- Sep 8, 2012
- 155
- 166
- 43
- Faith
- Christian
- Country
- Philippines
Parallelisms Between The Trumpets and The Last Plagues
Be it known that this post was taken from the article: Revelation And Its Mysteries
Please bear with the poor English of the poster.
If we’re going to compare the 7 Trumpets to the 7 Last Plagues (Bowls) and study them closely, we will see that there are two parallelisms between them:
1) Parallelism of Imagery – “earth,” “sea,” “rivers and the fountains of waters,” and “heaven.” This occurs only from their 1st corresponding stages up to their 4ths. This is NOT time related
2) Parallelism of (Symbolic) Events. This is also NOT time related and it occurs, as I understand it, from their 1st corresponding stages up to somewhere between the mid part and end part of their 6th stages.
1ST TRUMPET <-> 1ST BOWL
1st Trumpet:
(Rev 8:7 KJV) 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.
1st Bowl:
(Rev 16:2 KJV) And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
Parallelism of Imagery: Earth
Parallelism of Events: Hail and fire mingled with blood were cast upon the earth in the 1st Trumpet whereas a vial which causes noisome and grievous sore was poured out upon the earth in the 1st Bowl.
Explanation of Parallelism of Symbolic Events between the 1st Trumpet and the 1st Bowl:
Their parallelism here is not obvious. We have to examine them to find it. In the 1st Trumpet, we see the phrase “third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.” This phrase is similar to that of Joel 1:19-20. If we will study the context of that passage and the preceding ones, we will see that what it meant is food shortages (it may include other things of life). At least, that’s one of the possible meanings our phrase in the 1st Trumpet could have. Now, let’s examine the word “sore” in the 1st Plague from Strong’s Greek Dictionary.
G1668 hel’-kos
Probably from G1670; an ulcer (as if drawn together): – sore.
In the Aramaic, the word “sore(s)” has the meaning boil, ulcer.
Analysis Page of Rev 16:2
This word is in the singular form in Rev 16:2. In the account of The Richman and Lazarus the plural form of this word is used.
Here are what the commentators on the account of The Richman and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) have to say about about this word:
The People’s New Testament (1891) by B. W. Johnson:
Full of sores. Cutaneous sores are most common in connection with abject poverty.
Barnes:
Full of sores – Covered with ulcers; afflicted not only with poverty, but with loathsome and offensive ulcers, such as often are the accompaniments of poverty and want. These circumstances are designed to show how different was his condition from that of the rich man. “He” was clothed in purple; the poor man was covered with sores; “he” fared sumptuously; the poor man was dependent even for the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table.
According to Wikipedia, the risk factors of Leishmaniasis, a kind of skin ulcer, are:
Risk factors include poverty, malnutrition, deforestation, and urbanization.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leishmaniasis#cite_note-WHO2014-2
The parallelism of the 1st Trumpet and the 1st Bowl is poverty or shortages of things of life.
2ND TRUMPET <-> 2ND BOWL
2nd Trumpet:
(Rev 8:8 KJV) And 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;
(Rev 8:9 KJV) And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
2nd Bowl:
(Rev 16:3 KJV) And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
Parallelism of Imagery: Sea
Parallelism of Symbolic Events: The sea turned into blood but blood of a corpse in the 2nd Bowl.
Explanation of Parallelism of Symbolic Events between the 2nd Trumpet and the 2nd Bowl: None yet.
3RD TRUMPET <-> 3RD BOWL
3rd Trumpet:
(Rev 8:10 KJV) And 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;
(Rev 8:11 KJV) And 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.
3rd Bowl:
(Rev 16:4 KJV) And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
(Rev 16:5 KJV) And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
(Rev 16:6 KJV) For they have shed the blood of, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
(Rev 16:7 KJV) And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
Parallelism of Imagery: Rivers and Fountains of waters
Parallelism of Symbolic Events: In the 3rd Trumpet the waters turned bitter and in the 3rd Bowl into blood.
Explanation of Parallelism of Symbolic Events between the 3rd Trumpet and the 3rd Bowl:
3rd Trumpet:
It has already been explained above (Explanation of the Fourth Section=>The Messages of the Three Angels=>The Third Angel) that the great star that fell was the false prophet. The word “waters” here represent God’s Truths and His Gospel. These waters were made bitter. Sometimes, the word “bitter” means afflictions as in Ruth 1:20, but, it could also mean false doctrines or idolatrous persons that cause one to turn away from God and to be defiled according to Deu 29:18. The word “died” or “perished” in this Trumpet could mean the opposite of “spiritually saved” like what is meant in 1 Cor 1:18, 2 Cor 4:3, and in 2 Thess 2:9-11 which is exactly about the false prophet and his lying wonders. Many people died spiritually because of the “living” waters that were made bitter.
3rd Bowl:
Blood was given to be drunk by those who have shed the blood of the saints and prophets (Rev 16:6). What does that mean? There are many instances in the bible where blood denotes guilt with the anticipation of judgment and vengeance (Mat 23:33-36, Rev 18:24). Here’s an important thing: the drinking of the blood does NOT imply that the judgment and vengeance occur AT THAT SAME TIME. In Rev 17:6, Babylon the Great was found to be drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Lord Yeshua and this occurred during the time of the 6th head of the beast (Rev 17:6) but she was punished at the time of the 7th head of the beast. (Babylon the Great’s fall down will be caused by the Ten Horns (kings) together with the Beast (Rev 17:16-17). The Beast at that time will be at its 7th head.)
4TH TRUMPET <-> 4TH BOWL
4th Trumpet:
(Rev 8:12 KJV) And 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.
4th Bowl:
(Rev 16:8 KJV) And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
(Rev 16:9 KJV) And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Parallelism of Imagery: Heaven and its hosts
Parallelism of Symbolic Events: In the 4th trumpet the sun, the moon, and the stars were darkened by a third. In the 4th Bowl, the sun was made hotter so that it scorched men with great heat.
Explanation of Parallelism of Symbolic Events between the 4th Trumpet and the 4th Bowl:
Let’s look first at the 4th Bowl:
In here, we see the phrase “scorched with heat.” We will find this phrase in Mat 13:5-6 in the words of our LORD Yeshua himself and His explanation of this phrase in Mat 13:20-21. Tribulation and/or persecution – that’s what it meant but remember, in this plague, it is NOT intended for the saints and the prophets, it could be for those who have shed the blood of the saints and the prophets and have drunk the blood that were given to them in the 3rd Bowl (Rev 16:6). It could be their punishment.
4th Trumpet:
Biblically, the symbolic sun, moon, and stars can refer to:
– The saints and the prophets. Mat 5:14-16, Mat 13:43, Phil 2:15, Dan 12:3
– The Gospel. 2Cor 4:4
– Enlightened way of life. Acts 26:18
The “smiting” and “darkening” are words that can have a meaning similar to that of “scorched with heat” in the 4th Bowl: persecution/tribulation. The word “darkness” itself has the following definitions in the Hebrew:
H2822 חשׁך chôshek kho-shek’
From H2821; the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness: – dark (-ness), night, obscurity.
If we will take into account the parallelism between this trumpet and the 4th Bowl, this trumpet may be seen as denoting a time of persecution/tribulation of God’s people. The smiting in this trumpet could be or could include the killings or martyrdoms of God’s servants and their brothers in the then future of the prophetic 5th Seal (red colored clause):
Rev 6:9-11 KJV
(9) And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
(10) And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
(11) And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Note what the souls of those who had already been slaughtered cried out to the Lord (blue colored sentence). This could be the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that is being offered together with great quantity of incense at the start of the vision of the Seven Trumpets.
Rev 8:2-4 KJV
(2) And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
(3) And 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.
(4) And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
Now, read the verse that immediately follows the 4th Trumpet:
(Rev 8:13 ASV) And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who are yet to sound.
Isn’t this verse implying that the voices of the other three trumpets are the answer to the prayers of the saints in the altar? As for me, it is and that means at this point in time, the killings/martyrdoms has already been fulfilled. This knowledge will make us look at the past trumpets especially to the last one which is the 4th Trumpet for the fulfillment of this event. Well, the smiting which resulted in the darkening, the parallelism, and the voice of the eagle flying in mid heaven signaling the completion of the fulfillment of the killings/martyrdoms all agree that the 4th Trumpet symbolically portrays the final martyrdom/persecution of the saints.
5TH TRUMPET <-> 5TH BOWL
5th Trumpet:
Read Rev 9:1-11 in your own bible.
5th Bowl:
(Rev 16:10 KJV) And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
(Rev 16:11 KJV) And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
Explanation of Parallelism of Symbolic Events between the 5th Trumpet and the 5th Bowl:
In the 5th Trumpet, the Locust Army which was explained in the article Revelation And Its Mysteries will cause shortages in things of life including food. The rule – No Mark No Buying or Selling will result in hunger and poverty.
In the 5th Plague, the kingdom of the beast was plunged into darkness and they blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores. Remember the word “sore” in Rev 16:11. This word is the same word that we have studied in the 1st Plague with risk factors that include poverty and malnutrition. Also the word “pain” in Rev 16:10 and 11 has this definition:
1 grief JLAtg, Syr, LJLA. –(a) pain JBAmb, JBA, Man.
2 wound, sore Syr, JBAmb, JBA. –(a) ulcer JBA. –( B) disease (?) Syr.
6TH TRUMPET <-> 6TH BOWL
6th Trumpet:
Read Rev 9:13-21 in your own bible. (Note: this is just a part of the 6th Trumpet)
6th Bowl:
Read Rev 16:12-14 in your own bible. (Note: this is just a part of the 6th Bowl)
Parallelism of (Symbolic) Events: Both accounts speak of great armies. Both mentioned the great river Euphrates. In the 6th Trumpet, in the mid part, the Biblical image of our LORD Yeshua is portrayed as “roaring as a lion” and swearing that there will be no more time. In the 6th Bowl, somewhere between the mid part and the end part, our LORD Yeshua gives a warning about His coming.
Part 2 will be posted soon.
