CHAPTER 5 SEALS & TRUMPETS = ANGELS & BOWLS
As we have seen in Chapters 1 through 4 of this book, there are many portions of the pre-tribulation oriented teachings on the Book of Revelation that most of us sat under at one time or another, which do not stand up once they have been compared to the blue print of God's Biblical pattern. Make no mistake; every one of these teachings can be "proven" by reliance upon a limited number of verses of Scripture. However, in order for these teachings to be considered valid, it is absolutely essential to totally ignore numerous other Scriptures, which completely invalidate them. For example, we saw that the teaching that Elijah would return to earth as one of the 2 witnesses during the final 3 1/2 years of premillennial earth history flies directly in the face of Jesus' clear teaching in Lk.16:30 which told us that no one would be sent back from paradise to witness to those on the earth.
I have no intention of restating here all the conflicts which such pretrib rapture theories have with the rest of Scripture. They were discussed in detail not only in the first 4 chapters of this book, but in Chapter 14 of Needful Things. The point is, teachings on the Book of Revelation as presented in the past by such men as C.I Scofield, John R. Rice and by present day teachers such as Hilton Sutton, Jack Van Impe Charles Ryrie, Hal Lindsay and Salem Kirban all rest on the foundation of pre-tribulation rapture. It is this very fact that lies at the root of so many of the conflicts which arise within their teachings. Once this crumbling foundation is removed, their teaching collapses. We can now sift through the rubble and remove those stones which are still valid (because they fit the pattern) and use them again. However, the stones which are made up of nothing but wood and stubble (such as the teaching that Elijah and Moses/Enoch will reappear) can be discarded. It hurts to see an old building torn down. However, when that structure turns out to be a death trap, it would be dangerous to allow it to remain.
Even a firetrap is not dangerous until the fire starts. The closer we get to the time of the fire however, the deadlier it becomes. Likewise, the firetrap represented by the 20th century teaching of Revelation with its pre-tribulation rapture foundation was not physically deadly when it was first presented. Why not? Simple, no one had to rely upon it for shelter in the storm because the storm had not yet come. However, as we draw closer to the time that a conflict free interpretation of Revelation is needed (ie. one that fits God' s pattern), the deadlier the firetrap becomes.
The fact that a firetrap needs to be destroyed doesn't make it any easier for those who have been living in it so comfortably for such a long time However, I ask you to prayerfully consider what we are going to look at. The Holy Spirit and only the Holy Spirit will open up end time prophecy which, by definition, includes the book of Revelation (Dan.12:4, John 14:26, I Cor.2:12 & Eph.1:17). Unlike some pre-tribulation rapture oriented interpretations I have examined, I am not saying that what you are about to read is the final definitive only possible interpretation of Revelation. I ask only that you consider this: while what you are about to read is in fact somewhat different from what you have been taught, how can any interpretation of Revelation which is built on the foundation of pre-tribulation rapture claim to be inspired by the Holy Spirit when its source is anything but holy?
What I am presenting then is what I believe to be a clear interpretation of Revelation based upon the whole of God's pattern, which by definition must exclude the pre-tribulation rapture teaching of Mary McDonald. Keeping in mind the stern admonition of Rev.22:18&19, I urge everyone to seek spiritual eyes that see and spiritual ears that hear as they proceed in this study.
Revelation chapters 1 through 3 is Jesus' admonition to the Church as a whole, represented by the "7" churches of Asia. It is not my intention to cover these messages in this study. In no way should this be viewed as an attempt on my part to diminish their importance. It is clear that no overcomer would dare ignore them (Rev.2:7,11,17,26-29, 3:5-6,12-13,21-22)), but overcoming per se is not the topic of this study. Instead, we are going to examine the prophetic nature of the seals, messenger angels, trumpets and bowls of God's wrath. The description of the seals/trumpets and angels/bowls are found in Revelation chapters 4 through 15, and it is these chapters that we will focus our attention upon in this study. Chapters 17 & 18 have already been discussed in chapter 14 of this book, and chapters 19-22 take us from the return of Jesus after the tribulation, to the millennial age and beyond to the 8th and greatest day of the New Jerusalem. Like chapters 1 through 3, I shall not touch upon chapters 19-22 in this study, but shall save them for another time.
In the first 4 chapters of this book we discovered that the tribulation period mention in Revelation chapters 4 through 16 covers a period of not 7 years, but most likely 3 1/2 years. We have seen that the two witnesses of chapter 11 are not Elijah and Moses/Enoch (as pre-tribulation rapture advocates maintain), but the overcoming Church of Jesus Christ. Finally, we saw that the Great Harlot of Revelation 17&18 is not the city of Rome, but WAS the old city of Jerusalem and, for future purposes, could be any religious system which places man's traditions before God's Word and His pattern.
The pretrib viewpoint tells us that Revelation chapters 4 through 16 covers a 7 year span of time, and follows a rough chronological sequence with the 1st seal of Chapter 6:1 marking the beginning of this period as the anti-Christ goes forth to conquer the world. Pretribbers then proceed on through the remaining seals with disaster following disaster until they arrive at the 7th seal in Chapter 8:1. This seal is itself composed of 7 trumpets beginning in Rev.8:6 and going through Rev.11:19. According to their interpretation about 3 1/2 years of their 7-year tribulation period have now expired.
It is at this point that the anti-Christ takes off his mask of respectability and begins to wreck havoc on the earth (chapters 12-14). The 7th trumpet in Rev.11:19 is itself composed of the 7 bowls of God's wrath as set forth in chapters 15-16. These bowls are poured out during the final 3 1/2 years of the tribulation period during which the Great Harlot (whom they identify as Rome, New York or a rebuilt Babylon) is destroyed. Amongst the pretribbers there are numerous variations on these themes, but in essence the foregoing is a fair representation of an overview of their end time theology as it applies to the seals/trumpets and angels/bowls.
There are many problems presented by this scenario, but I shall mention only 2, for in and of themselves they are insurmountable. First of all, carefully note what the loud voices say WHEN the 7th trumpet is sounded in Rev.11:15. They say, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ..."(emphasis added). Also note carefully what the 24 elders say WHEN the 7th trumpet is sounded. They say "... (Y)ou have taken your great power and have begun to reign ... the time has come for judging the dead and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints..." (emphasis added). These verses do not say the Jesus' reign will begin 3 1/2 years after the 7th trumpet sounds. Nor do they say that the saints are rewarded 3 1/2 years after the 7th trumpet sounds. They say that as of the sounding of the 7th trumpet His reign begins, and His saints are rewarded. (Bear with me for a few moments and we will see that 7th trumpet is sounded at the end of the 3 1/2 year tribulation period which is the last half of Daniel's 70th week - and not half way through the pretribbers 7 year period)
To maintain that there are still 3 1/2 years of pre-millennial earth history after the sounding of the 7th trumpet clearly violates every rule of grammar or Scriptural interpretation. If the Holy Spirit had meant that Christ's reign would begin in 3 1/2 more years, why did He say, "...the kingdom of this world HAS BECOME the kingdom of our Lord."(emphasis added). Why did He not say that Christ's reign is to "begin shortly," or that it will "begin in just 3 1/2 more years?" While this is a major problem to the pretribber, it is not the greatest problem presented by their position.
If Revelation chapters 6 through 8, 11:15-19 and chapters 15 through 16 are viewed as a continuum, with no repetition, then I am forced to ask this question, "Where else in Scripture do we find recorded anything that approaches this kind of a description of end time events?" The answer of course is "No where!" In which case, God has given us a detailed description of one of the most important events in earth history only once. If that is true, how can we reconcile this fact with II Cor.13:1, Phil.3:1 and Matt.18:16 which all clearly tell us that God speaks twice?
I submit to you that the pretribber's view of the seals and trumpets and bowls clearly violates this most important principle of Scriptural interpretation. Furthermore, it totally ignores the seven messenger angels of Rev.14:6 through 15:1-8. As you will recall from your reading of Genesis, Joeseph - when interpreting Pharaoh's dreams - told him that "The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God..." (emphasis added - Gen.41:32). This does not mean that every single detail of every phase of the tribulation period would be repeated in a second account. However, it is correct to expect that at the very least, the topic of the tribulation period would be repeated somewhere.
Consider for a moment the Gospel accounts of Jesus' birth. Each account, rather then viewed as complete in and or itself, is viewed as giving one part of the whole story. The separate accounts are added together in order to give a more complete picture. Jesus was not born twice; rather, Matthew gives us one account and Luke gives us another. Not two conflicting accounts but two accounts of the same event, which when viewed together, gives us a more complete understanding of the entire event.
A fair question to ask at this point is, "Is there any indication in Revelations chapters 4 through 16 that as opposed to being given one long continuous narrative, we are in fact being given two different pictures of the same series of events?" There are in fact two such indications. The first of these is found in Rev.10:11. Therein the angel told John, "... you must prophecy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."
This verse can be viewed in 3 distinct ways. First, the angel could simply have been telling John that in effect he was to continue prophesying as he had been doing up to that point by writing things down (Rev.10:11). Second, we could assume that the account of the two witnesses which follows in Rev.11:1-14 in and of itself satisfies this requirement to prophecy again about many peoples, nations, languages & kings because Rev.11:9 says that men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on the bodies of the two witnesses. The third possibility is that after John describes the 7th trumpet at the end of Rev. 11:19 he is beginning again, and redescribes the events that led up to the 7 seals as well as the 7 seals and 7 trumpets themselves. Only this time he is to do so using different images, much as God did when He gave Pharaoh two separate dreams which covered the same series of events, each from a different perspective. In other words, Revelation chapters 4 through 11 gives us one view of a series of events and Revelation chapters 12 through 16 gives us another view of basically the same happenings. Each one includes some details not included in the other while at the same time highlighting some details common to each.
The first option open to us as to how to interpret Revelation 10:11 is not acceptable to me because the angel did not tell John he was to continue prophesying, but rather that he was to prophecy again, ie. retell the same story. The second option is more acceptable than the first, but it fails to adequately take into consideration the meaning of the word "again." Furthermore, the description of the activities of the two witnesses in Rev.11:1-12 fails to mention kings at all, and the fleeting reference to peoples, tribes and languages in verse 9 cannot be viewed as a prophecy about "many peoples, nations, languages and kings" (Rev.10:11). This is a mere notation, not a prophecy; as such, we are left with option number three.
Option number 3 appears to best meet the criteria of a second prophecy about many people, etc. At this point you need to turn to the comparison chart which appears on the next few pages. This chart sets out clearly the verses which deal with the 7 seals and 7 trumpets, and the verses which deal with their counterparts - the 7 messenger angels (which are one and the same with the 7 seals) and the 7 bowls of God's wrath (which are one and the same with the 7 trumpets).
It is at this point that the second clear indication concerning the proposition that we are being given two distinct views of the same series of events comes into focus. This indication concerns the identical nature of the sequence of events between the 7 trumpets and the 7 bowls. Notice that the 1st trumpet affects the earth while the 1st bowl affects the land. The 2nd trumpet affects the sea and the 2nd bowl affects the sea also. The 3rd
trumpet the rivers and the 3rd bowl the springs of waters (see Gen.7:11 wherein we see that the springs of waters equals rivers.) The 4th trumpet the sun and the 4th bowl the sun. The 5th trumpet the pit and the 5th bowl the seat of the beast (one and the same thing). The 6th trumpet affects the Euphrates River and the 6th bowl also affects the Euphrates River. The temple in heaven is said to have been closed until both the sounding of the 7th trumpet and the pouring out of the 7th bowel (see Rev.11:19 & 15:8). Finally, we are told that after the 7th trumpet sounds, God's mystery is accomplished, and similarly that after the 7th bowel is poured out "It is done." (Rev.16:17).
The absolute identity between the objects of the trumpet's actions and the bowl's wrath is more than a simple coincidence. It would appear that they are without a doubt one and the same thing. There is one point concerning the dualism of the trumpets and the bowls that must be addressed. That concerns what at first glance is a serious flaw in the parallel theory. I am sure that you noticed that Rev.8:8-9 informs us that 1/3rd of the creatures in the sea died, while at the same time Rev.16:3 tells us that "every living thing in the sea died." How then can it be said that the 2nd trumpet and the 2nd bowl are one in the same thing?
The answer to that question centers on a technical, though sometimes-emotional point. I have heard ministers literally whip a congregation into a frenzy by saying in a very loud and fast paced voice, "When the Bible says 'ALL' it means 'ALL'." Now with this statement I have no quarrel. However, I must ask this question, "How all encompassing is the word all in the context of the verse in which it is being used?" Allow me to explain. Dan.2:37-38 tells us that Nebuchadnezzar was ruler over "all" mankind. Now, was he the ruler over the Incas of Peru? Of course not. He was however the absolute ruler over ALL the men who lived within the territory that God had given him to rule over (Acts 17:26, Dan.4:17 and II Chron.20:6). Another example can be found in Dan.2:5. Did the Persian Empire, which conquered Babylon and "ruled over the whole earth" control the inhabitants of the Fiji islands? Again the answer is "No." They controlled all of that part of the earth which God had given into their hands.
Many times the Bible itself spells out the limitations it is placing on the scope of the word "all." Notice in Jer.44:14 that it says "none" of the inhabitants of Judah will return from Egypt. None that is "except a few fugitives." Similarly, Rev.13:8 says that during the time of the tribulation "all" inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast, all that is whose names have not been written in the book of life. Not all inhabitants, but all inhabitants whose names have not been written in the book of life.
Let us now bring this back to our discussion of the 2nd trumpet and the 2nd bowl in Rev.8:8-9 and Rev.16:3. In Rev.16:3 we get the distinct impression that "all" the living creatures in all the seas all over the world will die. However, when viewed in context with Rev.8:8-9 we discover that we are not being told that every living sea creature throughout the whole earth dies, but that every living sea creature within the 1/3 part of the seas that are being effected die. "All" does in fact mean "all," but within the geographic context in which it is given. Remember, the picture we get of the events described as the trumpets is enhanced and improved by the overlapping picture we get of the bowls.
So much for the trumpets and bowls. While there is no doubt that there is quite a difference between what you have just read and the position maintained by the pretribbers, at least it can be said that both their position and the one you have just read agree that the trumpets and bowls are future tense in nature. From this point on however we will be discussing the 7 seals and 7 messenger angels. And here there is a sharp departure from what many of us have previously been taught. Remember though, most likely what you have been taught is based upon the false premise of pre-tribulation rapture, which has also failed to consider the fact that God speaks to us twice
Most pretribbers hold to the view that the 1st seal represents the going forth of the anti-Christ to conquer the world (Rev.6:2). This view makes two assumptions. First, it assumes that the Bible is absolutely silent from the time of the Apostle John until the time the tribulation begins - a span of about 2,000 years. Secondly, it assumes that the seals stand alone and that there are no parallel views of these events. Both of these assumptions appear to be in error, for, as we have said, the 7 messenger angels found in Revelation chapters 14 & 15 dovetail nicely with the 7 seals of Revelation chapters 6 through 8. What we find however when we overlap the angels and the seals is a completely different picture from the one painted by the pretribbers. But that should not be surprising.
By overlapping the 1st seal with the 1st messenger angel we find that it not the anti-Christ which went out to conquer, but that it is the Gospel which is going forth to cover the earth. Overlapping the 2nd seal with the 2nd messenger angel we discover that the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD is being prophesied, and not the fall of some future version of Rome or New York (see Chapter 4 of this book). Before I continue with the remainder of the seals allow me to briefly address an issue which is bound to be brought up by serious scholars. Rev.1:9 tells us that John was to write about "what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later." (ie. past, present & future) However, by the time we get to Rev.4:1 the voice speaking to John says "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." Therefore, both the seals and the messenger angels had to have been future tense for John. Now, if Revelation was written in 90 AD, as the Catholic Church maintains, and Jerusalem fell in 70 AD how could the 2nd seal and the 2nd messenger angel have been referring to the fall of Jerusalem?
The answer to this question centers on the date of Jesus' revelation to John. One of the main points of division between the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church is the very issue of the Church calendar. Among the points of contention in this area is the date for the writing of Revelation. The Eastern Orthodox Church maintains that it was written in 68 AD. Needless to say, if in fact they are correct, then the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD was still 2 years in the future at the time of John's vision in 68 AD. While it is true that the Gospel started going forth at Pentecost in 29 AD, it can safely be said that even as late as 68 AD it had not yet conquered the world. And therefore, even the going forth of the Gospel in the 1st seal was still future tense in nature at the time John wrote Revelation. The latest research into the authorship of the New Testament appears to verify the position held by the Eastern Orthodox Church. For example, Dr. John A.T. Robinson, formally of Trinity University in Cambridge is quoted in an article in Time magazine in 1977 as stating that the Apostles must have been the genuine writers of the New Testament in the years prior to 64 AD!
This now brings us to the 3rd seal and the 3rd messenger angel. I believe that these statements are prophesying the destruction of the Church in 313 AD. At that time Constantine issued a decree that all people were now to be considered Christians. Literally, the Church virtually died at this time. All vitality left it, as all need for commitment was now gone. (In a future study we will discuss in greater detail the mark of the beast and the anti-Christ which is mentioned in relation to the 3rd messenger angel.) For now I simply ask you to pray over this point, and ask the Holy Spirit to show you whether or not the Mark of the Beast has anything to do with computers, laser tattoos, or whether or not it has more to do with the state of our minds (foreheads/souls), and what it is that we are working for while we are here on the earth (hands).
The 4th seal and the 4th messenger angel (specifically referred to only as a voice from heaven) shows us the natural consequence of the wounded Church, which was the dark ages! Needless to say, if you will recall from your history books over 1/4 of the earth's population did die from the bubonic plague (Black Death) during this period of time. The 5th seal and the 5th messenger angel take us from the reformation to now, a time of renewal and harvest for the Lord.
This in turn brings us to the not too distant future where we find the 6th seal is about to be opened (is already opening). The opening of the 6th seal has been prophesied about since the time of Isaiah (Is.34:4-5) and Joel (Joel 2:30-31 & Acts 2:19-21), and Jesus clearly referred to it in His prophecies concerning the end time (Matt.24:29-36, Mk.3:24-31 & Lk.21:25-36). While there can be no doubt that it will be a time of great upheaval, we need have no fear, for at this time we know that our redemption is drawing near (Lk.21: 28). And remember, the redemption spoken about here in not your initial salvation experience, but the redemption of our physical bodies Ro.8:23).
How do we know that this might mean us? Well, Matt.24:34, Mk.13:30 & Lk21:32 all promise that "this generation" will not pass away. Which generation? The generation that is alive to see the opening of the 6th seal. I do not believe that this is to far away, because Lk.21:24 tells us that the time of the gentiles came to a close in June 1967 when Jerusalem was recaptured by the Israelites. This last point brings up something I believe should also be mentioned. It would appear that the breaking of the seal and the opening of the Scroll (Rev.5:5) is not like turning the pages of a book. We cannot say that one moment the scroll is closed and the next moment it is opened. Rather, the process is much more gradual. It is more of an unfolding of events as opposed to a quick turning of the pages. Therefore, I believe Lk.21:24 is showing us that we are in the time period of the closing of the time of the gentiles.
In regards to the time frame of the events which we have been discussing we see that from the opening of the 1st seal to the 6th seal there will have been a span of more than 1900 years. How long then will it be from the breaking of the 6th seal till the end of the age? On that topic all I can say is that it will be less than a generation (Matt.24:34) but more than one growing season (Rev.8:7 with Rev.9:4-5). This now brings us to the 7th seal and the 7th messenger angel which I believe are in fact the 7 trumpets/bowls of God's wrath which we discussed earlier (Rev.8:1&2 with Rev.14:19 through 15:1)
While there can be no doubt that this is a time of great devastation, those in the secret place of the Most High (Ps.91:1&9-11) will have no reason to fear either the wrath of the beast (Rev.11:5) nor the wrath of the Lord (I Thes.5:9 - see Chapter's 11 & 12 of The Last Enemy). As I have already said, during this time we are to take heart because our redemption draweth nigh.
Concerning Revelation chapters 12&13 allow me to make these brief comments. As you will recall from earlier in this study, it was pointed out that chapters 12 through 16 are not the midway point in some 7-year reign by "the" anti-Christ, but instead are a retelling of a series of events. Therefore, chapter 12 is not a midway point, but a beginning point. In fact, it even goes back before the time of the opening of the 1st seal in Rev.5 and reviews, among other things, the birth of Christ and His crucifixion (Rev.12:5), the removal of satan from the presence of God as the accuser after Jesus victory on the cross (Rev.12:10 see Job 1:6), and the attack which satan unleashed against the early Church (Rev.12:17).
I am sure that there are many questions which you have as to some particular detail concerning some particular verse. Certainly I do. Unlike some teachers, I do not believe that the book of Revelation is all future tense in nature. And I most certainly do not feel that the Church is excluded from any of the events described therein as all pretribbers are forced to assume. Nor do I feel, as do many main line denominational churches, that all the events of Revelation have already transpired. Revelation is a living breathing active book. Many events are past tense, ie. seals 1,2,3,4- some are present ie. seal 5 - and some are still future, ie. seals 6 & 7.
While the destruction and judgment so graphically depicted are indeed worldwide in scope, God will provide pockets of protection for His mature sons, as He did for the Israelites in Egypt prior to the Exodus (Ex.8:22). Since, as I have said earlier, the time of the Gentiles is drawing (has drawn) to a close, many of the events which we have discussed will be centered in Israel. But their scope and effect will be felt worldwide. This is the time of reconciliation of natural Israel to her Messiah as spoken of by Paul in Ro.11:11-32 (see verse 25). However, it is also a time when, more than ever before, the world will need the ministry of the Body of Christ. A body of mature overcomers who are as completely sold out to the Father as was Jesus. It is a time for a body which will minister in all the love and power of Jesus. And it is a time when we will need much understanding and wisdom.
There are still unanswered questions. I am well aware of that. However, what you have just read is, I believe, the best explanation of all the accounts of Revelations chapters 4 through 16 that I have thus far encountered. After much prayer, study and consideration I am convinced that this account best fits the overall pattern of God's Word that we have developed in the previous 4 books (I first encountered this concept in 1980). The question of the anti-Christ and His mark will be addressed in a different study. For now, pray over what has been presented here, and do not make the mistake of throwing the whole thing out merely because there might be one or two verses out of the 10 or so chapters we have concentrated upon that do not seem to fit neatly into this framework. Some of your questions will be cleared up as we study the beast and his mark, and in His time, the Holy Spirit will reveal the rest to us both.
7 SEALS = 7 ANGELS
1st SEAL
REV. 6:2
I watched as the Lamb opened the first of seven seals. then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2 I looked and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
1st ANGEL
REV. 14:6-7
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth - to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water."
2nd SEAL
REV. 6:3-4
3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
2nd ANGEL
REV.14:8
8 A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."
3rd SEAL
REV.6:5-6
5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine.!"
3rd ANGEL
REV.14:9-12
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
4th SEAL
REV.6:7-8
7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
4th ANGEL
REV.14:13
13 then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on."
"Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."
5th SEAL
REV.6:9-11
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Soverign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 11 Then each of them was given a white rode, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
5th ANGEL
REV.14:14-16
14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called in as loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
6th SEAL
REV.6:12-17 SEE ALSO 7:1-17
12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. Their was a great earthquake. the sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red. 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 the sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15 then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, "fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
6th ANGEL
REV.14:17-20
17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. 20 They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
7th SEAL
REV.8:1-2 SEE ALSO 8:3-5
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 to them were given seven trumpets.
7th ANGEL
REV.15:1 SEE ALSO 15:2-8
1 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues - last because with God's wrath is completed.
7 TRUMPETS = 7 BOWLS
1st TRUMPET
REV.8:7
EARTH
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 upon 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.
1st BOWL
REV.16:2
EARTH
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth."
2 The first angel went and poured his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.
2nd TRUMPET
REV.8:8-9
SEA
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, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
2nd BOWL
REV.16:3
SEA
3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.
3rd TRUMPET
REV.8:10-11
RIVERS
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 the springs of water - 11 the name of the star is Wormwood. a third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
3rd BOWL
REV.16:4-7
RIVERS
4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of waters, and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:
"You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; 6 for they shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."
7 And I heard the altar respond: "Yes Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments."
4th TRUMPET
REV.8:12-13
SUN
12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the mood, 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.!"
4th BOWL
REV.16:8-9
SUN
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
5th TRUMPET
REV.9:1-12
PIT
1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. the star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkedned by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
7 the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crown of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like a woman's hair, and their teeth like lion's teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 they had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 they had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.
12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
5th BOWL
REV.16:10-11
THRONE OF THE BEAST
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pain and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
6th TRUMPET
REV.9:13-21
EUPHRATES RIVER
13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet. "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 the number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard the number.
17 the horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this. their breast-plates were fiery red, dark blue and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
20 The rest mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshipping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood - idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
6th BOWL
REV.16:12-16
EUPHRATES RIVER
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East. 13 then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
15 "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."
16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
7th TRUMPET
REV.11:15-19 & REV. 10:7
ACCOMPLISHED
15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."
16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped God, 17 saying:
"We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. 18 The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great - and for destroying those who destroy the earth."
19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of the covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, pearls of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
Cha 10 "There will be no more delay! 7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."
7th BOWL
REV.16:17-21
IT IS DONE
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying. "It is done!" 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, pearls of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.