✝
← Bible
ARCBLIVREKJV

Revelation 8

KJV · Chapter 8/22

1And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

2And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

3And 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.

4And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.

5And 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.

6And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

7The 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.

8And 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;

9And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

10And 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;

11And 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.

12And 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.

13And 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!

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The Lamb opens the seventh and final seal, causing silence in heaven, followed by the start of seven judgment trumpets sounded by angels. The first four trumpets bring plagues affecting the earth, the sea, the rivers, and the heavenly bodies, recalling the plagues of Egypt.

Explanation

The silence in heaven for 'about half an hour' before the trumpets begin creates a moment of solemn suspense, perhaps representing reverence before the weight of what is about to come. The plagues described — hail mixed with fire, a burning 'mountain' cast into the sea, a star called Wormwood poisoning the waters, a partial darkening of the heavenly bodies — deliberately echo the plagues of Egypt in Exodus 7-10, placing these judgments within the tradition of God confronting oppressive powers to set his people free. It is important to note that these plagues strike only a fraction ('a third'), suggesting partial and still-reversible judgments, unlike total destruction. Today's application is to recognize that apocalyptic language uses dramatic imagery to convey the seriousness of divine judgment on injustice, rather than aiming to calculate specific, literal future events.

Chapters

12345678910111213141516171819202122