9. The Seven Trumpets, Part 2 - Amazon Web...

Lesson#9TheSevenTrumpets,Part2

(10:1-–11:19)

1TheSevenTrumpets,Part2

“SevenTrumpets,”BambergerApocalypse(illuminatedmanuscript,MSA.II,fol.19v),c.1000.

BambergStateLibrary,Bamberg,Germany..

2TheSevenTrumpets,Part2

IfwethoughtthingswerebadwhenthesevensealswereopenedandunleashedthefourhorsemenoftheApocalypse,blowingtheseventrumpetsescalatedthedramaexponenIally,raisingittoacosmicplane,withtheveryheavensrainingdownfireupontheearth!

AttheendofLesson#8onlysixtrumpetshadsounded.

ThereissIllonemoretogo,andinLesson#9wewillhearit!

Withtheopeningofthesevensealsandthesoundingofthefirstsixtrumpets,Johnisstunnedbyhisvisionofthecatastrophicdisastersthatbefallhumanityandtheearthitself;itsickenshim.ButthevisionsconInue.Twowitnessesappearin(whatisleRof)Jerusalem,prophesyingfor1,260days,hatedbyallwhohearthem.Agreatbeastrisesfromtheabyss,wageswaragainstthemandkillsthem,theirtorncorpseslyinginthestreetforthreeandahalfdays,whilethewholeworldrejoices.

Andthen,tothehorrorofall,theybegintodrawbreath,theystandontheirfeetandtheyascendintoheaven.Withthat,agreatearthquakestrikesJerusalemandatenthofthecitycollapses,killingthousands.

Andthentheseventhtrumpetsounds.

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AswenotedinLesson#8,justasaninterludeoftwovisionsfollowedtheopeningofthesixthseal,sohereaninterludeoftwovisionsfollowstheblowingofthesixthtrumpet.

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ThePreambleTheSevenSeals

1. Whitehorse2. Redhorse3. Blackhorse4. Palehorse5. Soulsoftheslain6. Earthquake 144,000sealed White-robedmulItudeinheaven7. Silence

TheSevenTrumpets 1. Hailandfire,mixedwithblood 2. Hugemountainablaze 3. Blazingstar 4. Sun,moonandstarsturneddark 5. Star,fallentoearth 6. Fourangels,released The“lible”scroll Thetwowitnesses 7. Templeinheaven,opened

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Inthefirstvisionamightyangeldescendsfromheavenandinavoicelikearoaringlionthunders:“Thereshallbenomoredelay”(10:6)!

HethenpresentsJohnwitha“liblescroll”andcommandshimtoeatit!

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“Then I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven wrapped in a cloud, with a halo around his head; his face was like the sun and his feet were like pillars of fire. In his hand he held a small scroll that had been opened. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and then he cried out in a loud voice as a lion roars. When he cried out, the seven thunders raised their voices, too. When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to write it down; but I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have spoken, but do not write it down.’”

(10: 1-4)

WilliamBlake.TheAngelofRevelaIon[10:1](watercolor,penandblackink,overgraphite),c.1803-1805.MetropolitanMuseumofArt,NewYork.

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ThisistheverysameangelwhospeakstoJohnonbehalfoftherisenandglorifiedChristin1:1;whointroducedthescrollwithsevensealsin5:2;andwhowillcloseRevelaIonwhenhetakesJohnonaguidedtouroftheNewJerusalemin22:1.

• Thismightyangelis“wrappedinacloud”[nefevlh, ne-fee’-lay,asinthe“pillarofcloudandfire”inExodus];

• hehasa“halo”[i‹riß, ee’ris,morecommonlytranslated,a“rainbow”]aroundhishead;

• his“facewaslikethesunandhisfeetwerelikepillarsoffire,”andhestandswithonefootonlandandtheotheronthesea(10:1-2),indicaInghis“might”[ijxurovß,ee-skhu-ros’].

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Notme.

TheSevenTrumpets,Part2

Hesureis!

Nowthatisanimpressivefigure!

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NoIcethatthescrollheheld“hadbeenopened”[hjnewgmevvnon,aperfect,passiveverb],referringtothescrollwithsevenseals,openedbytheLambinchapter6:1–8:1.

• Somecommentatorsclaimthatbecauseitiscalleda“smallscroll”itmustbeasecondscroll,nottheoneopenedbytheLamb.Theword“”smallscroll”isindeedthediminuIveform,[biblarivdion notbiblivon],butitseemstobeusedinterchangeably,forexample,in10:8,whereJohnusesbiblivon forthe“smallscroll.”1

1RichardBauckham,inTheClimaxofProphecy:StudiesontheBookofRevelaIon(Edinburgh:T&TClark,1993),p.244,pointsoutthatotherGreekworksofChrisIanprophecy,suchastheShepherdofHermas,alsousesthewordsinterchangeably.IthankPeterS.WilliamsoninhisRevelaIon,(CatholicCommentaryonSacredScripture)GrandRapids,MI:BakerAcademic,2015,forthisobservaIonandreference.

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Whentheangelcriesoutlikealion,the“seventhunders”cryout,too.ItisadeRallusiontothevoiceofGodinPsalm29,agreeingwithwhattheangelhastosay.

“ThevoiceoftheLordisoverthewaters: 1thegloryoftheLordthunders,thelordoverthemightywaters...ThevoiceoftheLordissplendor. 2ThevoiceoftheLordcracksthecedars... 3ThevoiceoftheLordstrikeswithfieryflame, 4thevoiceoftheLordshakesthedesert... 5ThevoiceoftheLordmakesthedeerdance 6andstripstheforestsbare. 7

(Psalm29:3-9)

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John,peninhand,getsreadytowritedownwhattheangelsays,ashehaswribenthesevenleberstothesevenchurchesandtheseriesofvisionshehasexperienced.

Buttheangelsays,No!“Sealupwhattheseventhundershavespoken,butdonotwriteitdown”(10:4),suggesIngthatthereareelementsofGod’s“revelaIon”thatareprivate,thatarenottobesharedwithhumanity.

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HansBurgkmair.St.JohnAltarpiece,centerpanel(oilonoak),1518.

AltePinakothek,Munich.

Thenthemightyangelraiseshisrighthandtoheavenandswearsbyhim“whocreatedheavenandearthandseaandallthatisinthem,‘Thereshallbenomoredelay[!].”

ThisispreciselywhattheangelinDanieldoeswhenDanielaskstheangelhowlongitwillbebeforethevisionsrevealedtohimwilloccur.InDaniel,theangel“swearsbyhimwholivesforeverthatitshouldbeforaIme,twoImesandhalfaIme[3½years]...”(Daniel12:7).

John’s“revelaIon”drawsinImatelyonitsantecedentsinDaniel,IghteningthefabricofJohn’svision.Here,theangeltellsJohnthatwhen“theseventhangelblowshistrumpet,themysteriousplanofGodshallbefulfilled,aspromisedtohisservantstheprophets”(10:7).

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“Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, ‘Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’ So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. He said to me, ‘Take and swallow it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.’ I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and swallowed it. In my mouth it was like sweet honey, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then someone said to me, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues and kings.’”

(10: 8-11)

Notme.

TheSevenTrumpets,Part2

Hummm.Leather?Could

betasty!

Eatthescroll?

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Themightyangelholdsanopenscrollinhishand,andhecommandsJohntotakeit.WhenJohnapproaches,theangelthentellshimtotakethescrollandeatit!

Ofcourse,thisisasymbolicgesture.

TheprophetJeremiahcomplainstoGodthatfromhisyouthhelovedGod’sword,andthatnowhehasnochoicebuttohearitandobeyit:

“WhenIfoundyourwords,Idevouredthem;yourwordsweremyjoy,andthehappinessofmyheart.”

(Jeremiah15:16)

WhenJeremiahfirstencounteredGod’swordstheymeanteverythingtohim;hedevouredthem—thatis,hetookthemdeeplyintohisheartandinternalizedthem,makingthemapartofhimself.

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LikewisewithEzekiel.ShortlyaRerGodcallsEzekieltobeaprophet,Ezekiellooks,and...

“[I]twasthenIsawahandstretchedouttome;initwasawriZenscroll.[God]unrolleditbeforeme;itwascoveredwithwriIngfrontandback.WriZenonitwas:LamentaIon,wailing,woe!

Hesaidtome:‘Sonofman,eatwhatyoufindhere;eatthisscroll,thengo,speaktothehouseofIsrael.’SoIopenedmymouth,andhegavemethescrolltoeat.‘Sonofman’,hesaidtome,‘feedyourstomachandfillyourbellywiththisscrollIamgivingyou’.Iateit,anditwasassweetashoneyinmymouth.”

(2:9–3:3)

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“EzekielEatstheScroll.”LambethBible(illuminatedmanuscript,Ms.3,fol.258v),c.1146.LambethPalaceLibrary,London.

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“St.JohnEatstheScroll,”ApocalypsewithCommentaryinFrenchProse(fragment)(illuminatedmanuscript,AddMS38842,fol.1v),early14thcentury.

BriIshLibrary,London..

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Johneatsthescroll.

Notme.

TheSevenTrumpets,Part2

IguessI’dbebernoteat

it.

ForEzekiel,thescrollwas“assweetas

honey.”ForJohnitwas,too,butthenitmade

himsick.

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Ezekielisahardman.Godhadsaidtohim:

“Look!Imakeyourfaceashardastheirs,andyourbrowasstubbornastheirs[theIsraelites].Likediamond,harderthanflint,Imakeyourbrow.Donotbeafraidofthem....”

(3:8-9)

AndGoddidmakehimhard.

ButJohnisatender-heartedman,andwhatisonthescrollatfirsttasteslikehoney(forit’sthewordofGod,aRerall),butthenitturnshisstomachsour[pikraivnw,pee-kri’-no,“biber”];itmakeshimsick,muchlikeDaniel.

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ThewordofGodissweet,indeed,butit’snotsaccharine,anditisbrutallyhonest.ARerstudyingGod’swordandinternalizingit,wearecalledtoputitintoacIon.AsSt.Jamessaid(intheold1611KingJamestranslaIon):

“Butbeyedoersoftheword,andnothearersonly,deceivingyourownselves.”

(James1:22)

WithknowledgeandunderstandingofScripturecomesresponsibility.LookinghonestlyanddeeplyintoourownsoulscanbedisconcerIngatbest,aterroratworst.ForthereareImeswhenwegazeintooursouls...andweseeapictureofDorianGraystaringbackatus.

Itmakesussick.

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DorainGray.OliverParker,director.MomentumPictures,2009..

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“Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and I was told, ‘Come and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who are worshipping in it. But exclude the outer court of the temple; do not measure it, for it has been handed over to the Gentiles, who will trample the holy city for forty-two months. I will commission my two witnesses to prophesy for those twelve hundred and sixty days, wearing sackcloth.’”

(11: 1-3)

Johnistoldtomeasurethetemple,buttoexcludetheoutercourtforit“hasbeenhandedovertotheGenIles”whowilltramplethe“holycity”forforty-twomonths.

Onthefaceofit,thisisapuzzlingscene,forthetempleinJerusalemhadbeendestroyedinA.D.70:itnolongerexistsinthe“holycity”ofJerusalemattheImeJohniswriIngRevelaIon!

So,eitherthisreferstoafuturethirdtempletobebuiltinJerusalem(the1stTemplewasbuiltbySolomon,959-586B.C.;the2ndTemplewasbuiltaRerthereturnfromBabylon,516B.C.–A.D.70),oritsymbolicallyrepresentstheChurch,withJerusalemrepresenIngthepeopleofGodandtheoutercourtyardrepresenIngtheworldcontrolledbythosewhoopposeGod.

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Notme.

TheSevenTrumpets,Part2

Thatmakessensetome,butwhythe42

months!

Thelaberseemsmoreprobable,especiallywhentakingintoaccounttheJohannineworldview,althoughthesymbolism

getsalibledense.

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Theforty-twomonthsrecursvariouslythroughoutRevelaIonastheperiodof“greattribulaIon”:forty-twomonths(11:2;13:5);1,260days(42monthsx30days=1,260(11:3;12:6));andayear,twoyearsandahalf-year(12:14).

TheImeperiodrecallsDaniel’speriodof“greattribulaIon”:

“Themanclothedinlined,whowasupstream,li_edhishandstoheaven;andIheardhimswearbyhimwholivesforeverthatitshouldbeforaIme,twoImes,andhalfaIme;andthat,whenthepowerofthedestroyeroftheholypeoplewasbroughttoanend,allthesethingsshouldend.”

(12:7)

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Significantly,threeandahalfyearsishalfofseven,thenumberofcompleIon;thus,theChurchwillundergopersecuIonforatemporaryperiodofIme(RevelaIon6:1-19:10),endingwiththereturnofChrist;thedefeatofSatanandhiscrew;theMillennialkingdom;thelastjudgment;andthebirthoftheNewJerusalem(RevelaIon19:11-22:21).

29TheSevenTrumpets,Part2

Justasthe2-partinterludeinterruptstheopeningoftheseventhseal(sealingthe144,000fromthetribesofIsraelandthevastmulItudefromthe“naIons”beforethethroneofGod),soa2-partinterludeinterruptstheblowingoftheseventhtrumpet.

InPart1,Johneatsthe“liblescroll”;now,inPart2,Johnencounterstwoverystrange“witnesses”whoareprophesyinginJerusalem.

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“These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone wanting to harm them is sure to be slain. They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying. They also have power to turn water into blood and to afflict the earth with any plague as often as they wish.” (11: 4-6)

“TheTwoWitnesses,”BambergerApocalypse(illuminatedmanuscript,MSA.II,fol.27v),c.1000.BambergStateLibrary,Bamberg,Germany.

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Whoaretheseguys?

ThetwoolivetreesandthetwolampstandsrecallasimilarsceneinZechariah:

“Thentheangelwhospokewithmereturnedandarousedme,likeoneawakenedfromsleep.Hesaidtome,‘Whatdoyousee?’Ireplied,‘Iseealampstandallofgold,withabowlontopofit.Therearesevenlampsthatareontopofit,withsevenspoutsoneachofthelampsthatareontopofit.Andbesideitaretwoolivetrees,oneontherightofthebowlandonetoitsle_.’”

(4:1-5)

TheangelthenexplainstoZechariahthatthelampstandistheTemplebeingconstructedunderthesupervisionofZerubbabel,governor(andheirtoDavid’sthrone)ofthosewhoreturnedfromBabylon(520-516B.C.),andthetwoolivetreesareZerubbabelandJoshua,thehighpriest.

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ThelampstandinRevelaIonisafitngsymboloftheChurch,forasthelampstandbringslightintotheworld,sodoestheChurchbringthelightofChristintotheworld.

Thetwolampstandsmayrepresent,asmanyoftheearlyChurchFatherssuggested,theOldandNewTestaments,orperhapstheyrepresentbothJewsandGenIleswhocomprisetheChurchinJohn’sday.

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Likewise,justasZerubbabelandJoshuaareGod’switnessesinbuildingthesecondTemple,soaretheretwowitnessesinbuildingGod’sChurch,forthroughoutScripturetwowitnessesarerequiredforavalidtesImony(Deuteronomy17:6),onereasonwhyJesussendsouthisdisciplestwo-by-two(Mark6:7;Luke10:1).

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MosesandElijahpersonifythisdualpropheIctesImonyasprophetsparexcellence,MosesrepresenIngtheLawandElijahtheProphets.ItisMoseswhoturnsthewateroftheNileRiverintobloodinthefirstplagueonEgyptandwhobringstheaddiIonalnineplagues(Exodus7:14–11:10),anditisElijahwhoshutsuptheheavenssothatitdoesn’trainforthreeandahalfyearsduringhisbablewithKingAhabandhismiserablewife,Jezebel(1Kings17:1).

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So,thetwowitnessesareMosesandElijah.

Veryclever!

Notme.

TheSevenTrumpets,Part2

Nice!

Anddon’tforgetthataRerPeter’sconfessionoffaithatCaesareaPhilippi,theTransfiguraIonfollows,whereGodtheFathervalidatesPeter’sconfession

beforetwocrediblewitnesses:MosesandElijah.

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“When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will wage war against them and conquer them and kill them. Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city, which has the symbolic names ‘Sodom” and “Egypt,” where indeed their Lord was crucified. Those from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation will gaze on their corpses for three and a half days, and they will not allow their corpses to be buried. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and be glad and exchange gifts because these two prophets tormented the inhabitants of the earth . . .

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“But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here.’ So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on. At that moment there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell in ruins. Seven thousand people were killed during the earthquake; the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The second woe has passed, but the third is coming soon.”

(11: 7-14)

Satanrisesfromtheabyss,slaysthetwowitnesses,andallthepeoplerejoice!AsonNewYear’sEve,parIeseruptthroughoutthelandaspeoplecelebratetheslaughteroftheprophetswhohadbeentellingthemwhattheydidn’twanttohear!

AsJesushadsaid:“TheywillhandyouovertopersecuIon,andtheywillkillyou.YouwillbehatedbyallnaIonsbecauseofmyname”(Mabhew24:9).

Butthen,aRerthreeandonehalfdaysofrotnginthesun,thetwowitnessesdrawbreath,standontheirfeet,andastheworldwatches,theyascendintoheaven!

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Yikes!

Andatthatverymoment...“[T]herewasagreatearthquake,andatenthofthecityfellinruins.Seventhousandpeoplewerekilledduringtheearthquake;therestwereterrified....”

(11:13)

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ThisisexhausIng!

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“Thesecondwoehaspassed,butthethirdiscomingsoon.”

(11:14)

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“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet. There were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world now belongs to our Lord and to his Anointed, and he will reign forever and ever.’ The twenty-four elders who sat on their thrones before God prostrated themselves and worshipped God and said:

‘We give thanks to you, Lord God almighty who are and who were, for you have assumed your great power and have established your reign.

The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to recompense our servants, the prophets, and the holy ones and those who fear your name, the small and great alike, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.’”

(11: 15-18)

Notme.

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That’saverydeRallusion!

Thetwenty-fourelders’songrecallsPsalm2whichbegins,“WhydothenaIonsrage,andthepeopleplotwhatisvain?”anditendswithGod’sAnointedsmashingthekingsoftheearth“withanironrod,”shaberingthem“likeapober’sjar.”

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“Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, and earthquake, and a violent hailstorm.” (11: 19)

“SeventhTrumpet,”BambergerApocalypse(illuminatedmanuscript,MSA.II,fol.42r),c.1000.BambergStateLibrary,Bamberg,Germany.

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1.   WhatisthedifferencebetweenthescrollopenedbytheLambandthesmallscrollinRevelaIon10:2?

2.   WhatdoesJohndowiththesmallscroll?3.   WhoelseinScripturedoessomethingsimilarwitha

scroll?

4.   Whoarethetwowitnesses?

5.   Whathappenswhentheangelblowstheseventhtrumpet?

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