Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
History and Religion
Global warming is legit and the book of Revelation affirms it: Wrath and God #6

Global warming is legit and the book of Revelation affirms it: Wrath and God #6

Last updated on: July 3, 2023 at 4:58 pm by Rob Dalrymple

Global warming is legit and the book of Revelation affirms it: Wrath and God #6 2023-07-03T16:58:10-08:00 Rob Dalrymple

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Global warming is legit and I think if we were to go back in time and tell John, the author of the book of Revelation, he wouldn’t be surprised.

The Seven Trumpets and wrath

At the end of the Seventh Trumpet, the 24 Elders cry out, “ . . . Your wrath came, and the time came . . . to destroy those who destroy the earth” (Rev 11:18).

For a number of years, this verse puzzled me. It seemed straightforward. Those who destroy the earth, God will destroy. But I couldn’t figure out what it has to do with the book of Revelation. It seemed random.

Then it finally struck me!

NB: I have been arguing in the last several posts that we are seriously misreading the book of Revelation when we concluded that the Seven Seals (Rev 6:1-17; 8:1, 5) represent the Wrath of God.

(see my last two posts here and here; these posts are part of a series.

Is God a moral monster? #1

Is God a moral monster? #2

Is God a moral monster? #3)

Are the Seven Trumpets God’s Wrath?

If the Seven Seals are not God’s wrath, then what about the Seven Trumpets (Rev 8:2, 6:-9:21; 11:14-19)?

One of the key elements of John’s narrative (yes, the book of Revelation is telling a story and if we don’t recognize this, we will fail to grasp much of what John is saying) is that John’s story centers on God’s answer to the “prayers of the saints” (5:8; 8:3, 4), which I believe corresponds with the cry of the martyrs’: “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (6:10).

In the series of Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets, the martyrs are essentially told, “Not yet” (6:11—my loose paraphrase of Rev 6:11).

NB: For more insights into the book of Revelation and what it meant then and what it means for us today, tune into the determinetruth podcast (also available on iTunes; Spotify; or wherever you get your podcasts; and don’t forget to “follow” us and to share it with others).

A careful reading of the book of Revelation affirms that both the accounts of the Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets explain what happens during the “not yet.”

That is, one of the functions of the Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets is that they are a response to the prayers of the saints by informing the saints as to what will transpire during the delay.

One of the first things we learn is that it will be difficult for the people of God (which I can address in future posts; suffice it to say for now but the notion of a rapture seriously undermines the biblical call to persevere).

In addition, God’s delay in bringing justice for the martyrs also means that human rulers remain in power. And guess what happens when we rule? Wars happen. Wars that create famines and food shortages happen. And famines that bring about death and diseases happen. (Seals 2, 3, 4; see Rev 6:3-8)

This is not God’s doing! It is our doing.

All we need to do is read the first few pages of Genesis to realize this. Adam and Eve choose to make the decisions of good and bad on their own terms (Gen 3). Then in the very next account Can kills his brother Abel (Gen 4). This is the biblical story. When we rule we kill one another. WE NEED GOD’S WISDOM; which is what the fear of the Lord is all about (Prov 1:7).

The Seven Seals announce death and destruction to humanity: the Seven Trumpets announce destruction to the creation

The destruction that takes place on the earth in the account of the Seven Trumpets, in the same way as the first four Seals, represents what happens when God delays in bringing about the end (justice) and allows human rulers to rule.

In the first four Seals, human rule brought deception, war, famine, and death to humanity (6:1-8).

In the first four Trumpets, human rule brings destruction upon the four parts of creation (the land 7; the sea 8-9; the fresh waters 10-11; and the heavenly bodies 12).

This is why Rev 11:18 says that God will “destroy those who destroy the earth.”

So, when we begin to learn about global warming and its destructiveness to the creation, we should not be surprised.

NB I will address global warming more in a future post. I’ll just say for now that global warming makes a lot of sense in light of the biblical narrative. And “No,” I am not saying the Bible predicts global warming.

The account of the Seven Trumpets cannot be God’s doing.

In addition, anyone who claims that the Seven Trumpets are the direct acts of God must also account for the fact that the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets (Rev 9:1-19) describe demonic hordes that unleash pain and suffering among humanity.

The first demonic horde (Fifth Trumpet) comes from the Abyss (9:1-2): note the “Abyss” is likely synonymous with hell—as is evidenced by the smoke that comes out of it (9:2-3). These demonic hordes are granted the authority to inflict suffering but not death upon humanity (9:4-6). That they are demonic is evidenced in that, “They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek, he has the name Apollyon” (9:11).

The second demonic horde (Sixth Trumpet) kills one-third of humanity (9:18). That they are demonic beings is indicated by the fact that the command goes forth, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates” (9:14).

(I don’t think Michael or Gabriel were ever “bound.”—just sayin).

Furthermore, the war that these demonic beings wage corresponds to the “Armageddon” passage in 16:12-16; 19:19-21; and 20:7-10—but we will have to save this for a future post also)

Suffice it to say that I find it very hard to believe that God is the agent of demonic hordes that ultimately wage war against the people of God.

God’s sovereignty

At this point, some may wish to contend that God is sovereign and as such He is the agent behind the destruction that follows the sounding of the Seven Trumpets, including the acts of the demonic hordes.

Before I respond to this, let me just point out the absurdity of this claim. What kind of God do we believe in? I know that many have held to this belief for quite some time. In fact, some very good scholars in the field of the book of Revelation have held to this view. But have we really stepped back and thought, “Hmm, I am not sure this makes any sense”?

In response, I would note: Yes, God is sovereign. That is one of the fundamental points behind the Book of Revelation. Apocalypses by nature were written to assure their readers that God is in control and that He will ultimately bring them justice and relief from their suffering.

When it comes to Satan and demonic hordes, God’s sovereignty means that they are not so out of control that they can do anything they want, nor can they act for as long as they want. They are limited in scope and time.

The Seven Trumpets and Global Warming

I teach biblical interpretation at a seminary. One of the first things we do in the course is to discuss the history of poor interpretations. When it comes to science, unfortunately, the church has been too quick to reject science because we feel threatened by it.

So when science began to argue that the world was round, some Christians rejected it because the Bible allegedly teaches that the earth has 4 corners.

When science began to suggest that the Sun is the center of our solar system, some rejected it because the Bible says that the Earth is the center of the universe.

Perhaps, then we should be more careful when it comes to things such as global warming.

NB: What I find very interesting here is that those in the church who have run to reject global warming as a hoax have not run to the Bible per se, but to their wallets. Global warming is a conspiracy, they claim, designed to destroy American businesses (I was just looking at a book that says this the other day while finishing up some research at the seminary’s library).

There is, as always, more to say, but let me close with this:

Rev 11:18, which says that God will “destroy those who destroy the earth,” affirms that God is not the direct agent behind the Trumpet plagues. It must mean that others are destroying the earth and that God will bring justice against those who do so. That is, God will bring justice against those who cause the destruction of the creation that is set forth in the first four Trumpets.

That human rule brings destruction to the creation corresponds precisely with John’s narrative. Sure, you might question whether or not global warming is real, but it seems to me that if we were to tell John he wouldn’t be surprised in the least.

Our goal is to keep these posts free of charge. I do not intend to ever hide them behind a paywall. I can only do this if those of you who have been blessed by them and can afford to give ($5, $10, $25, or more/month) do so. You can give a tax-deductible contribution by following this link.Please share this post and let others know about determinetruth.
If you wish to view this blog on your smartphone through the Determinetruth app simply download the “tithe.ly church” app on your smartphone and insert “determinetruth” as the church name you wish to follow. Once it is loaded, simply click on the “blog” icon and it will automatically load.
If you would like to have Rob speak at your church or organization in person or via Zoom, please let us know by filling out the contact info on the Contact me tab on this site.

Progressive Christian

History and Religion

Education and Religion

Biblical Interpretation

About Rob Dalrymple

Rob Dalrymple is married to his wife Toni and is the father of four fabulous children, and two grandchildren. He has been teaching and pastoring for over 33 years at colleges, seminaries, and the local church. He has a PhD in biblical interpretation. He is the author of four books (including Follow the Lamb: A Guide to Reading, Understanding, and Applying the Book of Revelation & Understanding the New Testament and the End Times: Why it Matters) as well as numerous articles and other publications. He is currently completing a commentary on the book of Revelation titled, “Revelation: a Love Story” (Cascade Books, pending 2024). You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

June 26, 2023

Pride Month: What does it mean to love our neighbor?

Next Post

July 10, 2023 Why our churches often look more like empire than Kingdom; 3 reasons why they are not about to change anytime soon; and what we should do about it: Beast/anti-Christ #9

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 000 1 Cor 11:17-34 1 Corinthians 1 John 1 Peter 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 10 Commandments 2 Corinthians 2 John 2 Peter 2 Thessalonians 2 Timothy 3 John 666 Abortion Acts 2:42 Ahmaud Arbery AIPAC All Saints Day America antisemitism BDS Beast Betting Bible Bible study Biblical Interpretation Biden Book of Acts Boycott Campus Protests Catholicism Ceasefire Chavez Ravine Christian Nationalism Christian Zionism Christianity Today Christmas Church Colossians Communion Convict Leasing Covid-19 Craig Blaising creation Crucifixion Daoud Nassar Deception Deconstruction Democracy Devotional guide Discipleship Easter Eden Education Election End-times Ephesians Eschatology Ethnic Cleansing Evangelicalism Evangelicals Evolution Fall Famine Fascism FIFA Freedom of Speech Galatians Gary Burge Gaza Gaza; Genocide; Boycott Genesis Genocide George Floyd Global Warming God's will Gospel Gospel of John Gospel of Luke Gospel of Mark Gospel of Matthew Government Grace Great Prostitute Hamas Harris healthcare Hebrews HeGetsUs Holy Spirit Holy Week Honor Father and Mother ICJ Immigration Indigenous peoples day Iran Israel Israel Palestine Itamar Ben Gvir James Jesus Joel Willits Jude Just war Justice Kamala Harris Kingdom Of God Kings and Queens land of Israel Law (OT) Lazarus Les Miserable LGBTQ+ Love Luke Mahmoud Khalil Man of Lawlessness Mark Mark of the Beast Marriage Martin Luther King Jr Mercy Mexican Repatriation Military-Industrial-Complex Ministry Mission Money NAFTA Nakba Netanyahu New Creation New Testament Nicaragua Nicodemus Non Violence Occupation Pacifism Palestine Parable Paul Peace Pentecost Peonage Philemon Philippians Politics Poor Power Prayer Pride Month Priests Pro-life Propaganda Prophesy Prophet Qatar Queen Elizabeth Racism Reconstruction Redemption Reformation Resurrection Revelation Roe v Wade Romans Romans 13:1-7 Rome Russia Sabbath Samaritan Seals Sermon Settlements Slavery Spiritual gifts Taxes Tent of Nations Terrorism The Beast Theology Titus Torture Trump truth Ukraine Uncategorized Veteran's Day War Warsaw Ghetto wealth Wedding Women World Cup 2022 Worldview Worship Wrath Yemen Zionism

Select a Month September 2026 May 2026 February 2026 November 2025 October 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 August 2018 June 2018 May 2018 March 2018 September 2017 July 2017 May 2017 November 2016 October 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Christian group is known for its liturgical calendar?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Anglicans Baptists Jehovah’s Witnesses Methodists

Support this
Column