The Seventh Seal
The Seventh Seal introduces the seven Trumpet judgments. These are another series of woes which will fall upon the Earth in due course. After these Trumpet judgments, there will be another series of judgments, called the Vial judgments. There are seven of these also.
We do not know if all these judgments occur simultaneously or follow one another. However, I will submit a brief summary of these Trumpet and Vial judgments. Later, we will focus on particular aspects of them.
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First Trumpet
:
Revelation 8:7
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When the first angel sounds his trumpet, hail and fire, mixed with blood, is cast down upon the Earth. One-third of all the grass and one-third of all the trees will be burned up.
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First Vial
:
Revelation 16:2
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The first vial is poured out and causes horrible sores to appear on those who display the mark of the Beast. We are told that one-third of all the grass, trees and plants will be burned at the sounding of the first trumpet. Could it be that what is occurring right now with the ozone layer is a precursor to these woes? Already in many countries people are being scorched by the sun because of damage done to the ozone layer.
Scientists are saying that if the depletion of the ozone layer reaches 15%, millions will die from skin cancer. Once the thin ozone layer is damaged beyond a certain level, it cannot be repaired. The effect of this will be an increase in world temperatures and global warming. As a consequence, we can expect a decrease in available food and an increase in famine.
All these environmental hazards fit in exactly with the prophecies of the end times. They all seem to be occurring at the same time. And this is not just my opinion. It is scientific fact.
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Second Trumpet
:
Revelation 8:8,9
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When this second trumpet is sounded, something looking like a huge mountain, all ablaze, will be thrown into the sea. As a result, all life in one-third of the oceans will perish and one-third of all ships will be destroyed.
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Second Vial
:
Revelation 16:3
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The second vial foretells a similar catastrophe to that brought about by the sounding of the second trumpet: a huge burning object, resembling a star, will fall into the ocean and destroy all life and all ships in one-third of the seas.
This could be a huge meteor. Or, then again, John could be describing some type of nuclear holocaust. It could be another environmental disaster like that of Chernobyl. The Messiah told us in his discourse on the Mount of Olives that there would be an increase in earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the last days. This is already occurring.
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Third Trumpet
:
Revelation 8:10,11
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This announces a huge star or meteor called “Wormwood.” This star falls like a blazing torch on to all the freshwater rivers and lakes, polluting the water in one-third of the entire world. Many will die as a result of drinking the poisoned water.
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Third Vial
:
Revelation 16:4
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The third vial causes the springs and fountains of drinking water to be turned into “blood.” This fits in with the prophecy of the third trumpet, which John described as a huge blazing star which fell upon the freshwater springs and polluted one-third of the world's water.
How many countries in the world have biological weapons of war? A great many, I would suggest. We know that such deadly weapons are already on the market. A small amount of one such poison, poured into a reservoir, could kill two million people. And there are radical fundamentalist Muslims who would love to inflict this “justice” on the West, particularly on the United States, which they detest.
Whether this “Wormwood” refers to biological warfare or to nuclear fall-out, we shall have to wait and see. But the potential for either is a stark reality in our precariously fickle world.
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Fourth Trumpet
:
Revelation 8:12
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As a consequence of the sounding of this trumpet, one-third of all light will disappear. The sun, moon and stars will lose one-third of their light. This will have catastrophic effects on the temperature of the Earth.
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Fourth Vial
:
Revelation 16: 8,9
The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire.
They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify Him.
Revelation: 16: 8, 9
Fifth Trumpet
:
Revelation 9:1-12
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As if things were not bad enough, we are here given a description of an eagle in flight proclaiming in a loud voice:
Woe, woe to the inhabitants of the Earth because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels.
Revelation 8:13
This fifth trumpet introduces an evil scenario. We are told that a place called the Abyss is to be unlocked. Out of this pit will come hideous demonlike creatures which look like locusts. These creatures will have the power to torture with their sting, but not to kill.
They will not be able to touch those who are “sealed” by God, for these are protected. But everyone else will be prey to these scorpion-like creatures, who will inflict their torture for five months. Because of this agony, men will seek death, but they will not find it. They will long to die, but death will elude them.
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Fifth Vial
:
Revelation 16:10,11
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When the fifth vial is poured out there will be darkness over the “Kingdom of the Beast.”
Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done
.
Revelation 16:10,11
Sixth Trumpet
:
Revelation 9:13
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The angel who blows the sixth trumpet will release mounted troops numbering 200 million. These 200 million troops will kill one-third of mankind as they sweep across the breadth of the Earth. Going on today's population figures, they will slay about two billion people.
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Sixth Vial
:
Revelation 16:12
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The sixth vial will be poured out on the River Euphrates, causing it to “dry up” and allow the “kings of the east” to march unhindered towards the Middle East for the final showdown at Armageddon. This fits in with the prophecy of the sixth trumpet, which described an army numbering 200 million which would come from the east and slaughter one-third of the world's population on its westward march.
The Euphrates has always been the ancient dividing line between Europe and the Orient. In the original Greek, “east” is literally translated as “
kings of the sun rising
.” This is an obvious reference to the people of Asia. This prophecy says that an army numbering 200 million will cross the Euphrates to engage with troops from the West. China is the only country in the world today which can muster an army of 200 million. Yet this prophecy was penned almost 2,000 years ago. Can you see how the jigsaw is fitting together?
There now go out “deceiving” spirits, and these motivate the “kings of the earth” to gather in preparation for combat. The prophecy of the sixth vial ends with all the hosts of the enemy lined up for battle.
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Seventh Trumpet
:
Revelation 11:15
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This introduces the vial judgments which are described in chapters 12-18. These events are more terrible than the ones already foretold. Although we are given these seal, trumpet and vial judgments in order, there is some evidence to suggest that they will occur simultaneously, for all these judgments culminate in the seventh judgment, which is common to all of those given previously: a huge earthquake.
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven
angels: “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the
Earth.”
Revelation 16:1
Seventh Vial
:
Revelation 16:18
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The pouring out of the seventh vial coincides with the prophecies of the seventh seal and the seventh trumpet. This describes a catastrophic earthquake which will destroy cities and cause islands to disappear.This earthquake will be followed by hailstones weighing about 100 pounds each falling from the sky on men. In each of the three final judgments it is stated that the great earthquake will be preceded by:
. . . Flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake.
Revelation 15:18
We cannot know for sure what this means. But looking back at recent history and looking forward to the scenario which is unfolding, it sounds like a nuclear strike. Man today possesses the weaponry to wipe out all life on planet Earth many times over. The big powers are now gearing up for this day. Although the Valley of Megiddo is the focal point, the entire world will be involved in this conflagration.
World peace is contingent upon what happens in Israel. The Arab/Israeli conflict is what will draw these vast armies to this region. And the
raison d'être
for them being there is the oil in the Middle East. There is much prophecy about Jerusalem in these final days and how it will be a rock on which many nations will perish. We are told that the fighting in this area will be so fierce that the blood will reach up to the bridles of the horses to a distance of 200 miles.
Who would have thought that a small nation of about five million people occupying such a tiny area could be the fuse which ignites the world?