In the vision of the seven seals, John gave us a picture of the church in this age and violence perpetrated by men, governments, powers and human society. Here, in the first six trumpets, John shows us another aspect of the age and how the natural world will be affected. There are several images that are involved in this discussion:

Earth, trees grass, springs, rivers, sea and sea creatures

Trees and green grass are destroyed (8:7), sea creatures die (8:9), water supplies become “bitter” (8:11): Are these only images based upon the plagues of Egypt, or are these also wrongs inflicted upon natural creation by sinful humanity? Consider:

The time has come for judging the dead… and for destroying those who destroy the earth

From Rev. 11:18

Sobering thought, don’t you think?

It is not only God’s people who are afflicted in this present evil age, for the very creation has been warped by sin; it is not only humanity that needs redemption, but the entire Creation. Human beings in their sin have polluted and exploited the creation for their evil purposes; human beings in their sin twist and pervert God’s good creation for their evil desires. Human beings turn the present age into the present evil age. There are various Old Testament texts that seem to take this view, among them are the following:

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’

“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.

It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.

Genesis 3:17-18 (emphasis added)

The earth is defiled by its people;
they have disobeyed the laws,
violated the statutes
and broken the everlasting covenant.
Therefore a curse consumes the earth;
its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,
and very few are left.

Isaiah 24:5-6 (emphasis added)

Many of us yearn for Christ’s return and an end to this present evil age; so does the entirety of Creation.

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

Romans 8:19-22

This is the first group of subordinate images; next time, we’ll have a look at some more.