"At that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book." Daniel 12:1. {GC 613.1}

When the third angel's message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work. They have received "the latter rain," "the refreshing from the presence of the Lord," and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. Angels are hastening to and fro in heaven. An angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received "the seal of the living God." Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice says, "It is done;" and all the angelic host lay off their crowns as He makes the solemn announcement: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Revelation 22:11. Every case has been decided for life or death. Christ has made the atonement for His people and blotted out their sins. The number of His subjects is made up; "the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven," is about to be given to the heirs of salvation, and Jesus is to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. {GC 613.2}

To understand the trumpets requires careful, point-by-point study. I do believe that these were future to Mrs. White's perspective. It may be, however, that they are not all future to our current perspective. They may be fulfilling even now.

The first trumpet is found in Revelation 8:7.



What do these symbols represent? When we can understand the message, then we will be able to understand to what and when it applies.

Trees represent leaders, kings, rulers, even spiritual leaders. Grass represents people in general. What is special about the color green? Why is the color of the grass specified?

What is significant about "the third part"? How might this differ from the first, second, or fourth parts? The phrase "the third part" occurs 13 times in Revelation out of 15 total occurrences in the Bible. The phrase "the fourth part" occurs just once in Revelation of ten times in the Bible. Are these parts related, as one Bible student believes, to the four parts in Jesus' parable of the sower? Are those of the third part representing those which allowed the cares of this world to crowd out God's light?

And does "the fourth part" represent God's true followers, as the good ground in which the seed bore fruit in Jesus' parable?



If it does not represent God's people, why would Death have to be given permission to have power over them?

Might this first trumpet, then, represent a period of special persecution of God's people, in which they are persecuted and martyred? Would not the "green grass" represent those which have faith, and have been watered by the Water of Life? (See Zechariah 10:1.)

The second angel...is it possible that this represented the events of 9/11? Take a look at the parallels:



What do these symbols represent? Again, that must necessarily be our starting point. The most important symbol in this trumpet is clearly the word "sea." The whole trumpet relates to the sea. We know that sometimes "sea" represents peoples, nations, or multitudes. But here, I believe, the representation is a little more precise than this. I would suggest it represents the same kind of "sea" of which it is said there will no longer be in Heaven.


This verse, if not understood symbolically, would be immediately contradicted by those verses which refer to the "sea of glass." It also cannot refer to the people of heaven, noted in Hebrews 11 to be as "the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable."

I submit that the sea spoken of here may be a more common one, and we need a "sea change" (pun intended) in our thoughts to understand this. It represents the economies/financial markets of the world, including commerce, trade, and business.

If this is the case, and "sea" represents economy and commerce, we can begin to understand the rest of the message of the second trumpet.

A portion of the sea is said to become blood. That's a way of saying it died. And a portion or category of the "creatures" in the sea also become blood, i.e. die. Perhaps these "creatures" represent organizations, institutions, and companies. They are all composed of people, the more elemental substance of the "sea," so this is just enumerating in more detail what portion(s) of the sea have become blood. The same is true of the ships. Ships in the Bible represent commerce. They represent trade between countries and nations. The represent wealth. For the Israelite nation, King Solomon's reign represented its zenith in the shipping industry, and this corresponded with its zenith in wealth and commerce.

The "great mountain," then, could hardly be any other than the "World Trade Center." If its sheer size, height, value, and the number of banks, etc. that resided in it are not sufficiently significant, one has only to look at its name: World Trade Center. This, for the world of commerce, would have been one of its "great mountains." That it burned with fire is now historical fact. It was burning for several months, in fact.

Did 9/11 affect the world's economies? Of a certain, yes. Every world economy has been shifted out of balance as a result, and we are still wobbling in its aftermath.

Enough for now...

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Mark, do you have any ideas how most time-serving SDAs will be surprised? I get the impression a large number of SDAs in North America are unconcerned about prophecy and more concerned about building castles.

I'm suggesting a progressive closing of probation, Elle; first for the unwise virgins and later for those who hear the 'midnight cry' to go out to meet the bridegroom. While that message is given, the unwise discover they have no oil.

Ellen White speaks of 'an overwhelming suprise' that will burst upon the earth and not only on the earth, but on Adventists. I believe that huge surprise is the sounding of the trumpets. And it seems to me (tell me your thinking, Forum) that the reason Adventists are also taken by surprise is that they are sleeping like the virgins, wise and foolish, all of them assuming that Sunday laws must come first before the major judgments of God are poured out.