END OF TIME PROPHECIES 112

                                            The preparation of the servants

"And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets...and the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound."   Rev.8v2/6.  

  God has His own private army consisting of countless angels, who stand at the ready to do His bidding. Jesus made reference to this in the episode in Matthew 26v53, when Peter tried to defend Him "...thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?"  The will of God is done immediately and precisely as He requires. This fact comes out throughout the book; chapter 1v1,6v1,6v3,6v5,6v7,7v1,7v2,8v2,8v6,8v13,9v1,9v13.

Their weapons are many and varied; the judgments of God are fearsome, the ability to use the natural elements, as well as unleashing supernatural powers, combine to present a fearful prospect for humanity, when such power is placed in the hands of unflinchingly loyal servants like the angels of God.

To them were given seven trumpets ready to be sounded at any time.   By the context we understand that these are war trumpets.   A reading of Numbers chapter 10 reveals something of the use of trumpets in the economy of God.   In that chapter the travelling camp of Israel were commanded to make two trumpets of silver, and the purpose of these trumpets was stated to be as follows:

• For the calling of the congregation   -   Numbers 10v2.
• For the journeyings of the camp   -   Numbers 10v2.
• For the calling together of the heads of the thousands of Israel   -   Numbers 10v4.
• For the blowing of an alarm signaling part of the company to move forward in ordered fashion   -   Numbers 10v5-6.
• For the purpose of going to war   -   Numbers 10v9.

Each trumpet call was varied by the number of blasts, and also the duration of the blasts.   There is little doubt that the trumpets referred to in Revelation chapters 8&9 are the trumpets of war.   God is at war with the world, the declaration is made, the servants are prepared; but first they must wait a little more, while another angel performs his ritual before the throne of God.   The military precision of the angels must be something to behold.   Each knows their role and will act or refrain from acting at any time.   They have the ability to perform blanket strikes on earth, or "surgical" strikes as required.   We shall see later that they can touch a fraction of the earth and leave the rest untouched.   The repetition of the "third part of things" in this section is amazing.   We are not told which third will be affected, the mercy will be that two thirds will be unaffected.   We shall see that the judgments affect one third of all areas pertaining to human life; the land, the seas, the rivers, the heavens.   Few will see this as any kind of mercy, but if we remember the words of the prophet in Lamentations 3v22  "It is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed."   Moses who spent many years interceding with God for the wayward nation of Israel wrote this "we are consumed by Thine anger, and by Thy wrath are we troubled."   psalm 90v7    There is little doubt that God could obliterate the world in a moment's time.   The fact that He restrains these angels in their operations to one third of the areas concerned is indeed an act of mercy.   The power of God is without limits.   The power of an angel is what God gives to him; scripture records that, in one night, one angel exterminated one hundred and eighty five thousand of an army which threatened the existence of the nation of Judea (2nd Kings 19v35).   What will seven angels do when handed the war trumpets of the living God?  

There is an irony in all of this.   The trumpets of the Old Testament were to be made of silver, a metal which speaks in the bible of redemption.   The foundations of the tabernacle in the deserts were made of huge blocks of silver, and on it the entire tabernacle rested, and to this place redeemed Israel came to worship.   The silver trumpets which spoke of a people redeemed by the blood of sacrifice, are now blown in the context of judgment upon a world which has rejected the redemption that God has provided.   This is a most solemn picture, and is recorded so that men and women the world over might seek His grace while it is still available.   For many of the people who will be alive when Revelation chapter 8 takes place, it will be too late, because these trumpets will not give an uncertain sound; instead they will summon supernatural powers such as the world has never seen. God will not remain silent forever.