Revelation chapter 9 comments: the fifth angel sounds

9:1 ¶  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

Yet, another star falls from heaven. This reveals to us a probably meaning of the stars of heaven earlier as this is a spiritual being come to earth. We should examine as we read references to things that appeared to be astronomical or geological events as perhaps symbolic for something happening in a world we cannot see from this side of the void between physical life and spiritual life. This star is given a key to the bottomless pit. I believe that the bottomless pit is Hell itself.

What is a pit without a bottom? It is a sphere, like the center of the earth.

Matthew 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Deuteronomy 32:22  For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

Psalm 86:13  For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

Revelation 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Isaiah 14:15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5  And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6  And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7  And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8  And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9  And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10  And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11  And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. 12  One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

Smoke from this pit comes up so thick that the sun is darkened even more by it. Locusts come through the smoke that have the power to sting like a scorpion. They are not to hurt anything except all of the people on earth other than the 144,000 Jews. They aren’t to kill them but just make them suffer for five months. Men wanted to die, the suffering was so horrible, but could not.

The description of the locusts shows that they are not ordinary locusts but creatures with faces like men, long hair, and lion’s fangs, wearing breastplates of iron, with wings that sounded like chariots and horses coming to battle. You can imagine the great noise of hooves and wheels this would create. The king over them, the angel of the bottomless pit, is named Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek. But, it is not necessary that men should see them physically as we already have read of a star being not an astronomical body but a spiritual being.

Remember how Satan is referred to as a king over all the children of pride when God likens a dragon, the Biblical word for our modern dinosaur, to him in description?

Job 41:34  He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

Satan is the prince of the power of the air, the prince or ruler of this world, and the god of this world.

Ephesians 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

John 12:31  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

2Corinthians 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Paul warned that our warfare is against powers above us, which is typically associated with space, not with earthly rulers.

Ephesians 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Both the names Abaddon and Apollyon mean destruction and destroyer, according to Strong’s dictionary. Paul referred to the Hebrews in the Exodus.

1Corinthians 10:10  Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

Remember who God unleashed on the firstborn of the Egyptians.

Exodus 12:23  For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

Are these locusts visible to mankind or are they spiritual creatures?  John is seeing the spiritual world in a way that we cannot.

    9:13 ¶  And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14  Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15  And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16  And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17  And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 18  By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19  For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. 20  And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues 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: 21  Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

There are now said to be four angels bound in the Euphrates. When they are loosed they will kill a third part of mankind. This is effected by an army of, again, strictly spiritual or visible, a question we need to consider, creatures numbering two hundred million. The destruction does not make mankind repentant. They still worship their idols and do not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their fornication, or their thefts. So we have five things here of which mankind is guilty.

Idolatry literally here referring to worshipping actual physical idols might include in our modern understanding the veneration of religious statues or icons. Murder, we know, is to kill innocent persons who have not harmed or are not harming you.

Job 24:14  The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.

Psalm 10:8  He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.

I point these verses out to underscore murder because of contextual issues as the poor are mentioned here and the third seal was applied to the food the poor needed but not the luxury items the rich used while I am about to show that thefts can be applied to labor. There can be a pattern here if one looks for it. Although a more general application of the verse is understandable.

Sorceries, in Revelation only, is a word that comes from the root for our modern word pharmacy. In other places it is translated from a word for magical arts. It is important to understand the use of hallucinogens in ancient rites of magic. A study of Central America is very helpful in understanding how such drugs were used in the practice of magic.(16)  A study of the use of drugs in ancient magic rites will expand our understanding of the use of pharmacological drugs in the end time, perhaps as modern medicine uses them today, to control behavior and make people more compliant. The Soviet Union was known for this as is America where many children are drugged for being considered hyperactive, a nuisance. I look for the use of drugs for control to expand greatly as history moves forward.

Fornication is any sexual activity outside of a marriage between a man and a woman and it is important not to confuse a government sanctioned license with an actual Christian marriage. You are not married before God just because you bowed to the state’s authority to get a license if there is no commitment before God in a covenantal relationship with your wife or husband for life. It is translated from the word from which we get pornography, porneia. It is linked with lasciviousness, uncleanness, and adultery. 

Galatians 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Theft, stealing other people’s material possessions, can also include stealing their labor.

James 5:4  Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

This also applied under the Law given to Moses.

Leviticus 19:13  Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

Of course, our traditional use of the word, theft, is outright stealing.

Exodus 22:1 ¶  If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. 2  If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. 3  If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4  If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.

Consider how powerful men in the past have preyed on the poor from the ancient world through the feudalism of medieval times, to the early days of capitalism’s abuse of the working poor, and into socialism where capitalists are just given government authority and power to back them up and the powerful men are also government, as in Red China today. God has always remarked heavily against the oppression of the poor, not the sluggard or slothful, but the working poor, as any eyes-open reading of Proverbs will show.

(16) Albert Hoffman, “Teonanácatl and Ololiuqui, two ancient magic drugs of Mexico,” Bulletin on Narcotics, Issue 1, 1971; 3-14 quoted on The Vaults of Erowid, https://www.erowid.org/plants/mushrooms/references/other/1971_hofmann_bulletin-narcotics.shtml. (accessed 12.30.2015).

Revelation 8:12-13 comments: woe to the inhabiters of the earth

8:12  And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. 13  And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

The fourth angel heralded a third part of the sun and the moon neither giving a third part of their light. The day and night are affected by this. But, an angel says that the remaining three trumpets are going to herald in even worse things.

Hail and fire mingled with blood kills a third part of the trees and all of the green grass. A mountain on fire is cast into the sea turning it into blood with a third part of creatures dying and a third part of ships destroyed. Wormwood makes fresh water poisonous. A third part of the light from the sun, moon, and stars is prevented from reaching earth and the day and night are affected.

It is interesting to note that commentators from a few hundred years ago like John Gill would present these happenings as metaphors and symbolic of issues within Christianity relating them to historical events like the decline and fall of the western Roman Empire and doctrinal disputes. I am taking these as literal physical events in space-time, however.

Revelation 8:10-11 comments: Wormwood

8:10  And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11  And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

Is this a star, in the sense of what we understand as a star, which modern scientific definitions are self-limiting and refer to specific things rather than categories, as ancient expressions would? Or, is this just a reference to some astronomical body like debris from a comet or an asteroid which poisons a third part of the rivers, the headwaters of drinkable water?

A recent UK Guardian article was entitled, “Risk of comet hitting Earth is greater than previously thought, say researchers.”(12) The effects of such a disaster can only be reasonably assumed but it is clear that such an event is waiting to happen. Earth is being held off from certain horrible events, and it seems held off for a purpose, if we believe the Scriptures. It is not amazing that terrible things happen but that they don’t happen more often is amazing.

 

Wormwood is supposed to be what the word Chernobyl in Russian or Chornobyl in Ukrainian means. The town of Chernobyl was named after the plant which was said to have supernatural properties in folklore.(13)  Will this poisoning of the waters have anything to do with a man-made nuclear disaster, though? It doesn’t appear so, from a literal reading of the Bible, as this is a great star from heaven and on fire. Even if this is calamity is from the spiritual world it clearly comes from someplace else. It falls on the waters.

 

Fountains of waters may refer also to underground water, perhaps aquifers and fresh water supplies, or even oceans of water.

 

Genesis 7:11  In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

 

Some scientists believe there is more water in the earth’s crust than on the surface, which would be where the flood waters receded to after the Great Flood. “Earth’s Mantle Holds an Ocean’s Worth of Water,” was the title of a recent Scientific American article.(14) Another article, this time in the Christian Science Monitor reports that all of the water under the ground could cover the continents in 600 feet of water so we are blessed that God said He would never unleash that sort of destruction again.(15)

 

Genesis 9:11  And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

 

 

(12) “Risk of comet hitting Earth is greater than previously thought, say researchers,” The Guardian, December 22, 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/dec/23/risk-of-comet-hitting-earth-as-bad-as-asteroids-or-worse-say-researchers.

(13) Mary Mycio, “Wormwood: Biblical Botany,” in Wormwood Forest: An Natural History of Chernobyl (Washington D.C.: Joseph Henry Press, 2005),  Kindle ed. chapter one.

(14) Becky Oskin, “Earth’s Mantle Holds an Ocean’s Worth of Water,” Scientific American, March 12, 2014. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/rare-diamond-confirms-that-earths-mantle-holds-an-oceans-worth-of-water/.

(15) Lucy Schouten, “Scientists Tally Earth’s Hidden Mega-stashes of Groundwater,” Christian Science Monitor, November 17, 2015. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/1117/Scientists-tally-Earth-s-hidden-mega-stashes-of-groundwater#.

Revelation 8:8-9 comments: a great mountain burning with fire

8:8  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; 9  And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Some say that if the volcano, Cumbre Vieja on La Palma in the Canary Islands, collapses a tsunami could seriously endanger the East Coast of the United States, though this would not cause world-wide destruction. (10) However, let’s look at whether or not this reference to the sea is a reference to all seas or just the Mediterranean. This is a great mountain on fire that causes a third part of the sea to become blood, killing a third of sea creatures, and a third of ships. These are general number as we have seen that numbers are not representing exact figures but general concepts of numbers.

A mega-tsunami hit the Mediterranean Sea in the fourth century with great devastation. (11)  Volcanoes like Stromboli in that area present a risk of a massive eruption at some future point. This scenario in Revelation is understandable based on our present knowledge and experience. There is clearly more to this than just one volcano erupting. For the waters to congeal like blood a great many would have to go off at once, wouldn’t they, with magma partially filling the sea? However, the text only mentions one being cast into the sea.

We need to also remember that when an ancient writer referred to the sea they typically were referring to the Mediterranean unless they specified another. When they referred to the earth they were referring to the earth they knew, the region around the sea, the Roman Empire. They would have had no understanding of the Western Hemisphere.

(10) Douglas Main, “US East Coast Faces Variety of Tsunami Threats,” LiveScience, November 15, 2012. http://www.livescience.com/24813-east-coast-tsunamis.html.

 

(11) “A Mega-Tsunami Could Strike the Mediterranean Anytime,” Softpedia, http://news.softpedia.com/news/A-Mega-Tsunami-Could-Strike-Mediterranean-Anytime-80609.shtml. (accessed 12.24.2015).

Revelation 8:7 comments: the first trumpet

8:7 ¶  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Hail and fire mingled with blood reminds me of Exodus.

Exodus 7:19  And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. 20  And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21  And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22  And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said. 23  And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also. 24  And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river. 25  And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.

Exodus 9:23  And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24  So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25  And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.

The seven seals began with a conqueror with a bow on a white horse followed by war, famine, and disease with the fourth seal reflecting the first three as well as adding the beasts of the earth. The fifth seal has a multitude of slain martyrs crying out for vengeance to God. The sixth seal has an earthquake and astronomical disturbances with the stars of heaven falling to earth either in a physical disaster of comet debris, asteroids, or a meteor shower, or perhaps referring to a spiritual invasion from outside of this world as stars are referred to also as angels.  Specific Jewish servants of God are sealed. Their purpose is not specified. But, a multitude is now in heaven praising God, perhaps the raptured saints.

Now, the trumpets have begun and there is going to be a great and terrifying result now that the saints have been harvested. Vengeance on a fallen world is coming to a head. Some would say that the first five seals are historical events that we can see and that we are waiting on the sixth seal. Once that great earthquake and the astronomic disasters begin or devils come to earth the world would know we are in the end times. There have been millions slain for the word of God in the last two thousand years.

Read Matthew, chapter 24 in its entirety.

  Matthew 24:1 ¶  And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2  And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

    4 ¶  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8  All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14  And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17  Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18  Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19  And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20  But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 23  Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25  Behold, I have told you before. 26  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27  For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28  For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

    32 ¶  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

If the historical interpretation is correct and if the translation of the church is a correct doctrine then this multitude in heaven is the church and the end is about to come down like a hammer with the five seals representing events of history as types.

Hebrews 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Could the following events be happening very quickly, like the fall of the Soviet Union or the Berlin Wall in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s? Notice how devastating what comes next would be on humanity and the earth!

Revelation 8:1-6 comments: the seventh seal

8:1 ¶  And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. 2  And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. 3  And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4  And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. 5  And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 6  And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

The assumption that the events around the seals, trumpets, and vials happening at the same time is incorrect as it seems that, after a space of time, the seven trumpets proceed from the seventh seal, as a part of it. So, the trumpets are after the seals.

Literally, there is silence in heaven for the space of a half hour. Based on the use of time in the Bible the question arises is this a literal 30 minutes or some other metaphor for time? A half an hour is a brief period, not a moment, but certainly not a day either. What could it represent?

For sure, it is a clear division as activity ceases for a time.

Seven angels stand before God and are given seven trumpets.

Revelation 1:20  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Seven stars, being seven angels, represent the seven churches. The seven stars are the seven angels are linked to the seven Spirits of God.

Revelation 3:1  And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Revelation 4:5  And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Revelation 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

The seven angels of the seven churches are seven stars which are the seven Spirits of God which are seven lamps of fire which are the Lamb’s seven horns and seven eyes, as the church or churches are Christ’s body on earth doing His will at their best but now removed physically.

The golden censer of the other angel has incense to be offered up with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar before the throne ascended to God. The angel filled the censer with fire from the altar and threw it down on the earth. There were voices, thundering, lightning, and an earthquake. Then the seven were ready to blow their trumpets.

Is this then the church participating in God’s judgments from heaven?

In the sixth seal there was also an earthquake.

Revelation 6:12  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

Earthquakes of lesser magnitude precede earthquakes of greater magnitude many times.

Revelation 7 comments: the raptured saints

7:1 ¶  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2  And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3  Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4  And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5  Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6  Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 7  Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8  Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. 9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11  And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

    7:13 ¶  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

7:1 opens with four angels standing on the four corners of the earth preventing any wind from blowing. What is the significance of that? Are the four corners of the earth a reference to literal places or is that just a phrase referring to every direction as in the four winds in Matthew 24 or Jeremiah 49?

Matthew 24:31  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Jeremiah 49:36  And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.

I suggest that four corners of the earth represent every possible direction and every possible location.  We know it is a figurative statement because the Bible says the earth is a circle and doesn’t have four physical corners just like it says that there is a huge empty space in space which we now have seen and that the earth hangs in space and is not resting on a giant’s shoulders or the back of a turtle as in some mythologies.

Isaiah 40:22  It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Job 26:7  He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

It is then that another angel tells them to wait until God has sealed servants He has chosen. This angel ascends from the east and proceeding from the east seems to have special significance throughout the Bible but a study of that here would divert the narrative. Perhaps, this sealing means to alert them to their calling. There are 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes but a tribe of Joseph is mentioned in place of Ephraim.

Joshua 14:4  For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.

Joshua 16:4  So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

Ephraim was a troublesome tribe, which you can see by a search of the Old Testament but still, while not mentioned by name in Revelation, his brother’s tribe is, and there is a tribe of Joseph mentioned here along with Manasseh’s tribe. Once before, the phrase, tribe of Joseph, referred to Manasseh, and Ephraim was named;

Numbers 13:8  Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun...11  Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.

But, the tribe of Dan is not mentioned and Irenaeus, writing around 180AD, said that was because the Beast would come from the tribe of Dan and we have this prophecy.

Genesis 49:17   Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

Dan was remarkable as it was wholly given to idolatry early on. Judges 18 is an interesting study of their character as a tribe.

These servants number 144,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. This has nothing to do with how many people wind up in heaven. What these servants do is unclear although many preachers believe they are evangelists who go out and witness during the Tribulation. Look at these verses from the gospels when disciples were commanded to preach only to the Jews and imagine, that this is how the Jews of the Tribulation era will be evangelized for Christ;

Matthew 10:5 ¶  These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. 9  Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 10  Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

The passage in Matthew 10 goes on;

Matthew 10:11  And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12  And when ye come into an house, salute it. 13  And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15  Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

There is a great multitude before the throne that have come out of great tribulation. In reference to what the Jews will experience during this time see;

Matthew 24:21   For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Jeremiah 30:7  Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

These people are from every ethnic group and every language.  They are all arrayed in white robes, which we know symbolizes righteousness. It’s a lot of people who along with the four beasts and the elders praise and worship Christ with seven more exaltations with thanksgiving being added.

An elder asks John a rhetorical question and John throws it back to him. These are all people who it is said came out of great tribulation. I believe this means they were raptured or translated, which is the Bible term.  Here is the probable definition of the ten thousand times ten thousand in Chapter 5, simply a lot of people, which a man is unable to number. It does not say they were killed and those martyrs back in 6:9 are under the altar although these are still said to have come out of great tribulation. To come out of something is to depart from it.

Genesis 47:1   Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.

Numbers 9:1   And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

Whatever the case, they will serve God who will live among them. They will never hunger or thirst or suffer the heat of the sun. Christ, the Lamb of God, will lead them and all their tears will be wiped away, presumably there is much to grieve because of their suffering.

I am linking the angels, the ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, with this multitude in the sixth seal as those translated before the Great Tribulation mentioned as angels as also connected here in verse 11 .

My contention is that the angels in 5:11 and the multitude/angels in 7:9, 11 are the raptured and resurrected saints. Some people make a point about them washing their robes and making them white as being works however that is really nit-picking and again applying modernism to the Bible. You make your robes white representing righteousness by trusting in Christ.

Now, let’s move on to the seventh seal and then follow the trumpets and vials as consecutive events, studying them more completely, as I believe they are not happening at the same time as the first six seals;