The Seventh Seal: The Trumpet Judgments
(Rev. 8:1–13) Part I
I. Preparation for Judgment (v.1-6)
A. There is silence in heaven after the 7th seal is opened. (v.1)
B. Angels prepare to unleash judgment upon the earth. (v.2-6)
- “Their prayers, affirmed by the heavenly incense which God has provided, show that He is in agreement with the cries of the saints as they come into His presence, from which the seven trumpet judgments, will be released. There is a sense of anticipation as these prayers rise before God...The question of 6:10, “How long?” is about to be answered.”
II. Pronouncement of Judgment (v.7-12)
A. The angels unleash the first four trumpets:
a. Bloody hail and fire consume 1/3 of the earth’s vegetation. [Gen.19:24-25; Joel2:30] (v.7)
- “Fallen mankind has failed to recognize and honor God as Creator, choosing instead to make a god out of the earth. But the environmental, evolutionary pantheism that devalues man, elevates animals and plants, and ignores the Creator will be severely judged. “Earth Day” that year will be a gloomy and dismal affair…And worse judgments are still to fall.”
b. A fiery mountain strikes the earth and sea. (v.8-9)
- “The impact will also generate unimaginably huge tsunamis (tidal waves). Those giant waves will destroy a third of the ships on the world’s oceans, capsizing huge ocean-going vessels and completely swamping ports. The resulting disruption of commerce and transportation will cause economic chaos.”
c. A meteor strikes the fresh waters of the earth [Ex. 7:17-18] (v.10-11)
- “The rivers will run with deadly poison; the wells will become springs of death; the lakes and reservoirs will be filled with toxic waters. People will be able to survive, for a time, the destruction of food supplies caused by the first two trumpet judgments, living off stored provisions. But people cannot long survive without fresh water, and the loss of a significant portion of the world’s fresh water supply will cause widespread death.”
d. Darkness fills the heavens [ Ex. 10:21-23; Mt. 24:29] (v.12)
- “This partial eclipse…will cause temperatures to plunge drastically all over the world. That will severely disrupt the earth’s weather patterns and the seas’ tides, leading to violent, unpredictable storms and tides, the destruction of crops, and further loss of animal and human lives.”
III. Proclamation of Future Judgment (v.13)
A. There is an announcement that judgment will intensify [Lk. 17:33-37].
- “The imagery is that of a strong bird of prey rushing to consume its victim, in this case referring to the rapid approach of God’s final vengeance….The eagle’s [vultures] dire warning is that the last three trumpet judgments will be even more devastating than the first four.”
B. There will be a rise of demonic activity [Rev.9:7].
- “Picture what the world would be like if we were to open the doors of all the penitentiaries of earth and set free the world’s most vicious and violent criminals, giving them full reign to practice their infamies upon mankind. Something worse than that lies in store for the world. Satan…is now permitted to summon to his aid the most diabolical fiends in the abyss to act as his agents in bringing mankind to the footstool of the Beast.”
Points to Ponder:
1. The world’s tribulations will intensify. In addition to all these physical disasters, demons from the bottomless pit are unleashed to wreak havoc upon mankind on the earth.
2. There is only one escape from certain judgment. Believe in Christ as Savior and Lord. This is the only way that one will be saved.
John F. MacArthur Jr., Revelation 1–11, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 241.
Ibid., 247.
Ibid., 248.
Ibid., 249.
Ibid., 250.
Ibid., 251.
John Phillips, Exploring Revelation (Chicago: Moody Press, 1987), 125.
