⁶ Then the seven angels who held the seven trumpets got ready to blow them. ⁷ The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood appeared, and was thrown down to the earth. A third of the earth was burned up. A third of the trees were burned up. All the green grass was burned up. ⁸ Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain burning with fire was thrown down into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, ⁹ a third of the creatures living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. ¹⁰ Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star, burning like a torch, fell from heaven. It fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water. ¹¹ The star’s name is Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it became so bitter.¹² Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars so that a third of them became dark. The day lost a third of its light, and the night lost a third of its light too. ¹³ Then I looked and I heard an eagle flying high overhead. It said with a loud voice, “Horror, horror, oh! The horror for those who live on earth because of the blasts of the remaining trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!” 9 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. ² He opened the shaft of the abyss; and smoke rose up from the shaft, like smoke from a huge furnace. The sun and air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft. ³ Then locusts came forth from the smoke and onto the earth. They were given power like the power that scorpions have on the earth. ⁴ They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree. They could only hurt the people who didn’t have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ The locusts weren’t allowed to kill them, but only to make them suffer for five months—and the suffering they inflict is like that of a scorpion when it strikes a person. ⁶ In those days people will seek death, but they won’t find it. They will want to die, but death will run away from them. ⁷ The locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads were what seemed to be gold crowns. Their faces were like human faces, ⁸ their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. ⁹ In front they had what seemed to be iron armor upon their chests, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots and horses racing into battle.¹⁰ They also have tails with stingers, just like scorpions; and in their tails is their power to hurt people for five months. ¹¹ Their king is an angel from the abyss, whose Hebrew name is Abaddon, and whose Greek name is Apollyon. ¹² The first horror has passed. Look! Two horrors are still coming after this. (Revelation 8:6–9:12, CEB)

5 out of 7 trumpets sounded and a third of the earth, the seas, the rivers and springs, the sun, moon, and stars are destroyed and locusts that can torment those without the mark of God for 5 months but not kill them has been unleashed and the worst is yet to come!

We must remember this is a vision of John. It is meant to help those in John’s day, and ours, to know that we are not alone in what seems like the worst situation ever. No matter what we are going through, God is always with us.

The hope here is that we are those who have the mark of God so we can not be tormented. We have God with us always, never forget that, and know that is your hope!