The Great Tribulation
(Chap. 8:1–11:18)
Vss. 1-6—The unfolding of events in chapter 6 is resumed with the opening of the “seventh seal” (chap. 8:1). It results in the seven trumpet judgments falling on the Western nations that have had the light of Christianity, but have rejected it. These judgments will be executed directly from the hand of the Lord Himself (the Angel-priest) and are more direct and severe than the seal judgments. These judgments cover the last half of the prophetic week of Daniel 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27) (3½ years), which is the time of “the Great Tribulation” (Matt. 24:2121For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21); Rev. 7:1414And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14)).
In connection with the trumpet judgments in chapters 8-9, it is significant that the Spirit of God uses the expression “the third part” fourteen times (in the J. N. Darby Translation). It is a technical expression in prophecy referring to a restricted area of the world—the Western prophetic earth—which is essentially the territory that the old Roman Empire once held.
The first four trumpet-judgments have to do with the apostatizing of the Christianized nations in the West, whereas the fifth trumpet-judgment is concerned with the apostatizing of the Jews in the land of Israel. The result will be a thorough apostatizing of this once enlightened part of the earth.
The First Trumpet
(Chap. 8:7)
The prosperity (“trees” and “green grass”) in the Western nations will dry up. This marks the collapse of the economy in the West.
The Second Trumpet
(Chap. 8:8)
John sees “a great mountain burning with fire” dissolve into “the sea”—i.e. a giant volcanic eruption. This refers to a great and powerful nation in the West disintegrating and dissipating in the “sea” of nations (Rev. 17:1515And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. (Revelation 17:15)). It is a judgment of God, of which “fire” is a symbol. The result is that many in the West will formally give up their profession of God and apostatize (become “blood”). Some think that this mountain might be the United States of America. If this is true, it explains why that great military power is not mentioned as having a part in the coming wars of Armageddon.
Mr. W. Kelly said, “The United States of America will be swamped into a political marsh; and as they have been hitherto a mere omnium gatherum or conglomerate from the rest of the world, especially from Europe, comprising no doubt a vast deal of skill, industry, and enterprise, but also not a little of the scum and refuse of all nations; so I believe they will break up into factions of noisy primitive elements; and, after going off in boastful vapouring, will at length burst as a bubble....So as to America, I conceive that the young giant power which has grown so fast will sink still faster, probably through intestine quarrel, but assuredly somehow before that day comes. They will break up into different fragments. Their prime object is to maintain political unity. This is their great ambition, and though it may appear to stand and advance, as everything ambitious is apt to prosper for a time, it will be all blown down before long. For it is a remarkable fact that there is no place in prophecy for a vast influential power, such as the American United States would naturally be, if it so long retained its cohesion. Is it conceivable that there should be such a power existing at that day without any mention of it? Can the omission be accounted for save by its dissolution?” (Lectures on the Minor Prophets, pp. 109-110).
The Third Trumpet
(Chap. 8:10-11)
A great person in a high position of influence in the West (“a great star”) will formally give up his professed knowledge of God, and this will lead more into apostasy.
The Fourth Trumpet
(Chap. 8:12)
Many other influential leaders in the West who men look to for guidance and advice (“the sun,” “the moon,” and “the stars”) will also fall into apostasy. These might be respected political men, financial analysts, etc.
The Fifth Trumpet
(Chap. 9:1-12)
The Antichrist, the Jew’s false Messiah (“a star”), will come forward in his full satanic character. He will be allowed to open “the abyss”—the prison house of demons (Luke 8:30-3130And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 31And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. (Luke 8:30‑31))—and let loose their blinding influence (“smoke”) on earth. The symbol of “locusts” with “tails” like a “scorpion” and with a “sting” of a scorpion (vs. 10) is used to describe the spiritual destruction of apostasy that these demonic agents will cause in souls. Their mission will be to cause the unsealed mass of the Jews in the land of Israel to believe the “lie” of the Antichrist (vs. 4). T. B. Baines points out that since the sealing in chapter 7 was not for the Gentiles, but for a select number from the twelve tribes, we can deduct that this trumpet-judgment is particularly concerned with the reprobate mass of the Jews in the land of Israel (The Revelation of Jesus Christ, p. 120). As a retributive judgment, God will allow them to be blinded by the lie (Isa. 8:21-2221And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. 22And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness. (Isaiah 8:21‑22)) because they refused to believe the gospel of His grace when it was preached by the Church. (His blinding power will also deceive the mass in the western, once Christianized, nations, and it will lead them into apostasy (2 Thess. 2:9-109Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:9‑10)).
The Sixth Trumpet
(Chap. 9:13-21)
The federation of ten nations in the West (the beast), which will have control of the land of Israel as being part of its empire, will have its eastern border (which “the great river Euphrates” symbolizes) give way to a vast army of attacking soldiers. This will be the armies of another ten-nation confederacy of Moslem nations to the north and east of Israel. They will be led by “the King of the North”—the Assyrian (Psa. 83:1-81<<A Song or Psalm of Asaph.>> Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. 2For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. 3They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. 4They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. 5For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: 6The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; 7Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. (Psalm 83:1‑8); Dan. 11:40-4140And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. (Daniel 11:40‑41)). See Revelation 16:1212And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. (Revelation 16:12). In a matter of a few days, these armies will sweep through the land of Israel destroying the mass of the Jews who will have received the Antichrist and worship the image of the Beast. These fierce warriors are described as being driven by Satanic power—“their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents” (vs. 19).