This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant
In our last article of this series, we had just seen the breaking of the Seventh Seal – and act which prompts the initiation of the next sequence of events. To recap, thus far we have seen, through the hand of John, the following:
- John has been taken to the Throne Room in Heaven, wherein we have ‘seen’ God enthroned, the Four Living Creatures and the Twenty-Four Elders who represent the First Fruits of the Resurrection.
- A scroll (with seven seals) was introduced, which we identified as the Title-Deed to the Earth and Creation. Only the Lamb of God was found worthy to open it (or to even look into it).
- The first four seals were broken / opened, from which we saw four riders – colloquially known as the “Four Horsemen” ride forth; the Antichrist, War, Famine / Pestilence and Death with all Hades following behind.
- The fifth seal was broken and we were shown the souls of the Martyrs under the Altar of God, crying out for justice. They are told they must wait a while longer until their number was fulfilled.
- The sixth seal was broken and the Earth shook violently, the Sun turned black, the Moon red, stars fell and the sky rolled up like a scroll – all of this causing the (self-) important people of the world to seek refuge in the Earth… from the coming of its rightful owner (oh the irony is palpable).
- One-hundred and forty-four thousand ethnic Hebrews were sealed with the sign of the Living God and a numberless multitude came before the Throne in worship and service.
- The seventh seal was broken, completing the process of declaring that all power and authority is officially recognized as belonging to the Lamb! (Reference Matthew 28:18).
The Trumpets
Now the seven angels holding the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
The first angel blew his trumpet, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was thrown at the earth so that a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
Revelation 8:6 – 7
Again, we need to understand the overarching theme of what it is we are seeing here – I liken it to a coronation ceremony. Yeshua, the rightful King has now taken up the Title Deed to the World and, after he has broken the last seal, trumpets blare announcing to all creation that it is complete.
As we prepare to break down the sequence of events that follow the blowing of these trumpets, I believe we need to keep in mind that a judgement does not constitute wrath. I get that this can be difficult to differentiate, particularly in a context such as what we see transpiring here, but I assure you that throughout these trumpets, we are still not seeing the wrath of God – but we are seeing the declaration of judgement. Some may see this as a purely semantic point, but it isn’t. The difference is important and lies in the point, or the desired end (goal) of the action.
The difference I am pointing to here is that these judgments are, as I see them, intended to confirm the Authority of Yeshua and bring about, or provide an opportunity for repentance. The principle I am pointing to is illustrated in the Torah:
“When you have experienced all these things, both the blessings and the curses I have set before you, you will reflect upon them in all the nations where the Lord your God has banished you. Then if you and your descendants turn to the Lord your God and obey him with your whole mind and being just as I am commanding you today, the Lord your God will reverse your captivity and have pity on you. He will turn and gather you from all the peoples among whom he has scattered you.”
Deuteronomy 30:1 – 3
While it should be obvious that this verse does not bear a one-to-one application, the principle holds here, as it does with other events throughout scripture. The fact is that God’s law and covenants contain provision for both obedience and disobedience. If we, that is to say mankind, invoke punishments upon ourselves in accordance with the law, this does not constitute wrath, it constitutes justice. There is a stark difference.
Consider the following:
The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and they will acknowledge the Lord’s authority at that time. They will present sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and then healing them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will listen to their prayers and heal them.
Isaiah 19:21 – 22
Come on! Let’s return to the Lord. He himself has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us! He has injured us, but he will bandage our wounds! He will restore us in a very short time; he will heal us in a little while, so that we may live in his presence.
Hosea 6:1 – 2
I could go on, but I think you get the point. When we transgress, the consequences of our transgressions are invoked. If we repent, we are forgiven and restored – if not…
Notice that after the first trumpet, there is hail, fire and blood. Is it me, or does this invoke images of the judgments levied by God against Egypt at the time of the Exodus?
Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain of burning fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were completely destroyed.
Revelation 8:8 – 9
It can’t just be me. Water turned to blood… again. You see that right? When have we seen that before? How about hail and fire? But wait… there’s more!
Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a huge star burning like a torch fell from the sky; it landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. (Now the name of the star is Wormwood.) So a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from these waters because they were poisoned.
Then 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 them were darkened. And there was no light for a third of the day and for a third of the night likewise. Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying directly overhead, proclaiming with a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth because of the remaining sounds of the trumpets of the three angels who are about to blow them!”
Revelation 8:10 – 13
Okay, so we see here once again, judgments issued that hearken to those levied upon Egypt prior to the Exodus. again, this is not a one-to-one carbon copy, but many of the judgments we know YHVH pronounced against Egypt and her “gods”, re-appear within the judgments issued in the sounding of the trumpets: water to blood, hail and fire, death, darkness and so forth.
God stands in the assembly of El; in the midst of the gods he renders judgment. He says, “How long will you make unjust legal decisions and show favoritism to the wicked?
Psalm 82:1 – 2
The point I am driving here is that, as many have rightfully taught throughout the ages, the judgments (plagues) rendered prior to the Exodus were not only against Egypt and its people, but against their gods as well. Are we so blind and foolish as to believe that these, or similar “gods” are not actively worshiped today? One could only presume such if they lack an understanding of what worship actually is.
It is also noteworthy that, to this point every judgement rendered has been done in thirds. One third of the plants, one third of the waters, one third of the creatures… I see here a measure of grace for the repentance of mankind. I mean, could anyone really argue that the destroyed one-third “deserved it”, but the remaining two-thirds did not? Furthermore, that would only address humanity – nothing else described in these judgments did anything to fall… they were sinned against. Just food for thought.
Lastly, note that the angel proclaimed three woes upon the inhabitants of the Earth. He states explicitly that this due to the remaining three trumpets, implying the judgments coming as a result are particularly severe.
Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. He opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it like smoke from a giant furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft. Then out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth. They were told not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their forehead. The locusts were not given permission to kill them, but only to torture them for five months, and their torture was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person. In those days people will seek death, but will not be able to find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.
Revelation 9:1 – 6
Incoming rabbit-trail…
I have encountered a great deal of commentary regarding the book of the Revelation and, much of it centered around the use of “symbolic” language throughout the text. This passage however, gives me great “cause for pause.” How in the world is someone going to be made to suffer torturous pain for five months and yet, be unable to die? It’s what the text says is going to happen and I see no way to argue around that – even the most adept mental gymnasts are going to have to admit, this one is particularly difficult.
Now, being a logic-driven, analytic individual I have to say that simplest way I see to resolve such a conundrum is to begin by taking the text at face value. There simply isn’t any rationale (read “mundane“) explanation for this event. To be fair, there’s no “symbolic” explanation for two-thirds of the planet dying in waves, but people have certainly tried. Here however, the analogous view breaks down entirely. In order to render this as symbolism, one has to utterly disregard the plain text entirely.
Good luck with that.
All of this is to say that nothing in scripture tells us that anything is bound or limited by our understanding. Conversely, scripture does tell us that the Ruach haKodesh, or the Holy Spirit, will guide us into understanding. I submit the first thing we need to understand – as I have stated or alluded to on many occasions – is that we don’t understand.
If God wants to roll up the sky like a scroll, the sky will roll up like a scroll. If He wants fire to rain from the heavens, fire will rain from the heavens. If He wants the dead to rise from the grave, then the dead will rise from the grave. Personally, I find this all to be clear and obvious, it is only through trying to interpret scripture through a lens of naturalism that it becomes difficult or obscure. Maybe that’s just me.
Some will undoubtedly find such a view incredulous, but I’ve only just begun. I further submit that while much of what we’ve seen thus far defies the laws of physics as we understand them, nothing here actually defies the laws of physics (or any law for that matter) as they are. Have a read through the article Spiritual / Dimensional for more on that issue.
Now the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were something like crowns similar to gold, and their faces looked like men’s faces. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. They have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability to injure people for five months is in their tails. They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.
Revelation 9:7 – 11
I have both read and heard people who interpret these locusts to be helicopters, even Huey’s to be specific. Others claim this alludes to a massive Islamic army. In all fairness, both camps offer up some very cogent arguments to support their position – but once again, until I am shown the weapon they could use that will torture mankind for five months while rendering them unable to die, I cannot accept it.
As a final thought on this for now, consider the following excerpt form the writings of Joel:
Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm signal on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land shake with fear, for the day of the Lord is about to come. Indeed, it is near! It will be a day of dreadful darkness, a day of foreboding storm clouds, like blackness spread over the mountains. It is a huge and powerful army— there has never been anything like it ever before, and there will not be anything like it for many generations to come!
Like fire they devour everything in their path; a flame blazes behind them. The land looks like the Garden of Eden before them, but behind them there is only a desolate wilderness— for nothing escapes them! They look like horses; they charge ahead like war horses.They sound like chariots rumbling over mountain tops, like the crackling of blazing fire consuming stubble, like the noise of a mighty army being drawn up for battle.
People writhe in fear when they see them. All their faces turn pale with fright. They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. Each one proceeds on his course; they do not alter their path. They do not jostle one another; each of them marches straight ahead. They burst through the city defenses and do not break ranks. They rush into the city; they scale its walls. They climb up into the houses; they go in through the windows like a thief. The earth quakes before them; the sky reverberates. The sun and the moon grow dark; the stars refuse to shine.
Joel 2:1 – 10
For context, I would advise a read-through of the whole of Joel Chapter 1. In doing so, you will see that the similarities here are veritably undeniable. In both passages, we see the blowing of trumpets, the pronounced imminent return of the King, and a voracious, swarming army bearing similar descriptions in both texts. Perhaps I am too literal in my approach, however I have never lain eyes on any human being who matches the seemingly physical description of these entities… let alone someone or something with the ability to torture me and simultaneously make me unable to die.
Lastly, referring to the text in Joel 2, please note that he did not prophesy a larger version of something we’ve seen before… and we have seen large armies of Islamic warriors many times throughout history. No, he explicitly states “there has never been anything like it ever before, and there will not be anything like it for many generations to come!“. I see this as a clear indication of a spectacular one-time event. Nothing like it had ever been, and at the time of his writing, nothing like it would occur for “generations”. Let’s just say that, while this was a far-distant event for Joel, for us… not so much.
The first woe has passed, but two woes are still coming after these things!
Revelation 9:12
Until next time,
שלום עליכם – Shalom Aleichem – Peace Be Upon You