The Seven Trumpets
“Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up” (Revelation 8:6-7).
The Apostle John has detailed the seven churches, seven seals, and now the seven trumpets from his vision. The first four trumpets parallel the first four seals in trials and devastation to come upon the land.[1]
The First Trumpet
John saw the first angel sound his trumpet, and down came hail and fire mixed with blood on the earth. It caused a third of the Earth, its trees, and its green grass to be burnt. In the Bible, hail often symbolizes God's wrath and judgment against the wicked. Hail was also used as God’s tool of punishment and refinement against the unrepentant and to display His power over nature. The Bible says: “See, the Lord has one who is powerful and strong. Like a hailstorm and a destructive wind, like a driving rain and a flooding downpour, he will throw it forcefully to the ground” (Isaiah 28:2). A similar judgment —the seventh plague —was inflicted on the Egyptians when Pharaoh refused to release the Children of Israel from bondage. The Bible says: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.’ When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So, the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree” (Exodus 9:22-25). When God inflicted this plague upon Egypt, this was a literal judgment and destruction of their land. This type of judgment caused the mass death of people and animals, as well as affecting the nation’s economy.
Fire, in the Bible, symbolizes God's purifying and reformative process, wrath, judgment, mighty and life-changing character, and the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament first tells of God’s might and the manifestation of His power through fire, as seen in His judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis. The Lord eradicated the wickedness of these cities by raining down fire. The Bible says: “Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land” (Genesis 19:24-25). The Lord also used fire to get Moses’ attention, to show His presence, give instructions, and to demonstrate His ability to lead the Children of Israel out of their seemingly unchangeable circumstances. The Bible says: “There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up” (Exodus 3:2-3). There are other instances of God using fire throughout the Bible, but they all served essential roles in manifesting God’s plans.
The mix of blood, in John’s vision, represents the devastation and loss of life brought about by this judgment. Trees often represent spiritual growth, life, and people in the Bible. Unfortunately, there would be no growth, and life would be lost when this trumpet is sounded. This judgment signifies spiritual and physical death.
During World War II, 1939-1945, it is estimated that approximately 60-70 million people died, which would represent a third of the population during that time.[2] The Russian and German millitaries also used a Scorched Earth Policy that destroyed the basic resources the opposing forces and civilians would need for survival. In the process, trees, grass, and food resources were said to have been destroyed. This was easily done by military warplanes dropping bombs.[3] Therefore, the hail and fire mixed with blood could be symbolic of bombs being dropped on the land, causing a fiery destruction leading to the death of animals, vegetation, and more. Regardless of how God allows this to manifest, those who are not in proper standing with the Lord will endure great suffering.
Still, in God’s mercy, only a third of the earth was smitten with this judgment upon the blowing of the first trumpet. Yet, this was powerful enough to get the world’s attention and recognize God’s mighty power, with more to come.[4]
Revelation 8:8-9
“The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed” (Revelation 8:8-9).
The Second Trumpet
John saw the second angel sound his trumpet, and what looked like a fiery mountain was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea life died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. This was a large-scale disaster shown in the Apostle John’s vision. His description embodies that of an asteroid. An asteroid can extend from a few feet to hundreds of miles across. There are thousands of asteroids orbiting the sun, known as the asteroid belt.[1] While it may appear that asteroids have fire, the bright flash seen is their kinetic energy, which is converted to heat due to their resistance and density as they enter Earth’s atmosphere.[2] Therefore, if what John had seen in his dream was an asteroid, it would have devastating effects on the planet. John saw a third of the sea turn to blood, a third of all living creatures, and a third of the ships destroyed. As we have seen in the Lord’s history of judgments, He often judges through the sword, beasts, famine, and plagues. Here, we see a judgment of animals, sea creatures, and the destruction of ships. If we were to go further into these judgments, we could say that God is still judging by the sword with the deaths of those who would man the ships. Also, many people depend on the sea for transporting goods and services, and sea creatures are often used for food, which would lead to a massive food shortage and lack of essential supplies, resulting in disease and death.
During World War II, an atomic bomb, in the shape of a fiery mushroom cloud or mountain, was dropped onto Japan. Witnesses described the scene as a sea of flames that had overtaken the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is believed to have killed approximately 80-140,000 people instantly and injured an additional 100,000. During WWII, 105,127 ships were used, of which 36,387 were destroyed.[3] A destruction of this kind would bring chaos to people, beasts, and the economy.
God was described as a fiery mountain during the days of Moses. No one could come into His presence unworthy. Even Moses feared going before God and being found unworthy. The Bible says: “You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear’ ” (Hebrews 12:18-21). How interesting that one of the judgments would resemble the mighty power of God coming down in full might, a consuming fire that will never go out.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT: Continue reading Revelation 8:6-13 and Revelation 9 about the angels blowing trumpets 1-6. Write down what events of time's present and past that coincide with the first six trumpets. See you next week!
[1] Paul Sadler, "The Second Trumpet," Berean Bible Society – An Organization for the Promotion of Bible Study, last modified December 11, 2024, https://bereanbiblesociety.org/the-second-trumpet/.
[2] NASA Editorial Staff, "Asteroid Facts," NASA Science, last modified May 5, 2025, https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/facts/.
[1] Hon J. Hobson, "The Primary Teaching of the Book of Revelation.: I. The Seven Churches. II. The Seven Seals. III. The Seven Trumpets. IV. The Woman and the Dragon. V. The Seven Vials. VI. The Harlot Judged. VII. The New Heaven and New Earth," Christian Observer (1840-1910) 88, no. 36 (September 1900): 6.
[2] The National World War II Museum New Orleans Staff, "Research Starters: Worldwide Deaths in World War II," The National WWII Museum | New Orleans, last modified 2025, https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/research-starters-worldwide-deaths-world-war.
[3] Don Vaughan, "Scorched-earth Policy | Definition, American Civil War, & World War II | Britannica," Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified March 15, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/scorched-earth-policy.
[4] E. C. T, "The Seven Trumpets in Revelation.: The Relation of God's People and Their Prayers to the Gospel's Victory. The Sixth Trumpet. Preparation for the Seventh Trumpet," Christian Observer (1840-1910) 89, no. 12 (March 1901): 3.
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