Revelation 8:1 And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour.
(Silence because the Accuser, Satan, is thrown out of heaven and cast to earth. This is the great hour of temptation. It is a 5 month period, see 9:5. We see here the opening of the seventh seal; for then it will start the sounding of the seven trumpets. Though the seals are not in chronological order, However, the trumpets are sounded to do an action. The trumpets are actions that are in order, and acted upon at the sounding of each of the trumpets. Though the white horse of the first seal [Antichrist's arrival] is stated first as a seal, it is the fifth trumpet that sounds his arrival upon the earth. The seventh seal is the final seal and also the seventh trumpet. This first "half an hour" will be completed in the eleventh chapter. This is the hour of temptation; the first part of that hour. This hour is when the Antichrist is on earth, and he is the "son of perdition", which will be discussed in Revelation 17, which includes each of the first six seals. Jesus spoke to His disciples about each of these seals in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, as He sat on the Mount of Olives just prior to his death. The seventh seal of Jesus' warning has to do with the "parable of the Fig Tree". When you observe this tree, it will bring forth leaves, and not fruit. Our generation is told that when we observe this, the reestablishment of the Jews back in Israel, the prophecies of the the end times would all take place, and that generation would observe them all. That generation started in May of 1948, when the Nation of Israel was established. This seal, then is the seal that will allow our generation to witness all the prophecies of the final days. It's not difficult to understand when you see what the seven trumpets are. They will come to pass in order, and with that seal, or knowledge in our minds, we can identify each of them.)
2 And I saw the seven angels who stood before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
(cp. Num.10:9, &c.)
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar,
(The altar of God.)
having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense,
(Incense symbolic of prayers going up to God, see 5:8.)
that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne.
(Glorious realities in heaven. The small golden altar of the Tabernacle and the larger one of Solomon's Temple were but copies in miniature. See Hab. 8:5; 9:23,24.)
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.
(God hears your prayers)
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire from the altar, and cast it onto the earth; and there were voices
(The ministers of fire, see Ps. 103-104; Rev. 10:1-10.)
and thunderings and lightnings, and an earthquake.
(Chs. 6 & 7 present the six seals, the sixth carrying on to the end. The seventh seal contains a new series of judgments under the seven trumpets [8:7-11:14] and the seven vials [16:1-18:24]. The seventh seal thus embraces the period of both trumpets and vials [8:7-18:24], and is immediately followed by the Apocalypse [Unveiling of "The Word of God"], the Son of Adam. The 7 trumpets are in exact chronological order and will happen exactly in this order. The first six trumpets relate to the earth, the seventh to heaven [11:15]. The seven are divided into four and three, the last three being woe trumpets. The judgments and woes now to be set forth are just as real, as literal, as the judgments predicted and fulfilled in the past history of Israel; Ex. 34:10. Deut. 28:10. Isa. 11:15,16. Mic. 7:13-15.)
6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
(They mean action about to take place -Warning! The 7 trumpets are in Chronological order. Observe the first 6 seals and intuitively recognize the 7 trumpets.)
The Second Vision on Earth.
the first 3 trumpets
7-. The first trumpet.
-7-. The earth smitten (hail and fire &c.)
-7. The third part of the trees.
8-. The second trumpet.
-8-. The sea smitten (burning mountains, &c.)
-8. Third part of sea blood.
9. Death of living creatures in sea.
10-. The third trumpet.
-10,11-. The waters smitten (star falling, &c.)
-11-. Third part of waters wormwood.
-11. Death of men.
12-. The fourth trumpet.
-12-. The heaven smitten (sun, moon, and stars)
-12. Third part darkened.
7 The first angel sounded,
(1st trumpet, action, warning, hand of God. Cp. Zech. 1. Peace cries begin.)
and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth;
(this burning up is from torment, i.e. not literal "fire".)
and a third part of the trees were burned up,
(as in 7:1,3; 9:4. = People, See Ps. 1:3, Judg. 9:7-15.)
and all green grass was burned up.
(See 6:8; 9:4. Mark 6:39)
8 And the second angel sounded,
(2nd trumpet)
and as it were, a great mountain burning with fire
(= the truth, burns people mentally when they find out they have been deceived.)
was cast into the sea; and a third part of the sea became blood;
(= people of the world. Ever been to a stadium and see people do the wave? Sea is a figure of speech meaning multitudes. See 17:15 for Divine the definition.)
9 And a third part of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died,
(We are creatures in the sea [i.e. peoples] of the word. Here this speaks of a spiritual death not a physical death.)
and a third part of the ships were destroyed.
(Symbolical of commerce.)
10 And the third angel sounded,
(3rd trumpet)
and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as if it were a lamp,
(= false light, lies. See 2 Cor. 11:14. Here we have the four horns, the four hidden dynasties of the book of Daniel, of the beast system beginning: I = Education, II = Political, III = Economy, IV = Religion. Can you see these today? Wake up!!!)
and it fell upon a third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of waters;
(These followed Satan in the first earth age. See Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:7. Waters = people, see Rev. 17:15, Isa. 8:7-8.)
11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood.
(= bitterness = Satan.)
And a third part of the waters became wormwood;
(When the false messiah comes they will begin to worship him.)
and many men died
(= spiritual death.)
from the waters, because they were made bitter.
(Biblically illiterate)
12 And the fourth angel sounded,
(4th trumpet.)
and a third part of the sun was smitten,
(= eclipse, deception.)
and a third part of the moon and a third part of the stars,
(Simulating appearance of Christ. Stars = children of God, see Job 38:7. The Lord Himself foretold these signs. See Matt. 24:29. Mark 13:24. Luke 21:25, and cp. Isa. 5:30. Ezek. 7,8. Joel 2:10,30,31; 3:15. Amos 5:20; 8:9. Zeph. 1:14-16.)
so that a third part of them was darkened; and a third of the day shone not, and the night likewise.
13 And I beheld, and heard an eagle
(see Deut. 32:11)
flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the other voices of the trumpets of the three other angels, which are yet to sound!"
(The woe trumps = trouble on earth. Satan's great M.O.[method of operation] is deception through the "churches".)