Day 146

“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.” Rev 8:2 NASB.

The purpose of the trumpets is clarified in connection with the fifth seal (Rev 6:9-11) and assures God’s people that heaven is not indifferent to their suffering. Reference to both the golden altar of incense and the altar of burnt offering, as well as the prayers of God’s people in Rev 8:3,4, connects the trumpets with the scene in 6:9,10,(The souls under the altar). The seven trumpets answer the prayers of His people for judgment on those who have persecuted them. Therefore, the events portrayed in the trumpets likely fall on the opponents of God’s people throughout Christian history. 

The concept of trumpets has a rich background in the OT. There are six Hebrew and two Greek words that are translated as “trumpet” or “blow the trumpet.” Of 144 usages in the Greek OT; 75 are in the context of worship, 33 are used in reference to battle, and 10 warn that an enemy is approaching (Ezekiel 33). 

The most important of these references is Num 10:8-10. This text tells us that trumpets were sacred instruments whether used in worship or in battle. They called on God to remember His covenant. When He heard the trumpet’s call, He would protect and defend his people in battle (v. 9). When trumpets were blown over the sacrifices of Hebrew worship, God “remembered” His people and forgave their sins (v. 10). 

Whenever the priests blew the trumpets God acted. So the blowing of trumpets was a symbol of covenant prayer. When God’s people pray on the basis of His promises, He will respond. He will deliver them from human enemies and also from the enemy of sin. 

On the surface, the seven trumpets sound like a litany of war and disaster. But at a deeper level, they portray a spiritual concept. They are a symbol of God’s people calling out for Him to right the wrongs on this earth. God responds to the trumpet’s call.