The Seven Trumpets of the Revelation appear to continue in the four/three, physical/spiritual pattern. Trumpets are used for declaring or announcing, and I suspect that these Trumpets are to declare the Lord’s judgement against rebellious mankind. The first four Trumpets are clearly against the physical world and also appear to be against Commercial Babylon. You will recall that the first four Seals were against Political Babylon.

Here is a summary of the first four Trumpets:

• Hail and Fire are cast to earth – one-third of trees and grass (and crops) are destroyed.
• The sea is turned to blood – one-third of fish and ships are destroyed.
• The rivers are turned to blood – one would suppose that one-third of the fish died.
• One-third of the Sun, Moon and stars are darkened.

These Trumpets have been called the “Judgements of Thirds” because one-third of all things affected are destroyed. These judgements are all against the physical world. They are also against Commercial Babylon. Several places in the Old Testament (e.g. - Ezekiel 27:25) the “Ships of Tarshish” and in the Revelation chapter 18, the ships are associated with commerce. And the destruction of food, fish and ships indicates destruction of commerce.

Included in the Fourth Trumpet are three “woes” against those that dwell on earth. They are announced by an angel apparently flying in the high atmosphere, calling out loudly for the entire world to hear. The phrase “midst of Heaven” (Strong’s G3321) is defined as “the highest point in the heavens, which the sun occupies at noon, where what is done can be seen and heard by all.” There will be no doubt in the minds of men as to Who is in control.

The remaining three Trumpets are of a spiritual nature. At the sounding of the Fifth Trumpet (First Woe) an angel opens the Abyss (KJV - bottomless pit) and releases a swarm of spiritual beings. The interpreted name of the king of these demonic “locusts” is the Destroyer. These demons will afflict all of mankind.

The Abyss (abyssos – Strong’s G12) is found in the New Testament nine times. It appears seven times in the Revelation (surprise!) and each time it is described as bottomless. This is a spiritual location, and the beings that swarmed out are spiritual.

The Sixth Trumpet (Second Woe) causes four evil angels to be released from their imprisonment at the Euphrates River. Angels are spiritual beings. Some are faithful to the Lord; some follow Satan. With these evil angels are 200 million horsemen. Again, these are spiritual beings. First of all, there are not 200 million horses in the entire world. Assuming the End Times are near, today, the horse population is about 60 million. These last three Trumpets are about spiritual matters.

Despite all they have seen and heard, despite the demonic attacks, mankind still does not repent.

The Seventh Trumpet (Third Woe) is spiritual and takes place in Heaven. The Lord is praised, the Temple in Heaven is opened and the Ark of the Covenant (how did it get there?) is seen. The twenty-four elders say that it is time to reward the Lord’s servants and to destroy those that destroy the earth.

The first four Trumpets are judgements against Commercial Babylon in the physical world, while the last three Trumpets are spiritual in nature. Is not the Lord’s Word amazing? May His name be praised forever!