Revelation 8:6-9 - Remember the Number Seven

“So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.  The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up." The Book of Revelation mainly describes the seven-year period of time on the earth shortly after the rapture of the church takes place. The word tribulation is defined as: “a state of great trouble or suffering.”  As we study through the rest of the book and read about the disasters, destructions, and desolations that will take place, it is easy to see why this is call The Tribulation! I have found one of the ways to help me remember the sequence of events during this time is to think of the number seven which is used some 59 times in 36 verses. To begin with, in chapter one, there are seven churches, seven Spirits, seven golden lampstands, and seven stars. Then there are seven letters to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3. There are numerous sevens that are mentioned in the following chapters like, seven horns, seven eyes, seven thunders, seven thousand people, seven heads, and seven last plagues. But the most important sevens to remember from chapter 5 through the end of the chapter 18, are the seven seals, the seven trumpets and the seven bowls or vials. The seven seals are opened by the Lamb and reveal what takes place in the first part of the Tribulation. The seven trumpets sound and reveal the judgments that begin to happen somewhere near the middle of the Tribulation. Then somewhere near the end of the seven years, the seven bowls of the wrath of God are poured out on the earth to finish this time of catastrophic events that will happen during this terrible time! Here in chapter 8 the seven angels prepare to sound and reveal the seven trumpet judgments. The first four trumpet judgments are "natural" in that they affect the land, the saltwater, the fresh water, and the heavenly bodies. The fifth and sixth judgments involve the release of demonic forces that first torment, and then kill. The last of the trumpet judgments (Rev. 11:15-19) creates a crisis among all the nations of the world. We read in verse 7: “The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.”  Hail and fire mingled with blood" reminds us of the seventh plague that God sent against Egypt (Ex. 9:18-26). The Prophet Joel also promised "blood and fire" in the last days: "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved…” (Joel 2:30-32). Remember Peter quoted from this passage on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:19-21). Since this is a supernatural judgment, it is not necessary to try to explain how hail, fire, and blood become mingled. "Fire" could refer to the lightning of a severe electrical storm. The target for this judgment is green vegetation, the trees and the grass, one third of which is burned up. One can well imagine how this would affect not only the balance of nature, but also the food supply. The Greek word for trees usually means "fruit trees"; and the destruction of pasture lands would devastate the meat and milk industries. To say the least, the Tribulation will be a terrible and awful time and you don’t want to be “left behind”. Today make sure that the Lord is your personal Lord and Savior! God bless!