Thy Strong Word — Revelation 8:1-13: Apocalypse—The Seventh Seal and the Trumpets Begin

Heavenly Realm—The seventh seal is opened, and silence fills heaven for half an hour. Seven angels are given trumpets, and as the first four sound, catastrophic events affect the earth, sea, rivers, and skies. In light of these impending judgments, are we attentive to the warnings and calls to repentance in our own lives?

The Rev. Tysen Bibb, pastor of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Norborne, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Revelation 8:1-13.

Shrouded in mysterious visions of cosmic battles, plagues, and catastrophic events, the Apocalypse of St. John, or as it’s more commonly known–the Book of Revelation, paints a haunting picture of the end times. Cryptic symbols of beasts, the rise of the Antichrist, and the final judgment unfold with unsettling intensity, revealing the ultimate clash between good and evil. Yet, beneath its terrifying imagery, Revelation is also a deeply personal letter, offering comfort to early Christians facing persecution. It reassures them—and believers today—of God’s control over history, His promise of redemption, and the certainty of Christ’s victory.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

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Revelation 8:1-13

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

8 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ²Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. ³And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, ⁴and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. ⁵Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings,^[a] flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

The Seven Trumpets

⁶Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

⁷The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

⁸The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. ⁹A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. ¹¹The name of the star is Wormwood.^[b] A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

¹²The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.

¹³Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

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Footnotes

Revelation 8:5 Or voices, or sounds
Revelation 8:11 Wormwood is the name of a plant and of the bitter-tasting extract derived from it

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Native North Carolinian Rev. Dr. Phil Booe serves pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio. His parishioners probably think he can’t teach Bible study without a mug of coffee in his hand, and he’ll always be happy to eat a plate of sushi. When he’s not shepherding his flock or teaching on the radio, you might find him watching bad movies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and especially binging RiffTrax and MST3K episodes. Some day he’d love to travel to the Lutheran homeland in Germany, but for now he spends time in Minnesota with his wife, son, daughter, and cat, and looks forward to Holy Week every year.