The seventh seal was finally opened but there was silence for half an hour. The seven angels which may or may not be the ones with the seals, were now given seven shofars (trumpets), perhaps getting ready to blow. Another angel came before the throne where there was also a golden altar. This angel had brought with him a golden censer filled with a lot of incense, which are the prayers of the believers. It appears that the normal procedure would be to present the incense on the golden altar. On this occasion, the angel took fire from the altar and put with the incense in the censer and cast it towards earth. This caused thunder, lightning and earthquakes on earth.
Then the seven angels with the shofars started blowing:
At the first shofar call: hail and fire mixed with blood were cast towards earth, causing a third of the trees and grass on earth to burn.
At the second shofar call: a great burning mountain was cast into the sea, causing a third of the sea to become blood, a third of sea creatures to die and a third of the ships on earth to be destroyed.
At the third shofar call: a burning star, perhaps like a meteorite fell to a third of the rivers and water resources, causing the water supply to become polluted. This leads to the death of many people from drinking the water.
At the fourth shofar call: a third of the sun, moon and stars were darkened and caused earth to be darkened. This shofar called does not appear to cause direct destruction. However, an angel flew heaven and announced more terrible calamity to be unleashed when the next three trumpets will sound.
Revelation 8
Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets
1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck
7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth.[a] And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck
8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck
10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.
Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck
12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.
13 And I looked, and I heard an angel[b] flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
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