The seven trumpets' message is the warning of the imminent approach of the close of probation. With that perspective, one can repent and be saved while Jesus Christ intercede in the heavenly sanctuary. A correct interpretation of the seven trumpets should be sanctuary background, not the human history.


I agree that we see recapitulation in Revelation with sanctuary as the background.

The seven trumpets are a perfect and complete message of the warning of the seven last plagues like a feast of trumpet culminating to the day of atonement of the OT. Historical events are not the model to use for interpretation. It is a message of salvation as a whole unit. It has telling forces that while Jesus intercede people can repent and be saved.


It is not realistic to assume the seven trumpets sounded by the seven angels who stood before God, because the text of Rev. 8:6 clarifies that "And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound" after Jesus cast the fire from the golden altar, which depicts close of probation. Let us not force an interpretation into the texts that follow, we must think who should be the angels that should blow each trumpet, realizing that angel means messenger.

Each of the seven plagues matches the seven trumpets respectively. That provides an obvious clue for plausible, biblical interpretation. God's remnant people are to be the messengers to tell the world that the close of probation is imminent, and we sound the alarm according to the seven trumpets' message, while Jesus is still in the heavenly sanctuary.



The introduction snapshot of the seven trumpets indeed assures us that Jesus is our High Priest and His effective ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. The emphasis is not whereabouts Jesus ministers, whether the Holy Place or the Most Holy Place, although many can assume that. It simply indicates, before His ministry ceases, the message of the seven trumpets must go out to the world.

Apostle John said he saw the Most Holy Place when he received the vision in the first century. The ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. It was already opened for Him to see.
Rev. 15:5 "And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:"

That tells me that Rev. 11:19 speaks of God's threat to those disregarding God's law: "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." The passage's emphasis is not to let readers know that Jesus is in the Most Holy Place, rather, it has telling force that God will punish if His law is disregarded. The seventh trumpet's warning is fulled exactly at the seventh plague: See Rev. 16:17-21 "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great."

The five weapons of God in the ark of the testimony-lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail-manifested literally at the seventh plague.





I answered this already in the above by mentioning the text of Rev. 8:6.




The straight truth is that while Jesus is ministering in the heavenly sanctuary, as the seven trumpets' message open before us, God's remnant people are to tell the world to repent and be saved. Applying historicist method for interpretation is the great deception because it obscures the present truth and undermines the sanctuary background.



I don't believe that God would have killed 1/3 humanity over 391 years which some believe that happened in the past history up to 1840's, according to the historicist interpretation. Therefore, historicist method of interpretation for the seven trumpets contradicts its own theory.

God sends warning in the seven trumpets message before the seven last plagues fall.
Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

How could the seven trumpets' message be given as a warning of the imminent approach of the close of probation if you say they all happen AFTER probation closes. So are they just a "message of fear???? How would that develop trust or belief?

Also -- the ark of the covenant in Revelation is mention ONLY in the seventh trumpet, and when the last plagues are discussed. The earlier openings show only candlesticks, altar of incense, and censors. Opening of the Most Holy Phase of Christ's ministry is distinctly revealed in Revelation near the end of all the events in Revelation, near the end of the Christian era, not at the beginning. And yes, I believe this a very important part of the message.

But back to the trumpets:



God didn't kill 1/3 of humanity over 391 years, The text says He only withdrew the bindings or restraints from the four evil angels. Forces released at the Euphrates marshaled the armies that did the destructive work . Satan is allowed to demonstrate the methods of his government. Repentance is still possible during the trumpets.
God steps back and withdraws His protection because the people have persistently pushed Him back, so God allows the master they have chosen to rule over them. The reason? In hopes that they will repent and come to Him, Christ is ministering His grace to save them, but can only do so if they respond and turn to Him. He will not force anyone to worship Him.

Jerusalem is an example -- Christ came to save them, not destroy them. He was weeping over the city "Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who killed the prophets sent to you, if only you would understand what God wanted to do for you, but now you've rejected the only One Who can save you and your house is left desolate."

Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, WEPT with great sorrow, because He had to let them go, knowing what the result would be.

God did not destroy them, He couldn't save them from themselves or from the armies of Rome, because they had rejected His grace and rejected salvation.
So the full fury of their own human passion, greed, and violence, combined with satanic principalities, crashed down upon them in horrible destruction.


God doesn't first kill 1/3 of everything after probation closes making people wish they could all die for who knows how long and then giving them seven last plagues, before burning them all in an (unbiblical concept) of a first lake of fire, and then raises them all again just to reburn them in the second lake of fire.

The whole picture I see in the interpretation you've presented is of a very vengeful God who tortures and re-tortures again and again those who disobeyed Him.

It's a message of fear -- convert or be tortured over and over again.
I have seen nothing there as to the fact that SIN is the enemy of happiness and peace.
When people give themselves over to SIN, all kinds of bad things happen.
The state of earth's misery is the result of SIN.

Now I don't agree with those who say God never executes judgement. Yes, God does and has stepped in to put a halt to Sin in order to open the way for the gospel to grow and not be crushed out by Sin, and He will put a final, decisive end to SIN, but not until the full force of satan's malignant, evil and destructive nature is revealed. Satan claimed to offer freedom, he claimed his government was superior to God's government, he claimed God was arbitrary and unfair, he claimed God's laws were too restrictive and undermining freedom. It is satan that claims God is vengeful, longing to punish, and torture. His claims will be fully shown for what they really were.

The trumpets foretold what satan would do during the Christian era.
God, however was still in control, to bring the gospel through in spite of satan's tremendous efforts to pollute, deceive and destroy.
Due to this knowledge of what satan would do, people could see what was happening was not the right way, they could see it all ended up in destruction. They gained the strength to stand against it, and hold onto God.

All the while, even though hidden by false teachers, and religious systems, Christ was there, interceding for His followers.
Evil was always restrained during those trumpets, so God's followers could hear the message of grace.
But in the end the restraints are gradually lessened. Satan will reveal the full force of his evil and those who rejected Christ, will be without shelter.

God will step in and deliver His people and yes, He will destroy sin and all who cling to it. BUT not before He reveals His grace and love and longsuffering, and how all heaven was poured out to save people from sin.

When the end comes the cry will be "Just and true are your ways O God" The huge difference between righteousness and evil will be seen. And righteousness will be cherished because righteousness is love, and good, and wonderful.
The joy, love, peace and happiness of being with Jesus will be absolutely awesome, no one will ever have any desire for sin ever again. The love of the saved for their Savior will be REAL love.

That kind of understanding can never be reached through a message of fear.
It will NOT BE -- wow, you sure did a thorough job torturing and beating those who disobeyed you, we better never cross you or else. NO!
We need to understand the true issues in the Great Controversy, not turn it all into a message of fear.

Karen wrote: seven trumpets are a perfect and complete message of the warning of the seven last plagues like a feast of trumpet culminating to the day of atonement of the OT. Historical events are not the model to use for interpretation.

Yes, they do give warning of the seven last plagues. But without the historical models, a person has no foundation upon which to build. How would you even know how to interpretate the sanctuary symbols if there were no historical models?
Jesus, Himself, pointed to the FULFILLMENT of the Messianic prophecies to prove spiritual things.

Much more realistic to point to past fulfilment of prophecy to explain to people of coming events.

Since you refer to the Jewish festival cycle.
Why not follow it?

NEW MOON festivals and trumpets

The beginning of each month there was a festival with trumpet blast.
The first day of each month, i.e., the day after the new moon was sighted, was a feast day with ordinances similar to those of the sabbath, (Numbers 28:11, 2Kings 4:23, 1 Chro. 23:31; 2 Chro. 2:4, )Pslams 81:3, Is. 1:13; 66:23)

From the passover month to the atonement month (seven months, seven new moons, seven trumpets)

Moses was told by God to make two silver trumpets (Num.10:2) which would be blown to announce movement of the camp of Israel to another place. The trumpets were also blown to call the people and/or the heads of the tribes to gather at the tabernacle, to call God to help them in times of war, and to announce the first day of a new month:

Numbers 10:8-10
10:8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.
10:9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
10:10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets


Not only was the blowing of these trumpets used to announce the movement of the camp as they journeyed towards the promised land, they were used to call the people to worship God, and call for God's help in time of war.
They sounded not only for the annual festival, but also for New Moons, or beginning of months.

If we think of the blowing of the trumpets on the first day of the month in the context of verses 8-9, we can conclude that the trumpets were blown seven times from the Passover Month, (when Christ died and rose) to the 7th month, or day of atonement month.

FEAST OF TRUMPETS
Yes, New Moon in the Seventh was special, but THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS announcing the month in which the Day of Atonement occurred, took place 10 days before the feast.
The seventh, special sounding, sounded BEFORE the day of atonement.

So how does that map out?

The Passover feast -- pointed to Christ's death as the Lamb of God.
Trumpet 1 sounded on the first day of that New Moon Passover month.

The Pentecost feast - pointed to outpouring of the Holy Spirit when the Christian church began.
There was also a trumpet that sounded on the New Moon of that month.

The seventh New Moon (feast of trumpets) sounded 10 days before the high Priest entered the Most Holy.
I firmly believe the feast of trumpets symbolized the 1844 message.
Announcing Jesus was now entering the Most Holy!

The Feast of Tabernacles represent Christ's return to take His faithful to the heavenly promised land.

So the pattern shows there were trumpets all along the Christian era.
The feast of trumpets (seventh month, the seventh NEW MOON) received special attention, called for searching of hearts for the day of atonement was approaching.
They all sounded BEFORE the priest entered the Most Holy with the golden censor filled with coals from the altar of incense. And it was after those trumpets that the priest put down the censor. And within another week (five days later) they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles which symbolizes entry into the promised land.

God's Word should be compared "line upon line" to know the whole truth.

Isa. 34:16 "Seek and read from the book of the Lord:
Not one of these shall be missing;
none shall be without her mate.
For the mouth of the Lord has commanded,
and his Spirit has gathered them." (ESV)

Isa. 34:16 "Seek out of the book of the Lord and read:
not one of these [details of prophecy] shall fail,
none shall want and lack her mate [in fulfillment].
For the mouth [of the Lord] has commanded,
and His Spirit has gathered them." (Amplified Bible)

Rev. Ch. 1 is introduction and conclusion follows in Ch. 22.
Rev. Ch. 2-3 introduce messages to the seven churches, which in conclusion the church will enter into New Jerusalem(Ch. 21).
Rev. Ch. 4-5 introduce Investigative Judgment in heaven, which in conclusion the saints will have privilege to participate in a millennium judgment for review (Ch. 20).
Rev. Ch. 6-7 introduce the sealing of God (Seven Seals), which in conclusion the only the sealed saints will meet the Second Coming of Jesus(Ch. 19).
Rev. Ch. 8-11 introduce the Seven Trumpets message to collapse the spiritual Babylon in conclusion (Ch. 17-18). Without this message, the spiritual Babylon will not collapse completely.
Rev. Ch. 12-14 introduce the cosmic controversy by unmasking Satan's true identity and God will pour out the seven last plagues (Ch. 15-16).

Concisely, between the seven churches and the seven seals, the judgment of God standout. And between the seven trumpets and the seven plagues God reveals the judgment thru the three angels' message.

Seven Churches(Ch. 2-3) => Judgment of God(Ch. 4-5) => Seven Seals(Ch. 6-7)
Seven Trumpets(Ch. 8-11)=> announcement of God's judgment (Ch. 12-14)=> Seven Plagues(Ch. 15-16)

Ch. 17-18 reveal three powers of the beast: Rev. 17:5 mother of abomination of the earth (religious power)
Rev. 17:18 reigns the kings of the earth (political power)
Rev. 18:3 fornication with the kings of the earth (economic power)
God must judge the spiritual Babylon prior to Jesus' Second Coming.
Ch. 19 Second Coming of Jesus; He does judge and makes war with the spiritual Babylon. Rev. 19:11 "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war."

Ch. 20 Thru the judgment of review over the millennium period, every misunderstanding will be settled.

Ch. 21 New Jerusalem comes down to the earth.

Let us seek out the book of the prophecy and find corresponding counterparts.

Rev. Ch. 1 => Ch. 22

1:1 "must shortly come to pass" => 22:6 "must shortly be done"

1:2 "bare record of the word of God, => 22:18-19 do not add nor take away
and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, the Word of prophecy.
and of all things that he saw."

1:3 "Blessed...for the time is at hand." => 22:7 and 22:14 "Blessed...right to the tree of life."

1:4 "to the seven churches" => 22:16 "I Jesus have...testify...to the churches"

1:5-6 by the blood "made us kings and priests" => 22:5 "shall reign for ever and ever" as a king

1:7 "Behold, he cometh with clouds" => 22:20 "Surely I come quickly."

1:8 " I am Alpha and Omega" => 22:13 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."


Rev. Ch. 2 and 3 => Ch. 21

Call for repentance five times to the churches if the believers are to enter into New Jerusalem

2:7 "Repent" then "will I give to eat of the tree of life" => 21:12-27 description of New Jerusalem for those who "are written in the Lamb's book of life" only.

2:11 "shall not be hurt of the second death" => 21:4 "shall wipe away all tears from their eyes"

2:17 "Repent" then "will I give to eat of the hidden manna" => 21:16-17 the size of New Jerusalem (12000 furlongs and 144 cubits)

2:26 "Repent" then "will I give power over the nations" => 21:5 "Behold, I make all things new."

3:5 "Repent" then "I will not blot out his name out of the book of life" => 21:8 "shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire
and brimstone: which is the second death."

3:12 "will I make a pillar in the temple of my God" => 21:22 "the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it"


3:21 "will I grant to sit with me in my throne" => 21:24, 26 "shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it"

My mind works the best for an understanding when I see the first half of Revelation has its counterparts in the last half of the book.

Ch. 1 as Introduction => Ch. 22 as Conclusion
Ch. 2-3 the Seven Churches => Ch. 21 will enter New Jerusalem
Ch. 4-5 Investigative Judgment => Ch. 20 Reviewing the Judgment during the millennium
Ch. 6-7 the Seven Seals => Ch. 19 must be sealed to face the Second Coming
Ch. 8-11 the Seven Trumpets => Ch. 17-18 the Seven Trumpets' message initiates collapse the spiritual Babylon
Ch. 12-14 unmask Satan's ID => Ch. 15-16 after the final exposer of Satan's ID the Seven Plagues fall

Rev. 10:7 "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."

Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

Through the seven trumpets' message God has declared to his servants the prophets that the Second Coming is imminent and probation will be closed in no time.
We must be awaken to the Seven Trumpets' message-the perfect trumpet sound of warning for the last generation!

Rev. 2:7 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

When we look at the progression of the record of Revelation, the overview pattern gives us a better understanding of the prophecy.

To begin with, Jesus speaks to His beloved churches about a qualification to enter the New Jerusalem in heaven. People entering the Seven Churches must heed the vital message and be an overcomer because God's investigative judgment in heaven's throne room is the present reality. The heavenly beings consent to seal those who are found worthy. As Jesus breaks each seal of the seven-sealed book, God's judgment has progressed through historical time since the time of the cross of Jesus up to the present in the Seven Seals.

The Seven Churches(Ch. 1-3)=> Investigative Judgment (Ch. 4-5) => The Seven Seals (Ch. 6-7).

Those sealed saints sound alarms to the world to repent and be saved via the Seven Trumpets (Ch. 8-11), and in the call, Satan's identity becomes unmasked (Ch. 12-14). The earth's inhabitants hear the indispensable truth of Satan and choose the side of their allegiance to whom they want to worship. The Seven Plagues (Ch. 15-16) fall, and spiritual Babylon collapses (Ch. 17-18).

The Seven Trumpets (Ch. 8-11) => Satan's ID unmasked (Ch. 12-14) =>
The Seven Plagues (Ch. 15-16) => spiritual Babylon collapses (Ch. 17-18).

The next event is the Second Coming of Jesus which happens in Chapter 19, and the millennium of the judicial review (Ch. 20) begins in heaven for the redeemed saints.

The New Jerusalem comes down to the earth (Ch. 21), and the church of the redeemed saints begins the eternal kingdom age (Ch. 22).

Second Coming (Ch. 19) => Judgment review (Ch. 20) => New Jerusalem comes down to earth (Ch. 21) => saints shall reign for ever and ever (Ch. 22).

The Sabbath truth is so prominent even without the word Sabbath in the book of Revelation.

In bird's eye view, the seven church(Rev. 1-3) message opens with the appearance of the three Godheads(Rev. 1:4-5), then the judgment of God is presented by the vivid view of the throne room in heaven(Rev. 4-5).

As Jesus breaks each seal of the seven-sealed book(Rev. 6-7), the investigative judgment progresses upon the earth. Notice an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals, which emphasizes the seal of God(Rev. 7:1-3), the Sabbath.

We notice another interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets, which emphasizes the Sabbath(Rev. 10:6), and a foretold of the remnant people in the Advent movement(Rev. 10:11), which proclaims the Sabbath truth(Rev. 12:17).

God will not judge the inhabitants of the earth without revealing the standard of God's judgment, which is the Sabbath. The temple in heaven opened and manifested God's threats of lightning, thunderings, voices, earthquakes, and hails by the ark of the covenant(Rev. 11:19) to those who refuse to repent.

The inhabitants of the earth will suffer torments if they reject to be sealed by the seal of God(Rev. 9:4, 5-6). The context of the fifth trumpet speaks about a spiritual torment due to refusing to be sealed. It says five months of torment(Rev. 9:5, 10). In prophetic calculation, it is 150 years. The Papacy has been enforcing Sunday worship since 538 AD, which sums up to 1,500 years of deception and will escalate to severe persecution. The slavery of Egypt was 430 years and 40 years of wilderness experiences that taught Sabbath-keeping for the Israelites. There is a parallelism between the two historical events of Sabbath-keeping. We cannot be ignorant of the emphasis on the crucial point of the Sabbath in Revelation.

he dragon is desperate to destroy God's remnant people by obscuring the Sabbath of God from the mind of people. Look at his emotion: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman(the church)" Rev. 12:17. "for the devil s come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time"(Rev. 12:12).

The woman here is the same woman of Rev. 12:1, "clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars."
This woman has always remained pure and clean by keeping the "commandment of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 12:17). This woman is the true church of Jesus Christ.

The dragon declared war on God's remnant people, the woman, who would keep the Ten Commandments prominently the Sabbath commandment. Rev. 12:17, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed."

The war with the saints has escalated to the point of climax today. The dragon employed the beast of Revelation as his agent. That is why their features are similar. The dragon has "seven heads and ten horns"(Rev. 12:3), and the beast has "seven heads and ten horns"(Rev. 13:1).

The beast received three powers from the dragon: "the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority"(Rev. 13:2b), which represent religious power, political power(his seat), and economic power(authority), respectively.

Revelation says, "Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?"(Rev. 13:4). There is only one able church, those who "keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ"(Rev. 12:17) would offend the beast and would be victorious "by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony"(Rev. 12:11).

Those who are sealed of God and worship the Creator of the Sabbath to the end, despite the beast's diabolical endeavors against them, will be the overcomers of His true church of Jesus Christ.

Rev. 10:6 "And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer"

This passage has an embedded Sabbath message which inherently identifies God as our Creator.

Why the seven thunder uttered their voices just before the Sabbath emphasis? Thundering sound conveys the Second Coming of Jesus in the Scripture.

The three angels? message tells us of the coming controversy over the Sabbath day in the end times. Put things together in perspective, the vision of Ch. 10 tells us that Jesus' second coming will not occur before the Sabbath truth is proclaimed worldwide.

Therefore, it was told to "Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not" when the Advent Movement misinterpreted the little book of Daniel as the Second Coming of Jesus in 1844.

God's people are told to proclaim the Sabbath message worldwide: "Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings" (Rev. 10:11).

The time for the Seven Thunders is on the Day of the Lord at the Jesus' second coming.