The seventh trumpet is the last trumpet (1 Cor. 15:52). Without the seventh trumpet, God’s economy and His move cannot be completed. Hence, in the days of the seventh trumpet the mystery of God will be finished (Rev. 10:7). When the seventh trumpet sounds, many things will happen (11:14-18). The seventh trumpet will sound for a period of time, and it will last for eternity, announcing and proclaiming God’s eternal plan.
The seventh trumpet has a negative aspect and a positive aspect. The negative aspect includes (1) the last plagues of the seven bowls, in which the wrath of God is finished (15:1; 16:1-21), as the last woe to those who dwell on the earth (8:13; 9:12; 11:14); and (2) the destruction of the destroyers of the earth immediately upon the Lord’s coming back to the earth (17:14; 18:1-2; 19:19—20:3). The positive aspect includes (1) the coming of the eternal kingdom of Christ, which is the kingdom in its manifestation (11:15, 17); (2) the judgment of the dead before the resurrection of the saints to know who should share in the resurrection of life before the millennium (1 Cor. 15:23; Rev. 20:4-6) and who should be left to the resurrection of condemnation after the millennium (vv. 11-12); and (3) the giving of the reward, at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10), to the prophets and the saints after the resurrection and rapture of the saints (1 Cor. 15:23, 52; 1 Thes. 4:16-17) and the giving of the reward, at the throne of Christ’s glory (Matt. 25:31-34), to those who fear God’s name (Rev. 14:6-7). Hence, the seventh trumpet comprises all the events from the end of the great tribulation to eternity future, such as the last plagues of the seven bowls (ch. 16); the resurrection and rapture of the saints, including the two witnesses; the rewarding of the saints; the marriage of the Lamb (19:7-9); the coming back of Christ to the earth; the destruction of Antichrist, the false prophet, their followers, the material Babylon the Great, and Satan (18:1—19:4; 19:11—20:3); the reigning in the millennial kingdom (vv. 4-6); the final judgment upon the earth and Satan (vv. 7-10); the final judgment of the dead (vv. 11-15); and the ultimate consummation in the new heaven and new earth with the New Jerusalem for eternity (21:1—22:5).
The seven bowls (ch. 16), as the third woe (11:14), are a part of the negative contents of the seventh trumpet. These seven bowls contain the last seven plagues (15:1).
John saw when “the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in clean bright linen and girded around the breasts with golden girdles. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the fury of God, who lives forever and ever” (vv. 6-7). Bowls, being small, signify limitation. Although the last seven plagues are the ultimate fury of God, His fury is nonetheless limited; otherwise, the entire earth and all its inhabitants would be destroyed. God is rich in mercy. For the fulfillment of His eternal purpose, God still exercises limitations in His ultimate fury in judgment upon the earth.
John heard “a loud voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the seven bowls of the fury of God into the earth. And the first went and poured out his bowl into the earth; and there came to be an evil and malignant sore upon the men who have the mark of the beast and worship his image” (16:1-2). In His last fury, God will mark the rebellious ones with a sore on their skin because they bear the mark of the beast. This malignant sore will be on the citizens of the revived Roman Empire under Antichrist, because they bear the name of Antichrist or the number of his name.
“The second poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living soul that was in the sea died” (v. 3). The sea in this verse should not include all the seas. Probably, it will mainly be the Mediterranean Sea, the sea enclosed by Antichrist’s empire.
“The third poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood” (v. 4). After this, an angel who has power over the waters will praise God, saying, “You are righteous, who is and who was, the Holy One, because You have judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink; they are worthy of it” (vv. 5-6). There will also be praise from the altar concerning God’s judgments being true in nature and righteous in principle (v. 7).