_ 1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour._ A. Here is real drama. You know that something important is about to happen. But, you wait. You keep waiting for 10, 15, 25 minutes. Still waiting. The drama is building. B. The silence (calm and quite) is a... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets._ A. After the half hour of silence, there appear seven angels. B. Each angel has a trumpet. Out of the 7 th seal comes the introduction to the sounding of the seven trumpets. C. Trumpets were used to comma... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God fr... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake._ A. The angel took the censer filled with fire and threw it down on the earth. The earth here represents the wickedness of evil men w... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound._ A. The angels are ready to sound their trumpets one at a time. B. The trumpets were used to announce great events and warn of danger. I believe the trumpets about to be sounded are sending a signal of danger and warn... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up._ A. The first four trumpets warn of spiritual testing and trials. B. Just as the seals warned of physical harm... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood._ A. The symbol of water is shown to represent people in 17:1 and 15. John is not concerned about the environment and pollution of our water in this... [ Continue Reading ]
_9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed._ A. The part of man, which is spiritual (soul or spirit), is destroyed. This is not saying that 33% of all Christians will die. This is a warning that yielding to the persecution can cost you your spiri... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter._ A.... [ Continue Reading ]
_ 12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night._ A. Here the trumpet sounds and all of our sources of light on the earth are darkene... [ Continue Reading ]
_13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”_ A. An eagle flies through the heavens and says, in effect... [ Continue Reading ]