When the Lamb opens the seventh and last seal on the little scroll that was the title deed to the earth, the judgments of the Day of the Lord will intensify and expand dramatically. This final seal contains within it the full sweep of the remaining divine judgments of the time of the Great Tribulation, including the trumpet and bowl judgments. The progressive judgments within the seventh seal will take place over an indefinite period of time; the effects of the 5th trumpet, for example, will last for five months. While the exact timetable for the trumpet and bowl judgments is nto revealed, their escalating devastation indicates that they all occur during the last half of the Tribulation. Therefore, the 7th seal encompasses all of GODs final wrath up to the triumphant return of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory.
Silence 8:1 — After all that loudness, as the full fury of the final judgments is about to be released, silence falls on the heavenly scene. The implication is that when the judgment about to happen becomes visible as the seventh seal is broken and the scroll unrolled, both the redeemed and the angels are reduced to silence in anticipation of the grim reality of the destruction they see written on the scroll. That half an hour of silence is the calm before the storm. It is the silence of foreboding, of intense expectation, of awe at what GOD is about to do. The greatest event since the Fall of mankind is about to take place and all heaven is seen waiting in suspenseful expectancy.
Sounding 8:2 — Following the half hour of heaven’s silence, John experienced a new feature of the 7th seal, namely the seven angels who stand be fore GOD. As John watched, seven trumpets were given to these angels in preparation for the trumpet judgments that will shortly follow. Each of the 7 trumpets unleashes a specific judgment of greater intensity than the first six seals, but not as destructive as the seven bowls. The first four trumpets destroy the earth’s ecology, the next two produce demonic destruction of humanity and the seventh trumpet introduces the final outpouring of GOD’s wrath contained in the seven bowl judgments. When the first angel blew his trumpet 1/3 of the earth was burned up, 1/3 of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. At the sounding of the second trumpet 1/3 of the sea became blood. The blowing of the third trumpet destroyed 1/3 of the rivers and springs of waters (fresh water). When the fourth angel blew his trumpet 1/3 of the sun, moon and starts were struck. St the sounding of the fifth trumpet, John saw demons being belched out of hell to torment humanity. When the sixth trumpet sounded, John saw four powerful demons “who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year’ were released, so that they would kill 1/3 of mankind. And with the sounding of the seventh trumpet came the unleashing of the seven bowl judgments more severe than anything before them.
Storm 8:5 — The angel standing before the golden incense altar took his censer and, removing the coals from the altar, filled it with the fire of the altar. Then in an act that must have stunned John and the assembled multitude in heaven, the angel threw it to the earth. The results are catastrophic, as GODs judgment falls upon the earth like a massive fireball out of the sky. The immediate effects of the firestorm of wrath that bursts upon the earth are peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Despite all the terrifying judgments and the worldwide preaching of the gospel by the 144,000 and others, people will still refuse to believe. The unbelieving world rejected Jesus when He came, it rejects the life-giving message of the gospel now, and will continue to reject the truth even during the future outpouring of GODs wrath and judgment.
For many, protecting the environment has become far more than a concern for health and safety; it has become an issue of idolatry, as they wordship “Mother Nature” by trying to protect and perpetuate the earth. READ THAT AGAIN !!!!!!! But the damage man has done to the earth pales in comparison to what GOD will one day do to it. GOD will completely destroy the present heaven and earth and, after the whole universe has gone completely out of existence, He will replace it with a new heaven and a new earth. As teh time for the trumpet judgments to begin approaches the world will have already experienced for years the frightening and relentless reality of GODs wrath.
The First Trumpet 8:7 — Hail is frequently associated in Scripture with divine judgment. The combination of fire mixed with blood is reminiscent of Joel 2:30. The specific cause of the hail and fire is not revealed, but from a scientific standpoint an earthquake of the magnitude and extent of the one in verse 5 would likely trigger worldwide volcanic eruptions. Whatever the scientific explanation, this deluge of death was thrown to the earth by GOD with devastating effect. The shocking result was that 1/3 of the earth was burned up, rendering the soil in which crops are cultivated unusable. Then 1/3 of the trees were burned up, destroying fruit all over the earth. Finally, all the green grass was burned up.
The Second Trumpet 8:8-9 — While the earth’s population was still trying to recover from the devastating fire falls, John saw an even more terrifying sign of doom appearing in the sky. As the second angel sounded his trumpet, something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. The massive object plunging through the sky looked to the terrified observers on earth like a great mountain burning with fire. This is evidently a giant meteorite or asteroid, surrounded by flaming gases set ablaze by the friction of the earth’s atmosphere, on a collision course with the earth. Everyone will see it, either live or on television, and as the world’s telescopes see it coming, many predictions will not doubt be made about whether it will hit the earth or not. It will hit, striking somewhere in the world’s oceans with an explosive power for great than that of an atomic bomb.
The Third Trumpet 8:10-11 — As the third angel sounded his trumpet another flaming object hurled toward the earth. John described this as a ‘great star that fell from heaven’. Aster (star) can refer to any celestial body other than the sun and moon. The massive object that smashed into the ocean remained intact, but this object disintegrated as it reached earth’s atmosphere. (possibly a comet or meteor because of its fiery tail). The object’s fiery debris fell on 1/3 of the earth’s fresh water supply. Because of its deadly effect, the star will be called Wormwood. In the Old Testament it is associated with bitterness, poison, and death. The rivers will run with deadly poison, wells and springs will become death; lakes & reservoirs will be filled with toxic waters.
The Fourth Trumpet 8:12-13 — As the fourth angel sounded, the focus of divine judgment shifted from the earth to the heavens. The heavenly bodies are hit with a plague from GOD so that 1/3 of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for 1/3 of it and nigh in the same way. The dimming of the celestial lights sets the stage for a startling and ominous announcement. As John looked, he heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth” The imagery is that of a strong bird of prey rushing to consume its victim, in this case referring to the rapid approach of GODs final vengeance.