Revelation Chapter 8 Lesson 20
Opening of the Trumpet Judgments
Review:
Detail of the Trumpet Judgments.
Trumpet #1 -
8:7 Judgment of
Vegetation
- hail and fire are
the instruments used;
Devastating impact on world's food
supply;
Trumpet #2 8:8-9 Seas/marine life Read
- First thing we
need to note here is that we have symbolic or figurative language used
here.
- The consequences
are extensive; death of sea life, and of humanity; great economic impact; as well as
ecological.
Trumpet #3
- This is similar
to the 2nd; But the mass falling from heaven is said
to be a "great star" that is "blazing like a torch"
- Most likely we
have here an asteroid, or meteor type of body and as
it enters the earth's atmosphere it's going to burn, thus the statement blazing
like a torch.
- This star is
named "wormwood"; the name of a desert plant that is bitter,
intoxicating and poisonous.
In the O.T. wormwood is used to indicate
bitterness and suffering especially associated with judgment; Dt 29:18; Prov 5:4; Jer
9:15; 23:15; Lam 3:15,19; Amos 5:7
- The
result/Impact: 8:11b "many men died" from what is basically a
contamination of 1/3 of the worlds drinking water.
** Must rem: all of these events/judgments are divinely controlled
events!
** What we need to
remember is that the Creator God may suspend, modify, add to any of His own
laws that He created in the first place.
Observations on the one-third [1/3]
1. The repeated
statements of the impact of the judgment is on 1/3 of these differing
categories says that there is control; indicates that God is in control; this
is not random.
2. The 1/3 says that God's grace is still
available!
3. Man is not as he supposes master of his
environment; he is also not master of his destiny.
Trumpet #4 - 8:12
The first 3 judgments are related to the land, sea, rivers and fountains
of water; while the 4th trumpet shifts
to the heavens.
- here we have a
change in the normal pattern of light and darkness, the mix which we call day
and night; its disrupted.
- Whether this is
caused by an eclipse or some other means is pure speculation;
To doubt the credibility of what we're
seeing in these trumpet judgments or those to follow is to doubt the
credibility of Jesus himself.
- Who
is the focus here of these woes? "those who dwell on the earth"
- What have we
seen so far with these first 4 trumpet judgments?
What is it that God is judging?
Observations
1. Are not all of
these blessings things that we take for granted?
2. These are all
blessings in the category of common grace; given to all men irrespective of how
they are related to Him spiritually.
3. These blessings
(of common grace) are invested with 2 things: a msg and a responsibility.
Verse 13 is like
the headlines for the next three judgments with ch-9 being the content of the
article. It’s the preface to the next 3 judgments.
So far all of the
judgments have come in the sphere of the material seen world.
The progression is seen in 2 areas.
#1 In severity: from the seals -> trumpets -> bowls (increasingly severe)
#2 Extent: limited -> 1/3 -> whole world
This progression and intensifying of
judgment tells us something about God.
- That He desires
their salvation not damnation;
Man at this time is insensitive to judgment.
This insensitivity Increases as time progresses to the end of the Trib.