Here is the diagnosis of Laodicean church:
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he" (Prov. 29:18).
God's people lost the sight of the prophetic vision of Revelation, that is why the church became weak. Scripture says if there is no vision, the people perish or cast off restraints.

Isa. 29:9-12 "Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned."

Prophetic message supposed to be easy as a man may run and glance it to understand. "And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it" (Habakkuk 2:2).

Historicist approach for Revelation do not provide understanding of the prophecy. We must have a redemptive perspective to understand the book of Revelation. If we read Revelation in God's perspective that He offers grace to the sinners for salvation, it becomes plain and clear.

The first to third plague are related to health message. The first plague is "noisome and grievous sore upon the men" (Rev. 16:2). The second plague is sea "became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea" (Rev. 16:3). The third plague is "the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood" (Rev. 16:4).

The fourth to sixth plague are related to spiritual issue. The fourth plague is poured "upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory" (Rev. 16:8-9). God's name is in the Sabbath. The wicked blaspheme the name of God though the fourth plague is falling. Do you not see the global warming as a result of sun scorching?

The fifth plague is poured upon the seat of the beast and his kingdom which is the papacy. The supremacy of Catholic church that begun during the Dark Ages has not died out, but receiving the fifth plague and their kingdom became full of darkness now.

The sixth plague is poured upon the great river Euphrates, then the three spirits of devils working out the ecumenism. The ecumenical movement is the sixth plague itself.

The imminent event of the seventh plague is beginning to fall in the air. Please be ready because Jesus will declare from the heavenly temple "It is done" anytime soon!

Please read it for yourself the seven trumpets message which correlates with the seven plagues. God will not do anything unless He tells His servant the prophet (Amos 3:7). God gave the clear warning message in Revelation before the seven plagues fall. The warning of the seven trumpets matches to the seven plagues without a shadow of doubt. It is absolutely God's grace before cataclysmic plagues hit completely.

Here is the plain way to look at Revelation.
the seven churches and the seven seals are pertained to the saints (Rev. chapter 1 through 8:1).
the seven trumpets and the seven plagues are pertained to the wicked (Rev. chapter 8:2 to chapter 16).
Chapter 17 to 19 are pertained to the most wicked who reject God's grace. The most dreadful chapter for the wicked is in chapter 19.
The wicked oppressed God's people with the powers of politic (Rev. 17:18), religion (Rev. 17:5), and economy (Rev. 18:3).
Chapter 20 to 22 are pertained to the righteous saints. The saints will be educated during the millennium to be become kings and priests (Rev. 20:4-6).
Chapter 21:7 overcomers will inherit all things in Christ. Chapter 22:1-4 will eat the fruits of the tree of life. 22:5 the redeemed shall reign forever and ever.
When we pair up the seven churches and the seven seals it becomes clear and plain to understand.
When we pair up the seven trumpets and the seven plagues, we can see that after the warning the seven plagues would be poured out.
The seven trumpets are not historical events. Amos 3:7 says, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

Karen, what's your view of the fifth trumpet, particularly the relationship, if any, between the opening of the shaft of the bottomless pit in Rev. 9:1-4 and the re-emergence of the beast from the bottomless pit in Rev 17:8?

PS, Sorry if I asked this before. I don't think I did but I may have.

I have found a few inquiry on the subject of the seven trumpets to the White Estate from the link; www.drcwhiteestate.org

Please go to search engine and type ?seven trumpets?. My view on the 7 trumpets is very similar as these inquiries. I will share my view next time after you have a chance to read these inquiries. Thanks, Charity! -Karen

RE: 7 Trumpets of Revelation
Dear Brother Fagal, I am a pastor in the Greater NY Conference. I am doing an in depth study of the 7 Trumpets of Revelation. ?
? speaking about the sixth trumpet she says, "at the very time specified, Turkey, through her ambassadors, accepted the protection of the allied powers of Europe, and thus placed herself under the control of Christian nations. This event exactly fulfilled the prediction" (GC 335). [Uriah Smith says it too.] Mrs. White was convinced that August 11, 1840 brought "an exact fulfillment" to the sixth trumpet. Nevertheless, the clear facts of history and Scripture do not support this claim:
1. According to history, the Turkish empire did not fall on August 11, 1840 as the Millerites claimed. In fact, from 1783 to 1914, the boundaries of the Ottoman empire were reduced by a series of defeats. The war waged against the Sultan of Turkey in 1840 ended in 1841 without significant change. Today, the August 11, 1840 date set by the Millerites is not regarded by historians as an important date in Turkish history. In World War I, Turkey allied with Germany and lost even more territory. In 1923, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey proclaimed Turkey to be a republic and Turkey remains a sovereign nation to this day.
2. The August 11, 1840 date is reached through a faulty King James translation of Scripture that says: "And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men" Rev 9:15. Dr. Josiah Litch, the man that first concluded that the sixth trumpet must occur on the August 11, 1840 date, applied the day/year principle to this verse and derived 391 years and 15 days out of the hour, day, month and year mentioned. However, the King James translation of this verse is incorrect! The translation should read: "And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind." Greek scholars around the world widely agree that the syntax of Revelation 9:15 points to a specific point in time and is therefore punctiliar, and not the sum of chronological units of time.
3. Dr. Litch failed to adjust his 391 year, 15 day prophecy with the change of the calendar in October, 1582, when ten days were dropped from the calendar to correct for errors in the Julian calendar. Thus the August 11, 1840 date should be August 21 1840. And nothing of historical consequence occurred on that date. CONCLUSION: Her original statement was time sensitive. E.G. White was not infallible, only God is. She was given no vision about the trumpets. Therefore she was accepting the stated interpretation given in her day considering that the Millerites believed that Christ was coming in 1844, the Trumpets had to be fulfilled in the past rather than something to look for in the future because the Millerites believed Christ was coming in 1844. Uriah Smith later fleshed out this interpretation after the disappointment. This interpretation has persisted to the present day. My problem is that I don't find this interpretation plausible. I see the Trumpets as having an end time fulfillment because typically the feast was a 7th month phenomenom as the Day of Atonement. Adventist have always connected the investigative judgment and the work of our High Priest from 1844 with Day of Atonement, thus having an end time fulfillment. Why not the Trumpets seeing that they announce to world that our High Priest is going to be leaving the sanctuary and probation will close just as it was in the typical service and economy. It is only logical to see these events tied together as God originally intended. Therefore I believe that the 7 Trumpets are still future perhaps on the verge of sounding. What do you think? Thank you for any input. God Bless, Pastor _____

Dear William,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I am not convinced that Rev. chapter 8 & 9 refer to the fall of Ottoman Empire. How did Josiah Litch can come to the conclusion that the 7 trumpets refer to the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Can you read through these chapters? Can you provide me Josiah's papers on this subject?
The first angel sounded chap.8 verse 7 - the one third of tress burnt up and all green grass burnt up. This is the impact due to the sounding of the first trumpet. The words are plain English. How can Josiah infer from this plain English that it refer to the fall of the Ottoman Empire. It was just coincident that he predicted correctly the fall of Ottoman Empire but it should not refer to the trumpets. If you were read through chapters 8 and 9. The verses do not refer to history. It predict the coming plagues:
1. First trumpet - 1/3 trees & grass burnt
2. Second trumpet - 1/3 sea became blood
3. Third trumpet - 1/3 water became poisoned, many men died
4. Fourth trumpet - 1/3 moon,sun, stars - darkened
5. Fifth trumpet - Men who do not have the seal of God - tormented - in those days men seek death and shall not find it ( it refer to men - real people , not about the Turks or Ottoman Empire) this prophecy has not yet been fulfilled.
6. Sixth Trumpet - 1/3 of men killed by the 3 plagues - these also are plain English, not about history or the Turks or Ottoman Empire.
7. Seventh Trumpet -Chap 11: 15 - Close of probation.
These 7 trumpets are all - PLAGUES !!!!! They are very similar to all the 7 last plagues which are universally believed by all Adventist.
Please through many times the book of Revelation Chapters 8,9 and you may understand what I am trying to say.
Mrs White had never made statement about the 7 trumpets prophecy. So it makes me suspicious that just because of Josiah prediction about the Turks was correction does not mean that the Rev chapter 8 & 9 are actually prophesying about the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The words in Rev chap 8 & 9 do not allow such gross misinterpretation by Josiah Litch.
I, also, do not agree with Uriah Smith and SDA Bible Commentary on their views on the 7 trumpets. How can they so easily come to such conclusion that the trumpets refer to History.
Please read: Rev. 9: 5, 6 - And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it and shall desire to die and death shall flee from them. This cannot be about history. When was it recorded during the fall of the Ottoman Empire that people in those days would seek death and desire to die?
Rev 8: 13 - Woe to the inhabitants of the world - meaning in the very near future God people will warn the world of the trumpet plagues. When did the Turks or whoever had proclaimed to the inhabitants of the world?
Rev 9: 20 , 21- And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils and idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood which neither can see nor hear nor walk.
These words are plain English - no doubt - how can we twist it and say that it is history- all those inaccurate statements by Josiah, Uriah or the Bible Commentary.
I may not be a Theologian, and I don't have too. When we interpret, we have to let the Bible speaks for itself and in plain English.
I am absolutely certain that these 7 trumpets plagues are coming. Its purpose to warn and awaken the world to accept the Gospel and to worship the true God or be judged and suffer the 7 trumpets plagues.
I want to thank you for reading my mail. Maybe you may share my thoughts with your friends. But please read through Rev 8 & 9 many times as I have read through 100 of times and come to the conclusion that they are plagues -for sure.
Awaiting your input, thanks
Best Regards
Brother in Christ

My view of the fifth trumpet in Revelation is the nefarious activities of the papacy.
There must be a reason that the seat of the beast receives the fifth plague. The beast, the papacy, ascends from the bottomless pit (Rev. 17:8) and receives the key of the bottomless pit to control the world (Rev. 9: 1; 17:15, 18).
In other words, why does the papacy deserve the bowl of the fifth plague? Let's read the fifth seal to discover its reason:

Who produced these martyrs in the fifth church period? Please note that the reformers were killed by the papacy during the Dark Ages. These souls are the slain for the Word of God and the testimony. God says that the more of their fellow-servants would be killed even after the reformation period until the end. Since the martyrs were produced from Catholic Church in the past, their fellow-servants would be still in its system being killed.

The church of Sardis represent reformation period that the reformers who "have not defiled their garments" (Rev. 3:4), but the fifth church is known as "a name that you are alive, but you are dead" (Rev. 3:1). In other words, Catholic church which killed the reformers is dead church; there is no light in them (Isa. 8:20).

The seven churches which are in the right hand of Jesus are the living and true churches (Rev. 1:20). If a star is fallen from heaven, it does not belong to Jesus but has to be the enemy of God: "And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth" (Rev. 9:1). The fifth trumpet elaborates more about this fallen star. It says that "they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit" (Rev. 9:11). If the beast ascended from the bottomless pit and is the angel/messenger of the bottomless pit, the beast's activities are described whatever the between of the verses 1 and 11.

The fallen star, the papacy, obscures the seventh day Sabbath:

The papacy torments and hinders people so they cannot receive the seal of God, which is the Sabbath. Only those who receive the seal of God will be protected from the fifth plague. In the fifth plague, the papacy will not repent though they bite their tongue in pain: "they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds" (Rev. 16:10-11).

How long the papacy has been doing this evil even after the supremacy of Dark Ages? Scripture says "five month," which is prophetic period of 150 years (Rev. 9:5, 10). Why would God grant 150 years to repent? I believe the Dark Ages until the present time has been 1,500 years which correspond to 150 years. Israelites sojourned in Egypt 430 years and God taught them the Sabbath for 40 years in the wilderness before they enter into Canaan. We are so close to the heavenly Canaan and God is clearly instructing us the Sabbath, which is the testing truth in this last days.

The ten characteristics of the nefarious activities of the papacy is described as: 1) "And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle;" 2) " and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold," 3) " and their faces were as the faces of men." 4) "And they had hair as the hair of women," 5) " and their teeth were as the teeth of lions." 6) "And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; 7) "and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle." 8)" And they had tails like unto scorpions," 9)" and there were stings in their tails:" 10)" and their power was to hurt men five months." (Rev. 9:7-10).

Individually, the beast is named as "whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon" (Rev. 9:11): the destroyer!

I believe an ambush is in the papacy. Many of Catholic are converted to SDA in their search for the truth. Bible prophesied that multitudes would be converted: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you" (Zech. 8:23).

If one percent of Catholic member says "we will go with you" it will be 13,000,000 in number adding to the SDA side from 1.3 billion of them. In every age, God has put ambush: Rahab in Jericho, Nicodemus to bury Jesus in his tomb, etc..

1Chron. 20:22 "22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten."

Rahab told the two spies "And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you" (Joshua 2:9).

The people of Jericho heard about the Israelites crossed the Red Sea like a land, and Jordan river in the spring time, and they, 2 million Israelites, ate Manna in the wilderness for forty years. Jericho people eye-witnessed the pillar of fire upon them. Of course, these evidences are enough to terrify them.

In Catholic Church, those who knows that "For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities" (Rev. 18:5) will come out from there. (1% of Catholic =13 millions in number). Conscientious objectors are exist in the Catholic Church. Just as the Babel tower collapsed by language mix up, Catholic Church will be collapsed with those ambush of the conscientious objectors. The Holy Spirit works in their hearts, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues" (Rev. 18:4). Wouldn't you think that some of Catholic would know that the sins of the papacy reached unto heaven?

Rev. 17:3 "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." Through the Scripture, the harlot's identity is the Pope.

Rev. 17:16 "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." According to this passage, the ten horns will hate this whore and ultimately, will burn her with fire.

Rev. 18:21 "And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all." Who is this mighty angel? Another Martin Luther from the papacy? I believe it so.

Just as David killed Goliath with Goliath's sword, the papacy's sword will be thrust against himself and he will be cast into the sea.

The papacy is terrified of SDA. Only an agent of the papacy will say that he is too great in power and fearsome. Do you know that elephant can get killed by a small mouse which enters through his nose?

The fifth plague and the fifth trumpet clearly have a relevancy with the Papacy.

Rev. 16:10-11 "And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds."

"The seat of the Beast" is the Papacy, which became "full of darkness." They would not repent although "they gnawed their tongues for pain."

The fifth trumpet is the warning of the fifth plague saying the star that fell from heaven symbolizes the Papacy. This star has risen from the bottomless pit: "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition" (Rev. 17:8). This star is a destroyer: "And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon" (Rev. 9:11).

The description of the fifth trumpet appears worse and more dramatic compared to the fifth plague, in hope that people would hear the message and repent and be saved. A careful reading of the fifth trumpet message indicates what is the main goal of this fallen star's action to the last generation prior to the second coming of Jesus: "And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads" (Rev. 9:4). The fallen star (the Papacy) does not want people to receive the seal of God, which is the Sabbath.

The torment of the fallen star upon the inhabitants of the earth is as a scorpion sting: "their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them" (Rev. 9:5-6).

The fallen star "gnawed their tongues for pain" but they would not repent although the fifth plague is poured out upon its seat.

The seventh seal has to be opened in order for the seven trumpets to transpire. We know that the seventh seal has not yet opened. Therefore, the event of the seven trumpets has not been occurred, which I believe it to be the close of probation.

Jesus has not cast down the ashes of the golden censer pan. When He does, it means the close of the probation. (See Rev. 8:5). He is still ministering in the heavenly sanctuary and interceding for His children. The event of the seven trumpets has not happened yet, but we can announce that the close of probation going to occur imminently according to written in the message of the seven trumpets.

The four angels who are holding the winds of the four corners of the earth haven't been released yet. The voice of the temple did not command them to release it yet: "I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men." (Rev. 9:13-15).

The four horns of the golden altar represent the mercy of God. When it says "loose the four angels" it means no more mercy is available for the wicked. The great river Euphrates represent the end of the boarder line of this Age. (See Gen. 15:18 ). The four angels would be loose at a point in time, all at once, it will not take 391 years the angels to obey the command of God that came from the temple. God will decree, the mercy is over!
The third part of men will be destroyed by 200 million holy angels: "And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them (Rev. 9:16). Then the close of probation will occur. it will happen when these three facets of the event occur simultaneously.

Those who survive from the destruction of the horsemen will cry, "And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Rev. 6:16-17).

Can you provide Scripture regarding this, or at least an EGW quote regarding this?