Everyday Life in Revelation: Part 6 the TrumpetsНамуна

We are now in a season when God is no longer speaking to the Church. He is no longer warning and calling for repentance. Instead, divine judgment is here, visited upon the earth. Even in this judgment, God is calling for repentance. The image He chooses is a trumpet - not just one trumpet but seven. These trumpets are sounding for the world to hear, listen and know the Lord is sounding. Trumpets in the Old Testament announced God’s presence, and He would war on behalf of His people and His causes. Today, in this reading, we are reminded that our strongest weapon is not a sword; it is not a gun. Our best weapon is prayer, calling upon the Lord to defeat evil and protect His Church. We must be engaged regularly, praying for both.

We have read about the seventh seal opened. With the opening of this seal, God is unleashing the blowing of seven trumpets. These seven trumpets are specific judgments that God will unleash upon the nations for persecuting and tormenting His people. Revelation 8:7-13 describes what will happen as the first four trumpets sound. There is a very close symmetry between these trumpets with the plagues visited upon Egypt during the Exodus. Blood, hail, darkness, poisoned water, and fire were all given to Egypt. And now, in these last days, God releases them to those who war and oppose His people, the Church.

John seems to be painting a picture of economic, ecologic, and social disaster coming through warfare that is sure to come. We see the message depicted here in Revelation, even the mightiest power that opposes the Church will fall to other earthly military forces. We, God’s people, should be comforted knowing that even amid the destruction, God has an overarching plan to bring forth good even through the destruction of the world’s power system.