Trumpet Judgments Series

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

“Silence Before the Storm”

Rev 8-9

Review

I. PROLOGUE 1:1-20 (Things you have seen)

II. Messages to the Seven churches 2-3 (Things with are)

III. Last Days 4-22 (Things which are about to take place)

A. Heavenly worship around the throne 4-5

1. Worship the Creator sitting on the Throne 4

2. Worship the Redeemer before the Throne 5

B. The Seven seals 6:1-8:1

1. First Six seals 6

2. Interlude 7:1-17

a. The spoiling angels 7:1

b. The Sealing angel 7:2-3

c. The sealed Jews 7:4-8

d. The slain multitude 7:9-17

3. Seventh seal of silence 8:1

1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

This is the silence before the storm

This is the calm before the chaos

This is the pause before the pounding

Picture this dramatic pause, this sudden move from enthusiastic singing to absolute silence.

The four angelic beings, the 24 elders, a vast multitude of angelic beings, people from every tribe language people and nation, all creation raising their voices to the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb and then dead silence for 30 minutes. Heaven takes a brief “Sabbath rest” before the final stinging retribution. All the creatures before the throne stand in absolute silence to see what will happen the Lamb unrolls the scroll of final judgments to be poured out on the inhabitants of the earth.

DAY OF THE LORD

The seventh seal signals the beginning of the Day of the Lord. This is a day of final judgment.

Many prophecies link cosmic disturbance with the Day of the Lord.

7 Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests. 8 "Then it will come about on the day of the LORD'S sacrifice That I will punish the princes, the king's sons and all who clothe themselves with foreign garments. 9 "And I will punish on that day all who leap on the temple threshold, who fill the house of their lord with violence and deceit. 10 "On that day," declares the LORD, "There will be the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, A wail from the Second Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills. 11 "Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar, For all the people of Canaan will be silenced; All who weigh out silver will be cut off. 12 "It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good or evil!' 13 "Moreover, their wealth will become plunder And their houses desolate; Yes, they will build houses but not inhabit them, And plant vineyards but not drink their wine." 14 Near is the great day of the LORD, near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. 15 A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 A day of trumpet and battle cry Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers. 17 I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; And their blood will be poured out like dust And their flesh like dung. 18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them On the day of the LORD'S wrath; And all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth. Zephaniah 1:7-18

This signals the next seven trumpet judgments and the final seven bowl judgment about to descend on the earth and its remaining inhabitants and governments as well as Satan’s entire army.

C. The Seven Trumpets 8-9

2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Revelation 8:2

We are not told who these angels will be. They appear to be high ranking angels of some sort.

Some identify them as the seven archangels of Jewish Tradition but Revelation gives no clues.

Angels play a significant role in the events of the last days. Matt. 13:39–41, 49–50; 16:27; 25:31).

Trumpets were used extensively by the Hebrews.

Trumpet. The trumpet is mentioned several times in the Bible. This instrument was used by the priests during services of sacrifice, especially to signal the DAY OF ATONEMENT “Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month” (Lev. 25:9). The trumpet was also used to rally troops on the battlefield (Josh. 6:4).