The opening of the seventh seal is followed by silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; there is something intensely solemn in this. For long ages evil has been increasing, but at last God is about to intervene, and the silence of the ages will be broken by the trumpets of God that announce His judgments.
The judgments under the first seals had been of a providential character, but with the opening of the seventh seal, we see a more direct intervention of God. The sound of a trumpet would symbolize the fact that God is directly announcing that His judgments are about to fall upon man.
John sees seven angels standing before God, to whom seven trumpets are given. It would thus appear that the last seal embraces the whole period of the judgments under the seven trumpets and thus carries us up to the time under the seventh trumpet when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ (Rev. 11:15-1815And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:15‑18)).
The First Trumpet Judgment
This judgment under the first angel, sounding the first trumpet, falls upon the earth, probably used as a symbol to set forth an ordered and prosperous portion of the world in contrast to uncivilized nations set forth by the sea. The “third part” in this and the three following trumpet judgments would limit the judgment to a restricted area. From chapter 12:4 this would seem to indicate the sphere of the revived Roman Empire. It may be the western part of the Roman Empire in contrast to the sixth trumpet, which is connected with the Euphrates or eastern portion, while the seventh trumpet tells us of a universal judgment (Rev. 11:15-1815And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:15‑18)).
This judgment falls upon the trees and green grass. Often in Scripture trees are used as a symbol to set forth great men of the earth, while the green grass speaks of prosperity. It would thus seem that this first trumpet judgment falls upon Europe, or western part of the Roman Empire, dealing in judgment with the leaders and sweeping away all prosperity.
The Second, Third and Fourth Trumpets
In the judgment of the second trumpet John saw “as it were a great mountain burning with fire cast into the sea.” In Scripture we know that a mountain is used to symbolize a great and long-established power. This trumpet would thus appear to foretell the overwhelming destruction of a great world power that in its fall will bring ruin and death upon a third part of the nations, as their channel of subsistence is destroyed through commerce being brought to a standstill by the destruction of the ships.
The judgment that follows the sounding of the third trumpet is symbolized by the fall of a great star upon the third part of the rivers. Does not a great star set forth some prominent leader of thought to whom men have looked for guidance? The fall of a great burning star would seem to indicate that in the judgment of God some intellectual leader is allowed to put forth false teaching which poisons the minds of men, bringing bitterness and moral death, or separation from God, upon a third part of the earth.
The judgment of the fourth trumpet is set forth under the figure of a third part of the sun, and moon and stars being smitten with darkness. The sun, moon and stars are used in Scripture to set forth different grades of governmental authorities ordained of God. Do not these symbols suggest that a third part of the political powers will be smitten, leaving people in darkness and confusion in every walk of life?
The Last Three Trumpet Judgments
The three last trumpet judgments are distinguished from the first four by the announcement of the angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to them that dwell upon the earth, for the remaining voices of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound” (Rev. 8:11And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. (Revelation 8:1)3 JnD).
It will be noticed that the first four trumpet judgments dealt more especially with the circumstances of life, symbolized by the trees, the rivers, the sun, moon and stars. The last three trumpet judgments are more severe and terrible in their character, inasmuch as they fall upon men rather than their circumstances. They bring woe to that special class referred to as dwellers upon the earth — those who, like Cain, go out from the presence of the Lord and seek to build a world without God.
In the times of these judgments God will seal as His own a great number from Israel, who will be preserved for the reign of Christ. The fifth trumpet judgment, or first woe, falls on “those men which have not the seal of God on their foreheads” — the apostate portion of the nation of Israel.
Satanic Delusion
This fearful judgment appears to be some Satanic delusion that darkens the minds of men. This evil teaching is set forth under the symbol of a swarm of locusts that, with irresistible power, sweep all before them leaving misery in their trail. The natural locusts destroy the grass and every green thing, and strip the trees. But the evil influence set forth by these symbolic locusts poisons the minds of men even as a scorpion poisons the body. To such mental misery will men be brought that they will seek death but not find it. The very people that were once called to be a witness to the true God will, through falling under this Satanic delusion, seek to find relief to their minds by attempting to throw off all knowledge of God.
This evil influence will affect men for a limited period, for the power to hurt will last only for five months. The leader in this terrible delusion will be Satan, the angel of the bottomless pit.
A Voice from the Golden Altar
A voice from the golden altar before God calls forth the sixth angel, or second woe judgment. This again reminds us that all these judgments are directed from heaven, and that evil in its fullness is restrained until the moment for judgment is come.
This judgment is very similar to the last; but this second woe is said to fall upon “the third part of men,” an expression which is used in chapter 12:4 to set forth the sphere of the Roman Empire, which would embrace professing Christendom.
The mention of the Euphrates would indicate that this judgment comes from the East, for this river is the natural barrier between the East and the West. It would seem that this barrier will be removed and some evil influence from the East will sweep over the sphere of professing Christendom. In result the third part of men are killed, setting forth, probably not physical death but that men are led into all the misery of apostasy, or moral death to God. Apparently there will be some that escape this terrible delusion, but even so they do not repent, for it is evident from the closing verse that as in the days before the flood the world will be given over to violence and corruption.
The Seventh Trumpet
For the sounding of the seventh trumpet, we must pass on to Revelation 11:1414The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. (Revelation 11:14). It does not bring some fresh infliction similar to the preceding trumpets. Rather, great voices in heaven proclaim that which is the end of all God’s judgments — the establishment of the kingdom “of our Lord and of His Christ.” Here all man’s proud opposition is quelled and the reign of the Lord by His Anointed is established. Once established, His dominion abides.
The reaction in heaven, symbolized by the twenty-four elders, is one of worship, but on earth “the nations were angry” (Rev. 11:1818And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:18)), for man’s natural heart is unchanged. When the age of the gospel closes and wrath comes, bringing with it righteous judgment, it will extend over a long period, only ending in “the time of the dead that they should be judged” (Rev. 11:1818And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:18))— the final scene of wrath at the great white throne.
All sin is destructive in one way or another. As man has become increasingly inventive and willful, his powers of destruction have increased. These false ideas reach into the moral, the political, even the material world, and today leading men are intoxicated with them, resulting in uncontrollable violence. “Them which destroy the earth,” (vs. 18) under cover of improving conditions, whether materially, socially or religiously, are becoming more and more numerous and powerful. The establishment of the glorious kingdom of our Lord will mean the destruction of all such. Then, at last, earth’s golden age will begin.
H. Smith (adapted)