In our study together online we’ve been discussing the book of Revelation and how it was NOT a letter pointing to some geopolitical date in the future but a letter for a present 1st century people who’d just experienced deep loss and debilitating fear. Today I’d love to consider the next couple chapters in our study, chapters 8-9.
Consider these statistics for a minute.
Earth appears to be undergoing a process of “biological annihilation.” As much as half of the total number of animal individuals that once shared the Earth with humans are already gone.
Insects are dying off at record rates. Roughly 40% of the world’s insect species are in decline, according to one study.
Air quality worldwide has worsened at twice the rate since 2005— air will be toxic at that rate in 100 years..
A 2014 IPCC Climate Change report tells of the bleak picture what we can expect if the world continues on its current path. Within 50 years, we can expect famine, pestilence, crop failure, and warfare over dwindling resources.
Droughts, Global Warning, Trash, Weapons of Mass Destruction are all on the rise since 2005 at an alarming rate.
These are all warnings, warnings to THIS present day. The people of the 1st century weren’t necessarily worried about climate change, animal extinction, pollution, etc. They were worried that their tribe would be completely wipes out, that their god had left them when their temple was destroyed. They feared that the violent way of Rome had won the day when their temple was destroyed brick by brick. Today, we have different issues and different warnings and the question of course is: will we take these messages to heart?
Revelation 8:1-5
The chapter starts with the Hebrew people calling out to their god, which is another backstory reference to a time when they were captive in Egypt crying out to their god. They’re under oppression, they call out. They’re in Babylon, they call out. They’re in Rome, they call out. Israel is described again as calling out to their god much like they do in Egypt and the response is reminiscent of Egypt. There is an answer.
There god answers in a loud way- through trumpets- trumpets that have similar plagues to those in Egypt.
You’ll see connections through all these plagues of waters turned to blood, hail, fire and thunder, locusts, sores and even frogs. They are using Jewish metaphorical references that would be understood by their tribe.
The idea that they are heard when the world is turning upside down, evil forces all around them, in the face of death, brings with it a sense of calm. I believe in our day and age of violence, greed, pain we too can understand this need to be heard and validated too.
Revelation 8:5-7 1st Trumpet:
In this section we’re told there is “Earth- Widespread destruction”. 1/3 of the earth to be precise. Again, this is not to be taken literally as this is written in apocalyptic writing– a style which relies heavily on imagery and metaphor. This first trumpet is a reference of warning. The effect is large but there’s still hope. We understand this too well today. If we don’t change soon there may not be any going back. If we continue destroying our soil and resources we may lose the ability to grow crops and life may cease as we know it.
Revelation 8:8-9 2nd Trumpet:
The next trumpet brings in the news of sea- widespread destruction. Again, using this popular style of writing in the first century the writer is attempting to show the large scale issues of this waning but also give some hope. Today we MUST consider our seas and water. Again, science is prophetically warning us that if we don’t change our habits soon there may not be any going back.
Revelation 8: 10-11 3rd Trumpet:
The next trumpet, again, another reference towards the plagues of Egypt is that the Hebrews understood that when oppression and violence are embraced even the earth cries out for restoration. In our present year of 2019 I believe the waters and and crying out as well in a very literal way. Living in California I find it sad that I no longer can trust the water that comes from my tap and spend enormous amounts of resources to purify the water and make it drinkable. Every time I turn on the faucet there is another cry for change.
Revelation 8: 12-13 4th Trumpet:
The fourth trumpet now makes this warning even more expansive. If the Jewish community continues siding with Roman ideals and beastly empire the universe is effected. Aagin, less literally then but they are using epic language. Maybe a better way of understanding this metaphor is that when we choose to ignore the signs around us we return to darkness- moving back toward chaos away from light and order.
What you might notice is that there seems to be a progression here and that progression is done internally. What John is showing is that, like Egypt’s plagues, when empires continue
And like Apocalyptic literature of its time, the results get more horrific.
Revelation 9:1-12 5th Trumpet
THe fifth trumpet shows when creation goes back to chaos life becomes hardly human. We treat one another, nature, and the environment in demonic ways. It’s not just evil, it’s demonic. One will notice the locusts, the unnatural, ferocious and destructive ways in which empires are eaten/ or die. When an empire begins boasting of it’s greatness it isn’t long before they are defeated by a new, rising one.
Revelation 9:13-21 6th Trumpet
The sixth trumpet moves into even more fearful descriptions following the style of apocalyptic writing.
It reads, “17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.”
Now remember, THIS IS NOT LITERAL! This is the writer attempting to show how the effects of not heeding the warnings signs will cause the effects to worsen and become more and more horrific. Not only is the earth affected but the people in it are greatly hurt by the consequences of their own actions.
And notice in verse 21 there is still time to change or repent (to turn around and do things differently).
So to close this first layer of warnings John borrows from the writings of Ezekiel using imagery of eating a scroll. Again, not literal.
9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[a]” 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”
While this seems odd to us today for an ancient Hebrew it makes perfect sense. These warnings seem to feel and taste good for the people who are sharing them. For us today we’d make the connection of giving someone a warning and then watching them ignore it; we’ll later have the very real temptation to say, “See, I told you so.” I told you so feels great to say at first but the consequences that follow are bittersweet. Warning a friend about someone you’ve seen warning signs of abuse and then watching as they are brutally hurt isn’t a good feeling to any decent human being. Watching as someone is hurting because of their choices shouldn’t be a sweet experience — it’s a sour one and often EVERYONE is affected.
Consider out environment. Imagine if we come to a place where we no longer have healthy drinking water. Imagine scientists who have been giving the warning signs. They may say I told you so but they will also experience the pain of not having drinking water like the rest of us. And the Hebrews living under Roman rule would experience the pain alongside their Roman counterparts as the empire falls and violence ensues.
So one lesson I find beautiful here from the trumpets is not that someday there will be literal angels trumpeting trumpets and literal plagues cast down from above. I find the lesson here to be extremely applicable. If we don’t listen to the wisdom voices now, we will all suffer. But, and here’s the beautiful truth; there is still time to right this ship. May we learn to take these prophetic voices to heart.