In the Revelation, the events of the Last Days are described through the opening of Seven Seals, the sounding of Seven Trumpets, and the pouring out of Seven Bowls. It is often thought that the above events are describing three, separate series of judgments that will follow one another. Contrary to this belief, the Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets and Seven Bowls overlap one another and describe some of the same events as can be seen in the description of the Battle of Armageddon, which is found in all three of the above accounts.
The Battle of Armageddon and the Seven Seals
In the events of the Seven Seals, the Battle of Armageddon is described in the opening of the Sixth Seal where we read that the Wrath of God will be poured out on the Inhabitants of the Earth.
I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 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! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” Rev. 6:12-17
Although the Battle of Armageddon is not explicitly mentioned in these passages, we know that these verses are describing this battle based on the mention of a great earthquake and severe hailstorm, which we will see being repeated in latter accounts of the Battle of Armageddon. In this account, the great earthquake is described as the mountains and islands being removed from their place, and the severe hailstorm is described as the sky being rolled up like a scroll, which is a description of how the appearance of the sky will suddenly change when dark clouds and thunder fill the heavens. When we read that people on earth will attempt to hide among the rocks, it corresponds with how huge hailstones will pour down from the sky and force everyone to hide in caves. In addition, we read that when the people on earth experience the above events, they will cry out that the great day of God’s wrath has come, which is the same description that is used to describe the Battle of Armageddon in the following verses.
They are demonic spirits that perform 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. “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
Rev. 16:14-16
On the Great Day of God Almighty, the kings will be gathered for war at Armageddon, the earth will be shaken, and a great storm will fill the sky that will cause the Inhabitants of the Earth to hide in caves.
The Battle of Armageddon and the Seven Trumpets
Following the account of the Sixth Seal, the Battle of Armageddon is next described in the sounding of the Seven Trumpets.
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 Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” Rev. 11:15
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm. Rev. 11:19
In these verses, we read of the same great earthquake and severe hailstorm, which was used to describe the Battle of Armageddon in the opening of the Sixth Seal. In this account of the same events, we read that the severe hailstorm will be accompanied by lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. These are the same events that are described in the opening of the Sixth Seal, when the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll, which is a word picture of how the normal appearance of the sky will suddenly be removed and replaced by dark clouds and thunder that will fill the heavens. In addition, we are told that the great earthquake and severe hailstorm, which will take place at the Battle of Armageddon, will be followed by the Reign of Christ on earth.
The Battle of Armageddon and the Seven Bowls
The third account of the Battle of Armageddon is found in the pouring out of the Sixth and Seventh Bowls where we read of the same great earthquake and severe hailstorm that will take place when the armies of the nations are gathered at Armageddon.
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 from the East. Then I saw three impure 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. They are demonic spirits that perform 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. “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. Rev. 16:12-16
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!” Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 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. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible. Rev. 16:17-21
As in the previous accounts, the Battle of Armageddon is identified in these passages by the description of the great earthquake and severe hailstorm that will cause the people on earth to curse God. In this account, the great earthquake is described as the mountains and islands being removed, which is the same description that was used in the opening of the Sixth Seal. In addition, we read that the great earthquake will be larger than any earthquake that has ever occurred on earth and will cause the cities of the nations to collapse. In the events of the severe hailstorm, we learn the additional information that this storm will contain hailstones that weigh about a hundred pounds, which explains why the people on earth will attempt to hide in caves as first mentioned in the events of the Sixth Seal.
The 1,000 Year Reign of Christ
Same Events
The fact that we read of the same great earthquake and severe hailstorm in the accounts of the Seven Seals, the Seven Trumpets, and the Seven Bowls tells us that they are not describing three, separate, series of judgments, but that the three accounts supplement one another. Accordingly, the opening of the Seven Seals give a general description of the events that will take place in the Last Days, and the sounding of the Seven Trumpets and the opening of the Seven Bowls add to the description of these same events.
To read more about the Order of Events of the Last Days, click here: The Order of Events of the Last Days
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