|
David Guzik
|
|
1st
trumpet
|
Blood
may indicate the color or the result of the phenomenon described here.
We don't know if the hail and fire was red in color or if it brought
forth red blood, but one way or another this should be understood
straightforwardly, without escaping into a creative symbolism.
i. "Many eminent men suppose that the irruption of the barbarous
nations of the Roman empire is here intended. It is easy to find
coincidences when fancy runs riot." (Clarke)
ii. "The truth is, if earth, trees, and grass do not mean earth, trees,
and grass, no man can tell what they mean. Letting go the literal
signification of the record, we launch out upon an endless sea of sheer
conjecture." (Seiss)
|
|
2nd
trumpet
|
a.
Something like a great mountain: John carefully says that this is not
an actual mountain (note the use of like), but it is a blazing mass as
large as a mountain.
b. A third of the sea became blood: This disaster is a cataclysm,
perhaps a meteor that crashes into the sea and results in great oceanic
upheaval with residual pollution. Researchers today say that this sort
of phenomenon has happened many times in the history of the earth,
sometimes resulting in great ecological upheaval and disaster. Here,
the result is that a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and
a third of the ships were destroyed. The blood may be either the cause
or the effect of the widespread death in the oceans of the world.
c. The sea may be a specific reference to the Mediterranean and not a
reference to all oceans. For a person in the world John lived in, the
Mediterranean Sea was the sea, and they really had little knowledge of
other oceans.
|
|
3rd
trumpet
|
We
may easily associate this with a comet or meteor crashing into the
earth and bring ecological disaster.
i. "Some say the star means Attila and his Huns; others, Genseric with
his Vandals falling on the city of Rome; others, Eleazer, the son of
Annus, spurning the emperor's victims, and exciting the fury of the
Zealots; others, Arius, infecting the pure Christian doctrine with his
heresy, [and so on and so on]. It certainly cannot mean all these; and
probably none of them. Let the reader judge." (Clarke)
|
|
4th
trumpet
|
A
third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night: This does
not describe a one-third lessening of light, but one-third of the day
and night are plunged into absolute darkness. As Jesus said: the sun
will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light (Matthew 24:29).
|
|
5th
trumpet
|
These
are obviously not "natural" locusts. They avoid plants and attack men
like scorpions attack. They are "A visual representation of the hordes
of demons loosed upon the earth." (Walvoord)
i. The idea is simply that as part of the judgment of the great
tribulation, God will allow demonic hordes, previously imprisoned, to
descend upon the earth like a swarm of destructive locusts. They are
not, as some have suggested, heretics, Muslims, Turks, Saracens,
Jesuits, monks, or Protestants!
|
|
6th
trumpet
|
The
demonic locusts described earlier in the chapter were restricted to
tormenting mankind. But these four angels have the authority to kill on
a massive scale.
a. The number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million: Is
this number literal or symbolic? "It is possible that the number is not
to be taken literally, but simply suggests an army that is impossible
to count and is greater than anything mankind has ever seen." (Hocking)
b. Breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the
heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their
mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone: They are given a weird,
grotesque description. This is a powerful picture of horror,
destruction and demonic association.
c. Does this speak of a natural or a supernatural army? An army of men
or an army of demons?
i. If this describes a natural army of men, then the weird description
might speak of modern, mechanized warfare. John may describe modern
machinery in the only terms he can, and the result is this weird,
grotesque, terrifying account.
ii. But, a human army this size has never been seen. The total size of
all armies - on both sides - at the height of the Second World War was
only 70 million. In 1965 China claimed to have an army and militia of
200 million, but this claim was doubted by many. Even if such an army
was assembled, and marched towards the west, it is hard (but not
impossible) to see such an army killing a billion or more people - a
third of mankind.
iii. Therefore, perhaps the safest interpretation is to see this as a
literal 200 million strong army, but a demonic army invading earth.
This continues the idea of the demonic army like locusts described
earlier in the chapter.
|
|
7th
trumpet
|
a.
Then the seventh angel sounded: The seventh seal brought forth a
profound silence (Revelation 8:1); the seventh trumpet initiates joy at
the inevitable resolution. There can't be a more glorious proclamation
than this: The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our
Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!
|