As noted in the introduction post:
As the seals are opened and described in the verses from the Revelation, my approach for reviewing them is not expository or even commentary. Instead, my goal is to view them from a devotional perspective – as a means to grasp and appreciate, more fully, the enduring grace and mercy and immeasurable love of God – His nature and character revealed throughout the history of creation, specifically as seen in the opening of the Book of Redemption and the unsealing of the previously concealed terms and conditions, as we learned from Jeremiah 32:11-14.
This means that, in this format, other than the foundations I have briefly laid, I will not reiterate or introduce the typical proofs that an exposition (for example) might supply, though I will provide the understanding that has emerged from extensive study. For a deeper level of detail there are many resources available, including by this author ("Understanding the Revelation").
Discerning the exact points along the timeline of history when the terms and conditions are applied or find their fulfillment (at least for a few of the specified terms and conditions) can be a bit challenging. For the most part, however, God has given sufficient detail to enable us to understand what matters; as long as we do not demand to know “how” the terms and conditions will be accomplished (this becomes more relevant with the seventh seal disclosures). God promised blessing for those who read and hear and watch over the “words of the prophecy of this book” (the Revelation) – and He knows (since He made us this way) that we cannot watch over and treat as valuable that which we do not understand.
Identifying Jesus as the one worthy to take and open the book is the Revelation John was commissioned to witness and write (Rev.1:1-3). This happened at around 96 AD – about 58 years after His (Jesus’) death, burial, justification, resurrection and ascension fulfilled our need for Ransom. As we begin our review, Jesus has the Book of Redemption in His hand. John is acting as both witness and scribe as He opens and reads each sealed entry.
Though it is easy to separate the disclosures that come after the seventh seal is opened from what we were shown by the opening of the first six; it too is a disclosure of terms and conditions of the Book of Redemption first seen on the Father’s right hand. Both similarities and the unique qualities will be reviewed.
The Seventh Seal - the first trumpet (8:7)
“The first sounded, and there came into being (a creative event) hail and fire, (both which were)mixed with blood, and they were thrown (an act of will and aggression) to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green (new growth)grass (for pasturing) was burned up.”
As you will notice, I have chosen to insert clarifications with the original words, rather than adding them in my descriptions for the first four of the trumpets in order to avoid having to re-frame the impressions that might be drawn without them. I will also avoid the temptation to attempt to explain “how” God will do what He is promising to do. I take Isaiah’s prophecy (64:4) quoted by Paul (1Cor.2:9) as our guide for understanding what these messengers have prepared to do:
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard and have not entered the heart of men; All that God has Prepared for those who Love Him.”
What John witnesses – whenever it occurs in time – is a once in history event that “comes into being” (which rejects the possibility of a cumulative impact spread over time) as a result of the first messenger sounding his trumpet. That a third of the earth (roughly 19,000,000 square miles – which would include the land impacted by the next two results) , a third of the trees (roughly one trillion) and all of the new growth of pasture lands (with the typical rotation cycles this would be roughly 3 to 4 million square miles) are burned up by the casting to the earth of hail mixed with fire and blood mixed with fire, is not in question. I understand the temptation to consider these numbers with incredulity; and there is indeed a part of me that wished this were just some form of allegory. Then I remember how Egypt spent three days in total darkness – when it was so dark they could not even leave their beds. That too was an example of the extent to which God would go in His efforts to soften hearts.
We are not told what any of the implications of this catastrophe are – though it takes very little imagination to conceive the devastation to the atmosphere and to all life, that would result. Those facts themselves are evidence of the once in history nature of this first trumpet’s impact and the immediate corollary that this trumpet has not yet sounded – at least not by the time of this writing. And though the timing, the duration of each seal’s disclosure(s), or even the various elements of a seal were independent (meaning the disclosures of the seventh seal, for example, are not dependent on or subsequent to the completion of those of the sixth), when, within the disclosure ordinal numbers are used, the implication of sequence can be assumed. Simply put – if the first trumpet of the seventh seal has yet to sound, then none of them have.
The Seventh Seal - the second trumpet (8:8-9)
“The second messenger sounded, and like (in the likeness of or seemingly – typically indicates symbolism) a great mountain burning with fire was thrown (act of will and aggression) into the sea (salted waters), and a third of the sea became (a creative event) blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life (breathed OR had a soul), died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.”
At the risk of excessive repetition – “how” is not required in order to understand the “what” and “why” – and the “who” – of God’s acts: His ways He makes known, but not always His means. What we know is that God, in His desire to bring all men to repentance, wrote into the deed of purchase (our Book of Redemption) the terms and conditions disclosed, in particular here, by the breaking open of the seventh seal.
What John is witness to, at the time in history that it occurs, is the casting, throwing, or launching of a mass big enough to seem like a mountain to him – and a mass that is burning with fire. It lands in the sea – which specific sea we are not told – but one large enough for one third of the air breathing creatures of the sea to be killed (by the way, “had life”, is not a classification found in Genesis 1; as noted – it likely refers to air breathing sea creatures) – killed in such a way as to turn a third of the sea into blood. It would also need to be a sea that includes a major shipping lane in order for a third of the ships to be destroyed.
I understand that with the structure of this particular trumpet manifestation, the “third” could be considered a relative metric – for consistency, however – from a hermeneutical perspective – that means of understanding would – at the least be applied to all elements of this trumpet – and possibly with all of the trumpet effects that call out a ration of their impact – which would prove inapplicable in at least some of the events. The ratio approach should also be scrutinized through the filter of God’s intent – to soften the hearts of all men, so that no one would perish.
The Seventh Seal - the third trumpet (8:10-11)
“The third messenger sounded, and a great star (any luminary/light-bearer in any of the three heavens, whether the light is sourced directly or by reflection) fell from the heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water (waters to drink). The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters (to drink) became (a creative event)wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.”
Two particulars from what John witnessed at the time that this messenger sounds stand out.
The fact that this great luminary, which burns like a torch, falls on its own seems significant; this is described more as a naturally occurring event than an independent, willful act (one could imagine a meteorite or satellite with a decayed orbit by what is described). As does the first declaration of death as a result of this trumpet’s manifestations – even though it would be easy to assume that outcome as a result of the previous two trumpets.
Since wormwood is an actual plant (artemisia absinthium), one which was first mentioned in the area of Egypt around 1550 BC, and is also found in the Bible itself, a case could be made for that plant or its family to be what we are reading about. The challenges to that approach, however, include the fact that though an alkaline, it is not strong enough to result in death unless an extremely high dose was taken; and that a concentration that high would taste so foul it would be avoided. Also, the impact on the supply of drinkable water (one third) is such that, other than in isolated, directly affected areas, drinking the required concoction would be unnecessary and therefore – easily avoided. (This statement is made based on the current daily consumption of the earth’s potable water being less than 1% of the total supply – which is continuously restored via the water cycle.)
Along with wormwood being a plant, there is one other plausible implication: in the Bible the word is used as a symbol of idolatry and the results of harlotry. It is, however, difficult to surmise how the two would relate other than from a solely spiritual connection – which it could be, as we will see in future trumpets.
These facts take us back to our premise: “how” God does what He promises to do is often beyond our capacity to know or even imagine. But that in no way suggests that it will not happen; nor does it affect His motive – to lead all to repentance!
The Seventh Seal - the fourth trumpet (8:12)
“The fourth messenger sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck (this word is only used here, suggesting that John was having trouble finding the right word to describe what he was witnessing), so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it and the night in the same way.”
John’s explanation of what he sees, despite the unique choice of verb, seems pretty understandable. In some way, the lights of heaven – those given by God as a means to “separate day from night and to be for us signs and for seasons and for days and for years” (Gen1:14) – are prohibited from giving illumination, for a third of the day (approximately four hours), with the same impact during the night – an approximate four hour lack of moonlight and starlight. (One could imagine a stationary shield covering a third of the surface area of the earth on both sides of the planet – but then that would take us to an attempt to identify the “how”!)
Apart from the imposition of darkness, presumably around the entire earth for a cycle of four hours out of every twelve, no other effects or implications are disclosed. Oddly enough, we have, if we were tuned in, heard influential people in society suggesting the value of manufacturing a means of accomplishing something very much like what the manifestation of this trumpet describes – not that we should be surprised at all that our enemy, who first questioned God’s words and then flat out denied the results of ignoring them – would take a prophecy and attempt to deceive, by making a mockery of it.
With the sounding of the fourth trumpet, we end the first phase of the terms and conditions assigned to the seventh seal. In this phase we see several patterns. The first is that each manifestation is directed at portions of our created world – land and plants; salted water and the creatures who live there (with the additional impact on the commerce associated with the sea); drinkable waters; and the luminaries in the heaven we call space. Second – the first three soundings impacted aspects of Adam’s original domain or commission, even if not always directly called out – the earth and those creatures who dwell in and on it; the seas and those creatures who dwell in it; and the drinking waters (which represent the part of Adam’s commission associated with subduing – turning the whole earth into a garden in the likeness of the one that God Himself planted). (see Genesis 1:26-31) The third pattern is also associated with the domains of Adam. The first three included the creative word we have seen that suggests that the events were both immediate and original – they “came into being”; where the fourth – the one outside of Adam’s domain, but a part of what God gave to us, does not include that term.
The final pattern is the ratio or rate of impact with each of the manifestations set at one-third. A third of the earth, a third of the trees, a third of the new growth pastureland (assuming a standard three-year planting cycle), a third of the sea, a third of the sea creatures, a third of the ships, a third of the drinking waters and a third of the light of both the day and the night. (This particular aspect garners some attention among commentators; suggesting that these are allegorical not actual events. As I have asserted previously however, using a literal understanding must be our default approach – only looking for types, symbols, analogies or mysteries if and when to do otherwise results in a non-sensical understanding. This premise does not require that we describe or even define the “how” – as John himself proves more than once in his witnessing.)
We also have every reason to expect and accept that the saints on the earth, those who have accepted the Ransom offered by Christ, are also impacted by these first four manifestations of the terms and conditions of the seventh seal. We can hope, even justify our hope, that the impact on the saints would be limited – similar to how the sons of Jacob, in Goshen were not harmed by the plagues God sent on Egypt in His attempt to soften Pharoah’s (and the Egyptians’) heart. But there is zero indication (if we accept the order that John witnessed the Revelation of the seventh seal manifestations as the order of their fulfillment) that the people of God have been snatched away when these first four manifestations occur. Proof enough of that fact comes in the next phase of the seventh seal’s terms and conditions.
Going forward, the circumstances change from the patterns we just reviewed – in a very dramatic way. The soundings of the last three messengers bring manifestations that directly impact Mankind itself – though here it is confined to those unsealed, unrepentant “earth-dwellers”.