Revelation Decoder: Mark, Seals, Trumpets, Bowls

In this article, we shall develop a sufficient understanding of the Bible’s use of these words so that when we approach the book of Revelation, things make more sense. I will briefly explain my interpretation, the imagery, and symbolism. A few relevant or non-relevant passages from the Old Testament will be explored to have an overall better background knowledge of those words.

Mark / Mark of the beast:

Revelation 13:16-17; 14:9-11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4.

A mark can be a sign like a road sign (Ezek 21:20; 39:15) or a distinguishable quality (Ezek 27:7; 2 Thess 3:17), or an idol (Acts 17:29). Or, it could be a horse-branding mark or a carved, sculpture, or graven work (cultural source).

In Ezekiel 9:4-6, God instructed an angel to “put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sign and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its [the city’s] midst.” Those who did not have the mark were struck down and killed because of their wickedness. This happened in a vision and so it is to be understood symbolically. The head is the center of a person’s consciousness and volition, and so the head represents the person. A mark is a label. A label on a person’s head is a way of describing the quality or substance of a person and what they are all about. It is also a way of keeping track of where that person belongs or to whom or what they belong to. In a spiritual sense, angels are recording our deeds and writing them in books. They’re keeping track of whose who and who worships what.

From this understanding, the mark of the beast symbolically identifies those who belong to the devil because they worship the devil and his beast system. It is not something Christians should be afraid of any more than the persecuted church in China, Africa, and the Middle East would be afraid of persecution, being martyred, or apostatizing. However, the difference about the mark of the beast has to do with buying or selling. But I don’t think it will be a chip or anything that could be forced against people by their will or that they would choose by accident, not knowing it is the mark. I believe the mark is symbolically adhering to false religion that is also part of the government (like Islam). They will require total devotion or the alternative—beheading.

Seals:

Seals are about authenticating something to prove its validity like how a king would use his signet ring and stamp the particular pattern of the ring onto the hot wax that closed a scroll. A modern-day example would be like signing one’s signature across the opening fold of an envelope (when the envelope has already been licked and closed). A seal is also a mark designating ownership. For example, library books have stamps on them to prove that the book is the property of the library. Seals on scrolls are only meant to be opened by the intended recipient of the scroll. If it had been opened, that means someone could have forged the letter or stolen sensitive information. Therefore, sealing scrolls are meant to hide, preserve, and authenticate the contents of what had been sealed.

In the context of the seven seals that only Jesus was worthy to open; by opening the book and its seals, He chooses the time of those events and affirms that those events should take place. He chooses to let loose this new chapter in time. He has the rightful and worthy say-so because He is the most loving and selfless individual to ever exist, as He proved that through His incarnation, life, death, and resurrection.

The seals are on a book. The seals are opened to open the book. What is in the book activates the next chapters in history. This means that Jesus is authorizing the end time events to take place which were written in the book. The seals are not the wrath of God but the wrath of man and the wrath of the devil. The living creatures that tell John “Come” is like in the movie Scrooge where the spirit takes him to a scene in the past or future to see the events, saying, “look,” while pointing his finger. The living creature is not doing anything on the earth or to the earth. It is all happening through these symbolic horses.

In Revelation 7:3-4, there are 144,000 bond-servants who are sealed with God on their foreheads. These are authenticated and persevered by God. Verses 1-3 says that the sealing is supposed to take place before the destruction which implies that if this were otherwise, then those people would or might die when the destruction comes upon the earth. That is why they are sealed before the destruction takes place.

Trumpets:

Trumpets were used to signal something to come like a warning or an announcement (Ex 19:16; 1 Sam 13:3-4; 2 Sam 18:16; 2 Chron 13:12), or the Day of the Lord (Joel 2:1).

Trumpets were used for summoning people together (Num 10:2; Neh 4:20; Jer 4:5), as reminders (Lev 23:24; Num 10:10), and for celebration (2 Sam 6:15; 1 Chron 13:8).

Trumpets were instructed by God to be used as a war alarm and to call upon the aid of God to help in battle (Num 10:9). Trumpets signaled war (Jer 4:19; 49:2).

In the story of defeating Jericho, there were seven priests who carried seven trumpets, and once they marched around the city seven times, the priests would blow the trumpets (Josh 6).

Using a raised voice to warn people about their sins is compared to the voice of a trumpet (Isa 58:1; Ezek 33:1-9).

God speaks of Himself as blowing a trumpet in bringing judgement (Zech 9:14).

Jesus warns against drawing attention to yourself in giving money to the poor. Metaphorically, that is to blow a trumpet (Mt 6:2).

God will use a trumpet to send forth His angels and to gather together His elect (Mt 24:31).

“at the last trumpet,” in the blink of an eye, “the dead will be raised imperishable” (1 Cor 15:52).

When Jesus descends from heaven, the trumpet of God will be blown, “and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thess 4:16).

It is not necessary that these trumpets correlate with the seven trumpets in Revelation. Trumpets were a very common thing. However, the Jericho event is the most similar one with a correlation to the seven trumpets in Revelation. I think that was intentional where the angels in heaven are like God’s priests bringing judgement and destruction upon the earth.

Bowls:

In Revelation 5:8, golden bowls full of incense are equated to the prayers of the saints.

Gold bowls were used for making drink offerings (Ex 25:29; 37:16), and were referred to as “sacrificial bowls” and had wine in them (Num 4:7; Amos 6:6). Silver bowls and dishes were filled with flour mixed with oil to make grain offerings (Num 7:19). Bowls are equated with sustenance (Dt 28:5, 17; 1 Kgs 17:14). Having the golden bowl crushed, means to die (Ecc 12:6).

Revelation 15:7 says, “Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.” The wrath of God is pictured here as red wine being poured out of bowls from heaven. A drink offering is about fellowship, so for God to now call it “wrath,” it is an ironic twist which shows God’s displeasure and disfellowship in bringing judgement and destruction. The earth and the people within it are pictured as drinking this judgement. Instead of an offering being given to God, God is now the one giving the offering. But it is judgement.

There is also this theme of blood being poured out upon the earth from the bowls and trumpets, almost as if it is supposed to give us the imagery of Jesus in heaven performing a sacrificial ritual, sprinkling blood down on the earth to cleanse it, to expiate their sin. But since they did not repent, the expiation did not cleanse them to live, it washed them away to be no more. It’s like an ironic twist to the temple ritual.

Revelation 15:5-7 says:

After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.

Notice, there is this scene in heaven. There is a temple. Angels are in the temple. They are dressed like priests. And they are then given blood to sprinkle upon the earth.