What I see in the chart above, is that the first four of the sevens, for churches, seals and trumpets all cover the history of the Christian Church.
by the fourth phase, the recognized Christian church was in very bad shape, basically spiritually dead.
The gospel buried under a heap of forms and man made laws and rituals. A few faithful ones being told to hold fast to the gospel truth, are still present, living in the mountains. For the "woman" (Rev. 12) who fled to the wilderness represented groups like the Waldenses whose virtues illumined the darkness of their age.

So what happens next?

What happens next is that God acts powerfully to bring the gospel and truth back to the people.

While the fourth seal and fourth trumpet all ended with the church in a dark, poisoned condition,
the fourth church was given a promise that God would take care of "Jezebel" -
"that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

The fourth church also received the promise of the Morning Star, the beginning of the reformation.



But Satan doesn't like that and reacts with a host of counter measures.

So what do we see in the fifth phase of this prophecy? And what lessons can we learn?

Part One FIFTH TRUMPET

Christ in the heavenly Sanctuary	Fifth Trumpet Text	Symbols Explained	Fifth Trumpet Historical Meaning
Hebrews 9:11-12 But Christ became an high priest of good things to come, in a greater and more perfect tabernacle. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Rev. 5:12 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (9) for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by thy blood. Col. 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood,[even the forgiveness of sins:	Rev. 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven unto the earth:	That star had already fallen in the third trumpet. As noted the fallen star is a church leader. Revelation 1:20; stars are seven angels or leaders of the churches, through whom (in chapter 2 and 3) God sent letters to the church members. But this is a fallen star sitting in the seat of Satan in Rome, having received his power from the dragon. (Rev. 13:4)	We've reached the 13th Century. In the papal chair is Pope Innocent III, pope from 1198 to 1216. He was one of most powerful popes in the entire history of the Church. The Catholic Church had reached its high point of power. He launched the 4th crusade, supposedly against the Muslims, (instead they turned on Constantinople, conquering and looting it in 1204). He launched terrible, deadly crusades against the Albigenses.
Jesus, our high Priest ministers in the Holy Place. Rev. 8:3 (He) stood at the altar, (of incense) having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer [it] with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.	?and to him was given the key?	Rev. 3:7: he that is true, has the key of David, it is he that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens? The key belongs to Jesus! Isaiah. 22:21-22: the key of the ?house of David? a key of great authority. In Luke 11:52: the Jewish leaders took the keys to lock people out the kingdom.	The keys were claimed by the papacy. In Matt. 16:19 is a verse the papacy, firmly claims for themselves. 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Revelation1:18 Jesus states, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and I have the keys of hell and of death." John 11:25 I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:	the key of the bottomless pit	The passage focusses on the Key of the "pit" or the grave and of "hell" or eternal damnation. The key that releases people from damnation which their sins have bound them. This pit is bottomless, with no limit. (See Psalm 88:6, Pr. 1:12, Pr. 30:16)	Papal dogma claims the authority to determine whose sins are forgiven and will escape "hell". And God Himself must honor their choice. "The disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament...It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God grants the penitent "pardon and peace." Catechism of the Catholic Church
Acts 13:38-39 Be it known unto you brethren, that through this man (Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.	9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit;	Made the sacrament of confession to a human priest mandatory.	In 1214 Innocent III called the fourth Lateran Council, which passed 70 decrees. One introduced a significant change by requiring all Catholics to come to personal confession before a priest, on an annual basis. Those who failed to comply lost rights many considered essential to salvation, as well as burial rights. Additionally, Pope Innocent III utilized "tribunals of inquisition" to root out heretics, further enforcing regular confession. He also elevated the Eucharist in terms of transubstantiation
Rev. 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.	Revelation 9:2 and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.	The smoke of incense in the hands of Jesus, brings forgiveness, light and life. The smoke from strange fire, from a strange altar ? from the pit is darkness, a suffocating smoke, deadly. (compare with Lev. 10)	In 1215 the papacy made annual, one-on-one confession obligatory for the first time. In the era that followed, confession was a source of spiritual manipulation as well as sexual and mercenary scandal. Things were dark before, but now they became suffocatingly so.
Jesus was still interceding at the golden altar in the heavenly Holy Place.	Rev. 9:3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth:.	In prophecy locusts become a symbol of divine intervention in human affairs. Their sudden appearance, vast numbers, and devastating impact are symbolic of God?s judgement.	All through Biblical history we see God "giving" his people who have turned away from Him, into the hands of raiders and enemies, in the hopes they would repent and turn back to Him. It was no different in the 13th and14th century.
Jesus was still interceded, the door is open. Luke 3:5 I tell you, but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,	and unto them (the locusts) was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.	God is still in control as the phrase, "power was given them" is an oft repeated phrase. God does give the rebellious over to the consequences of their departure from Him. Scorpions have a very painful and potential deadly sting. In Christ, protection is offered against scorpions (Luke 10:19) But here the scorpions are given power to cause distress.	From the point of its rise to power in 1299, the Ottoman empire, under its leader, chieftain, Osman Ghazi (1299-1324), rapidly expanded, greatly harassing European powers. One point often ignored. Had not the fourth crusade of Pope Innocence III (and other crusades who supposedly went to fight the Muslims) harassed and even conquered and pillaged Constantinople in 1204; had the Christian church, west and east worked together instead of being rather bitter rivals, history could have been quite different. But as it was the eastern Roman Empire was greatly weakened, and didn't have the strength to stop the invaders.

To be continued:

While the 13th century saw the Papacy rise to it's highest point in history, it also saw a lot of history that would play largely into the formation of the last three phases of earth's history.

1. The Christian church had split. The great schism had taken place in 1054, tensions had been building for centuries, with the Roman pope demanding authority and supremacy over all churches, but the eastern Orthodox church was resisting his claims. The schism receives it's date 1054, from the time both the eastern patriarch and western pope excommunicated each other. This led to the end of the alliance between the Emperor and the Papacy, and caused later Popes to tend to ally with the enemies against the Empire, in hopes of forcing them back under the supremacy of the Pope.

"Missionaries" were being sent into the Northern Baltic Regions from both the west and the east. It was considered critical that these people in these regions converted to the right type of Christianity. Both Orthodox and Roman Christians, viewed these lands as strategically critical to the territorial and religious ambitions for their own brand of Christianity.

We really don't hear that much about the "northern crusades" but they were pretty on-going all through the 13th century. The aim was to subject those lands that were still largely pagans, and convert the people to the right brand of "Christianity".

The Livonian Crusades began in 1198, the year that Innocent III became pope. (They ended in 1290) Pope Innocent III seemed to delight in "holy war" provided crusading indulgences, promulgated crusades against Islam in the east and in Iberia, against the pagans of the north, the heretics of Southern France, and the political enemies of the papacy, as well as launching the fourth crusade supposedly against Islam.

The fourth crusade against Islam ended up conquering and pillaging Constantinople, in 1204. The Byzantine world was left in utter confusion. The Crusaders and Venetians divided the land among themselves and put a figure head Latin emperor on the throne in Constantinople. What resulted was some 55 years of regional political leaders in the fragmented empire, fighting to gain control of each other's territories, until finally Michael VIII of Nicaea took over the better part of the land that had been Byzantine before the Fourth Crusade shattered the empire, and began rebuilding the empire in 1261.

2. A different "horde of locusts" was sweeping the known world during the 13th century. The Mongols swept across China, the Middle East, southern Russia, Persia, the Baltics, clear in the Ukraine and the Danube River. They established one of the largest empires in the world! It lasted about 100 years. They didn't care what religion people held as long as they paid their taxes and remained loyal. Under their conquest millions lost their lives. For the fragmented regions of the former Byzantine empire, the Mongols were temporally a blessing as they were busy decimating their chief enemy, the Sultanate.
The Mongols desolation of Baghdad in 1258 brought a major change to the world picture. It was a catastrophic and emphatic end to the Islamic Golden Age. But it opened up the "Silk Road" for Europe to China, which also opened up to the western eyes a whole different "world" of living.

3. But most serious to the gospel were the papal religious mandates that spoke against God.
Most of these departures from truth were already practiced in the centuries prior, (the first trumpets were calling them to repentance) but when, instead of repenting, they tightened them and passed decrees that everyone must practice the counterfeit truths, it marked time for a change.

(4th Lateran Council in 1215 also called 12th ecumenical council)
a. A canon that everyone must confess to a human priest at least once every year or be denied certain sacramental privileges. (Enforcing, this practice which had crept into the church earlier)
b, Transubstantiation, Eucharist -- through the dark ages, they were leaning towards the concept of the literal sacrifice of Christ in the eucharist, but the old view of the memorial of Christ's sacrifice was still very prevalent as the controversies of the 9th and 11th centuries testify. But the Roman Catholic position on the Eucharist was first given dogmatic expression at the 4th Lateran Council in 1215 A.D. when the Church formally set forth the teaching of transubstantiation as the official teaching of the Church.
c. Several canons that Jews must wear distinct clothes to identify them and keep them separate from "Christians". They could not marry a Christian, nor could they hold public office. A converted Jew must not practice their former Jewish religion.
d. Serious persecution of "heretics".
e. Canons 4-5 exhorted the Greek Orthodox to unite with Rome, and reiterated papal primacy

5, Why were the Jews treated so badly? Didn't the Christians realize Christ died for them as well as for Gentiles? Paul wrote plainly that Christ had come to make of the two, one body of believers in him.
We know one of the big reasons why Sunday worship replaced worship on the 7th-day Sabbath was due to a great desire to be recognized as distinct from the Jews. The Sabbath is a distinguishing sign. In fact many Catholic canons speak of those keeping the 7th day as Judaizes and have pronounce canons against Judaizing (keeping the 7th day holy).


CHANGE WAS ON THE HORIZON!
1299 Rise of the Ottomans

1328-1384 John Wycliff the morning star of the reformation.

I am reading what you are posting here with great interest.

Another chance?
Was God giving the Byzantine's another chance?
The Byzantine Empire had been ravished by the fourth crusade that had come from the west. In 1204 a Latin emperor sat on the throne in Constantinople, the Byzantine lands fragmented and divided to various war lords. The Byzantine Empire was as good as gone.

Could they have another chance? And if it were granted, would they turn with their hearts to God.
The east had always been a little slower to accept the changes brought in by the Roman church.
For instance, the Sabbath. Two fifth-century historians, Socrates Scholasticus and Sozomenus, mention weekly communion on both Sabbath and Sunday was taking place in Christendom, everywhere except at Rome and Alexandria. Which means Saturday Sabbath was still partially recognized several hundred years after Christ in the eastern church.
Then Rome instituted a Saturday fast, which was vigorously opposed by the eastern church.
The eastern church resisted the papal change of the dates for observing Christ's death and resurrection. They observed it on the Jewish Passover, not on the "Easter" weekend. However, that changed in 325 AD at the Nicean council.
The eastern church for many years opposed icon images in worship and in churches. It was a big controversy between the eastern and western church. But gradually the eastern church followed the Roman church on those matters till they too filled their churches with icon images.

So, while the east in many ways followed the example of the west (uniting church and state for one thing) and eventually accepting most of her ways, they still had more traces of the influence from bishops from Judean/Christian churches in their history -- influences from churches whose beginnings pointed back to Paul.

But now, in the 13th century the end was near.
Did the terrible experience resulting from the crusaders send them back to God?

It seems God was reaching out to them.
He held back the Mongols, who didn't take advantage of their disorganized and very weak state (1204-1261) to conquer them.
It seems God allowed the Mongols to decimate the Islamic cities, like their key city, Bagdad, breaking their power, which further reduced the risks of attack from those powerful Islamic neighbors.
Then Michael VIII was able to gain control of various regions which had been part of the Byzantine Empire which resulted in the restoration of Byzantine control of Constantinople and the reestablishment of the Byzantine Empire as a major power in the region.

They were given a second chance!!!!
From 1261 to 1449 (when they fell to the Ottomans), almost 200 years, what would have happened if they, as a people would have come before God in their beautiful temple, in confession and repentance, desiring to live for HIM?

Would the fifth trumpet be different?

FIFTH TRUMPET CONTINUED

Christ in the heavenly Sanctuary	Fifth Trumpet	Text Symbols Explained	Fifth Trumpet Meaning
Rev. 1:2-3 (Jesus) stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer [it] with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. Rev. 9:2 he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.	The smoke of incense in the hands of Jesus, brings forgiveness, light and life.	But it doesn't look like prayers of trust, confession and repentance are ascending from the restored empire. No, life saving smoke of prayers, seeking God's leading, protection and salvation ascending. Only the dark suffocating smoke from false, strange fire, from a strange altar ? from the pit of darkness coming up from the grand temple Hagia Sophia, that was returned to Greek Orthodox worship. (Today, that temple is a Mosque) Nor has anything changed in the west. Their perspective of the east as a rival, seems to blind them to the fact the east is a barrier against the locusts tormenting them.	While not quite as ridged as the western Catholic church, the eastern church still looked to the priest as the spiritual doctor, and the necessary vehicle through which to obtain release from the guilt of sin. He draws on the knowledge of the Orthodox Church and the Holy Fathers to provide a person with a "treatment" for their sins, so they can walk away from Confession free from guilt, absolved of the evils they have done.
Jesus is still interceding at the golden altar in the heavenly Holy Place.	Rev. 9:3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth and unto them (the locusts) was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.	In prophecy locusts become a symbol of divine intervention in human affairs. Because His people had turned away from Him, "God gave their enemies (a certain amount) of power over them. (1 Sam. 12:9) God is still in control. God never gave the enemies complete control over His wayward people. Scorpions have a very painful and potential deadly sting. In Christ protection is offered against scorpions (Luke 10:19) All through the 150 years those locusts and scorpions were held back from destroying the empire	From the point of its rise to power in 1299, the Ottoman empire rapidly expanded, greatly harassing European powers. But remember, Christ was still interceding, yet they didn't repent and turn to Him. So we move on into the fifth trumpet and see the destruction advancing.
"Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever." Psalm 37:27 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that he will forgive your sins." Acts 3:19	Rev. 9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree;	Locusts usually devour grass, and green things. That's the nature of locusts. These "locusts" aren't acting naturally.	In these earlier years, the Ottoman Turks, though ambitious to conquer, and gain ever greater territory, were not plunders like some conquering armies. Though warlike, they had limitations. The Byzantine cup was not yet full, God was still calling to His people, (both east and west) they could still turn.
At this time, Jesus was still in the holy Place, interceding for His people. The focus turns to the Sabbath. Ez. 20:19-20 I am the LORD your God; ... hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I [am] the LORD your God. He is longing for people to repent and receive His grace and transforming power. Rev. 14 Fear God, and give glory to him...worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. Gen 2.2-3 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: Ex. 20:8,11 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.	Rev. 9:4 they should not hurt .... but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.	The seal of God signifies the authenticity of believers. The seal is not just something unique at the end of the age, the Holy Spirit works to develop it in us now. Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Sabbath is the sign of the seal. Ez. 20:12,20. God's hallowed Sabbath was strongly opposed by the RC church. Lateran IV Council 1215 stated : A converted Jew must not practice their former Jewish religion. That included, they must not keep the 7th day holy. Another canon from that council urges strict measures against heretics. Which resulted in the terrible crusade against Albigensians, from 1209-1229. Even years later 1241-1244 the Dominican inquisitor in northern Italy, Moneta, passionately defended himself against criticism from Waldensians and Cathars (Albigensian) that Catholics were transgressors of the Sabbath commandment. In the chapter De Sabbato, et De Die Dominico	The Roman church had declared open war against all who followed their conscience in opposition to church mandates. There was a special vengeance manifested against Sabbath Keepers. A Lateran 1215 canon mandating converted Jews could not practice Jewish beliefs. (The 7th day Sabbath) And also the terrible, blood thirsty crusade to exterminate Albigensian (who kept the Sabbath) also killing their protectors. The Ottoman early campaigns were not to direct their "torment" on the Sabbath keepers, they were sent to "torment" those who refused the seal of God and were trying to stop others from keeping the Sabbath! The experience of Jews in the Ottoman Empire is particularly significant because the region "provided a principal place of refuge for Jews driven out of Western Europe by massacres and persecution. So too, other persecuted ones found refuge in the Ottoman Empire, where they were given more freedom to live their religion than back under papal controlled lands. They were still a minority group, with restrictions, but they were free to worship on the day God blessed.
Jesus still interceding before the altar of incense in heaven.	Rev. 9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months	"it was given" ? The tormentors were allowed to go so far, no further. That phrase, "it was given" reminds us that God is still in control. Five months. 30X5 =150 day/years of torment. 150 more years as the Ottomans took more and more of their lands, were given to repent before final judgment is executed. 1299 to 1449. At the end of those years the Byzantine empire would loose it's power. Constantinople would fall into the hands of the Ottoman Turks in 1449, and be destroyed in 1453. The barrier that stood in the way of the "locusts" tormenting the west, would be broken down. The beautiful temple Hagia Sophia would become a mosque.	But they had those 150 years, to call upon God and change their ways, and possibly keep their homeland. God's ways don't change. Is it similar to Noah? His generation was given 120 years, in which Noah was to torment people with his doom's day talk, 120 years in which God's Spirit would continue to strive with men, before judgment fell. Does it have significance today? It's been 180 years since the third angel's message began, we don't know how much longer we have. Are all our sins confessed and are we secure in the cleft of the rock which is Jesus and His blood and righteousness?
John 16:33 "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."	Rev. 9:6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.	To become a slave was a fate more to be feared than death. In an agony of terror children were taken from their parents to become slaves.	The Ottoman's made slavery a well organized science! No, authentic, born Muslim could be a slave. But conquered, or subjected people, or people taken in raids, were fair game to become slaves. This became the lot of many Christians. It was a tax law, that Christians had to give some of their children as slaves to the Ottoman regime. Officials would come to their communities to collect usually 8- 10 year old children to be taken from their parents, every year. These were then "converted" to Islam and trained as soldiers with strict obedience to their masters. Some were trained for other duties. Girls were usually placed in harems or became concubines and/or house servants. Interestingly, Jews tended to be exempt from this law.

When I read this, I thought about the interpretation of the prophecy of Revelation 9:15 pertaining to the demise of the Ottoman Empire on August 11, 1840.

Revelation 9:15 ESV says, "So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind."

This, however, happened under the sounding of the Sixth Trumpet, therefore, I am anxiously waiting for your next post regarding the sounding of the Sixth Trumpet.

At this point, I'm still studying the fifth trumpet. The 5 months. (5 times 30 days = 150 days, which are 150 literal years).

The 6th trumpet, especially the London Convention/Treaty of 1840 (which really happened) has been hotly debated on this forum previously and will take more than a quick post to explore.

The 150 years of the 5th trumpet were given to the Byzantine Empire. That 150 year time period marks their final years. The 150 years span time from 1299-1449. But here we see a pattern that runs through all the prophetic Biblical accounts, and which is important to remember. The "fall" of a kingdom is reckoned, NOT from some last wipe out battle (Constantinople was conquered by the Turks in 1453, not 1449) but from the point when another nation gained power over them. Thus in 1449 Turkish power was acknowledged as the "winner" when the Byzantine emperor, Constantine XIII (Deacozes) had to seek Turkish permission to ascend the throne, he virtually said, "I cannot reign unless you permit."
Those 150 years are the foundation for the 391 years of the 6th trumpet. That first period, 150 years, being fulfilled before Deacozes ascended the throne by permission of the Turks, and that the 391 years, remaining for the Ottomans, commenced at the close of the first period, that takes us to August, 1840, when the Ottoman power had to submit to a the stronger powers of Europe.



The fifth trumpet takes the reader to the downfall of the powerful Christian empire centered in Constantinople. The fifth trumpet also includes the rise of the Ottoman empire in 1299, but not it's end. Their end was still 391 years in the future beyond the end of the 150 years.

In some ways, what happens with the Byzantine Empire and the Ottomans, follow the pattern of history. God's professed people leave the truth. God allows an aggressive enemy to torment them. If they repent, God delivers them, BUT if they refuse and don't repent, God can't deliver them. But he still does not abandon them entirely. And eventually God also deals with power that ruthlessly tormented them.

This is one trumpet that really doesn't receive a lot of attention, yet it is dealing with the Christian (Gentile) world that received the greatest revelation of truth preached by the apostles. This is the region where all seven churches, which literally received the seven letters of Revelation 2 and 3, were located. They merged with the state and ended up under the control of the eastern Roman Emperor (who often controlled church affairs). They had their own patriarch to govern their religious lives. Though more resistant to encroaching errors, they never-the-less followed most of the errors and accepted much of Christianized paganism of the west.

In 1453 their territory and city was taken over by the Ottoman's, and the surviving Greek Orthodox Christians were scattered mainly into Russia and the Baltic regions of Europe. They took the message into regions not yet reached with Christianity.
These Greek Orthodox Christians are still a strong force in the world today, (though they suffered a lot of persecution over the centuries, by the western church and especially from communism) . Today we see Russia elevating them to the state religion, the same pit they fell into back in the 4th century, and we also see the pope reaching out to clasp hands with the Patriarch attempting to bridge the 1000 year schism.

Yes, the vials will be poured out on the last generation of unrepentant sinners, just as the trumpets show other generations who refused to repent and come to the Life Giver, ended up suffering, often quite severely, the results of their choices.

The quote that trumpets will be sounding, does not prove the seven trumpets are to be interpreted in futuristic method. They have a message from the past that is very relevant in the future.
Those who forget the past won't recognize the same dangers when it confronts them in the future.

The situations in the historic trumpets began with people thinking it was a good thing. But ..... it wasn't good at all.
In the end those same deceptions that pulled people into dangerous paths, will also appear as something good, thus deceiving many.

FIRST TRUMPET. Israel thought they were God's special people. BUT they rejected their Messiah, depending on their rituals instead of depending upon God and Christ. The result was that great suffering and trouble came upon them. And the hail and fire of destruction that fell, destroyed their city and temple.

SECOND TRUMPET. The Roman Empire falls into the sea. When Constantine converted, people thought it was wonderful, the Emperor was now on their side! People rejoiced, even today it is spoken of as having been a good thing, BUT ..... it was not good. Rome (Dan. 7:3) rose from the sea of humanity, became a "great mountain" and then crashed in burning flames back into the sea of humanity, Why?-- because it was built on human strength and ambition, not on the saving, transforming power of the gospel. Christianity is to depend on God, not on human mountains (Political powers).

THIRD AND FOURTH TRUMPET. The growth into power and outward splendor of the Christian Church, seemed impressive! BUT..... they reinstituted the Jewish priesthood, with bloodless daily sacrifices (mass) and gathered inspiration from paganism, simply giving paganism a Christian cloak. The streams of living water were poisoned, made bitter even unto death. Spiritually torment and death and darkness resulted.

5. FIFTH TRUMPET The Eastern Empire is under attack, They are Christians and they could have carried on the apostolic legacy, but they followed the same road down into human based religion as the west, they did not repent and basically suffered the same fate as the Jews 1000 years earlier.

The trumpets are not JUST about the last generation. People were to learn valuable lessons from these studies of generations for whom trumpets blew, people who never lived in the last generation of earth. Each succeeding generation didn't seem to learn from the ones before and so they ended up reaping the consequences. They could have repented and aligned themselves with Christ, but instead of repenting and learning, things just got worse.
I
Is it applicable for us now?
Yes, of course, because what happened in the last 2000 years was satan diligently building and strengthening his agencies and deceptive methods. We need to know what they are, for he will bring them all out in their most deceptive forms for the final battle.




I would say all those trumpets are sounding loudly! Are their historic messages relevant today?
Let's look at them again and see if their messages are still applicable today.

--The first trumpet warning. Does the Christian world remember that Jesus said, Jerusalem and the temple are "desolate" (Matt.23:38) Yet many will fall for all this focus on rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Reestablishing the pre-cross rituals. Expecting miraculous things to happen there? The false prophet is prophesying many things focused on Jerusalem.

-- The second trumpet warning, Does the Christian world listen or do they fall in the same trap as the 4th century Christians, turning to a human "mountain" a world national power, to be their master and protector? That modern mountain, too, will crash into the sea of humanity, with great turbulence.

-- The third and fourth warning. A spiritual world leader, a deception that the Bible strongly warns us about, thus most futuristic methods were designed to hide this warning and remove it from Bible prophecy. It warns of a powerful church that has adopted and Christianized paganism, revived old rituals of works, thus, while presenting itself as the utmost Christian influence, has been poisoning the waters of life, bringing spiritual agony, darkness and death. What is happening today? This same religious power presents itself as a great pious, world saving and influencing power. Those trumpets need to continue to sound -- for their job was to expose a spiritual poison that destroys more than the body, it aims for our souls as well.

-- The fifth warning. Also against Christianity, (the Byzantine Church) but this Christianity had separated itself from the church against which trumpets 3 and 4 sounded. It had more connections with the apostolic church and scriptures. But it, too, aligned itself with state power, and adopted most of the same sacramental methods and other rituals of the Roman church. The greater the access to truth, the greater the sin of rejecting truth. Do we have the same situation today? Is it enough simply to not be members of the Roman church?





So many of us still value the historic approach, upon which our belief system was built.
Six historicist trumpets tell us of the past, while the seventh trumpet takes us from 1844 clear to the end of the world.
However, this does NOT mean these trumpets have drifted off the radar. NO! They have a story to tell that will prepare us for the deceptions still to come!
In the end ALL the trumpets will be blowing, All the evils they warned about in the past, will be springing up in full maturity of development in the last battle.


We have much evidence that EGW believed and confirms the historicist approach.
It's as we study the revelations of Satan's deceptions and methods being developed in the past (which will all manifest themselves in the future) that we can know what to look out for in the future.