UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK OF REVELATION:HorrENDous Disasters

[DrFrank]

Unless you have a strong aversion to news reports,this thought must have crossed your mind recently:OH NO! THESE MUST BE THE BIBLE PREDICTED "LAST DAYS"!! Hey you sure are perceptive !!! With the firm belief that we are now entering into the Tribulation period,I am publishing a series of studies of the Book of Revelation,that difficult to understand road map that shows exactly where we are headed,using the easy to understand Contemporary English Version (CEV) Bible that has been created by the American Bible Society.I will then add insights in capitol letters which will provide explanations and historical background information for the words you have just read, which will be in agreement with leading biblical commentaries,in order to at long last make the startling predictions made in this important and fascinating book comprehensible. I will occasionally make changes in the CEV words if I detect variance from the meaning found in the King James Bible.




Revelation 8

1 When the Lamb (JESUS) opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.(THIS WILL MOST LIKELY OCCUR BECAUSE OF THE ANTICIPATION THAT AN EXTREMELY SEVERE PUNISHMENT FROM GOD IS ABOUT TO OCCUR) 2 I noticed that the seven angels who stood before God were each given a trumpet.3 Another angel, who had a gold container for incense, came and stood at the altar. This one was given a large quantity of incense to offer with the prayers of God's people on the gold altar in front of the throne.4 Then the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up to God from the hand of the angel. 5 After this, the angel filled the incense container with fire from the altar (IT IS THOUGHT THAT THIS ALTER WAS A MEMORIAL FOR THE CRUCIFIXION) and threw it on the earth. Thunder roared, lightning flashed, and the earth shook.(STILL MORE MASSIVE EARTHQUAKES THAT HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY) 6 The seven angels now prepared to blow their trumpets.7 When the first angel blew his trumpet, hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth.(NOTHING SYMBOLIC HERE,THIS WILL LITERALLY FULFILL THE ASTONISHING PROPHECY IN THE BOOK OF JOEL 2:30-32) A third of the earth, a third of the trees, and all grass was burned.(THIS WILL DO WONDERS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE GRASS GROWING UP TO THEIR HOMES. NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO CLAIM THAT THEY WERE NOT GIVEN AMPLE WARNING OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WORLD AND THE COMING JUDGMENT WILL THEY?) 8 When the second angel blew his trumpet, something like a great fiery mountain (THIS IS LIKELY TO BE A METEORITE) was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood,(GOD CREATED THIS TYPE OF DESTRUCTION ONCE BEFORE AS EX. 7:20-21 DESCRIBES) 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships (IN THE AREA OF THE METEORITE STRIKE) were destroyed.10 When the third angel blew his trumpet, a great star (LIKELY TO BE A HUGE METEORITE) fell from heaven. It was burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers (THIS IS THOUGHT TO REFER TO THE LANDS THAT WERE PART OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE THAT WAS IN EXISTENCE WHEN THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN) and on a third of the fountains of water.(THIS COULD REFER TO NATURAL UNDERGROUND SPRINGS THAT PROVIDE DRINKING WATER)11 The name of the star was Wormwood, and a third of the water turned bitter. Many people died because the water was so bitter.(IT IS THOUGHT THAT THIS METEORITE WILL BE CONTAMINATED WITH CHEMICALS FROM THE POISONOUS WORMWOOD PLANT WHICH IS MENTIONED IN JER.9:15) 12 When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars were struck.(JESUS DISCUSSED THESE EVENTS AND STATED THAT THEY WERE SIGNS OF HIS SOON ARRIVAL TO ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH - LUKE 21:25) They each lost a third of their light. So during a third of the day there was no light, and a third of the night was also without light. 13 Then I looked and saw a lone angel flying across the sky. It was shouting, "Trouble, trouble, trouble (THIS REFERS TO THE THREE REMAINING PUNISHMENTS YET TO BE DELIVERED) to everyone who lives on earth because the three angels will be blowing their trumpets."(WHICH WILL SIGNAL THE START OF THESE PUNISHMENTS FOR CONTINUING SIN.OF COURSE AT THIS TIME GOD'S CHOSEN WILL NO LONGER BE ON EARTH BECAUSE OF THE RAPTURE OR AS THE KING JAMES BIBLE REFERS TO IT,THE TRANSLATION - HEBREWS 11:5 AND1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-17

 

[veteran]

Rev 8:1-13
1 And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

In Zephaniah 1:7, a command goes out to be silent before the presence of The LORD, for the day of The LORD is at hand, for He has prepared a sacrifice and bid His guests. In Zechariah 2:13, all flesh is told to be silent before The LORD, for He has raised up out of His holy habitation.

The silence on the 7th seal marks a solomn period, an end, just as the 7th trumpet completes the order of battle in the last days with Christ's coming on the day of The LORD, and as later in Rev.10 John is told to not write down what the seven thunders had uttered. Thunder happens after the lightning, signalling that by the time the seven thunders have sounded, it's all over, God's Plan for this world being over.

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.

Our prayers ascend to Heaven before God's Throne through the incense at the altar. God hears our prayers, and He will recompense according to His time and purpose, not ours. He expects us to be patient and wait on Him.

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.

Casting fire from God's altar to the earth signifies judgment. We also find these thunderings, lightnings, and earthquake at the end of each section of the seals, trumpets, and vials, showing all three groups flow in parallel to each other all the way to the end, i.e., 7th seal, 7th trumpet, and 7th vial (777). (See Rev.11:19 and Rev.16:18).

6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

The seven trumpets prepare to sound. Trumpets were used to sound call to worship, and during service in the temple , and a call to arms as warning, and order of battle. Here they are used to call the order of battle, spiritual battle, in God's judgments upon the earth.

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.

These plagues upon the earth follow some of the plagues upon Egypt in the days of Moses. Faithful Israel was not affected by those plagues, as they were under God's protection through His Passover. Today per the New Covenant, our Lord Jesus now is our Passover Lamb sacrificed for us (1 Cor.5:7). He is our covering through these trumpets and the vials mentioned later.

In Mark 8, our Lord Jesus healed a blind man, spitting in His hands and placing them on the blind man's eyes, and our Lord asked him what he saw. The blind man said he saw, "men as trees, walking". Peter said "all flesh is as grass", showing how fleeting our flesh here on earth is (1 Pet.1:24). Those symbols for men should be considered here, the idea being spiritual death.

In Rev.9, the locusts are told not to hurt any green thing. So these first four trumpet judgments should be seen as effects upon God's earthly creation that man has caused by disobedience to God. We see some of these events paralleled also with the vials of Rev.16.

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.

Our Lord Jesus showed the "sea" which the Rev.13:1 world beast comes out of as 'waters' (Rev.17:15). The "waters" there represent peoples. The phrase "as it were" shows likeness, not a literal mountain burning with fire, but as it was like the appearance of a mountain.... (see Jer.51:25 about historical Babylon as a destroying mountain). Thus our Lord is not talking about meteorites like Hollywood's idea of the movie Armageddon. He's using this as a symbol for a time of sorrows upon the earth (Mark 13:8).

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.

In Rev.6:13 the stars fall from heaven as untimely figs from a tree when shaken of a mighty wind. Later on the 5th trumpet, a star falls from heaven to the earth, and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. In Rev.12:4 the dragon drew a third of the stars (angels) into rebellion with him. These waters turning bitter symbolize men's hearts becoming bitter because of the events coming upon the earth.

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.

This type of event of the sun becoming darkened also occurs in between the 5th seal (Rev.6) of martyrs under the altar and Christ's coming with final judgment. God told Moses to stretch out his hand over the land of Egypt to bring darkness over it, even darkness which may be felt.

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!
(KJV)

The first four trumpets are covered as a group apart from the last three trumpets. We're given an emphatic warning about the last three trumpets, and shown they have three woes attached to them. This is for special emphasis. We're to especially understand and pay attention to the events of the last three trumpets.

 

[Sinthesis]

The "great mountain burning with fire" is Temple Judaism being cast out from God to the gentiles.

Wormwood, the "great star from heaven", is Temple Judaism as it falls prey to bitterness and turns followers from God.