Interpretation Helps for Revelation 8-13

These last few days of Revelation get pretty heavy . . .

• In Revelation 8:7-13 the first four trumpets represent natural disasters in general. The Concordia Self-Study Bible has an interesting take: "References to the Egyptian plagues suggest that in Revelation we have the final exodus of God's people from the bondage of a world controlled by hostile powers."
• In Revelation 9:1-6 the star that had fallen from the sky to the earth is the devil. The locusts that come out of the smoke are evil angels. The torture by the locusts represents the painful consequences of temptation and false doctrine. The time period of five months represents a limited time.
• In Revelation 9:13-19, the sixth trumpet, the four angels bound at the river Euphrates symbolize affliction of the earth (remember the number four has to do with the created world). They were released to kill a third of mankind--mankind meaning unbelievers. The mounted troops are evil angels. Since it is the horses doing the damage, the riders may symbolize humans who cooperate with evil to tempt and teach false doctrine.
• In 10:1-4 the mighty angel coming down from heaven is Jesus. The "seven thunders" represent God's wrath.
• Verses 10:7 ("the mystery of God") and 9 ("little scroll") are references to the gospel. In 10:11 a clearer translation of the words is, "You must prophesy again to many people, nations, languages and kinds."
• In 11:1-2, using an Old Testament illustration, the temple represents believers and the outer court/Gentiles represents those excluded--hypocrites or non-Christians.
• In 11:3-14 the two witnesses are actually God's Word (the original language actually doesn't have "men" as translated by the NIV in verse 6). They will prophesy for 1,260 days = 3.5 years, which represents the New Testament age. The "beast," the devil and his influence, silence the Word in "Sodom and Egypt," where people refuse God's message and suffer the judgment. For "three and a half days," a very brief time, God's enemies seem victorious before the witnesses are resurrected and the survivors give glory to God. This is not an act of repentance but the terrified realization that Christ is the true Lord of all.
• In 12:1-6 the woman is the church and the dragon is the devil.
• In 12:7-9 the account is not about the pre-creation fall of Satan, but about Satan and his angels losing their power in the spiritual realm.
• In 12:13-13:1 the wings given to the woman represent the power of the double victory of Christ and his angels in the first two scenes. When the earth opens its mouth and swallows the river that the dragon had spewed, this is all the ways Jesus may blunt the attacks of Satan on behalf of his people.
• The beast of the sea in 13:1-4 represents governmental powers against the church in the New Testament. The fatal wound is the fact that sometimes government had actually worked against Satan but at this point was back to working with Satan.
• The meaning of 13:9-10 is that Christians will accept the consequences of holding to the truth.
• In 13:11-17 the beast of the earth is the false religion of man, works righteousness.