Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 8:2-6
Introduction to the seven trumpet judgments 8:2-6 read more
Introduction to the seven trumpet judgments 8:2-6 read more
The Seventh Seal. The Four Trumpets1. The seventh seal is opened. Heaven waits in hushed awe for a brief period.Revelation 8:2 to Revelation 11:19. The Seven Trumpets.2. The seven angels, regarded in later Jewish belief as having a special position in God’s presence (cp. Tobit 12:15; Luke 1:19), are given seven trumpets, symbols of judgment: cp. Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16. It is best to understand the vision of the trumpets as being the contents of the seventh... read more
(2) THE VISIONS INTRODUCED BY THE SOUNDING OF SEVEN TRUMPETS.—The series of visions which is now introduced extend to the close of the eleventh chapter. There are some features which may be noticed here. There is a marked correspondence of arrangement between these and the visions of the seals. As there, so here, there are introduced two subordinate visions towards the end of the series. The sixth seal was followed by the vision of the one hundred and forty-four thousand and the countless... read more
Revelation 8:1 Mr. A. C. Benson writes: 'I think that there are few verses of the Bible that give one a more sudden and startling thrill than the verse at the beginning of the eighth chapter of the Revelation. "And when he had opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour." The very simplicity of the words, the homely note of specified time, is in itself deeply impressive. But further, it gives the dim sense of some awful and unseen preparation going... read more
CHAPTER VI.THE FIRST SIX TRUMPETS.Revelation 8:1-13; Revelation 9:1-21.THE two consolatory visions of chap. 7 have closed, and the Seer returns to that opening of the seven Seals which had been interrupted in order that these two visions might be interposed.Six Seals had been opened in chap. 6; the opening of the seventh follows: - "And when He opened the seventh seal, there followed silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stand before God; and there... read more
CHAPTER 8 Revelation 8:1-5 . The silence in heaven when the seventh seal is opened is indicative of the solemn things which are now to come. The scroll is now fully opened and there is an ominous hush as the seven angels prepare to sound their trumpets of judgment. John beholds these seven angels, but before they begin to sound “another angel” is seen standing at the altar. This angel is not a creature, but like the angel of Jehovah in the Old Testament, is our Lord Himself. He is seen as the... read more
8:2 {2} And I saw the seven angels which {a} stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.(2) Now follows the third branch of the common history, as even now I said: which is the execution of the judgments of God on the world. This is first generally prepared, down to Revelation 8:3-6 . The administers of the execution are seven angels: their instruments, trumpets, by which they sound the alarm at the commandment of God. They are seven in number, because it did not please God to... read more
The Seventh Seal Opened: Introduction to the Trumpets The last of the seven seals is now opened (v. 1) and there is silence in heaven for about half an hour before John sees seven trumpets given to seven angels. The seals have been only the beginning of God's working behind the scenes in reference to judgment. The trumpets indicate a ringing, declared testimony to all the world. The silence first shows the calm, quiet deliberation that will do nothing in undue haste. Also, before the angels... read more
THE SEVEN TRUMPETS We have here another illustration of the law of recurrence, for in these chapters we are going over the ground of the last, though certain features are being added which were not then revealed. In other words, it is still the Tribulation Period. INTRODUCTION (Revelation 8:2-5 ) In the previous lesson the Introduction included the vision of “The Throne, the Lamb and the Book,” while here it is the revelation of the angel and the incense. There is no satisfactory... read more
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 8:2
John saw someone, perhaps God, give seven trumpets to a group of seven angels standing before the heavenly throne (cf. Revelation 1:4; Revelation 3:1; Revelation 8:6; Revelation 15:1). Exactly who these angels were is not clear. Some interpreters have identified them with seven archangels in Jewish tradition (cf. Book of Jubilees 1:27, 29; 2:1-2; 2:18; 15:27; 31:14; Tobit 12:15; Enoch 20:2-8), but there is no basis for this in Revelation. They are apparently simply seven other angels who have... read more