Bible Study Course
Lesson Sixteen
A Future Blowing of Trumpets The most awesome series of events in human history will be ushered in by the blast of angelic trumpets. This dramatic occurrence will happen during the lifetime of many now studying this lesson. What are these trumpet blasts about, when will they occur and what will they portend for true Christians? Revelation 8 and 9 contain most of the information about the first six trumpets; chapters 10 and 11 provide additional information about the seventh. Other scriptures also describe this time, especially the time of the seventh and final trumpet. Understanding these trumpets, and where they fit into the scheme of end-time prophecy, is vital to understanding the sequence of events outlined in the book of Revelation. Revelation 4 describes the Apostle John being transported, in vision, to the Heaven of God’s abode, and seeing God the Father on His throne surrounded by His heavenly court. Revelation 5 records that John saw a scroll, with writing on both sides, sealed with seven seals held in God’s hand. John was later told that the Lamb of God—Jesus Christ—is the only one in Heaven or earth worthy to open those seals. Revelation 6 describes the opening of the first six seals. After each seal was opened, John saw a symbolic vision picturing a prophetic event. For each of the first four seals, John saw a horse and rider going forth. As we saw in Lesson 3 of this course, the white horse represents false prophets, the red horse pictures war, the black represents famine, and the pale horse and its rider symbolize a coming time of disease and death. When the fifth seal was opened, John saw that there would also be an end-time martyrdom of saints. Other scriptures call this the time of great tribulation. The opening of the sixth seal brought a vision of dramatic heavenly signs setting the stage for the Day of the Lord (Revelation 6:12–17; cf. Matthew 24:29–30). Chapter 7 describes an event that will occur after the heavenly signs of the sixth seal and before the opening of the seventh seal in Revelation 8:1. This event is the sealing of 144,000 from the tribes of Israel, who will be protected from the plagues and calamities of the Day of the Lord. After John was told that these 144,000 firstfruits were set aside for God’s protection, he was then shown a companion vision—the “rest of the story”—in which he saw the redeemed standing before the throne of God at the very end of God’s great plan. Revelation 8:1–2 shows that the seven trumpets together constitute the seventh seal, the time called the Day of the Lord or the time of God’s wrath. They repre-
sent His end-time punishment of rebellious nations who continue to ignore warnings given by God through His true servants. Revelation 8 describes in symbolic language the events occurring when the first four angelic trumpets are blown. Much of the green vegetation on earth, including one-third of the trees, will be burned up after the blast of the first trumpet. The second trumpet will usher in a massive destruction in the oceans. This will mean the death of one-third of sea life, and disruption of oceangoing shipping. The third trumpet will signal the destruction of one-third of the fresh water, and the fourth trumpet will signal a disruption that affects the length of day and night as perceived from earth. Revelation 9 describes the blasts of the fifth and sixth angelic trumpets. The fifth and sixth trumpets signal a loosing of previously restrained demonic activity, unleashing terrible destruction upon humanity. After the fifth trumpet sounds, the Beast Power will launch a massive attack to completely subjugate the East and totally control the world. The sixth trumpet blast signals retaliation from the nations of the East, most likely with destructive nuclear weapons that will leave one-third of humanity dead. The sounding of the seventh trumpet, mentioned in Revelation 11:15, will usher in God’s final intervention. It will signal Jesus Christ’s return, God’s final judgment and conquest of the nations and the resurrection of the saints to immortality. It will also signal the pouring out of the vials containing the seven last plagues upon rebellious humanity (Revelation 16). These last seven plagues will occur after the seventh trumpet has been blown and before the binding and removal of Satan (described in Revelation 20:1–3). The angelic blasts on the seven heavenly trumpets represent the step-by-step announcement of events occurring during the time of God’s wrath, the Day of the Lord—the final year of man’s misrule under the influence of Satan. This entire period of God’s intervention, culminating in Christ’s return at the last trumpet (cf. 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4), is pictured by the annual celebration of the Feast of Trumpets. This series of end-time events may very well begin and end on the Feast of Trumpets itself, just as earlier Holy Days were days on which the events associated with their fulfillment had occurred. In any event, the Feast of Trumpets is an annual reminder of God’s coming intervention in world affairs, and of the time when the saints will finally put on immortality and enter into glory! 35
