Seven Trumpet Warnings
Seven Bowls of Wrath
Who will survive?
compiled by Rachel Cory-Kuehl, 2012
Most recent edit: February 10, 2023
Scripture is from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.
THE “TRUMPETS” (Revelation Chapter Eight)
In ancient Israel, trumpets were sounded to warn of impending attack, or as a call to battle. Trumpets were also sounded on the first day of the 7th month, to warn the people to prepare for judgment day - the Day of Atonement, just ten days away. The Trumpet events of Revelation serve to warn the inhabitants of earth, that the “Day of the LORD” - Judgment Day, is fast approaching.
Reviewing the effects of the Trumpet plagues, and those of the final plagues (the 7 Bowls of wrath) will help me to explain why I believe this entire earth will be rendered desolate and lifeless. The redeemed people of God MUST BE REMOVED from this planet before the final plagues begin, because those final plagues are universal.
Just think about the effects.......
First Trumpet: One third of all the trees and all green grass are burned up (Rev. 8:7).
Second Trumpet: One third of life in the ocean is destroyed, and one third of all ships are destroyed, possibly by an asteroid hit, or a massive volcanic eruption. A “great mountain burning with fire” is “thrown into the sea” (Rev. 8:7-8).
Third Trumpet: One third of all water sources are contaminated when “a great star burning like a torch” falls on the rivers and springs. The star is called Wormwood (bitterness). Many are made sick and many die after they drink the bitter tasting water (Rev. 8:10-11).
Fourth Trumpet: One third of sunlight and one third of moonlight is darkened.
Dust may have been thrown into the atmosphere by an asteroid hit, blocking the sun, OR by massive volcanic eruptions, OR by a massive nuclear exchange. Growth of plants for food will be limited.
Fifth Trumpet: Those without “the seal” of God are tormented for five months (Rev. 9:1-11).
It would appear the Lord’s people are protected during this time, just as Israel was protected during the final seven plagues of the Egyptian slavery.
Sixth Trumpet: One third of mankind is killed by “fire, smoke, and brimstone” (melted earth) after “four messengers” headed for the Middle East, are released (Rev. 9:13-21).
This could be asteroid penetrations, but is most probably a great Middle East war, using weapons of mass destruction, perhaps fired from orbiting satellites.
A THIRD - A THIRD - A THIRD - A THIRD - A THIRD
Do you think perhaps the wording - “a third” - is telling us who is behind the trumpet judgments? Satan rebelled with one third of the angels of Heaven (Rev. 12:4).
Every man on the street has heard of “the 7 last plagues.” Few understand that the 7 Trumpet plagues come first. We know that Satan plans to stand in the Temple claiming to be God and demanding worship (2Thess. 2:4). He will want humanity to believe that he is Christ come to rescue mankind, and to save our planet. He will need to fulfill (or seem to fulfill) the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. He will need to cause plagues leading up to his appearance.
Seventh Trumpet: Dominion over the earth is taken from the Beast (controlled by Satan) and is given to the Son of Man (Daniel 7:9-14). The time for judgment has come. Christ will return in glory. Those in covenant with Him will be rescued and removed from the earth on that day, just as the final plagues of wrath are poured out.
NO SURVIVORS!
Final Complete Destruction
Genesis 6:13 “And God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.’”
Genesis 7:21 “And all flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; (NAS)
Luke 17:26-30 “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: . . . the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: . . . on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”
Matthew 24:37 “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. . . . and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
In Noah’s day, the flood destroyed every human being who remained outside of the ark. On the day that Lot was led out of Sodom, the fire destroyed every living thing left inside the city. “Even so,” means “just like that.” The last plagues will destroy all life on planet earth.
continue. See: “Discovering The City of SODOM” by Dr. Steven Collins and Dr. Latayne C. Scott. Book is available on amazon.com. Several videos are playing on You Tube. Look for “Trowling Down.” There is a 50 page report, published in “Nature Magazine,” titled “A Tunguska sized airburst destroyed Tall el-Hammam, a Middle Bronze Age city in the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea.” The blast radius was 15 miles. No one in those cities survived. The force of the blast blew apart objects and people. The intense heat glazed bricks and pottery.
In the TYPE, Lot with his wife and two of his children, were led out of Sodom by the hand of angels just before “fire and brimstone” destroyed the city. Lot was in covenant with the LORD and is called “a righteous man (2Peter 2:7).
Noah (a TYPE of Christ) with his wife, 4 sons, and their wives (a TYPE of the redeemed), was safely protected inside the ark with the door shut, before it began to rain. Noah and Lot were removed from danger, before the final destruction. Likewise, the people of God will be removed before the final plagues destroy all life on planet earth.
The 7 trumpet events come BEFORE the Glorious Return of Christ.
The 7 bowl plagues begin AFTER Christ has removed His people.
The 7 trumpet events are limited in scope, except for #7 which is the Glorious Return.
The 7 bowl plagues are universal in scope.
SEVEN LAST BOWLS OF WRATH - Universal in effect.
The seven bowls of wrath are poured out when the 7th Trumpet sounds in Heaven. These plagues are universal in scope. These are said to be the full “wrath of God” “poured out without mercy” (Rev. 15:1-7; Rev. 16:1).
Every living person will either take the mark, or refuse. Any person who “worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark,” “will drink of the wrath of God” (Rev.13:11) which is poured out as seven last plagues, or bowls of wrath (Rev. 15:1).
Only those whose names ARE written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will refuse to worship the Image of the Beast, or to take his mark. These only will escape the 7 last plagues, because they will be removed from the earth on the day that Christ returns. Anyone left on the earth will die.
A note about young children: At the time of Noah’s flood, there were many young children outside the ark with their parents. There were certainly children and babies left in Sodom and the cities of the plain. I personally believe that all children and all those who lived in ignorance of the LORD, will be resurrected to continue their lives at the 8th millennium (Revelation 20:5). They will be educated and will then choose whom they will serve.
See our study: “The 8th Day - Messiah Reigns.”
THE BEAST WILL RULE THE ENTIRE WORLD
Revelation 13:7-8 [The Beast of Rev. Chapter 13] “And it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to over come them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb. . .”
If ALL who dwell on the earth will serve the Beast, that worship will be worldwide.
If everyone who serves the Beast will suffer the last plagues,
that means last plagues will be worldwide (Rev. 14:9-10).
A harlot rides the Beast (the political system). A “harlot” or “immoral woman,” sold her body for money or favors, outside of marriage. I believe “the harlot” of Revelation, will be Jerusalem (i.e. geopolitical Israel). Isaiah wrote, “the faithful city has become a harlot”(Isa. 1:21). She was once “married” to the LORD. But then she gave herself to foreign powers in exchange for trade, and advantageous treaties (and billions in foreign aid). She adopted the worship of “foreign gods” (money and power). The LORD finally divorced her (Jeremiah 3:8).
NOTE: Rome was never a “faithful city.”
In the last days, the “whore” will endorse the Beast system. She will encourage everyone to go along with that system - to accept “the mark.”
Revelation 11:8 [Speaking of the Two Witnesses] “And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.” (NAS)
Revelation 18:8 “Therefore let her plagues come in one day.”
Revelation 19 details those plagues which will come upon the “great harlot.”
Once again, they are “poured out” on THE DAY that Christ returns in glory.
BOWLS OF WRATH - universal in effect
First Bowl: A plague causing “loathsome sores” (Rev.16:2).
Second Bowl: Every living thing in the sea dies (Rev. 16:3).
If the ocean no longer supports life, there is no food chain.
There is also little oxygen, because sea algae produce 75% of our oxygen.
Third Bowl: All of the rivers and all of the springs of water become like blood.
They will not support life (Rev. 16:4).
Fourth Bowl: The sun scorches men with fire (Rev. 16:8). Possibly a gamma ray burst, or the result of the earth being knocked into a different orbit around the sun.
The “sores” of the first plague may be radiation burns, or may be the result of biological warfare. John may be describing different effects following the same event. Everything is set in motion on the day that Christ removes His people, His Spirit, and His protection, from the earth.
Fifth Bowl: Darkness will cover the “kingdom of the beast” (Rev. 16:10).
The sun will be darkened and the moon will give no light (Matthew 24:29).
“He will clothe the heavens with blackness” (Isaiah 50:3).
The Beast power will rule the entire world - therefore this plague of darkness will be universal. If a large asteroid were to impact earth, dust would be thrown into the atmosphere, blocking sunlight. Scientists believe a similar “hit” wiped out the dinosaurs. The same could result from multiple hits by weapons of mass destruction, or from several massive volcanic eruptions.
Sixth Bowl: Demonic powers gather “the kings of the earth and of the whole world” for a great battle, against the LORD (Rev. 16:14).
The nations of earth will prepare to fight against Christ as if He is an invading alien force.
Seventh Bowl: “Every island fled away and the mountains were not found. Great hail from heaven fell upon men, every hailstone about the weight of a talent [100lbs]” (Rev. 16:18-21).
This will be the greatest earthquake ever known! The surface of the earth will be liquified - broken apart to an incredible degree. This earthquake will open every fault over the face of the entire planet. Psalm 46:6 says the earth will melt, at the presence of the LORD.
Micah 1:3-4 “For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth. The mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will split like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.”
It may be the presence of God, within our dimension, that triggers the wrath plagues.
Isaiah 24:18-20 “For the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken. The earth is violently broken. The earth is split open. The earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut.”
I do not see a universal flood of sea water here. If the “sky” is parted, or “rolled up like a scroll” (Rev. 6:14, Isa. 34:4) that suggests our atmosphere may be disrupted. If the oceans are vaporized, the water vapor may be dispersed into outer space - leaving the planet dry and lifeless.
With no clean air, no clean water, no vegetation on land or sea, severe heat, then darkness, then multiple asteroid showers or hits, while the surface of the earth is broken up and every island sinks - do you really think there could be any human life left on this planet? Many teach that the saints will reign with Christ, during the 7th millennium, over the nations who survive these last plagues. I don’t see that!
oxygen - clean water - vegetation
temperate climate
ALL GONE !
Revelation 6:12-14 “There was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll which is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.”
Imagine the forces it will take! Christ said that He would return, “in the glory of His Father.” This is the power that created a billion suns!
The stars will not literally “fall” to earth. John may be describing an asteroid shower, or the stars may have the appearance of falling as the earth reels to and fro.
Isaiah 13:13 “Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger.”
Matthew 24:35-37 [Christ speaking] “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
PLEASE TELL ME!
HOW COULD ANY HUMAN LIFE CONTINUE ON THIS PLANET
AFTER THESE EVENTS?
2 Peter 3:7, 10-12 “But the heavens and the earth which now exist are kept in store by the same word, reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
. . . “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
2 Peter 3:7, 10-12 (continued) “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
“I beheld the earth, and indeed
it was without form, and void;
And the heavens, they had no light.
I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled,
And all the hills moved back and forth.
I beheld, and indeed there was no man,
And all the birds of the heavens had fled.
I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness,
And all its cities were broken down
At the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger” (Jeremiah 4:23-26).
WITHOUT FORM - AND VOID
“Without form and void” (Strong’s # 08414 & #0922) – these are the same Hebrew words that were used to describe the earth on the first day of creation, before God made anything (Genesis 1:2). The earth was dark, and without life. This prophecy of Jeremiah, was written before the Babylonians destroyed Judea, and Jerusalem. It is a dual prophecy.
Yes. It was a prophecy of the coming destruction of Jerusalem, by the Babylonians. Much more, it is a prophecy of the final destruction of the whole earth. The ancient destruction was a TYPE (a symbolic warning) for us in these last days, before the “coming of the Son of Man” (1Cor. 10:11). The Babylonians did NOT kill every man in Judea, and the cities of that day were not destroyed by “the presence of the LORD.”
Isaiah 2:17-21 “And the loftiness of man shall be lowered down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. But the idols He shall utterly abolish. They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily.”
All of Isaiah it is claimed, was only a prophecy of the Babylonian destruction of Judea, but these verses speak of the “glory of His majesty” which was not seen at the conquest of ancient Judea. The whole earth did NOT “reel like a drunkard” nor was it “clean dissolved” when Jerusalem fell. Men hid themselves from the Babylonians - yes. At the Second Coming, men will hide themselves from “the glory of His majesty” (Rev. 6:15).
Zephaniah 1:2-3: “‘I will utterly consume all things from off the land,’ Says the Lord. ‘I will consume man and beasts; I will consume the birds of the heaven, the fish of the sea, and the shrines with the wicked; and I will cut off man from the face of the earth,’ Says the Lord.”
Zephaniah was a prince descended from King David. He was the great, great, grandson of King Hezekiah, and second cousin of King Josiah. He was also a prophet of God. The warning given to Israel before the Babylonian destruction - a warning of impending doom - is a DUAL prophecy. It was for them. It is also for us!
Zephaniah 1:14-18 “. . . On the day of the Lord’s wrath; And all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.” NAS
Zephaniah wrote in the days before the Babylonian destruction. When the Babylonians attacked Judea they did not kill every inhabitant. They left the poorest of the people in the land.
This prophecy of destruction is a dual prophecy. It will have another - complete - fulfillment.
After Jesus removes His own people to safety, the plagues which follow WILL “rid” the earth of “ALL” inhabitants. “Walk like blind men” (v.17) might refer to the plague of darkness or to the effect of the intense brightness of His coming, as Saul was struck blind by the glory of the risen Christ, on the road to Damascus.
Nahum 1:5,6,8 “The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence. Yes, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, And darkness will pursue His enemies.”
DESTRUCTION OF THE NATIONS
Isaiah Chapter 34
34:1-2 “Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world and all things that come forth from it. For the indignation of the LORD is against all nations, And His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter.” (See also Revelation 16:14.)
Isaiah Chapter 34 (continued)
34:3 “Also their slain shall be thrown out; Their stench shall rise from their corpses, And the mountains shall be melted with their blood.”
34:4 “All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll. All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree.” (See also Revelation 6:14.)
34:8-10 “For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion. Its streams shall be turned into pitch, And its dust into brimstone; Its land shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night or day; Its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; No one shall pass through it forever and ever.” (See also Revelation 14:10-11 & Revelation 19:3.)
This is a prophecy concerning “Edom” (the kingdom of Esau’s descendants, v.5-6). The LORD calls them “the people of My curse.” But the “land of Edom” is not still burning today. The ancient destruction of Edom by the Babylonians was the TYPE. The rest of the passage tells us that this prophecy concerns the whole earth - burned with unquenchable fire.
34:11 “He shall stretch out over it the line of confusion [meaning ‘without form’] and the stones of emptiness” [meaning ‘void’].
Once again we have “without form and void” (Jeremiah 4:23-26, Genesis 1:2).
ISAIAH’S DESCRIPTION DETAILS THE EFFECTS
Isaiah Chapter 24
24:1 “Behold the Lord makes the earth empty, and makes it waste, distorts its surface and scatters abroad its inhabitants.”
24:3 “The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered; for the LORD has spoken this word.”
24:6 “Therefore, the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate; therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men left.”
The “few men left” will be the redeemed - evacuated to safety by Christ.
24:13 “It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done.” (See also Rev. 6:13 & Rev 14:19-20.)
24:18 “And the foundations of the earth are shaken.”
24:19 “The earth is violently broken. The earth is split open.
The earth is shaken exceedingly.”
24:20 “The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.”
24:21 “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish on high the host of exalted ones, [Satan and his angels] and on the earth the kings of the earth. They [the host of exalted ones] will be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and will be shut up in the prison. After many days they will be punished.”
Revelation 20:1-3 “And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time” (NAS).
This “angel” - “messenger,” is Jesus Christ. He is the “fit man,” who will banish the scapegoat to the “uninhabited place” on the Day of Judgment.
THE LAND WILL REST
The Lord commanded a rest for “the land” every 7th year. No crops were to be planted. Nothing from the field or vine was to be harvested. It was called the Sabbath of the 7th year (Lev. 25:2-7). They were to sow again - in the eighth year. This was a prophecy.
The earth has groaned under Satan’s cruel domination, for almost 6000 years. The earth will soon rest for 1000 years. The gospel will not be “sown” during that time, and no souls will be “harvested” for the kingdom.
The redeemed of Christ will “sow” again, at the 8th millennium, when “the rest of the dead” are raised to continue their lives in the Kingdom of Messiah (Rev 20:5). By that time the redeemed will be trained as “priests of God and of Christ” (Rev. 20:6).
NOTE: The seventy years of Babylonian captivity during which the land lay desolate, were to fulfill 70 sabbath years (rest years) which Israel had not kept. Israel had been in rebellion for 490 years (2 Chron. 36:21).
The “rest” of desolation, which came to the land of Israel after the Babylonian destruction, is a TYPE - a symbolic prophecy, of the desolation which will come upon the whole earth, because men have forsaken their Creator and His law.
Leviticus 26:33-35 “I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste. Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land; then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate it shall rest – for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it.”
Leviticus 26:33-35
THE EARTH - THE LAND
I need to make a point here about the use of the Hebrew word translated as “earth.” It is the same word frequently translated as “land.” It is “erets” (Strong’s #0776). We must examine the context to know whether the word refers to the whole “earth”- as in Genesis Chapter One, OR refers to “the land” promised to Abraham’s Seed. In the Greek Apostolic Writings, we have the same problem with the Greek word “ge” (Strong’s #1093), translated as “land,” and as “earth.”
You now understand why some folks teach that prophecies of destruction apply only to “the land” promised to Abraham’s seed, not to the entire earth. They site the prophecies of coming destruction by the Babylonians or Assyrians, and say that these prophecies were limited in scope.
I believe that clues within the prophecies, tell us that these were dual prophecy. They applied - yes - to the destruction of the ancient “land” of Israel, but they apply with even greater force to the coming destruction of the entire “earth” at the end of this age. Israel and the ancient “land” was the TYPE (symbolic), representing how the LORD will deal with the entire earth and with the whole of humanity.
UNIVERSAL DESTRUCTION
First: The “the earth” created “in the beginning” “will perish” according to God the Father speaking in Hebrews 1:10-12. “In the beginning the Son of God created the entire earth, and the heavens, not just the small area of “land” promised to Abraham’s seed.
Second: Yeshua Messiah - the Son of Man, will receive dominion over the entire “earth” - not just the small portion promised to Abraham’s descendants. All peoples, nations and languages will serve Him.
Daniel 7:14 “And to Him (the Son of Man) was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed (NAS).
Third: After Adam’s sin, “the earth” was cursed with thorns and thistles. Thorns and thistles are not confined to “the land” area promised to Abraham’s seed. Neither was the need to obtain food through cultivation efforts. The effects of those curses are universal.
Hebrews 6:7-8 “For the earth . . . if it bears thorn and briers, it is rejected . . . whose end is to be burned.”
Fourth: The Lord promised Noah that He would not again destroy all things “as I have done” - with flood waters. Noah floated for a year without seeing land. The waters topped the highest mountains by some 20 cubits. Such a flood could not be contained within the small land area that was later promised to “Abraham’s seed.” The flood of Noah’s day was worldwide. Recent geological discoveries describe uniform flood layers, extending around the globe. Jesus said, “as it was in the days of Noah” (Lk 17:26). The final destruction will be universal.
Fifth: Jesus said, “You will be hated of all men for My sake.” Jesus’ words “all men” do not leave room for neutral parties. There are Christ’s own, and there are haters.
Genesis 12:3 [The LORD promised Abraham] “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you . . .” (Gen 12:3).
Every child of Abraham may claim this promise. According to the Apostle Paul, those who are Christ’s are “Abraham’s seed” (Gal 3:29). They live in every nation on this earth. Their enemies also live in every nation.
If those who “curse” the people of God, will themselves be “cursed,” what does that say about the extent of the destruction at the end of this age? I contend the destruction will be universal and worldwide. See our study: “CURSED.”
Exodus 23:22 “But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries” (Exo 23:22).
NOTE: This promise belongs to all believers, who are “grafted in” to Israel (Rom Cpt 11).
Satan is “the ruler of this world” (Jn 16:11, Jn 14:30). In the last days, Satan “the dragon” (Rev 12:9) will give his power, his throne, and his authority TO the terrible Beast of Revelation Chapter Thirteen (Rev 13:2). For Satan to give his throne and authority to the Beast, means that the Beast will rule the world. Every “tribe, tongue, and nation, and all who dwell on the earth will serve him,” except those with the “seal of God” because they belong to Christ (Rev 13:6-8). We read that the Beast will “make war with the saints.” If the adversaries of God and His people are “cursed,” and those enemies are found across the whole world, then will not the entire world of human beings be destroyed, once the people of God are removed from this planet? The Hebrew word translated as “cursed,” means “devoted to destruction.”
WHERE DOES SATAN SPEND THE 7TH MILLENNIUM?
Isaiah 24:21 “The host of exalted ones” are “gathered in the pit.”
Revelation 20:1-3 “He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.”
Revelation 20:7-8 “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth . . .”
In the Septuagint (an ancient translation from Hebrew to Greek) the Greek word “abussos” (Strong’s #12 - meaning bottomless or boundless) was used to translate the Hebrew “bohuw” (#0922 - meaning emptiness, void or waste). See Genesis 1:2 & Jeremiah 4:23. The same Greek word “abussos” is translated as “bottomless pit” in Revelation 20:1-2 of English Bibles.
Satan is thrown into the abyss - the emptiness - the without form and void. We are not told more about that place. I cannot speculate further concerning just where Satan will be imprisoned.
THE EARTH HAS BEEN TURNED INTO AN UNINHABITED WASTE.
Satan wanted the earth for his kingdom. He was“cast to the earth” after the war in the heavenly realm. I think it a fitting scenario, that the desolate earth may become his place of imprisonment, bound by those circumstances which he caused. Everyone and everything will be dead except for the Devil and his angels. I realize this may not be the case. Where ever the LORD chooses to imprison the Devil, I will just be glad of it.
THE SCAPEGOAT
As noted earlier, I have long believed that events connected with Christ’s return will fulfill the ancient Day of Atonement prophecy of a judgment day.
Leviticus 16:21-22 On that day, two goats were chosen by casting lots. The goat chosen as “the Lord’s goat” was sacrificed as a “sin offering” “for the people.” This sacrifice was to “make atonement” for “all the congregation of Israel.” Its blood was sprinkled over the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place. Its blood was also sprinkled in the first apartment, and on the Alter in the Courtyard.
After all of this was done - the High Priest was to confess over the head of “the scapegoat” (or Azazel goat) “all the iniquities of the Children of Israel and all their transgressions.” This goat was left alive. It was taken to an “uninhabited place” (Strong’s #4057) and turned loose. (The idea was to make sure that the goat could never again enter the camp of Israel.)
Do you see the symbolism? The confessed sins of God’s people were transferred to the head of the “Lord’s goat.” The LORD’s goat was sacrificed. The LORD’s goat represented Jesus who died carrying all the confessed sins of Israel.
Blood from the LORD’s goat (Jesus) was then wiped on the head of the scapegoat (which represented Satan). Satan is found guilty of the death of Christ, and he is to blame for all the sins of God’s people. He was the instigator and the tempter from the very beginning.
The scapegoat was left alive, but was banished to the “uninhabited place,” just as Satan will be left alive, but banished to “the bottomless pit.”
After “the LORD’s goat”(Jesus) rose again, He became the High Priest, who will transfer the sins of God’s people to the head of the scapegoat (Satan). He became the “fit man” who will banish Satan (the scapegoat) to the uninhabited place.
Some object to this interpretation, wondering how Satan could ever be said to “bear upon himself” all our sins. I would explain that this is supported by the judgment pronounced in Daniel 7:10-22. (See also Rom. 3:4, Psa. 51:4). Jesus carried our sins, as the Lamb of God. He carried our sins as the priest. He bought us time. He has assumed the guilt. But the judgment will sit and Satan will be declared guilty of all the sins which he has tempted God’s people to commit. He is the prima and original cause. He is “the deceiver.” Jesus Christ (our High Priest) will transfer the sins of God’s people to the head of Satan. Then as the “fit man” He will banish Satan to “the uninhabited place” for a thousand years.
After 1000 years - there will be a great resurrection.
THOSE RAISED FIRST - AND THE REST
Revelation 20:1-6 [Satan is bound for 1000 years.] “And I saw thrones and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years [the 7th millennium]. But, the rest of the dead did not live again until the 1000 years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
This study is about the 7th millennium. So I must talk about who will be alive during this period of 1000 years, and who will NOT be alive. Where will the living spend this time?
So far we have:
1. The redeemed: removed from the earth, transported to Heaven
May be returned to this earth for some portion of the 7th millennium.
2. Satan and his angels: banished to “the bottomless pit” - “the uninhabited empty place”
3. The wicked: - confirmed in rebellion against God - judged and left to die by the plagues, their bodies consumed by fire as the earth is “burned up.” They will never be resurrected again.
4. The Beast: (a large geopolitical body) who fought against God and His people
The “False Prophet” (a false religious system)
- both thrown into the Lake of Fire, never to be resurrected again
5. The rest: left physically dead through the 1000 years, then resurrected at the 8th millennium
Just exactly how the redeemed will spend their time with Christ in the Father’s House, we are not told. Healing will need to take place, for minds and hearts. A great many questions will be asked and answered. We do know that we will become “priests of God and of Christ,” which means that we must be prepared to serve as priests for those raised at the end of the 1000 years. Speaking personally, I am not ready to rule over anyone just yet.
NOTE: Some students of prophecy believe that only those who were martyred will rise in the“first resurrection” to “reign with Him for a thousand years.” While I have no problem believing that those who gave their lives for Christ will be given an exalted place in the kingdom, other Bible passages support my belief that all of the “dead in Christ” will rise when the last trumpet sounds at His return (1Thess. 4:16, Matt. 24:30-31). When the 7th trumpet sounds, the time has come to “reward your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great” (Rev. 11:15).
NOTE: The Feast of the 8th Day (Shemini Atzeret) followed immediately after the 7 days of Sakkot (Feast of Tabernacles). During the 7 days of Sakkot, Israel was to dwell in Sukka (small temporary dwellings to remind them of their wilderness wandering). On the 8th Day, they were to take down the Sukka. The prophecy? Up until the 8th Day, we live in temporary digs. At the 8th Day, we’re home.
NOTE: Those to be consecrated as priests of the “first covenant” (The Sinai Covenant), were told, “And you shall not go outside the door of the tabernacle of meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are ended.” Their ministry as priests began on the 8th Day! This was a prophecy! Those from the first resurrection will become priests of God and of Christ (Rev. 20:6). Out work as priests, will begin on the 8th Day. See our study: “A Kingdom of Priests.”
RELEASED FROM HIS PRISON
Revelation 20:7 “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth . . .”
When the “rest of the dead” are resurrected after the 7th millennium, they will constitute “nations” - “in the four corners of the earth.” Satan will again have someone to tempt. He was bound for 1000 years. Now the battle for souls will continue. Each person must choose whom he or she, will serve. And each person must be “tested.” It is easy to say that one is loyal to God. But actions must demonstrate the true allegiance.
SUMMARY
The Righteous - The Wicked - The Rest
1. There will be a resurrection of both righteous and wicked at the Glorious Return (Dan. 12:2-3).
The wicked will be judged on that day, and will be left to die as the last plagues are poured out.
They will never be resurrected again.
2. When Christ returns, the righteous will go with Him to the place He has prepared for His “bride” - in the Father’s House. They will remain with Him for 1000 years. They will be trained and consecrated, to serve as “priests” - for “the rest” when they are resurrected at the end of the 1000 years. Anciently, the priests of Israel taught the Law, settled disputes, and were the court of last resort.
3. The earth will be completely devastated by the seven last plagues.
It will not support life.
4. Satan will be confined to “the uninhabited place” for the 1000 years of the 7th millennium.
5. The “rest of the dead” (persons who died in ignorance or immaturity) are NOT resurrected on the day Christ returns in glory. They will be resurrected 1000 years later, at the 8th millennium - to learn of Him and then to choose whom they will serve.
Christ (with Israel redeemed) cannot rule over these “nations” during the 7th millennium because these people will not “live again” until the 8th millennium - “The 8th Day.”
We pray this study will prove a blessing.
Prophecy Viewpoint
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
The Comets of God, by Jeffrey Goodman, Ph.D., Archeological Research Books, 2011
RELATED STUDIES
“The Glorious Return” “The Wrath of God” “Judgment Day”
“Dominion” “The 8th Day” “Gog and Magog”
“Where are the Dead?” “Hell - What it’s NOT” “An Ancient Prophecy”
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