Book of Common Prayer

Prayer in Time of Discipline.

A Psalm of David; to bring to remembrance.

Daleth.

He.

Vav.

The Seventh Seal—the Trumpets

8 When He (the Lamb) broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour [in awe of God’s impending judgment].^{(A) 2} Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven ^[a]trumpets were given to them.

³ Another angel came and stood at the altar. He had a golden ^[b]censer, and much ^[c]incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints (God’s people) on the golden altar in front of the throne.^{(B) 4} And the smoke and fragrant aroma of the incense, with the prayers of the saints (God’s people), ascended before God from the angel’s hand. ⁵ So the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder and loud rumblings and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.^(C)

⁶ Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them [initiating the judgments].

⁷ The first [angel] sounded [his trumpet], and there was [a storm of] hail and fire, mixed with blood, and it was hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.^(D)

⁸ The second angel sounded [his trumpet], and something like a great mountain blazing with fire was hurled into the sea; and a third of the sea was turned to blood;^{(E) 9} and a third of the living creatures that were in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded [his trumpet], and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch [flashing across the sky], and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of [fresh] waters. ¹¹ The name of the star is ^[d]Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the waters, because they had become bitter (toxic).

¹² Then the fourth angel sounded [his trumpet], and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and a third of the daylight would not shine, and the night in the same way [would not shine].^(F)

¹³ Then I looked, and I heard a solitary eagle flying in ^[e]midheaven [for all to see], saying with a loud voice, “^[f]Woe, woe, woe [great wrath is coming] to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpets which the three angels are about to sound [announcing ever greater judgments]!”

The Joyous Results

¹⁷ The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” ¹⁸ He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like [a flash of] lightning. ¹⁹ Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on ^[a]serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you. ²⁰ Nevertheless do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”^(A)

²¹ In that very hour He was overjoyed and rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and He said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things [relating to salvation] from the ^[b]wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to infants [the childlike and untaught]. Yes, Father, for this way was [Your gracious will and choice, and was] well-pleasing in Your sight. ²² All things have been transferred and turned over to Me by My Father and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him.”

²³ Then turning to His disciples, Jesus said privately, “Blessed [joyful, spiritually enlightened, and favored by God] are the eyes which see what you see,^{(B) 24} for I say to you that many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, and they did not see it; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”