This is the Book of Revelation as a working scenario. The purpose is to place its verses in chronological order, continually moving verses to remove contradictions as more is learned.
With antichrist turning violent at mid-week, the remnant of Israel being sealed and fleeing to the wilderness, the angels with the seven trumpets ready to sound, and the two witnesses starting to prophesy, the activites of the second half of the 70th week begins with the throwing down of the golden censor. Therefore, we start with verse 2 of chapter 8, which shows the trumpets following immediately after the 5th seal. It is just too early for the sixth seal to be placed here because of the celestial phenomena of the sun going dark and the moon turning to blood revealing the wrath of the Lamb starting to fall and coming to rapture His church and gather the remnant of Israel as in Matthew 24:29ff.
Revelation 8:1 is the seventh seal and is placed later in the chronology. Revelation 8:1 reads:
The trumpets must come before even the sixth seal as it is five months long, therefore we place the start of the trumpets, not the sixth seal, right after the fifth seal, with the end of the fifth trumpet bringing us to the opening of the sixth seal.
This section will deal with the first five trumpets:
ANGEL WITH GOLDEN CENSOR THROWS IT TO EARTH
The smoke of the censor is typical of the prayers of the saints rising up to God. It is with the casting of the censor with its hot coals to earth that the prayers of the saints and souls of the altar begin to be answered:
This occurs at the midpoint of Daniel's 70th week and starts the trumpet judgements. It is at the midpoint that antichrist enters the temple and declares himself to be God and turns on the Jews. By his entering the Holy of holies, antichrist challenges the unique priesthood of Christ, which was the sin of Korah (Numbers 16). The 144,000 are then sealed and the two witnesses begin their witness.
Trumpets are used in eschotological scenes in the OT: Is. 27:13; Joel 2:1; Zeph. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16; Mt. 24:31.
SOUNDING OF THE FIRST TRUMPET
With the trumpets starts the end time plagues of God as He attempts to get the sinner to repent. What is important is that God has a remnant among the Jews who will not follow the antichrist, leaving the others who do follow him.
Daniel seems to indicate that antichrist will influence some Jews to follow him through his flatteries and such until he turns on them, and that he will reign from Jerusalem, probably from the midpoint of Daniel's week. So, the trumpet judgments, seemingly tied to the two witnesses, are not only to plague antichrist, but to plague the Jews that follow him as well. Jerusalem as a type of Egypt is evidenced in the book of Revelation, starting with the trumpets, but other places as well:
In the first trumpet, the hail and fire are obviousy patterned after the works of Moses and Aaron in Egypt:
Psalm 105:32 He gave them [the Egyptians] hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
This trumpet, then, is patterned after Moses as one of the two witnesses. I don't believe Moses himself will be a witness, but most likely someone like Moses. If it is really Moses, I would have no problem with that.
SOUNDING OF THE SECOND TRUMPET
This is similar to Egypt in that water was turned to blood:
SOUNDING OF THE THIRD TRUMPET
Wormwood was one of the judgements God promised to use against Israel in order to bring them to repentance from their idols. The false prophet and antichrist, remember, will place an image within the sanctuary in Jerusalem:
Verse 20 points to the latter days, when Israel will again turn to idolatry (beast's image) and listen to the false prophets and the flatteries of the anitchrist. The "third" mentioned in this trumpet is typical of God's dealings with Israel, promising to bring a "third," the remnant, through fire to Himself, while destroying the other two-thirds.
Gundry = the fallen star "Wormwood" may well be a fallen spirit who vents his wrath upon earth. Jer. 9:15; 23:15 = Yahweh would chastise His people for their idolatry by feeding them with wormwood and giving them water of gall (a poisonous herb) to drink. Though not itself poisonous, "wormwood" has a parallel that is: Deut. 29:17; Lam 3:19; Amos 5:7; 6:12, as well as the 2 verses from Jeremiah. It was, therefore, conceived as having poisonous effects.
SOUNDING OF THE FOURTH TRUMPET
I make mention here of the angel in verse 13, that in the older manuscripts, it was always translated "eagle" rather than "angel" (Jamieson, Fausset and Browne, Revelation 8:13).
I will indent comments from this paper.
If the scorpion-like locusts of Revelation 9 represent the forces of the man of sin, then it is possible that the following might apply:
The "scorpion" is a particularly cruel type of whip, "an instrument of scourging ... with barbed points [pieces of sharp metal] like the point of a scorpion's sting." - The New Unger's Bible Dictionary.
God wasn't referring to a whip however when He warned Ezekiel, although the pain could be as severe:
(Ezek 2:6 KJV) "And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house."
So throughout the bible, the word "scorpion" has come to be used as a metaphor referring to wicked or evil people getting in the way of one's call by God. It can be terrifying when one day you are all gung-ho to do the Lord's work, and then out of no where comes a scorpion with a terrible sting. Ever been talking about God to a friend or a co-worker, when a scorpion slithers in? You spot them and immediately you know they are going to heckle you, make fun of you, or say something that will leave you looking like an idiot. This is a relatively mild sting though. There are far worse scorpions that we can encounter and they can be found most any place where God's people are trying to do a work for the Lord. Ah, but we've got a weapon of our own:
(Luke 10:19 KJV) "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
"The pain from the sting of a scorpion, though not generally fatal, is, perhaps, the most intense that any animal can inflict upon the human body. The insect itself is the most malignant that lives, and its poison is like itself. Of a boy stung in the foot by a scorpion (it was related that) he rolled on the ground, grinding his teeth, and foaming at the mouth. It was a long time before his complainings moderated, and even then he could make no use of his foot, which was greatly inflamed. And such is the nature of the torment which these locusts from the pit inflict. They are also difficult to be guarded against, if they can be warded off at all, because they fly where they please, dart through the air, and dwell in darkness." (The Apocalypse, p. 83)
A place of heavy scorpion infestation has also been recorded by researchers. In "Wilmington's Guide to the Bible," we read:
"Scorpions are said to abound in this whole district, and hence the name (Num. 34:4). It is called "Maaleh-acrabbim" in Josh. 15:3, and "the ascent of Akrabbim" in Num. 34:4."
"The Scorpions Tale"
"Shaped like a lobster, living in damp places, under stones, in clefts of walls, cellars, etc. The sting is in the extremity of the tail. The sting of the Syrian scorpion is not fatal, though very painful. The same is true of the West Indian scorpion. Thomson says that those of North Africa are said to be larger, and that their poison frequently causes death. The wilderness of Sinai is especially alluded to as being inhabited by scorpions at the time of the Exodus (Deuteronomy 8:15); and to this very day they are common in the same district."
"Scorpions' stings were among the most intense pains (1 Kings 12:11; 2 Chron 10:14); but a pain lasting five months (9:10, unless this is simply the duration of the plague; one commentator says that five months fits the approximate lifespan of a normal kind of locust) was unheard-of. Jewish texts often included scorpions as one of God's means of judgment."
The BPR researcher also quotes from the IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, which states:
"An invasion of locusts could be described as warhorses (Joel 2:4), and horses could be described as being as numerous as locusts (Jer 51:27; cf. 51:14). The crowns might reflect prior military exploits. . . ."
The BPR researchers also mentions, in mythological terms, a god of the underworld whow is a scorpion man:
The Assyro-Babylonian Mythology FAQ
In this FAQ, "Shamash: is defined as:
Whatever the interpretation of these verses from Revelation 9, that men would seek death in this five month long plague is understandable because of the gravity of those times to come.
See also "The Scorpions Of Revelation As A Plague".
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.
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.
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.
Rev 8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.Rev 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Rev 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.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.
Jude 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Revelation 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Exodus 9:24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.
26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.
33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.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.Exodus 4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
Exodus 7:19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.
20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.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.Deuteronomy 29:17 And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)
18 Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;
Jer 9:15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
16 I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.Jer 23:15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.
16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
18 For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?
19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.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.
Not much to comment here except that the sun was the god of Egypt. This trumpet will lead to the fifth trumpet and then the sixth seal so it may be the beginning of the sun growing dark in that seal.
ANOTHER ANGEL ANNOUNCES THREE GREATER WOES TO COME
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!
(1 Ki 12:11 KJV) "And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions."
In Revelation 9, however, this plague is sent to men who ARE NOT God's people. It comes upon those who will not do His will and turn to Him for salvation. It comes on them as a warning to repent. During the tribulation, God will send plagues as a sign that they have to repent and turn to Him, but the forces of Abaddon will oppose that as there will be false Christs and false prophets. Metaphorically, Revelation 9 could be speaking of this of hindrance, that those under this plague are afraid of their looks and words and submit to their tormentors. it must be remembered, also, that antichrist will want to get rid of the Jews and will torment them as well. The BPR researcher continues,
J. A. Seiss writes:
"Akrabbim - Scorpions, probably the general name given to the ridge containing the pass between the south of the Dead Sea and Zin, es-Sufah, by which there is an ascent to the level of the land of Palestine.
In Vincent's Word Studies Vol 2, The Writings of John, we read that the duration of locusts five months long, and I have read elsewhere that they are active during the five months of April through August:
Macmillan Magazines Ltd 1998
NATURE NEWS SERVICE(Rev 9:10 KJV) "And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months."
(Rev 9:7 KJV) "And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men."
Aqrabuamelu (girtablilu) - scorpion-man, the guardians of the gates of the underworld [Shamash]. Their "terror is awesome" and their "glance is death".
[(Rev 9:11 KJV) "And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon."]
Shamash (Babbar, Utu)
The locusts/scorpions of Revelation are hard to define, but I, for now, believe they are demonic entities who, through men, afflict men in some way as described in this chapter. Regardless, the pain described above is rather horrible along with foaming at the mouth. Elsewhere I have read that the effects of a scorpion sting can bring forth excruciating pain, itching, swelling, possibly bleeding, paleness, fast breathing and heart rate, wheezing, raised blood pressure, foaming at the mouth, blurred vision, roving eye movement, slurred speech, the inability to swallow properly and drowsiness. There other advanced symptoms, though. Those and the ones I have mentioned can be found at: Signs and Symptoms of Envenomation
Shamash is the sun god, the son of Sin and Ningal. He rises from the mountains with rays out of his shoulders. He enters and exits the underworld through a set of gates in the mountain (exits from Mt. Mashu, "Gilgamesh IX ii") guarded by scorpion-people. He travels both on foot and in a chariot, pulled by fiery mules. He upholds truth, and justice. He is a lawgiver and informs oracles. Nergal is a corrupt aspect of his nature.
