Revelation 8 The Seventh Seal

Verse 1.. And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. This is unprecedented. A unique time. Since the beginning of creation, all the heavenly host has not ceased to praise the Creator. Now, silence for half an hour. What event has caused this? It is the calm before the storm so to speak. The seventh seal reveals the seven trumpets. The awesome wrath of God is about to be poured out upon the earth.

Verse 2.. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. Verse 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. Verse 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. 

Verse 5.. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of th altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Back in chapter 5 we saw the four and twenty elders falling down before the Lamb. They had golden vials full of odours, which were the prayers of the saints. The first seal was about to be opened. The prayers of the saints throughout the ages were about to be answered. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now we have prayers from a different group of saints. In chapter 6 verse 9.. the fifth seal reveals those that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 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? The time has come as the first angel begins to sound.

Verse 6.. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Verse 7.. 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. The earth being extremely dry from drought could easily be burnt up. 

Verse 8.. 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; This sounds like a meteor.

Verse 9.. 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. A massive area impacted by this meteor. 

Verse 10.. An 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; Verse 11.. 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. 

Verse 12.. 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.

So the seas and the fresh waters are polluted. A third part of them. What ever has struck the earth probably has ejected millions of tons of debris into the atmosphere causing the sun, moon, and stars to be darkened. The rotation of the earth may have been impacted. A faster rotation would result in shorter days and nights.

Verse 13.. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!