Chapter Nine – The Seventh Seal—The Day of the Lord!
Back to 1The Bible’s Greatest Prophecies Unlocked!
The emphasis God places on the final and complex seventh seal requires its own chapter. Remember, nothing in this last book of God’s Word receives close to as much attention! Also remember that the seven seals represent the entire book of Revelation. But exactly what is the seventh seal?
We pick up in Revelation 8:1-18, which depicts the opening of this seventh seal. As it is opened, seven angels stand before God and receive the seven trumpets. A different angel took a sensor “…and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightning's, and an earthquake” (Rev 8:5).
This earthquake represents the beginning of the seven trumpet plagues, which begin the seventh seal’s fulfilment—and the Day of the Lord.
Revelation 8:1-2 shows that the seventh seal is the same as the seven trumpets: “And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.”
Now understand! This verse proves that all seven seals are not the same as, or equal to, all seven trumpets. This is critical to recognize—and is another big key to understanding Revelation. Make this important distinction now: (1) The seventh seal is all seven trumpets and (2) the seventh trumpet isall seven last plagues or vials. This is confusing to almost everyone, because most believe that the seven trumpets and the seven last plagues are synonymous. Also, the seven trumpets do not follow the seventh seal—they are the seventh seal. Simply reading more carefully eliminates this error.
The seven trumpets represent seven stages—Revelation 9:20 calls them “plagues, ” but again they are not the seven last plagues, or vials, as we shall see.
Recall that the four winds comprise the first four trumpet plagues. Revelation 8:3-12 reveals that they blow on the (1) trees, (2) seas, (3) rivers, and (4) a third part of the sun, moon and stars are smitten and darkened. Space prohibits explaining in detail the fuller meaning of the incredible effect of these great winds.
Various places in the Old Testament show that, anciently, a trumpet was always blown as an alarm of war (Num. 10:9; Jer. 4:19; Ezek. 33:2-6; etc.). When heard, it signalled approaching armies and the onset of battle. Israel and Judah always went to war with the sound of a trumpet.
The fifth and sixth trumpets clearly depict war—in two stages. (But this is not to be confused with any part of the second seal, or red horse. This is a later and completely separate element of war.) Make note of another important point. The last three trumpets, the fifth, sixth and seventh, are synonymous with the three woes (Rev. 8:13). The chart in the previous chapter helps make this plain.
The world loves war—and has practiced it since Creation! And man has always pursued war on his own terms. When God goes to war with the world, He is choosing to speak in a language men understand—and this time HE controls the terms! However, this is also His way of pleading with all humanity to “WAKE UP!”
These seven trumpet plagues are a truly frightening and horrific punishment from God on those remaining unresponsive in their disobedience: “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues [the seven trumpets] yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk” (Rev. 9:20). Obviously, many continue unrepentant after these plagues, and continue to serve the myriad of false gods worshipped around the world.