Seven Trumpets and Three Woes
Today’s passage: Revelation 8:6–13
Focus verse: I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!” (Revelation 8:13)
With the seventh seal broken and the contents of the scroll revealed, God gives seven angels seven trumpets.
These seven angels may be the same ones we saw in Revelation 1:20, represented by the seven stars, the seven angels of the seven churches. Or they may be a different group.
This detail doesn’t matter as much as what the angels do with their trumpets and what happens as each one of them plays.
They bring their trumpets to their mouths in preparation to sound them.
The first angel blows his trumpet. Hail and fire afflict the earth. One third of the world, one third of the trees, and all the grass burns up.
The second angel sounds his trumpet. A large mountain-like mass hurls into the sea, turning one third of it to blood. One third of the sea creatures die and one third of the ships sink.
The third angel plays his trumpet. A great star—an asteroid perhaps—blazes through the sky like a torch and falls to earth. One third of the rivers turn bitter and many people die when they drink its water.
The fourth angel blows his trumpet. The lights in the sky dim. One third of the sun, one third of the moon, and one third of the stars go dark. There is no light for one third of the day and one third of the night.
Before the fifth trumpet sounds, however, an eagle soars overhead. He calls out a warning of woe to the rest of the earth for what the final three trumpets will usher in.
But what is “woe”? It’s not a word we often hear today.
Woe is a noun. Though it can mean regret, in this case it means misfortune or a cause for misery.
Three woes await the inhabitants of earth, one ushered in with each of the three remaining trumpet blasts, which we can expect will produce even more havoc than the first four.
This is what awaits those who don’t follow Jesus.
Questions:
- Does the end-time imagery in the book of Revelation cause us to fear?
- How should we react when we fear the future?
- What does the word woe mean to us?
- What woes do we have now?
- How should we respond to our present-day woes?
[Discover more about woe in Psalm 120:5, Matthew 23:13–36, Luke 6:24–26, and Jude 1:11.]
Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Read more in Peter’s devotional Bible study, A New Heaven and a New Earth: 40 Practical Insights from John’s Book of Revelation.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.