seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 8:1 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.
7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[a] A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”
a. Revelation 8:11 Wormwood is a bitter substance.
I've been using the easy English site.
There was a silence in heaven when the Lord broke the seventh seal. In the seventh seal were the events called ‘the 7 trumpets’. In the seventh trumpet, there were the events called ‘the 7 bowls’.
An angel came and he stood at the altar. He was not one of the 7. He had much incense, which he added to the prayers of God’s people.
The sweet smell of the incense and the prayers rose up to God. God received the prayers of his people. He would answer their cry.
The prayers had risen to God. Then the angel took the empty bowl. He filled it with fire. Then he threw it to the earth. There were powerful effects in the sky. And the earth shook. The fire and the effects showed that God was angry. He was angry about people’s evil deeds. He was angry that they refused to obey him. He was angry that they would not accept his love. So, he would now act against the earth.
All was ready for the angels to sound the trumpets.
The first four trumpets affect a third of nature.
When the first angel sounded his trumpet, there was a great storm. The storm appeared in heaven. The skies were as red as blood. Then the storm poured down on the earth. There was hail, fire and blood.
The effects of the hail and fire were terrible. The fire burned a third of the land. All the trees and other plants on that land died.
The second angel sounded his trumpet. John saw what looked like a huge mountain. It burned with fire. As it burned, it fell into the sea. The effect of this was to make the sea red. A third of the sea became blood.
Then all that lived in that third of the sea died. All the ships on that part of the sea sank.
Then the third angel sounded his trumpet. A third of the fresh water on the earth became bitter. The cause was a huge star, which fell to earth. Its name was Wormwood. Many people who drank this bitter water died.
At the sound of the fourth trumpet, something struck the sun. The result was darkness for a third of the day. The same happened to the moon and the stars. Their light did not shine for a third of the night.
The effects of the first four trumpets were terrible. But the effects of the last three would be even worse. The eagle warned that the last three trumpets would bring awful trouble. The first four affected only part of the world. The last three would affect all the people on earth.
Fires in the Amazon came to mind when I was reading this. I don't think a trumpet has been sounded yet... I'm still here on earth and I figure before the first trumpet blast I will be among the refugees that were shown in the last chapter. I thought about the fires in the Amazon because what happens to the green plants and the oceans will affect humans. The Amazon has been called the lungs of the planet... and when the Amazon burns... it affects weather all over the earth.
But... let me set the scene again.... John, the Apostle who was also the closest human friend of Jesus.... is on a deserted island... alone. John is having a vision in this Book. An Angel has been assigned to John so that anything that happens for which there are no human words... the Angel will interpret for John. This vision started with seeing Jesus glowing like He did when John and Peter saw Him meeting with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration. A strong angel [I figure it's Gabriel] has thrown a temper tantrum..... He wanted to open the scroll that holds all the instructions for ending the humans time on earth.... but the scroll is sealed and they won't pop. Then Jesus says [paraphrased] "Give it here.... I can open it".... and He did. the first six seals were bad.... conquest, famine, plague, but most of all.... the humans lost peace.
Then some of the humans were rescued. When John first saw the door in heaven that he used to watch all of this take place.... he entered it and described what he saw. John said there were souls trapped under the altar in Heaven. They were the martyrs.... those murdered because they love Jesus. I am reminded of that little girl who went to school.... and during that final day... a fellow student with a gun asked her if she loved Jesus... and when she said "yes" he killed her. Her soul would be under that altar.... along with the soul of Stephen.... the disciple that was murdered while Paul held the coats of the men who beat Stephen to death.
There are also 144,000 descendants of Jacob [Israel] who have been picked by God for a project that should unfold later in this book.
And last there are the uncountable human refugees.... those Christians who have been rescued from earth before the seventh seal is broken.
Now.... this chapter opens with what seems to be an hour of absolute silence. I'm the oldest of five kids.... a moment of silence can be a great thing.... but it can also be a warning. My dad always got quiet before I got a taste of a branch off the switch bush. If a day on earth is like a year in Heaven..... a half hour is a long time..... an earthquake that moves mountains and islands.... followed by what seemed to be a half hour of silence..... will be terrifying if there is no hope. Only the adopted children of God have hope... the rest of the humans turned down any hope that was offered to them.... so they are survivors of a horrible earthquake that moved mountains and islands.... without hope.....
An Angel started things up again.... all the prayers of the Believers [those refugees who have now been shown to be in Heaven with Jesus] have been shoved into one of those incense burners they used in their "prayer" services in the churches.... and it's hurled down at earth. This is kind of poetic.... now that the humans who pray are all up in Heaven... their prayers are hurled down on earth. I wonder... considering all those smarty pants who have always been so smart in their arguments against God.... I wonder if any of the prayers going back to earth included a prayer for the salvation of all the smarty pants.
With that... the first four trumpets begin to blow. A third of nature is wiped out. The lungs of the planet.... the Amazon.... will definitely have to be part of this destruction.... and when the trees and grasses are no longer there to produce oxygen.... the very air humans left on earth will need... will be tainted.... it will be hard to breath once a third of the oxygen production is destroyed. A third of the oceans will be destroyed..... that's a lot of dead fish and rancid water to foul up what air there is being produced by the reduced forestation. Then the fresh water will go sour. There is already a shortage of fresh drinking water on earth... and it's been wasted by humans since forever. A rock... described as wormwood.... will ruin a third of the fresh water.... so humans on earth will be thirsty. John also describes a darkened sun and moon...... so the earth has gone from a beautiful garden planet to a dangerous place for humans.... with no food, not water, and noxious fumes.... and everywhere.... it's just dark.... not totally.... just dark.
At that point.... an eagle speaks.... nope it's not the United States of America that is here to save the day..... it's an eagle.... one of God's creations. And this one.... speaks human.... and it's speaking human about the next three trumpets..... “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”
My peace has been stolen. That's what I was saying a couple days ago. The earthquake that John saw in his vision hasn't happened yet.... but I'm complaining about losing my peace. This morning.... I'm wondering if the horsemen have started their work.... or am I just a spoiled brat reacting to the news of the day that doesn't make me smile. I wonder.... am I like that woman in the 50's commercials about ring around the collar.... thinking ring around the collar is the worst problem the world can face? Am I that spoiled? Or is this world already suffering the affects of the first and second horsemen?
A third of nature will be affected by the first four trumpets..... this is after the earthquake that will move mountains and islands. Cool clear air and water will be replaced by noxious fumes and poison. Three more trumpets have yet to sound and the humans on earth.... they are without hope.
