Revelation: Trumpets

[4u] “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.” (8:7)

The early Christians were persecuted by the fourth empire—Rome. Therefore, trumpets are sounded against it both to warn and to distract. Resources used to fight invaders are resources unavailable to persecute.

The Roman Empire was split into three parts and the trumpets announce judgments against them. In this case, Alaric and the Visigoths descended from the north on the central empire. This was the first major barbarian invasion leading to the fall of Rome. In fact, Alaric invaded and sacked Rome, the first time in over 800 years.

[4u] “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.” (8:10-11)

Stars are often used as symbols of leadership. This star was given a name, so it could denote a very famous leader. The third major invader of Rome was Attila the Hun. He and his fierce, fanatical followers could be described as among the first modern terrorists.

[4u] “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. 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!” (8:12-13)

Heavenly bodies are described, so we look to leadership. No violent attacks or invasions are described, so we look inside the split Roman empire itself to learn that there were three levels of leaders: the emperor, the consuls, and the senate. Due to ruling invaders and to internal difficulties of governance, one by one the light of these branches of leadership were extinguished, leaving Rome pretty much ungoverned. To their credit and to their own danger, this power vacuum was in process of being filled by the newest religion that was given official approval by previous emperors—Christianity.

[4d] “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. 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 strikes 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. 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 is Apollyon. One woe is past; behold, there come two woes more hereafter.” (9:1-12)

The lights went out, as it were, in the time of the fourth trumpet and now Rome is transformed from a political-pagan empire into a growing church-state. The legs of iron are giving way to the toes of iron and clay. Modern Europe is beginning, with its warring factions, nations, and sects. Christians would fight against and kill Christians because of doctrinal disagreement! The little horn of church leadership in Rome would grow in power even to the point of uprooting at least three peoples (such as the Vandals) and opposing religions.

However, this decidely un-Christlike behavior would not be without consequences. Another church-state system would be raised up just outside the borders of Europe to attack and distract it for almost 1000 years.

“Bottomless pit” has been overdramatized and sensationalized for centuries. This Greek phrase is the same as the Hebrew phrase for “without form and void” in the creation story. In the desert wastelands of the Middle East and North Africa, the religion of Islam rose like a smoke to solidify into the Ottoman empire which was an everpresent mortal enemy, not to the small remnant of true believers, but to the kings of Europe and the popes of Rome.

For five months (using the year for day principle that is 5 x 30 = 150 years) the Ottoman Empire grew while the Byzantine Empire (Greek remnant of Roman Empire based in Constantinople, now modern Istanbul, Turkey.) shrank. Osman I started his attacks on July 27, 1299. The last Byzantine “emperor” was crowned by the sultan’s permission in 1449. The Greeks suffered relentless attacks for 150 years before their kingdom was finally killed or put under submission.

The description of the Arab warriors on their stallions is remarkable, from their gold colored turbans to their long hair and color of their uniforms. With the swiftness and surprise of cavalry, they were authorized to destroy (abaddon, apollyon).

[4d] “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 a 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. 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. 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.” (9:13-21)

The Turks had merely attacked without fully conquering, but now that the 150 years were ended, they swiftly captured Constantinople and the last remnant of the old Roman empire became the seat of the Ottoman empire. Some say that 400,000 (200,000 twice) soldiers laid siege to the city. Others say 200 million is the total of the soldiers in the whole time period. Neither of these can be verified, but the armies were large.

We also see in the “fire and smoke and brimstone” that issued “out of their mouths” the novel use of guns from horseback. For centuries, many battles were fought and many people died, but still the European Christians would not repent of the idolatry introduced into the church at that time, nor of “their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”

Another time period is introduced in this passage. “An hour, and a day, and a month, and a year” in prophetic time is 15 days (1/24th of a day-year) and 1 year and 30 years and 360 years for a total of 391 years and 15 days. If we add that to the 150 years which started July 27, 1299 then we arrive at August 11, 1840. On that day the Ottoman sultan yielded control of his empire to the European powers. From first attack to admission of defeat matched to the day! Though this prophecy is not central to the main point of the empire timelines, it is an evidence of divine inspiration.

[fw] “And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And swore by him that lives for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that are in it, and the earth, and the things that are in it, and the sea, and the things which are in it, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to his servants the prophets. And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which stands upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make your belly bitter, but it shall be in your mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, You must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” (10:1-11)

Together with the next story of the two witnesses, this is the second and last of the parenthetical passages. They give us background leading to the 7th trumpet.

The Angel with a rainbow around His head makes two very interesting statements: “there should be time no longer” and “the mystery of God should be finished.” When should these two things happen? “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound.” Two events should happen at the start of the 7th trumpet.

If there is time no longer, then we are at the end, or very near it. Of the infinite mysteries of God in the Bible, there is only one that comes to an end—the gospel, which is the preaching of “the mystery of Christ,” “to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” (Ephesians 3:4, 9) When “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14)

Remember, the quarantine cannot be lifted and justice cannot be finalized until everyone has finalized their decisions for or against God’s infinite goodness. So in the beginning of the seventh trumpet, the world should be near its end. However, notice that John must eat a book that prompts him to “prophecy again.” It is sweet to read and to eat, but it is difficult to digest. These clues hint that some kind of delay and difficulty occurs in the time of the seventh angel.

So when is the time of the last trumpet when there should be time no longer? It must be after the last and longest time prophecy is fulfilled, which is the 2300 days. And it must be after the prophecies of the Day of Atonement, which happens after the 2300 days.

So when do the 2300 days end? Let’s do some quick calculations using the day-year principle established in Daniel. It started with the 70 weeks, which is 490 years before Jesus. Let’s round it to 500 for easy math. That means the 2300 years starts about 500b.c. and ends about 1800a.d. However, our rounding moved the starting point back 10 years and the 70 weeks goes to when Jesus was baptized at the age of 30, not to His birth. This moves the start and end points forward by 40 years. Therefore, the 2300 day prophecy ends about 1840, which is close enough for now. We have more precise calendar issues and a date for the rebuilding decree to examine later which will make a small adjustment. There is also an unknown duration for the time of trouble that must happen before Jesus returns.

So now put this estimated date of 1840 together with the time prophecy of the fifth and sixth trumpets and we see that the 1840’s have something special about them! We will look closer at this when we get to the seventh trumpet, but it is now safe to say that Jesus has been ready to return for a long time! He has been ready to gather His people from the four winds, take them to heaven, and exterminate evil for many decades!

God is not idly sitting by. He has been and now is actively trying to wrap up this problem of evil.

[fw] “And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth, and devours their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up here. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were frightened and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; behold, the third woe comes quickly.” (11:1-14)

John, representing the church, was told to prophesy again, then he was given a reed to measure the temple and its worshipers. Measuring is an act of judgment to see if things/people are proper and true. This reminds us of the judgment in Daniel 7, which will be expounded in the seventh trumpet.

The 42 months, which equals 1260 days and the 3.5 years of Daniel 7, is mentioned three more times in the next two chapters. We will look at all of them when we arrive at the last one.

Now we are left with the main focus of this passage which are the two witnesses who are killed and resurrected after 3.5 days (3.5 years). Their deaths occur near or at the end of the 1260 day-years of the divided fourth kingdom. That means it is near the end of time which should begin around the 1840’s. Was there a major event shortly before that time that would fit this description? Yes, in fact, we will see later that the 3.5 days directly leads us to the end of the 3.5 years.

The two witnesses “are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.” That brings us back to Zechariah 4. “I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps on it, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top of it. And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side of it. So I answered and spoke to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Know you not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts... Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth.”

The tree giving oil and the lamp giving light prophecy in sackcloth for 1260 years. Though hidden, banned, proscribed, and rejected, the Word still prophecied in the power of the Spirit. Though chained in dark corners of monasteries, the Bible’s prophecies still came true. Using a different illustration, this prophecy is just a repetition of the third seal where “a voice in the midst of the four beasts said, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see you hurt not the oil and the wine.” (Revelation 6:6)

Where the Word and the Spirit are most concealed from the people and ignored by leadership, the greatest abuses are committed and the greatest lies cover them up. This is what happened to the French people for centuries. Finally, in 1789, the people rose up against the king, the nobility, and the church. The French Revolution quickly grew from there into a Reign of Terror that alarmed the onlooking world. Like immature teenagers let loose from tight supervision, the country swung from one extreme to the other.

The few Protestants in the nation, the Huguenots, had previously left. Now it was Catholic gouging and killing Catholic with a growing atheistic influence. In late November 1793 the dechristianization of the country began. This set aside the Bible and enthroned the Cult of Reason (human reason, not led by the Spirit). The guillotine and grapeshot from cannons (directed by a young artillery officer named, Napolean Bonaparte) were used on suspected enemies of leadership who then in turn were killed by their own instruments. “The beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit”—the devil himself—was victor in all cases.

But “after three and a half days,” in June 1797, a young deputy, Camille Jordan, made this unanimously approved speech to the Council of the Five Hundred.

“The time for all kinds of fanaticism has passed. All religions dear to the people have become sacred to its representatives. Religion is necessary to the happiness and prosperity of a nation.

“Faith in God is a better pledge of public order than the best of laws. The people’s will on this sub­ject is unanimous, constant, and irresistible. Religion, with its immortal prospects, is the only solace of a nation in the throes of a revolution. It is the only true source of order and morality. We have created thousands of laws within the last few years. What have they done for us, but to flood this lovely empire with crime and destruction? And why? Be­cause the law teaching how to discern between right and wrong, the law which alone lends value to all other laws, had been torn from the hearts of the people. Let all forms of belief re-create that law in the hearts, and legislators will have little else to do. The thought of proscribing all religion from France is an impious one.

“Let therefore all our fellow citizens be today fully reassured; let everybody. Catholics and Prot­estants, consider it as the will of the legislator and the desire of the law, that they are at liberty to follow the religion of their heart. Let me repeat to them in your name the sacred promise all forms of worship are free in France.”

Thus, the Word and the Spirit once again “stood upon their feet.” “And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.” The missionary work started by the Protestant Reformation had been dying, but after the Revolution it exploded in an exponential increase of Bible and missionary socities. A Great Awakening was about to happen.

[4d,g] “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give you thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which are and were and are to come; because you have taken to you your great power, and have reigned. And the nations were angry, and your wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should give reward unto your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” (11:15-19)

This is the exact same scene as in Daniel 7. This is the “time of the dead, that they should be judged.” And “the judgment was set, and the books were opened.”

Second, God takes “great power and reigns.” He does not act on it immediately, but the fourth empire is condemned. “I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke, I beheld even until the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.”

Third, Christ is coronated as King of kings, because “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.” “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

Finally, it all ends with judgment and kingdom being given to the saints. “You should give reward unto your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great.” “Judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.”

The seventh trumpet is not only the time of judgment in heaven, but it is also the beginning of the end of the fourth empire on earth. As Jesus foretold in Matthew, when there are lightnings, voices, and a great earthquake, then the fourth beast will die once and for all. It will never rise again nor bother any person.

Now let’s revisit the rainbow Angel in chapter 10 who said, “there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to his servants the prophets.” Similarly, when the seventh trumpet begins to sound, the dead should be judged and the saints should be rewarded. It does not take the infinite God long to determine justice.

Why does it take so long to begin and then to end the seventh trumpet? The trumpet of Jubilee was blown on, not after, the Day of Atonement. That was the day of final judgment. “For whatever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatever soul it be that does any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.” (Leviticus 23:29-30) We are to afflict our souls with humble gratitude and we are not to work ourselves into heaven but to trust in the righteousness of Christ alone. Perhaps there is a long time between the beginning and end of the seventh trumpet because Laodicea still needs to “be zealous and repent?” Perhaps there is a delay because “this gospel of the kingdom” is not yet “preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations?” (Revelation 3; Matthew 24)

Notice that when the temple in heaven is opened, we are taken into the most holy place where is the ark of the covenant. Only on the Day of Atonement was that apartment opened, and only to the high priest. Once again, this timeline ends with an appeal to turn to God before it is too late. Jesus has been crowned king of the eternal kingdom. He is ready to call His 144,000 and great multitude home. He is ready to send the angels to the four corners of the earth to gather His children. He has the keys to both open and shut the door of protection, but He waits and He pleads, “Come, my people, enter you into your chambers, and shut your doors about you hide yourself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.” (Isaiah 26:20)