(Revelation 8:6-13; 9:1-21; 11:15-19; 16:1-21)
In Revelation 8 and 16, John saw visions of seven trumpets and seven bowls of wrath.
When we put these side by side, we can easily see that they are related.
The seven trumpets describe the purification of the Kingdom of Heaven. The bowls of wrath describe the attack on the kingdom of the beast, which represents the lawless in the Kingdom of Heaven.
In each of the first four trumpets, one third of the lawless are removed from those who remain, just as one third of the angels were cast out of heaven in Chapter 12.
The first three trumpets and bowls of wrath all result in blood — the spiritual death of the lawless. The first three trumpets and bowls of wrath are plagues on the earth, sea, and springs of water, as listed in Revelation 14:7: “Fear God and give Him glory, worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and springs of water.”
The first trumpet is hail and fire mixed with blood, thrown to the Earth. This causes sores on those who worship the image of the beast and receive his mark in the first bowl of wrath.
The second trumpet and bowl of wrath are plagues on the sea. The sea represents baptism and salvation.
The third trumpet and bowl of wrath are plagues on the rivers and springs. The rivers and springs represent the spirit received by those in the kingdom of the beast.
The fourth trumpet is the final darkening of the lawless in the Kingdom of Heaven. In the fourth bowl of wrath, “the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.”1Matt 13:43 Those in the kingdom of the beast are scorched by the great heat of the sun. In the fifth bowl of wrath, the kingdom of the beast is completely darkened.
The fifth trumpet describes the release of Satan after he was bound for 1,000 years.
The last two trumpets and bowls of wrath describe the Battle of Armageddon and the day of God’s judgment.
References