: Revelation 8:1-11:18 presents the second cycle of judgment. The trumpets blast clear, clarion calls to awaken people to the consequences of sin and repent before it too late. The destruction is limited to “just” one-third in each instance (Ezek 5:12) as a sign of partial judgment still allowing for repentance. The trumpets unleash God’s righteous wrath because of the world’s persistent defiance toward God and God’s people. Many who protest the idea of God’s wrath are the first to denounce injustice and call for punishment of oppressors. Ironically, they rationalize their own “wrath” while rejecting God’s justice. They set themselves up as judges of the Creator and Rightful Judge of the Cosmos. As plagues preceded the release of God’s people from Egypt, these plagues foretell the final liberation of the Church.
