1. Trumpets and Bowls

by Dr. Dieter Thom

Decoding Revelation: 1. Trumpets and Bowls

The Number of the Code Is there a code to understanding the

Book of Revelation? Yes. It is the one number that occurs

very frequently in the Bible, the number of God. Can you guess what it is?

11/30/2013 NKJV Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc .Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved.

Seven You guessed right! The number seven. At the centre of the book of Revelation is two

pairs of sevens that provide the framework for interpreting the entire book and the study of end times Bible prophecy.

They represent two pairs of cycles that are integrally connected and lead us to interpreting the rest of the book and other prophecies.


The Two Pairs of Seven Cycles

The First Cycle The Second Cycle 7 Seals (Rev 6: 1-17) 7 Angels (Rev 14:6-20) 7 Trumpets (Rev 8:1-11:19) 7 Bowls (Rev 16:2-21)

How do we know that these two cycles are connected? Well, we need to read them backwards, starting with comparing the seventh trumpet and seventh bowl.


Victorinus of Poetovio (3rd century) Commentary on Apocalypse


And the trumpet is the word of power. And it may be repeating by the bowls, not as though it was said twice, but because what will happen only once, it is decreed by God that it will be, therefore it is said twice. Accordingly, whatever was said in the trumpets less, it was said in the bowls more. (8:2)


15 Then the seventh angel sounded…

18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come…

19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven... And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake & great hail.

17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven…

18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake…

19 the wine of the fierceness of His wrath…

21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men…

7th Trumpet (Rev. 11) 7th Bowl (Rev. 16)

Did you see the patterns? Both passages have 8 particular elements in common:

1. the seventh angel 2. the temple of heaven, 3. the wrath of God, 4. lightning, 5. noises, 6. thundering, 7. an earthquake, and 8. great hail.

Is this just a coincidence? Let us look at the previous verses.



13 Then the sixth angel sounded…

14 “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates”…

16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million…

18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths.

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates…

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14 to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty…

16 to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.


Do you see the patterns? Both passages have 5 particular elements in common:

1. the sixth angel, 2. the great river Euphrates, 3. the army of the horsemen and the battle of that

great day of God Almighty, 4. three plagues and three unclean spirits, 5. coming out of mouths.

Do you still believe that this is a coincidence? Let us look at the previous verses.



1 Then the fifth angel sounded … 2 So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit…5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months...6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it…

10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl …and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.


Do you see the patterns? Both passages have 4 elements in common:

1. the fifth angel, 2. darkness, 3. pain and torment, and 4. people blaspheme God and seek death.

Job’s wife told him: ‘Curse God & die’ (Job 2:9). Do you still believe that this is a coincidence? Let

us look at the previous verses.



12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.

8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.


Do you see the patterns? Both passages have 2 particular elements in

common: 1. the fourth angel, and 2. the sun (burning & darkness)




10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.

11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.

4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood…

6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.”

3rd Trumpet (Rev. 8) 3rd Bowl (Rev. 16)


common: 1. the third angel, 2. the rivers and springs of water, and 3. death and the shedding of blood.




8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.

9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.

2nd Trumpet (Rev. 8) 2nd Bowl (Rev. 16)


common: 1. the second angel, 2. the sea, 3. became blood, and 4. first a third, then all, the living

creatures in the sea died. Do you still believe that this is a coincidence?


Review


Between these two passages there are: a total of 26 points in common, in the same 6 sections and all in exactly the same order.

Still believe that this is a coincidence? Clearly not.

Conclusions

The Bible is giving us two different accounts in two different passages (chapters 8 and 16) that essentially deal with the same six major cataclysmic events of the time of the end.

The numbering of the angels clearly suggests the same vertical chronological order of events.

The horizontal correlation between each of these last six events is very clear.

What about the rest of the preceding passages? We will see this in the next section on the seals and the angels.


Summary


The Two Pairs of Seven Cycles

The First Cycle The Second Cycle

7 Seals 7 Angels (Rev 6: 1-17) (Rev 14:6-20)

7 Trumpets 7 Bowls (Rev 8:1- 11:19) (Rev 16:2-21)

Spiritual

1. Trumpets and Bowls