Bible Commentaries
Revelation 8

Verse 1

THE GREAT TRIBULATION
JESUS' END-TIME TEACHING

When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Revelation 8:1

In order for us to understand these coming end-day events it is necessary for us to be familiar with what has been called the Synoptic Apocalypse, found in the gospels. This section is also known as the Olivet Discourse, and is found in Matthew 24:4-36; Mark 13:5-37 and Luke 21:8-36. This important section of scripture is from the Master's own lips and gives us many details of the last days. For our benefit here, we will briefly summarize this section from all three synoptic gospels.

The section begins with a warning that we should not to be led astray about the end-days. We are told that as the time approaches, many will come claiming to be Christ and will lead multitudes astray. We are warned not to go after them. We will hear of wars and rumors of wars, and are told not to be alarmed because the end will not immediately come. Nations will rise against each other and there will be famines and earthquakes. All these things are called only "the beginning of sufferings" or "birth pains."

After these things, awful persecution will break out against the saints. They will be persecuted in synagogues and brought before governors and kings. This is their grand opportunity to testify about Jesus, even to proclaim the gospel to all nations. God's chosen ones are not to be nervous when all this happens, but they must depend upon the Holy Spirit for their words. God will give his elect a mouth of wisdom.

In the afflictions of these times, brothers will deliver up brothers, and fathers will deliver up children and have them put to death. Children will rise up against their parents. God's elect will be hated of all people on the face of the earth because of Jesus. At this time, many false prophets will arise and lead numerous people astray. There will be a great falling away from the faith and a betrayal of one another. In all this, God's people will be protected.

During this turbulent period, wickedness will so abound that the love of most Christians will grow cold. Yet Jesus promises that those who endure to the end will be saved. Again, in spite of the difficulty, it will be a great time for the spread of the gospel, as people of all nations will eagerly receive the saving word. Then the end will come.

In the midst of these difficult days there will be a repeat of the desolating sacrilege that Daniel spoke of (Daniel 9:27). Jesus desires that we gain understanding about this. When this happens it will once more be urgent that believers in Jerusalem escape the city in haste, without even turning back for forgotten items. In those days there will be great tribulation and distress unlike any that has ever been in the history of the world. In fact, no flesh would be able to survive, except that for the elect's sake, the days will be shortened. Jesus expresses pity for nursing women and those with small children. He bids us pray that the time will not come on the Sabbath or in the harsh Jerusalem winter.

The end-days will be a great time of deception. False Christs will be everywhere. People will be saying, "Here is Christ" or "there he is!" God's people are warned not to believe such tales. Some of these false messiahs will be able to work great and impressive signs and wonders, to the extent that they could deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

In those days, if these false prophets say, "He is in the wilderness," we should not go out there. If they say, "he is in the secret chambers," we should not go there looking. The Master assures us that when he does come, it will be like the lightning appearing from the east and shining to the west.

Immediately after this tribulation, there will be signs in the heavenly bodies [this statement of the Lord serves as a great time-sequence key for the whole book of Revelation]. The sun will be darkened and the moon's light will fail. The stars will begin falling from heaven and there will be distress and perplexity of nations. The sea will roar and men will faint with fear and foreboding as they consider what is coming upon the earth.

Then the powers of heaven will be shaken and the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens. With this sight, all the tribes of earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming with great power and glory. He will then send out his angels with a loud trumpet call to gather his elect from the corners of earth and from the ends of heaven. When we see these things begin to come to pass, we believers should look up, because our redemption is near.

The coming of the end of the age will be like the blossoming of a fig tree. We should learn a lesson from this. When its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves we can know that summer is near. Likewise when we see all these things taking place we can know that the kingdom of God is near, even at the gate.

Jesus then speaks these mysterious words to his listeners; that their generation would not pass away before all these things would take place. Heaven and earth might pass away but his words would never pass away. Although the time is about to come, no one knows the day and the hour, not even the angels of heaven, or the Son during his earthly sojourn, but only the Father.

His servants must take heed and watch, because they do not know when the time will come. The coming of the end of the age will be like a man going on a long journey to receive kingly power and then returning. Before leaving, he puts his servants in charge, entrusting to them his property. He gives to each one according to his ability, and outlines the work for him. He commands the doorkeeper to watch, because no one knows when he will return. He could come in the evening, or at midnight, or even when the cock is crowing. He could also come in the morning. They must watch lest they be found sleeping.

What the Master says to them, he says to all – Watch! Jesus says that those servants will be blessed who keep watch.

The writer Luke ends this section of scripture with an additional warning. In Luke 21:34-36 he says, "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Verses 2-5

THE TRUMPETS ARE BLARING!

And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Revelation 8:2

With Jesus' words in mind we continue with the opening of the seventh introductory seal (8:1), which actually initiates the tribulation. This brings a reverent and prolonged silence in heaven (cf. Zechariah 2:13; Habakkuk 2:20). We on earth often observe a moment of silence to commemorate some loss or tragedy. Here, all heaven seems to be doing a similar thing concerning the awesome tragedy to come. At this, we begin viewing the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord in their fullness and not just in preview form. The scroll is now opened completely.

We are also able to witness these events from yet a different perspective. Where in the beginning the theme was played with flutes, so to speak, we soon have it sounded out with blaring trumpets, and later with a full orchestra. With the sounding of the seven trumpets we begin to actually witness the awful tribulation unfolding upon the world.

This is surely the difficult time spoken of in Daniel 12:1. The prophet says, "…There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people – everyone whose name is found written in the book – will be delivered."

In this section we realize once more that the prayers of the saints have a lot to do with the coming of this final day (8:3-5). Indeed it appears to be the prayers of the saints that will greatly help precipitate this worldwide crisis of divine judgment.

Verses 6-13

REAL TROUBLE BEGINS

Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. Revelation 8:6

The seven angels now begin to sound their seven trumpets. When the first trumpet sounds, the Great Tribulation begins in earnest. The first plague of hail, fire and blood works havoc on the trees and grass in about a third of the earth (8:7). This plague is very similar to the biblical plagues upon Egypt (Exodus 7:14-22; 9:18-26).

We see fire mentioned many times in connection with the Lord's coming (Zephaniah 1:18; 3:8; Psalm 97:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). Peter tells us that just as the ancient world was destroyed by water because of its evil, the present evil world will be destroyed by fire. He says, "By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly" (2 Peter 3:7).

With the sounding of the second trumpet, there is a horrible eruption of something like a great mountain. It spews its contaminants into the sea, killing a third of the sea creatures and destroying much maritime commerce (8:8-9). At our present time in history, we are just beginning to comprehend how certain contaminants can work such awful havocand ruin.

When the third angel sounds his trumpet, a great heavenly body or asteroid by the name of "Wormwood" smashes into the earth (8:11), contaminating a third of the world's fresh water sources (cf. Jeremiah 9:15). The fourth angel then sounds his trumpet and one third of the sun, moon and stars is stricken (8:12). Joel 2:2 may speak of such a time as being, "a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness…" (cf. Amos 8:9).

All these disasters seem horrible enough but the heavenly voice announces, "…Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" (8:13).

In this book we see a great contrast between "earth-dwellers" and "heaven-dwellers."^(F1) The heaven-dwellers will have their citizenship there, even while they still live on the earth (Phil. 3:18-21; Hebrews 11:10). The earth and the earth-dwellers are about to experience all the things spoken of by the prophets. The heaven-dwellers will be sheltered, just as the children of Israel were sheltered in the land of Goshen (Exodus 8:23).

The prophets uniformly speak of these awful times. The prophet Isaiah utters these words, "See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants – The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word" (Isaiah 24:1, 3).

Isaiah then gives us the reason for these awful judgments, "The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth's inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left" (Isaiah 24:5-6).

The prophet Jeremiah adds that a worldwide disaster is certainly in store. In Jeremiah 25:31-33 the prophet says, "The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, for the LORD will bring charges against the nations; he will bring judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword – This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.' At that time those slain by the LORD will be everywhere – from one end of the earth to the other."

In Zephaniah 1:2-3 it is said, "'I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,' declares the LORD. 'I will sweep away both man and beasts; I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish in the sea – and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble. When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth,' declares the LORD…"

The prophet Micah affirms all this devastation with the words, "The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the result of their deeds" (Micah 7:13).

Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, has this to add, "'Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,' says the LORD Almighty. 'Not a root or a branch will be left to them'" (Malachi 4:1).

The prophets make clear that God's approaching judgments are the result of mankind's gross sin and lawlessness, as well as the breaking of God's covenant.