The Seven Trumpets

Parts 4-6

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Two critical points:

 

1.   The intercession of Jesus for 6,000 years on behalf of the whole world [corporate intercession] is a new idea for most Christians. Few people are aware of the doctrine of parallel temples, and very few of those who are aware of this doctrine have investigated the unique role assigned to each of the two altars in the earthly temple! Most Christians do not understand the service that took place at the Altar of Incense on earth, and even fewer understand what takes place at the Altar of Incense in Heaven’s temple. (Revelation 8:5)

 

Nevertheless, the Bible teaches that God deals with mankind on a corporate basis and He deals with us on an individual basis. That’s why there are two altars in the earthy temple as well as the heavenly temple.

 

To keep both levels of intercession suspended in your mind, just remember that at times, God dealt with ancient Israel as one nation and He also dealt with people as individuals. Cities and nations can grieve away the Holy Spirit when a majority has hardened their hearts. Ask Sodom and Gomorrah about this. When this corporately occurs, God takes action. His wrath is released.

 

Think about this: God dealt with the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah as groups of people. God dealt with the antediluvians as one group of people. God dealt with Jericho as one group of people. God dealt with Nineveh as one group of people.

 

2.   When a majority of a city, nation or the whole world, passes where God’s patience has no redeeming effect, God steps in with redemptive judgments. The Bible demonstrates this policy over and over and over. I call it the “The Full Cup Principle.”

 

If God’s redemptive judgments do not bring about repentance and reformation, then destructive judgments will follow. This is why in revelation’s story there are 7 trumpets and 7 bowls:

 

7 redemptive judgments

7 destructive judgments

 

The concept of corporate intercession is highly important within Revelation 8 because this service was called “the daily service” in ancient times. It was conducted every evening and morning on the Altar of Incense in the earthly temple. Atonement for the whole camp of Israel was conducted on the Altar of Incense.

 

Therefore, the doctrine of parallel temples leads us to understand that the “casting down” of the censer at the Altar of Incense in Heaven indicates that the daily service on behalf of the whole Earth is abruptly and permanently terminated.

 

Daniel 12:11   “From the time that the daily (service in Heaven’s temple or sacrifice) [the word sacrifice is supplied by translators, it is not in the text] is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation [a horrible act that is designed to destroy God’s people] is set up, there will be 1,290 days.

 

Daniel 12:12   Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.”

 

Daniel 12:13   “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the daysyou will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”

 

The “casting down” of the censer in Revelation 8:5 indicates more than just the holy fire being put out, throwing down the censer indicates righteous indignation. Wrath!

 

The censer and the coals are thrown down – something like Moses throwing down the Ten Commandments when he came down the mountain and saw the idolatry of Israel at the base of Mt. Sinai.

 

Moses had just been in God’s awesome and holy presence and no doubt this glorious encounter made the depraved behavior of Israel far more grievous than usual because Moses saw the disgusting nature of sin for what it was. Moses was justifiably outraged, and he destroyed the law that had been broken by Israel’s rebellion. 

 

So it is. God’s patience with evil has made people bold and shameless in their sinful ways. Sexual immorality, hatred, murder and violence are escalating and I believe that the ultimate display of violence is a coming nuclear exchange. During World War III, I believe the censer will be thrown down and divine wrath will arrest the attention of everyone living on Earth.

 

We briefly examined the contents of the first four trumpets in our last study. I have a few more comments about them that I hope you will consider:

 

In a sentence, the first four trumpets will be a shock and awe campaign. The first four trumpets will bring awesome and overwhelming destruction on notably wicked places.

 

How do we know that this destruction will fall on notably wicked places?

 

1.   At the end of the first four trumpets, a warning is sent to Earth:

 

Revelation 8:13   As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angles!”

 

When we study the last three trumpets, you will find they exclusively fall on wicked people.

 

2.   When we study the beasts of Revelation, you will find that the first four trumpets will unite the religious and political leaders of the world. All of them will conclude, on the basis of indisputable evidence, that Almighty God is alive and very angry with the behavior of mankind.

 

In other words, by destroying notably wicked places, the survivors will easily conclude that God is angry at wicked behavior. In other words, these judgments will not appear to be coincidental. Therefore, the response of mankind will be focused from the start: God must be appeased through repentance and worship or everyone will promptly die.

 

3.   We also know the destruction described in the first four trumpets perfectly align with the power given to the first four angels in Revelation 7. Remember, the four angels ‘had been given power to harm the land, the sea, and the trees. [Physical things] Therefore, the fiery hail will burn up the wicked places like Sodom and Gomorrah. The first asteroid impact will wash away wicked seaport cities. The second asteroid impact will ruin the underground aquifers on a very wicked continent. The darkness of the fourth trumpet will introduce famine and millions living in heavily congested cites will die.

 

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