The Seven Trumpets

Prior to the opening of the seventh seal, which is known as the "great tribulation", 144,000 Jews were sealed by the Lord for special protection. The 144,000 will also be responsible for widespread evangelism and an unprecedented "soul harvest". according to Joel 2:28, the Holy Spirit will fall powerfully on these believers, as in the day of Pentecost. This is in keeping with God's desire to bring the nation of Israel back to the forefront of His plan, following the "church age" of the Gentiles. Though it is very clear that the reference to the 144,000 is the tribes of Israel, Jehovah's Witnesses view it differently.

Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that only 144,000 people will go to heaven. All faithful Jehovah’s Witnesses not chosen to be among the 144,000 elite that go to heaven will spend eternity on earth. All other people on the earth will be destroyed at war of Armageddon. This would also include any Jehovah's Witnesses who have been disfellowshipped and not worked their way back into the good graces of the Watchtower by the time of Armageddon. This is just an interesting aside.

We don't know what the seal will look like but it will apparently be visible. At the same time during the tribulation, the Antichrist will require people to receive the "mark of the beast", which will be required for all commerce. It seems that people will have one or the other, and that they are irrevocable.

At this time, the seventh seal is opened, which reveals the seven trumpets of judgement. Just as we are to interpret the plagues of Egypt as actual, and not figurative, these terrible judgements are actually set to occur.

1st trumpet: hail and fire that burns up 1/3 pf the earth's surface
2nd trumpet: meteorite thrown into the sea (probably the Mediterranean), destroying 1/3 of ships and marine life
3rd trumpet: another meteor imbeds deep into the earth destroying the headwaters of three great rivers, polluting water supply
4th trumpet: darkness, which will affect the tides
5th trumpet: abyss opened by an angel of God and imprisoned demons released, led by their king Abaddon which means "destroyer". This is not Satan but a high-ranking angelic being comparable to the archangel Michael in the heavenly host. Also unleashed will be a scourge of spirit beings described as locusts, who will wreak havoc for 5 months (which is the life span of a real locust). They will not kill but will torment mankind with pain so intense that men will wish for death. Believers will be exempt from this "woe" and perhaps the severity of the torment will bring many to repentance.
6th trumpet: four bound angels (bad ones obviously) released and 1/3 of world population is killed by an army of two hundred million demons; believers also protected from this judgement
7th trumpet: discussed in tomorrow's reading

Tomorrow's reading: Rev. 11:1-14:20