Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets

8 When^(A) He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ^2 (B)And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, ^(C)and to them were given seven trumpets. ³ Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with ^(D)the prayers of all the saints upon ^(E)the golden altar which was before the throne. ⁴ And ^(F)the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. ⁵ Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And ^(G)there were noises, thunderings, ^(H)lightnings, ^(I)and an earthquake.

⁶ So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck

⁷ The first angel sounded: ^(J)And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown ^(K)to the ^[a]earth. And a third ^(L)of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck

⁸ Then the second angel sounded: ^(M)And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, ^(N)and a third of the sea ^(O)became blood. ^9 (P)And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck

¹⁰ Then the third angel sounded: ^(Q)And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, ^(R)and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. ^11 (S)The name of the star is Wormwood. ^(T)A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.

Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck

^12 (U)Then 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. A third of the day ^[b]did not shine, and likewise the night.

¹³ And I looked, ^(V)and I heard an ^[c]angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, ^(W)“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!”