This is the first trumpet in Revelation 8. As I explained in another forum, in the Bible trumpets were mainly used to summon war (Judges 7:16-18). Revelation uses symbolic language from the Old Testament, so if we want to know what certain symbols mean we have to look for them first in the Old Testament and that will give us some understanding of what is written about in the last book of the Bible.
So the seven trumpets are the judgments which God pours out upon the persecutors of His people. The seven trumpets follow the pattern set by the seven seals and seven churches, but the trumpets focus on the judgments which God pours out upon the persecutors of His people.
John is in vision in Chapter 8 and he sees the heavenly Sanctuary or Temple. He sees the first compartment of the Heavenly Sanctuary. You remember when I tried to explain the heavenly sanctuary and explained that the earthly sanctuary was modelled on the heavenly sanctuary? The things John sees in the heavenly sanctuary are always in the holy room which is the first compartment.
Verse 4 says,
"The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God." So the altar of incense and the smoke represents the prayers of the saints. There was much prayer from the saints. The prayers of the saints were being heard and in
verse 5 and 6, there is a change, an angel takes some of the fire from the altar, he puts it in the censer, but he does not add any incense. He takes it and he throws it down to the earth. That means the sounding of the trumpets are judgments that come upon the wicked. There is no incense mingled with the fire. It's just fire. Fire is often a symbol of judgment that God brings upon the wicked.
How do we know most of these things have come to pass? I really don't think this is something I can explain briefly as you can tell from what I've posted above. All I can say here is that in John's day, the greatest empire at the time was the Roman empire. John was a prisoner on the isle of Patmos, a victim of Roman oppression. The trumpets begin with the Roman empire and we know it had persecuted and would continue to persecute God's people or Church. The trumpets are God's judgements on the Roman empire.
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." Revelation 1:1-3. The book of Revelation is a loving message from Jesus Christ to His precious Church, revealing the things that must soon come to pass. It is meant to be understood by His people, with a blessing promised to those who read, hear and keep the things revealed in these prophecies.
Revelation 1:20 tells us that the seven golden candlesticks represent the seven churches.
"The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches." There is a literal and prophetic application to the the seven Churches.
Yes, Revelation 2 and 3 are Jesus' letters to the seven Churches. The Churches literally existed but the letters are about the history of the Church of God during different time periods until Jesus returns the second time. Each of the seven Churches is symbolic of what God’s people would face during the succeeding periods of its history. Other chapters tell us more about the persecution of God's people in the seven seals (chapters 4,5, 6 and 8), and the seven trumpets (chapters 8,9,10).
Chapters 4 and 5 are an introductory scene to the vision of the seven seals.Yes John in vision sees Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary/temple. Revelation 4 focuses on Jesus’ work as our High Priest and the events that occur during and after the completion of His ministry. When the work is finished He will put on His kingly garments and return to Earth to claim His people. It is important to understand how the heavenly sanctuary works and what Jesus as our High Priest means. Its all in my
forum on the subject.
