And the seven angels which had the
seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
The first angel sounded, and here 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.
And the second angel sounded, as as it were
a great mountain burning with fire was cast
into the sea: and the third part of the sea
became blood; 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.
Revelation 8:6-9
The book of Revelation has spawned several interpretations depending on one's theological view and when it comes to these verse there are divergent views and we are left confused. So, then, I decided to blog those views and allow you to determine how you see these events and how they are to be applied. We start with Revelation 8:7:
HISTORICIST VIEW:
Definition: This is a theory that history is determined by immutable laws and not by human agency. Also, this theory is that all cultural phenomena are historically determined and that historians must study each period without imposing any personal or absolute value system, or a profound or excessive respect for historical institutions, as laws or tradition.
The historical view is that the first four trumpets represent the four great blows that fell upon the Western Roman Empire from the beginning of the fifth century to its fall in 476 A.D. The symbol "hail," represents God's judgment and uses this verse for proof: "Hast thou entered into the treasures of snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war" (Job 38:22-23)? What then does it mean when there is a combination of hail and fire? The combination of hail and fire could represent thunderbolts and this would recall the plagues of Egypt: "And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt" (Exodus 9:23). or, "The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice: hail stones and coals of fire" (Psalm 18:13)."He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to the thunderbolts" (Psalm 78:13), "He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land" (Psalm 105:32). What can be derived is that hail and fire, thunderbolts represent judgment from God. Some interpreters, Barnes for one, believes that these images symbolize war and bloodshed and destruction of vegetation that were destroyed. This is a very literal approach to interpretation of these symbols so we must look and see if there is a better interpretation. The book of Revelation being a book full of symbols we must be careful in assigning literal to what may be spiritual.
Many interpreters identify the first trumpet with the military conflicts between Western Roman Empire and the hordes of Goths and Vandals under Alaric. Edward Gibbon a non-Christian historian writes with much similarity as to the words in Revelation about the Fall of The Roman Empire and in Chapter 27 he writes of the farmers leaving their farms at the first sound of the trumpet, laying down their arms (p.460, ¶1).
Matthew Henry expands upon this interpretation by suggesting that the trumpets bring calamities on the church as well as the empire. With reference to the hail, fire, and blood, he says:
There was a terrible storm; but whether this is to be understood of a storm of heresies, a mixture of monstrous errors falling on the church (for in that age Arianism prevailed), or a storm or tempest of war falling on the civil state, expositors are not agreed.
He suggests that the trees and grass destroyed in this trumpet judgment could represent the church’s clergy and laity, respectively, or great people and common people.
The fraction a third has been explained as referring to either the Roman Empire, which was one-third of the then known world (Mede, Bishop Newton), or one-third of the empire itself, namely, the western division (Elliott).
PRETERIST VIEW:
Definition: is a Christian eschatological view that interprets some (Partial Preterism) or all (Full Preterism) prophecies of the Bible as events which have already happened. This view is concerned with the Jewish War of 66-70 A.D. that defined "the Last Days" of the Jewish commonwealth. Primarily concerned with what led up to the outbreak of hat war. The interpreter Adams writes that the first four of the trumpets:
probably predict the several years of ravage and pillage prior to the destruction of Jerusalem itself. In this period, the land suffered terribly. The plagues are reminiscent of those in Egypt, at the birth of the Hebrew nation. Here they mark both the latter’s cessation, and the birth of a new nation, the kingdom of God (1 Pet. 2:9, 10).
Some interpreters assume that the seven trumpeters describe the chronological events. Others would include, as with the green grass a symbol of people, even righteous people. The historian Josephus describe this:
And now the Romans, although they were greatly distressed in getting together their materials, raised their banks in one-and-twenty days, after they had cut down all the trees that were in the country that adjoined to the city, and that for ninety furlongs round about, as I have already related. And, truly, the very view itself of the country was a melancholy thing; for those places which were before adorned with trees and pleasant gardens were now become a desolate country every way, and its trees were all cut down: nor could any foreigner that had formerly seen Judea and the most beautiful suburbs of the city, and now saw it as a desert, but lament and mourn sadly at so great a change; for the war had laid all signs of beauty quite waste. (Wars, VI:1:1).
FUTURIST VIEW:
Definition: Speaking of things ahead of its time, advanced.
With reference to the difficulty of interpreting the trumpets, Tenney writes
that the trumpets are specific, drastic, and final. So strange are they that there has been a grave question as to whether they should be taken literally or not. If they are understood literally, it is hard to comprehend how any life on earth could survive their terrible onslaught. If they are to be regarded as figurative, the criteria of interpretation are not clear at all.
Most dispensational futurists take the hail and fire, the trees and the green grass in this scene literally. There are exceptions, however. Walter Scott interprets the third part of the world to be the western confederation of nations, the trees to be great men and leaders, and the grass to be ordinary people. Ironside takes essentially the same view.
Gaebelein, too, departs from a strict literalism:
Hail (withdrawn heat), fire and blood are all symbols of divine wrath. … The green things are symbols of agricultural and commercial prosperity. … The third part mentioned repeatedly in these trumpet judgments refers to the [revived] Roman empire. … Burning heat may be symbolical of intolerant despotism.
Walvoord objects to the non-literal methodology of such interpreters:
The tendency on the part of the expositors has been to read into this judgment a symbol of divine chastening rather than literal hail and fire. The obvious parallel, however, is found in the tenth plague1 in Exodus 9:18–26. Inasmuch as in the account of Exodus there was literal hail and fire, and the result of the judgment here is the burning up of the third part of trees and all the green grass, there is no solid reason for not taking this judgment in its literal sense.
Spiritual
Trumpets may serve any number of functions. They might announce a day of remembrance (Lev. 23:24), a triumph (Josh. 6:4), or a coronation (1 Kings 1:34). Most likely, here they represent a warning (e.g., of an invasion from enemy armies). Since these trumpets affect only one-third—or a significant minority—of the created order and of men, the judgments they bring are not final, but serve as warnings of the great judgment to come.
Hendriksen epitomizes the view of most in this camp:
These trumpets of judgment … indicate series of happenings, that is, calamities that will occur again and again throughout this dispensation. They do not symbolize single and separate events, but they refer to woes that may be seen any day of the year in any part of the globe. Therefore, the trumpets are synchronous with the seals.
The first four trumpets are directed against “the sources of life which men in their blindness take for granted” (Wilson), or against “nature in its fourfold aspect as regarded by the ancients: land, sea, fresh water, heavenly bodies” (Hobbs).
Most expositors mention the resemblance to the Egyptian plagues. Plummer observes that these judgments, like those of Egypt, depict griefs upon the world, not the trials of the church: “The Church is the true Israel which exists uninjured by these manifestations of God’s wrath in the midst of the world of Egyptian wickedness.”
As to the timing of these trumpet blasts, Wilcock writes that “the first five Trumpets are likely to resemble the first five Seals in revealing not datable events, but aspects of the world situation which may be true at any time.” Morey concurs: “These calamities are symbolic, not literal; they are repetitive throughout history rather than consecutive; again, they will intensify as the Age closes.” The first trumpet affects the earth, and brings destruction to vegetation. It is clear that the command not to harm the trees (7:3) is no longer in force. Wilcock suggests that the hail, fire, and blood may “symbolize any kind of destruction which at any time damages the earth on which man lives.” Hendriksen writes:
In all probability this first trumpet indicates that throughout the period extending from the first to the second coming, our Lord, who now reigns in heaven, will afflict the persecutors of the Church with various disasters that will take place on earth, that is, on the land.
I will end this blog with the first trumpet and comment on the second trumpet tomorrow. Up to this point I have not given my point of view, but it is simple, at least up to this point: God will judge sin! It will be terrible! I do not want the wrath of God upon me! I know that I am a sinner! God forgives a true repentant! First and foremost: it is my relationship with Jesus Christ that is most important and holds the priority in my life. Keep close to Him and you and I will not face all that God will bring upon this earth on the day He visits for the last time: The Last Day! But we must come to understand and know others viewpoints so I will continue to do so.
Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD,O my soul. While I live will I praise
the LORD: I will sing praises unto my
God while I have any being.
Psalm 146:1-2
Keep your relationship To Jesus: There is no fear
Richard L. Crumb
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