“The Great Unveiling: Bring On the Trumpets”
Revelation 8:1-13
The sound of trumpets is uplifting. It revives our spirits, our toes start tapping, and sometimes we want to get up and dance. Growing up I was never sad when I heard Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass or Louis Armstrong. We get excited when we hear the trumpets going full blast during the Hallelujah Chorus; it thrills us to hear golden trumpets playing the familiar strains of “God of Our Fathers.” Trumpets are exciting and pulsating.
But in Scripture it’s often quite different. When people heard trumpets they seldom thought of toe tapping and dancing. Trumpet blasts meant something of great significance was about to happen and they’d better be ready for a major event. And that’s what’s in mind here in Revelation 8. We look at the first 4 trumpets today.
With that background, let’s first examine the PLACE OF THE TRUMPETS in the Bible. Trumpets appear frequently in Scripture PRIOR TO REVELATION. An excellent background passage is Numbers 10. This really is an introduction as to the use of trumpets in early Israel as ALERTS. Specifically, trumpets were used to call people together, to move the tribes from one place to another, to sound an alarm in an emergency, and to celebrate days of the sacred feasts. Whenever the people were to be alerted the trumpets were blown.
In the 33rd chapter of Ezekiel we come to understand the seriousness of what’s in Numbers: "Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.' In other words, listen to the trumpets! This is what is behind the scene of the tumbling walls of Jericho. And recall Gideon’s band: in Judges 7:22 we read: “When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled…”
The prophets used the image of the trumpet blast to ANNOUNCE THE DAY OF THE LORD. Joel 2:1-2: “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….” Zechariah 9:14: “Then the Lord will appear over them; His arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet.” And even the great prophecy of Isaiah 27:13: “And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.” Remember even Jesus himself said, (Mt. 24:31): “And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from one end of the heavens to the other.” God will blow the trumpets again when the time for another phase of HIs judgment arrives.
That brings us to the place of trumpets in REVELATION. In this 8th chapter the trumpets announce what the seals pictured. They announce the plagues of judgment, which fall upon the earth and its inhabitants. THEY HERALD THE WRATH OF GOD. The judgments concern those who oppose Him. It assures us that the wickedness of the earth does not go unnoticed. And now we realize that there is a part of judgment from which we are exempt. God will deal with the evil in the world in His own way and own time. WHERE THE SEALS SHOWED US JUDGMENT AS A RESULT OF SIN – MAN REAPING WHAT HE HAS SOWN – THE TRUMPETS SHOW US THE DIVINE ACTIVITY IN JUDGMENT. It reveals that there is divine intervention to bring extra calamity upon the wicked and evil in the world. These trumpets say “Listen; the time has come. God is ready to move s against the godless, evil society on earth. So be ready!”
But just what particular judgments are we talking about? What are THE PLAGUES OF THE TRUMPETS? First of all, let’s take a moment to look at THE MOTIVE OF THE PLAGUES. The plagues here in Revelation closely parallel those in Exodus. They cover all of nature – the land, sea, fresh water, and the heavenly bodies. And they LEAD TO FREEDOM FOR GOD’S PEOPLE. They bring freedom and release for God’s people and bondage for His enemies! The constant allusion to the plagues means that God will again bring punishment upon the hostile powers that oppress His people as a prelude to that great and final exodus in which the Church – the people of God - is taken into the eternal presence of God. Even the fall of Rome was preceded by a series of “natural” disasters that could only have come from God.
But let’s realize again that, while the plagues may be literal, they are also symbolic. They are events that are to LEAD TO REPENTANCE. They are really designed for mercy and kindness. The seals show the church pleading for justice to be done; the trumpets show the wicked being offered mercy, and space to repent. Note also that the judgment announced in these first 4 trumpets IS PARTIAL. It covers, in each case, just 1/3. That means it is not yet complete or final. It may be a significant portion but not a majority, yet enough for serious warning. As Jesus himself stated (Lk. 21:25-26): "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” Even though the wicked will not repent and will suffer everlasting damnation, it can never be said God did not give them a chance! Even beyond Calvary God offered, and continues to offer, mercy.
And what is the MESSAGE OF THE PLAGUES? Chapter 8 shows the first four plagues. (vs. 7) The 1st TRUMPET IS PARALLEL TO THE 7TH PLAGUE IN EGYPT. IT MEANS THERE WILL BE WIDE-SPREAD DESTRUCTION upon the earth. “Natural” disasters will bring overwhelming calamities. For the Israelites hail, fire, and blood were all terrible in their own right. But when they were combined it pointed them to something greater than they’d ever known before! And throughout history, does it not appear that each disaster is more devastating than the one before – that they occur with more frequency – that we have begun to fear and wonder about the stability of the earth? But remember, while the plague severely affected the Egyptians, the Israelites were not touched. And here, the Church will somehow survive and not be as greatly affected. God’s mysterious mercy with His people will continue.
Then (8-9) comes the 2ND TRUMPET WHICH IS PARALLEL TO THE 1ST PLAGUE AGAINST EGYPT, DEMONSTRATING SUPERIORITY OVER FOREIGN GODS. Even a quick glance shows this to be a definite, divine visitation. It’s more here than just man’s pollution of the rivers and streams – though that may be a foretaste of what is yet to come! The Nile was a god to Egyptians, so by affecting the Nile God was showing His superiority! In so doing He cut off the sea and thereby severely hampered their commerce and travel. He radically altered their lifestyle! And so throughout history God has sent divine visitations, which have radically altered lifestyles. Volcanoes, tornados, tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes and fires have left a trail of devastation, which have made life different than ever before, never to be the same again. But remember (Ps. 46:2): “So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.” God is merciful to His people!
Next (10-11) comes TRUMPET #3, ANOTHER PARALLEL TO THE FIRST EGYPTIAN PLAGUE, SHOWING THAT GOD WILL BRING ABOUT CONDITIONS ENDANGERING LIFE. But, again, there is a difference. The star here indicates it is, again, definitely a divine visitation. God’s hand is in it. This plague reminds us that people can live without food for some time, but not without water. They will have only wormwood to eat, which is something God had promised to a disobedient people as early as Jeremiah (9:14-15). Yet this also symbolizes that the pleasures sought by people will stop giving pleasure. Again, think of Israel. They went into the wilderness and ran short of water. They finally came to the oasis of Marah, but the water was bitter. God made it sweet for them. And isn’t that what He will do and is doing throughout history? That which gives us pleasure in this life, will lead to destruction and bitterness. And often that which is bitter now will be sweet when the trumpets sound! For God’s people, the bitter will be sweet; and for His enemies the sweet will be as wormwood!
Now we hear (vs. 12) the 4TH TRUMPET – PARALLEL TO THE DARKNESS OF EGYPT WHERE GOD WITHHELD LIGHT. Again, whether this will be literal or not, let’s understand that God continues to withhold light from those who rebel against Him. He will not allow satisfaction in other gods. Even in Israel, Pharaoh had his marvelous palace, but it was dark and he could not enjoy it; yet the Israelites, in their humble abodes, had light and security, safety and enjoyment. And is that not also part of the meaning of all the darkness which will be associated with the last days? As the darkness becomes the abode of the demonic, it will mean an end to pleasure and understanding! And this trumpet, by the way, is a transition into the realm of the demonic!
So the plagues cause total global chaos but not total destruction. When God says “No!” to sin on Christ’s cross, God intends also to say “Yes!” to all humanity, and to bid all, especially the disobedient church, to repent. God’s first and last word is “Yes.”
Am I saying that none of these will be literal? I’m saying we don’t know. We never do fully know God’s ways! From Exodus 8:7, 18ff. WE KNOW THAT THE HAND OF GOD WILL BE SEEN! The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” God does
not want us to understand; He wants us to acknowledge His hand. As He alters the laws of nature and the world, people will see and know! Some will repent; others, like Pharaoh, will harden their hearts forever. For them, the trumpets will fall on deaf ears! The plagues of the trumpets are underway; and there is more to come. Look for the finger of God; listen for the trumpet of God; turn to the Son of God!
But we need now to back up to the opening of the 8th chapter. It’s critical to recognize, in verses 1-5, THE PLAYERS OF THE TRUMPETS. First, THERE IS A REQUEST BY THE SAINTS FOR JUDGMENT. The prayers of the saints are coupled with those of the martyrs from chapter 6. Their prayers, also, are for judgment to fall upon “those who dwell upon the earth” – those who oppose God and kill His people. As we learned earlier, it is these prayers that set judgment in motion; they light the fuse for the explosive action of God in history.
But it’s not the prayers by themselves. THE PRAYERS NEED TO BE MINGLED WITH THE INCENSE. As the prayers are presented to God during this awesome time of silence, they are heightened and made more powerful through the incense of Christ’s life. Through His life and death the prayers worthy to be heard. As Earl Davis aptly put it “All heaven stands still that God may hear the whisper of the weary saints’ prayers.”
The whole point, as we consider the judgment of God, is to realize OUR PLACE AS A PRAYING PEOPLE. The wonderful German preacher Helmut Thielicke once wrote, “What matters is the sheer existence of those who pray. It is not without significance for a people that there should be in it a little band of those who bear up the whole nation vicariously in their prayers.” It’s OK to pray for judgment; it is, in fact, important. It’s not praying for cold, calculated, ruthless murder and hatred; it’s a plea to God to establish His righteousness and justice upon the earth and to renew the world! It’s asking, as Jesus taught, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Our sacrificial prayers hold great weight before the throne! And by praying for judgment to come, we are asking God to act in such a dramatic way that humankind will know that God is at work and that people will have that one, final chance to repent! Let us, then, be a people diligently, seriously, regularly, relentlessly, fervently praying for judgment – so that people will have opportunity to repent and be driven to Jesus Christ!
And we learn here that THERE ARE RESULTS! These requests are not powerless! They are heard and acted upon! THE PRAYER, SPECIFICALLY, OF 6:10 IS ANSWERED. It brings to mind the Israelites and their Sinai experience (Ex. 19:16f.) “...there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.” Likewise, when God decides to send His judgment, the whole world will tremble. Our prayers will produce, literally, an earth-shaking effect.
And isn’t that just like the God we’re coming to know? As early as the exodus experience of the Israelites we discovered GOD HEARS THE CRIES OF HIS PEOPLE. In Exodus 3:17 ff. we read that God heard the cry of His people and decided to call forth Moses to lead His people out of captivity into the Promised Land! People praying and crying out to God for justice! God hears! God acts! The prayers of all the saints have special distinction in God’s plan of action. God has always worked this way. From Elijah, to the prophets, to Jesus, to the Apostles, God worked in response to prayer. Certainly that gives tremendous insight into Jesus’ own words: “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (Jn. 14:14) When His people, struggling and suffering to live for Him, cry out for judgment and mercy, God, in Christ, will deliver! The requests of His people have results for the whole world! It’s prayer, which leads to the blowing of trumpets and judgment being loosed upon the earth!
You may feel you have nothing to offer, or nothing of significance to bring to the throne of Christ. But here are outstretched angelic hands, just waiting to carry your prayers to God! Those prayers are now the fragrant offerings to God (2 Cor. 2:15; Eph. 5:12). Imagine – all of heaven standing silent as our prayers are mixed with divine incense and offered up by the angel to God! As Steven Furtick powerfully pleads, “The God of the Bible can do whatever he pleases. And what pleases him is to show off his power for his glory and renown. So give him the opportunity.”
Yet that’s not all there is to the trumpets. Never forget THE PROMISE OF THE FINAL TRUMPETS. Paul sends chills up my spine when he mentions them in his epistles. I Cor. 15:51-55 (CEB) says: “Listen, I’m telling you a secret: All of us won’t die, but we will all be changed— in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the final trumpet. The trumpet will blast, and the dead will be raised with bodies that won’t decay, and we will be changed… Where is your victory, Death? Where is your sting, Death?” And I Thess. 4:16-18 9CEB): “This is because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with the signal of a shout by the head angel and a blast on God’s trumpet. First, those who are dead in Christ will rise. Then, we who are living and still around will be taken up together with them in the clouds to meet with the Lord in the air. That way we will always be with the Lord. So ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER WITH THESE WORDS.”
Yes, there will be another trumpet blast – a great and glorious one. It too will have a lasting effect on all humankind. And at its’ blast we will be changed into His likeness! So we can encourage one another with these words!
So we realize again that GOD IS IN CHARGE. We, as His people, offer up sacrificial lives and prayers; He responds with trumpets of judgment; His plagues increase to stir up the people of the earth to give people a chance to be reconciled to God. Then, one day, the trumpet will sound, the dead in Christ will rise, and meet Christ in the air. The roll will be called up yonder. Will you be called? Will you be there to hear your name announced as the roll is called? Will that last blast of the trumpet be glory for you? It’s all up to you. Before the final trumpets sound each of us must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! What place will the trumpets have in your life? Are you ready for God to bring on the trumpets? The choice is yours! Look for the finger of God; listen for the trumpet of God; turn to the Son of God!
(1) Wall, R. W. (2011). Revelation. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (125). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
(2) Earl C. Davis, The Flinging of the Fire
(3) Quoted by Dr. William C. Brownson in Courage to Pray, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, © 1989 by Baker Book House, p. 169
(4) ‘Sun Stand Still’, Steven Furtick, Multnomah Books, Colorado Springs, CO, © 2010 by Steven Furtick, p. 84
