[Chapter 8-1] The Trumpets That Announce The Seven Plagues (Revelation 8:1-13)
(Revelation 8:1-13)
“When
He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half
an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them
were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer,
came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should
offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which
was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of
the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel
took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the
earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an
earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared
themselves to sound. The first angel sounded: And hail and fire
followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a
third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain
burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became
blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third
of the ships were destroyed. Then the third angel sounded: And a great
star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of
the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is
Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from
the water, because it was made bitter. Then the fourth angel sounded:
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 were darkened. A third of the day did
not shine, and likewise the night. And I looked, and I heard an angel
flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, ‘Woe, woe,
woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of
the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!’”
Exegesis
Revelation
8 records the plagues that God will bring to this earth. One of the
most critical questions here is whether or not the saints will be
included among those who would suffer under these plagues. The Bible
tells us that the saints, too, will go through the plagues of the seven
trumpets. Of the seven plagues, they will go through all but the last
plague. These plagues of the seven trumpets that appear in this chapter
are the actual plagues that God will bring to this earth. God tells us
that He will punish the world with the plagues that would begin with the
angels’ sounding of the seven trumpets.
Verse 1: When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
This
refers to the calm just before the wrath of God is poured on mankind.
God will keep silence for a while before bringing His terrifying plagues
on the earth. This shows us how horrible and fierce His plagues of the
seven trumpets will be. When mankind stands before God after going
through these plagues, those who are saved will receive eternal life,
but those who are not will receive eternal punishment. Thus, realizing
what kind of era this time is, we must be awake and do the work of the
evangelists.
Verse 2: And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
God
used the seven angels to do His works. But let us not forget that in
today’s era, God works through the righteous who believe in the Word of
the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
Verse 3:
Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the
altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the
prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the
throne.
This
shows us that God, having heard of the prayers of the saints offered in
the midst of their persecution and tribulations by Satan and his
followers, will bring all His plagues to the earth. The “golden censer”
here refers to the prayers of all the saints, meaning that as their
prayers are delivered to God, all His works will be fulfilled. God works
by hearing the prayers of the saints.
Verse 4: And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.
This
shows just how much the Antichrist has tormented the saints on this
earth. Because of the tribulations of the end times, the saints will
pray to God to drive away the Antichrist, to let the tribulations pass
by them soon, and to show their murders just how fierce the wrath of God
is for them. The verse here shows that God will thus receive all the
saints’ prayers. Having received these prayers of the saints, God will
begin to judge the Antichrist and his followers with the plagues of the
seven trumpets and the seven bowls. God’s judgment of the Antichrist and
his followers is His final answer to the prayers of the saints.
Verse 5-6:
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and
threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings,
and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets
prepared themselves to sound.
God
is preparing the plagues of the seven trumpets on this earth.
Therefore, this world will not escape from noises, thunderings,
lightenings, and earthquakes.
Verse 7:
The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with
blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were
burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
The
first plague is the burning of a third of the earth, where one-third of
the trees and all grass will be burnt down. This plague will fall on
the forests of this world.
Why
would God bring down this kind of plague? Because people, though they
have seen the beauty of God’s creation with their own eyes, did not
recognize the Creator as God and worship Him, but instead “worshipped
and served the creations rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25). God
therefore brings the plagues of the seven trumpets to those who do not
give glory to God but instead stand against Him.
Verses 8-9: Then
the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning
with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.
And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the
ships were destroyed.
The
plague of the second trumpet is of a falling star crashing down on the
earth. This asteroid will fall into the sea and turn a third of the sea
into blood, killing a third of the living creatures in the sea and
destroying a third of the ships. Through the God-created nature, mankind
has received many blessings. But instead of thanking God for the
blessings of the nature, they became arrogant and turned against God.
The second plague punishes them for this sin.
Verses 10: Then
the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning
like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of
water.
Why
did God allow the asteroid to fall “on a third of the rivers and on the
springs of water?” Because mankind, though it lives by the Lord who is
the host of life, did not worship and thank Him, but instead disdained
this Lord of life.
Verse 11:
The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became
wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.
From
this plague a third of the rivers and springs will turn into wormwood,
and many will die from drinking their water. This is the plague of
punishment for the sinners who had stood against God and tormented the
hearts of the saints. God will never fail to thus bring avenge to the
sinners for all their deeds committed against the righteous. When the
sinners bring suffering to the righteous, God will judge them. The third
plague is yet another plague on the nature; it was brought down for the
people’s sin of disobedience in not believing in the gospel of the
water and the Spirit given by God. The “Wormwood” in the Bible always
refers to the judgment of those who disobey and oppose God.
Verse 12: Then
the fourth angel sounded: 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 were
darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.
The
fourth plague is the darkening of a third of the sun, the moon, and the
stars. All this time, mankind has been following Satan and has loved
darkness. They thus disliked the light of salvation shone by the gospel
of the water and the Spirit given by Jesus Christ. As such, to teach
them just how terrifying and accursed the world of darkness really is,
God would bring them this plague of darkness. The plague is also to show
how fierce the wrath of God is for their sin of hating Jesus Christ and
loving the darkness. As a result, a third of the sun, the moon, and the
stars of this world will lose their light and be darkened.
Verse 13: And
I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven,
saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the
earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three
angels who are about to sound!”
This
verse tells us that there are still three more woes to come to all
those who live on this earth. Therefore, all the sinners and all those
who stand against God should be delivered from their sins by believing
in the gospel of the water and the Spirit as soon as possible.
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