Revelation 8:6-13 "The Seventh Seal (Part 2): The First Four Trumpets"

Lesson Handout

Supplemental Handout

Introduction

Revelation 8:1-5 and the prayers of the saints function as a type of “prelude” to the trumpet judgments. The half-hour of silence in heaven points to the dreaded judgments that are about to be poured out over the earth through the trumpets. Now, the first four trumpets in 8:6-12 are ecological disasters, but the 5^th and 6^th trumpets in Revelation 9 are supernatural (demonic) in nature. Revelation 8:13 deserves unique attention as the first of three “woes” in Revelation.

Verse-By-Verse Notes

Verses 6-7

• The “mixed with blood” is difficult to determine. It is probably a reference to the blood-red color of the sky and the meteorological events taking place, but it could also refer to literal blood (see Henry Morris quote below).
• Henry Morris: “The masses of water vapor blown skyward might well condense in the intense updrafts as hailstones . . . The blood of entrapped men and animals might be mingled with them, or possibly showers of liquid water drops might be so contaminated with dust and gases as to appear blood-red.”
• Note: there appears to be a discrepancy between v. 7 and 9:4 because 9:4 says there is still grass on the earth when the 5^th trumpet blows whereas 8:7 clearly says all green grass was burned up. Two possible resolutions:
  • 1) There is a period of time that passes between the 1^st and 5^th trumpets that will allow grass to regrow.
  • 2) Not all grass on the earth is green at the same time due to the seasons, and the text specifically says the first trumpet burned up all the green grass
  • So then, this is not a true discrepancy, but an apparent one that can be easily resolved, though we may not know for certain the particular Scripture contains no error.

Verses 8 & 9

• Likely a cosmic object such as meteorite or asteroid. The blood likely comes from the massive death to sea life.
• Consider the global economic impact of losing a third of the shipping industry.

Verses 10 & 11

• Possibly a comet due to the reference to a “fiery torch” (comets appear to have fiery tails).
• This stellar object disintegrates in the earth’s atmosphere and falls into the rivers and springs and will be named “Wormwood” because it will contaminate the earth’s fresh water supply. Note that we already name comets and other stellar objects today. Just this year (2024) Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was nicknamed “The Devil Comet” because of its apparent horns caused by explosions on its surface.

Verse 12

• Yet another cosmic disturbance that reduces the light from heavenly bodies by one-third.
• The dimming of stellar objects is something we’ve seen recently with Betelgeuse (a red super-giant and the orange-ish bright star in the upper left shoulder of the constellation ORION). Betelgeuse’s magnitude dropped by two-thirds in 2020.
• The fifth trumpet is going to affect the light not just in our own solar system, but in all the stars we see in the night sky— even outside of our own galaxy.
• With the sky eerily shadowy and dark, the stage is set for the first “woe” of the apocalypse.

Verse 13

• Danny Akin: “Before the last three angels sound their trumpet, a threefold woe is pronounced on the earth ‘in a loud voice.’ The first woe is to be identified with the fifth trumpet. The second woe is to be identified with the sixth trumpet. The third woe is to be identified with the seventh trumpet, which constitutes the final series of judgments: the seven bowls of chapter 16.”
• See supplemental handout for “eagle/angel” and “those who dwell on the earth”

BIG IDEA: GOD WILL VINDICATE HIS PEOPLE AND ULTIMATELY AND FINALLY BRING JUSTICE AND JUDGMENT TO THE WORLD.