The Lamb opens the seventh seal in Revelation chapter 8. John sees seven angels standing before the throne of God in heaven. Seven trumpets are given to them. Another angel comes before the altar with a golden censer and was given incense, an angel took the golden censer, filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth. The seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
Revelation 8:1-5 English Standard Version
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
8 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
The Lamb opened the seventh and final seal on the scroll. The scroll was finally open. There was complete silence in heaven for about 30 minutes, an ominous sign of a coming judgment on earth.
When God makes His presence known, believers in Jesus Christ are immediately filled with awe in the presence of the glorious, all powerful and Holy creator of the universe. Conviction and fear of judgment is the only response for non-believers.
Philippians 2:10-11 ESV
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When a person's body dies, their spirit departs their dead body and immediately meets the Lord Jesus Christ. The impending judgments, depicted by the half hour of ominous silence in heaven, upon the opening of the seventh seal, would certainly strike complete fear in the hearts of those who have refused to declare that Jesus is Lord while they lived.
Believers have already acknowledged that truth and allegiance to Jesus, and for them, their spirit enters a perfect heaven for the rest of eternity, in the very presence of Jesus. They will have no more pain, sickness no more fear of anything. ut for non-believers, this would be the first time for that confession. Its kind of like finally realizing that the gospel of Jesus Christ is right. Jesus is Lord and believing in Him is the only way to escape God's wrath when Jesus returns, at the end of time to judge unbelievers, who will spend eternity in hell, an indescribably horrible place.
Revelation 8:3-5 ESV
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
A censer is a fire pan. It was used daily to gather hot coals from the Bronze altar for burnt offerings in the tabernace and temple courtyard. The coals were then taken in daily and placed on the altar of incense, inside the Holy Place, in front of the veil before the Most Holy Place, where the Ark of the Covenant was located. Incense was then placed on the hot coals, so that there was a smoke from incense all day, which was a pleasing aroma to God.
The angel in Revelation chapter 8:3 above, is standing before God's throne in heaven with the censer of hot coals and much incense which was placed on the golden altar of incense, that smoke and the prayers of the martyred saints under the throne of God, rose before God, seated on the throne.
The prayers of the saints is from Revelation 6:10, below.
Revelation 6:10 ESV
10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
In Revelation chapter 8:5 above, God heard the prayer of the martyred saints above, and directed the angel to fill the censer with fire from the altar, and throw it upon the earth. God heard the martyrs prayer for vengence on God's enemies and sent fire, representing judgment, down on the earth below.
God heard and accepted the saints prayer in Rev 6:10 and answered with devastating judgment in Revelation chapter 8:5.
This is part of the last judgment, at the end of history, the end of days. This is God hearing and answering the prayers of the saints on the golden altar before the throne.
Revelation 8:2-6-7 ESV
2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 6 Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. 7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
Trumpets signaled God was about to pronounce some commandment or judgments in the Old Testament. The seven angels standing before God, sitting on His throne, who were each given a trumpet, point back to the Exodus and Jewish tradition, where angels were appointed by God to perform judgments against God's enemies.
Psalm 78:49-50 ESV
49 He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels. 50 He made a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death, but gave their lives over to the plague.
Isaiah 37:36 ESV
36 And the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
There are only two kinds of people, (1) those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, was crucified on the cross and rose back to life on the third day, to defeat death. Salvation comes from faith, given by God, to believe in Jesus Christ and (2) those who do not believe in Jesus Christ.
In Matthew 12:30, below, Jesus tells us there is no gray, its black or white, either you believe in Him or you do not. If you do not believe in Him, you are considered an enemy of God, and will face His wrath when you die.
Matthew 12:30 ESV
30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Revelation 8:7 ESV
The Seven Trumpets
7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
Exodus 9:23-25 ESV
23 Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field.
There are obvious similarities between Revelation chapter 8:7, and the plagues of Egypt in Ex 9:23-35. Though the Exodus plague judgment is limited to one third, it is universalized in Revelation to include the whole earth.
Zechariah's end time prophecy is also in view by John.
Zechariah 13:8-9 ESV
8 In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. 9 And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”
Faithful believers will go through the same trials as the enemies of Jesus, but with very different outcomes.
Rev 8:8-9 ESV
The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
The allusion from the OT plagues of Egypt to the second trumpet judgment is the sea turning to blood, though not for the same reason.
In Revelation chapter 8:8, the likeness of a mountain is metaphorical for a kingdom, as in Rev 14:1; 17:9; 21:10. Fire in Revelation and elsewhere in scripture is an image of judgment. Consequently, the burning mountain describes the judgment of an evil kingdom.
John's use of "something like a great mountain, burning with fire" is an allusion to Jeremiah’s prophecy of the destruction of Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:24-25 ESV
24 “I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea before your very eyes for all the evil that they have done in Zion, declares the Lord. 25 “Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, declares the Lord, which destroys the whole earth; I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the crags, and make you a burnt mountain
Rev 8:9 ESV
9 A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
Verse 9, "a third of the ships were destroyed," here anticipates Revelation 18:19-21, with the complete destruction of the "great city, Babylon."
Revelation 18:19-21 ESV
19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” 21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more;
Rev 8:11 ESV
10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing 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 people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.
The third trumpet judgment, bitter water, clearly alludes to the incident at Marah, where the waters were bitter, but made sweet, Exodus 15:22-27.
As with the second trumpet judgment, a great fireball is thrown from heaven, though this time described as a great star.
The Egyptian plagues on the waters is still in the background of verse 10, as a judgment on spiritual beings, the Egyptian gods, spiritual beings, representing sinful people, the latter of whom are likewise affected.
Isaiah 24:21 ESV
21 On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth.
Revelation chapter 8:10 appears then, to portray judgment that people and their representative spiritual beings, the “sons of God, set over the disinherited nations at Babel, endure throughout history and that precedes their final condemnation at the end of history.
The descent of the burning mountain in Rev 8:8 is parallel to the burning star in Rev 8:10. It seems then, that the identification of the star and mountain, as Babylon's "son of god," set over Babylon at the disinheritance of the nations at Babel, described in Deut 32:8-9.
Rev 8:11 ESV
11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.
Verse 11, John chose “wormwood” as a metaphor to show that judgment was well suited to the crime, because the prophets figuratively polluted Israel with idolatry, so God is pictured as polluting them with bad water, that is, with the bitterness of suffering.
This figurative meaning is confirmed from the metaphorical use of it everywhere in the OT, where it represents severe affliction resulting from divine wrath.
Deuteronomy 29:17-18 ESV
17 And you have seen their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them. 18 Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit,
Revelation 8:12 ESV
12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.
The fourth trumpet is an allusion to the three day plague of darkness over Egypt. Intertestamental Jewish scholarly writings interpreted the plague of darkness to symbolically signify the Hebrew's as prisoners of darkness, exiled from the true God.
Exodus 10:21-22 ESV
The Ninth Plague: Darkness
21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.
Revelation 8:13 ESV
Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”
The Hebrew word "mesouranema," meaning, the “midheaven”, or “directly overhead”, occurs three times in Revelation, Rev 8:13; 14:6; 19:17.
Revelation 14:6 ESV
The Messages of the Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.
Revelation 19:17 ESV
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,
That Hebrew word “mesouranema” also appears on an amulet, considered magical, of Jewish origin, with a sun, moon, and two stars on one side of the amulet and this inscription on the other side, "One God in the heavens, who exists and who preexists, who is greater than all, who dominates all the beings in midheaven."
This concludes our study of Revelation chapter 8, at this moment. More will be added soon.