7 TRUMPETS & 7 BOWL JUDGEMENTS

God chose to use the visuals of Seals, Trumpets and Bowls. I find that interesting and began to think about why that might be. He could have used anything, or nothing, but he used these three items to possibly help describe the three different sets of judgements.

What comes to your mind when you see these 3 objects? 

• Scroll with 7 Seals: Legal doc, authentic, important, protected, closed until time
• Trumpet: Loud blast, a call, a warning
• Bowl: Able to hold a large amount, pours out quickly

The Sealed Scroll opens up the WRATH of God which has been held back until the right time. Trumpets blast out a loud sound. Bowl pours out!

TIMELINE:

There are different views of when the SEALS, TRUMPETS & BOWLS fall on the timeline of the 7 years. We are not told for sure so we cannot be certain. My thought is that the 7 SEALS fall in the 1^st Half and the TRUMPETS & SEALS fall in the 2^nd half. If that is true then the timing of the events could look something like this, holding to the Pre-Tribulation View.

1^st HALF EVENTS: (SEALS)

1. Rapture of the Church before the Tribulation begins (Pre-Trib View)
2. Antichrist comes into control
3. Peace Treaty signed between Israel & all the nations
4. ISRAEL living in safety
   1. Israel builds a Temple on the Temple Mount
   2. The “sacrificial” system is set up (Offerings, sacrifices, Feasts)
   3. Jews flock to Jerusalem

Israel free from attack, they feel safe: “People are saying, “Peace & safety,” (1 Thess. 5:3) “Destruction will come on them suddenly” (Antichrist has a plan to destroy them)

5. The rest of the world is living in war:
   • Deception, war, famine, disease, death across the globe
   • Christians being martyred in record numbers

MID-POINT EVENTS:

• Peace Treaty is broken
• Antichrist commits the “Abomination that causes Desolation”
• Antichrist takes over the Temple and sets himself up as god to be worshipped
• Antichrist turns his attention toward destroying the Jews
• God protects the Jews in a place in the desert (Petra) (Rev 12:6)

2^nd HALF EVENTS: TRUMPETS & BOWLS

The Trumpets and Bowls bring an increase intensity of the Judgements upon the earth. The 2nd half, which is 3 1/2 years even has additional names that refer to it.

NAMES FOR “The 2^nd Half of the Tribulation:

• The Great Tribulation (Matt 24:21)
• Jacob’s Trouble (Jerm. 30:7)
• Time, Times and half a Time (Dan 7:25)
• Time of desolation and distress (Dan 9:27)
• 42 months (Rev 13:5)
• 1260 days (Rev 12:6)

“The DAY OF THE LORD”

This is another “term” that refers to the time of God’s Wrath in the End Times. THE DAY seems to refer to the Day or Time of Wrath upon the whole earth. Some consider the time of “Wrath” to be the whole 7 years, and others think it is will only be during the 2^nd half of the Tribulation. And still others say it only refers to the time of the Trumpets & Bowls, and whatever time that they fall within the 7 years of Tribulation.

Here are some verses that speak of the Day of the Lord.

• (1 Thess 5:2) “The Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”
• (Malachi 4:1) “For behold, the DAY is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The DAY that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts,..”
• (Malachi 4:5) “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the Great (intense) and Awesome (fearful) DAY of the Lord”
• (Joel 2:1) “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the DAY of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand.”
• (Joel 2:31) “The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the LORD.”
• (Zeph 3:8) “Therefore wait for me, declares the LORD, for the DAY I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them, all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.”

So, let’s go back to the thought of the Trumpet Judgements and look at times in Israel history when they would sound the Trumpets.

WHY TRUMPETS ARE SOUNDED:

Times that Israel would blow Trumpets & possible reasons TRUMPETS are used in the Tribulation:

• A call of alarm or warning – Judgement, wrath, the End is coming
• A signal to gather the people – Time of worship, The Feasts, Gather the church
• A blast to set armies on the move – Armies of good & evil, spiritual kingdom forces
• A sound to announce a coming King – Announce the coming King – King Jesus)

EXAMPLES: A Trumpet blast in the Bible

1. “FEAST OF TRUMPETS” – There is even one of the 7 required “Feasts” named for blowing the Trumpet. The Trumpet is blasted 100 times on the “Feast of Trumpets” (Lev 23:23-25)
2. “FALL OF JERICHO” – The trumpet was blasted when the walls of Jericho fell (Josh 6)
3. “TRUMPET OF GOD” on Mt Sinai to gather the people (Ex 19:16-17)
4. “TRUMPET PROCLAIMATION” when Solomon was anointed as King. (1 Kings 1:39)

WHAT KIND OF TRUMPET BLAST MIGHT THESE “7 TRUMPETS” of Judgement be?

A warning sound, a time to gather, armies to move, announce a King? Maybe all of them in some way.

• (Joel 2:1) “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming.”
• (Joel 2:11) “The LORD thunders at the head of his army, his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The DAY of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?”
• (1 Cor 15:52) “In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the Trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed.”
• (Lev 23:23-25) “…a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.” (Feast dedicated to the blowing of Trumpets)

7 TRUMPETS JUDGEMENTS:

(Rev 8:7-9:21, 11:15-19)

 Let’s look at what these Judgements. First notice that 4 Angels are at the 4 corners of the Earth and are holding back the 4 Winds of the Earth. The number 4 represents the Earth, so I find that so interesting and I wonder how long that they might have been holding back the 4 winds. Next, notice what the first four Trumpet Judgements affect. And then, before any of the Trumpets are blasted the angels are given a command.

“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants.” (Rev 7:1-3)

• God protects and seals his servants BEFORE the Wrath begins. We will talk about the 144,000 later when we cover the “Interludes” but notice that these Judgements do not happen until the 144,000 are protected.
• Could these Trumpet blasts be “Warnings”, the last desperate attempt to get people’s attention?

So, did you notice what the first 4 Trumpets effected? The Land…

1. 1/3 of the Earth is burned, hail, fire mixed with blood (8:7)
2. 1/3 of the Sea turns to blood, 1/3 of the living creatures in the water die (8:8-9)
3. 1/3 of the Fresh Water turns bitter, many die (8:10-11)
4. 1/3 of the Sun, Moon, Stars turn dark, 1/3 of the day is without light (8:12)
5. Woe#1 – Locusts/Demonic angels from the Abyss torment the unsaved for 5 months (8:13-9:1-12)
6. Woe#2 – 4 Demonic Angels that are bound from the river Euphrates kill 1/3 of mankind (9:13-21)
7. Woe#3 – The 7 Bowls of God’s Wrath are ushered in from the opened Temple of God with lightning, thunder & earthquake & hailstorm. (11:15-19)

The last 3 Trumpets are different. They are called WOES:

• The first 2 Woes’ are demonic in nature
  • They only affect those WITHOUT the SEAL of GOD on them (Rev 9:4)
• The Last Woe & Last Trumpet brings the End
  • Causes an outbreak of worship and celebration in Heaven. (Rev 11:15-19)
  • The Last Trumpet ushers in the Bowl Judgements – the Full Outpouring of WRATH on the wicked. They come fast and harsh. The time was cut short or no one would have survived. That is how severe the Bowl Judgements are.

Demonic activity will be revealed in it’s worst form and covers the earth like a swarm of locusts. The first wave is a release of chaotic and hideous looking demons upon mankind. A true look at evil from the pits with a putrid smell of smoke and fire and brimstone. The first release of demons are still limited by God. They are not to kill but are allowed to torment and inflict pain on man to the point that man will seek death but can’t obtain. 

The 2nd wave, which is a large army of demons, is given the ability to kill. And kill they do! 1/3 of mankind! Can you even imagine the number of mass graves that will be needed, if they even get a burial. Death will reign for a time. Death… the result of the very first sin of man in the Garden, will be witnessed by all of it’s extreme horrify and ugly nature.

I don’t understand this completely, or exactly what part of the spiritual world will be seen, but it almost sounds like man will be able to see these demonic forces, Satan’s minions with human eyes. There will be no stronger or more obvious time on earth to see the difference between God’s Kingdom and Satan’s evil kingdom. Good verse Evil will be on display for all to see. 

Can you still say, “COME, LORD JESUS”?

A LOOK AT GOD’S MANNER OF WARNINGS:

Here is God’s usual manner of doing things: Give a WARNING, Remove the RIGHTEOUS, Bring Wrath

Examples:

• Noah and the Flood
• Sodom and Gomorrah
• Israelites entering the Land of Canaan
• Jewish nation today warns their enemy before attacking

REVELATION WARNINGS:

1st A WARNING TO THE CHURCHES:

In chapter 2&3 we find a “Warning” to the Churches before the Tribulation begins.

WARNING TO THE JEWS & TO THE NATIONS:

Perhaps the TRUMPETS are WARNINGS to the Jews and to the Nations.

The SEALS are open so that we understand that the Tribulation has begun.

Then the TRUMPETS are blown as a WARNINGS to the nations that God’s WRATH has come.

7 BOWL JUDGEMENTS

THE FINAL & MOST SEVERE JUDGEMENTS

THE BOWLS OF GOD’S WRATH (Rev 16)

Rev 16:1 “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.”

A large “Bowl” does not pour out it’s contents gently but more of a dumping, gush, a flood.

1. Boils, painful ugly sores only on worshipers of the Antichrist (16:2)
2. Sea turns to blood; ALL sea creatures die (16:3)
3. Rivers ALL turn to blood, no drinking water (Revenge for the blood of Martyrs-Rev 6:10) (16:4-7)
4. Sun scorches people (People curse God) (16:8-9)
5. Darkness (16:10-11)
6. The River Euphrates dries up (1800 long, 3600 ft wide, 30fit deep) to prepare the way for the Kings of the EAST to cross over and gather at Armageddon. Babylon is EAST, the place of all false religion. Other godless nations join forces together to battle against God. Frogs- 3 Evil Spirits come out of the mouth of Satan, Antichrist, False Prophet. (16:11-14)
7. IT IS DONE! No more waiting. God pours out his FURY of HIS WRATH. Severe Earthquake like never before. Nations collapsed. Every island fled, 100lb Hailstorm.

These remind us of the plagues upon Egypt:

God’s deliverance was associated with plagues that came upon Egypt. Most of the “plagues” in Egypt came upon only the Egyptians and not the Israelites. These “Bowl Judgements” are being poured out only on the unbelieving, those who refused to repent, those who took the Mark of the Beast. A repeat of the greatest deliverance in the Bible of a people. Over 2 million people, possibly 3 million, were rescued from slavery and exited one nation to go to a new nation, a Promise Land. They left slavery to go to freedom. But, the “plagues” were poured down upon Pharaoh and his people who refused to believe in God. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, his eyes were blinded.

Again, here we see a time of deliverance for those without the “mark of the Beast”. The wicked will be cast into hell because they have chosen to rebel against God, refuse to repent and to continue to sin. The wicked love their sin, and will suffer the everlasting consequences of that decision.

“ARE THESE JUDGEMENTS JUST? IS THE WRATH OF GOD JUST?

• The multitude in Heaven sure think so:
• “TRUE and JUST are His Judgements”: (Rev 19:1-8)
• A song of “Hallelujah!” breaks out in Heaven.
• Hallelujah means: Praise the Lord!
• This is the only time the word “hallelujah” is mentioned in the Bible and it is shouted 4 times in this passage.

Can you still say, “COME, LORD JESUS”?

I hope you can and I hope you can see the hope that we have in Jesus. He is our only hope!