The Seven Trumpets Begin
The seventh seal brings silence, then seven angels with trumpets unleash symbolic plagues — each representing the Holy Spirit's work of conversion spreading across the earth.
When he broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
[1-13] The breaking of the seventh seal produces at first silence and then seven symbolic disasters, each announced by a trumpet blast, of which the first four form a unit as did the first four seals. A minor liturgy (⇒ Rev 8:3-5) is enclosed by a vision of seven angels (⇒ Rev 8:2, 6). Then follow the first four trumpet blasts, each heralding catastrophes modeled on the plagues of Egypt affecting the traditional prophetic third (cf ⇒ Ezekiel 5:12) of the earth, sea, fresh water, and stars (⇒ Rev 8:7-12). Finally, there is a vision of an eagle warning of the last three trumpet blasts (⇒ Rev 8:13). [1] Silence in heaven: as in ⇒ Zephaniah 1:7, a prelude to the eschatological woes that are to follow; cf Introduction.
And I saw that the seven angels who stood before God were given seven trumpets.
Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne.
[3] Altar: there seems to be only one altar in the heavenly temple, corresponding to the altar of holocausts in ⇒ Rev 6:9, and here to the altar of incense in Jerusalem; cf also ⇒ Rev 9:13; ⇒ 11:1; ⇒ 14:18; ⇒ 16:7.
The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel.
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with burning coals from the altar, and hurled it down to the earth. There were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
When the first one blew his trumpet, there came hail and fire mixed with blood, which was hurled down to the earth. A third of the land was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all green grass.
[7] This woe resembles the seventh plague of Egypt (⇒ Exodus 9:23-24); cf Joel 2:30.
{7} Hail is frozen water (life giving) and fire is spirit. Mixed with blood which is the blood of Christ. This is the beginning of the conversion of the earth's population.
When the second angel blew his trumpet, something like a large burning mountain was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood,
[8-11] The background of these two woes is the first plague of Egypt (⇒ Exodus 7:20-21).
{8} the conversion continues.
a third of the creatures living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were wrecked.
[9] Creatures living in the sea: literally, "creatures in the sea that had souls."
{9} The wrecked ships represent religions other than Christianity. When Jesus returns, the other religions will be wrecked.