Charles D. Alexander
Herbert W. Armstrong
William Barclay
Gregory K. Beale
James B. Coffman
John Darby
A. C. Gaebelein
George Gifford
David Guzik
E. W. Hengstenberg
H. A. Ironside
B. W. Johnson
Alonso T. Jones
Jack Kelley
William Kelly
Don Koenig
Gordon E. Ladd
Clarence Larkin
Francis Nigel Lee
David B. Loughran
John MacArthur
Henry Madison Morris
Robert H. Mounce
John H. Ogwyn
David C. Pack
Jon Paulien
J. Dwight Pentecost
Peter Pett
Bob Pickle
Vern S. Poythress
John H. Pratt & Edward B. Elliott
Ken Raggio
James Stuart Russell
Tyconius
John Walvoord
Ronald Weinland
James White
1st trumpet |
The
first trumpet manifests the same evidences of divine wrath as came upon
Egypt, when Israel suffered there, under the seventh plague (Exodus
9:23). Hail (heat withdrawn), fire and blood are all symbols of divine
wrath. The trees and the green grass were burned up. The green things
are symbols of agricultural and commercial prosperity. |
2nd trumpet |
That
this is not a literal mountain is obvious. A mountain in Scripture
language represents a kingdom (Isaiah 2:2; Zech. 4:7; Psalm 46:2; and
especially Jer. 51:25). The sea is typical of nations. Some kingdom,
internally on fire, signifying probably revolution, will be
precipitated into the restless sea of nations, and the result will be a
still greater destruction of life and commerce, which is represented by
the ships. |
3rd trumpet |
In
the preceding trumpet judgments things were cast upon the earth, but
here is a star which falls. It is some person who claimed authority and
who becomes an apostate, whose fall produces the awful results given
here. It may be the final Antichrist who first may have claimed to be
for Israel a great teacher with divine authority and then takes the
awful plunge. Wormwood is his name and the waters became wormwood and
bitter. |
4th trumpet |
The
sun is the symbol of the highest authority; the moon, who has not her
own light, is symbolical of derived authority; and the stars are
symbolical of subordinate authority. The symbolical meaning of this
trumpet judgment is that all authority within the revived Roman empire
will be smitten by the hand of one above and as a result there will be
the most awful moral darkness. |
5th trumpet |
The
star which is seen fallen from heaven with the key of the pit of the
abyss is Satan himself cast out of heaven. ... He unlocks the prison
house of the fallen angels and the most awful satanic agencies come
forth to begin their "dread" work of torment. The smoke first,
symbolical of darkening; the locusts next, symbolical of these demon
powers. Awful darkness prevails and the most diabolical delusions,
producing fearful torments among apostate Israel and the inhabiters of
the earth. It is the time of the strong delusion (2 Thess. 2:4-11)
which has come. |
6th trumpet |
The
sixth angel is commanded by a voice from the horns of the golden altar
to loose the four angels who are found at Euphrates, and as a result an
innumerable company of horsemen is released. (Greek: twice ten thousand
times ten thousand, that is, 200 million. The number would indicate the
immense, uncountable hordes.) They are prepared for a specific time to
do their work. Euphrates is once more mentioned under the pouring out
of the sixth vial. We believe the sixth vial judgment gives the key to
these horsemen here. Euphrates does not mean the Turkish Empire, as we
shall more fully show when we come to the sixth vial. This river was
both the boundary line of the old Roman Empire and the land of Israel.
Restraining influences held back the tide of nations on the other side
of the river, this restraint is now removed and therefore a great
invasion takes place. As the land of Israel is nearest it will suffer
first, but the revived Roman empire will be the objective of these
invading hordes. The "third part" stands for the Roman Empire, the
coming European confederacy. |
7th trumpet |
The
seventh trumpet brings us to the very end of the tribulation and to the
beginning of the millennial reign. It is Jerusalem's deliverance. He
who alone is worthy receives the kingdom. How clear this ought to make
the fact that our Lord has no earthly kingdom now, but He receives the
promised kingdom on the earth at the end of these things. ... The
nations were full of wrath (Ps. 2; 46:6); His wrath is come;
resurrection will follow; this points to the time after the kingdom
(chapter 20:12). And His servants, the prophets and the saints, receive
their rewards, to reign with Him. |
Copyright © 2010 by Douglas E. Cox
All Rights Reserved.