Revelation 8:1 13 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

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1 Rev. 8 the Trumpets which are in the 7 th Seal are presented and sound forth Silent Heaven Celestial Judgment Severe Warning I. Silent Heaven Revelation 8:1 13 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 1. Respect for the Lord and what is about to take place on the earth... Warren W. Wiersbe Certainly, this silence was the lull before the storm, for God s intensified judgments were about to be hurled to the earth. Zeph. 1:7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 2. The 7 trumpets are given to the 7 angels a) The Lord s voice was like a trumpet... Revelation 1:10 11 I was in the Spirit on the Lord s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, 11 saying, Write in a book what you see... b) John was called up to heaven in chapter 4 by a trumpet Revelation 4:1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.

2 c) In I Thess the trumpet will sound calling the church to be with the Lord in the Rapture... 1 Thessalonians 4:15 16 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. d) See Numbers concerning the Trumpets and use of them... The Lord spoke further to Moses, saying, 2 Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for 1) Alerting the Congregation to gather... summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out. 3 When both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 2) To assemble leaders 4 Yet if only one is blown, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall assemble before you. 3) For alarm... 5 But when you blow an alarm, the camps that are pitched on the east side shall set out. 6 When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are pitched on the south side shall set out; an alarm is to be blown for them to set out. 7 When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without sounding an alarm. 8 The priestly sons of Aaron, moreover, shall blow the trumpets; and this shall be for you a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 4) For War 9 When you go to war in your land against the adversary who attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and be saved from your enemies. 5) To mark the Feasts along with other offerings and celebrations

3 10 Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the Lord your God. Rev. 8.3ff 3 Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. 6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them. 1. The act of incense was a picture of prayer The adding of the incense with the prayers indicates that the prayers of the martyrs are about to be answered The angel not only put the incense on the alter but also took coals from the alter and threw them to earth...judgment was about to take place! Ezekiel 10:1 2 Then I looked, and behold, in the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a sapphire stone, in appearance resembling a throne, appeared above them. 2 And He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, Enter between the whirling wheels under the cherubim and fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city. And he entered in my sight. 4. The Angels prepared themselves to sound the trumpets indicating the impending judgments about to occur...

4 II. Celestial Judgment The First Trumpet Ecological Disaster 7 The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. Food sources are destroyed The planets ecology becomes imbalanced The Second Trumpet 8 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, 9 and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed. LIKE... a great mt...perhaps a volcano etc...but interesting to note that this is thrown into the sea.. Causes a 3d of the sea to turn to blood Kills a 3d of sea life A 3d of the ships of the earth are destroyed Seafood, as well as the function of the sea which in part is for the cleansing of the water and producing of water through rain is upset The economic impact of this is devastating. The Third Trumpet 10 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 waters. 11 The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter. The fresh water of the world becomes bitter causing those who drink it to die... Wormwood is said to be a star that hits causing this disaster This star may be a fallen angel...stars are used figuratively of angels...

5 I believe it more in line to see this as an actual celestial matter that hits earth, breaking up in the atmosphere and poising the fresh water... This would clearly, either way, kill the fish and vegetation within the fresh water along with poisoning the water... The Fourth Trumpet 12 The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way. Now the light which impacts the earth is impacted... Not sure how this takes place but the net effect is that a 3d of the sunlight, moonlight and stars are darkened... John F. Walvoord The Prophet Jeremiah spoke of the sun and moon as tokens of God s faithfulness to His promise to the nation of Israel and as symbols of their continuance as long as the earth endures (Jer. 31:35 36). These very tokens of blessing and revelation of the glory of God are affected by the fourth trumpet. So dramatic are the judgments and so unmistakably an evidence of the power and sovereignty of God that blaspheming men on earth can no longer ignore the fact that God is dealing with them. III. Severe Warning The Three Woes the last 3 Trumpets 13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound! 1. An Angel is flying in the mid-heavens warning those remaining alive of the final 3 Trumpets to come Woe is the word indicating grief, misery, disaster

6 ...the fact that this is repeated 3 times and over and over again indicates the seriousness of the disasters to come and a dire warning 3. The last three Trumpets are the Three Woes as well 4. The first 4 Trumpets are Divinely appointed Disasters that are from the heavens...from God 5. The first two Woes are the 5 th and 6 th Trumpet which are demonic 6. The last or 7 th Trumpet, the 3d Woe, contains the final 7 Bowls of Wrath