We should ever remember that we are reading of visions which John saw. It is for us to gather the meaning from the Word of God. The opening of the last seal causes a hush in the heavens, in anticipation of momentous happenings about to take place on earth. The silence is followed by the appearance of seven angels standing before God to whom were given seven trumpets. The sounding of these brings judgments of increasing severity on man. Before these begin, however, another scene unfolds itself. The imagery is drawn from the tabernacle in the wilderness. In the vision the golden altar of incense appears, the altar of intercession. An angel stands beside it—the Lord Himself! He is the intercessor before the throne. To Him was given much incense to be added to the prayers of saints. Who are these saints for whom Christ thus intercedes in power and sympathy? They are undoubtedly the godly remnant from Judah and Benjamin—cast out of the temple by their idolatrous brethren after the flesh, persecuted and slain, their souls under the altar as we have seen in Chapter 6:9-11. The prayers of these suffering ones come up before God, along with the incense added by the “Angel” (Christ), who fills the censer with fire (judgment) from the altar and casts it into the earth. God intervenes on behalf of the holy sufferers. Voices, thunderings, lightning and an earthquake are but the warning preludes of the wrath of God about to be poured out on His enemies, and the persecutors of His servants.
At this point it might be remarked that there are three distinct sets of judgments on the earth, each increasing in severity: the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls. The trumpets, the next set of judgment, then, are to announce to men’s ears that God is dealing with the earth if they will but hear. The seven angels, with the seven trumpets, go into immediate action. This chapter is confined to a brief comment on the first four trumpets.
The First Trumpet (Verse 7) — One of the grievous plagues on Egypt was that of hail and fire (Exodus 9:18-3518Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. 19Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. 20He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: 21And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field. 22And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. 23And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. 26Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. 27And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. 28Entreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. 29And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord's. 30But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the Lord God. 31And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled. 32But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up. 33And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the Lord: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. 34And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses. (Exodus 9:18‑35)). In our chapter these are mingled with blood (death) and cast upon the earth. There is an omission from verse 7 in some translations of the Bible. It is “and the third part of the earth was burnt up”: This judgment falls on “the third part,” (see Note 5) that is Europe and contiguous territory. An enlargement of the sphere of judgment within the bounds of the Roman Empire is indicated here. A third part of earth, trees, and green grass was burnt up. If you have ever seen a vast tract of forest devastated by fire and leaving nothing but blackened tree stumps and bare ground, you have a picture of what this judgment may mean to those on whom it falls. The ruin yields nothing to support the life of man.
The Second Trumpet (Verse 8) — A sinister power arises whose policies result in destroying trade and commerce—so prominent features of man’s present life, and behind which he hides to keep God out of all his thoughts.
The Third Trumpet (Verse 10) — Another power appears whose doings vitiate the very springs of man’s existence. Life is bitter indeed under this despot, from whose influence men cannot extricate themselves, and many perish. As an example of such an one, consider the Duke of Alva who enslaved the Dutch Netherlands in the days of Philip 2 of Spain, the tyrant of the “Holy” Inquisition.
The Fourth Trumpet (Verse 12) — Earth, trees, grass, sea, rivers and fountains and waters had all previously been affected by these judgments on earth. Now in a figure, the heavenly bodies fail in their normal functions—sun, moon, stars—day and night—ordinances subsisting by the power of God since creation. We may learn from the examples given that all rule by man supreme or derived, utterly collapses (see Note 6). Let us thank God we will not be earth dwellers in that awful day. No government! No powers ordained by God! No democracy! “Government of the people, by the people, for the people!” Vain dream!
There is a chilling break in the last verse of the chapter. A flying EAGLE (not angel), symbol of rapid judgment, loudly proclaims a threefold woe to those who inhabit the earth by reason of the three angels whose trumpets are yet to sound. Truly “the day of the Lord” is “a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness” (Joel 2:22A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. (Joel 2:2)).
The last three trumpets, which we will come to later, are therefore called “woe” trumpets. Again the judgments increase in severity.