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Prophecy 8

The Six Trumpets –
Revelation 8:2 – 9:21
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Beginning Point in Time: 1994
Ending Point in Time: The 1,260th day of the Great Tribulation

Summary:

This prophecy begins with seven angels receiving seven trumpets. Afterwards, a special service takes place in Heaven. This service marks the end of God’s patience with mankind. Because many events in Heaven are linked to events on Earth, we can easily determine when this special service will occur. When the service ends, God will initiate seven judgments against mankind. The sounding of a trumpet in Heaven precedes each judgment. These judgments will awaken the whole world to the reality of a sovereign Jesus Christ. Ultimately, these judgments separate the sheep from the goats.

Introduction:

A series of punitive judgments will soon impact Earth. At first glance, it may seem out of character that a “meek and lowly” Jesus would punish Earth with these judgments, but remember that Jesus is as much committed to justice, as He is to mercy. The devastation that will be caused by the seven trumpets (and the seven bowls that follow the seven trumpets), can be compared to Noah’s flood.[1] When the 1,335 days of the Great Tribulation have ended, no life will remain on Earth. God exercises His wrath when extended mercy has no further redemptive effect on sinners. God’s wrath is aroused when the sins of the fathers multiply and rob oncoming generations of the quality of life that God created for mankind. Seven judgments are linked with the sounding of trumpets in Heaven’s court. In Bible times, trumpet blasts were used as signals[2] and the seven trumpets in the book of Revelation have the same purpose. Each trumpet blast signals another step towards Jesus Christ’s second coming. While the first six judgments are mixed with mercy, they will still be terrible. Earth’s population will be reduced by more than 50% before the seventh trumpet sounds.[3]

I anticipate the first four trumpet judgments will occur during a period of about sixty days. These trumpet judgments will inflict a fatal blow on the ecological infrastructures of Earth, causing damage that cannot be repaired. These judgments include a meteoric firestorm of burning hail, two asteroid impacts, and the eruptions of many volcanos. About two years and three months after the fourth judgment, a fifth judgment will occur. This judgment will be the physical appearing of Lucifer and his fallen angels (demons). Although many people do not realize it today, Lucifer is the dreaded Antichrist. He will physically appear before mankind, masquerading as Almighty God. He will produce all kinds of counterfeit signs and wonders and deceive everyone who rejects the gospel of Jesus. Five months after the devil appears, a sixth trumpet will sound in Heaven and a great war will break out on Earth. During the sixth trumpet, Jesus will permit Lucifer to kill a third of mankind, set up a counterfeit theocracy and take control of Earth. The devil will rule as king of kings and lord of lords for about nine months. The wicked will depend on him for leadership, rations, and direction. Of course, the saints will refuse the mark of the beast (a tattoo which Lucifer will require) and they will not be able to buy or sell.

The first six judgments will be redemptive in nature. Jesus will use these events to awaken the people of the world to their need of His salvation. When Jesus tears the world apart, He will prove to laymen in every religious system that their clergy do not know the truth about God or His Word. Currently, strong religious paradigms prevent most of the world’s population from hearing or considering the gospel. For example, Muslims cannot listen to Christians and Christians cannot listen to Muslims. God understands the gridlock and His deadly judgments will humble the arrogance of all mankind so that the message of the 144,000 will be heard. The Holy Spirit will empower 144,000 people to speak for Jesus. They will proclaim the eternal gospel. People will hear the gospel of Jesus in their own language and culture. Millions who presently do not know Jesus will embrace Him and receive His salvation. This will be possible because the first six trumpet events will shatter the religious paradigms of the honest in heart.


Architecture

The seven trumpets are organized in an architecture that is similar to the seven seals. Remember that six seals are described in Prophecy 6, but the seventh seal is located in Prophecy 7. Likewise, six trumpets are described in Prophecy 8, but the seventh trumpet is found in Prophecy 9. I believe God deliberately created this architecture for the following reasons:

1. Rule One forces the seventh seal to follow the sixth seal. Since the Second Coming occurs during the sixth seal, the seventh seal must occur after the Second Coming. So, the question rises, “When will Jesus break open the seventh seal?” Revelation 20:12 states the seventh seal will be broken at the end of the 1,000 years by declaring that “another book was opened, which is The Book of Life.” Since the book having seven seals is The Book of Life, the opening of The Book of Life indicates the seventh seal is broken at the end of the 1,000 years. By de-linking the seventh seal from the first six seals, God accomplishes two purposes. First, He has been able to hide a great deal of information “in plain sight” for two thousand years because the architecture makes no sense until the four rules of interpretation are understood. Second, by putting the seventh seal in a prophecy after the numberless multitude is in Heaven, we discover the seventh seal has to be broken open when The Book of Life is opened at the end of the thousand years.

Consider for a moment the beauty of separating the seventh trumpet from the other six. We know that chronologically, the seventh trumpet has to occur after the sixth trumpet. We also know that the seventh trumpet occurs after the Two Witnesses are resurrected and taken to Heaven.[4] Therefore, the facts combine to tell us that Jesus will do everything possible to save sinners before the seventh trumpet sounds. In other words, when extended mercy has no further redemptive effect on the wicked, the seventh trumpet will sound. This trumpet will announce the end of God’s generous offer of redemption. No one will be lost because he was undecided.

2. God disconnected the seventh seal and the seventh trumpet from their six counterparts to emphasize their importance. The seventh seal brings “the revelation of Jesus” process to a grand finale by highlighting the eternal deity of Jesus and the seventh trumpet brings the generous salvation of Jesus to a grand finale by highlighting His extended efforts to save every sinner. Consider this amazing point again: God’s mercy for sinners only ends after every sinner has made his or her decision. This is crucial. Just before the seventh trumpet sounds, the population of the world will be sharply divided into two camps: The sheep will obey Jesus and the demands of the eternal gospel and the goats will obey Lucifer and the dictates of his theocracy. To obey Lucifer and the dictates of his government, every wicked person has to defy the Two Witnesses and commit the unpardonable sin. Therefore, the seventh trumpet signals the end of grace and mercy because there is no further purpose for grace and mercy!

God is the source of love and He is the perfect example of how love functions in all circumstances. Jesus wants mankind to understand His intricate process for resolving the sin problem because this drama reveals how true love actually functions. God’s approach to resolving the sin problem is complex. God is not shallow or careless. His ways are magnificent, reasonable, and generous. Throughout eternity, the redeemed will study God and His actions. They will see that God used justice and mercy to redeem the greatest number of people possible. They will also see that He is not self-seeking, manipulative, or impure. No one in all the universe is purer in heart than the Godhead. They are more selfless and humble than words can express.

Many people open their Bible to Revelation 8:1 and conclude that the seventh seal occurs just before the trumpets sound because after the seventh seal was opened, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour.

Centuries ago, when translators added chapter and verse numbers to the Bible (for purposes of quick reference), they broke up sentences into verses and chapters according to their “best guess.” The original manuscripts of the Bible do not have chapter and verse designations. Nevertheless, this innocent endeavor has caused much confusion in the book of Revelation. Revelation 8:1 is the last verse in Prophecy 7 and Revelation 8:2 is the first verse in Prophecy 8. Remember, each prophetic sequence has a
beginning point in time and an ending point in time and the events within each prophecy occurs in the order stated. Since
Revelation 8:2 does not chronologically follow Revelation 8:1 (Revelation 8:1 occurs at the end of the 1,000 years), a new prophecy begins with Revelation 8:2 (Prophecy 8).


The Sequence:


Revelation 8:2

And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.{2} As I looked toward Heaven, I saw the seven angels who stand before God. Each angel was given a golden trumpet.

Seven highly exalted angels stand before God. They are “on call” to carry out God’s will at a moment’s notice. These angels were given seven trumpets (in 1994 – see Appendix A) and are waiting for the signal to sound their trumpets. When Jesus gives the signal, each angel will sound his trumpet and a dreadful judgment will impact Earth. I believe the first four judgments will occur over a period of approximately sixty days and they will fall on notably wicked places. The last three trumpet judgments will fall on wicked people. The first four angels have been standing ready to do what the Lord asks of them since 1994. They are waiting for the 144,000 to be selected and sealed. This delay will end soon and when it does, God’s wrath will be released. The first four judgments will kill twenty-five percent of the world’s population. This means that one out of every four people will die.[5] Words cannot describe the death, destruction, and chaos the first four trumpets will produce.


Revelation 8:3

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.{3} My attention was directed toward the golden Altar of Incense located before God’s throne. I saw a highly exalted angel serving at the Altar of Incense. He had a golden censer in his hand.

Before we discuss the importance of this scene, some background information about temple services is required. Two different altars were used in the earthly temples built by Moses and Solomon. Services conducted at these two altars teach us that God does not forgive sin, instead He transfers the guilt of a repentant sinner to the horns of the Altar of Burnt Offering. This may be a new thought, so please consider the following illustration: When a sinner commits a sin, the penalty for sin (death) rests on the sinner’s head. The only way a sinner can escape this penalty is through faith in God’s grace.

Before Jesus died on the cross, repentant sinners in Israel had to go through a certain process to be set free of their guilt (condemnation). A sinner had to present a perfect lamb to a priest at the Altar of Burnt Offering. Standing at that altar, the sinner confessed his sins by putting his hands on the lamb’s head and declaring his sinful actions. After confession, the sacrificial lamb was placed on the altar and the sinner took its life by cutting the jugular vein. The priest captured some of the lamb’s blood in a cup and sprinkled the blood on the horns of the Altar of Burnt Offering as a record of this transaction. The sinner’s guilt was transferred to the horns of the altar via “sinless blood,” and the sinner came away from the altar free of condemnation (forgiven).

At the end of the religious year, the High Priest cleansed the Altar of Burnt Offering on the Day of Atonement. The accumulated guilt was transferred from the altar to the head of a scapegoat and the scapegoat was then taken out into the wilderness by a very strong man. The man was instructed to take the goat to a desolate place so it might die a protracted death. Two points stand out in this process. First, sin itself cannot be forgiven, but guilt can be transferred from the sinner to the temple’s altar via the blood of a perfect lamb. Second, a scapegoat was required to cleanse the temple of accumulated guilt. On the Day of Atonement, the guilt which had accumulated on the horns of the altars was placed on the scapegoat’s head and the scapegoat was led away to die.

The Old Testament ceremonial system demonstrates two truths. First, the blood of a perfect lamb (representing Jesus) was required to release a sinner from the penalty of sin. Second, the guilt of sin was put on the scapegoat. This point confuses many people. Jesus lived a perfect life so that He could provide the sinless blood required to transfer our guilt to the author of sin. Because sin cannot be forgiven, the author of sin must die for creating sin. Lucifer will die a protracted death. He must suffer and die for his own sins as well as the guilt of those who received Christ as their Savior.

Now that we have considered the daily service conducted at the bronze Altar of Burnt Offering, we need to turn our attention to the golden Altar of Incense and its daily service. Try to keep this thought in mind as you proceed: Daily services at the golden Altar of Incense provided “corporate atonement,” whereas daily services at the bronze Altar of Burnt Offering provided “individual atonement.”


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