CHAPTER EIGHT
SEAL SEVEN - PRELUDE TO THE 7 TRUMPETS
Again I want to call your attention to the fact that the Holy Spirit kept separate the Seventh Seal
from the other Seals by everything we covered in the last chapter. He obviously did this for a
purpose. I have referred to "keys" several times in this study and emphasized their necessity in
understanding Biblical prophecy. This passage is one of those. Now let's look at the wording of
Seal # 7:
1 "And when he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an
hour."
Don't you find this language very strange, considering what was covered in the first six Seals?
It's totally dissimilar from the other presentations. However, it was the very unusual-ness of the
language which drew me so strongly to the seventh Seal. Before the understanding came, every
time I would read the passage, it was as if something screamed in my spirit---"There's a secret
here. Seek it out. It's understandable." At times like that during my studies, I became virtually
consumed to the point of obsession until I could find the 'hidden element' in the mysterious
passage. What I shall say now is not necessarily the exact order in which my understanding came
but the presentation is for the purpose of making it more sensible.
"WHAT A DIFFERENCE A 'DAY' MAKES!"
Prophetically speaking, a "day" can sometimes mean (1) a single twenty-four hour period, or (2)
a full year, and (3) believe it or not, occasionally it can even mean a thousand years! For
example, Ezekiel 4:6 says, "...I have appointed thee each day for a year." The passage goes on to
explain each day the prophet was to lay on his side was to symbolize a year of time. In context
we find the number of literal days the prophet was to lay on each side would represent,
prophetically, the number of years of a specific coming judgment upon the nation Israel.
But another passage uses a "day" this way: 2 Peter 3:8 says, "...But beloved, be not ignorant of
this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one
day." Now some will say this latter case is only metaphoric language, never to be taken literally.
Well, I believe God uses these concepts for a very specific reason: Counting prophetic time.
God is the cleverest writer of all time. He can put simple truths right under our nose and some of
us will many times pass them right by. Some forever! Now I agree we must use great caution as
we search for these discoveries. But, we don't want to be so fearful as to miss the main reason
(the LODR) He included them in His Holy Word! I am absolutely convinced God was giving us
time-tools through Ezekiel and Peter. Interestingly, Jesus said in Matthew 16:19 that he would
give Peter the "keys" to the kingdom of heaven. I believe this is one of them.
Please note exactly how Peter was inspired to write the statement. He began the verse with "be
not ignorant of", a Biblical phrase that might better be rendered "PAY ATTENTION NOW"! It's
like a verbal alarm-clock, the rather obvious meaning being, "I'm about to give you a secret now
so hear me loud and clear". For double emphasis Peter even repeated the "time-tool"
backwards!
Now I'm not saying that Peter 3:8 means literally that it takes 1,000 years of earth-time to equal
one day of heaven-time. It simply means that certain time references stated in the Bible will
make sense only when this 'conversion factor' is used to unlock the meaning. This is one of those
incredibly simple ways which was used to keep the passage locked until the "fulness of time"
came for it to be understood. (I want to mention again that applications of this kind never
changes a straight forward exegesis of the plain, ordinary meaning of a verse in its immediate
context. This is how the Law of Double Reference works and I again remind you that this is
God's Law, not mine.)
There is a bit of a problem which arises here, though. Since there are two "time-tools" (i.e., one
day = one year and one day = one thousand years), how do we know which to use? I'll explain
with a parallel situation-story. Suppose I own a mountain cabin (I don't) and I give you
permission to use it some weekend. I give you a key-ring holding several keys, forgetting to tell
you which one would unlock the door. What would you do when you got there? Obviously you
would merely insert the keys until you found the one which worked.
The same is true of Biblical keys. We try them to see what happens! Once you've tried the
correct key, the passage will suddenly come alive with answers which fit all aspects of that
particular Scripture. If it's the wrong key, nonsense and frustration will result just as surely as
attempting to get into a cabin with the wrong key.
There is another way to determine how to use God's time keys. If the passage is related to a
scene in heaven, use one day = to a thousand years; if the passage concerns an earth scene, use
one day = one year. This may seem too simple but it works out. Actually, it agrees with God's
ways, for the Bible says "...God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the
wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are
mighty;..." (1 Cor. 1:27).
Now let's get back to Seal Seven. Why was John inspired to mention the thirty minute "quiet
time" in heaven? This question really perplexed me when I was first studying the passage. My
reasoning was that a literal-only interpretation just didn't seem right. Then one day this question
suddenly came to mind: "Why not use the 'time-tool' of one thousand years = to a day and see
what happens?" The task was simply to determine how long half an hour of 'heaven-time' would
be on the 'earth-time' scale. This can be done with a simple ratio formula:
1/2 hour...................24 hours (a day)
-------------.....=.....----------------------------
X years..................one thousand years
Therefore,
X = 1000 years x 1/2 hour, divided by 24 hours
Thus, X = 500 years divided by 24 = 20.8 years.
I have been quite lengthy in developing all this "time business" and you must be asking, "Is it
really worth it"? I felt the same way when working this out. Now, with hindsight, I can shout a
resounding, "YES!" When I first saw the answer to the above equation, I stared at the answer of
20.8 years for some time. So what does it mean? I had a number but still didn't understand the
Seventh Seal any better than before I started. So, I went back to the way you assemble any
puzzle---look again at all the pieces in front of you.
What did I have? I was at the Seventh Seal. I had already come to understand the Sixth Seal as
WW1, so whatever Seal Seven means, it must occur some time after the end of WW1. At that
time I had also appraised the Fifth Trumpet as WW2. Suddenly it dawned on me! The main idea
of the Seventh Seal is quietness. "That could mean lack of severe war conflict in the world", I
thought. Then, I checked the date WW1 ended---November 11, 1918. Next, I checked the date
WW2 started---September 1, 1939. Subtracting these dates indicates that the duration between
the two world wars was 20 years, 9 months and 20 days. If this is put in the decimal system, the
time-span equals 20.8 years! WOW!
(Wouldn't you know it? I just realized that I wrote this part here on Veteran's Day, 11/11/91.)
I think it is noteworthy for you to realize I saw Seal Six as WW1 and Trumpet Five as WW2
before I tried the steps outlined above. Had it been the other way around, it might be concluded
that I had engineered the outcome.
Of course one could still say this is all mere 'chance coincidence'. One well-known-nation-wide
radio preacher laughed when he learned about my explanation of the "half-hour" quietness in
heaven. That's O.K. I admit it may seem a little far-fetched. But it is my contention that God is
as much the God of numbers and arithmetic as He is of words and ideas. The whole universe
operates on very precise mathematical laws which mankind continually learns about. And God is
responsible for all the "equations" and "formulas" behind what man thinks he has discovered.
But the fact remains---it is God's design. Today it seems many Christian leaders fail to recognize
this very simple, yet basic truth.
Unfortunately, a high percentage of those in the sciences today are leaving God out of their lives.
There was a time when the scientists were in the forefront of the Christian faith, men like Sir
Isaac Newton, for example. He and others understood through their discoveries, the necessity of
supernatural intelligence behind the great mysteries they were learning about. Yes, God is very
much involved in the mathematics of His universe. The "mystery" surrounding the Seventh Seal
adds sufficient proof of that to me.
In conclusion on this point, God promised the prophet Daniel (chapter 12) that in the "last days"
He (God) would cause some people to comprehend the chronological prophecies which Daniel
himself wrote about, but didn't understand. As audacious as it may sound, it just may be that
God has elected to show me some of those things He was referring to when He spoke to Daniel.
If it is so, I accept the gift in the spirit of Jesus' own words: "I thank you, O Father, Lord of
Heaven and earth, because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and hast
revealed them unto babes."
This is a wonderful thing, folks! God's promise to Daniel was that this understanding wouldn't
come until the time of the end. If I'm right, does it not stand to reason that the countdown is
here? I believe the Holy Spirit is providing "last-days manna" for those He has chosen. We only
need to take and "eat it". This is part of God's 'prep-work' in the lives of believers, designed to
strengthen our faith during the world's up-coming, final conflicts. Jesus is coming again to reign
over His Own. His Kingdom will be established just as the prophets-of-old said. And right now,
the Holy Spirit is stirring the minds of those sensitive to the prophetic word. Dear reader, I hope
you are listening to what He is saying to you.
Next we come to the Seven Trumpets. Note carefully that the trumpets are sounded by heavenly
angels. They make the announcements as to when and what is happening. This is quite a
contrast to the error of the "rich" and "great" men who thought WW1 was the "wrath of the
Lamb". In Revelation, when God is truly about to do something dramatic, He sends angels to
make the pronouncements, not the great, rich or sin-laden men.
THE TRUMPETS INTRODUCED
2 "And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven
trumpets.
3 And another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was
given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints on the golden
altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God out of
the angel's hand.
5 And the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth.
And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound."
We humans love fireworks. But the apostle John surely saw things in the heavenly scene which
would make our 4th of July look puny by comparison! John somehow saw the prayers from the
saints here on earth, mixed with a heavenly "incense" (prayers of heavenly beings, I assume).
This prayerful blend ascended to God's Throne. Perhaps this incense was the cumulative
"THY-KINGDOM-COME" prayers of saints of all time, combined with the prayers of the
"heavenly stewards". In response to those prayers, God finally gave the order for the final
countdown to begin.
Whatever the actual meaning, we can definitely draw this conclusion: in response to the
"incense", God sent "fire from the altar" which was cast to the earth resulting in "voices"
(increased communication?) "thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake". These words are
symbolic of what is specifically spelled out in the Seven Trumpets when they sound. Now, let's
look at them one-by-one.
TRUMPET ONE: VEGETATION STRUCK
7 "The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were
thrown to the earth; and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was
burned up."
Now the Futurists-only school would say this means that we can someday expect a catastrophe to
cause 1/3 of all trees and all the world's green grass to suddenly disappear! This is possible, of
course. With God, anything is possible. But, my inclination is to first view the 'burning'
historically.
As I pondered this Trumpet a few years ago, realizing the time frame following the Seals was
somewhere around the 1930s or 1940s, I wondered if there was anything which happened in the
world at that time which would relate to John's description of the First Trumpet. So I again
looked at the historical facts.
As I recall, the first thing that came to my mind were conversations I used to hear when I was
growing up. My Dad owned a small country store in northwest Georgia. On rainy days, the
farmers in the region would gather around a pot-belly stove in my Dad's store and talk about hard
times. I'll attempt to put in Georgia-vernacular a topic often heard:
"Whooooooie, boys! I like this rain we're getting today.", one would say. "Yeah, I do too. It's
been pretty dry lately but of course nuthin' like what we saw a few years ago, huh Claudy",
replied another. "You mighty right, son. Those were the driest times I ever saw; couldn't hardly
raise a thing. You boys haven't seen anything", Claudy would say.
Thus, I grew up believing there was a period in the 30s and early 40s which was tougher than I
could imagine and that idea was put there by the common folklore of honest,
hard-working---mostly Christian---men. Those of you with farming background in that era,
particularly if you didn't depend on irrigation, will identify with the conditions just described.
Recalling those days around the pot-bellied stove while writing this one day made me wonder if
perhaps the events were broader in scale than I had been aware, so, back to the library again.
The encyclopedias reveal that the Southwestern states of the U. S. suffered one of the worst
droughts in their history from 1931 to 1938. The drought affected the entire country and few
crops could even be grown. Food became scarce and prices went up throughout the nation. In
1944, drought also brought great damage to almost all South America. The drought moved on to
Australia and then to Europe, where it continued throughout the summer of 1945.
Let me illustrate this history with an imaginary scene: Recent space photography has provided us
with magnificent pictures that show tremendous spans of the earth. You've seen them. Now
visualize that scene. Also, imagine the time is the 30s and you are up in the edge of space
looking down at the Southwestern states. From that high-up position, you observe the drought
begins. Now, visualize the earth beneath you suddenly becoming brown instead of lush and
green. Next, watch it sweeping throughout the land, killing the "trees and grass" as it goes. Then
you see it skip the ocean to continue the same drying effect on the next continent, and the next,
and the next, etc. Can you see it?
Now while it's fresh in your mind, reread Rev. 8:7, then read again the above historical facts and
I think you'll see that my scenario probably isn't very far from what John actually saw.
Those of you who didn't live in the 30s and 40s probably can't appreciate the severity of long
drought conditions and that "all the green grass" and "1/3 of all the trees" have already "burnt
up" one time. However, Californians should be able to identify with these conditions, because in
the mid-70s we had a 4 year drought. Even though that was merely a low rainfall period, the
country-side was nearly devastated! Remember? The water reservoirs were almost emptied!
Now just think how bad it would be if it had continued for several more years, then you've got
the conditions of the thirties and forties.
Except on rare occasions, like where specific war dates can be checked in the history books, it's
difficult to establish a precise day when a Seal or a Trumpet begins. But so what? God doesn't
expect us to be able to determine His calendar with absolute certainty. That's His business.
However, He has given us plenty of information, plus a few 'time-pieces', to get the general
picture of where we are on the prophetic journey through time and space. (I might point out here
that probably some of the Seals and Trumpets actually overlap in time, particularly those here in
the first few Trumpets.)
SECOND TRUMPET: THE SEAS STRUCK
8 "And the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire
was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood;
9 and a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were
destroyed."
I believe this Trumpet speaks of the devastation which began to affect the seas and the life within
them, as well as man's ships which would travel on the seas. Let's talk first about loss of the sea
life. I think this came about in two ways:
1. The WW2 depth charges and torpedos blasting in the seas had a lot to do with the loss of life
beginning in the forties. The following actual story serves to illustrate the effect of an
underwater blast: When I was a small boy, I went fishing on a creek one night with a group of
older boys---with "22" rifles. (This is illegal by the way and not recommended at all!) Here's
how we got the fish. We walked upstream, shining the beam of our flashlights into the water,
looking for 'sleeping' fish. When located, the fish would be temporarily blinded by the light.
Then, we simply held the gunbarrel under the water and fired, not aiming to hit the fish. Above
the water a "22" makes a very soft thump this way, but underneath, a violent shockwave knocks
the fish out, sometimes killing it!
Now let's apply this principle to sea life during WW2. Ships were armed with anti-sub "depth
charges" (huge barrel-like explosives) which were fired overboard. They would then sink and
were timed to detonate at certain depths. It wasn't always necessary for depth charges to even hit
a submarine to put it totally out of commission. That being the case, imagine what this did to the
sea life throughout the region where this kind of warfare was used!
Sound transmission is extremely strong under water. Have you ever put your head under water
and had a friend strike two small stones together at the opposite end of a swimming pool? The
apparent closeness of the sound is amazing. And do you recall those old war movies which
showed the allied submarine lying motionless on the bottom of the sea while the enemy destroyer
moved over them with their sonar devices operating? The men in the sub couldn't make the
slightest sound or it would be detected. Hollywood accurately portrayed this one. That's the way
it is.
With these ideas in mind, just imagine also how much sea life has been lost resulting from the
testing of atomic devices since WW2! Surely it has been great.
2. The other man-caused devastation to the seas, beginning about the same time as WW2, has
been water pollution. We have plenty of evidence today to indicate pollution is destroying sea
life and river life. "Coincidentally", the time I was studying this Trumpet, I received a letter from
Jacque Cousteau(1) describing what mankind has done to the waterways since the 40's (see note at
bottom of this chapter).
Mr. Cousteau is widely recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on water life. I know
little about the man's faith or spiritual beliefs but I do respect his views and opinions on water
life. Incidentally, till this day I still don't know why I received the letter. I'd never responded to
any 'plea' from him or had any contact whatsoever with his organization, nor have I since! But
the timing was uncanny and the information enormous. I believe in God's sovereign control in
matters such as this but always find it amazing.
Mr. Cousteau's insights so graphically describe sea and river pollution, I felt it would be
worthwhile for you to hear his own words. The following comments are from his letter I
received July 1979.
"Each month we now pour millions of tons of poisonous waste into the living sea. Many of our
lakes, rivers and coastal waters have received their mortal wound. The water is undrinkable.
The fish and shell fish, if they exist at all, are inedible. I do not say this lightly. During the past
thirty years (now 40+ years) my team and I have spent thousands of hours diving in Aqua-lungs
and other underwater devices. During that time I have observed and studied, and with my own
eyes I have seen our waters sicken. Certain reefs that teemed with fish only ten years ago are
now almost lifeless. The ocean bottom has been raped by trawlers. Priceless wetlands have been
destroyed by land fill. And everywhere poisoness effluents. Often, when I describe the
symptoms of our environmental illness I hear remarks like "they're only fish" or "they're only
birds." I assure you that our destinies are linked with theirs in the most profound and
fundamental manner. All life is interconnected and the great life-giving bank is the sea." (I do
not agree with Mr. Cousteau's obvious evolutionary bias. However, I believe his observations of
the devastations are correct. He goes on:) "If the oceans should die---by which I mean all life in
the sea would cease---then this would signal the end not only for all marine life, but for all other
animals and plants of this earth, including man." (Here, Mr. Cousteau comes remarkably close to
describing one of the Vials, to be discussed later. But, as Christians, we know that all life will
not be destroyed because God will intervene before that happens.)
Mr. Cousteau continues:
"I implore you to understand that more than one billion children - and another billion adults - do
not have water safe enough to drink. That's half of the people in the entire world. Each year ten
million people die from such horrors as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis, and schistomiasis -
and from disease because of untreated municipal and human wastes dumped directly into
streams, rivers, and lakes. I can't understand - what are we doing to ourselves and to our
children? why do we let it go on?"
(Though brilliant and clear in his sensitivity to natural phenomena, Mr. Cousteau seems unaware
that we are in a sinful world which is coming to it's climax. He epitomizes the apostle Paul's
statement in 2 Timothy 3:7, "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the
truth". But while he may not understand that the underlying cause is sin and its consequences,
Mr. Cousteau has probably given us the most profound picture of what is happening to our water
eco-systems. It is so important for you and I to see that water pollution is what John is talking
about in the Second Trumpet, I want to include more of Mr. Cousteau's analysis:)
"A researcher asked a marine biologist if he could supply a map showing which rivers pollute the
ocean. The biologist had a simpler way. He said, "Nowadays, any river that flows through a
farm, a city, or an industrial area is loaded with pollutants."
"Almost forty years ago, seven thousand tons of arsenic were put into concrete containers and
dumped into the Baltic Sea. If properly administered, this is reportedly enough to kill the
population of the world three times over. Perhaps it has begun. The Baltic now has very high
levels of this toxic substance."
"Four years ago I knew that the amount of life in the ocean was dwindling at a terrifying rate.
Yet I predicted that the fishing tonnage would continue to rise for a few years because of better
equipment methods - and I was wrong. The tonnage of fish started down in 1971 and has kept
going down ever since, in spite of more fishing vessels and better equipment. I could add
thousands more to these examples, and fill ten volumes, but I hope these few will convey my
distress and concern at what is happening to our oceans, our planet, and ourselves."
Now, with Mr. Cousteau's words fresh in your mind, re-read John's description of the Second
Trumpet. Do the Scriptures not parallel the observations of this world-renowned scientist?
THE THIRD TRUMPET: THE WATERS STRUCK
10 "And the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch,
and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water;
11 and the name of the star is Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood;
and many men died from the waters, because the waters were made bitter."
Nearly everything I said with regard to the Second Trumpet applies equally well here. The main
difference is that Trumpet Two related mainly to the seas whereas Trumpet Three concerns the
fresh waters---the water we drink. Notice that one-third of all fresh water became "wormwood"
which caused many men to die, therefore we can conclude the water would become poisonous.
(Recall that Mr. Cousteau pointed out that half the fresh water on this planet is already
undrinkable.)
It may be significant to note the recent radiation "accident" which occurred in Chernobyl, Russia.
I have read that the meaning of the word - Chernobyl - is WORMWOOD! Isn't that interesting?
Certainly the whole earth was alarmed by the severity of that great polluting incident, and
unfortunately these occurrences will probably increase. Of course, the final effect the Chernobyl
accident will produce remains to be seen.
"WORMWOOD" SPIRITUALIZED
Understanding multiple applications of Scripture doesn't come easy for most of us. However,
through careful Bible study, I have become convinced of the truth and reality of it. I believe God
designed it and intends for us to seek out and discover His "hidden manna". Once seen, a whole
new arena opens up. I do not claim to be the only one who approaches Scripture in this way but
some Christian leaders fear over-spiritualizing. They say that in so doing you can make the Bible
say anything you want it to. Unfortunately, there is some truth in this position. But we should
never become so fearful that we miss the mysteries God has planned for us to find.
I would like to add another possible dimension to the Third Trumpet. Remember my approach to
prophecy: First, look at a passage with only the immediate context in mind, concentrating on
what it might mean specifically during a local situation at the time the writer wrote it. Next, look
at the longitudinal aspect. (Chiefly, that's what you are reading in this book). Thirdly, think of
the end-of-the-age application, which will again be a local, brief period. All three applications
are equally true, each one affecting this planet and the people living at the time the prophecies are
coming to pass.
But there is even a fourth dimension which needs to be considered. And sometimes this is
perhaps even more important. I will call it the spiritual.
I think the word wormwood could also mean 'errant Gospel'. Notice that men died because they
partook of imbittered waters. To understand what I mean, first imagine physical waters (H20)
being polluted with poisons of various kinds. When men drink such water, they die. That's the
obvious meaning. Now think of real water in its pure state, before being polluted, to the Gospel
message as it was when Jesus first proclaimed it. Since then, heresy has crept in at many sites
and as a result, the pure Gospel is found today in fewer and fewer congregations. It has been
weakened due to Satanic activity operating in all the areas of man's depravity and sin-prone
condition. This has resulted in an endless variety of cults, each with its own brand of the 'gospel',
many of them so distorted they bear little resemblance to the plain teachings of the first-century
New Testament Church.
I wish I was speaking only of cults. Many, once-strong-in-THE-FAITH, mainline denominations
are today so backslidden that they can hardly be distinguished from outstanding cults. The
gospel-water of these organizations have become polluted with false doctrines ("wormwood");
hence, men are spiritually starving. What does this mean? It means, at best, people who drink
this 'water' are spiritually malnourished; and, at worst, have not been saved through it. When
normal drinking-water becomes severely polluted, people die if they drink it. Likewise, people
die who drink a polluted gospel.
THE FOURTH TRUMPET: THE HEAVENS STRUCK
12 "And the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon,
and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened; and a third of the day did
not shine, and the night likewise.
13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a
loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts
of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"
I believe Trumpet Four signals the beginning of the problems associated with air pollution.
Certainly the timing would be right. In the first three Trumpets, we have seen (1) the drought
years, (2) sea pollution and (3) fresh water pollution. All began about the same time. Actually,
one would expect simultaneous commencement of these due to the industrial revolution: a
sudden appearance of factories, ships, cars, farmers, etc., all contributing to the pollutants being
spued into the air and water systems of the world.
Now, let's look specifically at what the Scripture says. One third of the sun, one third of the
moon and one third of the stars were dramatically affected. The Literal-only philosophy would
here demand that 1/3 of the sun is going to be destroyed, that 1/3 of the moon will be missing and
that 1/3 of the stars will disappear. I don't think this is the meaning. Verse 12 says the sun,
moon and stars were "struck", "darkened", and "did not shine".
Doesn't it make more sense to assume that this simply means that, as a result of the debris and
smog in the air, one would some day be able to see only about one third of the stars and that the
illumination of the sun and moon would be reduced by one third?
If you doubt that the number of visible stars seen at night have already been reduced by one third,
let me share this very simple, but very practical, illustrative story. I grew up in the country about
60 miles from Atlanta, Ga. It was always an amazing sight to just sit outside at night and gaze up
at the stars. It was vast. I vividly recall the ease with which I could see them. The stars were
bright and their numbers enormous beyond imagination. Viewing them from that same region on
an ordinary night in this day and age is far, far less dramatic. Quite dull, in fact. The visible stars
are dramatically fewer in number and much dimmer. (That dimmness is not due to failing
eyesight, by the way. I still have 20/20 vision, thank God.)
If you are over 40, it will be much easier for you to grasp, and believe, what I'm saying here. But
you younger ones can verify my idea by doing a simple test. If you live in, or can visit, a highly
populous region, go to a dark region (where you aren't surrounded by street and city illumination
which blot out the stars by glare), look up and get a relative count of the number of visible stars,
noting also their brightness. Remember what you saw and as soon as possible, do the same thing
again, only this time above 5,000 feet altitude. Observe the remarkable difference: it is totally
due to air pollution! It may be hard to believe but all this happened in the last forty years!
Surely air pollution and its consequences provide a more acceptable answer to what John saw
than taking a Futuristic-only stand. Re-read the text and think through these thoughts again.
There are three remaining Trumpets to sound which John introduces with the words, "Woe, Woe,
Woe...". Obviously this indicates conditions which will be even more devastating than those
beforehand. The next chapter deals with two of them.
(1.