The Seventh Seal
In the previous chapter, the opening of the Seven Seals was interrupted in order to shown John the 144,000 from all the Tribes of Israel and the Martyrs of the Great Tribulation. In this chapter, John is returned to the opening of the Seventh Seal, which revealed a period of silence.
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence for about half an hour in heaven. Rev. 8:1
In the Scriptures, silence is used to describe the defeat of one’s enemy in war. To defeat your enemy is to silence your enemy, as can be seen in the following passages.
“Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day, ”declares the Lord. Jer. 50:30“
In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!” Amos 8:3
As in the above examples, the silence of the Seventh Seal will come after God’s enemies have been defeated in battle, as described in the opening of the Sixth Seal when the kings, generals, and everyone else crying out in fear of the Wrath of God. In this way, the Silence in Heaven will complete the events of the Seven Seals as listed below.
Order of Events of the Last Days
1. The Ascension of Jesus Christ
2. Wars, Rumors of Wars, Earthquakes, and Famines (Seals 1-4)
3. The Martyrs Pray for Judgment and Revenge (5th. Seal)
4. The Plagues on the Land, the Sea, and the Trees
5. The Great Tribulation when the Full Number of Brothers and Sisters will be Killed
6. The Great Earthquake and Severe Hailstorm (6th. Seal)
7. The Silence in Heaven (7th. Seal)
As we mentioned in the previous chapter, the opening of the Seven Seals provides a general overview of the major events that will take place in the Last Days. To this general list, we will add the next events that were shown to John through the sounding of Seven Trumpets.
The Seven Trumpets
After being shown the events of the Seven Seals, John, next, saw the Seven Angels who will sound Seven Trumpets.
And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
Rev. 8:2
When we read that John was shown the events of the Seven Trumpets after he was shown the events of the Seven Seals, it does not mean that the events of the Seven Trumpets take place after the Seven Seals, but that John saw them next. To determine when the events of the Seven Trumpets will actually start we need to look at who John saw at the Throne of God before the First Trumpet was sounded, as described in the following passages.
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. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. 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. And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them. Rev. 8:3-6
In these passages, the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne, is another description of the Prayer of the Martyrs in Heaven who will cry out for judgment and revenge, as described in the events of the Fifth Seal ( see Chapter 6.) When John was shown the Prayer of the Martyrs in Heaven, prior to the sounding of the Seven Trumpets, it tells us that the events of the Seven Trumpets will begin after the martyrs prayer for revenge. This is similar to how John was shown the Ascension of Jesus Christ prior to the opening of the Seven Seals (see Chapter 5). In each case, who John sees at the Throne of God tells us where we are at in the Timeline of Events of the Last Days before the next events begin. (This will also be true for the pouring out of the Seven Bowls.) In this way, we learn that the events of the Seven Trumpets will occur within the events of the Seven Seals and after the events of the Fifth Seal.
Having found that the events of the Seven Trumpets will begin after the prayer of the martyrs and the opening of the Fifth Seal, we should remember how we read in Chapter 7 that the Four Angels will be given the power to harm the land, the sea, and the trees after the events of the Fifth Seal as well. Accordingly, in the events of the First Three Trumpets we will be given another description of these very same plagues.
The First Trumpet
When the First Trumpet was sounded, John saw hail and fire hurled down on the earth, and a third of the earth and trees were burned up.
The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on 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. Rev. 8:7
The burning up of a third of the earth is a literal description of a world wide drought that will cause a third of the trees, and all the green grass to die. This corresponds with how we read that the Four Angels will also be given the power to harm the land, the sea, and the trees after the events of the Fifth Seal. Accordingly, the First Trumpet will announce the same plague on the trees that will be carried out by the Four Angels when a third of the Earth will be burned up.
In addition, John saw hail and fire mixed with blood being hurled down on the earth. In the Scriptures, hail and fire is associated with judgment, [1] and blood represents revenge. [2] Accordingly, the description of the fire and blood that will be hurled down on the earth does not mean that literal blood and fire will fall from the sky but provides a picture of how the Martyrs in Heaven will pray for judgment and revenge. Accordingly, the Prayer of the Martyrs in Heaven for judgment and revenge will trigger the events of the Seven Trumpets beginning with the burning up of a third of the trees and all the green grass.
The Second Trumpet
When the Second Trumpet was sounded, John saw something like a huge mountain that was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea turned into blood.
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. Rev. 8:8-9
When we read that a third of the sea will turn to blood, it is another reference to the plagues of the Four Angels who will be given power to harm the land, the sea, and the trees. To those familiar with the Old Testament, the waters being turned to blood brings to mind the plagues called down by Moses and Aaron in the events of the Exodus from Egypt. As was the case in that instance, the description of the waters being turned into blood is a literal event when a third of the living creatures in the sea will die and a third of the ships will be destroyed. [3]
In addition, John saw something like a huge mountain that was thrown into the sea. When the word like is used to describe the mountain that was all ablaze, it tells us that the Scriptures are not speaking of a literal mountain but something that is like a huge mountain. Accordingly, when we search the Scriptures to interpret this event, we find that the word mountain is often used to describe a kingdom.
“Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion,” declares the Lord. “I am against you, you destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth,” declares the Lord. Jer. 51:24-25
In this example, the word mountain is used to represent a large kingdom (the kingdom of Babylon), and when the kingdom is destroyed, it is described as a burnt-out mountain. From this example, we can say that the huge mountain all ablaze of the Second Trumpet also represents a large kingdom that will be destroyed or thrown into the sea. Likewise, when the Scriptures describe a stone, boulder, or mountain being hurled into the sea; it is a description of a city, nation, or kingdom being destroyed in battle.
Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. ”Rev. 18:21
In the Book of Daniel, the increase and eventual reign of the Kingdom of God on earth is also described as a huge mountain that will fill the whole earth.
While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth… “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” Dan. 2:34-35, 44
If we were to read further in Daniel, we would find that the statue of iron, bronze, silver, and gold represents the consecutive kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, which all eventually fell, while the stone that struck the statue grew to be a huge mountain that will endure forever. In this way, we are given another example of a kingdom being represented by a mountain.
Based on the above precedence in Scripture, we can say that the description of the huge mountain that is hurled into the sea represents a huge kingdom that will be defeated in battle. The fact that the mountain is all ablaze tells us that the defeat of this kingdom will come as a result of God’s judgment. We will be given the identity of this kingdom in the events of the Third Trumpet.
The Third Trumpet
In the events of the Third Trumpet, we will be given the final description of the plagues on the land, the sea, and the trees, and we will read of a great star that will fall from the sky.
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 on the springs of water—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. Rev. 8:10-11
In the description of the Third Trumpet, John was shown how a third of the waters turned bitter, which corresponds with the how the Four Angels will be given the power to harm the land by poisoning a third of the rivers and springs of water. In addition, John saw a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky, which corresponds with how stars are often used to represent angels.
The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. Rev. 1:20
When we are told that stars represent angels, we can conclude that the great star represents Satan, and the huge mountain, of the Second Trumpet, represents his kingdom. [4] Accordingly, the account of the mountain and the star falling to the earth, all ablaze, forms a picture of how the devil and his angels will be defeated in a heavenly battle and cast to the earth. These same events are described in Chapter 12 of the Revelation, where we read of the War in Heaven that will take place between the angels.
Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Rev. 12:7-9
In these passages the fall of Satan and His kingdom is attributed to the War in Heaven when Michael and his angels will fight against Satan and his angels. The fact that this war will take place during the Plagues on the Land, the Sea, and the Trees tells us that Satan will oppose the implementation of these judgments, which will lead to the breaking out of war in the heavens. In this way, when the Martyrs in Heaven pray for their blood to be avenged, it will trigger the beginning the Plagues on the Land, the Sea, and the Trees that will be carried out by the Four Angels. When Satan and his angels try to interfere in these events, war will break out in the heavens between the angels, and Satan and his kingdom will be hurled to the earth.
The War in Heaven should not be confused with the original fall of Satan, who was cast from God’s Throne prior to the Fall of Man. In the Old Testament, we read how Satan exalted himself above God and was cast down from the Heaven of God’s Throne (Is. 14:12-14, Ezek. 28:11-17). Following his ejection from Heaven, the devil roamed the earth and the middle heavens of the angels, which is where he operates from today. These circumstances will continue until the future War in Heaven when the devil will be cast down from the domain of the angels to the heavens above the earth. This explanation correspond with how the Apostle Paul spoke of the three regions of Heaven, including the third heaven of God’s Throne.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.
2 Cor. 12:2
Paul’s description of the third heaven implies the existence of three, distinct heavenly domains as follows, (1): the Heaven of God’s Throne, (2) the middle heaven of the angels, and (3) the lower heavens above the earth (the sky). Thus, when Satan is defeated in the War in Heaven, he will be cast from the middle heavens of the angels to the heavens of the earth where he will be filled with fury.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” Rev. 12:7-12
The wrath of Satan will lead to the next events of the Fourth Trumpet when the devil will empower a ruler known as the Antichrist, or the Beast as he is called in the Revelation, who will blaspheme God and persecute his people. When the Beast grows in power, he will lead an attack on Jerusalem and a third of Israel will be killed as described in the events of the Fourth Trumpet.
The Fourth Trumpet
In the events of the Fourth Trumpet, we will no longer be reading about the Plagues on the Land, the Sea, and the Trees. Instead, when the Fourth Trumpet was sounded, John was shown how a third of Israel will be killed.
The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, 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 turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. Rev. 8:12
Although these passages do not mention Israel directly, we know that the events of the Fourth Trumpet are referring to an attack on God’s people based on the description of how a third of the sun, moon, and stars will be struck. In the Scriptures, the sun, moon, and stars are often used to represent Israel. This is first seen in the story of the patriarch Joseph who had a dream in which the original family of Israel is described as the sun, the moon, and the twelve stars.
Then he (Joseph) had yet another dream, and informed his brothers of it, and said, “Behold, I have had yet another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” He also told it to his father (Jacob) as well as to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Am I and your mother and your brothers actually going to come to bow down to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. Gen. 37:9-11
The sun, the moon, and the twelve stars are also used to portray Israel in the Revelation itself.
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman (Israel) clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars (the Twelve Tribes of Israel) on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth… She gave birth to a son, a male child (Jesus), who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. Rev. 12:1-2, 5
In these verses, the woman, who will give birth to the Son is an obvious reference to Israel, who is again described as the sun, moon, and twelve stars. Thus when John was shown a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars being struck, he was seeing how a third of Israel would be killed in an attack. This attack is further described in the description of how a third of the day will be without light, which is a literal description of how smoke from the burning fires will darken the sky so that a third of the day and a third of the night will be without light. This is a familiar theme in the Scriptures where the darkening of the heavens is often used to describe the destruction of a city or nation that comes under the judgment of God.
“Son of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him… When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the shining lights in the heavens. I will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land, declares the Sovereign Lord. …For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:“‘ The sword of the king of Babylon will come against you.”’ Ezek. 32:2, 7-8, 11
See, the day of the Lord is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. …See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold. Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children. Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. Isa. 13:9-10, 17-19
In the above examples, the overthrow of Egypt by the Babylonians, and the destruction of Babylon by the Medes are described as a time when clouds blocked out the light of the sun and the moon so that the skies became dark. Likewise, when Israel is attacked, the city of Jerusalem will be set on fire and smoke from the flames will hide the constellations causing a third of the day and a third of the night to be without light.
The Attack on Jerusalem
To better understand the Attack on Jerusalem of the Fourth Trumpet, we must depart from the narrative of the Revelation to read how this attack is described in the rest of the Scriptures, beginning with the Gospel of Luke, where the Lord warned of the future attack by telling the people that when they saw their city surrounded by armies, they were to flee to the mountains for safety.
“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.” Lk. 21:20-22
From the above passages, we learn that whenever we read about those in the country not entering the city or those in the city, fleeing to the mountains, we are reading about the Attack on Jerusalem. This is exampled in the following passages, which also describe the attack.
“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” “Where, Lord?” they asked. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.” Luke 17:30-37
We know that the above verses are describing the future Attack on Jerusalem based on the warning to those in the field to not enter the city, which is the same warning, given in the previous passages when Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies. In this case, the people who are on the housetops are told not to even go inside their homes to retrieve their possessions before fleeing to the mountains. This tells us that the Attack on Jerusalem, which is described in the sounding of the Fourth Trumpet, will come as a complete surprise to the residents of the city who will not have time to gather anything from their homes before escaping from the destruction. [5]
A Surprise Attack
In the above passages, the suddenness by which the Attack on Jerusalem will take place can be seen in the Old Testament reference to Lot, who had to suddenly flee from Sodom to avoid being killed in the destruction of that sinful city. Jesus used the example of Lot’s wife, who hesitated and was destroyed, to emphasize how the people living in Judea should not attempt to save their life, in the form of gathering their possessions, before fleeing to the mountains. Also, in these verses, we are told that half of the people will be taken and the other half left, which is a reference to how half of the survivors of the attack will be taken into exile. Accordingly, whenever this phrase is used in the Scriptures, it is also a reference to the Attack on Jerusalem as exampled in the following passages.
I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. “How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Lk. 21:23-24
In these verses, we learn that to being “taken” refers to those who will be taken into exile when Jerusalem is attacked and to be “left” refers to those who will be left in the city. (To read more about the meaning of the words “taken” and “left”, go here.) The surprise nature of the Attack on Jerusalem is further described in the Gospel of Matthew, where the attack on the city is compared to the days of Noah when the people knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” Matt. 24:36-41
In these verses, the Attack on Jerusalem is identified by the description of those who will be taken and those who will be left, which we just read in Luke’s description of this same event. In Matthew’s account, the people of Israel are reminded how Noah escaped from the time of punishment by entering the Ark, while those who were destroyed in the flood were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage before the flood came. This is a reference to how leading up to the Attack on Jerusalem, the people will be carrying on with their daily activities and will be completely unaware of their pending destruction. Only those who act to save themselves by fleeing from the city, before the destruction begins, will be spared, just as Noah saved himself by entering the Arc.
Satan Pursues Israel
Another account of the flight of the Remnant is given to us by the prophet Zechariah, who described how an earthquake will split the Mount of Olives in two in order to provide an escape route for the fleeing Remnant.
A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. Zech. 14:1-5
Anyone familiar with the Old Testament will recognize the similarities between the escape of the Remnant from Jerusalem, and the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. In the Exodus, it was the armies of Pharaoh who pursued Moses and the children of Israel, and it was the sea that was divided to make a way of escape. Once Israel had passed through the sea, the waters swallowed up their pursuers. In the same way, when the Attack on Jerusalem takes place, Israel will once again be pursued but this time, it will be the Mount of Olives that is split in two and an earthquake that will swallow up the chasing armies. From these passages, we also learn that the Attack on Jerusalem is a future event, as none of the wars that have occurred in Israel have included an instance where the Mount of Olives was split in two. These same events are described in the Revelation using symbolic language to describe how the Remnant will be saved by an earthquake.
When the dragon (Satan) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman (Israel) who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, (1 year) times (2 years) and half a time (1/2 year), out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent (Satan) spewed water like a river (a Gentile army), to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth (an earthquake) and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. Rev. 12:13-17
In these passages, the Revelation uses symbolism to describe how, when the Remnant from Israel flees to the wilderness, they will be saved when an earthquake swallows up the chasing armies. Following their escape, the fleeing Remnant will be taken to the place prepared for them in the wilderness where they will be kept out of the Serpent’s reach for 3 ½ years. The above account is consistent with the geography of the city of Jerusalem, which is separated from the Judean Wilderness by a mountain range that includes the Mount of Olives. When this mountain is split in two by the earthquake, it will create an escape route for the Remnant to flee to the wilderness.
The Great Tribulation
As described in the above verses, the escape of the Remnant will enrage the devil who will then precede to kill the rest of God’s people in the events of the Great Tribulation, which is described as the war that Satan will wage against those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony of Jesus. Accordingly, in Mathew’s account of the Attack on Jerusalem, we read that the attack will be followed by the Great Distress, which will never be equaled.
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” Matt. 24:15-21
The above verses are another account of the Attack on Jerusalem as can be seen by how they contain the same warning concerning fleeing to the mountains, which serves as an identifier for the attack. In this account, the disciples are told that the Attack on Jerusalem will be preceded by the abomination that causes desolation, which is a description of an idol that will be placed in the Temple, and will be followed by a Great Distress that will never be equaled. The word that is translated as distress is the Greek word thlipsis EC 2347), which is the same word that is translated as tribulation, in following passages, when the great multitude of God’s people from every nation tribe, people, and language will be killed.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. Rev. 7:9
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation (thlipsis Strong’s 2347); they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 7:13-14
From the above accounts, we learn that the Great Tribulation will not just affect the Jews but will be a time when God’s people from every nation, tribe, people, and language will be killed.
The Last Three Trumpets
When God’s people are killed in the Great Tribulation, it will fulfill the condition given to the Martyrs in Heaven who were told that their blood would not be avenged until the full number of the brothers and sisters were killed, as repeated below.
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. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. Rev. 6:9-11
In accordance with the above prayer, after the full number of brothers and sisters are killed in the Great Tribulation, God will avenge the blood of the Martyrs in Heaven through the plagues of the Last Three Trumpets, which will bring Three Woes to those who live on earth.
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!” Rev. 8:13
The mention of the Three Woes that will be poured out on the Inhabitants of the Earth is in contrast to the plagues of the First Three Trumpets, which will harm the land, the sea, and the trees but will not strike those on earth themselves. In this way, we learn that the judgments of the First Three Trumpets will serve as a warning to the Inhabitants of the Earth, while the judgments of the Last Three Trumpets will judge the Inhabitants of the Earth. Accordingly, when the Last Three Trumpets are sounded, the wrath of God will fall directly on the Inhabitants of the Earth, themselves, as we will read about in the next chapter. In the meantime, we can add the events of the First Four Trumpets and the Attack on Jerusalem to the Order of Events of the Last Days as follows.
Order of Events of the Last Days
1. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
2. Wars, Rumors of Wars, Earthquakes, and Famines (Seals 1-4)
3. The Martyrs Pray for Judgment and Revenge (5th. Seal)
4. The Plagues on the Land, the Sea, and the Trees (the Hour of Trial)
– A third of the earth is burned up (1st. Trumpet)
– A third of the sea turns to blood (2nd. Trumpet)
– A third of the waters turn bitter (3rd Trumpet)
5. The Attack on Jerusalem (4th. Trumpet)
6. The Great Tribulation when the Full Number of Brothers and Sisters are Killed
7. The Last Three Trumpets (To be announced)
8. The Great Earthquake and Severe Hailstorm (6th. Seal)
9. The Silence in Heaven (7th. Seal)
Footnotes:
[1] Hail and judgment: Ezek. 38:22, Is. 4:4; 66:16, Amos 7:4, Heb. 10:27, 2 Pet. 3:7
[2] Blood and revenge: Num. 35:19, Ps. 58:10, Rev. 16:6
[3] The sea that will partly turn to blood is most likely the Mediterranean Sea, which borders Israel.
[4] In the Scriptures, Satan is described as a guardian cherub (Ezek. 28:14), which would place him above the angels and is why he is described as a great star in this passage.
[5] It is often taught that the Attack on Jerusalem, which is described in the above passages, is a past event that took place, in 70 A.D., when Rome attacked Jerusalem and destroyed the city and the temple. This teaching is based on a larger theory that suggests that the majority of events that are mentioned in the Revelation have already taken place. However, we know that the Attack on Jerusalem is a future event based on how it is described as coming as a complete surprise to the people, who will be forced to flee to the mountains without gathering any of their possessions. By contrast, the former attack on Jerusalem, which occurred in 70 A.D., was anticipated well in advance, as it followed a Jewish uprising against the Romans that occurred years earlier. During the time that it took the Romans to prepare an army to put down the rebellion, the cities in Judea set up defenses in anticipation of the inevitable invasion. When the Roman armies did begin their campaign, it led to a lengthy war that involved the besieging of several cities leading up to the siege of Jerusalem itself, years later. Accordingly, the historical account of the attack that took place in 70 A.D. does not match the Attack on Jerusalem, which is described in the Revelation as a time when the people will be caught completely by surprise.
Revelation Chapter 7
Revelation Chapter 9
Questions and Comments may be sent to: RevelationStudyGuide@gmail.com
Bryan Coray is the author of Keep Watch: The Order of Events of the Last Days, available
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