** “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.” – Revelation 8:2
**The seven trumpets of Revelation are seven horrible judgments that will impact Earth during the great tribulation.
**. The book of Revelation describes these judgments as “seven trumpets” because a trumpet will sound in Heaven’s temple each time a judgment occurs.
** The first four trumpets will occur in rapid succession.
__ These four judgments will be so catastrophic that they will sever the past from the future.
__ Life for everyone on Earth will dramatically change once these events begin. Thousands of cities will be destroyed by fire and water.
__God’s judgments will impose great tribulation on everyone. The first four trumpets will cause the whole world to relate to God in a way that is presently unimaginable.
** “But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets” (Revelation 10:7, NKJV).
__In the scene of the fifth seal, we saw that the cry of God’s oppressed people reflects the cry of the faithful of all ages.
__ These faithful ones were portrayed as souls under the altar, crying to God for justice and vindication, saying: “‘How long, O Lord?’” (Rev. 6:10, NKJV).
__The voice from heaven urged them to wait, because the day was coming when God would judge those who harmed them.
__Revelation 6:15–17 pictures Jesus returning to this earth and bringing judgment upon those who did evil to His faithful followers.
__The scene of the fifth seal represents the experience of God’s suffering people throughout history, from the time of Abel until the time when God will finally judge and avenge “‘the blood of His servants’” (Rev. 19:2, NKJV).
__God’s suffering people must remain firm and believe that God hears the prayers of His people.
__The vision of the seven trumpets shows that, throughout history, God already has intervened on behalf of His oppressed people and has judged those who harmed them.
__The purpose of the seven trumpets is to assure God’s people that heaven is not indifferent to their suffering.
**In portraying God’s interventions on behalf of His people, Revelation uses the imagery of trumpets in the Old Testament.
__Trumpets were an important part of the daily life of ancient Israel (see Num. 10:8–10 and 2 Chron. 13:14, 15).
__ Their sound reminded people of the worship in the temple; trumpets also were blown in battle, at harvesttime, and during festivals.
__Blowing trumpets went hand in hand with prayer. During worship in the temple or during the festivals, the trumpets “reminded” God of His covenant with His people.
__They also reminded people to be ready for the “day of the Lord” (Joel 2:1). During battle, the trumpet sound gave key instruction and warnings and called upon God to save His people.
__The events triggered by the trumpets in Revelation denote God’s intervention in history in response to the prayers of His people.
__While the seals concern primarily those who profess to be God’s people, the trumpets herald judgments against the inhabitants of the earth (Rev. 8:13).
__At the same time, they are warnings for those who dwell on the earth to bring them to repentance before it is too late.
__The seven trumpets cover the course of events from John’s time until the conclusion of this earth’s history (Rev. 11:15–18).
__They are blown while intercession goes on in heaven (Rev. 8:3–6) and the gospel is being preached on earth (Rev. 10:8–11:14).
__The judgments of the trumpets are partial; they affect only one third of creation. The seventh trumpet announces that the time has arrived for God to assume His rightful rule.
__The seven trumpets apply approximately to the same periods covered by the seven churches and the seven seals:
(a) The first two trumpets herald judgments upon the nations that crucified Christ and persecuted the early church: rebellious Jerusalem and the Roman Empire.
(b) The third and fourth trumpets portray heaven’s judgment against the apostasy of the Christian church in the medieval period.
(c) The fifth and sixth trumpets describe the warring factions in the religious world during the late medieval and post-Reformation periods.
__These periods are characterized by increasing demonic activity that ultimately draws the world into the battle of Armageddon.
**The sixth trumpet brings us to the time of the end. What are God’s people called to do during this time? Before the seventh trumpet sounds, an interlude is inserted, explaining the task and experience of God’s people at the end time.
