FEEDBACK: DO THE 7 TRUMPETS ALL SOUND AT THE SAME TIME?
10/6/10
We
appreciate feedback on the studies posted on this website. It helps us to see
if there is anything on this website that does not agree with the Bible.
Below IS A QUESTION ABOUT SOME VERSES CONCERNING THE
RAPTURE.
THE READER’S QUESTION IS IN ITALICS. OUR
RESPONSE FOLLOWS.
It's not the three
trumpets that are yet to sound, but the "other voices" [soundings] of
the three trumpets [that are sounding] that are yet to sound. The
sounding of the three trumpets are not finished sounding at that point time.
Dear
Sir,
Thank
you for the feedback on the website.
You
are speaking about Revelation 8:13. We read there:
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!
The
word “voices” in the phrase “other voices of the trumpet of the three angels”
is also translated “sound” in other verses. Each of the 7 trumpets only sounds
once. They do not sound two times; as if to make a sound and then to make some
“other” sound also. Each of them only sounds once. Otherwise, when do the first
4 trumpets make the “other” sound? Or, when do the last 3 trumpets sound the
first time?
The
reason for the word “other” in the phrase “other voices of the trumpet of the
three angels” is because just prior to this verse, in Revelation 8:7-12, we
read about the first 4 trumpets sounding. Then, in the next verse, verse 13,
God tells us that the “other” 3 trumpets will sound and also identifies those 3
trumpets with 3 woes.
Then,
in the next verse, in Revelation 9:1, we read about the 5th trumpet
sounding. The language of the 5th trumpet sounding in Revelation 9:1
is the same language of the sounding of the 1st through 4th
trumpets in Revelation 8:7-12. They all have the pattern, “The <x> angel
sounded”. The sounding of the 5th trumpet in Revelation 9:1 is not
some kind of “other” type of sounding that is different from the sounding of
the first 4 trumpets we read about in Revelation 8:7-12. Compare the language
of Revelation 8:7, 8, 10, 12 and Revelation 9:1. They are all parallel
language. By the way, the verb “to
sound” in those verses is the verb form of the word “trumpet”.
Also,
in Revelation 9:13 we read about the 6th trumpet sounding and
finally the 7th trumpet sounds in Revelation 11:15. We read about
these last 3 trumpets sounding after Revelation 8:13.
Revelation
8:13 is telling us that we have just heard 4 trumpets sound and there are 3
“other” trumpets that will sound also. The sounding of those 3 trumpets is
described in the following chapters.
Revelation
8:13 is a key juncture. God just finished describing 4 trumpets that have
already sounded. That was in verses 7 to 12. Then, in Revelation 8:13 God tells
us that the “other” 3 trumpets are going to sound and God ties them into 3
woes.
As
shown in the study at this link,
in
Revelation 9:12 and in Revelation 11:14, God has put careful chronological
language to show that the 3 woes are in series, and that means that the last 3
trumpets are in series, since they are tied to the 3 woes. Also, as shown in
the above study, God ties the last 3 trumpets to the 3 woes.
You
mentioned that “The sounding of the three trumpets
are not finished sounding at that point time”. The Bible does not use any
language to indicate that the trumpets are sounding for an on-going period of
time or that they continue to sound for some period of time. Neither does the
Bible give any language that the trumpets sound at the same time. In fact, the
study at the above link shows how the last 3 trumpets sound in series, one
after the other because the woes come in series, one after the other. The Bible
simply says that they sound and that is it. There is no language of any
continuing sounding of any of the trumpets.
For
example, the 5th trumpet sounds in Revelation 9:1. Then, in
Revelation 9:12 God tells us that 1st woe is past. That means that
the 5th trumpet and 1st woe are past at that point. The 5th
trumpet is not continuing to sound at that point.
Thank
you again for the feedback.