This article will deal with the next set of judgments called the 7 Trumpet Judgments. Things will now go from bad to worse compared to what just happened with the 7 Seal Judgments.
1. The First Trumpet
In this first Trumpet Judgment, God will rain down hail and fire upon the earth. Literally one third of the trees and grass will be burned up. Again, just imagine on a global scale that one third of all the trees on our planet will be burned to the ground! Here is the verse:
"The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up." (Revelations 8:7)
2. The Second Trumpet
In this next judgment, a "great mountain burning with fire" is thrown into the sea, turning one third of the sea into blood, killing one third of all the living creatures in the sea and also destroying one third of the ships that are in the sea when this happens. The "great mountain burning with fire" is probably a meteor that is launched by God to the earth to continue His judgment against all the wicked people now living. Here is the verse:
"Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood; and a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed." (Revelations 8:8-9)
3. The Third Trumpet
In this next judgment by God, a "great star burning like a torch" falls from heaven on one third of the rivers and springs causing contamination - causing many men to die because the waters were made "bitter." This great star burning like a torch would appear to be another meteor. In the previous judgment, one third of the ocean waters became blood. Now one third of the rivers and springs are going to be highly contaminated to such a degree that it will kill "many men." Here is the verse: "Then the third angel sounded; And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of the water; and the name of the star is wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood; and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter." (Revelations 8:10-11)
4. The Fourth Trumpet
In this next judgment, God "strikes" a third of the sun, a third of the moon and a third of the stars so that they are darkened and thus give no light to the earth. This verse then ends giving serious warning about the next 3 trumpet judgments getting ready to be released. Here is the verse:
"Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them was darkened; and a third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, Woe, Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!" (Revelations 8:12-13)
5. Fifth Trumpet
This next judgment begins what is called the "woes" as mentioned 3 times in the above verse. This one is the first "woe," which means that it is a very serious judgment being allowed by God to occur.
In this judgment, the bottomless pit is opened up where a huge swarm of locusts are allowed to be released upon the earth. These locusts are only allowed to attack men who do not have God's seal on their foreheads. They are not allowed to kill these men, but to only torment them with their bite. This verse tells us that their bite is like that of a scorpion and that this torment is allowed to last for 5 months.
This judgment will be so bad, that people will be seeking death and won't be able to find it. They will literally be desiring to die and won't be able to do so. These locusts are also not attacking in a random fashion. They will literally have a demon from the "pit of hell" leading them. His name is called Apollyon. His name stands for "Destroyer." This verse then ends stating that this is just the first "woe," and that there are two more "woes" getting ready to occur. Here is the verse:
"Then the fifth angel sounded: and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth, and to him was given the key to the Bottomless Pit. And he opened the Bottomless Pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for 5 months.
And their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.
And the shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads were crowns like gold, and their faces were like faces of men. They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lion's teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. And their power was to hurt men for 5 months. And they had a king over them the angel of the Bottomless Pit, whose name is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.
One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things." (Revelations 9:1-12)
6. The Sixth Trumpet
This next judgment is called the second "woe." This one is almost beyond human comprehension. In this judgment, 4 demonic angels are released from the Euphrates river to literally kill one third of all mankind. They will lead an army of demonic spirits numbering 200 million!
This army of 200 million is not China. China emerges in the battle of Armageddon. This judgment will occur before the battle of Armageddon. We are talking about 200 million demons let loose upon this earth to literally kill one third of the people that are still left!
Remember, one fourth of mankind has already been killed in the fourth seal judgment. With one third now being killed in this trumpet judgment, 58% of the world's population will now have been killed after this judgment passes. And the most amazing thing occurs at the end of this verse - it says that the people still left on earth watching and experiencing all of these horrors still refuse to repent and turn to God.
They still continue in their worship of demons and all of their wicked ways. They know that all of these judgments are the wrath of God being supernaturally thrown at them, but yet they still refuse to turn from their wicked ways. This really shows how stubborn the human heart can be when it comes to spiritual matters. Some people will refuse to accept the truth of the Christian Gospel, even when faced with God showing Himself the way He is doing during these times. Unbelievable! Here is the verse: "Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, WERE RELEASED TO KILL A THIRD OF MANKIND. Now the army of the horsemen was two hundred million, and I heard the number of them.
And then I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire smoke, and brimstone. BY THESE THREE PLAGUES A THIRD OF MANKIND WAS KILLED - by the fire and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, and having heads; and with them they do harm.
But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts." (Revelations 9:13-21)
7. The Seventh Trumpet
This last and final trumpet judgment is the final "woe." However, it is not really a judgment per se. In this judgment, we are shown that heaven is beginning to rejoice because they know the end is very near. They are rejoicing because God has been releasing His wrath on a sinful world and He is starting to extract His vengeance.
However, the last part of the verse says that more lightnings, noises, thunderings, another earthquake and more hail is released upon the earth once again. However, these events are almost tame compared to what has just been occurring over the last set of trumpet judgments. Here is the verse:
"Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" And the twenty four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshipped God saying: "We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you shall reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.
Then the Temple of God was opened in heaven, and the Ark of His Covenant was seen in His Temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail." (Revelations 11:15-19)
Believe it or not, there is still one more wave of judgments that will hit the earth. These are called the Bowl Judgments and there are also seven of them. Go to the next article titled "The 7 Bowl Judgments" for what these will entail. God will be turning up the heat for one last time to try and get some of the wicked to turn from their ways before Jesus comes back for the second time to put a final end to all of this bloodshed.
Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their website is a resource of Bible Knowledge, articles, commentary and teaching. They currently have over 100 Bible articles. All free of charge.
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