Lesson 7 for February 16, 2019
Adapted from www.fustero.es
www.gmahktanjungpinang.org
“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)
The seventh seal. Revelation 8:1-5
The 7 trumpets. Revelation 8:6-9:21
Interlude:
The angel with the little book. Revelation 10
The two witnesses. Revelation 11
The seven angels with the seven trumpets
are part of the scene of the seventh seal,
after the end of grace.
There are two supplementary
interpretations for those trumpets:
The punishment of God for those who have oppressed the
people of God since Jesus’ time until the Second Coming
(in parallel to the seven seals).
The punishment of God for those who have not accepted
to receive the seal of God (in parallel to the seven
plagues).
THE SEVENTH SEAL
“When He opened the seventh
seal, there was silence in heaven
for about half an hour.”
(Revelation 8:1)
A deep silence reigns in heaven as
everyone waits for the divine judgment
that is going to be poured out on Earth.
More incense is given to the angel who is
presenting the prayers of the saints (v. 3-
4).
When the embers (v. 5) are thrown outside (to
the courtyard of the Temple, to the Earth),
John sees the divine judgment fall down on
the rebel humanity.
How were trumpets used in the Old Testament?
To bring together
the people
(Numbers 10:2-
4)
To warn and to
call to war
(Numbers 10:9)
To celebrate the
feasts, the
holocausts and
the peace
sacrifices
(Numbers 10:10)
To announce the
“day of the
Lord”, the
Judgment (Joel
2:1)
The people of God is already sealed (9:4) and the four angels release the
winds (9:14-15; cf. 7:1-3), so this happens in parallel to the last seven
plagues.
THE 7 TRUMPETS (1)
“So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets
prepared themselves to sound.” (Revelation 8:6)
The trumpets are very similar to the plagues in Egypt, and other items from
the Old Testament.
If we interpret the seal and the winds as applicable to all the saints
(Ephesians 1:13), we may apply the interpretation of the seven trumpets to
history as shown in the next slides.
THE 7 TRUMPETS (2)
“So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets
prepared themselves to sound.” (Revelation 8:6)
1st 2nd
3rd 4th
DESCRIPTION INTERPRETATION REFERENCES
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Hail and fire mingled
with blood. Green
grass and a third of
the trees are burned
up.
Judgment on
Jerusalem.
Trees = The righteous: Ps. 1:1-3;
Is. 61:3; Jer. 11:16-17.
Hail, fire and blood: Ex. 9:23-26;
Is. 10:16-20; Ez. 38:22.
Jerusalem: Mt. 23:37-38; Lk.
23:28-31.A great mountain
burning is falls into
the sea. A third of the
sea becomes blood, a
third of the sea
creatures die and a
third of the ships are
destroyed.
Judgment on
Rome.
Blood: Ex. 7:19-21.
Mountain = Babylon: Jer. 51:24-
25, 41-42.
Babylon = Rome: 1P. 5:13
A star like a torch
(Wormwood) falls on
fresh waters and the
third of the waters
become wormwood.
Judgment on
the church in
the Middle
Ages.
A star falls = The work of Satan:
Is. 14:12-19; Lk. 10:18; Rev.
12:9.
Wormwood = The truth is
preserved: Ps. 1:3; 84:6-7;
119:105; Jer. 2:13.The sources of light
(sun, moon and stars)
are struck. Partial
darkness.
Judgment on
Romanism and
Protestantism.
Darkness = the truth is eclipsed:
Ex. 20:21-23; Job 38:2; Is. 8:22;
Jn. 1:4-11; 3:18-21.
5th
6th
7th
DESCRIPTION INTERPRETATION REFERENCES
5th
6th
7th
A star falls, the abyss is
open, and the smoke
brings darkness. Locusts
with the power of
scorpions torment men
but not trees.
Judgment on
atheism and
secularism.
Trees = The righteous
(see 1st trumpet).
Rejecting the light
involves torment:
Rev. 9:3-11; Lk. 10:17-
20; Eph. 1:13-14.
The winds by the
Euphrates are released. A
great army kills a third of
men with fire, smoke and
brimstone. The
idolatrous don’t repent.
Judgment on the
spiritual Babylon.
Battle by river Euphrates:
Rev. 16:12-16.
The fall of Babylon:
Is. 47:9-12.
The idolatry of Babylon:
Dn. 5:4, 23.
Joy in heaven because
the world has been
finally rescued.
The Second Coming Judgment: Ps. 9:8; 96:16;
Acts 17:31.
There’s an explanatory interlude between
God’s judgments on the impious and the 7th
trumpet.
God explains how He’s called people to Him
during the 1,260 years of persecution and
before the end of grace. He used the
Remnant
(chapter 10) and the Bible (chapter 11).
The aspect of the mighty angel in Revelation
10 reveals that He is Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:13-
16; 5:5; Ho. 11:10; Am. 3:8).
THE ANGEL WITH
THE LITTLE BOOK
“I saw still another mighty angel coming
down from heaven, clothed with a cloud.
And a rainbow was on his head, his face
was like the sun, and his feet like pillars
of fire.” (Revelation 10:1)
The message of that angel is the last sealed section of Revelation.
The angel has the book of Daniel in His hand, and He declares that
time will be no more (cf. Daniel 12:7-9). That declaration is stated
between the end of the 1,260 years of persecution and the end of
the longest time prophecy in Daniel, the 2,300 years (i.e. 1844 AD).
There are no more time prophecies after that. There’s just one
task: to preach the Gospel. “And he said to me, ‘You must prophesy
again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.’” (v. 11).
457 BC 1844 AD
2,300 years
538 AD 1798 AD
1,260 years
THE ANGEL WITH
THE LITTLE BOOK
“and swore by Him who lives
forever and ever, who created
heaven and the things that are in it,
the earth and the things that are in
it, and the sea and the things that
are in it, that there should be delay
no longer.” (Revelation 10:6)
“This time, which the
angel declares with a
solemn oath, is not the
end of this world’s history,
neither of probationary
time, but of prophetic
time, which should
precede the advent of our
Lord. That is, the people
will not have another
message upon definite
time… The longest
reckoning reaches to the
autumn of 1844.”
Ellen G. White (SDA Bible Commentary, on Revelation 10)
The temple John had to measure was the
Heavenly Sanctuary and its golden altar. The
outer court shouldn’t be measured, because it
represents Earth, where the people of God was
going to be persecuted for 1,260 years.
During the persecution, the two witnesses work
in harsh circumstances.
THE TWO WITNESSES
“Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And
the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the
temple of God, the altar, and those who worship
there.’” (Revelation 11:1)
By comparing that to the vision in
Zechariah 4, we understand that
those two witnesses are “the
Word of the Lord” strengthened
“by My Spirit.” (v. 6)
United
Bible
Societies
By the end of the persecution, the French
Revolution tried to destroy the Bible, banning
it for three and a half years (from 11/26/1793
to 6/17/1797).
However, the Bible Societies spread the Bible
in such a way that it was lifted again, so it
could never be destroyed.
“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in
heaven.” (Psalm 119:89)
THE TWO
WITNESSES
“When they finish their testimony, the beast that
ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war
against them, overcome them, and kill them.”
(Revelation 11:7)
“Solemn events before us are yet to transpire. Trumpet
after trumpet is to be sounded; vial after vial poured
out one after another upon the inhabitants of the earth.
Scenes of stupendous interest are right upon us and
these things will be sure indications of the presence of
Him who has directed in every aggressive movement,
who has accompanied the march of His cause through
all the ages, and who has graciously pledged Himself to
be with His people in all their conflicts to the end of the
world. He will vindicate His truth. He will cause it to
triumph. He is ready to supply His faithful ones with
motives and power of purpose, inspiring them with
hope and courage and valor in increased activity as the
time is at hand.”
E.G.W. (Selected Messages, vol. 3, cp. 57, p. 426)