This Revelation Timeline Decoded Bible study focuses on the first Trumpet of Revelation 8
Many Pastors teach that when the end times 1st trumpet of Revelation 8 sounds, literal hail and fire will be thrown down to the earth, burning up 1/3rd of the trees and all the green grass.
In this Bible study you will learn that the true historical fulfillment of the first trumpet represents Messiah sending the Goths, led by Alaric, to attack the Roman Empire from 400-410 A.D.
Our Messiah is exacting vengeance against the Roman Empire because Satan had empowered them to kill millions of saints, in his attempt to wipe out the Early Church.
Here’s my Revelation Timeline Decoded Bible Study video on the first trumpet judgment.
Here’s a video from Bible Or Traditions that adds more explanation about the first trumpet judgment.
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.”
The Bible defines hail as symbolic of war.
“Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or have you seen the treasury of hail, Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, For the day of battle and war?“ Job 38:22-23
Isaiah 28:2 speaks of God sending the King of Assyria and his army against the House of Israel, “Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand.”
Fierce Gothic tribes had been at war with the Romans along the Northern frontier for many years, but they were restrained by the genius of Roman military leader Theodosius. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goths
But when he died in 395 A.D., the northern cloud of warriors, who had so long been gathering, discharged itself with fury upon the Roman Empire.
The barriers of the Danube were thrown open, as the uncommon severity of the winter allowed them to roll their large wagons over the broad and icy back of the river.
From 395 – 410 A.D., under the rule of Alaric, the Goths moved in the direction in which literal hail comes, and attacked the Roman empire in Greece, Gaul, Spain, and then 300,000 Goths invaded Italy.
This caused the Roman Empire to withdraw its troops from the British Isles, which made them vulnerable to invasion from Anglos and Saxons from Denmark and NW Germany.
The fire represents their scorched earth policy in their invasions of enemy territory, as they burned everything in their path, and there was much blood being poured out.
Thus did the first great storm of hail lay waste the Roman Empire.
The trees represent the proud and lofty people who were destroyed, as Israel was often likened to trees.
“For thus says the Lord to the house of the king of Judah… I will prepare destroyers against you, everyone with his weapons: and they shall cut down your choice cedars, and cast them into the fire…Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshiped other gods,…O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.” Jeremiah 22:6,7,9,29
Isaiah 40:7 shows that the grass represents common people.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.”
The green grass represents peace among the people, and the burning represents the destruction of the peace, as the countryside was pillaged and ravaged.
Alaric confirmed that he was sent by God to attack the Romans when he said, “It is not of my own will that I do this; there is One who forces me on and will not let me rest, bidding me spoil Rome.”
Can you now see the Biblical, historical fulfillment of First Trumpet of Revelation 8?
Now you know that any person who teaches that it is fulfilled in the future, is teaching you false prophecy.
David Nikao Wilcoxson
Next Revelation Timeline Decoded Bible Study: Revelation 8 – 2nd Trumpet
I’m curious who Mark is that you referred to as interpreting Rev 8:7, and ignoring biblical definitions.
Nice catch Dennis, thank you. Before I wrote this study series, I wrote one that was countering Mark Fairley of The Fuel Project, as his explanations were all futuristic and wrong. I thought I had removed all of the text referring to Mark. Thanks again! Contact me anytime with questions about the studies.
Here is the link to my Review Of The Revelation Fuel Project Guide study series
http://christianitybeliefs.org/revelation-fuel-project-guide/
You better do a little more study (BABE) John was caught up to the lords day Rev 1-10 to write what was going to happen just before the coming of the lord. This first trump is (AFTER) the opening of the 7th seal. Matt 24 mark 13 luke 21 are the six seals of rev 6 The first few verses of Matt 24 gives you the time line. The disciples ask Jesus what would be the sign of his coming and the END of the age NOTE matt 24 Jesus tells the disciples at the end of the age 2 out of 3 preachers will be Fakes. Your time line is off by about 1700 years. Also you might study the parable of the fig tree, matt 24 32-34 last generation started in 1948.
I suggest that you do a little more study Gary, because Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, all point to the desolation of the temple, city and Jews, in 70 A.D.; in that generation, just like Messiah proclaimed that it would be. http://theolivetdiscourse.com
The trumpet judgments were against the pagan Roman Empire, which Satan had used to try to wipe out the early church, killing millions of saints.
Trumpets are symbols employed to indicate war against the enemy.
1st Trumpet – Hail means war in Bible symbolism, and the Lord caused the Goths, who were led by Alaric, to move in the direction in which literal hail came (north to south). They attacked the Roman Empire from 400-410 A.D., in Greece, Gaul, Spain, and then 300,000 Goths invaded Italy. The fire represents their scorched earth policy in their invasions of enemy territory.
2nd Trumpet – A mountain in Biblical symbolism represents a great nation and a sea is a large group of people. It represents the Lord sending the Vandals, led by Genseric, to attack the coast-lands on the Roman territory of the Mediterranean and all the islands from 425-470 A.D., leaving bloodshed and confusion in their wake.
3rd Trumpet – A star in prophecy symbolizes a leader. God sent this great burning star, Attila the king of the Huns, who was called “the scourge of God.” He came from the area around a river in Illyricum which in Greek is called “Apsynthos” (Wormwood). Attila and his 800,000 man army rose quickly and flashed across the land in 451 A.D., and desolated the Italian Alps, which is the source of the Danube, Rhine and Po rivers.
4th Trumpet – The Sun, Moon and Stars symbolizes leadership structure. Here it represents God using Odoacer and the Heruli, a branch of the Goths, to cause the downfall of Roman leadership when Romulus Augustalus, the last Roman Emperor (the Sun) of the West was captured in 476 A.D. The hierarchy of Roman leaders (moon and stars) would have lost their power too.
The 5th Trumpet represents the Lord using the Arabian (Mohammedan) army against the Western Roman Empire from 612-762 A.D., which is 150 years (5 months = 150 days). They wore turbans (crowns of gold); they had beards (faces of men); they had long hair like women; they wore chain-mail (breast-plates of iron); and they were fierce (teeth of lions). The falling star was Mohammed, the smoke out of Satan’s bottomless pit of lies is the Qur’an.
The 6th Trumpet represents the Lord releasing the Turks to cross over the Euphrates River to conquer 1/3rd of the Roman Empire for 391 years (prepared for the hour and day and month and year, 1 + 30 + 360 = 391) from 1062-1453 A.D., which ended when they used large cannons (out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone) to knock down the thick protective walls of Constantinople.
http://revelationtimelinedecoded.com/revelation-fulfillment-timeline-summary/
Funny, there have been no reports of of the heavens rolling away like a scroll and Yahshua coming down on the clouds. There are parts of revelation that have not been fulfilled. I would argue that this is one of those cases of double fulfillment. Yes, it appears that a large part of revelation has come to pass. But there is more meaning to ot than this proposed timeline allows for.
Funny that you don’t understand that the heavens being rolled away like a scroll is not talking about the literal heavens. And I’ve not said that all of Revelation has been fulfilled or that Messiah has returned, so your comments are off-target.
The book of Revelation was given to John to show all of Christs followers what will happen in the end times. I would like to know where in the text you find the direction to interpret future prophecy with historical data. I have read and re read the first eight chapters of Revelation and have found no textual direction to interpret this prophecy of the future with the history of the Roman empire.
I also note that you credit a lot of your symbols as having a given “biblical” meaning, yet your exegetic proof texts are not included. I am curious what textual evidence you base your symbolic interpretations on. Please. I would hate to think you’re playing fast and loose with God’s word.
Tom, in what text do you find the direction to interpret Revelation as all being fulfilled during the last few years?
As for where it declares that it would start to be fulfilled, that’s in the first verse Tom.
Revelation 1:1 says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things WHICH MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE.”
That obviously is saying that the fulfillment of Revelation would start shortly after John wrote the Apocalyptic vision.
Revelation 1:3 says that the time is at hand for these things to begin to be fulfilled:
“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND.”
In Revelation 22:10, Messiah told John not the seal the prophecy, for the time of its fulfillment is at hand.
“And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND.”
Those statements certainly don’t point to all of Revelation being fulfilled in the last few years, but rather to them starting to be fulfilled after the Apocalyptic vision was given to John.
Besides Messiah’s clear words, history unveils prophecy.
We can see by Edward Gibbons documentation of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire, that the seal judgments led to the decline of the Roman Empire; from civil wars, economic strife, famine and pestilence.
And we can also see the fall of the Roman Empire from army after army being sent against it during the Trumpet judgments.
The Old Testament clearly points to trumpets being used for war, and that is exactly what the judgments are pointing to; army after army warring against the mighty Roman Empire.
The symbols of Revelation are defined in the individual studies, and Old Testament references are provided. An example is the 5th Trumpet, which points to locust attacking the Roman Empire. Locust in the Old Testament pointed to Arabian armies. So we can clearly see that it’s pointing to the rise of Islam and the Muslim armies, which have battled against the saints.
The 5th Trumpet represents the Lord using the Arabian (Mohammedan) army against the Western Roman Empire from 612-762 A.D., which is 150 years (5 months = 150 days). They wore turbans (crowns of gold); they had beards (faces of men); they had long hair like women; they wore chain-mail (breast-plates of iron); and they were fierce (teeth of lions). The falling star was Mohammed, the smoke out of Satan’s bottomless pit of lies is the Qur’an.
We can clearly see how Daniel, Paul and John, all pointed to the Popes taking power over the Roman beast, after the pagan Roman Empire fell. http://revelationtimelinedecoded.com/prophecy-points-to-the-leader-of-the-roman-beast/
Revelation is the narrative of the historical battle between the Satan-empowered leader of the Roman beast against Messiah and His saints.
The studies on this website show the historical fulfillment with verse by verse explanations. Did you read the studies and watch the videos Tom?