Interpretaion 8

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Jeanie C. Crain http://crain.english.missouriwestern.edu

 

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Revelation 8–9

Disasters modeled on the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7–11)

The Seven Angels with Seven Trumpets (8:2 - 11:19)
        The first four trumpets (8:2-12)
        The fifth and sixth trumpets (8:13; 9:1-21)
        Two interrupting visions:
                An angel with a small scroll (10:1-11)
                The temple and two witnesses (11:1-14)
        The seventh trumpet (11:15-19)
John’s Second Cycle of Visions in the Spirit (12:1 - 22:5)
Seven Symbolic Visions of the Past, Present & Future (12:1-15:4)

(Oxford Companion, John Sweet)

Upon completing chapter seven's climactic transformation of the Sacrificial Lamb into Shepherd and the exaltation of standing as one of the myriads of  ransomed before the throne, only with reluctance can the reader be plunged again into the convulsions of nature that signal the ending of earthly time.  Before the plunge, however, it is helpful to realize that an angel also stands at the altar of God with a golden censer offering incense at the same time all the saints offer prayers (8.1-5).  Only at the end of the "great quantity" of incense and prayers does the angel take the censer and fill it with fire from the altar and throw it to earth; dramatically, the act is accompanied by "peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake," the same devices, except for the earthquake, that greet John's initial vision of the throne in chapter four. The "How long?" of the saints is being answered. The second of seven parallel sections (NRSV) ends with 8.1 or after John's vision of the glory of God (4), the vision of the scroll and seven seals (5), the opening of the first six seals (6), and finally, the account of four angels standing at the four corners of the earth and sealing the tribes and multitudes of the Redeemed (6).  

Four Trumpets

Chapter eight will introduce the outcomes of the blowing of the first four trumpets; for perspective, however, the following structure guides the reader:

a. Angel at the altar with censer of incense, 8:2-6

b. First trumpet—trees burnt, 8:7

c. Second trumpet—seas become blood, 8:8, 9

d. Third trumpet—fresh water becomes bitter, 8:10, 11

e. Fourth trumpet—sun, moon and stars smitten, 8:12, 13

f. Fifth trumpet—fallen star and plague of locusts, 9:1-12

g. Sixth trumpet—angels loosed at river Euphrates, 9:13-21

h. Interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets, 10:1—11:14

(1) The strong angel with the little book, 10:1-7

(2) John eats the little book, 10:8-11

(3) Date for the ending of “the times of the Gentiles,” 11:1, 2

(4) Duration of the prophesying of the two witnesses, 11:3-12

(5) Doom of the second woe—great earthquake, 11:13, 14

i. Seventh trumpet—end of Great Tribulation and opening of temple in heaven, 11:15-19

The pattern of the interlude between six and seven will be continued with the trumpets as it was with the seals. With the blowing of the first four trumpets, conditions on earth worsen dramatically: by thirds, forests and vegetation are burned, seas become blood, fresh water becomes bitter, and the sun, moon, and star are darkened.

These seven trumpets are introduced by a strange and disconcerting interlude of silence in heaven, a half an hour's lull in action according to John's subjective estimate.  John sees seven angels "who stand before God" (1) being given the trumpets. I Enoch 20.2-8 lists the seven angels before God as Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Sariel, Gabriel, and Remiel.  F.F. Bruce in The International Bible Commentary,  reminds readers that Gabriel has been identified in Luke as standing before the throne (1.19). Gabriel's history of interaction is revealed as being in the service of mercy.

 

Gabriel. Gabriel is one of the most prominent angels in postexilic Jewish literature and in Christian texts, especially extracanonical literature. He is portrayed as one of the seven archangels in 1 Enoch 20.7; elsewhere he is one of the four angels close to God’s throne (1 Enoch 10.9; 40.3, 9; cf. Luke 1.19). This proximity to God results in his distinctive functions. Gabriel intercedes with God for those oppressed by evil (1 Enoch 9.1–11), he brings Enoch into God’s very presence (2 Enoch 21.3–6), he explains mysteries about future political events (Daniel 8.16–26; Daniel 9.20–27), and he delivers special revelations from God to individuals (Luke 1.8–20; Luke 1.26–38). Jewish and Christian interpreters have sometimes concluded that biblical texts with unnamed divine messengers (e.g., Genesis 19.1) refer to the archangels Gabriel and Michael. In general, Michael is described as a warrior, while Gabriel more often functions as an intermediary or an interpreter of dreams.  (Steven Friesen, (Oxford Companion).

 

The plagues which accompany the trumpets compare to the Egyptian experience. After the fourth is blown, John sees an angel in midheaven (between the earthly and heavenly) crying, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, at the blasts of other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow."  What a dismal ending and down-turn in events.

How one has interpreted Revelation 7 is crucial to one's beliefs about past, current, and future events:

1. Preterist theory: All of Revelation has been fulfilled in the past. It had to do with local references in John’s day. It had to do with the days of either Nero or Domitian. The view was held by Renan and most German scholars, also by Elliott.

2. Historical theory: Fulfillment of Revelation is going on in history, and Revelation is the prophetic history of the church, according to this theory.

3. Historical-spiritual theory: This theory is a refinement of the historical theory and was advanced by Sir William Ramsay. It states that the two beasts are Imperial and Provincial Rome. The point of the book is to encourage Christians. According to this theory, Revelation has been largely fulfilled and there are spiritual lessons for the church today. Amillennialism, for the most part, has adopted this view. It dissipates and defeats the purpose of the book.

4. Futurist theory: This theory holds that the Book of Revelation is primarily prophetic and yet future, especially from Revelation 4 on to the end of the book. This is the view of all premillennialists and is the view which we accept and present.

It should be clear to the reader by now that I argue for a combination of approaches: John was certainly influenced by his own world and experiences therein; clearly, Revelation is both prophecy and history.  Just as firmly, I have argued, also, that Revelation is written in mythological and symbolic language and imagery; it must be interpreted as containing revealed insights about primordial beginnings, history, and destiny; and finally, as I have elsewhere argued, Revelation sees God's kingdom fully established as a yet future occurrence--a time to be preceded by tribulation, the at once awe-ful Day of the Lord. The reader may want to look at several millenial passages in making a decision about interpretive stance. What is clearly revealed is a belief in the Second Coming  of Christ after a time of tribulation, suffering and persecution.  The common error of confusing the eternal and the temporal results in much confusion and disagreement about historical events.

 

 

 

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