WOE! WOE! WOE!
Revelation 8:6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
The revelation of the middle third is the longest and at times is certainly the most severe. It starts with chapter 8:6 and goes through chapter 15. At the sound of the first trumpet ⅓ of the earth is burned up. The second trumpet and ⅓ of the sea dies and even ⅓ of the ships on it are destroyed. The third trumpet and ⅓ of the waters become undrinkable. The fourth trumpet and ⅓ of the sun, moon and stars are darkened.
As terrible as what has now happened, there is heard the sound of Woe! Woe! Woe! With each woe there is an increase in tribulation and sorrow brought on the earth. It is as almost like all of heaven is crying out why are you doing this to yourself? Repent! You are making matters only worse for yourself. With the fifth trumpet demons are given permission by God to attack the earth. But they can not harm the grass, plants or trees, but only people that did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. (I believe the seal is the Holy Spirit) This certainly implies that at this time there are some Christians still on earth. Among them will be the 144,000 Jews that have become Christian evangelists, and the two witnesses for the Lord. The demons brings something possibly a plague that will last five months, making people inflicted want to die but not be able. With this the first woe is finished.
With the sixth trumpet comes a great war. There is a army of two hundred million that will cross over the Euphrates River to kill ⅓ of mankind. The Euphrates River now has a dam at Mosul that controls the water, but if it is destroyed the flood of water is said to possibly kill hundreds of thousands of people downstream. Even though so much death and destruction the people will still not repent for their idol worship, murders, magic , sexual immorality or their thefts.
After this an interesting thing happens as an angel tells John something that John is not permitted to write down so we can know and prepare ourselves. It seems that it will takes place during the seventh trumpet. I personally think that it could be the rapture that could take place in chapter 14:14-16.
With this sixth trumpet we see where the temple has been built and the outer court was given to the
Gentiles. This outer court could be the area where the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque now stands, since the Jews consider them Gentiles. Gentiles will also trample or control Jerusalem for 42 months. This is about 3 ½ years into the tribulation. During this same time two witnesses for Jesus have proclaimed Jesus with signs and wonders of turning water into blood, plagues, drought on the earth. They will be killed in Jerusalem, and their bodies left in the street. But on the third day they will come to life and ascend up into heaven in a cloud while their enemies watch. That very hour a great earthquake hits 1/10 of Jerusalem and 7,000 people will die, and with this the second woe is finished. Now the seventh trumpet is blown. The twenty-four elders in heaven fall on their faces and worship God. With this third woe things will once again take a noteable change.
Chapter 12 seems to be a review of past events from Satan taking ⅓ of the angels from heaven to attack Israel and Jesus, to making war with Christians. Chapter 13 brings about the appearance of the antichrist and the nations he lead that are both referred to as the Beast. He will have his power and authority from Satan. He will rule for 42 months or 3 ½ years. He will be give power to make war against Christians and conquer them. All the people of the earth will be enthralled with him, and can see no wrong with him. Because of this verse 13:10 says, “This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.” It will not be a good time of Christians and many will turn from Jesus. (Matt 24:10-13)
This antichrist or Beast will have a false prophet with him that will be able to perform great and miraculous signs even causing fire to come down from heaven. Anyone that rebels from the antichrist will be killed. To point these people out he will demand that everyone have a mark on the back of their right hand or forehead in order to buy or sell. This same mark will also disqualify a person from heaven. So while it may give life on earth, the same mark will bring spiritual death in hell. John 6:66 tells where many of Jesus disciples no longer follow him. With this in mind the verse certainly goes with the idea of worshiping the antichrist and giving loyalty to him alone.
Chapter 14 tells us of the 144,000 that we see in chapter 7. 14:14-16 tells of a great harvest of souls is taken by Jesus over the entire earth. I believe that this could be the rapture. About half way through the plagues of Egypt, God made a distinction between the Egyptians and the Hebrews. The Hebrews no longer went through the plagues. Verses 17-20 we see another harvest where death is brought on the earth to gather souls, but this time it is done in wrath. I believe that both harvests are done together so non-Christians will not associate it with the rapture. I also believe that this is the mystery John was not able to record in 10:4-7. With this, the last woe is finished and God’s wrath is completed. Now John sees those that overcome the beast, and they have harps given to them by God and are singing to the Lord.
This completes the trumpets, the three woes and the middle third of the period of tribulation. The return of Jesus is coming soon and along with this a new heaven (sky) and earth.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, while this is scary we know that you will never leave us or forsake us, and in this we are comforted. However we continue to pray as you instructed us to do in Luke 21:36 that we might not have to go through this tribulation. We love you Jesus!
