BSF Adult Lesson 14

Lesson 14 The Trumpet Judgments

First Day: Read Lesson 13 Notes.
The notes and lecture fortify the truth of the passage for understanding and application to daily life.

1. How did the lecture offer hope for times you face turmoil as a Christian?


2. What truths from the notes encouraged you concerning God's protection of people?



Second Day: Read Revelation 8:1-5.
John saw the seventh seal opened

3. a. What was the heavenly response to the opening of the seventh seal?

Silence for 1/2 an hour.



b. Recalling heaven's praise in Revelation 4:8, what is the significance of this surprising silence?

In Revelation 4, the praise was for the Lord God Almighty, and the four living creatures could not remain silent. This time of silence indicates that the upcoming events are not to bring praise, but a solemn, possibly grief-stricken response. God’s great adversary is going to attack and torment God’s creation, and there is nothing to be praised or glorified or called worthy now.


c. What was God's answer to the prayers of His people? How might this be connected to the martyrs' cry of "How long?" in chapter 6?

There were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and earthquakes. This may be the final roundup of His martyrs, and the full gathering in of those who died for Jesus. It may be the beginning of the judgment.

4. a. From the following verses, what do trumpets announce? Joel 2:1

It’s an alarm signifying that the day of the Lord is near.


{b{Exodus 19:14-17.

The trumpet announces the arrival/presence of the Lord.


Numbers 10:2

The trumpets are used for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.


Joshua 6:2-5

The seven ram’s horn—trumpet—will be given a long blast by the priests after the people march around Jericho for the seventh time. At the sound of the blast, all the people will shout, and the walls of the city will fall down. The trumpets announce to the citizens of Jericho the defeat of Jericho and her evil practices by th3 judgment of God.

1 Thessalonians 4:16

It occurs when Jesus returns to earth, and the dead in Christ shall be raised first.


b. What do the trumpets signify in this Revelation passage?

The beginning of God’s judgment on the earth.

5. What sense of urgency does God give you as He reveals this prophecy to you?




Third Day: Read Revelation 8:6-13.

John witnessed trumpets announcing devastating scenes.

6a. Describe the scene depicted with each of the first four trumpet blasts.

The first blast: Hail and fire, mixed with blood, were thrown upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees, and all the green grass.

The second blast: Something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, a third of the creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

The third blast: A great star fell, blazing like a torch, and fell on a third of the rivers and springs. The star was called wormwood, which means bitter. A third of the water became bitter, and people died from drinking it.

The fourth blast: A third of the sun, moon, and stars were struck. Because of this, a third of the light would be darkened, a third of the day would not have sunshine, and a third of the night would be darkened.

7. a. What are possible reasons the destruction described here was limited to one-third and not applied to all?

Nothing and no one would survive if God struck all. This would drastically increase the suffering people experienced, and serve as signs pointing to God. His timing had not been fulfilled, and the full measure of people had not come to him yet.



b. What do these verses tell you about God?

He will bring suffering to people on earth, but these events are meant to draw people to Him. Even in judgment, God provides mercy.


c. How do these truths about God affect your relationship with Him and how you worship Him?




8. a. What was the message of the eagle in verse 13?

Woe to the people on earth, because of the results of the next 3 trumpet blasts. Woe is used three times, and the word is used as a pronouncement of judgment.


b. How do you find comfort when considering the realities that come with God's judgment?

I know I am redeemed, that I have salvation through Jesus. Heaven is my home, and any misery is a temporary piece of my eternal life. I am never alone; God will never leave me.




Fourth Day: Read Revelation 9.
John saw the trumpet judgments continue.

9. How did the fifth and sixth judgments differ from the first four?

The fifth and sixth blasts are woes, the last and worst of God’s judgments. Woe is often tied to sin and rebellion against God. The first four trumpet blasts caused destruction in the natural world—trees, grass, and ocean life are destroyed, the oceans and freshwater springs are poisoned—but there are no direct physical attacks on humanity. The fifth trumpet allowed Satan to release locusts to torment people, but they are specifically told to leave any vegetation alone. At the sixth trumpet blasts caused, four (fallen)angels, prepared specifically for the moment, were released to wreak destruction and kill a third of humanity. A supernatural army of 200,000,000 cavalrymen and unnatural horses attack until 1/3 of the population is dead.



10. a. In the fifth trumpet judgment, who were the people the locusts were not to harm? What was to happen to those whom the locusts were allowed to harm?

The people who had the seal of God on their foreheads could not be harmed. The locusts were allowed to sting and hurt any other people for five months.

b. How does this vision impact your thoughts toward unbelievers in your life ?

It reminds me if the unreached who will suffer, and how this suffering could be abated or avoided by faith in Jesus. It also horrifies me that some people will refuse to recognize Jesus as their salvation.


11. What kinds of idolatry were the unrepentant exhibiting at the end of chapter 9? How are these sins exhibited in the world or your own life today?

In my life: paying too much attention to technology, and believing myself to be superior, above or equal to the Lord. In the world, there’s hate of others based on one or two things. Sexual immorality is rampant—sexual slavery, sexual abuse, child porn—and is becoming normalized to the point of bestiality be7ng next. People publicly aligning with satanism and idol worship. Abortion, mental illness, and indoctrinating children to believe they aren’t their sex. The ruse of transgender meaning transvestite, gender meaning sex, and double mastectomies described as top surgery. The purposeful destruction of families and individuals to control them.

Revelation 9:20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Daniel 5
New International Version
The Writing on the Wall

5 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father[a] had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

Fifth Day: Read Revelation 8-9.
The trumpet judgments remind us of God's judgment of Egypt.

12. a. Which trumpet judgments are similar to the plagues against Egypt in Exodus 7-1 0? What are some differences between the plagues and the trumpet judgments?

The first trumpet blast resulted in hail, fire, and blood; a third of the trees and all the green grass was burned up. The seventh plague brought hail and thunder and fire. The hail struck down every plant in the field and broke every tree.

The second trumpet and the first plague resulted in something striking the water and turning it to blood. Living creatures in the water die. In Revelation, something like a flaming mountain struck the sea, and 1/3 of the sea become blood, 1/3 of the sea creatures died, and 1/3 of the ships were destroyed. In Exodus, the freshwater river Nile was struck by the staff God provided, and the entire river turned to blood. Every waterway became blood and all the river creatures died.

The third trumpet and the first plague turned freshwater to blood. The water became toxic and undrinkable. In Revelation, only 1/3 of the water was affected.

The fourth trumpet resulted in 1/3 of the sun, moon, and stars being darkened. Both the day and night would lose 1/3 of the light. There was no time limit on this judgment. The ninth plague, darkness, was pitch black. No one could see or go anywhere. This lasted for three days.

The fifth trumpet and the eighth plague unleashed locusts upon the land. In Exodus, the locusts were a product of nature who ate the vegetation left after the hail. In Revelation they are supernatural creatures. They were told not to harm any trees or plants, only people who didn’t have God’s seal on their foreheads.

Other similarities are God using another to unleash the judgments, and the last three trumpets/plagues being the worst. Both are woes, clearly stated in Revelation, and unstated in Exodus. The fifth trumpet blast is accompanied by the instruction t9 not attack God’s chosen ones, similar to the multiple occasions of the Israelites being spared from plagues. With the sixth trumpet blast and the tenth plague, angels were used to carry out judgment.

Differences between the plagues and trumpet judgments: The plagues were short term judgments, they could be stopped by Moses’s intercession, and the Pharoah had a role in the beginning and ending of the plagues. The trumpet blasts brought about events that weren’t temporary or changeable. The plagues used natural events and creatures, while supernatural creatures and events were included in the trumpet judgments. Also, the fifth and sixth trumpet judgments released Satan to torment and kill people. God didn’t use the enemy with the plagues.


b. How was the response in Revelation 9:20-21 like Pharaoh's response in Exodus? How do these responses relate to God's purpose in these plagues and judgments?

God repeatedly sent judgment and provided opportunities to turn to Him, but he was rejected. People continued to worship false gods.


13. How has God changed your heart toward Him through your study of Revelation this year?




Sixth Day: Review Revelation 8-9.

God's warnings of judgment constitute a merciful call to repent.

14. How have God's warnings of judgment impacted your prayers for and witness to others?