In the study of the 7 Seals we were told a story of what happens to the christians during the last 3 1/2 years before Jesus returns. The trumpets are a story of what happens to the wicked during the same time frame of 3 1/2 years.

The Trumpets are warnings of the coming judgment to the wicked. When the Last Trumpet blows the only thing left is God’s wrath. Lets start with a brief history of what the Trumpets are.

In the Old Testament Israel was acting out physically future prophesy. Israel, at the sighting of the new moon, would blow a trumpet. They did this for 7 months straight, and the trumpets represented coming judgments and a call to repent. The last trumpet meant judgment is here times up…….are you starting to see similarities?

God was teaching them about the things which would happen at the end of time. In Revelation the trumpets are called plagues. Remember the story of the Exodus? Moses announced the coming plagues against Egypt and Moses and Aaron stood against Pharaoh.

Once again God is going to use two men to announce plagues. And they will even have the power to inflict as many plagues as often as they want on the wicked.

There is a teaching today saying the two witness are the Old and New Testaments. There is no truth to this teaching whatsoever. I will explain more of this under the topic of the Two Witness. But for now it is important for you to remember what God has done in the past. Now let’s move on.

As we read through the 7 trumpets I want you to remember this scripture:

Revelation 11:6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

The verse above is talking about the 2 witnesses

The First Trumpet

Revelation 8:7 7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

It seems a lot of people pay to much attention to the first half of Rev 8:7. The important part is the last sentence, “…and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.”

Remember the two witnesses have the power to withhold rain for 3 1/2 years? If there is no rain, what is the first thing that dies? All the green grass.

So, the answer to the first trumpet is “drought”. Terrible things happen to the earth, when there is a drought.

Even at the time of Moses the Ten Plagues didn’t change the hearts of men for long. And the same thing will happen with the people going through the trumpets. No wonder the two witness will wear sack cloth(a sign of mourning), people just won’t repent during this time. It seems their hearts just harden even more.

The Second Trumpet

Revelation 8:8-9 8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Again pay attention to the last sentence.

“And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed”

The 2 witness have the power over the waters to turn them to blood.

The two witness will cause a lot of plagues.

The Third Trumpet

Revelation 8:10-11 10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

Now you should be able to see how to read and understand the trumpets. Once again we need to pay attention to the last sentence of the 3rd trumpet.

“And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.”

Even today we have water shortage problems. Can you imagine what life will be like when the two witness announce plagues on our drinking water?

The Fourth Trumpet

Revelation 8:12 12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise

Lets just put what we have read so far together. Can you imagine if the two witnesses withhold rain for 3 1/2 years what the condition of the earth would be like?

No rain would cause terrible drought and food shortages. The waters would become stale and diseased, and the insects would become a hugh health concern and the out break of fires.

If you have ever lived near a forest fire. you know how the smoke can travel for hundreds of mile and the smoke blocks out sunlight and moon light for days or even weeks.

No wonder Jesus said, “except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved.”

But guess what? Life on earth is about to get even worse for the wicked. The Three Woes are coming

The Fifth Trumpet

The next 3 trumpets are so bad the bible says, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

Revelation 8:13 13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabit ers of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

The 5th trumpet is going to be horrible for the ones with no seal of God on their forehead. By the time the 5th trumpet is blown everyone who would take the Mark of the Beast has done so. There is no turning back for them now.

Revelation 9:1-12 1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. {Apollyon: that is to say, A destroyer} 12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

The Sixth Trumpet

Revelation 9:13-21 13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. {for an hour: or, at an hour} 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. 20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

The plagues from the two witnesses are so severe toward the end of the great tribulation. When they are killed by the beast, the wicked are so happy they celebrate and send each other gifts.

But the celebration only last 3 1/2 days. The bible says they will say, “peace and safety”, but sudden destruction comes just like back in the story of the seals the 7th seal there is silence in heaven for half an hour.(I call it the calm before the storm) The storm I am talking about is God’s wrath which is about to happen.

Read below what happens to the two witnesses at the very end of tribulation.

Revelation 11:6-10 6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

See? The bible says the two witnesses torment the wicked. The two witnesses will be real, literal men.

ok the last woe

The Seventh Trumpet

Revelation 11:14-19 14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. 15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. {destroy the earth: or, corrupt the earth} 19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Here the dead is coming to life, and the wicked see this happen. They are angry and terrified, the only people left on earth now are the wicked. And they are watching the sky split open and they are allowed to see the ark of his testament. And the wicked now understand God’s wrath is about to come.

This is what Jesus said:

Matthew 24:30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

What an amazing story! The seals and trumpets are no big mystery or secret. They are just stories(prophesies) of two types of people in the world during the last 3 1/2 years. The prophets called the day when Jesus returns The Day of the Lord.

Here is what some prophets had to say about what it would be like.

Isa 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

Zep 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

Luke 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

work in progress