Lesson #25

REVELATION AND THE SECOND COMING
LESSON #25
THE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS – REV 8 — NATIONS IN PROPHECY

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 8:4

• REMEMBER THAT THE TRIBULATION PERIOD BEGINS WITH A PEACE TREATY CONFIRMED BY THE ANTI-CHRIST (THE RIDER OF THE WHITE HORSE IN REV 6:2).
• THE BREAKING OF THE LAST SEAL OPENS THE 7 TRUMPET JUDGMENTS.

• READ REV 8:1-13 THE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS
• WHY ARE THESE JUDGMENTS CALLED TRUMPETS AND NOT BY SOME OTHER OBJECT?

• THE ISRAELITES USED THE TRUMPET IN THE WILDERNESS:
• TO GATHER THE PEOPLE TOGETHER (NUM 10).
• TO WARN OF AN APPROACHING ENEMY.
• TO ANNOUNCE SPECIAL OCCASIONS.
• THE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD ACCOMPLISH ALL THREE OF THOSE OBJECTIVES:
• GOD WILL USE THE TRIBULATION JUDGMENTS TO CAUSE IMMIGRATION TO ISRAEL TO INCREASE.
• THROUGH JUDGMENTS GOD WAKES UP THE JEWS SO AS TO WARN THEM OF THE ANTICHRIST WHO WILL PRETEND TO BE THE JEWISH MESSIAH.
• THE JUDGMENTS POINT TO THE SPECIAL EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST WHEN THE JEWS FINALLY RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH.

• THEOLOGIANS AND TEACHERS ARE GREATLY DIVIDED ON HOW TO CONSIDER THESE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS.
• IN OTHER WORDS, DO THEY OCCUR CONSECUTIVELY OVER TIME? DO THEY ALL OCCUR IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE TRIBULATION? OR ARE THEY SPREAD OVER THE 7-YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD? DO WE CONSIDER THEM LITERALLY OR SYMBOLICALLY?
• IN THIS STUDY, WE WILL CONSIDER THEM LITERALLY.
• IT IS THE VIEW OF THE TEACHER THAT IT IS NOT IMPORTANT WHETHER THE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS OCCUR CONSECUTIVELY OVER TIME OVER THE WHOLE 7-YEAR PERIOD OR WHETHER THEY ALL OCCUR IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE TRIBULATION.
• THE FIRST FOUR TRUMPET JUDGMENTS ARE PHYSICAL JUDGMENTS WHILE THE LAST 3 ARE SPIRITUAL FORCES.

• THE FIRST FOUR TRUMPET JUDGMENTS:
• IT IS THE TEACHER’S SPECULATION THAT THESE FIRST 4 PHYSICAL JUDGMENTS SEEM TO BE IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE TRIBULATION.
• THE LAST THREE SPIRITUAL FORCES:
• IT IS THE TEACHER’S SPECULATION THAT THESE LAST 3 JUDGMENTS ARE SPIRITUAL FORCES THAT SEEM TO BE IN THE LAST HALF OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.

• THE SCENE IN HEAVEN (1-6)
• SILENCE = AWE WHICH IS THE 7TH SEAL THAT BEGINS THE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS
• TRUMPETS = AN INSTRUMENT OF WARNING
• ANGEL = THIS IS EITHER ANOTHER ANGEL OR CHRIST IN HIS ROLE AS HIGH PRIEST. THE IDENTITY OF THIS ANGEL IS NOT CLEAR.
• A CENSER WITH INCENSE = THE PRAYER OF CHRIST MIXED WITH THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS.
• WHAT DO WE LEARN IN THIS PASSAGE ABOUT PRAYER?
• GOD LISTENS TO THE PRAYERS OF SAINTS BEFORE HE SENDS JUDGMENT.
• FIRE FROM THE ALTAR = THE OLD TESTAMENT BRAZEN ALTAR WAS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST.
• THE ANIMAL SACRIFICE WAS OFFERED ON THE BRAZEN ALTAR IN THE COURTYARD OF THE TABERNACLE JUST AS JESUS CHRIST WAS THE SACRIFICE FOR SIN ON THE CROSS.
• IN THE TABERNACLE, THE HIGH PRIEST WOULD TAKE A COAL OFF THE ALTAR, MIX IT WITH INCENSE ON THE ALTAR OF INCENSE IN THE TABERNACLE AND THEN ENTER INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES.
• IT IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF PRAYER ENTERING GOD’S PRESENCE BASED ON THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS ON THE CROSS.
• JESUS ALREADY ENTERED THE HOLY OF HOLIES IN HEAVEN AFTER HIS SACRIFICE PRESENTING HIS SHED BLOOD TO GOD.
• IN THIS NEW TESTAMENT AGE, THE CROSS BRINGS JUDGMENT ON THE EARTH BECAUSE OF PEOPLE WHO REJECT CHRIST’S SACRIFICE AS A REMEDY FOR SIN.
• GOD AVENGES THE PERSECUTION OF HIS BELIEVERS WHO THROUGH HISTORY HAVE BEEN MARTYRED FOR THEIR FAITH.
• FIRE THROWN DOWN TO THE EARTH
• THIS ACT INDICATES THAT THE FOLLOWING TRUMPET JUDGMENTS ARE DIRECT ANSWERS TO THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS WHO HAVE SUFFERED FOR THEIR FAITH IN JESUS.
• THE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS OF REVELATION 8:
• TRUMPET #1 (7)
• THIS IS JUDGMENT ON THE LAND.
• THIS JUDGMENT CONSISTS OF HAIL, FIRE MIXED WITH BLOOD = A POSSIBLE NUCLEAR BLAST AND NERVE GAS.
• THIS JUDGMENT REMINDS US OF ONE OF THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT (EXO 9:22-26)
• THE RESULTS OF THIS JUDGMENT
• 1/3 OF THE EARTH IS BURNED BY FIRE FROM A POSSIBLE NUCLEAR WAR.
• ALL GREEN GRASS = ALL THE GREEN GRASS WITHIN THAT THIRD PART OF THE EARTH IS AFFECTED.
• THIS JUDGMENT WILL CAUSE A TREMENDOUS EFFECT ON ANIMAL FOOD SUPPLY AND THEREFORE SUBSEQUENTLY ON HUMAN FOOD SUPPLY.
• TRUMPET #2 (8-9)
• THIS IS JUDGMENT ON THE SEA.
• THE WORD, SEA, IS SINGULAR AND PRECEDED BY THE DEFINITE ARTICLE, THE, WHICH MEANS THAT IT REFERS TO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.
• “LIKE” A GREAT MOUNTAIN BURNING = THIS COULD BE EITHER A POSSIBLE NUCLEAR BLAST OR A VOLCANO IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.
• THE THIRD PART OF THE SEA = THIS IS PROBABLY THE SAME 1/3 OF THE PLANET THAT WAS AFFECTED IN VERSE 7.
• BLOOD = FROM DEAD SEA LIFE AND FROM DEAD NAVAL PERSONNEL.
• THIS JUDGMENT REMINDS US OF ONE OF THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT (EXO 7:14-25)
• TRUMPET #3 (10-11)
• THIS IS JUDGMENT ON RIVERS.
• A STAR FROM HEAVEN = POSSIBLY A MISSILE FIRED FROM A SATELLITE.
• IT IS CALLED, WORMWOOD.
• WHAT IS WORMWOOD AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
• THIS WORD IS AN OLD TESTAMENT SYMBOL OF BITTERNESS AND SORROW (LAM 3:15 AMO 5:7 JER 9:13-16 JER 23:15)
• IT IS VERY INTERESTING THAT THE NUCLEAR ACCIDENT IN CHERNOBYL, RUSSIA IN APRIL 1986 WAS THE WORST NUCLEAR ACCIDENT IN WORLD HISTORY. THE NAME “CHERNOBYL” MEANS WORMWOOD!
• IT IS POSSIBLE THAT REV 8:10-11 REFERS TO NUCLEAR WAR.
• THE RESULTS IS WATER POLLUTION WHICH COULD POSSIBLY BE THE RESULT OF GERM WARFARE OR NUCLEAR WAR.
• NOTICE THE REFERENCE TO THE THIRD PART OF THE EARTH’S SURFACE.
• THIS IS THE SAME 1/3 AREA OF THE PLANET THAT WAS MENTIONED BEFORE.
• TRUMPET #4 (12-13)
• THIS IS JUDGMENT AGAINST THE UNIVERSE.
• AGAIN THERE IS MENTION OF THE THIRD PART OF THE PLANET THAT SEEMS TO BE THE SAME 1/3 AREA AS BEFORE.
• THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS ARE DARKENED.
• THIS IS POSSIBLY THE RESULTS FROM A NUCLEAR CLOUD.
• THIS JUDGMENT REMINDS US OF ONE OF THE PLAGUES IN EGYPT (EXO 10:21-23)
• OTHER PROPHETIC PREDICTIONS: (ISA 13:10 JER 4:23 EZE 32:7-8 JOE 2:31 JOE 3:15 AMO 5:20)
• IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE, NO IT’S….A FLYING ANGEL!
• THE FLIGHT OF THIS ANGEL OVER THE EARTH SEEMS TO BE A BRIEF BREAK IN THE SEQUENCE OF JUDGMENTS.
• IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS BRIEF BREAK THAT CALLS OUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THIS MAY BE THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• THE ANGEL SOUNDS A SERIOUS WARNING THAT WORSE THINGS ARE COMING.
• JESUS CALLED THE LAST HALF OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, THE GREAT TRIBULATION, TO INDICATE THE LAST HALF IS WORSE THAN THE FIRST HALF. (MAT 24:21)
• THE MESSAGE OF THE ANGEL:
• WOE, WOE, WOE
• THE WORD, WOE, MEANS = DAMNED OR CURSED.
• THE THREE WOES ARE THE THREE GREATER JUDGMENTS TO COME WHICH ARE THE LAST 3 TRUMPETS.

• CONCLUSION AND ORIENTATION:
• BECAUSE THE FIRST FOUR TRUMPET JUDGMENTS AFFECT 1/3 OF THE EARTH’S SURFACE, AND BECAUSE THESE TRUMPET JUDGMENTS APPEAR TO BE MORE THAN THE TYPICAL NATURAL DISASTERS, IT IS THE VIEW OF THE TEACHER THAT THESE 4 JUDGMENTS REPRESENT A SPECIFIC WAR THAT OCCURS EARLY IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• THIS WAR IS DOCUMENTED IN DETAIL IN PROPHETIC SCRIPTURE AND HAS NOT YET BEEN FULFILLED.
• THE TRIBULATION PERIOD BEGINS WITH PEACE CONFIRMED BY THE ANTI-CHRIST (THE RIDER OF THE WHITE HORSE) BUT IS SOON FOLLOWED BY WAR (THE RIDER OF THE RED HORSE) (REV 6)
• WE CALL THIS WAR THE GREAT RUSSIAN WAR.
• WE WILL STUDY THIS WAR IN DETAIL. HOWEVER, BEFORE WE CAN DO THAT, WE MUST CONSIDER THE ALIGNMENT OF NATIONS AS THEY EXIST IN THE BIBLE AND COMPARE THEM AS THEY EXIST TODAY.
• AT THIS POINT IN OUR STUDY, WE WILL PAUSE OUR STUDY OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION TO CONSIDER MANY OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES THAT BRING US TO FOCUS ON THE GREAT RUSSIAN WAR TO COME.
• BIBLICAL NATIONS
• IN OUR STUDY OF THE BOOK OF DANIEL, WE SAW HOW THE GREAT HISTORICAL KINGDOMS OF BABYLON, MEDO-PERSIA, GREECE, AND ROME WERE IMPORTANT TO THE FULFILLMENT OF BIBLE PROPHECY. THE SAME IS TRUE WITH THE FULFILLMENT OF BIBLE PROPHECY REGARDING THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• THE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH IDENTIFYING BIBLICAL NATIONS WITH THOSE OF TODAY ARE THESE:
• MIGRATING ETHNIC GROUPS
• INTERMARRIAGE BETWEEN GROUPS
• NAME CHANGES OF GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS AND PEOPLE
• THE BIBLE GIVES A LOT OF PROPHETIC STATEMENTS REGARDING SPECIFIC NATIONS AND GROUPS OF PEOPLE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WERE AND ARE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL. HOWEVER, MANY TIMES THE BIBLE USES DIFFERENT NAMES THAN THOSE WE USE TODAY.
• WITH THAT IN MIND, I AM GIVING YOU A PROPHETIC CHART OF MAJOR BIBLE PROPHECIES REGARDING SPECIFIC NATIONS IN THE WORLD TODAY
• THE NAMES USED IN THE BIBLE ARE UNDER EACH NATION NAME
• MAJOR PROPHECIES HAVE AN *.
• NUMBERS IN PARENTHESIS ARE THE VERSES THAT IDENTIFY THE NATION IN THE KING JAMES VERSION OF THE BIBLE.

• GOD’S PROPHETIC PROMISES TO THE ARABS
• READ GEN 16:10-12 AND GEN 25:13-16
• THE NAME ISHMAEL MEANS = GOD HEARS.
• THE DESCENDANTS OF HAGAR WILL BE A GREAT MULTITUDE.
• “HE WILL BE A WILD DONKEY OF A MAN”=
• THE DESCENDANTS OF ISHMAEL WILL BE A FREE AND WANDERING PEOPLE. GOD WILL PERMIT THEM TO BE INDEPENDENT.
• “HIS HAND WILL BE AGAINST EVERYONE” =
• THE ARABS WILL OCCUPY THEMSELVES WITH WAR AGAINST THE JEWS.
• “EVERYONE’S HAND AGAINST HIM” =
• THE RESULTS OF HIS WARLIKE ACTIVITIES WILL PRODUCE CONSTANT ENEMIES.
• “HE WILL LIVE IN HOSTILITY TOWARD ALL HIS BROTHERS” =
• THE ARABS WILL OCCUPY THEMSELVES WITH WAR AGAINST FELLOW ARABS.
• GOD SPECIFICALLY GAVE THEM THE ARABIAN PENINSULA AS THEIR LAND.

• NOTICE THAT THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE PALESTINIANS IN THE CHART OF THE NATIONS:
• THE PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELVES THE PALESTINIANS TODAY HAVE NEVER BEEN A SEPARATE PEOPLE GROUP NOR HAVE THEY EVER BEEN A NATION.
• FROM WHERE DID THE NAME PALESTINE COME AND WHO ARE THE PALESTINIANS?
• THE WORD, PALESTINE, HAS A ROMAN ORIGIN AT THE TIME OF ROMAN EMPEROR HADRIAN (135 AD).
• EMPEROR HADRIAN HATED THE JEWS BECAUSE THEY CAUSED HIM SO MANY PROBLEMS AND REBELLIONS. HE DEFEATED THE JEWS IN A BATTLE AND DECIDED TO BREAK THEIR SPIRIT AND THEIR IDENTITY WITH THE PROMISED LAND. HE USED THE NAME, PALESTINE, TO REFER TO THE SMALL REGION OF JUDAH AROUND JERUSALEM. THE NAME FELL OUT OF USE FOR CENTURIES UNTIL THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS GAVE THE BRITISH EMPIRE THE MANDATE OVER THE LAND OF ISRAEL IN 1920. THE BRITISH CALLED THE LAND, PALESTINE. PALESTINE INCLUDED WHAT IS NOW ISRAEL AND WHAT IS NOW JORDAN. THEREFORE THE NAME, PALESTINIAN, WAS APPLIED TO PEOPLE LIVING BOTH EAST AND WEST OF THE JORDAN RIVER IN BOTH ISRAEL AND IN JORDAN. IF THEY JEWS, THEY WERE CALLED PALESTINIAN JEWS. IF THEY WERE ARABS, THEY WERE CALLED PALESTINIAN ARABS IRRESPECTIVE OF WHICH SIDE OF THE JORDAN THEY LIVED. TECHNICALLY AND LEGALLY, THE NAMES PALESTINE AND PALESTINIAN CAME TO AN END IN 1948 WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION AND WHEN JORDAN BECAME A NATION.
• THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE TODAY:
• THERE IS NO HISTORICAL, ARCHAEOLOGICAL, OR LINGUISTIC EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE DESCENDED FROM THE PHILISTINES OR FROM THE CANAANITES WHO DISAPPEARED AS AN ETHNIC GROUP.
• THEY ARE, IN FACT, RELATED TO THE PEOPLE OF JORDAN AND SYRIA WHO TRACE THEIR ANCESTRY SPECIFICALLY TO THE AMMONITES, THE MOABITES, THE EDOMITES, AND TO ARAM ON THE CHART OF THE NATIONS.
• THE WORD, PALESTINE, IN THE BIBLE:
• THE WORD PALESTINE OCCURS ONCE IN THE KING JAMES BIBLE IN JOE 3:4 AND APPEARS AS “PALESTINA” OF WHICH THE HEBREW WORD IS PHILISTIA

HOMEWORK
PREPARATION FOR THE GREAT RUSSIAN WAR
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF REV 8
• CONTINUE TO WORK ON YOUR PRAYER LIFE PICTURING YOUR PRAYERS BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD.

• PREPARATION FOR A STUDY OF THE GREAT RUSSIAN WAR:
• READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES. WHAT DO YOU LEARN IN THESE PASSAGES ABOUT GOD’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD?
• ISA 14:26-27
• ISA 34:2
• ISA 30:28
• ISA 40:15-17

• MEMORY VERSE: ISA 52:10