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Our Mission: Revelation 14:6-12
If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 39
Introduction
to the Seven Trumpets
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Let's talk to God before beginning this new section:
Our Lord,
We heartily thank You for giving us the wonderful privilege of being able to search and
understand Your prophetic Word contained in the book of Revelation.
After studying the letters to the seven churches and the seven seals, we now wish to start
on the subject of the seven trumpets.
Please guide us during this lesson, so that we may understand the great message You left
for us in the seven trumpets.
In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Revelation 1:11
What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
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Revelation 4:1; 5:5
Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place
after this. (...)
Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the
scroll and to loose its seven seals.
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We have studied so far the letters to the seven churches and the seven seals, with their prophecies about the Church from the apostle John's time up to the return of Jesus.
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Revelation 8:1,2
When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for
about half an hour.
And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
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Immediately after the seven seals, another set of seven
prophecies was shown to the apostle John: the seven trumpets.
But before receiving these new visions, John witnessed a majestic scene taking place in
heaven.
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Revelation 8:3-5
Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the
altar. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the
saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the
angel's hand.
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the
earth.
And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
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This scene introducing the seven trumpets is very rich in symbolism.
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Like the letters and the seals, this symbolism comes from the sanctuary:
THE SEVEN
LETTERS [] THE SEVEN SEALS
[] THE SEVEN TRUMPETS
----------------------[]-------------------------[]----------------------
Jesus, the Shepherd, [] Jesus, the Lamb, on [] Jesus, the
Priest, at
among the lampstands, [] the altar of offering, [] the altar of incense,
gives us light: [] gives His life for us: []
intercedes for us:
----------------------[]-------------------------[]----------------------
«[I saw] in the midst [] «In the midst of the [] «Another angel
(...)
of the seven lamp- [] throne (...) stood a []
stood at the altar.
stands One like the [] Lamb as though it had [] And
he was given
Son of Man (...). [] been slain (...). "You [] much
incense, that he
The seven lampstands [] are worthy to take the [] should offer it (...)
which you saw are the [] scroll, and to open its [] upon the golden altar
seven churches.» [] seals; for You
were [] which was before the
(REVELATION 1:13,20) [] slain."» (REV. 5:6,9) [] throne.» (REV.
8:3)
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Revelation 8:3
Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the
altar.
And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints
upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
----------------------------------------------------
So Jesus is always the main figure introducing each one of the
prophetic series, in a setting which calls to mind the sanctuary, its furnishings and
services.
But in this scene introducing the seven trumpets, the character who is offering incense
upon the altar, making intercession before God's throne, is an angel.
Could this angel be Jesus Christ Himself?
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Exodus 14:19
And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.
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1 Corinthians 10:4
All drank the same spiritual drink.
For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
----------------------------------------------------
First, the Bible sometimes designates Jesus as «the Angel of God», as we can clearly see here, by comparing these two verses.
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Moreover, the work of intercession before the Father belongs to Jesus:
«It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is
even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.» (ROMANS 8:34)
«Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him,
since He ever lives to make intercession for them.» (HEBREWS 7:25)
«My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone
sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.» (1 JOHN 2:1)
«We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty
in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord
erected, and not man.» (HEBREWS 8:1,2)
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Revelation 8:3,4
Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the
altar.
And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints
upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the
angel's hand.
----------------------------------------------------
So, in accordance with the symbolism of the sanctuary, Jesus
performs a work of intercession for His people, just as the high priest did in the earthly
sanctuary under the old covenant.
He adds the smoke of the incense to the prayers of the saints, in order to make them
acceptable to the Father.
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The altar of incense is linked with prayer and the work of intercession:
«You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it
of acacia wood. (...) And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense
on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.» (EXODUS 30:1,8)
«The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each
having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.»
(REVELATION 5:8)
«Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening
sacrifice.» (PSALM 141:2)
«The whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.» (LUKE
1:10)
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Revelation 8:5,6
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the
altar, and threw it to the earth.
And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
----------------------------------------------------
Besides His ministry of intercession, Jesus performs another work
at the altar of incense, which is also very rich in symbolism.
By understanding the meaning of throwing fire from the altar onto the earth, we will
better grasp the message of the seven trumpets following this scene.
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Revelation 8:5
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth.
---------------------
Luke 12:49,51
I came to send fire on the earth (...).
Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather
division.
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Jesus confirms that He is the One who throws fire on the earth, and explains what that means: His message, not being accepted by everybody, becomes a source of conflicts, divisions, wars, and persecutions.
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Ezekiel 9:9,10; 10:2
The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly
great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say,
«The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see!»
And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense
their deeds on their own head. (...)
Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among
the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.
----------------------------------------------------
The command to throw fire from the altar onto the earth is also given by God to punish men's apostasy, their rejection of His call to repentance.
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The fire from the altar comes out of the temple to punish men's apostasy:
«The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The
voice of the Lord, who fully repays His enemies! (...) For behold, the Lord will come with
fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His
rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword the Lord will judge all flesh.»
(ISAIAH 66:6,15,16)
«The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, hailstones
and coals of fire.» (PSALM 18:13)
«Upon the wicked He will rain coals, fire and brimstone and a burning wind; this shall be
the portion of their cup.» (PSALM 11:6)
«Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because He
was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; coals were
kindled by it.» (2 SAMUEL 22:8,9)
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Revelation 8:5
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the
altar, and threw it to the earth.
And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
---------------------
Isaiah 29:6
You will be punished by the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire.
----------------------------------------------------
In the past, God poured out the fire from the altar to bring men
to repentance.
But, this time, fire causes total and final destruction.
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This parallel shows that the fire from the altar will destroy the nations:
«Then the angel | «Then the 7th
angel sounded. | «The 7th angel poured
took the censer, | (...) Your wrath has come, | out his bowl into
the
filled it with | and the time (...) that You | air, and a
loud voice
fire from the | (...) should destroy those |
came out of the tem-
altar, and threw | who destroy the earth. Then | ple of
heaven, from
it to the earth. | the temple of God was opened | the throne,
saying,
And there were | in heaven, and the ark of His | "It is
done!" And
noises, thun- | covenant was seen in His tem- | there were noises
and
derings, light- | ple. And there were light- | thunderings and
light-
nings, and an | nings, noises, thunderings, | nings;
and there was
earthquake.» | [and] an
earthquake.» | a great earthquake.»
(REVELATION 8:5) | (REVELATION 11:15,18,19) |
(REVELATION 16:17,18)
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Revelation 8:5,6
And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an
earthquake.
So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
---------------------
Revelation 11:15,19
Then the seventh angel sounded (...).
And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
----------------------------------------------------
The introductory scene to the seven trumpets thus indicates that each one of the trumpets will aim at calling the rebellious men to repentance, until the seventh trumpet, which will sound the hour of their final destruction.
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Ezekiel 33:2-5
When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land
take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, when he sees the sword coming
upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound
of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood
shall be on his own head.
He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon
himself.
But he who takes warning will save his life.
----------------------------------------------------
The sound of the trumpet aims at calling men to repentance...
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Isaiah 58:1
Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
---------------------
Revelation 11:15,18
The seventh angel sounded (...).
«Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You
should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name,
small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.»
----------------------------------------------------
... but, at the sound of the seventh trumpet, all those who ignored the sound of the first six trumpets will have to face the wrath of God.
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Numbers 10:9
When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.
----------------------------------------------------
For all the believers who remained faithful to God until the end,
unlike the unrepentant men, the sound of the seventh trumpet will be synonymous with good
news!
Indeed it will announce their deliverance from this world soiled by sin, and the
institution of a kingdom where goodness, peace and joy dwell.
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Joshua 6:1,2
Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of
Israel; none went out, and none came in.
And the Lord said to Joshua: «See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the
mighty men of valor.»
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The symbolism of the seven trumpets is wonderfully illustrated by
the account of the capture of Jericho.
After wandering in the desert for forty years, the people of Israel were at last ready to
enter Canaan, the Promised Land.
But first, they had to capture Jericho, a city fortified with a strong wall, blocking the
way to the Promised Land.
Then, God showed them how to invade this great city.
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Joshua 6:3,4
You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go
all around the city once. This you shall do six days.
And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark.
But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall
blow the trumpets.
----------------------------------------------------
God instructed His people to go all around the city of Jericho
once for six days, blowing the trumpets.
The seventh day, the people had to march around the city seven times, still blowing the
trumpets.
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Joshua 6:16,20
And the seventh time it was so, when the priests blew the
trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: «Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!»
(...)
And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted
with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat.
Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the
city.
----------------------------------------------------
The seventh time the trumpets sounded, the wall fell down, and
Israel entered the Promised Land.
Likewise, at the sound of the seventh trumpet, this world will fall, and God's people will
enter the Kingdom of God.
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Leviticus 25:10
You shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty
throughout all the land to all its inhabitants.
It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of
you shall return to his family.
----------------------------------------------------
The symbolism of the seven trumpets of Revelation is also
illustrated accurately by the Jubilee.
In order to pay their debts, some Israelites had to give up a part of their land to their
debtors. Some even had to give up themselves as slaves.
To avoid the intensification of the poverty of the destitute families from generation to
generation, God instructed that every fifty years, in the year of the Jubilee, everyone
should give back all land to its first owner, and free all the slaves.
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Leviticus 25:8,9
And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven
times seven years; and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine
years.
Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh
month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your
land.
----------------------------------------------------
The coming of the Jubilee was announced as follows:
- at the end of each seven-year period, the trumpet was blown;
- after 49 years, that is, at the end of seven periods of seven years, the
trumpet sounded for the seventh time, marking the beginning of the fiftieth year: the
Jubilee.
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Leviticus 25:10
You shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty
throughout all the land to all its inhabitants.
It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of
you shall return to his family.
---------------------
Galatians 4:26
But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
----------------------------------------------------
The seventh trumpet marked the beginning of the Jubilee, the
return to one's possessions and liberty.
Likewise, the seventh trumpet will free the faithful from evil, and give them back the
Paradise that had been lost in Eden.
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Jeremiah 4:19-21
I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I
cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the
alarm of war.
Destruction upon destruction is cried, for the whole land is plundered. Suddenly my tents
are plundered, and my curtains in a moment.
How long will I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
----------------------------------------------------
But the seventh trumpet cannot sound and proclaim deliverance
right away.
Before this happens, the first six trumpets must sound, and their message must reach the
rebellious men who reject God and His call to repentance.
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2 Chronicles 13:11,12
We keep the command of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken
Him.
Now look, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with sounding trumpets to
sound the alarm against you.
O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not
prosper!
----------------------------------------------------
Now it is up to us to pay heed to the message of the seven
trumpets, calling us to repentance and obedience to the Word of God.
May the next lessons help us to do so, in order that the sound of the seventh trumpet may
announce for us the coming of deliverance, and not of destruction.
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«The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God.» (Revelation 8:4)
Heavenly Father,
Your Word says about Your people under the old covenant, «They chose new gods; then there
was war in the gates.» (Judges 5:8) The consequences of apostasy are always tragic.
But, by way of the trumpets' messages, You desire to give a warning to the rebellious men,
and call them to return to You, before it is too late.
May Your Holy Spirit guide and enlighten us, as we start to study each of the seven
trumpets.
In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 39 is waiting for you!