I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 9-12.

    In today’s passage John talks about the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpets. This is where I start to lose track of what order the things in John’s vision happen. I also have trouble deciding if I think these are descriptions of supernatural events, or more mundane occurrences which John has not basis to describe in anything but colorful language (for example, my Dad said that the description of the locusts which came after the Fifth Trumpet resembles how someone might describe modern military helicopters if they had never heard of mechanical flight).

    Shortly after this John writes that he heard the seven thunders speak, but was told not to write down what they said. Every time I read that I get caught up in wondering what the seven thunders said, and how it would help us understand the rest of this vision. Yet, I am convinced that the message John was conveying is contained in the symbolism of the fact that there were seven of them, and that he was told not to write what they said. The problem for me is that I do not understand the symbolism. Throughout the rest of the Book of Revelation I run into this problem of seeing symbolism whose meaning I do not understand. There are two final thoughts I want to write today. I am convinced that starting with the account of the woman and the dragon the order of the events described in this vision do not necessarily happen in the order they appear in John’s writing. The other is that one of the key messages which this letter is designed to convey is that no matter how chaotic and out of control the events of this world appear, everything is happening according to God’s plan.