Revelation 8-9 - The Seventh Seal and the Seven Trumpets

1. Revelation 8-9 - The Seventh Seal and the Seven Trumpets

2. Why would there be silence in Heaven ? Silence preceding the first day of creation links worship with the unfolding drama literary device anticipates plagues to be introduced by trumpets Ps 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God” The Seventh Seal 8:1-5

3. Seven angels angels of the presence-Isa 63:9 Angels are given trumpets- this allowed to happen by God’s providence Trumpets signal something important is about to happen 8:2

4. In the OT trumpets announce God’s judgement Joel 2:1, Zeph 1:16, Isa 27:13 In the NT - trumpets are used to signal the final judgement - Matt 24:31, 1Cor 15:52, 1 Thess 4:16 7 trumpets

5. John’s commission(1:10) and ascent to Heaven (4:1) include a voice that sounds like a trumpet Now it seems to have an eschatological importance (Matt 24:31) Trumpets

6. Trumpets in Scripture • In scripture, trumpets are used at the following occasions:1- The Lord's voice, Rev 1:10, 4:5, 8:5, 11:13,19, 16:18.2- To announce disaster because of sin, Is.58:1, Jer.4:4-6, 6:1,16-19, 51:25-29, Ez.33:1-8, Hos.7:16, 8:1, Amos 3:6. 3- To announce the coming of God to Mt. Sinai, Ex.19:16 4- Calling the people together and having the camp move on, Num.10:2. 5- To announce the start of a battle, and feast days, Num.10:9-10. 6- When the Israelites entered Jericho, Josh.6:3-9 7- To announce the coronation of the king (Solomon), 1K.1:34.8- To announce the winning of a battle, 1Sam.13:3 9- Warning of the second coming, Joel 2:1 10- To announce the second coming, 1Thes.4:16, Zep.1:14-18, Mat.24:31, 1Cor.15:51-52.

7. Is this the same altar as 6:9 ? Unclear One of only two times in revelation that the verb pray or term prayer is used (also in 5:8)(Exodus:30:1, Lk:1:10-11) The prayers of the saints are offered to God Incense and prayers rise to God (Ps:141:2) Prayers of the saints are effective (v 4) 8 :3-4 another angel

8. Angel now takes the censor and fills it with fire (Lev 16:12) and throws it to Earth causing thunder lightning, earthquake (4:5) Not clear if this caused by the prayers reaching God Thunder, lightning and earthquake (4:5) remnicient of God at Mt. Sinai (Ex 19:16) 8:5

9. Thunder- proclaiming the truth ? voices: evangelists, teachers ? Earthquake- sent by God to call for repentance ? 8:5

10. Here we see movement from heaven down to earth judgement is now coming from heaven However, hope is offered by the message being delivered by John 8:6-7

11. Now we hear the trumpets modeled on the 7 plagues - the purpose of both was to bring about repentance The first trumpet brings hail and blood Parallels the activity when the ark is exposed in the new Jerusalem(11:19) Disaster comes to the world - opposite of the garden in the New Jerusalem (22:3) 1/3 of the earth destroyed (Ezek:5:12) 8:6-7

12. 2nd trumpet: Mountain is thrown into the sea - foreshadows the fall of Babylon- 18:21 John may have been writing this after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius - 79 CE 8:8-9

13. Third trumpet - burning star crashes into rivers and springs - damages them opposite of the final vision in which the people are to be quenched by ‘living water’ -14:7 He calls the star “wormwood” - as in Amos 5:6-7, 6:12 justice is turned to wormwood 8:10-11

14. bitter, undrinkable, poison Wormwood

15. The 4th trumpet - 1/3 of the sun moon and stars are struck - darkness falls see Amos 8:9 Joel: 3:15 John sees and hears a voice see 5:11, 6:1 the eagle may be better interpreted as a vulture Hos 8:1 - vulture precedes trumpet 3 “woe”’s- sign of the remaining trumpets 8:12-13

16. 8:6-7- hail, fire, blood: Exod 9:13-25( 7th plague) 8:8-9 sea of blood:Exod 7:14-25 (1st Plague) 8:10-11 - bitter water : Exod 7:14-25 8:12 - darkness : Exod 10:21-33 9:1-11 Locusts : Exod 10:12-20 9:13-21 Euphrates Trumpets vs. Plagues

17. 5th trumpet the star could be a fallen angel - perhaps Satan abyss - place of Satan and the fallen angels (9:11, 11:7, 17:8, 20:1) - one of them is allowed to unlock it The smoke that rises is not like incense The smoke pollutes and darkens Locusts are sent to torment the people not grass they are not the usual kind of locusts 9:1-4

18. v5 The locusts can ‘torment”, but not kill they are given 5 months see 2:10 - 10 days of torment from Satan V6 People will want to die but will not be allowed see Job 3:21, Gen 4:13) 9:5-6

19. V6 description of the locusts - see Joel 2:1-11 like horses crowns - symbol that they cannot be destroyed human faces - the personal dimension of evil Their king is Abaddon means “destruction” synonym for Hades and Sheol see 6:8 verse 12 - the first woe is done but there are two more 9:6-12

20. Two woes are yet to come “Messianinc woes” are a common feature of eschatological writing such as Revelation see Lk 6:24 - the woes follow the Great Discourse Tribulations of the Messianic age are foreshadowed in Mk 13:17 - after the Great Discourse and in Mt 24:19 concerning “the final test” The 6th trumpet sound in v 13 a voice is heard from the altar(6:9,8:3) it appears to be coming from horns of the altar (Exod 30:1- description of the altar of incense) The voice is that of the saints, the horns refer to the corners of the altar (8:2-5) 9:13

21. Four angels are released (see 7:1)- instruments of God they were being held- another allusion to the fallen angels The Euphrates is the eastern border of the Roman empire - plays on the fear of Parthian threats 9:14

22. The angels are released they had been held awaiting this specific time and moment they have been destined for this moment Here we see all happens in line with God’s plan 12:6, 13:8, 17:8 Everything happens to further God’s purpose 1/3 of humankind will be killed - not unlimited destruction 9:15

23. The number of the destroyers is 200,000,000- very large- but a set number - non infinite see Exod 10:14, Joel 2:2-1 for locust swarms Description of the soldier’s armor - fiery red, smoky blue, and sulfur - matches the fire, smoke and sulfur breathed by the horses see Job 41:19-21 9:16-17

24. 1/3 of humanity was killed by these plagues see v 15 for the limit on their ability to kill v19 power of the horses- power is in moths and tails 1:16, 11:5, 9:10, 12:4) Some similarities between these creatures and leviathan in Job (41:10..) 9:18-19

25. Those who had survived still did not repent see Zech 1:4, Wis 14:22-26 lack of repentance - Isa 2:8, 17:8) We are brought into direct contact with what we have created and cannot escape it we have ignored the need for repentance Are those who survived unaware of what is going on around them? 9:20-21

26. Sources • Boring, M. Eugene Revelation: Interpretation; A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, Louisville:John Knox Press 1989 • Dominguez, J Third Great Vision of Revelation, avaiable on web at: http://www.biblia.com/bible/rev8.htm • Harrington, Wilfred, J. Revelation: Sacra Pagina Series (vol 16), (ed. Daniel Harrington SJ) Collegeville:Liturgical Press 1993 • ,The New Interpreter's Bible : A Commentary in Twelve Volumes ( Book of Revelation) (Nashville:Abingdon , 2002)