End Days seven seals and seven trumpets.
What Are the Seven Seals and Trumpets in Revelation?
Reminiscent of the 10 plagues to fall on Egypt during the Exodus (Exodus 7-11), a series of catastrophic events will take place during the End Days to enact the judgment of God upon the earth.
Although Revelation does have more plagues than just the seven seals and seven trumpets (the seven bowls and the seven thunders—the latter of which John was not even allowed to write down their specific calamities: Revelation 10:4), this article will cover the seals and trumpets.
The article will discuss all 14 of these plagues, discuss the importance of the number seven in Scripture, and will cover why we should care about these events that will take place in Revelation.
Number 7 in the Bible: Symbolism and Importance
Number symbolism spans all of Scripture, and seven plays a particularly important role, especially in Revelation. Seven tends to mean wholeness and perfection. The reason the devil adopts the number 666 is that six tends to represent incompletion or imperfection.
God created the world in seven days (Genesis 1), Revelation speaks to seven churches, and the Israelites have seven annual holy days, according to BibleStudy.org.
Because each plague in Revelation comes in a septet, this signifies completion or perfection of the wrath of God.
What Do the Seven Seals of Revelation Mean?
These seals make an appearance in Revelation 6:1-17 and Revelation 8:1-5. When John sees a scroll in heaven, which no being except for “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” can open (Revelation 5:4-5), John watches as God breaks open the seals one by one to unfurl the scroll. The First Seal (Revelation 6:2)
"And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer."
This first seal introduces the antichrist onto the scene as a rider of a white horse. This rider wears a crown and will deceive many with talks of peace, but he will wage war against the saints.
The Second Seal (Revelation 6:4)
"And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword."
Despite the promises of peace from the antichrist, warfare will break out after this seal breaks. A red rider on a horse slays a great number of people.
The Third Seal (Revelation 6:5)
"When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand." A rider on a black horse will spread famine throughout the earth. With whatever population is left on the earth from after the warfare, they will have to survive by bare means of food.
The Fourth Seal (Revelation 6:7-8)
"When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth." Death, riding upon a pale horse, wipes out one-fourth of the earth. Many had attributed the events of the second through fourth seals to the great wars, famines, and bubonic plague which wiped out good portions of Europe in the 14th century.
The Fifth Seal (Revelation 6:9)
"When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne."
Those martyred will ask God how long until He judges the earth. They are told a little while longer and given a white robe.
The Sixth Seal (Revelation 6:12-14)
"When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place." Catastrophic natural events take place from a rattling earthquake, the sun turning black, the moon turning blood-red, and mountains and islands disappearing.
The Seventh Seal (Revelation 8:1)
"When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour."
Silence fills heaven. Reminiscent of the Sabbath day of rest God took on the seventh day after creation, a brief pause occurs before the following judgments.
What Do the Seven Trumpets Mean?
After the silence, angels sound the seven trumpets, the next septet of judgment. The First Trumpet (Revelation 8:7)
"The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up."
Hail, fire, and blood will rain down on the earth and wipe out one-third of all plant life.
The Second Trumpet (Revelation 8:8)
"The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood."
A burning mountain falls into the sea, turns one-third of the ocean to blood, and one-third of all sea life dies. The Third Trumpet (Revelation 8:10)
"The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water."
A star called wormwood poisons one-third of all the fresh water supply.
The Fourth Trumpet (Revelation 8:12)
"The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night."
One-third of the moon, stars, and sun darkens. The Fifth Trumpet (Revelation 9:3-11)
"Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, their hair like women's hair, and their teeth like lions' teeth; they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon." Demon locusts with human faces, long hair, lion’s teeth, and the power of a scorpion sting plague and sting nonbelievers for five months. Those who are stung will wish for death.
The Sixth Trumpet (Revelation 9:12-18)
"The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come. Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths."
Four fallen angels are released and wipe out people from sulfur and fire pouring out of their mouths. They manage to wipe out one-third of mankind. The Seventh Trumpet (Revelation 11:15)
"Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." Another break from the plagues, and onto the seven bowls of judgment, 24 elders in heaven declare it’s time to destroy those who destroy the earth. The temple in heaven opens, featuring the Ark of the Covenant. Battle of Armageddon
Tribulation
Signs of the End Times
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Seventh Seal Opened
What Is the Death Angel?
Is the Battle of Armageddon around the Corner?
Signs of End Times
The 70th year events are described in Daniel 9:27
Daniel 9:27: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
1. The final seven years begin when the Antichrist makes a peace covenant with the nation of Israel.
Three and one-half years into the final seven the Antichrist breaks the covenant. He puts an end to sacrifices and offerings in the temple; and, indwelt by Satan (Revelation 12:9, 12; 13:4), he sets up the Abomination of Desolation in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus says, “Get out of town fast the Holocaust is now beginning!”
2. The Battle of Armageddon soon follows and the Antichrist is cast into a hellish prison (Revelation 19:20).
Second Coming of Christ
The second coming of Christ is in two parts: the Rapture which occurs sometime around the beginning of the last seven years and the Revelation which concludes at the end of the seven years.
Note the following verses that reveal a Biblical paradox concerning Christ’s second coming. In each case, the first verse describes the Rapture while the second verse describes the Revelation.
1 Thessalonians 4:17: "...we will meet the Lord in the air."
Zechariah 14:4-5: “His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.”
1 Thessalonians 5:2 and Revelation 16:15: “He will come in secret, as a ‘thief in the night.’”
Revelation 1:7: "Every eye will behold Him."
Titus 2:13: “The return of Christ is a time of blessing and hope.”
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9: “The return of Christ is a time of punishment and judgment.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and John 14:2-3: “He will come ‘for’ His saints.’”
Zechariah 14:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Revelation 19:11-16: “He will come ‘with’ His saints.” 
Dear Roger, I am scared. It seems that the world is falling apart and I have so many questions. How will we know who the Antichrist is? Are we Christians going to suffer through all the violence and disasters talked about in Revelation? When will the rapture take place? Can you sort these things out for me? Sincerely, Angie
Dear Angie,
I wish that I could answer all of your questions clearly and with great certainty. Unfortunately, God has chosen not to give us all the information necessary to answer all of our questions with certainty. But God has given us enough information to get us way down the road in understanding the book of Revelation and in discerning what’s going to be happening in the end times.
End Times Prophecy
Understanding the return of Jesus and end-time events starts in Daniel 9:24-27.
These verses form the skeleton for all prophecy. All other prophetical passages are the meat on the skeleton. Revelation, Ezekiel, the Olivet Discourse, 1 & 2 Thessalonians are only understood with a foundational understanding of Daniel 9.
Without going into detailed explanations, trust me to give a simple overview.
God had a plan for Israel that lasted 70 years. We know these years as the Babylonian Captivity. At the conclusion of the 70 years, God revealed to Daniel that He had another program for Israel (Daniel 9:1-23) which would last 490 years and culminate at the second coming of Christ.
God’s new plan for Israel began at the command of Artaerxes (444 B.C.) to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem. The program would end 490 years later at the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Let’s simplify: The time from the decree to restore Jerusalem until Jesus would come is 483 years. Using Jewish prophetic years of 360 days per year this figures out, incredibly, to April 6, 32 A.D. 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, Christ rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The 483 year period is over. There are seven years left to complete the plan.
Jesus knew Daniel’s prophecy. He knew that this was the exact day he was to enter Jerusalem. Unfortunately, He knew that the people failed to understand what was happening. “If only you had known,” He said. And He wept over the city.
This is a tremendous confirmation of the Word of God! 483 years after the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, Jesus Christ road into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey.
End Times Timeline
Three events occur after the end of 483 years and before the beginning of the last seven-year period.
1. Jesus Was Crucified.
Daniel 9:26a: “After the 483 years, the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.”
Here is one of the clearest testimonies in the Bible of the death of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:8 and Matthew 16:21).
2. The Temple And The City Of Jerusalem Was Destroyed.
Daniel 9:26b: “The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood.”
The “Ruler who is to come" refers to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans who were led by Titus in 70 A.D. Titus foreshadowed the Antichrist who would eventually destroy the temple and then rule during the last seven-year-period known as the Tribulation. He's the little horn of Daniel 7:8 and the Beast of Rev. 13.
3. Wars Will Continue Unabated Until The 70th “Seven” Commences.
Daniel 9:26c: “War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.”
There is a “time out” after the end of 483 years and before the beginning of the last seven years. We are not in “time out” (Luke 4:18-21, Isaiah 61:1-2 and Hosea 3:4-5).
At the Triumphant Entry of Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, 30 AD, God's prophetic time clock stopped. The hands are poised at 483, indicating that there is still one "seven" to go.
Think of it like the time clock at the end of a football game. Time out is called with ten seconds left. All the fans are anxiously waiting for final play. How long is football game? 60 minutes. Not really. The time from start to finish is often three hours.
How long is God's plan for Israel? 490 years. Not really.
4. The time period between the crucifixion of Jesus and his second coming is known as the “Great Parenthesis” or, the “Church Age.”
At the conclusion of this period, the final-seven years will occur.
Signs of End Times
The 70th year events are described in Daniel 9:27
Daniel 9:27: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
1. The final seven years begin when the Antichrist makes a peace covenant with the nation of Israel.
Three and one-half years into the final seven the Antichrist breaks the covenant. He puts an end to sacrifices and offerings in the temple; and, indwelt by Satan (Revelation 12:9, 12; 13:4), he sets up the Abomination of Desolation in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus says, “Get out of town fast the Holocaust is now beginning!”
2. The Battle of Armageddon soon follows and the Antichrist is cast into a hellish prison (Revelation 19:20).
Second Coming of Christ
The second coming of Christ is in two parts: the Rapture which occurs sometime around the beginning of the last seven years and the Revelation which concludes at the end of the seven years.
Note the following verses that reveal a Biblical paradox concerning Christ’s second coming. In each case, the first verse describes the Rapture while the second verse describes the Revelation.
1 Thessalonians 4:17: "...we will meet the Lord in the air."
Zechariah 14:4-5: “His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.”
1 Thessalonians 5:2 and Revelation 16:15: “He will come in secret, as a ‘thief in the night.’”
Revelation 1:7: "Every eye will behold Him."
Titus 2:13: “The return of Christ is a time of blessing and hope.”
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9: “The return of Christ is a time of punishment and judgment.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and John 14:2-3: “He will come ‘for’ His saints.’”
Zechariah 14:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Revelation 19:11-16: “He will come ‘with’ His saints.”
The only way to reconcile these verses is to understand that Christ's second coming is in two stages:
Rapture
The first stage occurs when Christ comes in the air, in secret, in great blessing and hope, for His saints to remove them to Heaven. This is called the Rapture. Rapture comes from a Latin word, Rapturo which means to catch away.
The Rapture is not without precedent (Both Enoch (Genesis 5:24: Hebrews 11:5) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:1 and 11) were raptured.
Revelation
The second stage occurs at the end of the last seven-year period when Christ comes to the ground, with every eye on Him, with His saints, to bring judgment and punishment. This is called the Revelation.
Will Christians be here? That depends upon which scenario you choose.
There are three major choices with a number of variation to consider as we attempt to pinpoint when rapture will occur during the end times:
1. Pre-Tribulation is the view that the rapture will occur sometime before, or at the beginning, of the final seven years. This is the view my wife espouses. She doesn’t want to be anywhere near those last seven years.
God has rescued His people from great trouble in the past. He closed the door of the ark and Noah and his family were saved from the flood.
He opened the Red Sea to make a way of escape for Israel when the Egyptians were on them.
In Daniel 3, Daniel is absent from the fiery furnace. Some believe that by missing the fire he is a pre-figure of the deliverance of Christians by the rapture.
Of course, there are numerous pictures in Revelation of Christians who are undergoing suffering. Many suppose that these are people who missed the rapture but received Christ afterwards. Or, on the other hand, Post-Tribulationists believe this.
2. Mid-Tribulation is the view that the rapture will occur in the middle of the seven years when the Antichrist sets up the Abomination Of Desolation on the altar in the Temple. Like pre-Tribulationists, mid-Tribulationists will not experience the horrors of the last 3½ years described in Revelation.
I espouse the Mid-Tribulation (my wife is pre-tribulation!) position and expect to figure out who the Antichrist is through the number of his name: 666. I want to see the peace treaty; no matter what, I want out of here before the last 3½ years occur.
3. Post-Tribulationists believe that the rapture occurs after the seven-years, and that, therefore, Christians will go through the horrors described in the book of Revelation. There are verses that may support this interpretation, but I hope not. I don’t want to be anywhere around that horrible time.
How to Prepare for the End Times
1. Don’t be caught off guard. Live a pure and holy life. Prophecy is a call to holy living.
2. Be certain that you are a Christian: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”
3. Plan as though He weren't coming for 1000 years; but live as if He were coming in the next 10 minutes.
Well, Angie, I hope that I’ve been able to take a fascinating and complex subject and make it as simple as I can. I hope you find it helpful.
Love, Roger
This article is part of our larger End Times Resource Library. Learn more about the rapture, the anti-christ, bible prophecy and the tribulation with articles that explain Biblical truths. You do not need to fear or worry about the future!
