation 9:13-21 |
|||||||
|
…And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. |
The effect of the fifth and sixth trumpets is to herd the world through “shock and awe” into following in final beast system. Satan is allowed to unleash these demons upon the world sometime after the beginning of the 70th week but before the middle of the week. The study of Revelation 13 will show that Satan will subsequently back the final global dictator who is commonly called the Antichrist. But not before he unleashes a show of force to the world. Even in the midst of this he cannot directly harm the child of God. He will set up a global police state that will use the wrath of man to accomplish this.
By the sixth trumpet Satan will have set up the final beast system whose rule will be interrupted by the seventh trumpet. Revelation devotes all of chapter 10 and much of chapter 11 to an analysis of the significance of the seventh trumpet.