One last subordinate image remains before we continue into chapter 10; the trumpets themselves. In this vision, John describes the future from his day until the final judgment and consummation of the ages within the context of seven trumpets, imagery that runs deep in Jewish tradition. There are several possible meanings that can be cited, each of which may make sense in understanding John’s intentions. Among them are these:

First, trumpets were used as a call to celebration, as in Num. 10:10. If this is John’s intent, then the sounding of trumpets could be a call to celebrate God’s kingdom rule.

Second. Trumpets were used as a signal of danger (Ez. 33:3; Amos 3:6; cf. Joel 2:15). If this was his intent, John might be using the trumpets as a warning of the present troubles and calling on us to take shelter in Christ.

Third, trumpets were part of the theophany of Mount Sinai (EX 19:6). If so, then John would be using the trumpets as a means of letting us know that God is present in all that is going on in this age.

Fourth, trumpets were used to mark the crowning of a new king (2 Sam. 15:10; 1 KI 1:39; 2 KI 9:13).  If this is so, then perhaps

John intends to show us of the impending crowning of our King at His consummation.

It is quite reasonable to assert any of these… or even all of these as John’s intention in chapters 8-9. Even so, I think that a fifth possibility makes even more sense. As I see it, the seven trumpets together are announcing the coming of the Day of the Lord. In Old Testament prophecy, the “day of the Lord” is used to describe any time when God is judging His enemies. One example of this is found in Joel 2:1-2, 10-11:

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy hill.

Let all who live in the land tremble,
for the day of the Lord is coming.
It is close at hand—
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness.
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
a large and mighty army comes,
such as never was in ancient times
nor ever will be in ages to come.

Before them the earth shakes,
the heavens tremble,
the sun and moon are darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.
The Lord thunders
at the head of his army;
his forces are beyond number,
and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of the Lord is great;
it is dreadful.
Who can endure it?

New Testament writers identify the Day of the Lord with the Second Coming of Christ and the final judgment. Passages such as 1 Cor. 15:50-57, 1 Thess. 4:13-18, and possibly Matt. 24: 29-31 help to illustrate this.  We know that the number “seven” is the number of completion, so it may well be that John, by describing the entire time from his day to the final consummation of the church as “seven” trumpet blasts, may be telling us that this entire messy age is one long announcement of the coming of the Great Day of the Lord.