The Seed Blog: The Great Tribulation Part 6

Recap: Jesus Christ, the only One worthy, had opened all seven of the Seals on The Heavenly Scroll. This Scroll is the Scroll of God's Wrath, which is about to be released on the earth. These Seals brought the Antichrist, war, famine, disease, earthquakes, darkness, and heavenly signs of judgment. When the Seventh and final Seal was broken, there was silence in Heaven for half an hour.

Revelation 8:1-5. Silence in Heaven as the trumpets are given out, and the prayers of God's people are offered up as incense on the golden altar. Then fire from the very altar that ignited the prayers of the Saints, is cast down to earth t begin the wrath. The sound of thunder and the quaking of the earth rumbled through the silence; then the silence is shattered with the First Trumpet.

Revelation 8:6-7: this and all the following Trumpets could very well be supernatural events from God—but we also must consider that God very often uses bad men in judgment of bad men. Compare the beginning of Wrath just mentioned, to the warfare already described in Scripture at this time (sounds like nuclear effects). Whether by supernatural means or man against man, the frequency and intensity are stepping up massively, just as prophesied by Christ Himself, in Matthew 24:8. As we go from war and disaster that destroys entire coalitions of armies, to war and disaster that destroys 1/3 of all the trees and grass on earth with just the first Trumpet blast. The following Three Trumpets produce more of the same: the Second Trumpet sounds:

Revelation 8:8-9: something "like" a great mountain (meteor, missile). The first Trumpet brought destruction to 1/3 of the land; this one to 1/3 of the sea creatures and ships. The Third Trumpet:

Revelation 8:10-11: (star from Heaven: missile or meteor?) This time, 1/3 of all waters on earth become poison ["Wormwood" (apsinthos, ap'-sin-thos = literally bitterness)]. The Fourth Trumpet: Revelation 8:12: Brings darkness to 1/3 of the sun, moon and stars, so that the day and night both shined a third less brightly. (Again, perfect description of dust from meteor or nuclear blast) Then comes a short break in the trumpets, as an angel of God actually exclaims grief towards the events which are about to come with the next three Soundings:

Revelation 8:13. A nightmarish event occurs with the Fifth Trumpet (First "Woe"): Revelation 9:1-6: this star is different—it’s not an inanimate object (“He”). This angelic being has a ‘key’ that seals the bottomless pit. [the word for "bottomless" pit here, is used only 9 times in the whole NT; #12 abussos (ab'-us-sos ) - meaning depthless abyss; 7 of the 9 times used is in Revelation—always in reference to a place of confinement for supernatural beings—Demons. (This is where the legion of demons begged Jesus not to send them in Luke 8:31, when they entered pigs instead). [The description of, "locusts" used for these beasts, is just a simile, because though they act and swarm like locusts, they definitely are not real locusts; rather, some grotesque form of demon because they are clearly, purposefully described as coming from the demonic pit of confinement; and they have a demonic king over them (Hebrew=Abaddon (Angel of Death) / Greek=Apollyon (The Destroyer))

The first four Trumpets brought judgment on the earth; these next two are judgment on men of the earth. This first being to torment men five months; The Sixth Trumpet (Second “Woe”):

Revelation 9:12-16 (Revelation 16:12 also makes reference to this great army at Euphrates, giving a more exact location). God is bringing an enormous army from the east of the Euphrates to bring unbelievable destruction to the earth. God judged the earth (1/3 of all land, 1/3 of sea and 1/3 of sky); now, this great army is used to kill one third of mankind. [Starting with 7 billion on the earth at the beginning, then 1/4 are killed by the four riders of the Apocalypse, that leaves 5,250,000,000. Another 1/3 of these remaining are killed, bringing the earth's population down to 3,500,000,000—exactly half of the entire earth's population will be dead at this point]. [The Apostle John predicted a massive army of 200 million would bring destruction from east of the Euphrates. That is a geographical location and exact number given over 2000 years ago—(when there were only 150 to 300 million on earth). Today, the Army of Red China sits poised to the east side of the Euphrates and has 200 million.

Revelation 9:17-19: (“warhorses”): [the words "resembled" and "like" mean it is not a real description, but a comparison] Whatever these troops are riding, have heads like lions, with mighty roars, followed by smoke and burning sulfur coming from their mouths [possibly roar and flames of cannon fire]. The word "plague" here simply means a blow or wound—a third of the population is destroyed by fire, smoke and brimstone—perhaps modern warfare described amazingly in first century language. Zechariah 14:12: [There is a weapon that was first tested in the U.S. in 1963, known as the Neutron Bomb; it has been built and tested by a number of nations since, including Russia, France, China, and Israel. This weapon has been discontinued and ‘supposedly’ dismantled in the U.S., with the last one gone by 2003; but, other countries still possess this bomb—this  weapon produces ten times the neutron radiation of a fission bomb of same explosion—allowing much more damage to living tissue with less physical damage and radioactive contamination.

Near the midway point of the Tribulation, we have another break in action for an incredible declaration to be made:

Revelation 10:1-3: the passage calls him an angel, who raises his right hand to Heaven and swears by the Creator [Michael?] [Why a Rainbow? Possibly to remember first destruction of all earth, and the promise that the world would never be destroyed by water again? Fire this time.] This Powerful Being speaks seven mysteries about end times that John is not allowed to record. [Little Scroll, or Book is probably Revelation of God's Word and coming events; then, he places one foot in the sea, and one on land - to show this proclamation to have authority over all the earth, and swears by God that this is the end—there will be no more delay.] Revelation 10:7: the angel swears that during the time of the Seventh Trumpet blast, all the Mysteries of God's Plan would come to pass. Just before the Seventh Trumpet, the Two Prophets, who have been warning the world of God's wrath and of the Antichrist will finally be killed:

Revelation 11:7-12: [these things could not have happened before this generation] When they ascend, a massive earthquake follows [in judgment of their treatment?] which destroys 1/10 of city and kills 7000 people. Finally, the Seventh Trumpet sounds (Third “Woe”):

Revelation 11: 15-18: this Trumpet signifies that Proclamation of Ownership is made—God is finally coming to physically take what has been rightfully bought by His Blood—and the time for judgment will soon come to pass. The taking of the kingdom, and the judgment and rewards will all take place after the blowing of this Last Trump, the end of all Mysteries of God; therefore the remaining events of the Tribulation are under the time of this Trumpet Blast, signifying that the last 3 1/3 years of the Tribulation are where God's greatest and final actions occur. A flurry of events occur from God and Satan in response to this Heavenly, “Proclamation of Ownership” over earth…

We will see the chaos next week!