The Trumpets
Open Your Bible
Revelation 8:1-13, Revelation 9:1-21, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Peter 3:8-12
BY Rebecca Faires
The language in today’s passage is full of rich imagery: a flaming mountain is thrown into the sea, a third of the stars are blackened, and crowned locusts ride horses with scorpion tails into battle. It’s both chillingly specific and massively cryptic—and why are there seven seals, anyway? Before we get carried away, we have to remember that Scripture must first be interpreted through the lens of Scripture. So where else in Scripture do we see the number seven? It’s a parallel to the seven days of creation, the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath, Jacob’s seven years of service to Laban, the seven trumpets of Jericho, etc. In God’s Word, seven is a number of completion.
In all the swirling imagery, the central purpose of all Scripture is to teach the good news of the gospel: Christ has come to save. And the whole book of Revelation is just the same. These judgments show us the completion of God’s good work. And the end purpose of God’s work of salvation is that He should abide with us, and we with Him. He is our God, and we are His people.
Because we are His, we can rejoice at His coming, and at the restoration of righteousness. Judgment must come. Justice is necessary because He is justice. He will make all things right. He will not allow wickedness to go on forever.
God’s judgment is total, and our only escape is Jesus. For those of us in Christ, our judgment was paid by Christ at the cross. The weight of our judgment has already fallen on Him. Therefore, we should rejoice at God’s coming judgment, because it will restore righteousness.
We are His, and so we need not fear any present tribulation. The consequences of evil in this world are scary, and the threat to believers is real. But the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous (1 Peter 3:12). He is always with us, and He cares for us. His ears are open to our prayers, and He is not indifferent to our cries. Even in judgment, God is merciful to those who love Him.
We need not fear, because we are His. Instead, we can be people of hope, joy, and peace. This is cause for great rejoicing. His justice is ongoing, and this passage is not the final judgment but a picture of God’s ongoing work in the world. He is constantly doling out mercy to us, deferring judgment, calling us back to Him. His work is not done in our families or in our communities. Therefore, have hope for your children, for your parents, and for your neighbors who are not yet believers. God is constantly at work.
28 thoughts on "The Trumpets"
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Janice, I totally agree it is scary to read Revelation. Years ago I studied Revelation with my church ladies group, I was scared, I might have missed a lot because I was scared of going more and more into the book. But in the last year I’ve been diving deeper and deeper into God’s word, Revelation doesn’t scare me anymore God is bigger than the rapture and tribulation. I color and symbolize when I study,if you looked at my bible from starting Revelation yesterday, and today that I did it looks like a child grabbed it and colored and drew all over it, but they help see the images of how real this is, and how someone else saw it through their eyes. I’m so excited to finish this with everyone. I started Day 4 yesterday and Day 5 today, I’m looking to go back and start at the beginning. I hope you have a great weekend.
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Janice, I felt the same way about Revelation, I studied it many years ago at church with our woman’s bible study it didn’t mean much to me then, cause I was afraid. Through the year I’ve been diving deep, and Revelation isn’t so scary after all. I color and symbolized everything in Revelation so far, I only started yesterday, but if you look at my bible it looks like a kid took crayons and wrote and drew all over, but it helps me to imagine how it really does look now. I’m excited to be doing this with everyone and going back to catch up with days 1-3.
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Reading these verses I was filled with both thankfulness for Christ’s sacrifice, but also with a need to beg God for mercy on behalf of those I love who don’t know Him. But that beautiful reminder from Rebecca today, that God is constantly at work, allows me to dwell in hope and peace and joy. He sees my family who have turned away, and He will give them chances. He is always at work.
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I felt a bit like Jacob Marley before I began reading, I prayed for the Holy Spirit to open my ears mind and heart. Instead of fear, I found His promise that
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We’re given a clear picture of the judgement to come–and let’s be honest–the judgement we all deserve because we are all sinners. The difference is knowing that our debt has been paid in full on the cross by our risen Savior. The blood He shed has covered my sins as far as the east is from the west, and so I can and do have hope in my future regardless of the tribulations yet to come while on this earth. I also know that I have been given clear direction for the way I should strive to live every day of my life until Christ returns: “be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble…”
Lord, I pray that you will fill me with Your Spirit today. I pray that my thoughts, words, and actions will bring those around me closer to You each day until You return. Amen
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Well said, Nanak. Thank you Jesus for calling me, dying for me, rising from the dead for me and coming again for me. I love you, Lord.
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He will set all things right. What a great and loving God! He will not allow wickedness to go on forever. But He will wait while more turn to Him through Christ. Hope, faith, and love, but the greatest of these is love!
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Creation goes crazy in these passages of Revelation. All is upheaval and chaos and destruction of unimaginable proportions. The might of God is on full display. His judgment is undeniable. Does it not shock us that people are still unrepentant? Who would not fall down and beg forgiveness? Yet this is how depraved mankind has become, that in the face of all this devastation they refuse to acknowledge the sovereignty of God. Woe to them indeed. And how incredibly sad. This is the future of the lost, the prideful, the self-centered. This is tragic. And it is sure to come. May our prayers for them increase as that day draws near, while there is still hope, while there is still opportunity.
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I just started crying when reading Revelation 9:21. How could people be so far gone that they don’t repent even then? It just makes me ache.
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Exactly my thoughts.
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Yes, totally shocking that people don’t repent. I don’t understand!
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I used to be confused and afraid when I read Revelation, but then a friend explained to me about how these stories were originally told. There were no books at the time and the people couldn’t read anyway, so the story teller used great imagery. Now I think it is the most wonderful book. God uses the imaginations he created in us to encourage us.
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