Revelation Chapter 8
The remainder of this book is contained in the seventh seal, which we see opened in this chapter
Rev 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
Rev 8:2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
Each of the preceding seals opened with a sound …The first seal we heard thundering, we heard the crying out under the altar, we heard the sound of earthquakes
This seal opens with silence….a silence that often precedes the judgment of God
Here we see seven angels ready to sound trumpets, which we will see are proclamations of judgment
Rev 8:3 And another angel came and 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.
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.
Here we see an angel, standing at the altar, having a golden censer, given unto him incense
The incense is the prayers of the saints
Came up before God
We see that God is hearing and answering prayer of His saints
Rev 8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
Here we see the same angel taking fire off the altar and casting it to earth
This represents God’s judgements
The earth is the political arena
We will expect to see then judgment in the political arena
These first four trumpets will show the progressive decline and demise of the western Roman Empire
Rev 8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
Rev 8:7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
The first judgment is likened to hail and fire cast upon the earth
The great Theodosius held the tottering empire together, but upon his death, the empire fell under weak leadership
Within months, the barbarian Goths were in arms
Under the fearless general Alaric, these German and Scythian tribes lay waste on the Western Roman Empire
They ravaged Greece, plundered Athens, Corinth, Argos and Sparta
Alaric was brutal..the murder, the rape, the utter destruction was unimaginable
He was declared to be the King of the Visigoths
He marched into Italy and the emperor fled
He led over 100,000 soldiers into Rome in AD 410
After his death in AD 412, no more incursions
Rev 8:8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
Rev 8:9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
Genseric and his Vandal hordes
The terrible Genseric
429 to 468
France , Spain, Carthaginians
Sea – heart of the empire
Rev 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
Rev 8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
Atilla the Hun
Claimed the title Scourge of God
Even more brutal than the Goths and Vandals
Under his banner fought the Ostrogoths, Alani, Heruli and Teutonic peoples
After his death in 453, the vast empire immediately broke up
Rev 8:12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Rev 8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
Odoacer, King of the Heruli, overthrew Momyllus Augustulus, the last of the Roman Emporers
Proclaimed himself King of Italy in 476
Ruled 17 years, defeated and slain by Theodoric and the kingdom of the Ostrogoths established
Alaric – The destroyer of nations
The terrible Genseric and the Vandals
Attila – the Scourge of God
The Heruli and Ostrogoths