John described seven trumpets that would sound prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ.
The seven trumpets are seven major warnings from God.
I believe that the first five trumpets have already sounded, and the sixth is sounding even as I write this.
The seventh trumpet is the last trumpet, and will call saints of all ages to the first resurrection and rapture of the Church.
Therefore, since the seventh trumpet is the rapture, all the others must occur before Jesus comes back. We should be able to identify the first six trumpets already.
I will briefly share with you some of the key points of this interpretation because I believe they are worthy insights that all students of the Bible and prophecy should consider.
If they are correct, and I think they are, then the vast majority of Bible prophecy is already complete.
Take note of the fact that each trumpet is a MAJOR event in the last days. This gives us reason to believe that they are truly prophetic signs from God.
Remember that Jesus taught that all the signs of the endtime would occur within the last generation. Therefore, it is logical that one generation would live to see (or hear) all the seven trumpets. I think we are living in that generation.
The THIRD trumpet: CHERNOBYL
I begin with the third trumpet because it is one of the easiest to see and understand.
Revelation 8:10-11 says,
"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; 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. (KJV)
The Russian word, "Chernobyl," means "Wormwood," as mentioned in these verses. It certainly appears that the third trumpet sounded on April 26, 1986.
In Chernobyl, Ukraine, the worst nuclear accident in history exposed 6.6 million people to potentially lethal radiation, contaminating the Dnieper River and reservoir, one of Europe's largest water systems.
GREENPEACE claims that 200,000 premature deaths have already occurred, and predicts 270,000 more cancer cases. Countless others will eventually suffer disease and premature deaths.
On these facts alone, Chernobyl is unquestionably one of the most notable events of the 20th century.
Interestingly, the prophecy specified that "many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter." This is exactly the case at Chernobyl. The massive nuclear tragedy contaminated the surface rivers and waters and underground water tables for hundreds of miles. One of the main reasons people have become sick and died is because of the radiation in the waters.
The SECOND TRUMPET may have sounded in WORLD WAR II
Revelation 8:8-9 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; 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. (KJV) World War II contained the components of this prophecy. Fire cast into the sea (bombing air raids)
and massive naval battles. 23 nuclear bomb tests in the Bikini Atoll Islands, plus the devastating bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan all could have been viewed as mountains of fire in the midst of the seas. 52 MILLION lives were lost in WWII. There were approximately 105,000 ships in WWII and over 36,000 of those ships were destroyed in battle - almost EXACTLY one-third of the ships! WWII is certainly remebered for its spectacular sea battles, beginning at Pearl Harbor. Another prophecy fulfilled!
The FIRST TRUMPET may have been one of the worst events in World War II -- Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler's "SCORCHED EARTH POLICY." Revelation 8:7 "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." (KJV)
Joseph Stalin was at first terrified by Adolph Hitler, and sent hordes of bomb squads to enact a "scorched earth policy" on the Ukraine in 1941, to drive back Hitler's invasion. The Ukraine was left in utter devastation.
But that paled in comparison to Hitler's later retaliating onslaughts. The Germans in 1943-44 (according to Soviet Ukraine) "razed and burned over 28,000 villages and 714 cities and towns, leaving 10 MILLION people without shelter.
The SCORCHED EARTH operation destroyed more than 16,000 industrial enterprises, more than 200,000 industrial production sites, 27,910 collective and 872 state farms, 1,300 machine and tractor stations, and 32,930 general schools, vocational secondary schools and higher educational institutions of the Ukraine.
The direct damage to the Ukrainian national economy caused by the fascist [Nazi German] occupation came to 285,000,000,000 rubles..." This was about 60 BILLION U.S. pre-war dollars for Ukraine, or TRILLIONS of dollars at today's values. In the space of about three years Ukraine suffered utter devastation from the scorched earth policy of cruel totalitarian governments.
This conflict, on the "Eastern Front," has been called by many historians the WORST conflict of World War II. As the worst battle in the worst war in the history of the world, it certainly qualifies as a warning from God - the first trumpet!
Incidentally, for what it's worth, this FIRST TRUMPET accompanies the historical extermination of SIX MILLION JEWS by Adolph Hitler, AND it occurs immediately before the founding of the MODERN STATE OF ISRAEL. These co-incidents beg consideration as a message from God Almighty.
Most people do not know that the Ukraine carried out one of the worst pogroms against Jews in history in the early years of the country's founding. From 1918-1921, the new "Ukrainian People's Republic" murdered around 100,000 Jews. About 50,000 Jewish families fled the Ukraine to Crimea because their lives were at stake. The German "Einsatzgruppen" (Task Forces) killed approximatedly one MILLION Jews on Ukrainian soil between September 1939 and June 1941.
Is it any wonder then, considering this "forgotten" holocaust against more than one million Jews, that the FIRST TRUMPET "Scorched Earth" came to the Ukraine. The THIRD TRUMPET also came to the Ukraine - "Chernobyl."
The FIFTH TRUMPET may have been the 1991 GULF WAR with SADDAM HUSSEIN
Revelation 9:1-15 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 
9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. The "smoke of a great furnace" as well as the "sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit" could have been fulfilled in the Iraqi bombing of Kuwait, when for THREE MONTHS, Kuwaitis could not see the sunlight because of massive oil well fires set by Saddam Hussein's military strikes. Scientist Carl Sagan wrote in his book, The Demon-Haunted World, "it was pitch black at noon and temperatures dropped 4°–6 °C over the Persian Gulf."
The "Locusts" that operated for FIVE MONTHS (the duration of operation Desert Storm) might have been the military helicopters used by the Iraqis. Consider: they were "like horses prepared to battle," they had "faces of men," "breastplates of iron," the "sound of chariots of many horses running to battle," and "stings in their tails" (gunnery).
Moreover, their LEADER was named APOLLYON in the Greek language, and ABADDON in the Hebrew language. Those names mean "THE DESTROYER". Amazingly, the nameSADDAM means "the destroyer". That fact was specifically offered by an elderly lady who was the midwife who delivered SADDAM Hussein at his birth, and recalled that Saddam's mother named him "destroyer" because she had such a difficult time delivering him. 
The FOURTH Trumpet: Global Dimming I personally believe that the FOURTH TRUMPET has also been fulfilled. Revelation 8:12-9:1 says, "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, one-third of the LIGHT from the SUN, MOON, and STARS was DARKENED.
Consider this article from the New York Times, 5/13/04: "Globe Grows Darker as Sunshine Diminishes 10% to 37%. In the second half of the 20th century, the world became, quite literally, a darker place. Defying expectation and easy explanation, hundreds of instruments around the world recorded a drop in sunshine reaching the surface of Earth, as much as 10 percent from the late 1950's to the early 90's, or 2 percent to 3 percent a decade. In some regions like Asia, the United States and Europe, the drop was even steeper. In Hong Kong, sunlight decreased 37 percent. Dr. James E. Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in Manhattan, said that scientists had long known that pollution particles reflected some sunlight, but that they were now realizing the magnitude of the effect.
So in certain places, the earth is already 1/3 darker, both day and night.
'It's occurred over a long time period,' Dr. Hansen said. 'So it's not something that, perhaps, jumps out at you as a person in the street. But it's a large effect.' Satellite measurements show that the sun remains as bright as ever, but that less and less sunlight has been making it through the atmosphere to the ground.
IS THIS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE FOURTH TRUMPET? I believe so.
The SIXTH trumpet: Euphrates River War The SIXTH TRUMPET will emanate from the EUPHRATES RIVER. That is primarily the territory of Iraq and Syria. That warfare is already underway, as there are presently over 140,000 military troops stationed along the Euphrates River in Iraq.
"...saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet , Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them," Revelation 9:14-16. The "war on terror" has now engaged the entire region, with Iraq, Syria, Iran, Lebanon and Israel, Pakistan, Afghanistan.
Iran threatens nuclear aggression, and they have historical links to Russian, Chinese and Pakistani nuclear armaments, providing the prophesied link to anupcoming war in which 200 million soldiers are involved and one-third of the world's population will die. Chairman Mao boasted in the 1960s that he could field an army of 200 million soldiers. No other nation on earth could do that. An Associated Press story recently stated that one out of five Chinese are training for the Chinese military. Since their population is about 1.2 BILLION, that would mean that well over 200 million Chinese are now preparing for war.
We also know that Islam, with 1.6 Billion adherents, and over 400 million of those "fundamentalists" (meaning jihadists - or war-mongering types) could also potentially field an army of 200 million soldiers. This war seems certain to take place before long.
SEVENTH trumpet: Armageddon - Second Coming of Jesus
The SEVENTH TRUMPET will be the first resurrection and rapture of the church followed by the battle of Armageddon.
Here is a summary of the SEVEN TRUMPETS:
| First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh | WWII -- Stalin and Hitler's "Scorched Earth" Warfare WWII -- Nuclear Bombs and Naval Casualties Nuclear Disaster and Casualties at Chernobyl Global Dimming Gulf War WWIII -- Euphrates War (now being staged, prepared for) Second Coming of Jesus and Armageddon |
If these are reliable interpretations of scripture, then we are much closer to the end of the age and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ than most people realize.
The Sixth Trumpet War that is now unfolding is prophesied to kill one-third of mankind. It could happen at any time. However, I am inclined to believe that it will come to its climax in the LAST HALF of the last seven years before Armageddon (in the middle of Daniel's 70th Week).
Several other prophecies will soon be fulfilled:
1. Jerusalem will be divided.
2. International forces will control Jerusalem
3. The Third Temple will be built
4. The Abomination of Desolations will be committed by Antichrist
5. The Mark of the Beast will be instituted world-wide
6. The Two Witnesses will come on the scene in Israel
I suspect that the SIXTH TRUMPET WAR will occur at about this time - in the last half of Daniel's 70th Week, but before ARMAGEDDON. It is POSSIBLE that it could occur in the FIRST HALF of the Week, BEFORE the Mark of the Beast.
7. All nations [UN] will gather against Israel.
8. All dead saints will be resurrected, living saints will be raptured.
9. Jesus will return with all the saints.
10. Armageddon will be fought and won by Jesus Christ.
11. The Beast and False Prophet will be cast into hell.
12. All surviving nations will be subdued by Christ.
13. Jesus will establish His Kingdom in Jerusalem, Israel for 1,000 years.
14. Redeemed Jews will rule Israel, Gentile saints will rule the world.
15. After 1000 years, Jesus will war with Lucifer, defeating him.
16. Present heaven and earth melts with fervent heat and dissolved.
17. Kingdom of God will be revealed in a new heaven and new earth.
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