Now the seven angels with the seven shofars prepared to sound them.
Rev 8:6
Yes, I dare tackling an aspect of eschatology today – the teachings of the end times. Or do I?
I lately wrote about trumpets in the bible and what they stand for. Trumpets are messengers from God, they are blowing a message, a call, calling leaders or the people. Now let’s look at the trumpets in Revelation. Do they do the same?
I by no means think that I understood the passage. But I would like to offer a different view.
Today, most interpretations of Revelation are external, looking to the world and both historical as well as future events for explanations.
During the time of later rain a different view was offered, opposed to the view of the preceding 100 years or so. Their interpretation of the end of days was the end of the old covenant, which happened from Jesus birth, first public ministry, death and resurrection through to 70 AD, when the temple was demolished by the Romans.
With that in mind, are the 7 trumpets future events or do the relate back to that time? Remember, the feasts we talked about lately had three fulfillments: a short term natural one, a long term spiritual, and a personal one, experienced by a person or group of people. Example? Think of Pessach. The lamb to allow for Israel’s salvation from Egypt, foreshadowing Jesus, the true lamb of God, and our salvation from sin whenever we accept his death and resurrection.
Today I am going to talk about the personal implications of the trumpets.
A trumpet sound as a message of God, saying what? Declaring the finished work!
What I am going to do is explain the symbols used in the verses for each trumpet by going back to other uses of exactly these words. All symbols used are explained within the bible, just like the lamb stands for Jesus, or man is often synonymous with Adam and our old nature. If men die in these verses, could it be the old nature dying?
I will not cite the verses here, but give references. Read along for better understanding. Let’s dive in.
First Trumpet – Rev 8:7
Hail stands for the destruction of the fortresses of lies (Isa 28:17), while fire stands for purification (Mt 3:12), and blood stands for salvation. All flesh is like grass (1Pe 1:14). Godly men are planted like trees on rivers (Ps 1:3), and Abraham had offspring like the sand of the see – therefore earth symbolizes the children of Abraham.
What does that mean? Hail, fire, and blood destroyed the rule of flesh and old nature over godly men, the children of Abraham.
Second Trumpet – Rev 8:8-9
In Daniel, the rock becomes a mountain (Dan 2:34ff). The fiery mountain is Jesus and his Kingdom. A third of the sea turns into blood. The sea stands for wavering men (Ja 1:6). With fire and blood , Spirit and his death Jesus puts an end to our doubts.
Third Trumpet – Rev 8:10-11
Wurmwood – bitterness. According to Deu 29:17 a root of bitterness comes from sinning. The star Jesus kills bitterness in us.
Fourth Trumpet – Rev 8:12
In Josef’s dream the sun, moon, and stars represent natural Israel. The old covenant comes to an end.
Fifth Trumpet – Rev 9:1-6
Five months between Pentecost and Tabernacles. For five months we try to die. We try to put to death the old nature. The revelation of Pentecost is that we must diminish, but he must grow. The revelation of Tabernacles is: now I do not live any more, but he through me. The old nature is under a dark cloud just like Egypt, the old nature gets attacked – until we recognize that we died in him. We are already dead, as he lives in us.
Sixth Trumpet – Rev 9:13-21
It’s about Babylon. The angels are at the Euphrates, the river near Babylon. Babylon stands for religious and confused systems. He dealt with the religious systems, and whoever does not except this, will stay confused.
Seventh Trumpet – Rev 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Jesus said: “Now all power on earth and in heaven has been given to me.” Why give it back to the antichrist, even for a while?
Let’s summarize. The trumpets speak of
- our flesh not having power over us any longer,
- our doubts being dealt with,
- the roots of bitterness being uprooted,
- the old covenant being ended,
- our death in him,
- the religious systems being dealt with,
- and Jesus being king over everything.
When did all this happen? At the cross.
Jesus himself says that the Kingdom is here yet it will come. It is just like that with the seven trumpets. All was done at the cross. It is finished. But we need time to unlearn. We have been imprinted, and it will take a while to get things straight (Rom 12:1-2).
What do you think about this?